Best second round picks of the past five years
There is another obvious option for the Chicago Bulls among the second round selections of the past five editions of the NBA Draft. The issue for the Bulls is the level of retention for some of those second round picks. There is not a single regular contributor in the rotation in the Windy City now that was a second round selection in the past five drafts for this franchise.
If only the Bulls could’ve kept the Golden State Warriors second-year standout big man Jordan Bell in the mix beyond the 2017 NBA Draft. Bell is one of the biggest second round steals of the past two drafts, as he’s posting a player efficiency rating for his career above 15. That is partly a product of playing with Golden State, and partly him developing quickly and effectively into a good situation.
However, the last second round pick for the Bulls before Bell was the 2016 NBA Draft No. 48 overall selection Paul Zipser. After only two years in the Windy City, Zipser is already without an NBA job. The 2014 NBA Draft second round pick of the Bulls, center Cameron Bairstow, was even worse off than Zipser.
Overall, here’s to hoping that the Bulls second round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft pans out more like Bell instead of Zipser or Bairstow. Having a likely earlier selection in the second round than in year’s past should help Gar Forman and John Paxson out when it’s all said and done.