2016 NBA Draft: Tyler Ulis
The Chicago Bulls are coming to a crossroads with Chicago’s own Derrick Rose. The former MVP will enter next season with just one year left on his contract with the Bulls. Could another Chicago high school star take his place in the form of Tyler Ulis?
The Bulls have more issues to address this summer than a defense attorney.
Defense.
Funny story about that.
During the after-the-season press conference — which I’m still not honestly sure actually happened because John Paxson and Gar Forman hid it so well — they addressed everything from rumors to players’ performances.
One thing that stuck out: Paxson’s critique of Derrick Rose‘s defense.
“We weren’t very good defensively, especially individually,” Paxson said, via Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. “We couldn’t keep people in front of us, and that’s important. Especially, that always starts with your guards, especially your point guard, creating, setting a tone. That’s an area Derrick [Rose]’s really going to have to work on this summer. We need our point guard to set the tone defensively, there’s no question about that. On any basketball team, that’s where it starts.”
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Rose will enter the 2016-17 season — his last on his current mega-extension he signed after winning the MVP in 2011 — and there’s a chance it could be his last as a member of the Bulls.
The Bulls have plenty of things to address and taking a page from their 2012 draft playbook may seem dangerous, but Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis isn’t former Kentucky guard Marquis Teague.
How so?
Well for starters, Tyler Ulis beat out Ben Simmons — one of the two legitimate options to be the No. 1 overall selection in June’s draft — for the SEC Player of the Year award this past season.
The third guard on the Associated Press All-America First Team this season with Denzel Valentine (who we’ve discussed here) and the sharpshooting Buddy Hield? Tyler Ulis.
He’s pretty good.
The Bulls could look to move on from one Chicago star to another. During his high school playing days, Ulis became an underrated prospect at Marian Catholic High School, which sits around 50 minutes away from the United Center. Ulis would go on to commit to Kentucky — coached by Rose’s college coach, John Calipari — and in two seasons, he became one of the nation’s best point guards.
After Ulis entered his name into this year’s draft, Calipari said:
"“I’ve coached a lot of great leaders and great point guards in all my years of coaching. Tyler Ulis is the best floor general that I’ve ever coached. What I loved is he grew into that position. You couldn’t speed him up and you couldn’t slow him down unless he wanted to do one of those things. He coached the team this season as much as I did, and I’m proud to say that.”"
(Reminder: This is the same Hall of Fame coach that has taught Tyreke Evans, John Wall, Brandon Knight and Derrick Rose himself.)
Like Rose (before the knee injuries derailed his early-career ascension), Ulis was not only a willing assist-man as a lead guard, he was a bulldog defensively for Kentucky in his two seasons.
(Look at the featured image of this article. Do you think Tyler Ulis looks scared?)
Last season, Ulis went from a player that scored just 209 points on one of the greatest college hoop teams ever in his freshman season to 606 points (17.3 per game) and set the Kentucky record by surpassing Washington Wizards guard John Wall for most assists in a season (246) this past year.
He’s grown as a player immensely (despite his 5’9″ frame) and could find himself among options in the later part of the lottery this summer. Ulis is one of those players that can come into any franchise and find success.
Simply put, if he was 6’2″ instead of 5’9″, he’d be a top-10 pick without much debate.
The Bulls could certainly look to addressing a front line need if Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah both decide to play elsewhere next season.
However, Aaron Brooks is likely gone and there’s no guarantee that E’Twaun Moore re-signs with the Bulls (even though Forman and Paxson should look to keep him). Those departures could lead to a gaping hole at the guard positions, despite Justin Holiday coming on late last season.
With Rose’s future murky at best, Ulis could be another potential star from Chicago that plays in Chicago. He’s a reliable option as a lead guard — just 107 total turnovers in 72 games for Kentucky — and his ability to work the pick-and-roll is uncanny.
Next: Finding a role for Bobby Portis in his sophomore season
The concerns about his size and ability to produce among players that are bigger, faster and stronger are certainly there, but it hasn’t stopped him from evolving into an emergency second option as a recruit to a certified NBA draft prospect.