2022 Draft Prospects Thread :Bulls get 18th pic: Poll added

[Chicago-Bull-E]

Jalen Williams continues to shoot up mock drafts. Just saw Charlotte mocked with him.

He’ll push someone else down, but good wings are scarce in this draft. His shooting, elite wingspan, and ready to impact immediately wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in the lotto.

[Almost Retired]

Eason's talent pops. Get young Paul George vibes when I watched him play. But he will probably be gone by #18.

My concerns with Eason are two fold....BBIQ and shooting. A guy can be a defensive stopper but he has to be able to take and hit an open shot if left alone. The reason I like Liddell over Eason is that I have more confidence that Liddell can consistently hit from the corner "3" which is becoming a must have on kickouts after dribble penetration. Milwaukee killed us with those Corner 3s in the playoffs. I don't care how effective a guy is defensively, if he's non existent on offense he eventually sits on the bench except for spot minutes.

[Chicago-Bull-E]

If Philly is interested in win now help, wonder if they would trade 23 and filler for Coby.
Then Bulls could sign Schroeder, who they’ve been already linked to for part of the MLE. Take Eason at 18 and Liddell at 23.

Ball/Ayo
Lavine/Schroeder
Demar/Caruso/Eason
Pat/Eason/Liddell
Vuc/Vet min center

Bulls future wings situation feels pretty exciting

[SfBull]

For a team so desperately needing to upgrade the frontcourt drafting guys like Mark Williams ,Walker Kessler or Tari Eason should be our priority.Players like Ousmane Dieng and Jeremy Sochan would be great picks too but they won´t likely be available at #18.I know nothing about Jalen Williams.Hopefully not another gamble like PW was.

[R3AL1TY]

Seems like the Bulls are mostly working out 2nd rounders and a few guys that may not get drafted.

[Jvaughn]

Any quick scouting videos for the draft?

Yeah. Posted a few a couple pages back. Who you want?

[R3AL1TY]

Read on Twitter

I'm liking sleepers/2nd rounders like him, Laravia, and Procida

[SfBull]

Jalen Williams ' scouting report

Watch on YouTube

[sco]

Jalen Williams ' scouting report

Watch on YouTube

If the Knicks don't trade up, I could possibly see them drafting him at 11.

I am a BPA all the way guy, but he seems redundant with Ayo, but maybe that frees us to trade Ayo (we won't).

[PaKii94]

Any quick scouting videos for the draft?

Yeah. Posted a few a couple pages back. Who you want?

Idk that's why I was asking for some videos. Gotta do some last min draft prep

[IWannaGoHIGHER]

Athletic guards these days are a dime a dozen. Agbaji is not Bridges (All NBA Defensive first team this year) on defense, nor has that kind of defensive protentional imo. Wouldn't even say he's one of the best defenders in this draft class. Bridges also averaged (40%) from 3pt in his three years at Nova, where Agabji only broke 40% 3pt his senior year.

Agabji had some steady improvement each year shooting, has some good form, but to say he'll be one of the top spot up 3pt shooters in the league, seems like a real stretch. Possible? Sure. Very likely? No.

Not to say he isn't a good prospect, or couldn't be a solid role player. You just mostly know who he is at this point. There just isn't a lot of recent historical precedent, of a four year college player, becoming a star.

Liddell is a undersized, 6'5.5" barefoot, PF/C. He does have a very noticeable defensive skill set, but is still a project on offense. Even after three years of college. Never shot over 50% from the field (as a big man). Again perhaps he's a solid role player, but he has limitations that imo, you can't look past. There are tweener wings/big man all over the NBA these days (Eric Paschall, PJ Tucker, Grant Williams, etc.)

Just don't buy the logic that you can't, fairly easily, find comparable players/skillset for both of them.



I did see that, but seems like mostly he's got some real buzz, and the rumor is out there that he's has a lottery promise(first saw that from KOC). For whatever that is worth.

Totally fair, and legitimate argument. He likely has a higher chance to bust, than Agabji or Liddell. His shot is obviously a concern, but I think his defense, and playmaking ability, get him on the floor fairly quickly. When you talk about unique skill set, there aren't a lot 6'10 players with his handle, playmaking, and defensive potential. Now does he have the mental toughness, and work ethic to make the most of that protentional? Who knows.

I have just always felt the optimal draft strategy, is you always take swings on those with the highest potential. One of the very few ways the Bulls can break out of their current tier, is they hit on an All-NBA talent, in the middle/late first. Not very likely. But you take the best chances you can. And in my eyes, that is Dieng if he is there.

Liddell is listed at 6'7", the same height as Draymond Green and Paul Millsap. His fg% is what it is because he does shoot from the perimeter a lot. He's got a very respectable 3 point shot, and he's also got a pretty good handle for a big man.

Just because players are similar heights, does not mean they're comparable skillsets/prospects. Again players like Green/Millsap are exceptions to the rule. The NBA is going smaller, but size still does matter when it comes to defense, and matchups.


