Why Garrett Temple and Bulls were a tidy free agent match originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
When you forge a 15-season basketball career between college, international play and the NBA, you’re bound to make some lasting connections. As it turns out, Garrett Temple has quite a few in the Bulls’ building -- even dating back to before the team made him its lone free agent signing this offseason.
From SEC battles throughout his four-year career at LSU, he became acquainted with Billy Donovan, who won two national titles at Florida while Temple was a tiger. He broke into the NBA on a 10-day contract with the Houston Rockets during the 2009-10 season, where he met Artūras Karnišovas, then the team’s Director of Global Scouting and International Affairs. Temple also played with Otto Porter Jr. for three years with the Washington Wizards, and first met Tomáš Satoranský when the Czech guard first worked out for the Wizards before making his leap to the NBA.
“It's a lot of different things that made this happen,” Temple said Sunday in his first comments to reporters of his Bulls tenure, delivered from an undisclosed Chicago hotel where he’s quarantining after testing positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 28.
One of those things was a call from Donovan himself.
“I have great respect for him,” Temple said of Donovan. “I found out that he also has great respect for me. And when he called me and told me they were interested, it immediately became appealing from that regard.”
Also appealing was the chance to assume a leadership role on a team Temple said he thinks has a shot to surprise some people this year.
“I loved the roster,” Temple said. “I think Zach (LaVine) is a budding superstar in this league. I love Wendell Carter. I've known Tomáš since when he came to D.C. when he did a workout for the Wizards before he got drafted. And obviously I know Otto from playing, and obviously Thad (Young)’s a great vet in this league that can really still play. All of these things come to fruition.”
Better still, there’s a role for Temple to play. In his decade-plus NBA run, which has now featured nine stops, he’s developed the reputation of a savvy veteran, capable multi-positional defender and reliable outside shooter.
“Versatility. Experience. Leadership. Those would be my three things on Garrett,” Karnišovas said when asked the logic behind bringing him in. “Overall great dude and veteran point guard that we need on this team,” Porter added. “Great guy, great teammate and great defender,” LaVine said, citing years of playing against Temple.
“One thing I've been able to do when I go to teams is honestly fit whatever the coach wants me to be in, that's been kind of my calling card since I've been in the league,” Temple said. “Obviously coming here and helping Thad in terms of that veteran leadership role I think that was one thing that appealed, that I appealed to them with. And then the ability to play multiple positions, the way the game is going, 1, 2, 3, even 4 is almost interchangeable nowadays. So the fact that I can guard 1s, 2s, 3s, sometimes in small lineups 4s, I think I'll be able to do that. Be a guy that can knock down some shots from the perimeter. And that savvy veteran that can make plays, just understanding the game.
“With the talent that we have, the young talent that we have, I think I'll be able to mesh well. Just integrating myself and being that swiss army knife.”
Temple said he’s been in contact with a number of his new colleagues since arriving in Chicago, and while recovering from his bout with the coronavirus, including LaVine, Porter, Young, Donovan, rookie Patrick Williams and Temple’s “twin” Denzel Valentine (to hear Temple jokingly tell it, Valentine’s words, not his.)
“The good thing about being a vet in this league, you understand a lot of stuff and going through plays that we're going to be running, watching them on film, it’s everything I’ve seen before,” Temple said. “So acclimation on-court won’t be too difficult. Just got to get around the guys, get to know them, get to know their personalities and try to mesh that way.”
Once he gets back in the swing -- Temple said he hopes to be cleared to join the team Wednesday -- he’ll get to work doing just that.
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