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

[Dresden]

From the draft combine testing it looks like Jake Laravia, David Roddy, and Michael Foster Jr tested pretty well for big guys in the agility testing. I don't know much about
Foster but those other two are pretty good basketball players.

Laravia did really well. The other guard from Kansas, Braun, also did surprisingly well.

[fleet]

Very low athleticism? He had the highest standing vertical in the combine, and the 8th highest max vertical. He's only an inch shorter than Eason is, too. A number of his blocks came when he either chased guys down from behind, or raced over to provide weakside help- neither of which you see from players with "very low athleticism".

He has low athleticism. Scouting has lots of troubling finishing over long players and uses body which will result in offensive fouls. He absolutely NOT a plus athlete. Eason runs circles around him. Taller, longer, quicker, better defender in space.

Everyone keeps saying that he's not athletic or can't guard quicker players, but the scouting reports (and the film) that I've seen suggest otherwise.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/2022-nba-mock-draft-2-round-edition-jabari-smith-magic-chet-holmgren-thunder/qzpmr02iw17z3n2ngslbppfa

18. Chicago Bulls: E.J. Liddell, Ohio State

Position: F

Height and weight: 6-foot-7, 240 lbs.

Age: 21, Junior

The Bulls' biggest weakness was their frontcourt and Liddell is a two-way forward who could help address that area of need. He may be undersized at 6-foot-7 but he's extremely athletic, strong and mobile to make up for what he lacks in height. He's a savvy post scorer and improved as a 3-point shooter over his three years at Ohio State. He projects as a power forward or small-ball center who could give Chicago a boost on both ends of the floor.

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/mock-draft

PLUSES
Boasts a muscular 240-pound frame that can handle the rigors of the interior. He played center for most of his sophomore season despite standing at 6-foot-7. He’s an excellent shot blocker, especially in help situations rotating into the paint. In February, he had success defending Illinois star Kofi Cockburn.

Defensive versatility. As a junior, Liddell came back a better perimeter defender than ever. Early in the season, he shut down Paolo Banchero all over the court, and then continued to bother players across positions. In a switching defense, he can handle any position.

Lateral quickness and perimeter defense are listed as his strengths in this scouting report.

Watch on YouTube

;t=331s

I'm not saying he's out of the world athletic or fast, but he's not some big, slow guy who can't jump. He shows excellent body positioning and timing/instinct on offense and defense. This has helped to make him play bigger than 6'7". He has enough speed to beat bigger guys off the dribble, and enough power to bully smaller guys in the paint. He can score at all 3 levels, although his 3pt shot needs more consistency as it can get flat at times.

I keep thinking about players such as Ron Artest. Which are effective and athletic players, but not in the Vince Carter sense of athleticism. Jimmy Butler. Can they play good basketball with adequate/good enough athleticism is the question. Once they reach adequate levels of athleticism, the athleticism question is not very important. Neither is ‘length’. Elite athleticism/ length is just a plus at that point, not a limiter even if it is not present.

[Almost Retired]

still interested in trading back with Memphis for 22 and 29, but do not want two rookies on the team next year as roster space is tight and we need help in so many areas (and mid to late firsts rarely contribute in year 1).

Trading back and taking Jovic (stash for a year) and one of Kendall Brown (hope he can provide defense and athleticism from day 1), Patrick Baldwin (pure upside pick), or Christian Braun (seems like a prototypical 3&d, limited but has a role) has some appeal to me.

I'd trade #18 for #22 and #29, but I'm not sure Memphis would. Baldwin is almost a guaranteed bust. I wouldn't even use a 2nd round pick on him. Not athletic enough by a wide margin. Jovic would be a nice player to stash for a year. Christian Braun is a high to mid second round talent. His wingspan is too short. He can shoot. Decent BBIQ. But there are other guys with higher ceilings I think. If we were to get 22 and 29 there is a chance we could get Jovic, Dalen Terry, or maybe Liddell with #22, then with #29 I'd reach a little for Euro player we could stash for a year (if we didn't pick up Jovic), someone like Gabriele Procida who can shoot 3s.

