The Chicago Bulls have seemingly identified their prospect of choice. Either a combo forward or a big man with strong defensive instincts. Yet, BYU's Egor Demin and Maryland's Derik Queen, being name-dropped by Bulls' reporters and pundits alike, have presented a differing identity.
Demin is a 6-foot-9 point forward whose best attribute his undoubtedly his preternatural passing instincts. Demin isn't a versatile defender, thus his fit on a Bulls team already rostering 6-foot-8 point guard Josh Giddey is inherently wonky.
Furthermore, Queen, although filling a position of need, is an offense-first big who relies on skill rather than athleticism to score in and around the paint. The 6-foot-10 power forward is best suited to play alongside an athletic, shot-blocking big to make up for his obvious defensive deficiencies. Unfortunately for Chicago, the Bulls don't roster an interior deterrent.
Drafting a guard might not be worst outcome for the Bulls
Aside from drafting a forward or center, Chicago Sports Network's K.C. Johnson stated Chicago could be interested in selecting "the best player available," which could very well be a guard. To further clarify, Johnson said, "If you do go [the] guard route, it's going to be a big guard, a guard with positional size, a guard that can play both positions."
There's no way around it, Chicago needs to add perimeter defenders. The Bulls' only difference-maker on the defensive end is Lonzo Ball, who only appeared in 35 games last season after returning from a potentially career-ending, debilitating knee injury.
That's where North Carolina's Drake Powell comes in. Johnson briefly mentioned Powell as a prospect worth considering. However, drafting the North Carolina product 12th overall is, and has been, impractical. At least that's been the consensus thus far.
Yahoo Sports brazenly mocked Drake Powell to the Bulls at 12th overall
That is, until Yahoo Sports' draft pundit Kevin O'Connor released his NBA Mock Draft 3.0. O'Connor has the Bulls drafting Powell with the 12th overall pick. The draft expert notably has Powell over Duke's Khaman Maluach, Illinois' Kasparas Jakučionis, Maryland's Queen, and BYU's Demin.
What a turn of events for a prospect who wasn't even expected to stay in the draft over a month ago. O'Connor concurred with Powell's decision, writing, "he seems to be dramatically rising throughout this draft process, as he began to remind teams (and me) at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago why he was ranked as a lottery prospect entering the season at North Carolina."
O'Connor mentioned Powell's elite athletic testing, to which he led all participants with a 37.5-inch standing and a 43-inch max vertical, and finished in the top 10 in lane agility, the shuttle run, and the three-quarter sprint. The 19-year-old also measured extremely well, coming at 6-foot-5 and a quarter barefoot, 200 pounds, sporting a 7-foot wingspan.
If Powell's athletic testing, measurements, and even his shooting exceeded expectations, why is his inclusion in the first round so unusual? The answer is rather easy. Powell averaged only 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 25.6 minutes per game for the Tar Heels. He ranked dead last on North Carolina in usage rate (13.8 percent) and only attempted 5.7 field goals per game.
There's real concern about whether Powell is merely just an athletic marvel or an actual impactful basketball player. Chicago is certain to throw caution to the wind, especially after drafting a similar archetype, Patrick Williams, five years prior. Williams notably didn't start a game for the Florida State Seminoles, yet displayed unique physical attributes. Powell started 24 of 37 contests, but totaled fewer superior numbers than Williams.