NBA Draft Preview: No. 1 Chicago
NBA June 26th. 2008, 4:43pm
Each weekday for the next two weeks, we’ll be counting down the NBA Draft lottery teams leading up to the June 26th draft. It would be a fool’s errand to project what each team will do; tryouts vary by day and if anything, that’s an exercise in futility we’ll post at 5 p.m. on draft day. Instead, what you’ll be reading is what we would do if we were running each team.
This would have been a blast if the idiotic Bulls hadn’t already decided on Derrick Rose. Will it be a disaster? Probably not. Vinny Del Negro’s running the show, what could possibly go wrong? What Chicago obviously needs is a frontcourt presence, somebody who the Bulls can pound the ball into on the block, and bust out a baby hook or draw a foul or drop-step and dunk on the opponent’s ass.
Passing on Beasley means you’ll settle for Drew Gooden inside because Ty Thomas and Joakim Noah still don’t have an offensive move between them. Good luck with that.
How about this: Derrick Rose should shake hands backstage with Hinrich and Gordon and Larry Hughes, and then have the three Bulls guards escorted to a backroom, where they are to partake in a round robin Connect 4 tournament, with the winner staying on the team, and the two losers finding another home.
We’re one of the few who think Beasley is the pick here, but with Scoop Jackson and Jemele Hill on our side, we know we’re making the right call.
2. Miami – Michael Beasley, Kansas State
3. Minnesota – Brook Lopez, Stanford
4. Seattle – OJ Mayo, USC
5. Memphis – Jerryd Bayless, Arizona
6. New York Knicks – Eric Gordon, Indiana
7. Los Angeles Clippers – Russell Westbrook, UCLA
8. Milwaukee – DeAndre Jordan, Texas A&M
9. Charlotte – Kevin Love, UCLA
10. New Jersey – Anthony Randolph, LSU
11. Indiana – Roy Hibbert, Georgetown
12. Sacramento – JaVale McGee, Nevada
13. Portland – Joe Alexander, West Virginia
14. Golden State – Darrell Arthur, Kansas
54 Responses to “NBA Draft Preview: No. 1 Chicago”
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June 26th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Does Gooden still have that weird hair patch on the back of his neck? That’s gross.
June 26th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I called Derrick Rose the best player in the nation back when the season started. I must of had twenty people on this site telling me how stupid i was for saying that
June 26th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
is Purdue Matt around?
yikes
i hope i can get some props for that sub 10k call when we fall that low …
June 26th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Thus ends the worst mock draft in history. That was fun.
June 26th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
wow, i am shocked with your prediction for number 1. shocked!
June 26th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Beasley’s impact (not style, but impact) will be like Jamison’s. He’ll get 18-25 points, and 8-12 rebounds each game, but he won’t give you much else in the way of defense or chemistry. And you do realize he’s measuring barely 6-8?
Rose is the guy here.
June 26th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Vinny Del Negro will be fired by Thanksgiving. Pete Myers will take over and lead the team to 30 wins
June 26th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Yeah Irish all the POY trophies Derrick Rose took home proved you right. Beasley will be the better player I think, although I’m no NBA expert he certainly was a better college player.
June 26th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
TBL, PurdueMatt is only around for the 5 seconds it takes to type “The economy is great!”
June 26th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Real curve ball, TBL. I had been expecting Othello Hunter to go #1 all along.
June 26th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
@fetch- i forgot you were a Kansas fan. Dont be surprised if B rush goes to Orlando
June 26th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
irish- I’d like to root for Orlando cause I like Howard, but unfortunately I have my NBA fortunes tied to Mario Chalmers.
June 26th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
@irish: I want him on the Cavs, man.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Uh, you forgot about Michael Sweetney.
/lighting my arm on fire
June 26th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
When was the last time that the point guard was clearly the best player on a team winning an NBA championship? Probabably the Pistons with Isiah. It will be interesting to see if CP3 or D. Williams can win one.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
No way in hell is Rose the best player. He may be the right fit but not the best player.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
Beasley dominant numbers were all part of a massive KState PR campaign. He’s actually 5′11″ and white.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Supposedly the hot rumor is Chalmers to the Kings at 12. I don’t know how I feel being a Kings fan. NBADraft.net has him going to the Suns, which would be nice. Ideally I’d like him to fall to Orlando or Utah so he can step in and play big minutes immediately.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
If this were true he’d have played for Duke.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
@jim- chauncy billups was clearly the best player when the pistons won the finals a few years ago, as evidenced by the Finals MVP award.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
jim,
That’s because PG’s are rarely the best players on their team, and Rose won’t necessarily be the best player on the Bulls–at least not right away.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Tony Parker was clearly the best player last year when the Spurs won the Finals, as evidenced by the Finals MVP award.
