I think the Bulls really wanted to pick Hansbrough and Casspi, respectively at 16 and 26, but neither one was available. Mullins and Blair obviously didn't scout well in workouts, as both dropped far. So, the Bulls went with what they thought was the best available: Johnson and Gibson.
Neither one of those guys are going to make a big impact in the NBA, but when you compare them to what was available, they aren't bad choices. I had Johnson on my radar so that was a pretty safe pick at 16. Gibson at 26 is definitely higher than I thought he'd go. It's even more strange because Blair was still on the board at 26! Teams must know something about him though for him to drop like that. He may have had a bad MRI on his knee or something like that. But then the Spurs eventually took him and they are one of the smartest teams at drafting.
Johnson can give them some of the toughness that they wanted to get in Casspi. He did score badly in body fat during the combine, (second fattest there) so he needs a better diet. Gibson reminds me of a smaller version of Noah. He's clumsy and can't make his foul shots. He does have freaky long arms though!
If either one pans out and we can finally bail on Deng, I'll consider this draft a huge success!
Here's a link to the combine numbers, you can look up past years as well:
http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-draft-measurements/measurements.php?page=&year=2009&sort2=DESC&draft=0&pos=0&sort=2
Friday, June 26, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Bulls Draft
NBA draft is only two days off, so I'll revisit it. Of course there is much, much less attention in Chicago then last year since we have two late first round picks instead of the number one overall. As I've said before, we're not going to get a starter with either of those, at least not right away.
I still relatively like Hansbrough, which shows how weak this draft is. DeJuan Blair, the Pittsburgh swingman, is another possibility. He's only 6-7, but he rebounds well. Mullins, the true center from Ohio State is someone they need to scout very, very hard. He'll either be a steal at 16 or a complete bust.
Earl Clark, the Louisville PF, will likely be gone, but is another possibility. Ditto for James Johnson, the Wake Forest.
Here's my preference: if Mullins scouts well, then he's worth the gamble. If he doesn't (more likely) then I'd go with Hansbrough, then Blair, then Johnson.
At 26, the rumors are that the Bulls are going to go with the Israeli forward Omri Casspi. I know very little about him, except that he's 6'8" and 21 years old. Gani Lawal is a possibility if Casspi is taken by then. I like the idea of picking a young overseas player and not bringing him over until he's ready.
It's a much weaker draft than last year. If the Bulls can package these picks in with a trade then that would be their best option.
I still relatively like Hansbrough, which shows how weak this draft is. DeJuan Blair, the Pittsburgh swingman, is another possibility. He's only 6-7, but he rebounds well. Mullins, the true center from Ohio State is someone they need to scout very, very hard. He'll either be a steal at 16 or a complete bust.
Earl Clark, the Louisville PF, will likely be gone, but is another possibility. Ditto for James Johnson, the Wake Forest.
Here's my preference: if Mullins scouts well, then he's worth the gamble. If he doesn't (more likely) then I'd go with Hansbrough, then Blair, then Johnson.
At 26, the rumors are that the Bulls are going to go with the Israeli forward Omri Casspi. I know very little about him, except that he's 6'8" and 21 years old. Gani Lawal is a possibility if Casspi is taken by then. I like the idea of picking a young overseas player and not bringing him over until he's ready.
It's a much weaker draft than last year. If the Bulls can package these picks in with a trade then that would be their best option.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
First Draft Thoughts
Clearly the Bulls need a big man. However, they also are in love with the concept of having a big guard. This love affair drove them into misguided moves such as drafting Thabo and trading for Larry Hughes. If there's a promising big guard around, such as Evans from Memphis, or DeRozen from USC, then I don't mind that pick. However, those two will most likely be off the board by 16, and they will be tempted by guys like Henderson from Duke (Bulls love the Dukies, despite their horrible luck with them), or Chase Budinger from Arizona. Those guys aren't bad, but if there is any kind of decent big man available at 16, then I would prefer they go that direction.
That said, the Bulls may well be better off getting a big man through free agency. I like Varejao and Boozer as targets. However, let's look at some of the big men who may be around at 16 (and/or 26, since the Bulls have Denver's pick):
Tyler Hansbrough -- Bulls like a pedigree, and he has that in in excess. The knock is that he's small, unathletic, and will have little upside. All true, but look how far athleticism has gotten Tyrus Thomas. We need someone with a few brains who can play and he fits that bill. He's at the top of my list unless someone like DeJuan Blair freefalls.
B.J. Mullins -- He's big and very raw. Higher ceiling than Tyler but also a lower floor. He'd have to show some skills in a workout before I'd risk it, but a possibity. He was the second tallest player at the combine (behind Thabeet, who will be gone 2 or 3) and you can't coach size.
Austin Day -- Also, very, very raw, but certainly has potential. Might not be tough enough to bolster our wimpy frontcourt. I think I'd take the other two before him, but he's a consideration.
Gani Lawal -- A bit smaller than the others, but athletic. He could still be around at 26 and might be a good choice there.
James Johnson -- I think he'll be more of a 3 than a 4 in the NBA, but he has more offensive skills than the others. He won't be around at 26 and maybe not even at 16. If we are lucky enough to get rid of Deng and see this guy on the board, he might be the best choice. It's often joked that the Bulls only scout the ACC, so at least they've seen him play. ;-) Like Deng though, he takes the jumper too much instead of driving, so the question is, can he expand he game or does he emulate Deng by contracting it?
None of these guys are going to knock anyone's socks off. Still, there are often pleasant surprises at the bottom of the first round. "Big Baby" Davis springs to mind. And last year, Darrell Arthur turned out to be a good pick after he unexpectedly fell out of the lottery. Bulls goal should be to find someone who can give them 12 solid minutes a game in relief. Or package the trades in a deal (with Deng and Tyrus!!) for a starter.
That said, the Bulls may well be better off getting a big man through free agency. I like Varejao and Boozer as targets. However, let's look at some of the big men who may be around at 16 (and/or 26, since the Bulls have Denver's pick):
Tyler Hansbrough -- Bulls like a pedigree, and he has that in in excess. The knock is that he's small, unathletic, and will have little upside. All true, but look how far athleticism has gotten Tyrus Thomas. We need someone with a few brains who can play and he fits that bill. He's at the top of my list unless someone like DeJuan Blair freefalls.
B.J. Mullins -- He's big and very raw. Higher ceiling than Tyler but also a lower floor. He'd have to show some skills in a workout before I'd risk it, but a possibity. He was the second tallest player at the combine (behind Thabeet, who will be gone 2 or 3) and you can't coach size.
Austin Day -- Also, very, very raw, but certainly has potential. Might not be tough enough to bolster our wimpy frontcourt. I think I'd take the other two before him, but he's a consideration.
Gani Lawal -- A bit smaller than the others, but athletic. He could still be around at 26 and might be a good choice there.
James Johnson -- I think he'll be more of a 3 than a 4 in the NBA, but he has more offensive skills than the others. He won't be around at 26 and maybe not even at 16. If we are lucky enough to get rid of Deng and see this guy on the board, he might be the best choice. It's often joked that the Bulls only scout the ACC, so at least they've seen him play. ;-) Like Deng though, he takes the jumper too much instead of driving, so the question is, can he expand he game or does he emulate Deng by contracting it?
None of these guys are going to knock anyone's socks off. Still, there are often pleasant surprises at the bottom of the first round. "Big Baby" Davis springs to mind. And last year, Darrell Arthur turned out to be a good pick after he unexpectedly fell out of the lottery. Bulls goal should be to find someone who can give them 12 solid minutes a game in relief. Or package the trades in a deal (with Deng and Tyrus!!) for a starter.
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