Shoutout to Matt for carrying the weight while I’ve been visiting with some family the past couple of days! I got about a 5-hour drive home ahead of me this afternoon, but I’ll be back in plenty of time to pray to my ping pong ball shrine before the numbers are called!
The Chicago Blackhawks most definitely helped lure me into a false sense of security. While I don’t think the Bulls will truly end up at the top of the board, I’ve somehow talked my brain into thinking they have a real shot at landing in the top 4. In reality, they only have an 8.5 percent chance of that actually happening, while they have a 77.6 percent chance of hearing their name called in the No. 11 spot, per Tankathon.
In fact, my brain is so tightly grasping onto this idea of keeping the pick that I had an extremely vivid dream of the Bulls securing No. 3 overall last night. I was screaming and fist-pumping with utter joy. Not soon after the celebration, however, the channel changed in my brain and I had a second dream. Now, in a dark and rainy world, I was stuck in a creepy mansion with a bunch of my friends trying to escape. Unfortunately, I think it’s that latter dream that is far more indicative of what being a Bulls fan is truly like.
All things considered, if the Bulls end up at their most likely position of No. 11, I’ll feel fine. While I’d happily take that pick for the Bulls, we also know how greatly things become a crapshoot outside of the top 10. This feels particularly true in this draft, which is remarkably top-heavy with Big Vic and Scoot Henderson before dropping to a tier of Brandon Miller and the Thompson brothers. Also, here are some of the most recent No. 11 picks: Ousmane Dieng (2022), James Bouknight (2021), Devin Vassell (2020), and Cam Johnson (2019). Again, this isn’t to say you can’t find value there (if we go back to 2018, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the pick!), but the chance of that player feeling like a big-time steal is relatively low.
If the pick conveys to Orlando, the Bulls will finally have no more assets headed their way as part of the Vucevic trade. With Chicago achieving nothing more than a five-game exit in the first round since the acquisition, there is no question the deal hasn’t aged well. And this looming draft has been a constant reminder of that. I’m hoping it will feel like we can officially move on when the Magic get their last piece of compensation.
A comment from DeMar DeRozan has gone viral over the past 24 hours. The Chicago Bulls’ six-time All-Star joined Paul George on his podcast and had quite the answer when asked about whether LeBron James’ son, Bronny, could play in the NBA right now.
“We got a lot of sorry motherf******s in this league. Imma be honest,” DeRozan said. I’m the type of dude where I keep my opinions to myself, I chill, I play the back seat. But being the league so long, you realize how many guys don’t love the game of basketball. Who take it for granted. Who want everything that come with it but don’t want to put the work in, it’s so frustrating. You know what I mean? Like, we played in an era where you had to earn everything. You got so many guys coming in they just be playing because their homeboy told them they’re nice. It’s like bro, ‘you’re not good.’ So I definitely got LeBron’s standpoint with that because you’d be surprised.”
DeRozan and George also went on to say there are about 75-100 players who “stink.” Considering the level both these players have reached, they have undoubtedly earned the right to call it as they see it. And, as harsh as it may sound, it’s not at all hard to believe what DeRozan is saying. There have been a handful of talented youngsters in recent years who have had their character/work ethic questioned at times. With players becoming a bigger and bigger deal from a younger and younger age, it’s not a shock that some enter the NBA jaded and misguided. The work doesn’t stop when you enter the league … it’s just the beginning.
I’ve also seen some people try to figure out who exactly DeRozan is speaking about. I could be wrong, but I really don’t think he’s targeting anyone in Chicago. As frustrating as this team has been the past year, I don’t think it’s for a lack of trying. They do seem to have a pretty good locker room full of guys who put the work in. Whether or not those guys fit together, however, remains the real question.
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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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