Ranking the Chicago Bulls' Biggest 2015 NBA Draft Needs
We're approaching the first NBA draft of the Fred Hoiberg era, and the Chicago Bulls have a handful of pressing needs to fill.
Former coach Tom Thibodeau turned the Derrick Rose-led squad into a perennial playoff team and contender in the Eastern Conference, but it's a flawed unit. Top executives John Paxson and Gar Forman must try to upgrade the roster on both ends of the floor in order to give new skipper Hoiberg the best chance for short- and long-term success.
While Chicago's offense saw improvement in 2014-15 with the addition of Pau Gasol, it still landed 15th in points per game and 11th in offensive efficiency. The Bulls need more firepower to get over the mid-playoff hump and into the NBA Finals.
Thibodeau may have overworked his stars and underutilized his bench, but the roster still needs better depth. A more established reserve rotation could go a long way to propelling the Bulls through the grueling playoff stretch.
Given these general shortcomings, what are the Bulls' biggest specific needs as they hold the No. 22 pick?
Offensive Frontcourt Player
The arrival of Gasol last year gave the Bulls a legitimate low-post weapon and he enjoyed a terrific rebirth in the Windy City. He posted 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game and the team would have been lost without him on the offensive end.
He could use some help.
Gasol was the only true big in Chicago's lineup to average more than 20 points per 100 possessions (he averaged 27.9). Both Taj Gibson (19.6) and Joakim Noah (12.2) are peripheral scorers at best, and Hoiberg can't get away with having them both on the floor for long stretches.
B/R Bulls scribe James Davis explained the Bulls' offensive outlook in the frontcourt:
"There is a glaring dearth of low-post scoring yields when Gasol is absent. Both Noah and Gibson regressed in 2014-15. Even if the hope is for the core guys to bounce back next season, steps need to be made in order to ensure there is a dependable talent who can hold his own on the block."
Unfortunately, there probably won't be a myriad of prolific post players available when Chicago is on the clock at No. 22.
The absolute best-case scenario would involve Arkansas' Bobby Portis falling to them. He has the size and skill to play both frontcourt spots, and he would be able to make a greater impact as a rookie than most late-first round prospects. Portis is equipped with a stronger physique and better low-post footwork than most of the raw, wiry bigs in this year's crop.
Chicago's next-best offensive options aren't as safe, but they're intriguing. First, there's Spanish big man Guillermo Hernangomez. He does a great job of battling for position, operating on post-ups and executing pick-and-rolls.
"Leading the ACB in points scored rolling to the rim this season, Herangomez gets around 61 percent of his field goal attempts in finishing situations around the basket," said Matt Kamalsky of DraftExpress.com "(He has) craftiness finishing inside that you don't often see from players his age."
UNLV's Christian Wood offers a weaker immediate return on the investment, but he would give Chi-Town a promising long-term scorer. In addition to notching 19.3 points and 12.2 rebounds per 40 minutes last season, the 6'11" sophomore posted 57 percent true shooting and hit 45 percent of his two-point jumpers, per Hoop-math.com.
Wing Depth
With Mike Dunleavy entering free agency and Kirk Hinrich in the back end of his career, Chicago should strongly consider bolstering its rotation at the 2 and 3 spots.
Tony Snell, Doug McDermott and restricted free agent Jimmy Butler will each have key roles next season, but they could use some help in the shooting department. The Bulls ranked 15th in three-pointers per game last season, so they will need to add some long-range talent in order to boost that number.
The two primary candidates to fill this need are smooth-shooting Georgia State star R.J. Hunter and UNLV's gifted freshman Rashad Vaughn. Both are tall 2-guards with deadly perimeter strokes.
If Hunter falls to No. 22, the Bulls should give him a look because he would serve as a lethal off-ball weapon in Hoiberg's offensive system. The new coach employs a lot of dribble handoffs and weak-side screens, and Hunter could work well on or off the ball in these scenarios.
Hunter has superb vision and fluidity as a scorer, so he'd come around those dribble handoffs and make crisp plays. He could also be the weak-side threat spotting up or coming off an elevator screen. The 6'6" junior hit 35 percent during his career at Georgia State, including 40 percent as a sophomore.
Vaughn isn't quite as savvy, but he would supply Chicago with instant offense from the bench.
It might take the 18-year-old a little while to adjust to the pro game, but he has the shot-creating and shot-making skills required to become a productive reserve wing. Vaughn racked up 22.1 points per 40 minutes and 38 percent three-point shooting as a freshman.
Derrick Rose's injury history is an obvious concern, and Hoiberg can't afford to wear him down throughout the year. The Bulls also don't have a backup floor general nailed down because Aaron Brooks will be a free agent.
Therefore, Foreman and Paxson must search for a playmaker they can bring off the bench for 15-20 minutes per game. They have shuffled through countless rentals to man the spot over the past few seasons and it would be refreshing for them to find a long-term backup quarterback.
The Bulls' two most likely targets at No. 22 are college veterans with plenty of size.
There's a chance Notre Dame's 6'4" senior Jerian Grant could fall to Chicago, and he'd be a superb pick-and-roll master to support D-Rose. USA Today's Derek Bodner explained that Grant's interchangeability in the backcourt could prove invaluable for the Bulls:
"Grant has the versatility to not only spell Derrick Rose at a backup point guard, but also to play alongside Rose in a two-point guard lineup."
If Grant and the other top point men are unavailable, the clear-cut choice is Utah's 6'5" star Delon Wright.
Wright has the basketball IQ and skill level to run Hoiberg's dribble-pitch schemes and solidify Chicago's backcourt defense. His impact as an offensive decision-maker and stifling ball hawk is best illustrated by his offensive and defensive ratings last year (129.8 offensive, 87.7 defensive).
No matter which of these two guards Chicago picks up, it would be getting an NBA-ready playmaker who can give Rose a breather or step up if Rose is forced to miss more time.
All of the above needs are concerning, but given the Bulls' tenuous depth at point guard, they should enter the draft aiming for a floor general. Grant would be a nice steal at No. 22, but Paxson and Co. should walk away more than satisfied if they land someone of Wright's caliber.
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