NEWSLETTER
The NBA Draft is officially under one month away!
As the June 20th deadline creeps closer, our eyes will be so sore from staring at mock drafts that we’ll not be able to tell whether we are crying out of pain or simply because the Bulls have the No. 7 pick for the third year in a row.
Don’t worry, we’re not here to throw another mock draft into the loop, but instead, let’s take a look at some of the latest mocks to see who the Bulls might land.
Kyle Boone – CBS Sports
Bulls select: Coby White – Point Guard, UNC
As far as current NBA point guards go, Coby White is very intriguing. The guy just knows how to score the basketball. Oh, and at UNC he ended up surpassing Michael Jordan on the all-time freshman scoring list. He can shoot from anywhere on the court, has an aggressive edge when driving to the paint and he might just be the most explosive point guard after Ja Morant in this draft. He also has great hair (no, really, go look it up). And while he’s an obvious scoring threat, White isn’t a complete player just yet. Specifically, while he began to show some signs of good passing and court vision this season, that would need to become a focus as he steps into the facilitator role on this team.
I think there is no shock that this is, arguably, the most desired pick among Bulls fans. Sitting at No. 7 it just feels like a natural fit. Sure, White has been a little more scoring-centric than Chicago may want, but his game is flashy and speedy enough to add a really exciting element to the Bulls offense. After all, he is also only 19-years-old and has tremendous potential to adjust to a great starting player. While the Bulls have clearly been in the discussion to bring in a veteran or more experienced point guard, sometimes it can do just as much good to sculpt your own young talent. Anyway, I’m sure we will be having greater discussions on White over the coming weeks.
Micah Adams and Kyle Irving – NBA.com
Bulls select: Jarrett Culver – Shooting Guard, Texas Tech
Last season, Culver demonstrated at Texas Tech why he could very well be a top-5 draft pick this year. Culver was instrumental in helping the Red Raiders put together their best season in program history. Culver is only 20-years-old and plays a mature, all-around style of basketball that could fit well with several teams. He averaged 18.5 ppg with 6.4 rebounds per game last season. He shot 46.1 percent from the field, but has clear room for improvement behind the three-point line, only shooting 30.4 percent last season. Nevertheless, in terms of NBA wing players, he fits perfectly and could be an immediate impact player when the season begins, depending on where he lands.
I will be shocked if Culver is sitting there come the No. 7 pick. With a bag full of potential waiting to be opened on an NBA court, he would be a more than tolerable pick for the Bulls. He may not answer the point guard position right away, but he does have experience bringing the ball up the court in college and LaVine can step into that role as well. Plus, the Bulls will most likely still sign some kind of veteran point guard no matter who they end up drafting. Culver is just a can’t-risk-the-miss draft pick. However, l think if he is not scooped up by the Lakers at No. 4 (I’m still salty about them landing this draft pick), he will be heading to Cleveland.
Sam Smith – Bulls.com
Bulls select: Brandon Clarke – Foward, Gonzaga
Clarke is another young, long and athletic forward. He certainly adds some nice depth to the position but with Markennen and Porter Jr. sitting on the roster, it’s hard to see an avenue where he makes a true impact on the Bulls. Regardless, Clarke has the tools to be a good NBA player. The guy has a sick vertical and, on the right fast break, could certainly put guys on a poster. Offensively, he led the nation in field-goal percentage over Zion Williamson, but take that with a grain of salt. A statistic like that can demonstrate great efficiency, but he has ground to make up when it comes to his shot. He also averaged 3.2 blocks per game last year, which also lead the nation.
To be honest, this pick really comes out of left field. I’m all for going with a bold prediction, but I also do think it’s telling that this is the highest I have seen Brandon Clarke going in a mock draft. Specifically, with the three we are looking at here, the next earliest is Boone with the Timberwolves taking him at #11 overall. Bleacher Report’s Steve Silverman did label him as a combine standout, and Clarke does appear to be getting a little more respect in recent mocks, but (depending on what you’re looking at) he really does appear in and out of the lottery. His interesting skillset will keep him on the draft board for many teams, but at the end of the day (to me at least) Clarke just screams a 10-15 draft pick.
