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New Draft Express mock draft update has Bulls taking Texas center Jarrett Allen

By Michael Whitlow

Jan 4, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) drives against Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Leyton Hammonds (23) during the first half at the Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) drives against Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Leyton Hammonds (23) during the first half at the Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /
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In the latest Draft Express mock draft update (with about 24 hours until the draft starts), there’s a new selection for the Chicago Bulls: Texas center Jarrett Allen.

With just about one day exactly until the 2017 NBA Draft, Jonathan Givony and Draft Express updated their full two-round mock draft and Jarrett Allen is the new selection for the Chicago Bulls at No. 16 overall.

Allen, a 6-foot-9 center with a ridiculous 7-foot-5.25 wingspan, played just one season in Austin for Shaka Smart and the Texas Longhorns before entering his name in the draft.

Like probable No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz dealt with at Washington, Allen played on a sub-par Longhorns team, but really stood out because of his size and potential as a defender at the pro level with his length.

Givony contributed in his draft profile for DX and wrote this bit on Allen’s defense becoming even more important because of his lack of an impactful offensive game:

"Allen’s tremendous combination of length, reach, agility and ability to get off the floor quickly give him a great framework to build off. He has quick feet as well, being capable of sliding on the perimeter in small doses, covering ground and staying in front of opponents.With that said, he needs to improve his technique, experience level and mentality to become more consistent in this area, as he mostly shows flashes at this stage, being far from solid on a possession to possession basis. His lack of bulk causes him to get sealed off in the post by stronger big men, and he doesn’t always show the type of fight you want to see in terms of his ability to get take contact, with older players often going straight through him en route to the basket."

If the Bulls were to take Allen at No. 16 overall on Thursday, he’s the definition of “younger and more athletic”, but he’s the definition of a project pick also. Allen projects as a more Rudy Gobert-Dwight Howard type in the sense of being a roller in pick-and-roll looks with guards and using his long strides to beat other bigs down the floor as a rim-runner in transition that’s a huge target.

From what I’ve seen with Jarrett Allen, he’s not someone that’s going to come in and make an immediate impact. You’ll see his length disrupt offenses in flashes, but as a 19-year-old big man in the NBA that needs to grow into his frame more, he’s going to have his struggles.

Next: Report: Bulls have worked out German-American big man Isaiah Hartenstein

Still, this would be an intriguing pick for the Bulls. Cristiano Felicio and Nikola Mirotic are both free agents this summer and there’s no guarantee the notoriously-cheap Bulls front offices brings them both back. Add in Bobby Portis‘ struggles on the defensive end and the Bulls really don’t have much up front other than Robin Lopez.

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