Drafted Wendell Carter Jr. (7th Overall)
The Bulls finished 2017-2018 with a 27-55 record, and the lottery afforded them the 7th overall selection in the 2018 NBA draft. With this selection, the team took Wendell Carter Jr. out of Duke. Carter was considered a very solid all-around player, and at the mere age of 19 was being compared to Boston’s Al Horford.
In 2018-2019, Carter played only 44 games but was a starter in all of them. He posted averages of 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 blocks on 48.5% from the field. Defensively, Carter played incredibly, yet was very passive on offense. A thumb injury sidelined Carter for nearly the entire second half of the season, which was unfortunate because the big man was noticeably improving every game.
Looking back at the players available at 7th overall, there is no player that GarPax clearly missed out on. Guards Collin Sexton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be argued as worthy picks looking back at 7th overall, however, both rookies played significantly more than Carter did and posted similar numbers. Wendell Carter filled a void at the center position for the Bulls, and it was unexpected that Kris Dunn would take a step back in 2018-2019, so there was no reason to take a point guard. On top of this, Carter has more upside than the other two.
In summary, the Bulls’ management made the right call taking Wendell Carter Jr. With a ‘full season’ of experience under his belt, look for the young center to have an improved 2019-2020.
Grade: B+
Drafted Chandler Hutchison (22nd Overall)
Unfortunately for the Bulls, both of their first-round selections played only 44 games in their rookie seasons. It was rumored well before the draft that the Bulls had ‘promised’ Chandler Hutchison that he would be taken with the 22nd pick, which proved to be true. In his rookie season, the 22-year-old averaged 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds on 45.6% shooting in just over 20 minutes per game. Hutchison was a very good rebounder and defender in his limited minutes, while also becoming more confident and aggressive on the offensive end as the season went on.
Similar to Carter, a broken toe ended Hutchison’s season early, depriving him of the ability to grow and build confidence. Although Hutchison will likely never be an NBA starter, he has the potential to be a solid bench player in Chicago. The team will look to improve his three-point shooting, which did show more promise as the season went on.
Looking back at who was available when the Bulls were on the clock at 22, there is no clear prospect that they truly missed out on. Knowing what we do now about Kris Dunn, taking a point guard may have been a good idea, but there were no adequate prospects at that position. More so, if the Bulls miss out on Ja Morant this year, the odds they take a wing are quite large if they choose not to pick Darius Garland. This could cause a logjam at the small forward position.
Nonetheless, Hutchison was more than likely the right pick for the Bulls now and at that time. Wrapping up the NBA draft analysis, GarPax made the right calls and did quite well for the future.
Grade: B-