/Using Sparty’s logic.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Also notice that only, what, 6 or 7 teams have even won an NBA Championship in the last 20 years?
June 26th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
@Sparty – Tony Parker won it last year with the Spurs, but Duncan is a bet better player. That Pistons team was an anamoly since no one player was clearly better than everybody else.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
The perfect fit for the Bulls then since Kirk Hinrich is 6′11″ and black.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
First comment since 11/23/07 (long story, but glad to be back):
Bold draft prediction about Jayhawks in the draft, here’s their draft order: Chalmers – Rush – Arthur
I think once all the PG’s go high GM’s will panic and grab Mario before B-Rush and Shady.
I hope Hinich gets out of Chi-Town, so he can get on with becoming the next Steve Nash. Or maybe the Bulls can pick up Collison, Aaron Miles , and Jeff Graves and lose to Syracuse. See I can joke about things like that now…a championship heals the wounds.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
AzHawk, What? No Michael Lee?
June 26th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
@nick p,
obviously it is not always the case. but again, the pistons struggled more when billups was struggling more than anyone else. Rasheed most talented. Billups best player.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
AzHawk- Glad to have a fellow Jayhawk aboard.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
besides, over the last several seasons, never once did any of the pistons receive MVP consideration, except for Billups in 2006.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
What I don’t get are the Rose/Deron Williams comparisons.
Um, doesn’t Williams have a jump-shot?
June 26th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Billups is definitely the Pistons’ best player. Good enough that the Nuggest apparently offered Melo for he and Prince. And Dumars said no.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I’d argue Ben Wallace was as productive as Billups that season. He was a monster that season.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
I don’t get it either. Rose > D. Williams.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
@NSR-I still think that rumor was media fabricated.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
So Rose automatically is the second best PG in the NBA? Wow. Miz I think you’re a smart guy, but unless you were being sarcastic that was retarded
June 26th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
@fetch: DW ain’t the 2nd best in the game, though.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
@sparty-Sorry, it’s been confirmed by multiple sources. 6-7 barefoot, 6-8 and a quarter in shoes.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
What, Nick who is? Am I retarded and missing somebody?
June 26th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Rose is a great player and really shone in the NCAA tourney – I think he’ll be fine in the Association. However – Beasley was the best player in the NCAA this season, hands down. Dude will be the RoY.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
He’s in the top 3, Nick. Paul, Nash, and DW in whatever order you want. And considering how he plays against Paul head-to-head, I’d be fine if someone argues he’s #1.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Chris Paul.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
NSR, I thought it was the other way around the Nuggets were the ones who said no. I could be wrong. Nuggets already had Billups once, and don’t need him again.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
possibly Steve Nash, but I’d take Deron over him
June 26th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
<i<Nuggest apparently offered Melo for he and Prince. And Dumars said no.
you got it backwards the buzz was that the Nugs said no to prince/chauncey for ‘melo. RUmor was the Nugs proposed a counter offer of AI/Cambyman for the prince/chauncey.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
@fetch: I was being a homer; poorly delivered joke.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
You could be right Triston. But I thought I had heard it the other way around. It would make sense as the Pistons would be crazy not to take the deal.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
OK if you wanna argue Deron is better than Paul that’s cool, in fact, I agree. I thought people were saying Deron was outside the top 2.
Jim Harbaugh Scramble- I have to say it: He shone until he went 7-17 and 1-6 from three in the title game.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
miz- I kinda figured after I hit submit. We’ll chalk that up to me being a moron. Although my comment about you being a smart guy still stands.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Fetch – what you expect a guard to hit more than 1-6 from deep!?! 16% from 3 point Oh and just type JHS instead of Jim Harbaugh Scramble – saves time.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Can he still play for the Bulls if he’s not on their roster?
June 26th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
OT -
That top 50 NFL player list is asine. Gimme a break that Wes Welker is a better player than (WR) Roy Williams.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
JHS (yay I did it!) – I just wanted my second paragraph to look longer so I could make it seem like I know what I’m doing.
June 26th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Why does ESPN continue to put college analysts on TV for an NBA event? You don’t see Herbstreit and Corso on the main stage for the NFL Draft, what are Katz and Bilas doing talking NBA basketball?