Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2017 NBA Draft: Mock Draft 2.0
2.0 update: I still like this pick for Portland with UCLA’s Ike Anigbogu. As good as Lillard and McCollum are offensively (and I touched on this in the first update), they’re both negatives on the defensive end. Someone like Anigbogu to clean things up behind them could be a good idea for the Trail Blazers.
1.0 update: The Portland Trail Blazers have three (!) first-round picks in this draft, so don’t be surprised if they look at a potential project or two with one of their picks. UCLA’s Ike Anigbogu fits that mold and could help the Portland defense tremendously. Although Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum are one of the league’s best tandems, Portland’s defense struggles. Jusuf Nurkic’s addition helped the Blazers down the stretch, but moving into next year, the Blazers need help defensively. Anigbogu is one of the youngest players in the draft, a hard-working rebounder and possesses one of the draft’s most ridiculous wingspan at 7-foot-6.25.
RELATED: Our own Michael Whitlow on the what the mock drafts are saying about the Bulls at No. 16, along with a look at UCLA’s Ike Anigbogu
24. . SG. Duke. Luke Kennard. 16. player
2.0 update: I know his stock has see a jump since his recent workouts that saw him make every 3 he took basically, but Kennard still feels like the pick here for the Bulls. It may not be the best one, but it’s not a bad one. He’s not explosive like a Terrance Ferguson can be, but he’s a smart player that can handle the ball and can really shoot it. (I know you’re probably thinking Doug McDermott, but he’s a big more versatile than that.)
1.0 update: If you’ve been following us closely, you’ve noticed that we’ve done a bunch on potential Bulls draft situations and that Luke Kennard has been one of more focal points in our analysis here at PAE. He’s not only the projected pick for the Bulls at No. 16 for Draft Express, many mock drafts have the sophomore guard from Duke as the pick for the Bulls right outside of the lottery. Ever since the days of Keith Bogans starting next to a younger and healthier Derrick Rose, the Bulls have been looking for a guard that could knock down shots. Although Jimmy Butler has become the face of the franchise, he’s seen more as a 3 than a shooting guard. With Butler, Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade all likely to be back plus the front court depth (before free agency begins), the Bulls could look to address their well-documented shooting issues. Kennard can help fix that.