Official: Draft Day Game Thread

[BahamaBull]

Not at all. Terry blows, but he’s more of a slightly built PG type “wing”. Pat is more of a bull-built classic wing who is actually a very good shooter. And Matas is a 4 with wing attributes who can rim protect.

These are three very different players and do not have to overlap roles (even if Terry deserves to play, which I consider unlikely).

Im not comparing the players...Just the profiles...wings who cant shoot.

But Pat is actually a very good shooter and Matas isn't a wing. He's a 4.

On extremely low volume, Pat plays 30 minutes per game and makes just one three-pointer. You just traded one of our best three-point shooters, Caruso, for a non-shooter (Giddey). With LaVine likely on his way out, and considering we finished 27th in three-point shooting last season, I was expecting some shooting and rim defense in this draft...We got none!

Looking forward to another year with no spacing or rim protection.

[DropStep]

I think the Spurs are further stockpiling future firsts so that when the time is ready for them to cash in to trade for a megastar to team with Wemby and Castle they will be able to do what needs to be done.

My guess is they wait one more year to be players in the 2025 draft and then start to go for it.

The massive quantity of people that are so shortsighted, and think the Spurs are actually going to wait and exercise these picks, just blows my mind.

Picks are gold to every team and every fanbase. The NBA’s version of hope (even if it’s a minuscule one). As soon as you draft a player, it’s less attractive …many teams may not like that player. The clock starts ticking on their rookie deal.

But picks? Hope springs eternal for just about every team.

It’s obvious they are stockpiling for a huge trade. Stars are going to want to team with Wemby. It’s only a matter of time…and probably not that much time.

The second apron will help, too. Best I can tell, the second apron is going to force capped teams to move one (or more) of their really good players to teams that have cap space to disperse the good, expensive players more evenly throughout the league. (Socialism run amok! /s) I'm not sure how that works exactly, because second apron teams are also really limited in what they transactions they can make. But there has to be some mechanism for them to get back below the second apron - they can't just say, you're stuck there by rule paying repeater penalties for four years until somebody retires/expires. Right? There has to be a way to get back in the good graces of the cap.

If I was a GM of one of those young, cheap teams with picks, I would be spending a lot of time gaming out how the second apron will work, and how in this coming era I can be a cushy landing spot to get a veteran star for cheap to make my roster into a contender when the time comes. It really seems to me like some big veteran names will have to be available before long from loaded teams like, say, the Knicks. I'm not sure even billionaire green owners like Ishbia will just be able to stay above the second apron forever, much less the average owner. A lot of teams will be doing contortions just to avoid the second apron ("2A"?) altogether.

[GoBlue72391]

Im not comparing the players...Just the profiles...wings who cant shoot.

But Pat is actually a very good shooter and Matas isn't a wing. He's a 4.

On extremely low volume, Pat plays 30 minutes per game and makes just one three-pointer. You just traded one of our best three-point shooters, Caruso, for a non-shooter (Giddey). With LaVine likely on his way out, and considering we finished 27th in three-point shooting last season, I was expecting some shooting and rim defense in this draft...We got none!

Looking forward to another year with no spacing or rim protection.

It's worth noting that Caruso was also viewed as something of a non-shooter until this season when he shot over 40%. He's been very inconsistent throughout his career, no doubt affected by injuries to an extent. He's had multiple seasons where he shot well above league average and multiple seasons where he shot well below league average.

I think in the long run Buzelis will be fine as a shooter. He's not a lost cause like Dalen Terry, his form is fine and was considered a solid shooter until last season.

Also, IMO it's pretty foolish to draft for team needs, especially for a crappy fringe play-in team like us. We don't even know what direction we're going in yet, so why worry about drafting for need? We might run it back or we might try to start over from scratch, so picking for need for a roster that may not even exist in a few weeks would not be good. It makes way more sense to draft the player with the highest ceiling regardless of his position or role.

I get your point on Pat being low volume, a point I've harped on many times myself, but he's still a good shooter. Great? No, he would have to increase his volume considerably while maintaining his efficiency, but good? Definitely.

[DropStep]

But Pat is actually a very good shooter and Matas isn't a wing. He's a 4.

On extremely low volume, Pat plays 30 minutes per game and makes just one three-pointer. You just traded one of our best three-point shooters, Caruso, for a non-shooter (Giddey). With LaVine likely on his way out, and considering we finished 27th in three-point shooting last season, I was expecting some shooting and rim defense in this draft...We got none!

Looking forward to another year with no spacing or rim protection.

It's worth noting that Caruso was also viewed as something of a non-shooter until this season when he shot over 40%. He's been very inconsistent throughout his career, no doubt affected by injuries to an extent. He's had multiple seasons where he shot well above league average and multiple seasons where he shot well below league average.

