16 June 2018
It’s safe to say the Bulls did a pretty poor job tanking this past year. They could have easily been a bottom three team but the terrible, bearded Mirotic made sure that didn’t happen.
Having the seventh pick isn’t the worst place to be for the Bulls though. There are nine guys I really like this year who could all fit with what the Bulls should be building towards in the future. Six will be gone by the time the Bulls are on the board so it takes a bit of the decision making pressure off Gar/Pax, which is a positive in my eye. DeAndre Ayton, Luca Doncic, and Marvin Bagley III are the three guys I am positive have no chance to slip down the board to be available for the Bulls, but the remaining six could potentially slip. It will all depend on different teams needs and moves on draft day along with the fact guys like Jaren Jackson Jr. And Mo Bamba have a much slimmer chance to be available for the Bulls.
The positive for this is the Bulls are guaranteed to get one of the six guys I like for them. My focus for the Bulls would definitely be to get one of the bigs in this draft, especially if Jackson or Bamba are somehow still available at seven.
Jackson is the guy I like the most for the Bulls. He can help anchor the team and also provide spacing alongside Markkanen. I see Jackson as the guy with the highest floor and being super young, he has a lot of room for potential growth. However, the guy with the higher potential ceiling, in my opinion, would be Mo Bamba. Bamba is a little bit riskier to me but if he is able to bring the same defensive intensity he had in college and add to his offensive skill set, he could be an unstoppable force given the freakish wingspan.
Considering both of those guys are likely to be gone, you inevitably end up with Wendall Carter Jr., who would still be a great fit for the Bulls. I see him in a similar light as Jackson. Both intelligent defensive players with a high floor. Carter could even end up being the better player, but I see Jackson having the potential to be a little bit more explosive on the offensive end giving him the slight edge here.
In this scenario, you should have a solid core to build for the future between Dunn, Markannen, and Carter Jr. (I have a strong disliking of Levine). This still leaves a whole in the lineup for a good 3 and D wing (22nd pick maybe…).
If the Bulls want to go the route of a wing, either of the Bridges’, Miles or Mikal, could slot in and be ready to start for the Bulls alongside Dunn, Levine, Markkanen, and Lopez. I couldn’t blame the Bulls for taking Michael Porter Jr. given the tremendous high upside potential but I would shy away from him given the injuries and the lack of a jump shot.
The Bulls also have the 22nd pick in the draft. If they are able to secure a big with the seventh pick, hopefully they will be able to use this second pick to find their wing. Kevin Knox has been rising in mock drafts so he most likely won’t be on the board by 22, but both Diop and Hutchinson could be there to grab. All three guys have the potential to provide some versatility with their size and be the 3 and D wing the Bulls will need to start rebuilding. They might not be able to contribute as much or as quickly as one of the Bridges’ but you can’t expect the same level of productivity from the 22nd pick.
Below is a breakout of who I like for the Bulls and who they might potentially end up with.
Top Bigs:
Top Wings:
Who I like for Pick 22:
Undersized Late Potential: