NEWSLETTER
Standing in the middle of a store in Times Square, a boy faced an unexpected decision.
Despite the countless honking cars and angry New Yorkers yelling “I’M WALKING HERE” (yup, definitely happened and not a stereotype) outside the window, all this boy could hear were his inner thoughts. The choice he was about to make was excruciatingly difficult, but he had to act fast.
That boy? Elias Schuster. That decision? To buy a red or yellow plush M&M character.
Folks, I stood there on the verge of a migraine. Meanwhile, my father and two siblings stood there looking around like “what the hell is going on here?” I was only about 11 years olds, and to this day, my family will constantly remind me of this weird episode. I learned at that moment that I’m utterly terrible at making decisions – especially those that could be considered low-impact. Want to go for dinner? Be prepared for me to sweat profusely as I decide between the buffalo chicken wrap and the sliders. Want to pick a movie to watch? No problem, got two extra hours?
All of this to say – I’d be a pretty trash general manager. I think I know the NBA fairly well, and I think I can mock up a ton of reasonable-sounding trades in the blink of an eye. But I’m not going to be one of those people who pretend they’d be an excellent GM. Put me in the scouting department or something, but I could never do what Arturas Karnisovas will do on draft night.
• We’ve talked about this numerous times already, but this draft is unlike one we’ve ever seen before. On top of the fact that the pandemic has created many obstacles, the 2020 Draft Class has no clear-cut top prospect. In fact, it has about four or five players that could all be viewed quite similarly in the “potential” category. The prospects currently ranked in the mid-to-late lottery also don’t appear too far off from those considered in the “top tier.” Karnisovas can do all the research he wants, but he isn’t going to be able to see these prospects in-person, and that means he’ll likely have to put even more weight on his gut instincts than normal.
• The Twittersvere has already been a great example of how complicated it is to decide who the Bulls should select at No. 4. While plenty of people have joined me on the Deni Avdija hype train, many others are throwing guys like Killian Hayes, Obi Toppin, and LaMelo Ball (do we think he’ll fall?) into the mix. With that said, I got to do some brief defending of my boy Avdija …
Someone needs to tell me why so many Bulls fans — based on those I’ve come across at least — are all in on Deni?
Is it due to the tape of him saying he’s a Bulls fan?
The bad Luka comps?
Thinking he’s a 3, despite him probably being a 4 in the NBA?
What is it? I don’t get it.
— Mark (@mkhoops) August 21, 2020
• Mark brings up a point that I’ve seen several make now across the interweb. First, I want to be clear, I don’t think he is the ONLY right choice for the Bulls at No. 4. I’m keeping my mind open with still nearly two months to go before the draft time. Second, who the hell is making this Luka Doncic comparison? I keep seeing people tweet about how folks need to STOP making this comp, but I’ve barely seen this comp out there. Still, I agree with the sentiment that this shouldn’t be our thought process. We fall into this trap with European players all the time, and it’s dangerous.
• Anyway, to speak more to the point made above, I think Avdija fits wonderfully in the modern NBA. Not only are we seeing more players of his size play on the wing, but he simply has the ball-handling and craftiness to make things work at small forward. He’s a player that, despite having strong offensive-upside, loves to pass the ball and facilitate. Overall, I think what The Athletic’s Darnell Mayberry wrote the other day sums up why he’ a great option for Chicago. I’ll share a snippet below, but check out his full thoughts here.
It’s not just that Avdija could be the most talented prospect remaining on the board. He also could embody everything the league is now about. He’s long. He’s versatile. He’s smart. In an era of positionless basketball and units now mandating multiple playmakers, Avdija could thrive in Chicago as a secondary playmaker.
• Like I said, there is a wide range of options at the No. 4 pick, and all should be considered. We talked more about that this morning, so feel free to check it out:
Here Are the Potential Bulls Targets for the No. 4 Overall Pick in the 2020 NBA Drafthttps://t.co/DxG8WIdNVO
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) August 22, 2020
• All this talks about players … what about trades!? Karnisvas said he sees plenty of opportunity in the 2020 Draft, and Sam Smith of Bulls.com also talked a lot about possible draft night trades in his latest mailbag.
• [intense sarcasm] Not Jim Boylen!?
NBA 2019-2020 Coach of the Year: Toronto's Nick Nurse.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 22, 2020
• Do the thing …
https://twitter.com/BleacherNation/status/1296959193031880705?s=20
