The 2021 NBA Draft will take place on July 29. With the draft coming up, The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. NBA squads will be analyzed, team needs will be addressed and potential targets will be discussed.
Today, the Chicago Bulls 2021 NBA Draft Profile will be presented.
Summary
The Chicago Bulls missed the play in game, finishing as the 11th seed in the eastern conference with a 31-41 record. They made a large trade at the deadline to grab All-star center Nikola Vucevic. The move was expected to thrust them into the playoffs, but obviously did not do so. Due to this trade though, the Bulls have two All-stars with some quality young pieces around them. Patrick Williams showed a lot of promise in his rookie year and Coby White showed a lot of scoring versatility in his sophomore season.
Lauri Markkanen may be out the door this offseason entering free agency. He is restricted so the Bulls will have a chance to match whatever offers he may command. Due to his lack of development, it is unlikely they will match if some team throws him a lot of money. The Bulls also have a couple of solid veteran contributors in Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky.
The Bulls have been in rumors this offseason to potentially be in the market to make another large trade. They have the young pieces necessary to go out and get one lower-tier star. They are without their first-round pick this year because of the aforementioned Nikola Vucevic trade, but they could still put a package together that could entice some teams.
As of right now though, the Bulls are a team that could surprise some people these next couple of years. With a couple of young players taking steps forward to help out Vucevic and LaVine, this team could be a playoff team next year.
2021 Draft Picks
First Round (no picks)
Second Round (one pick):
Pick No. 38
Team Needs
Playmaking Point Guard: Coby White is not a point guard, sadly. Satoranksy is a solid role player, but he is not a starting point guard in the NBA. The Bulls need to find their point guard of the future. They do not have a player that is going to create shots for others and that is very apparent when watching them play. LaVine, Young, and Vucevic are all solid passers for their position, but they need a player who is going to make all of their lives easier.
Perimeter Defense: Patrick Williams got the opposing team’s best player assignment in most games, but the Bulls need more defense from their guards. Both White and LaVine are mediocre defenders at best. They need to have a guard that can step in and clamp up the best guards in the league.
Shooting: The Bulls’ starting five can shoot, that is not the issue. the bench is where the shooting woes lie. the Bulls do not have a consistent threat coming off of their bench. It seems like every team has a “3 and D” guy or a reliable three-point specialist besides the Bulls. They do not have anyone on the bench that when they let one go from distance, you believe it is going in.
Draft Target
Pick No. 38: Herb Jones, SF, University of Alabama
Herb Jones would be a great fit for the Chicago Bulls. Jones is criminally underrated in this draft. He comes in as one of the older players in the draft and does not have much of a jumpshot, but he does everything else on the floor. He is phenomenal defensively and uses his length extremely well. Jones also ran a lot of point forward at Alabama. He has the size to play both forward spots and could help add some secondary playmaking.
He impacts the game in so many different ways and would be a great addition for a team that wants to enter win now mode. Jones will provide the Bulls’ bench with a lot of versatility. While he does not fill their need of shooting, he has the ability to play-make for the shooters around him. Jones is a player that is being slept on that the Bulls should take a swing at.