[drosestruts]

still interested in trading back with Memphis for 22 and 29, but do not want two rookies on the team next year as roster space is tight and we need help in so many areas (and mid to late firsts rarely contribute in year 1).

Trading back and taking Jovic (stash for a year) and one of Kendall Brown (hope he can provide defense and athleticism from day 1), Patrick Baldwin (pure upside pick), or Christian Braun (seems like a prototypical 3&d, limited but has a role) has some appeal to me.

I'd trade #18 for #22 and #29, but I'm not sure Memphis would. Baldwin is almost a guaranteed bust. I wouldn't even use a 2nd round pick on him. Not athletic enough by a wide margin. Jovic would be a nice player to stash for a year. Christian Braun is a high to mid second round talent. His wingspan is too short. He can shoot. Decent BBIQ. But there are other guys with higher ceilings I think. If we were to get 22 and 29 there is a chance we could get Jovic, Dalen Terry, or maybe Liddell with #22, then with #29 I'd reach a little for Euro player we could stash for a year (if we didn't pick up Jovic), someone like Gabriele Procida who can shoot 3s.

I like Braun a lot. Definitely think there's a ceiling to his game, but like you said, he can shoot, good BBIQ, disruptive defender, good knack for rebounding - little things that cause turnovers or give us 2nd shot opportunities.

A limited player that I think has the potential to be in the league for years to come.

Granted I wanted Joe Wieskamp last year so maybe I suck at scouting.

[Almost Retired]

He has low athleticism. Scouting has lots of troubling finishing over long players and uses body which will result in offensive fouls. He absolutely NOT a plus athlete. Eason runs circles around him. Taller, longer, quicker, better defender in space.

Everyone keeps saying that he's not athletic or can't guard quicker players, but the scouting reports (and the film) that I've seen suggest otherwise.

https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nba/news/2022-nba-mock-draft-2-round-edition-jabari-smith-magic-chet-holmgren-thunder/qzpmr02iw17z3n2ngslbppfa

18. Chicago Bulls: E.J. Liddell, Ohio State

Position: F

Height and weight: 6-foot-7, 240 lbs.

Age: 21, Junior

The Bulls' biggest weakness was their frontcourt and Liddell is a two-way forward who could help address that area of need. He may be undersized at 6-foot-7 but he's extremely athletic, strong and mobile to make up for what he lacks in height. He's a savvy post scorer and improved as a 3-point shooter over his three years at Ohio State. He projects as a power forward or small-ball center who could give Chicago a boost on both ends of the floor.

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/mock-draft

PLUSES
Boasts a muscular 240-pound frame that can handle the rigors of the interior. He played center for most of his sophomore season despite standing at 6-foot-7. He’s an excellent shot blocker, especially in help situations rotating into the paint. In February, he had success defending Illinois star Kofi Cockburn.

Defensive versatility. As a junior, Liddell came back a better perimeter defender than ever. Early in the season, he shut down Paolo Banchero all over the court, and then continued to bother players across positions. In a switching defense, he can handle any position.

Lateral quickness and perimeter defense are listed as his strengths in this scouting report.

Watch on YouTube

;t=331s

I'm not saying he's out of the world athletic or fast, but he's not some big, slow guy who can't jump. He shows excellent body positioning and timing/instinct on offense and defense. This has helped to make him play bigger than 6'7". He has enough speed to beat bigger guys off the dribble, and enough power to bully smaller guys in the paint. He can score at all 3 levels, although his 3pt shot needs more consistency as it can get flat at times.

I keep thinking about players such as Ron Artest. Which are effective and athletic players, but not in the Vince Carter sense of athleticism. Jimmy Butler. Can they play good basketball with adequate/good enough athleticism is the question. Once they reach adequate levels of athleticism, the athleticism question is not very important. Neither is ‘length’. Elite athleticism/ length is just a plus at that point, not a limiter even if it is not present.

