The Chicago Bulls leapt up in the draft lottery, a welcome twist of fate for a franchise that has been wallowing in mediocrity for years. They landed just at four, however, and in most years that would mean missing out on the best prospect in the draft.
This year, however, the talent at the top of the draft is so good, and the opinions so diverse, that the very best player could very well fall to them at the fourth pick. Bulls fans should be ecstatic at the chance to draft Cameron Boozer.
Cam Boozer is an incredible prospect
For the second straight year, a Duke player is on track to be the best player in the draft. Boozer has won at every level — school, AAU, and for Team USA as an international player. No one has figured out how to stop him yet. The NBA has to prove it can, just as college tried and failed.
Boozer was one of the youngest players in the country this past year at Duke, and yet he dominated with statistical production not seen since Larry Bird. He was the national player of the year and the best player on a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Every statistical model of draft prospects has Boozer at No. 1 — and miles ahead of any other prospect. His profile is that unimpeachable. Even so, NBA teams are not convinced.
Boozer probably won't go first
The allure of AJ Dybantsa as a 30-point scorer is going to be too much for a team at the top. Darryn Peterson had a rough freshman season, but teams still are enamored with him. And in recent weeks, Caleb Wilson’s athleticism and intangibles are captivating NBA scouts and front offices.
Every NBA mock draft has those four players at the top: Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson. And the reporting is that the order could be mixed up in nearly any combination — including, increasingly, Wilson moving up to No. 2 or No. 3 and Cameron Boozer falling to Chicago at No. 4.
He would be a franchise-changing star, the kind of player whose scoring and rebounding and especially passing are all high level. He has an excellent motor and a great natural basketball intelligence. He is not a classic rim protector and doesn’t have elite athleticism, but that has not stopped him from being the most productive player in college basketball in 4 decades.
Boozer could be a Bulls star
He would be the centerpiece of a new era of Chicago basketball, a player who would make everyone he plays with better. The son of a former Bulls player, he could kick off a new generation of elite Chicago players. The culture he would establish would be exactly what the Bulls need as they add new talent to the roster in the coming years. A frontcourt pairing of Matas Buzelis and Boozer could be one of the best in the East for a very long time.
The best player in the draft occasionally comes from the No. 4 pick. That is supposed to happen when a player surprises everyone with their development. If Cameron Boozer goes fourth overall and turns into a superstar, it won’t be a surprise.
He will just continue doing what he has always done: dominate and win. Sounds like the exact kind of player the Bulls would like to have around.
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