The 2022 NBA Draft is officially 10 days away, which means Arturas Karnisovas is roughly 240 hours and some change away from selecting a player with the No. 18-overall pick.
To be clear, yes, Karnisovas could immediately decide to trade that player in an effort to bolster the pre-existing roster with veteran help. However, I’m currently headed toward draft night under the assumption that this front office will be eager to find an impactful youngster to pair with previous picks, Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu.
Not only do I think this draft is deep enough for the organization to find real high-upside value in the late-teens (if they can do it at number 38 with Dosunmu, they can do it at 18), but building toward the future remains a crucial piece to the franchise’s puzzle. Finding the right young talent can help extend this team’s competitive window, as well as keep flexibility a bit more loose thanks to the ever-desirable rookie contract.
Now, with that said, will I be baffled if the Bulls don’t end up with the No. 18 selection on their roster by the start of training camp? No. Karnisovas is as sneaky as a cat undercover. We have no choice but to consider the unexpected when the Bulls’ front office is at the plate.
Who needs the future when you have the past! Today marks the 25th anniversary of the Chicago Bulls’ fifth NBA title:
Every ring comes paired with a great story, and the most memorable from the organization’s fifth crown is easily Steve Kerr’s last-second shot. The legendary Chicago role player and current Golden State Warriors head coach told Michael Jordan he’d be ready to take the game-winner if the double team came The GOAT’s way. To no surprise, the Jazz sent the house at NBA’s best player, and Kerr proved to be a man of his word.
Kerr’s recollection of the historic shot made for one of the best championship parade moments of the Bulls dynasty. Stop what you’re doing and re-live the whole thing below:
The funny thing about Kerr’s last-second bucket, as well as John Paxson’s similarly significant shot in Game 6 of the 1993 NBA Finals, is they both represent one of Jordan’s strengths. I don’t want to take anything away from either player – after all, they were the ones to seal the game – but Jordan chose to give them that opportunity. And that’s what being a great player is all about.
The best of the best understand when to pass it up. They understand how to make those around them better on a night-to-night basis, and no one can deny that Jordan knew how to do just that. I think so many players still struggle to grasp that concept. They feel the pressure to light up the scoreboard and do it all on their own. But basketball is a human pyramid. While one person might be represented at the top, it’s impossible to get there without trusting those below you.
Zach LaVine is a player who still has strides to make in this department. To be clear, I’m not trying to imply he can reach legendary status, but to be the player this Bulls team needs him to be moving forward, he’ll have to continue to develop his decision-making. I do think he showed real progress this season (likely because he had a far better supporting cast), and one can only hope it proves to be a stepping stone for his playmaking/leadership ability in the coming seasons. After all, by forking over the max contract, Karnisovas and Co. are expressing a belief in his ability to grow this area of his game.
I don’t know if Anthony Davis is joking here, but it sure doesn’t like it:
Davis is a great player. There is no denying it, but there is also no denying that his career has been a bit disappointing thus far. I mean, he has the talent to be an MVP-caliber player in this league and one of the NBA’s top-10 players. Injuries have certainly played a role in derailing his ascent to that level in recent years, but I also feel like there is just something else missing.
Akiem Hicks' candid commentary about quarterbacking is a reminder of how important it is for #DaBears to get it right with Justin Fields. https://t.co/n8zGWuL154— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) June 12, 2022
Elias Schuster is the Lead Chicago Bulls writer at Bleacher Nation. He started with BN full-time in 2019 immediately after graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign with a degree in Journalism (yes, he started with the Jim Boylen Era). Since joining, Elias has been the driving force behind Bulls and NBA content for both the site and social accounts. You can follow him on Twitter/X @Schuster_Elias.
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