Has Tony Snell Turned the Corner for Chicago Bulls?

Has Chicago Bulls swingman Tony Sell finally turned the corner or is his strong play bound to disappear? 

Drafted by Chicago 20th overall in 2013, the former New Mexico Lobo has put together an up-and-down career thus far.

Snell wasn't expected to play much as a rookie. Fellow first-round picks Jimmy Butler and Marquis Teague both were glued to the bench during their rookie years.

But due to injuries, Snell did see the court, playing 16 minutes a night and starting 12 games. He looked like a future star on some occasions. And then other times, he seemed destined for a D-League career.

As a rookie, Snell averaged 4.5 points on 38.4 percent shooting (32 percent from beyond the arc).

He went on to have an excellent summer league, averaging 20 points while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 50 percent from long distance. Snell had put on several pounds of muscle and improved his jumper quite a bit.

As a result, he was primed to have a breakout sophomore year, serving as a weapon off Chicago's bench. However, Snell would start this season in coach Tom Thibodeau's doghouse, receiving just a few minutes here and there. Even when he did play, he lacked confidence and aggressiveness. 

It was beginning to look like he didn't belong in the NBA. Fortunately, though, things would get better—much better—for the young guard.

Hot February

Getting a chance to play because of injuries, Snell took off during February. He scored 19 on February 7 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Then two games later, the California native lit up the Sacramento Kings for a career-high 24 points. Snell was amazing that night, knocking down threes, finding his teammates and playing the passing lanes. And, oh yeah, that bank shot was pretty cool. 

Snell started against the Cleveland Cavaliers (February 12), replacing the injured Butler and scoring 22 points. What stands out most about that performance was his solid defense on LeBron James. Although the four-time MVP did score 31, he committed eight turnovers.

And vs. the Milwaukee Bucks on February 23, Snell was at it again, contributing 23 off the bench.

He finished the month averaging 13.6 points while shooting an unbelievable 58.2 percent overall and 52.2 percent from three-point land.

SB Nation's JayPatt made a lot of sense when he wrote this:

"

Watching Snell make literally almost everything these last few games has been stunning considering the start of his career. This is a guy who nearly went all of December without a field goal. This is a guy who shot 25.0 percent from three in January. This is a guy who would make a wide open three and then not even come close on the next two.

"

All that "he has no confidence and aggressiveness" talk was now out the window. It was apparent he actually did belong in the NBA. And, of course, there weren't many people who felt that way just a few months ago. It's funny how things can change so quickly.   

What's Next?

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Snell's emergence is sort of reminiscent of Butler's sophomore year. Unlike Snell, Butler began that season as a rotational player. But when the injury bug bit, he became a starter later on and contributed a few 20-point performances along the way.

While Snell may never become an All-Star and a 20-point-per-game scorer like Butler, he does have a bright future ahead of him. He may wind up serving as an important role player for years to come. 

Both Butler and Derrick Rose are currently on the injured list and expected to be sidelined for a few weeks. That means Snell will get plenty of chances to play. 

Per Sam Smith of NBA.com, Thibodeau said he'll stay in the rotation as long as he continues to produce:  

"Tony is playing well. You base it all on performance. As long as he is playing well, he is going to keep playing. He is playing very good basketball. So you do not have to worry about Tony being in the rotation."

Snell has come down to earth so far in March. He's averaging 9.3 points on just 34.6 percent shooting overall and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. But you have to think—he's only human. You can't expect someone to shoot over 50 percent forever.

After a not-so-glorious beginning to his career, Snell has turned the corner. There's no going back to the doghouse. 

All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of March 6.