SB Nation – Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee
Prior to this year, Patrick Baldwin Jr. had attracted a lot of attention with his sweet shooting stroke and was even at one time considered the No. 5 recruit of his class. Baldwin Jr. made the choice to forgo attending Duke and instead went to play under his father at Milwaukee, a decision that would soon prove to be disastrous.
Unfortunately, Baldwin Jr. struggled to get anything going against very mediocre competition. He shot a horrendous 34.4% from the field and 26.6% from deep in the 11 games he played before suffering a season-ending injury. While it’s entirely possible this was just an ill-timed shooting slump, Baldwin Jr. doesn’t provide enough in other areas when his shot isn’t falling for me to feel good whatsoever about the Bulls taking him this high.
CBS Sports – MarJon Beauchamp, G League Ignite
As a member of the G League’s Ignite, MarJon Beauchamp is the only player on this list who has already wet his feet against real NBA competition. Fans got an early peek at what Beauchamp is capable of when he joined Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu in the Rising Stars challenge during the NBA All-Star Break.
Beauchamp was third in scoring among his teammates on the Ignite, averaging 15.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. There’s a lot to unpack with Beauchamp’s game, and he boasts the athleticism necessary to make it to the next level; however, I believe it’s unlikely he fixes his defensive issues and shooting woes in time for him to make a significant impact with the Bulls. He will likely still be selected in the first round, I just hope Chicago’s not the team calling his name.
As far as the last few years go, I cannot recall a time when the media seemed so conflicted as to what the Bulls need or who they should draft. It’s interesting to see such a wide range of players being suggested as potential problem-solvers for the Bulls. For that reason, I believe this is one of the more exciting drafts in recent memory and I cannot wait to see how it shakes out.