The Chicago Bulls find themselves in a somewhat precarious position heading into the 2019 NBA Draft this summer. Team president John Paxson and general manager Gar Froman had hoped that Chicago would secure at worst a top five pick, and yet they fell to the no. 7 slot after watching the Lakers, Grizzlies and Pelicans make big leaps up the board.
Still, despite only winning 22 games this season, the Bulls have one of the more promising young rosters in the league.With Zach LaVine emerging as a bona fide scorer and both Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter Jr. looking to make significant strides, the Bulls and head coach Jim Boylen will be looking to turn heads and make a surprise playoff run in the Eastern Conference next year.
Conventional wisdom has the Bulls selecting a point guard from the no. 7 spot, if they do not trade the pick. It has become clear that Chicago no longer envisions Kris Dunn as their point guard of the future, in spite of Paxson saying he would have a chance to earn the starting job.
But the Bulls have also shown interest in pursuing the likes of Terry Rozier in free agency, and may even be a surprise player for a big name such as Kemba Walker. Would Chicago really select a point guard if they already planning on pursuing the position later in the summer?
Besides, the Bulls have other issues. Their second unit weak, and they lack a lot of playmakers on the perimeter aside from LaVine.
So drafting Texas Tech standout Jarrett Culver might be the perfect solution. Here are three reasons that the Bulls should take Culver with the no. 7 pick:
1. Year-over-year growth
Virginia star De'Andre Hunter has flown up draft boards because of his two-way potential as well as the significant improvements he made in his second year with the Cavaliers.
Culver was equally as impressive in his growth from freshman to sophomore year. After averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds as a freshman, Culver averaged 18.5 points and 6.4 rebounds this past season while also racking up close to four assists per game.
Sure, Hunter may offer more in terms of being the bigger and more physical defender capable of knocking down the three, but Culver has proven to be arguably the better playmaker in totality.
Remember that Jarrett Culver saw drastic individual improvement–including and especially on the offensive end–in spite of Texas Tech lacking any real scorers or precise shooters.
In Chicago, Culver would be playing with a scoring playmaker in LaVine and an athletic Markkanen who can space the floor but also score inside. That bodes well for continued progression, especially for a player like Culver who can do just about everything.
2. PG potential?
Now, despite being 6'5,” Culver only weighs around 195 pounds. In that regard, he would be fairly small for a two guard in the NBA. And given his playmaking and court vision, there is a chance the Bulls would look to make Culver a point guard.
Bulls fans may cringe at this notion. After all, Culver simply looks like another version of Dunn in many respects. He shot just over 30 percent from beyond the arc and does not have the strongest ball-handling skills.
Still, Culver's height, rebounding and general scoring ability could be an interesting fit at the one, because of his general athleticism and clear improvements as a passer.There is a real chance that he could develop into a “3 and D” player with good distribution as a point guard, which would be a perfect fit for Chicago's budding identity.
The Bulls finished 27th in the league in assists per game. Coby White and Darius Garland are more scoring-oriented, which is not what the Bulls need considering that they already have two legitimate options in LaVine and Markkanen. Because of his versatility, Jarrett Culver could slide in at the one and possibly even become a better all-around player when he does not have to carry his team as a no. 1 option.
3. Taking the best player available
Sometimes, the best draft strategy is to select the best player available and then figure out how to fill the rest of the roster accordingly. Because this draft class is so top-heavy, this could be the right strategy for the Bulls.
Culver could land in the top five, but he could also fall to Chicago. And if that happens, they should take him. At the very worst, Culver has proven that he is a capable two-way player that would immediately provide an upgrade to Chicago's bench unit.
Particularly if Paxson and Forman intend on pursuing point guards in free agency, they should not get cute in drafting White or Garland. If Jarrett Culver is still on the board when the Bulls are on the clock, they should make the move to bring him to Chicago.
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