3. Shooter
Mar 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Georgia State Panthers guard R.J. Hunter (22) looks to pass as Baylor Bears guard Al Freeman (25) defends in the second half of a game in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veteran Memorial Arena. Georgia State defeated Baylor 57-56. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
It has been five years now and the Bulls are still looking for shooting. Dunleavy is going to be a free agent next season and someone is going to need to take his role. This becomes are major fork in the road moment for the Bulls and McDermott. Do they have faith that McDermott can take Dunleavy’s spot in the lineup? They drafted him only a year ago, and he has done nothing during his time in the NBA. If they really think he can play, they have to put him out there. If they don’t think he is any good, draft a shooter or sign one. They can’t let last year’s decision affect this year.
The worst thing Chicago could do now is compound their mistake in drafting McDermott and try to force him into a role they know he won’t be able to fill. They must have a candid approach on McDermott’s future with the team—that means being honest with themselves on whether they screwed up last year’s draft or not.
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R.J. Hunter: Hunter has always proven to be an amazing shooter, and has the passing ability to become a top-5 two-guard in the NBA one day. The doubts are Hunter are because of his small-school background and defense. He played at Georgia State with inferior competition. Many believe he is a sub-par athlete who was never exposed because he played at a small school.
He is a coach’s son and is supposedly amazing in interviews. When you do one thing at an elite level like Hunter can, you can succeed in the NBA. The defense may be a work in progress, but Hunter has close to a perfect shooting form—quick and consistent. He can also get to the rim and pass with ease because of defenders over-aggressiveness from his shot. The Bulls would love to have a player who can space the floor as well as Hunter can.
Rashad Vaughn: Rashad Vaughn can flat-out score the ball. He played at UNLV, which means no one really saw him during the season, but since the draft workouts, he has been the buzz of the NBA Draft world. During the season he was seen more as a penetrator, but now after scouts saw him shoot at workouts, many believe he can score from the inside and outside.
My concern for Vaughn is how he will fit on an NBA team that has already established how it will succeed. At UNLV, he was basically allowed to score however he wanted because they had no one else. In the NBA, and especially on the Bulls, he is going to need to learn how be productive without the ball.
There has been so much talk about Chicago’s lack of scoring, and the lack of scoring from the draft in general. Vaughn can flat out score. Maybe he doesn’t have a lot else, but that one attribute should be compelling enough for the Bulls.
Final thoughts: Shooting in today’s NBA solves all kinds of problems on offense. Most NBA teams still—remarkably—undervalue the three-point shot. If the Bulls can finally be a team that has a couple elite three-point shooters, it will take immense pressure off the players they already have with the spacing. Hoiberg’s Iowa State teams loved to shoot a lot of threes. For once, it would be nice if the Bulls weren’t always looking for shooters. Both of these guys have great strokes and could be late-round steals.
Next: 4. Versatile, long-term project