Pippen Ain't Easy
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Chicago Bulls draft preview: Jonathan Jeanne at No. 16

By Daniel Coughlin

Dec 12, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls vice president of basketball perations John Paxson (left) and general manager Gar Forman (center) talk with sports writer Sam Smith (right) prior to a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls vice president of basketball perations John Paxson (left) and general manager Gar Forman (center) talk with sports writer Sam Smith (right) prior to a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /
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Gar Forman and John Paxson have a very shaky recent history when it comes to drafting. The 2017 NBA draft is lining up to be more of the same with a very beige draft slot at No. 16 in the first round. The one ray of hope is that there are some very intriguing international players in next month’s draft, including the towering Jonathan Jeanne.

Now, I’m not saying that every guy on earth who is unreasonably tall and has a French accent is Rudy Gobert, but I’m also not ruling it out.

Jeanne has exploded onto the draft scene with a new workout video and interview with Matt McGann at Draft Express.

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In this video, the 19-year-old center does all kind of athletic things that I cannot. He dunks, he picks up a basketball that is on the ground, and he makes more 3-pointers than I have hit in the last five years combined.

Mild snark aside, he really does look fast and athletic. His shooting from distance is also hype-worthy. As a Bulls blog, the dearth of 3-point shooting is almost traumatic. I mean, Rajon Rondo was Chicago’s leading shooting from beyond the arc during the 2016-17 season.

The Bulls could also have need of a big man with range. Bobby Portis is an offense first player and I’m not sure he’s going to do a whole lot at any point during his time in Chicago. I want him to be good, but he’s just not there yet and entering his third season, he’s got a very long way to go. On defense, in particular.

The futures of both Nikola Mirotic and Cristiano Felicio are also completely up in the air, both are restricted free agents. Then there’s starting center Robin Lopez. He’s a really good player, but offers no outside threat on either end of the floor. Also, he’s approximately all the way slower than a guy like Jeanne.

The huge caveat that should go without saying: We’re getting a highlight video of Jeanne’s workout. There is no way to know if they showed us every 3 he hit or if he took 100 shots and they only showed us the handful that went down.

In a totally non-basketball skill related observation, his legs terrify me. When he was setting screens, the bend in his incredibly long legs, through his knees, just screamed injury to me. Think Gobert in Game 1 against the Los Angeles Clippers. See what I’m thinking? Yeah.

That being said, he’s a great talent. Do the Bulls reach all the way up to the No. 16 pick on a guy like Jeanne? Some people seem to think he’s going to be a steal that should go in the first 10 picks and some sites have him sitting firmly in the middle of the second round, where he would safely be available if Chicago wanted to grab him with the No. 38 pick.

The second round seems more likely. That’s where Forman is still patting himself on the back for drafting Paul Zipser. It’s also where young, unproven international guys feel like a safer pick to most teams. If only Jeanne had played at Iowa State or just anywhere in college for four year, we’d know who the Bulls would be taking for sure.

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