Pippen Ain't Easy
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Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2017 NBA Draft Guide for the Chicago Bulls

By Michael Whitlow

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Denzel Valentine (Michigan State) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number fourteen overall pick to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Denzel Valentine (Michigan State) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number fourteen overall pick to the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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OG Anunoby would help the Chicago Bulls' perimeter defense.
Dec 17, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers forward OG Anunoby (3) shoots the ball while Butler Bulldogs forward Andrew Chrabascz (45) defends in the first half of the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Indiana’s OG Anunoby

2016-17 season: 16 games played, 11.1 points on 70.1 percent shooting inside the arc (31.1 percent from 3 on 2.8 attempts per game), 5.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game

Before this past college basketball season started and knowing that the Bulls weren’t going to be that good, Indiana wing OG Anunoby was the first name that popped into my head in terms of helping the Bulls in the future. The potential for him to be that helper to Jimmy Butler on the wing defensively should’ve instantly made him a target for the Bulls in their early portion of scouting season.

A 6-foot-6.25 wing without shoes and a 7-foot-2.25 wingspan (!), Anunoby was a rising star after his performance in last year’s NCAA Tournament. But, a knee injury ended his season after 16 games and really hurt his stock coming into this draft.

(Best-case scenario) comparable players (via The Ringer’s NBA Draft Guide): Former NBA wing Shane Battier, Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza and Portland Trail Blazers wing Al-Farouq Aminu

Not many fit the billing of 3-and-D in the NBA better than Shane Battier did and Trevor Ariza has in his career. Anunoby has that look of Kawhi Leonard to him in terms of his strong-as-hell frame and his ability to guard about every position on the floor in college, but until he shows signs of improvement offensively, those comparisons will have to slow down just a bit.

What does Draft Express think of Anunoby?

"While he shows solid footwork and timing attacking an unbalanced defense in a straight line with his long strides and powerful frame, he is not someone you can expect to generate much offense on his own at this stage of his development. He is a crude ball-handler (especially with his left hand) who struggles to operate in isolation or pick and roll situations due to his high dribble that slows him down significantly off the bounce. He doesn’t have any type of in-between game, almost never attempting a pull-up jumper, and isn’t very comfortable finding the open man on the move, especially in traffic. Jonathan Givony, DX"

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