2015 NBA Draft Combine Prospects the Chicago Bulls Must Watch Most Closely
The Chicago Bulls need to keep an eye on several prospects participating at the 2015 NBA Draft Combine.
Barring a trade, the team will only have one pick in the draft: No. 22 overall. Chicago traded its second-round pick last year in the deal that brought Doug McDermott to town. While the 22nd pick won't net you a Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor, plenty of talented prospects will still be available at that spot.
Point guard is one position the Bulls should look to address via the draft. Starter Derrick Rose struggles to stay healthy and backup free agent Aaron Brooks may be too expensive to re-sign this summer.
Chicago has a history of finding quality players in the draft, especially late in the first round. Examples include Nikola Mirotic (23rd overall), Taj Gibson (26th) and Jimmy Butler (30th). By staying focused on the combine, maybe the team can obtain yet another diamond in the rough.
Robert Upshaw, C, Washington
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Sadly, you can't mention Robert Upshaw without bringing up his off-court issues. The seven-footer was dismissed from both Fresno State and Washington for violating team rules.
However, people can change. And if he does get his act together, the Bulls could land a great backup for starting center Joakim Noah. Upshaw is truly a shot-blocking machine. Before leaving Washington last season, he averaged 4.5 blocks a game and a whopping 7.2 per 40 minutes.
Chicago already has a terrific pair of rim-protectors in Noah and Pau Gasol. Adding another one to the roster certainly wouldn't hurt anything.
Despite his checkered past, Upshaw is still an intriguing prospect due to his ability to score inside and swat shots into the cheap seats.
Per Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, an NBA executive had this to say about Upshaw: "On talent alone, if he would have stayed throughout the year, he could have crept all the way up to the middle of the first round, maybe late lottery. He was having a great year."
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
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With Butler and Mike Dunleavy set to become free agents, the Bulls could be in need of wing depth.
Drafting Arizona's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson makes a ton of sense. The 6'7" small forward has a terrific 7'2" wingspan and can simply jump out of the gym. He also possesses a quick first step, which allows him to beat his defender off the dribble and get to the rim with ease.
Hollis-Jefferson is known as an elite, versatile defender who can guard point guards and centers as well. Should the Bulls wind up selecting him, he could emerge as a favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau (if he stays with the team). Everybody knows about Thibs' obsession with defense.
The biggest knock on Hollis-Jefferson, though, is that he can't shoot. He hit just 20.7 percent of his three-point attempts last season, which definitely isn't Kyle Korver-like. If he can improve his shot, the sky is the limit for this kid.
Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
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Unlike Hollis-Jefferson, Virginia's Justin Anderson can shoot the rock. He shot 45.2 percent from three-point land last season, a huge improvement from the previous year (29.4 percent).
At 6'6" and 231 pounds, Anderson has an NBA-ready body. He uses his chiseled frame to take smaller defenders to the basket and finish through contact.
In addition, he can guard multiple positions and his 6'11" wingspan allows him to bother scorers at the rim.
Anderson, though, lacks strong ball-handling skills, preventing him at times from creating his own shot. Still, he has the potential to be a three-and-D guy at the next level and would make a terrific backup small forward for the Bulls.
Delon Wright, PG, Utah
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Undersized backup point guards like Nate Robinson, D.J Augustin and Brooks have flourished in Thibodeau's system. But that doesn't mean that someone with ideal size couldn't. Utah's Delon Wright is the perfect height (6'5") for an NBA point guard, allowing him to see over the defense and pass the rock.
Defense is Wright's bread and butter, as he has a knack for getting into passing lanes and putting pressure on the ball. He averaged 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks during his two seasons as a Ute.
Although Wright's game lacks a pull-up jumper, he knows how to get to the line. Last season, he averaged 5.2 free-throw attempts and shot an impressive 83.6 percent.
The Bulls usually sign an inexpensive, veteran backup point guard who ends up sticking around for only one year. It wouldn't hurt to look for a little stability and invest in a guy like Wright through the draft.
Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
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It's no secret that the Bulls love Duke players. Over the past 15 years or so, former Blue Devils like Elton Brand, Jay Williams and Luol Deng have called the Windy City home.
So why not keep an eye on Tyus Jones? The Minnesota native is coming off a fantastic freshman season, leading Duke to a national championship and being named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
At 6'2" and 184 pounds, Jones isn't going to bully any defenders around. Yet, he's an excellent floor general who's capable of making his teammates better. Blessed with superb court vision, he has a knack for finding shooters, cutters and finishers with pinpoint passing.
Jones is a quality ball-handler as well. He averaged just 1.9 turnovers last season and committed only eight during the entire NCAA Tournament.
All stats are from Sports-Reference.com.
