Unlike Stanley, the Arizona Wildcats freshman 6-foot-2 point guard Nico Mannion is going to fit a pretty specific niche at the next level. But that might not be bad for a team that might be seeking out another point guard solution next year like the Chicago Bulls.
A lot of the stock the Bulls have in Mannion depends on how they feel about the likes of Tomas Satoransky and Kris Dunn at season’s end. Mannion could make an immediate impact in a backcourt for the Bulls that could still be very young and talented if Satoransky and Dunn aren’t determined to be good long-term solutions at the one.
In his first game with Arizona, Mannion posted just nine points while shooting 33 percent from the field and from downtown. That will leave a lot to be desired if that type of production keeps up, but we shouldn’t expect him to be down for that long. Mannion was a former highly touted five-star recruit that should be one of the more polarizing freshmen in the country this season.
Moreover, the Bulls definitely need a solid distributor, efficient ball handler, and lights out shooter like Mannion could be. There’s a lot of talent and potential that sits with him and there’s no way that he should work his way out of the projected lottery picks come next year’s draft. He does have a high ceiling and a low floor, but that shouldn’t do too much to his draft stock this year.