Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2017 NBA Draft: Mocking the first round for every team
player. 125. . C. Creighton. Justin Patton. 19
In terms of the Bulls, this could be a name that pops up on their board, too. Justin Patton, the freshman center from Creighton, had a good year for the high-powered Bluejays. He’s youthful, long and athletic, which could be a good fit for the Atlanta Hawks, who will likely need a center once Dwight Howard’s deal is done. A goal will be to sign Paul Millsap to a max contract this summer. Millsap can fit next to virtually any center in the league and it would be interesting to see what he’d look like next to Patton, who looks like he can and will alter some shots at the next level. Patton’s offensive game is raw and still developing, but he’s got a good feel for the game. Atlanta would be a good place for him.
RELATED: Tyler Pleiss of SB Nation‘s Blog a Bull took a look at Creighton’s Justin Patton
Remember when we discussed Portland potentially taking some chances with three first-round picks in this year’s class? This is where Latvia’s Rodions Kurucs comes into play. Portland has taken chances in the past and one of those chances led them to Rudy Fernandez, who they traded for the 2008 NBA Draft. Fernandez played four NBA seasons before heading back to Spain to play for Real Madrid, but had his moments as a pro in the United States. Kurucs plays for Barcelona, but the organization’s second team. The competition’s not as stellar as he’d see playing against guys like Fernandez. But, Portland’s front office isn’t dumb. They do their homework. Whether he comes over or not this season, Kurucs could become a nice rotation piece for the Blazers down the line. He’s long as a 6-foot-8 forward and has some Paul Zipser to him for Bulls fans.