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

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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Frank Jackson is the DX mock pick at No. 38 for the Chicago Bulls.
Mar 19, 2017; Greenville, SC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Frank Jackson (15) drives to the basket against South Carolina Gamecocks guard PJ Dozier (15) in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

What could the Bulls do at No. 38 in the draft?

Recently, I named some aspects that the Bulls can use the 2017 NBA Draft for: 3-point shooting, more athleticism and a versatile defender. For each pick they have at No. 16 and 38, I named a few players that could help the Bulls address their needs moving forward into next season.

Here’s the names I listed for each category.

3-point shooting: SMU’s Semi Ojeleye, Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan and Villanova’s Josh Hart

Athleticism: Ojeleye (again), Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo and Xavier Edmond Sumner

(Hamidou Diallo is no longer an option. Earlier this week, he announced he’s going back to Kentucky for at least one season.)

A versatile defender: Oregon’s Jordan Bell, Kentucky’s Edrice “Bam” Adebayo and South Carolina’s P.J. Dozier

Along with addressing the Bulls’ needs, here’s a few notes on each player listed:

  • Semi Ojeleye: Despite the early exit from this past NCAA Tournament, SMU had a fantastic season and Ojeleye was a big part in that happening. At 6-foot-5.25 (without shoes) with a 6-foot-9.75 wingspan and weighing in at 241 pounds, Ojeleye is still a work-in-progress, but he’s an NBA body, a brick house and one of the more athletic players in this class.
  • Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan: Back in 2014 for USA Basketball, Caleb Swanigan weighed in at over 270 pounds. At the 2017 NBA Draft Combine, he weighed in at 246 pounds. Along with a huge leap from his freshman year to sophomore year like Luke Kennard, Swanigan expanded his game and became one of the nation’s best players. He doesn’t have a burst of quickness, but not many work harder in the gym than Biggie.
  • Josh Hart: Remember when we talked about Justin Jackson would be such a Bulls pick because of his success and experience in college at Villanova? Think of Josh Hart as some kind of poor man’s version of that. He’s had plenty of success with the Wildcats, but he’s not as highly-rated as Jackson. Still, Hart shot over 40 percent from 3 this past season and has a national title on his mantle, too.
  • Edmond Sumner: What really hurts Sumner’s stock is that he tore his ACL at the end of January in a game and didn’t finish out this past season for Xavier during their run to the Elite Eight. Still, the 6-foot-4 guard could be an interesting piece if he comes back 100 percent because of his size (with a 6-foot-9 wingspan) and ability to beat people off the dribble.
  • Jordan Bell: Dillion Brooks and Chris Boucher took most of the headlines for the Oregon Ducks on their way to the Final Four, but Jordan Bell was the X-factor in Oregon’s entire run. With Boucher out, he was seemingly their last line of defense (and rebounding). That was on full display in their Elite Eight win over Kansas, where Bell had 13 rebounds and EIGHT blocks to knock out the Jayhawks. That’s his bread and butter.
  • Edrice “Bam” Adebayo: De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk may have been college basketball’s best backcourt in the 2016-17 season, but big Bam Adebayo certainly made an impact throughout his one year in Lexington with John Calipari, too. Cut from the same cloth as Dwight Howard (don’t tell him that, though), Adebayo is a physical presence that towers over the competition. 260 pounds might be underselling him.

RELATED: Our own Willie Lutz with a breakdown on Edrice “Bam” Adebayo

Next: The hottest of the takes: What if ... Derrick Rose came home this summer?

  • P.J. Dozier: Like a few names in this guide, South Carolina wing P.J. Dozier helped his draft stock immensely with a good showing at the NBA Draft Combine, along with some good measureables as a cherry on top. Sindarius Thornwell took over South Carolina’s improbable run to the Final Four, but Dozier’s defense played a key role in the Gamecocks being among the last four in the tournament.
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