Chicago Bulls: Prospects, Lonzo Ball, more seventh pick options
By Willie Lutz
Chicago Bulls draft Darius Garland
The second of the two point guards who might be in the Chicago Bulls’ range. He just might not be available when it comes time for the Bulls to pick.
Appearing in just five games at the college level, Darius Garland made a strong impression in his short freshman season at Vanderbilt. While a torn meniscus to a 19-year-old prospect is scary, the hope is that Garland starts training camp healthy and stronger than he was prior to the injury.
Fans might point to Garland’s style of play and think of Damian Lillard. Certainly, the idea of a player like Lillard in Chicago would get the fanbase going, as it would for any franchise.
More of a shooter-scorer than White, Garland averaged 16.2 points, 2.6 assists, and shot 53.7 percent from the floor before exiting two minutes into his fifth game as a Commodore. Garland also shoots much more effortlessly from three-point range than White, using the zone to his advantage.
Personally, I’m very fond of the idea of Garland on the Bulls and would see if the Lakers (at #4 overall) or Cavaliers (at #5 overall) would be willing to swap picks to keep him away from the Suns.
Interestingly, Garland left the NBA Draft Combine on Wednesday, signalling he could’ve received a promise from a team in the lottery. Who that team is will surely be subject to rumors in the coming weeks, that’s a guarantee.
Pairing Garland and LaVine could give the Bulls a chance to chase something like what Lillard and CJ McCollum do with the Portland Trailblazers. The Trailblazers, mind you, are currently playing the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals… Bulls fans can only dream.