I mean 34% from the college three is solid for a big men. And it is encouraging that he worked on it, and it's improved. But watching him play, he's a pretty static shooter, can't really create shots for himself, and struggles to finish at the rim. He needs a lot of work to be an impactful scorer at the NBA level.

What I like about both he and Agbaji are their two way potential. Both can be plus defenders as well as being 3 point options on offense. We don't have many of those players on the team currently. In fact, Pat Williams, if he develops, is the only one, beside Lonzo.

That's a solid point. This team does need two way threats, especially on the wing/big men. If we're talking 3&D, I would throw Caruso in there as well though. Had a down shooting year, but I expect him to bounce back to the mean for his career, and shoot 37%+ this year. Ayo as well shot 37.6% this year. If he can become a steady high thirties 3pt% shooter, with his defense, and work ethic, he's got some 3&D potential as well.

Guys like Dieng or Jovic do have tantalizing potential, but I just think very few of these types of players ever amount to much in the nba. They are either two thin/weak, or their shot never comes around, or the skills they showed in Europe don't translate that well. It just seems like a real long shot, when with guys like Agbaji or Liddell, you know that you are getting guys that have nba ready skills and bodies, and that will at the very least, be solid rotation guys, which we are sorely lacking at this point. If it was easy just to pick up a bunch of good 3 and D players in FA, I'd be fine with that, but is that really the case?

I disagree with the bolded. If anything, we're seeing more and more influence of the International talent, and style coming into the NBA. The last four MVPs, and arguably the best young star in the league, all came from Europe.

If it was 20 years ago, I think that line of thought is probably more prevalent, and accurate. Again, the draft is a crap shoot, and a lot guys don't translate.

I do agree with your points on Agbaji, and Liddell being more NBA ready. And that's very fair point. But solid rotation guys don't win titles, talent does. The Bulls aren't winning a title, with this roster, plus a better bench. They need another star talent. And I think a prospect like Dieng, shows a lot more star protentional than Agbaji, or Liddell in that regard.

In general are they easy to find? No, I wouldn't say it's easy. But that's why you have a college, and pro scouting department. Which again netted you guys like Caruso, Ball, and Ayo last offseason. If you're looking for rotational players, whom are solid defenders, can be spacing threats, and hit catch and shoot threes. Then yes, I think those are players you can find, absolutely.

Liddell shot 37.4% from 3 this year, not 34%.

I was referring to his career shooting percentage, which I should've mentioned. Still, shooting under 50% from the field, I think he has a way to go with his shot.

And I'm not saying he'll be another Draymond, just that if you're 6'7" you can play pf in the league. More and more teams are going with small lineups now too. And by the same token that Liddell being the same height as Draymond doesn't mean he'll be as good as Draymond, the fact that Dieng and Jovic are both foreign players does not mean they will be as good as Doncic, Giannis, or Jokic. I think more of guys like Bol Bol- with all his talent and possibilities, he's been a complete non factor in the nba.

That's a false equivalency. One is height, which directly affects your ability to play basketball in the NBA. The other is where you're born. It's not the same to compare the two.

I realize that you don't win titles with rotation players, but OTH, those rotation players are awfully important and our bench had to be one of the worst in the league last year. It will get better this year if we are healthy, but we had virtually no shooting on the bench and our 3 pt ranking in the league reflected that. I'm not really looking to get a star at #18 in the draft. We couldn't even manage to do that with picks in the top 10- those picks got us Coby, Lauri, Wendell and Pat. None look like stars. We'll be doing good if Pat becomes a starting level player. So if we couldn't find a star at that point in the draft, how do we expect to get at 18? I just don't like the odds, and the long wait time for some of these kids. Maybe that's being too impatient, but with the team we have I think we have to be thinking more of trying to win in the next 1-3 years, not the next 4-10. I'm more than happy to get a competent 6th-7th-8th man at this point in the draft.

So because they failed to land a star with a top ten pick, we shouldn't try at all? Also, all of those players you mentioned would be considered solid rotation players now as well.

I think you do have the proper expectations for the 18th pick. Any contributing player you get there, would be a huge win if you look at the history of that draft pick.

But a rotation player with the this pick, doesn't change the the trajectory of this team in the next 1-3 years. That mindset is how you become a team in NBA purgatory, in the play in games or late lottery each year.

As I mentioned before, the only way the Bulls can break out of the current tier, is with a another star player. And while it's extremely unlikely with this pick, it is one of the few avenues this team can add a star to this team as current constructed.

Again are slim to none, but why not at least try? Again just because you swing for talent, doesn't mean they can't become decent rotation players themselves anyway. I just don't see the point in bringing in players that have clear limitations.

And I do think there is also a lot of upside to either Liddell or Agbaji. Either one could become starters at some point. Both will help with overall team athleticism. Both will be nba ready on day 1, unlike guys like Coby, who we are still waiting on going into his 3rd year.

I think we just disagree there on their upside, and that's fine. Again this is all just a guessing game.

I know the fan based has turned on Coby. FWIW I wasn't a fan of the pick at the time, but I think it's swung too far the other direction now. He's averaged 13.7 ppg so far in his career, and he's already the same age at Liddell and Agabji. If Coby isn't currently NBA ready, then I would be prepared to be disappointed with Liddell and Agabji rookie years.

