While the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors continue to do battle in the NBA Finals, the rest of the teams in the league are beginning to prepare for what could be one of the busiest summers in NBA history.
June is underway, and the offseason begins in earnest with the NBA Draft on June 20, where a number of teams will have some crucial decisions to make that could impact the future of their organizations for years to come. One of those teams is the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls had the fourth-best odds at landing the top overall pick heading into the NBA Draft Lottery, but instead fell to the no. 7 pick as the Pelicans, Grizzlies and Lakers all climbed up the board.
Chicago has a talented young core of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr., and they slowly built some confidence playing under Jim Boylen, who just signed a three-year extension as head coach.
But the front office has also shown some desire to move on from point guard Kris Dunn, whose development has not quite accelerated as anticipated. The Bulls will also be an extremely young team with few veterans if they do not decide to re-sign Robin Lopez, though that would suit a rebuild just fine.
In any case, John Paxson and Gar Forman have come under fire for personnel decisions in recent years, although their latest two draft picks (Markkanen and Carter Jr.) look like winners. That said, the Bulls need to be diligent with their scouting if they decide to keep their pick.
Here are three players the Chicago Bulls should avoid in the 2019 NBA Draft:
1. Coby White
The Bulls may have strong desire for a point guard, but White poses a few problems. Although he was one of the best in the country at transition and playing downhill, he also needs the ball in his hands in order to make plays.
Perhaps this is not the biggest drawback, but LaVine also tends to be rather ball-dominant, and he has excelled as an isolation scorer. Would Boylen be able to make him an off-ball scoring threat as well, and would LaVine even accept that role?
White has plenty of range and projects fairly well as a perimeter scorer in addition to his ability to get out on the break. But he was a questionable decision-maker, averaging nearly four turnovers per-40 minutes as a freshman. Of course, efficiency is something that often improves over time (ask Trae Young), but the Bulls need someone that can step in and provide good distribution.
If Chicago is insistent on selecting a point guard, it might be smarter to trade up a spot or acquire the draft rights to Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland, whose stock continues to rise despite Garland having played only five collegiate games.
Another Tar Heel that the Bulls should avoid is Little. This is not a knock on Little's skill set, because his potential is evident.
Little is somewhat undersized as a power forward, but his combination of athleticism and physicality helps him take on a number of different defensive assignments, and his energy is infectious. While most of his scoring comes at the rim, he can fill it up using a variety of floaters or strong moves to the basket, and he is also an excellent rebounder.
But the truth of the matter is that the Bulls really do not need a frontcourt player. Otto Porter Jr. had a fairly immediate impact as a team guy when he came over from the Washington Wizards, and Markkanen is the future at the four.
Would Chicago really draft Little if they did not have a specific role in mind for him? If he plays the three and roams the perimeter, Little is not nearly the kind of proficient shooter that the Bulls need on the floor. If he spells Markkanen at the four, will he be able to get enough minutes to develop?
Little would be able to help a number of teams, but he simply does not fit with the Bulls.
3. Bol Bol
Really, the Bulls should avoid taking a center, period. Whether it is Jaxson Hayes or Goga Bitadze, Chicago already cemented their future man in the middle by selecting Carter Jr. last season.
Bol is one of the most fascinating prospects in the draft. He dominated opponents at Oregon before undergoing surgery on his foot, which promptly ended his season.
His inside-out ability is incredibly enticing, as he looks like he could be Kristaps Porzingis with excellent defensive instincts and shot-blocking abilities. However, there is always tentativeness to draft 7-footers because of the propensity for injury.
Bol's remarkable mobility might make him a more durable candidate, but the Bulls can hardly take that risk, particularly given that they are still dedicated to Carter Jr.'s development.
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