Chicago Bulls, NBA draft (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bulls have drafted some interesting players recently in the NBA draft, but none have reached their potential. Let’s look at this year’s options.
Thanks to another season of ineptitude and some luck in the lottery, the Chicago Bulls have, ahem, earned their highest first-round pick in the NBA Draft since 2011, when the team selected Derrick Rose first overall.
Unfortunately, none of the prospects in the 2020 draft appear to have the upside Rose did going into 2011. That’s not to sentence any of these players to a career of mediocrity before they step on an NBA court, but compared to the tanking contest multiple teams participated in last year in hopes of getting Zion Williamson, this year’s buzz around this year’s draft feels quite a bit more muted.
Still, the Chicago Bulls could go in a number of directions with the fourth overall pick. Of course, what they do with the draft slot depends on what new vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas envisions for this franchise’s future. Does he have the optimistic view that this young team needs only a couple more pieces to turn this moribund club into a playoff contender or does he intend to start from scratch by accumulating draft capital for the next few years?
Whichever path the Bulls take, their position on the big board gives them a good chance to make out pretty well either way. For the purposes of this piece, however, let’s focus on these three options.
<span class="call_to_action">Related Story:</span> Bulls: Analyzing a LaMelo Ball-centric trade with the Warriors </a> </div>
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<p>Still, the Chicago Bulls could go in a number of directions with the fourth overall pick. Of course, what they do with the draft slot depends on what new vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas envisions for this franchise’s future. Does he have the optimistic view that this young team needs only a couple more pieces to turn this moribund club <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/25/steps-the-chicago-bulls-must-take-to-reach-the-playoffs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">into a playoff contender</a> or does he intend to start from scratch by accumulating draft capital for the next few years?</p>
<p>Whichever path the Bulls take, their position on the big board gives them a good chance to make out pretty well either way. For the purposes of this piece, however, let’s focus on these three options.</p>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-392917" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2070,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F458391692-1.jpeg" alt="chicago bulls" width="3200" height="2070" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/458391692-1.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/458391692-1-768x497.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Chicago Bulls, NBA draft (Photo by Doug Pensinger Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>3. Trade the pick</h2>
<p>As previously mentioned, this draft class isn’t brimming with can’t-miss talent. As a result, teams need to ensure that their research on these players is as accurate as possible lest they end up with a bust that sets them back another year.</p>
<p>The Bulls have <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://hoopshabit.com/2020/06/24/chicago-bulls-need-draft-playmaker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a clear need at the point guard spot</a> and, fortunately for them, this year’s group of rookies features several intriguing playmakers who could fill that void. But if Chicago feels that all of them are too flawed to steer the franchise in a less treacherous direction, it should trade the pick for whatever bundle of players and assets they find suitable.</p>
<p>Perhaps the Bulls could entice the New York Knicks, who also need a good point guard in the worst way, to part with one of their 2020 or 2021 first-round picks (along with one high-salary player or several young players for cap purposes) by dangling the pick and Zach LaVine, who the Knicks <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/06/new-york-knicks-trade-zach-lavine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressed some interest in</a> earlier this year.</p>
<p>Maybe a team like the Washington Wizards — who don’t know how good John Wall will look coming back from an Achilles tear — or the New Orleans Pelicans — who need a guard who can create his own shot to complement Zion Williamson — will want to move up to take a chance on a player they respectively think can help them immediately. They or any other team could see the fourth pick as high enough to snag the player they want.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the lack of high-end depth in this draft makes a trade unlikely, but if a team offers the Bulls something interesting, they should at least listen.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-412501" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1190991558.jpeg" alt="Detroit Pistons, LaMelo Ball" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1190991558.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1190991558-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Chicago Bulls, NBA draft (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>2. Draft LaMelo Ball</h2>
<p>Fellow Bulls writer Lachlan Everett <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://hoopshabit.com/2020/08/30/should-the-chicago-bulls-draft-lamelo-ball/2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made the case on this site</a> for the Bulls taking LaMelo Ball with the fourth pick and if you’ve seen any highlights from his time with the National Basketball League’s Illawarra Hawks, you’d be hard-pressed to disagree.</p>
<p>Ball played only 12 games in the Australian league, but he impressed many with his replay-worthy passes and steady command of the Hawks’ offense. Much like his older brother, Lonzo, his advanced basketball IQ along with his tall frame makes him an ideal fit for any team still searching for their point guard of the future, like the Bulls.</p>
<p>Just look at this compilation video, for proof. There are NBA guards who wish they could leverage whatever amount of gravity they generate the way Ball does.</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe width="500" height="281" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vybf8PyXL58?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Unfortunately, Ball also shares his brother’s struggles when it comes to scoring efficiently. Even the staunchest Ball supporters would agree that a .375/.250/.723 shooting line from your primary ball handler is less than ideal. And Ball’s questionable mechanics put the possibility of him improving in that area in doubt.</p>
<p>The Bulls already have one guard on the roster (for now) that gets the Andre Roberson treatment from opponents, so they may be trepidacious about replacing him for a taller guard with the same problems and a lower defensive motor. But if Chicago thinks Ball can correct the shooting, then it can’t pass up a chance to add his exceptional facilitating to the team.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-408330" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1066,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1185308609.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1066" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1185308609.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1185308609-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Chicago Bulls, NBA draft (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>1. Draft Killian Hayes</h2>
<p>Of the top guards in this draft, Killian Hayes is arguably the most complete of them all. Like Ball and Tyrese Haliburton, Hayes excels at manipulating defenses to create easier opportunities for his teammates. Unlike those two, Hayes possesses a jumper that doesn’t look like it’s accompanied by a cacophony of clinking and clanking.</p>
<p>While Hayes only shot 29.4 percent from 3-point range playing for Bundesliga’s Ulm, his smooth release and 87.6 free throw percentage offer hope that he will clean that up at the next level (for what it’s worth, Tankathon <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"http://www.tankathon.com/players/killian-hayes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">projects him</a> to shoot 36.3 percent from behind the arc in the NBA).</p>
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<p>Yes, his relatively elementary ball handling and average athleticism open the door for concerns about his ability to break down opposing guards on the NBA level, but, again, it’s not as though the Bulls have anyone on the roster not named Zach LaVine who can do that AND find open teammates with regularity.</p>
<p>Will adding Hayes turn them into a title contender overnight? Of course not. But no one in this draft is expected to do that, either. With a comparatively well-rounded guard in Hayes, he would at least <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2020/10/30/chicago-bulls-3-options-nba-draft/"https://hoopshabit.com/2020/09/20/chicago-bulls-nba-draft-killian-hayes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">give them a chance</a> to become a more respectable member of the Eastern Conference.</p>
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