The Zion Williamson led Duke Blue Devils were eliminated in the Elite Eight last weekend. Michigan State knocked off Duke 68-67 to advance to the final four. Therefore, its time to look forward at the potential landing spots for him as the number one prospect coming out for the draft.
The hype surrounding Williamson is so high that NBA general managers are essentially forced to take him with the first pick in the draft. One team that is praying the ping pong balls fall in their favor, are the Chicago Bulls.
Currently the Bulls have the fourth worst record in the NBA, subsequently giving them the fourth best odds to land the number one overall pick. Chicago basketball is starving for a new superstar to lead their franchise back to glory.
If Williamson lives up to his superstar potential, he would give Chicago basketball similar excitement they had during both the Derrick Rose and the Michael Jordan eras.
Landing Williamson would immediately change the Bulls future, so lets discuss how well he would fit on the Bulls.
Bulls need for a wing of Zion Williamson's skillset
Chicago has been in search of a star quality wing player since trading Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves in 2017. They've tried filling the void both through the draft and via trade. At the small forward position, the Bulls have used first round picks on both Denzal Valentine and Chase Hutchison. In addition, during this season they traded for Otto Porter from the Wizards.
None of these players have proven to be stars in the NBA, all three are just good role players. What's so important about having a star wing is that in today's NBA, thats how you win championships. Teams like the Warriors, Rockets, Bucks and Raptors all have all-star caliber wings powering their championship caliber teams.
Also, Williamson is a player who can get it done on both sides of the court. This is very important considering the Bulls defense is one of their biggest weaknesses. Chicago ranks a poorest 27th in defensive rating this season.
Adding Williamson to the Bulls gives them an superior athlete on the wing that can both score and immediately be their second best perimeter defender.
Just take a look at some of that athleticism mentioned earlier:
Zion back at it! 😱 Please tell me that goal is still attached tho… pic.twitter.com/veMhSzMZhp
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 3, 2019
Potential to have best young core in the NBA
Some of the best young cores in the NBA our thriving this season. The 76ers and Celtics are serious championship contenders. Meanwhile, the Nets and Kings have both made great strides that have shown their franchise's future is bright.
If Chicago can win the draft lottery and then draft Williamson, they will instantly create a very talented and young big three. Williamson would join forces with Zach Lavine and Lauri Markkanen.
Lavine has shown he is an offensive force, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. While, Markkanen who was first team all-rookie last year, and has improved both his points per game and rebounds per game this season.
With that young core, Chicago front office can build upon that by adding established star players to play alongside these rising stars, similar to what the Celtics and 76ers have done. Or in the best case scenario, mimic what the Warriors have built.
Drafting Williamson is a no brainer for the Bulls if they are fortunate enough to win the draft lottery. But Williamson along with the young talent already stock piled on the Bulls roster, would give them a foundation to add on to moving forward.
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