Here’s Hoping the Bulls Don’t Turn the 9th Pick in the Draft into a Darko-Like Player
Uncategorized June 6th. 2007, 8:33pm
Is there a more fun team in the NBA to speculate about this offseason than the Chicago Bulls? It seems as if each week, Sam Smith of the Chicago Tribune floors us with something new. The Bulls are getting Gasol. They’re getting KG. They’re getting Zach Randolph (which, if his most recent work is accurate, is not true. Because the Wizards are getting him for Jamison). But the speculation is fun because it’s at least in the ballpark. Clearly, if Chicago wants to make the leap from dangerous playoff team to the NBA Finals, it will take a low-post scorer. Ty Thomas isn’t that man. Ben Wallace isn’t, either. Hence all the trade talk. We’re going to pass on floating anymore for the time being, but we will repeat the one we’ve been saying for weeks: Ty Thomas and the No. 9 pick to Indy for Jermaine O’Neal.
So on to 9th pick in the draft. The Bulls are set at just about every position, so Chad Ford has them reaching for Yi Jianlian. (If you wonder why we keep referencing Ford, it’s because he’s really the only guy consistenty writing about the NBA draft.) And you know what? Yi makes a whole lot of sense. But he also kind of reminds us about Darko.
He’s supposedly a highly-skilled foreign player pegged to be a superstar, potentially getting drafted early by a team already in the playoffs. It’s a low-risk, high-reward pick because if he doesn’t pan out, so what? You’re already a playoff team! If you think Big Ben is losing a step, there’s always Washington’s Spencer Hawes. Though he only played one year at Washington, he’s probably the second best post-player in the draft right now.
We actually think Luol Deng is the best and most coveted piece on this team, and thus drafting Jeff Green (Georgetown) or Julian Wright (Kansas) would be a waste. If the Bulls want to go anywhere but the frontcourt, a big scoring guard is the answer. Ben Gordon is going to be looking for big bucks next summer, and with the team having sunk a massive contract into Hinrich (and presumably, they’ll do the same to Deng), one would think Gordon’s the odd man out. And for the second day in a row, we humbly drop the name Nick Young from USC.
Based on your comments Tuesday, it appears as if the Bobcats will take a small forward (Al Thornton, Jeff Green, or Julian Wright). Which means Young is still on the board, and he’s our pick here. Your thoughts?
16 Responses to “Here’s Hoping the Bulls Don’t Turn the 9th Pick in the Draft into a Darko-Like Player”
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June 6th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
Don’t the Bulls already have Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry?
Oh, yeah.
I guess now would be a good time to grab Spencer Hawes. As long as 9 isn’t too high for him….
June 6th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
I don’t think Indiana will trade O’Neal within the division, and I think they could probably get a little more than what you say the Bulls would offer.
If they don’t acquire a big (Gasol, etc) I think you’re right that they go 2-guard and Young really is the only option at that point. Unless they believe Sefolosha is a viable option down the road.
I also think Wright is treMENdously overrated. I just don’t like wing players that can’t shoot.
June 6th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Thomas and the #9 pick for JO is not nearly enough salary-wise. To match up, they’d pretty much have to add in a overpaid S&T Nocioni.
Just don’t think the Bulls have the pieces, salary-wise to acquire JO. I suppose it there was a multi-team deal, it could work. But not enough straight up.
June 6th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
I think Hawes is the right pick here. He and Thomas would eventually be a pretty solid front line. I dread them picking Yi, and I like Thabo so I’m hoping they don’t go for Young.
June 6th, 2007 at 9:29 pm
I hate the “can’t trade within the division” mindset. What do you care if you believe you’re improving your team by doing it? Isn’t that the ultimate goal?
June 6th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
They have Thabo also. They will go big here. Yi and Hawes are not the answers fo this tough, defensive minded team. Splitter or Jason Collins seems more likely. I think they go with Splitter. Jeff Green may be able to play some PF too and would be worth a look.
June 6th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
As a Piston fan, that’s why I cringe whenever I read how high people are putting Yi. It reminds me of the Darko draft, when all of a sudden a couple months before the draft he was the hot topic, and people endlessly talked about his ‘potential’, or ‘with a couple of years of hard work, he could be the next Jermaine O’neal’, or whatever. The only thing in Darko’s defense is, Larry Brown didn’t even try to get the kid some practice unless it was blow-out time. Who knows, if he would have had a little playing time on a regular basis, maybe he would have been better than what he was-but still not good enough to warrant that high of a pick.
