4. Bismack Biyombo
Any time a 23 year-old power forward grabs 28 rebounds against LeBron James and Tristan Thompson in a playoff game, you sit up and take notice.
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Biyombo had himself a postseason this past season.
The 6’9”, 255 pounder can’t shoot a lick yet, so he wouldn’t be a great spacing fit with Lopez, but he could play some small-ball five and even in lineups with Lopez, he could block everything in sight, gobble up boards and use his athleticism to outmaneuver the opposition in offense for easy putbacks and dunks.
I’d stagger their minutes and maybe even bring Lopez off the bench and start the sure-to-be-higher-paid Biyombo at the five spot (with a freakish 7’7” wingspan). He’s just oozing raw potential and that’s why locking him up now is quite a tantalizing prospect.
I don’t necessarily see Lopez as a key cog in the Bulls’ future when they do start to contend again, but Biyombo is another matter.
Next: 3. Kent Bazemore