That's just my 2 cents worth. I have no idea how any of these guys will turn out. I just like players with solid skill levels. I'm tired of drafting guys, only to see they aren't ready, and maybe never will be. If you can get a serviceable nba player with skills that we badly need (defense/3 pt shooting), I'll take that.

Again think we just have different philosophies when it comes to team building. We'll see how this draft class shakes out in a few years. And perhaps I'll be eating crow with both of them. Who knows.

[IWannaGoHIGHER]

Just because players are similar heights, does not mean they're comparable skillsets/prospects. Again players like Green/Millsap are exceptions to the rule. The NBA is going smaller, but size still does matter when it comes to defense, and matchups.

Nobody said they were similar prospects. Your initial point was that he is undersized, these were names and data to prove to show otherwise. The comparison was size, not skill set.

Three/four examples doesn't make data, if anything they are outliers and exceptions to the rule.

You're also missing, and didn't include, the larger context of what Dresden and I were discussing. Is that I don't think his size limits him from being a solid NBA player (though it is a hurdle to overcome), it just limits his protentional to be a star/impactful piece on a winning team.

Skillset also, always has to factor into conversations with undersize/tweener prospects like these, because if they don't have high skill, they can't overcome the detriment of being undersized.

[Grodoboldo]

Any quick scouting videos for the draft?

Yeah. Posted a few a couple pages back. Who you want?

Idk that's why I was asking for some videos. Gotta do some last min draft prep

The Box and One guys have lots of them

https://youtube.com/c/AdamSpinella

Edit: link to playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLygbdtr7cZBgomq043fbHLHbxJHXR2aH5

[fleet]

Seems like the Bulls are mostly working out 2nd rounders and a few guys that may not get drafted.

When it became clear the Bulls were resigning Lavine, it became likely they are all in on 2023 playoffs. If the Bulls are drafting 18 for another team, good chance that’s the logical conclusion of this current build. The Bulls can’t afford more than one or two projects (Pat and Ayo). They might literally have to replace Lonzo’s contributions with veteran power.

[Jvaughn]

Any quick scouting videos for the draft?

Yeah. Posted a few a couple pages back. Who you want?

Idk that's why I was asking for some videos. Gotta do some last min draft prep

The two below are the ones that do the best breakdowns for me. Strengths, Weaknesses, Outlook, and NBA Comparison player.

Hoop Intellect

https://youtube.com/c/HoopIntellect


Adam Spinella

https://youtube.com/c/AdamSpinella

[kodo]

Mock drafts:
CBS: Jalen Duren
The Ringer: EJ Liddell
ESPN: Tari Eason
NBAdraft.net: Tari Eason
SI: Jalen Williams
Sporting News: EJ Liddell

A lot of mocks with the caveat they expect the pick to be traded.

[WindyCityBorn]

Eason's talent pops. Get young Paul George vibes when I watched him play. But he will probably be gone by #18.

My concerns with Eason are two fold....BBIQ and shooting. A guy can be a defensive stopper but he has to be able to take and hit an open shot if left alone. The reason I like Liddell over Eason is that I have more confidence that Liddell can consistently hit from the corner "3" which is becoming a must have on kickouts after dribble penetration. Milwaukee killed us with those Corner 3s in the playoffs. I don't care how effective a guy is defensively, if he's non existent on offense he eventually sits on the bench except for spot minutes.

Liddell has very low athleticism and he is short and very big a 247 lbs. High floor very low ceiling player. Eason could a great 3&D wing that can also play backup PF. I’m tired of undersized 4s on this roster.

[WindyCityBorn]

Mock drafts:
CBS: Jalen Duren
The Ringer: EJ Liddell
ESPN: Tari Eason
NBAdraft.net: Tari Eason
SI: Jalen Williams
Sporting News: EJ Liddell

A lot of mocks with the caveat they expect the pick to be traded.

Rather trade it than draft Low Ceiling Liddell. Hell I’d take Kessler over Liddell.

[SfBull]

Seems like the Bulls are mostly working out 2nd rounders and a few guys that may not get drafted.

When it became clear the Bulls were resigning Lavine, it became likely they are all in on 2023 playoffs. If the Bulls are drafting 18 for another team, good chance that’s the logical conclusion of this current build. The Bulls can’t afford more than one or two projects (Pat and Ayo). They might literally have to replace Lonzo’s contributions with veteran power.

They can draft a big men with #18 .I wouldn't pass on big guys who can upgrade our defense from the start just because we can't have more than 2 projects.Such argument would be strong if one or both had high ceiling.I just don't see that happening,Ayo and Pat would come off the bench on a contender .

[SfBull]

Mock drafts:
CBS: Jalen Duren
The Ringer: EJ Liddell
ESPN: Tari Eason
NBAdraft.net: Tari Eason
SI: Jalen Williams
Sporting News: EJ Liddell

A lot of mocks with the caveat they expect the pick to be traded.

Rather trade it than draft Low Ceiling Liddell. Hell I’d take Kessler over Liddell.

Or Mark Williams