Friday, May 23, 2008

With the #1 pick in the NBA draft the Chicago Bulls select............

Could a team be any luckier than the Chicago Bulls? In each of the past two seasons, they have owned a top 10 selections thanks to the great executive Isiah Thomas, who decided to trade two lottery selections for a lazy, overweight center with a heart problem. Neither one of those picks has panned out yet as Tyrus Thomas is untapped potential, and Joakim Noah is basically a more free spirited Ben Wallace (no offensive game whatsoever).

Now this season, they miss the playoffs by four games, end up with a little more than a one percent chance to get the number one overall selection and by a leap of faith they end up winning the lottery and gaining the first pick in the draft. Once the news came in Kirk Hinrich had to feel a little bit uneasy as it is very possible that he will be traded to make room for point guard phenomenon Derrick Rose. Tyrus Thomas also might be affected, in the event that the Bulls select F Michael Beasley from Kansas State.

This draft is widely considered a two man draft. The two men who make this draft are PG Derrick Rose from Memphis, and F Michael Beasley from Kansas. These are the two special talents in this year's draft. Rose led Memphis to the National Title Game as a freshman this past season and has the makings of a "Cornerstone" point guard, someone you can build your franchise around. Beasly, on the other hand, carried a relatively talentless Kansas State team to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Kansas State hadn't been past the first round, in 20 years.

Rose has all the qualities you want from a point guard. He is an unselfish, pass first leader who is easily coachable. Rose has good size for a point guard at 6'3 and 195 LBs. He has top notch athleticism, and is a terror in the open court as his handle, speed and body control give defenders fits. He gives 100% on both sides of the floor. He is a tough defender whose long arms and lateral quickness gives other point guards a lot of trouble. He has good decision making skills and excellent court vision. He can thread passes into tight spots with the best of them. He is cool under pressure and proved throughout the NCAA tournament that he could come up big when his team needed him the most. His jumper is a bit inconsistent but it is above average, and his free throws can definitely use work.He compares rather favorably to Jason Kidd in his prime.





Michael Beasley is a very intriguing offensive talent. There isn't much on the court offensively that he can't do. He can face a defender up, he can post them up, he can shoot the midrange jumper, he can shoot the three. Beasley's offense repertoire is very good. You have to wonder though, how will he do in the NBA where the athletes are just as good? He won't be able to just "out athlete" everyone much like he did in college. His offensive game is good, but it can use a little practice to polish it. His right hand can use some work, his post moves and his court vision along with a willingness to pass the ball can stand for improvement. The guy averaged 1.2 APG last season, which is a testament to lack of court vision and having little to no confidence in his teammates. Beasley is all over the boards, especially on the offensive end, as he averaged four offensive rebounds per game this past season. Even though he is a bit undersized for the power forward position in the NBA, he makes up for that lack of size with a 7'1 wingspan and good strength. With a little refinement to his game, Beasley could definitely be a top player in the league fairly quickly.



As far as what the Bulls should do, I feel they should take Derrick Rose. In my opinion, he is a rare breed of point guard because of his speed, size, offensive ability, leadership and defensive ability at a very important position on the court. Also, with Rose, he makes everyone better. Tyrus Thomas, the guy who Beasley would take minutes from, stands to gain the most from drafting Rose, as Rose will get him the ball in spots where he can succeed. Ben Gordon would also benefit from it, as he would not have to be relied on to handle the ball as much nor would he have to work as hard to create his own shot. Rose can immediately turn the fortunes of this franchise with his breathtaking skill set along with his leadership abilities

Rose or Beasley? No matter what Chicago does, they are right. I just think that Rose is too good to pass up.




1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think we should go with Beasley. My reasoning is fairly simple....the Bulls have always needed a low post scorer. They now have a nice combination of slashers(Deng/Hughes) and jump shooters(Heinrich/Gordan) They need a guy that can commmand a double team in the post. I think this will allow EVERYONE else on the team to prosper.

I do agree that they are in a pretty much can't lose situation. (Then again, that's what everyone said about the Chargers in '98)