June 6th, 2007 at 10:22 pm
I think Chicago may go the best player available in round 1, which may be a Jeff Green at 9, then look at a big guy at either 23 or 53 in the vein of a Coleman Collins of Va Tech, of Aaron Gray of Pitt
June 6th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
Ben Wallace and the Bulls look to be headed for another rough year together. His act during the Bulls second round ouster at the hands of his former teamates didn’t endear him to anyone in Chicago… the Bulls need to hedge their bets at center.
Hawes, Splitter (depending on his contract status with his Brazilian club), or maybe Williams. Hawes is the better post scorer of that trio, Williams the best defender, and Splitter is the best athelete.
Sean Williams history isn’t likely to hurt him as much as people may think. So he smokes a lot of pot, since when has that kept anyone out of the NBA? You think Ron Artest sits at home by the fireplace drinking warm milk? Most GM’s in the Association would throw $5mil a year at a crackwhore they found behind a 7-11 if they thought they could 3-4 blocks a game out of her.
June 6th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Splitter is locked into one more year with his Spanish team TAU Ceramica…he wants to leave and he’s a solid 4/5 but you wouldn’t want to draft him on the assumption he’ll be in the NBA next year. I’m guessing someone in the second half of the 1st round will be able to wait a year though.
Hawes would be a good fit because his lack of shot-blocking / rebounding can be compensated for with Ben and Thomas. Based on what scouts think of Yi it certainly doesn’t seem like he’d be a reach at 9…he would certainly appear to have the best talent of anyone available if he fell that far. While the Chinese league is far from great I think it’s a big deal that he’s actually played competitive basketball…Darko and Tskita barely played professionally before they were drafted (although they were in a much better league).
June 6th, 2007 at 11:17 pm
The Bulls have to go big here and I’m assuming it would be either Yi or Hawes, although if Indy were dumb enough to do TT, the pick and ST Noc, I would be thrilled.
I’m just praying that Noah doesn’t somehow end up in a Bulls uni, that would be AWFUL.
I don’t think the Bulls will look toward drafting a guard, unless they for some reason dislike Yi and Hawes and decide to dump Duhon. Thabo showed flashes toward the end of the season and a bit in the playoffs, and fills their need for a taller guard.
June 7th, 2007 at 1:40 am
I expect the Bulls to be the most active trade player on draft night. They’re not that far away from being a Finals contender, but no rookie available at #9 is going to put them over the top. I agree that Nick Young isn’t going to give them anything Thabo Sefolosha can’t do already. My guess is the Bulls are still after Gasol, and even though Memphis denies he’s on the block, given their financial situation they will look to deal him for younger, cheaper talent. I think the Bulls will try to use Gordon and the #9 pick as the main parts in a deal, but another team will be involved to make the salaries match up and get Memphis more assets.
June 7th, 2007 at 3:47 am
I not really sure how Sam Smith floors anyone. He has a history of making up trade proposals that don’t work financially, Sam doesn’t really understand the C.B.A. like Ford knows it inside & out. That’s why Ford use to shoot holes in many of Smith’s & Vecsey’s trade rumors. Anyways, I guess I would go with Hawes at #9. Don’t love him, but he’s the best post scorer in the draft.
June 7th, 2007 at 10:16 am
They would run Paxson out of town if he dumped Ben Gordon
June 7th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
I am sticking to my guns that Hawes is completely overrated has unproven. He had a mediocre freshman year against players he should have dominated.
The Bulls can not let Gordon go next year.
Why is everyone giving up on Thomas? He’s young, he has a lot of developing to do. I think he’s going to be a great player in the league. He had a pretty solid playoffs. I know winning the championship is your goal every year, but is winning it next year worth losing a young talent? O’Neal and Gasol will only be around for so long. Say you trade Thomas, you let Gordon go. You’re stuck with Deng and Hinrich as your only proven players 5 years down the road.
Ideally, you keep Thomas and the # 9 pick. You draft best available and hope to swap trades and pick up an extra 2nd rounder or an extra veteran. If they want Hawes, why not draft Brewer, then swap Brewer for Hawes for a veteran SG?
Bulls are in a tight spot. They need a proven PF, but I don’t like the idea of giving up Thomas and # 9 for it.
June 7th, 2007 at 4:53 pm
As a UW Husky fan, I am a little biased towards Hawes, but in his defense, he wasn’t really healthy for most of the season. That may have been part of the reason he wasn’t as dominant as he could/should have been. That being said, he really isn’t ready to be a big contributor right away. He is a little soft, and has a bad habit of letting guards steal the ball away at will. I feel that as he gets older, he will be a good NBA talent. He definitely could have used another year in college.