NBA Draft 2022: Chicago Bulls need to target this star playing in Sweet 16 Thursday

With March Madness dominating the airwaves, the Chicago Bulls should look at Thursday’s Sweet Sixteen matchup for their potential first-round draft pick.

The No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga Bulldogs are taking on the No. 4 seed Arkansas Razorbacks at 7:09 PM EST on Thursday. The matchup will feature potential lottery picks Chet Holmgren and Drew Timme. Arkansas, however, has a player that the Chicago Bulls definitely need to look out for.

With the Bulls struggling to keep teams off of the glass and Tristan Thompson mulling over retirement, Chicago will need to find an interior threat to back up Nikola Vucevic. Jaylin Williams is that player.

Williams has been Arkansas’ X-factor all season. He’s a 6-foot-10 big who protects the paint and finishes well around the rim. His motor has improved each year at Arkansas and he has become a primary scoring threat for the Razorbacks.

After Arkansas’ winter break, Williams upped his game and led the Razorbacks’ late-season run.  Williams averaged 13 points on 47% shooting from the field and 37% from three, 10 rebounds, one block and two steals in 30 minutes per game. On the season, he’s shooting 85.7% from the free throw line, too. For reference, Gonzaga potential top-five draft pick Chet Holmgren averages 14 points and nine rebounds per game.

Williams has a high-level feel for the game, cutting to the right areas and making the right passes on time. He’s a team-first defender, willing to step out on switches and sacrifice his body on charges. Above all, he is the Razorbacks’ vocal leader — something every team needs.

Vucevic’s injury history has proven that the Bulls need insurance off the bench. His contract and play are also causes for concern on whether or not he should be a part of the Bulls’ plans moving forward. While Thompson has filled in as a bit of insurance, he isn’t someone Chicago wants to rely on as a replacement, especially at this stage in his career. Williams is young, athletic and hungry. Not only can he be a spark plug off the bench for the Bulls, he also has the heart it takes to be a complementary player in the starting lineup.

The brightest aspect of Williams games as it concerns Chicago is his shooting ability. Currently, he shoots average from the college 3-point line. He will have to extend his range to hit consistently in the NBA, but the form and base are already there. With NBA training, he will be ready by the end of his rookie year.

Thompson doesn’t have a jumper. When the Bulls go to the bench, they have one fewer option in their offense, giving the defense the upper hand when the bench unit comes in. Playing next to Coby White, Alex Caruso, Patrick Williams and, at times, Zach LaVine will give Williams space to gather on offense, instead of playing through doubles and crowded lanes he’s accustomed to in college.

The Chicago Bulls are currently are projected to have the 27th pick in the NBA Draft if the season were to end today. As long as Williams continues to fly under the radar, he will be a guy the Bulls can grab and develop late in the first round.