The Chicago Bulls franchise changed forever in May of 2008. They held just a 1.7 percent chance to claim the No. 1-overall pick in the draft and select hometown hero Derrick Rose. In a storybook-like fashion, the ping pong balls fell perfectly in their favor and Rose soon went on to become the youngest MVP in NBA history.
Short-lived? Yes. But Rose’s Chicago days reminded us of the hold the Bulls’ franchise can have on the basketball universe. Likewise, it reminded us of how greatly things can change when the lottery gods answer your prayers.
Shoutout to NBC Sports Chicago’s K.C. Johnson for a great piece on what that day was like for the organization. Make sure to give that a read here:
15 years ago, overcoming almost identically astronomical odds as to what they'll face at Tuesday's NBA draft lottery, the Bulls struck gold and found a Rose.
So, like, what if it happens again in four days? As impossible as it may feel, we’ve literally seen it occur before. Not to mention, albeit with far better odds, the Blackhawks reminded us of what lottery luck looks like earlier this week. It’s hard not to dream about the scenario, especially in this draft where a potential generational superstar in Victor Wembanyama is up for grabs.
The fact of the matter is that we’ve never seen anyone like Wembanyama before. He’s a perfect blend of the old and new, standing a dominant seven-foot-three in the post with the shot-creation skills of a shooting guard. Whether it be scoring inside, attacking off the dribble, or dominating the mid-range, Wemby has shown a tantalizing three-level scoring ability coupled with defensive instincts that could automatically make him one of the best two-way players in the NBA. All it takes is watching one game to understand how special this guy might be, so here are a few highlights from his most recent win overseas. Remember … he’s SEVEN FREAKIN’ THREE.
NBA Draft Prospect Victor Wembanyama shines in the @Metropolitans92 win!
Now, there are some concerns about the level of competition he’s played in Europe, as well as how his body might hold up against NBA-level competition. We’ve seen players his size really struggle to stay healthy throughout their careers, and his mobility/fluidity for his size is arguably the biggest reason he’s so captivating. Whichever team drafts him is going to instantly become one of the NBA’s biggest stories. If that team ended up being the Bulls, they would go from having one of the most confusing futures to easily one of the brightest.
Kenny Smith said he’s jealous of Scottie Pippen’s career. Drafted one spot after Pippen, the Inside the NBA analyst said it’s hard not to imagine if he was the one snatched at No. 5 and dealt in a trade to play alongside Michael Jordan.
Look, I know I’m in no place to make fun of a team like the Phoenix Suns … but LOL! One year after getting blown out by Luka Doncic in an elimination game, the same exact thing happened against Nikola Jokic last night. The game was officially over after the FIRST QUARTER when Denver outscored Phoenix 44-26. When we consider the talent on the other side of the ball, the sheer domination from Denver was downright intimidating. If the Nuggets aren’t your favorite to win it all now, they probably should be.
The largest deficits when facing elimination in NBA history.
Meanwhile, in the East, the Boston Celtics forced a Game 7. Jayson Tatum was completely MIA until he scored 12 points in the final 4:14 of action. Props to him for closing things out, but I truly have no clue who will walk away victorious on Sunday.
Pro tip: Just say humbly before you say something totally non-humble!
"I'm … humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world."
META FROM MICHAEL: We got a sudden wave of folks reaching out about being blocked/banned/spam-listed by Disqus this week, so I’m going to take a wild guess and say there was likely a bug. If that has happened to you and you’re thinking, “Why in the world would they banned me?!” – we almost never ban anyone, except for the worst of repeat offenders – we probably didn’t ban you. So, if you find yourself getting a notification about being banned recently out of nowhere, try logging out, clearing cache and cookies, restarting, and logging back in. In the past when things like this have happened, that usually clears it up for folks.
In case you missed it, the Bears’ schedule is officially here!
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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