Chicago Bulls: The star point guard in the draft that no one is talking about

The Chicago Bulls are on the outside looking in on the Zion Williamson sweepstakes. That’s okay, though. There’s a star point guard in the 2019 NBA draft that no one is talking about.

The NBA’s worst-kept secret is that Zion Williamson will be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Actually, I’m not even sure this qualifies as a secret. It doesn’t matter which team wins the lottery – Zion will be off the board first.

There’s still a ton of time left in the 2018-19 regular season for the Chicago Bulls to either strengthen or weaken their lottery odds, but if they keep improving the way they have been since acquiring Otto Porter Jr. via trade on February 6, it’ll be virtually impossible to get Zion in a Bulls uniform.

So who should the Bulls turn their attention to if they can’t land the transcendent alien that is Zion Williamson? The simple (and correct) answer is R.J. Barrett. All of the Zion hype has seemingly made NBA fans forget how good Barrett is. He’s a 6’7″ wing who can consistently create shots for himself and others. In other words, he’s a really, really good basketball player.

But similar to Zion, if the Bulls keep winning, it’s unlikely that they’ll be able to land Barrett. So now what?

Ja Morant (Murray State) and Cam Reddish (Duke) are the two automatic response trains that most Bulls fans will jump on. Neither of those guys would be bad, but do they really make the most sense for the Bulls?

Morant is an extremely exciting, extremely flawed point guard. His athleticism and vision are incredible, but his lack of a jumper is concerning. Reddish, on the other hand, has undeniable shooting skills, but does he really fit all that well with the Bulls? Isn’t he basically a cheaper, less good version of Otto Porter Jr.? This brings us to the guy that no one’s talking about.

Darius Garland

• Position: Point guard
• Height: 6’2″
• Weight: 175 lbs.
• Age: 19

Darius Garland is perhaps the most underrated player that will be drafted on June 20, 2019. He’s elite in the pick-and-roll, has unlimited range on his jumper, twitchy quickness, jaw-dropping handles and magnificent court vision. He’s exactly the type of player the Bulls need.

However, like all 19-year-old NBA prospects, Garland isn’t without his flaws. Standing at 6’2″ and weighing in at 175 pounds, he’s a pretty small dude. The good news is other slender guards like Trae Young, Kyrie Irving and Stephen Curry have found ways to survive (and thrive) in the league. Garland also struggles on the defensive end. Basically, think of a point guard that’s the exact opposite of Kris Dunn and you have Darius Garland.

Speaking of Kris Dunn, let’s talk a little bit about the Bulls’ current point guard situation.

The Bulls need a new point guard.

Okay, that should do it.

In all seriousness, Kris Dunn has shown flashes of brilliance, especially on the defensive end of the court, but in his young career, he hasn’t shown enough offensive upside to prove that he’s worthy of building a team around. The point guard is the most important position in basketball and the Bulls haven’t found their guy yet.

Ja Morant has the potential to be that guy, but he’s likely to be off the boards by pick No. 4. Obviously, the Bulls could wind up in the top three, but it’s time to start preparing for a pick that falls between No. 4 and No. 6. But even if Morant is still on the board when the Bulls are on the clock, I’m not convinced he’s a better prospect than Garland.

One of the biggest reasons Garland is flying under the radar is because of an unfortunate meniscus injury he suffered on November 23, 2018. He had surgery and was forced to miss the remainder of the 2018-19 collegiate season.

In Garland’s five games with Vanderbilt, though, he was relatively impressive. He averaged 16.2 points per game on 53.7 percent shooting from the field and 47.8 percent shooting from deep. Going into college, most people thought he could score the basketball, and he proved those people right during his short stint with Vanderbilt. Not only was he efficient, but he wasn’t bashful. His awe-inspiring 47.8 percent shooting from 3-point land came on 4.6 attempts per game.

If the Bulls can land one of Duke’s two superstars, they absolutely should do it. They’ll have time to worry about fit later. But if the Bulls fall outside of the top two in the draft, they should take a serious look at Darius Garland. He has the potential to be the point guard that the Bulls desperately need to take them to the next level.