I think in the long run Buzelis will be fine as a shooter. He's not a lost cause like Dalen Terry, his form is fine and was considered a solid shooter until last season.

Also, IMO it's pretty foolish to draft for team needs, especially for a crappy fringe play-in team like us. We don't even know what direction we're going in yet, so why worry about drafting for need? We might run it back or we might try to start over from scratch, so picking for need for a roster that may not even exist in a few weeks would not be good. It makes way more sense to draft the player with the highest ceiling regardless of his position or role.

I get your point on Pat being low volume, a point I've harped on many times myself, but he's still a good shooter. Great? No, he would have to increase his volume considerably while maintaining his efficiency, but good? Definitely.

Buzelis looks like a shooter to me. His swoon last season after injury brought Caruso's Grayson injury to mind for me, and how it affected his 3p% for a while. I am pretty optimistic that the first half of last season was a blip for Buzelis that will be forgotten. I don't have any confidence about anything in the future really, but I find myself feeling confident that that guy will shoot just fine.

[Bullflip]

Do the Bulls have a second round pick?

[Dan Z]

A few thoughts...

I wanted the Bulls to draft Dalton Knecht, but it wasnt meant to be.

I'm mixed on Buzelis, but now that he's here I wish him well.

It's interesting that Filipowski didn't get picked in the first round.

I'm also surprised that the Spurs traded the 8th pick for future picks. I wonder what they'll do in free agency?

That Spurs trade is such a head scrather to me. A pick swap in 2030 and an unprotected 1st in 2031 for the 8th overall pick

Spurs doing some early scouting on the highschool class of 2028? There some middle school phenom out there?

Its also interesting what the Timberwolves did. They might have a good bench this year:

Naz Reid
Terrence Shannon Jr
Rob Dillingham

Plus, I think Leonard Miller has potential.

As for the Spurs...its odd.

[Dan Z]

Do the Bulls have a second round pick?

Nope. I think they dont have a 2nd round pick until after 2027.

[DuckIII]

Im not comparing the players...Just the profiles...wings who cant shoot.

But Pat is actually a very good shooter and Matas isn't a wing. He's a 4.

On extremely low volume, Pat plays 30 minutes per game and makes just one three-pointer. You just traded one of our best three-point shooters, Caruso, for a non-shooter (Giddey). With LaVine likely on his way out, and considering we finished 27th in three-point shooting last season, I was expecting some shooting and rim defense in this draft...We got none!

Looking forward to another year with no spacing or rim protection.

He's shooting 4.5 threes per 36 for a guy who very rarely has the ball. That is not "extremely low volume" even disregarding his role Its somewhat similar to Lavine's 3pt attempt rate (104 for Pat vs. 114 for Zach).

And regardless you said he can't shoot. While also calling Caruso, who is historically a much worse three point shooter than Pat and even at this best last year was virtual identical to Pat, "one of our best three point shooters" while saying Pat "can't shoot." Its just not true.

[BahamaBull]

But Pat is actually a very good shooter and Matas isn't a wing. He's a 4.

On extremely low volume, Pat plays 30 minutes per game and makes just one three-pointer. You just traded one of our best three-point shooters, Caruso, for a non-shooter (Giddey). With LaVine likely on his way out, and considering we finished 27th in three-point shooting last season, I was expecting some shooting and rim defense in this draft...We got none!

Looking forward to another year with no spacing or rim protection.

He's shooting 4.5 threes per 36 for a guy who very rarely has the ball. That is not "extremely low volume" even disregarding his role Its somewhat similar to Lavine's 3pt attempt rate (104 for Pat vs. 114 for Zach).

And regardless you said he can't shoot. While also calling Caruso, who is historically a much worse three point shooter than Pat and even at this best last year was virtual identical to Pat, "one of our best three point shooters" while saying Pat "can't shoot." Its just not true.

What?? Caruso was our best 3-point shooter last season with almost 2 makes per game. The numbers don’t lie.

Pat can shoot, I’ll give you that. But he is not a consistent 3-point threat by any means. Eight out of ten times that he is wide open, he fakes a shot and drives to the basket. When he doesn’t step out ofbounds, the chances of something good coming out of it are slim, as he is a bad finisher and rarely goes to the line (1.5 FTA in nearly 28 minutes). Pat can shoot, but he doesn’t shoot as much as we need and as much to be consider a 3pt threat.

In a team with only 2 or 3 shooters, Pat should be taking 5-8 shots per game as a stretch 4 starter.

With the current roster minus DeMar, we are a bottom 5 team in the league. If the plan is to tank, we are doing an amazing job.

