Denzel Valentine warming up to bigger role with Bulls

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Rookie guard Denzel Valentine was proudly wearing his “Lansing” sweatshirt when he arrived at Detroit Country Day School for the Bulls’ shootaround Monday.

“I saw somebody on Instagram, they had it on,” Valentine said. “And I DM’ed him and said, ‘I need one.’ And they sent me one. Me and my brother got one.”

Valentine wears that shirt everywhere he goes, but it had special meaning upon his return to Michigan — he starred at Sexton High School and at Michigan State in Lansing.

This “homecoming” was a little better than Valentine’s first one as a pro. He did not play in the Bulls’ 102-91 loss to the Pistons on Dec. 6 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. This time, he’s at least on the fringe of the rotation even though he went scoreless (0-for-3 from the field in 15½ minutes) against Detroit in the Bulls’ 109-95 loss.

“I’m excited,” Valentine said. “But at the same time, I can’t put too much into it. I’m just looking at it as another game to get better.”

Valentine admitted it was difficult to sit on the bench when the Bulls lost to the Pistons in December.

“You’ve got a lot of fans, a lot of people supporting you, and you don’t get to play — it bums you out a little bit,” Valentine said. “But I’m doing the job I dreamed about doing. So I’m just glad I’m getting another chance to get better, and I’m back in the rotation.”

Valentine came into the game averaging 8.0 points in 21.8 minutes in five games since Doug McDermott was traded to the Thunder. But he made 11 of 23 three-pointers in that span. In the five games before the trade, he was 4-for-16 from three-point range.

PT boosts BP

Second-year forward Bobby Portis, who had 10 points against the Pistons, also has benefitted from added playing time after the trade of Taj Gibson to the Thunder.

He came in off promising games against the Nuggets (12 points, six rebounds, three steals), Warriors (17 points, 13 rebounds) and Clippers (11 points, seven rebounds). It’s the first time all season Portis has scored in double figures in four consecutive games.

“He’s taken advantage of the trade and inserting him in the starting lineup . . . playing with great energy,” coach Fred Hoiberg said. “I loved his little flurry right before halftime [eight points in the final 1:20 against the Clippers].

“He gets out and runs. He’s one of our better screeners. He’s going to rebound and battle, and that’s what we’re looking for out of Bobby every night.”

Blast from the past

Ex-Bulls center Luc Longley caught up with former teammate Bill Wennington before the game.

Wennington and Longley were on the Bulls’ second three-peat from 1995-96 through 1997-98.

The duo combined for 25 points in the historic 108-86 dismantling of the Sonics in Game 3 of the NBA Finals in 1996.

Longley coached Pistons center Aron Baynes on the Australian Olympic team in Rio de Janeiro.

Follow me on Twitter @MarkPotash.

Email: mpotash@suntimes.com