[DASMACKDOWN]

I remain unconvinced as to the wisdom of trading Zach now as a salary dump (much less including an asset), if indeed that's all that's out there. If you keep him and he gives you a couple of months where he's healthy and productive, his value could go up a lot.

I am not for dumping Zach at all cost. I am not even expecting equal value. But the relationship with us and Zach is effectively over.

I just dont want our front office being finessed into thinking people wont pay for Zach like its some bad asset.

We just saw OG get 212 mil. Bam is now making 55mil a season.

Honestly though, I doubt Zach makes it to training camp. I believe he will be traded sometime when the free agency period starts. Teams are just in a holding pattern until one of the bigger names signs. After that, it will be a rat race.

[MGB8]

Do the Bulls have a second round pick?

Not at the moment, no.

[HomoSapien]

I think the Bulls should really consider trading the Portland pick for Fillapowski. It’s uncertain if it will ever convey (though Clingan might help that battle). Filapowski isn’t perfect but he’s probably worthy of a first round pick.

[BahamaBull]

I think the Bulls should really consider trading the Portland pick for Fillapowski. It’s uncertain if it will ever convey (though Clingan might help that battle). Filapowski isn’t perfect but he’s probably worthy of a first round pick.

Yeap, I would love that. But I dont think AK is open for business today...maybe taking a day off after he went to bed after 11pm last night.

[umfan83]

This is a dumb question but why do teams add first round picks with protections that eventually turn into 2nd round picks if not conveyed?

I'm of course referring to the Portland pick that we still have 4 years to try to acquire, but its kind of silly that if the team sucks so badly it can't convey a non-lottery pick for a decade, they are rewarded by having their obligation become a second round pick. What motivation do the Bulls have to accept that? Shouldn't it just go indefinitely?

[DropStep]

Do the Bulls have a second round pick?

Not at the moment, no.

I don't know what we could give them, but apparently Portland has more than they can use at 34 and 40 (or so Givony claims on ESPN.) Furphy, Bona and Filipowsky are still there. Cheap young guys who may possibly be able to play seem like something we'd should like, though AK refuses to say anything of the sort.

[sco]

Do the Bulls have a second round pick?

Nope. I think they dont have a 2nd round pick until after 2027.

Good! I think we have too many young guys on this roster already. We need this season to clear some of them out before bringing in more.

[MrSparkle]

Rim protection and spacing were the Bulls' greatest needs, and they were not addressed... But there was a presumption that the FO would keep trying to tweak the turd.

Now we have four top-10 picks under 23yo (assuming Patrick resigns), with the two new guys probably having a higher floor and potential than Coby & Pat. Needs should go out the window. You ideally want to see one win MIP, and that may not correlate too much with winning percentage.

I don't want to see trades bringing in vets who'll address rim protection and shooting. We should be collecting assets. Any picks or young prospects should be considered for Zach & Demar. Don't mind the 1-and-done past-hill shooting rentals if it means cap relief (Ingles, Fournier, etc.).

Now I know AK is going to atleast try and bring some win-now players. Hopefully not at any cost.

[drosestruts]

While there's players I like in the second round - it's not like we're currently flush with roster spots.

including Matas we have 11 players under contract.

We have cap holds on 4 free agents - DeRozan, Williams, Green, Drummond

Craig is rumored to opt-ou but if he doesn't that's 12 players under contract

I really like both Tyler Smith and KJ Simpson but not sure we want to be THAT young

[HomoSapien]

I think the Bulls should really consider trading the Portland pick for Fillapowski. It’s uncertain if it will ever convey (though Clingan might help that battle). Filapowski isn’t perfect but he’s probably worthy of a first round pick.

Yeap, I would love that. But I dont think AK is open for business today...maybe taking a day off after he went to bed after 11pm last night.

Probably not, but in case he is would love to see him make that call. Also for Furphy who I think is worthy of a look at this stage of the draft.

[boozapalooza]

A few thoughts...

I wanted the Bulls to draft Dalton Knecht, but it wasnt meant to be.

I'm mixed on Buzelis, but now that he's here I wish him well.

It's interesting that Filipowski didn't get picked in the first round.

I'm also surprised that the Spurs traded the 8th pick for future picks. I wonder what they'll do in free agency?

That Spurs trade is such a head scrather to me. A pick swap in 2030 and an unprotected 1st in 2031 for the 8th overall pick

Spurs doing some early scouting on the highschool class of 2028? There some middle school phenom out there?

Read on Twitter

?s=46

I didnt not understand either until reading this. They are banking on Wemby being generational in the future and future picks will allow them to keep adding to the supporting cast in the future at a lesser cost financially as the rest of their roster gets more expensive. Or they are adding future draft capital to use in a superstar trade down the line.