The idea that Liddell is not athletic enough is foolish. Look at the video. He switched on guards in space a lot in college. He didn't get abused. And if he can stand torso to torso with Kofi Cokburn and hold his own....The combine numbers don't lie. Even though he is a very strong 240-245 pounds he can get off the ground very well. I'm not going to compare him to guards and claim he's not athletic. As compared to other front court players his athleticism tested above average overall. Strength is a physical attribute the last time I checked. I wish Liddell was 6'9" with a 72" wingspan, but if he was he'd be getting picked in the top 5 in all probability. He can jump. His shot blocking numbers in College demonstrate that. His wingspan is close to 7'-0" (at most 1/2 an inch below). He can certainly switch to cover 1-4. And I give equal weight to BBIQ in evaluating players if they have some athleticism. Recognizing plays and situations allows for faster reaction times and he was a great communicator on defense at Ohio State. If we can find a defensive "5" via trade or Free agency and we had a 10 point lead with 3 minutes to go I'd love to see a lineup of Caruso, Ball (if healthy), Liddell, Patrick and a defensive "5", or if the other team goes small we substitute Ayo for the "5" and go with Ayo, Caruso, Ball, Liddell and Patrick. I think they would be pretty formidable lineups defensively.

[WYO]

From the draft combine testing it looks like Jake Laravia, David Roddy, and Michael Foster Jr tested pretty well for big guys in the agility testing. I don't know much about
Foster but those other two are pretty good basketball players.

Laravia did really well. The other guard from Kansas, Braun, also did surprisingly well.

It's unfortunate so many of the top prospects are afraid to compete there for fear of getting exposed and dropping down boards, but LaRavia tested better than most of the guards that ran drills. I wish I had watched more of him this year now to have an opinion on how he plays the game.

Roddy testing as well as he did makes me think he'll be fine as an undersized power forward in the NBA. I think he'll be a Larry Nance Jr level of player with more offense and less defense.

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

The shooting splits are what they are, but the flashes are just nasty. True-age freshman (turned 19 in March).

I’m a huge fan.

Read on Twitter

?s=20&t=ukAtZiPKDNLRiJh_yXqqvg

[StunnerKO]

https://youtu.be/miz49xw-iL0


EJ

[fleet]

The shooting splits are what they are, but the flashes are just nasty. True-age freshman (turned 19 in March).

I’m a huge fan.

Read on Twitter

?s=20&t=ukAtZiPKDNLRiJh_yXqqvg

Whoe. Now those are highlights

[Rose2Boozer]

Toni Kukoc 2.0???

[youtube]

Watch on YouTube

[/youtube]

[kulaz3000]

The shooting splits are what they are, but the flashes are just nasty. True-age freshman (turned 19 in March).

I’m a huge fan.

Read on Twitter

?s=20&t=ukAtZiPKDNLRiJh_yXqqvg

I'm a fan also. He has all the intangibles you're looking for in a guard, he just hasn't put it all together yet. Don't think he will drop down to us though, hell, we probably won't even keep our pick when it's all said and done.

I think that's the main reason why I'm checked out for this draft, because I think there is a high probability that we're trading this pick, or drafting for another team - I'm not going to get invested in a prospect this draft, knowing that the player isn't likely to be on our team.

[Dresden]

Wesley certainly meets the eye test. The one thing about him that worries me are his shooting numbers- 40% overall, 30% on 3's. I'm sure he can improve on that, but by how much? Is he just a high volume/low efficiency type player? Does he have to have the ball in his hands to be effective? With Zach and Derozan both needing the ball a lot, that might be a problem.

[Almost Retired]

Wesley certainly meets the eye test. The one thing about him that worries me are his shooting numbers- 40% overall, 30% on 3's. I'm sure he can improve on that, but by how much? Is he just a high volume/low efficiency type player? Does he have to have the ball in his hands to be effective? With Zach and Derozan both needing the ball a lot, that might be a problem.

Unless we're trading a guard why do we need to add another one? We need help in the front court, not the back court. Log jams on the roster don't benefit any of the players involved. Wesley may of may not be a terrific guard....in 2 or 3 years. That is not our time frame. We can contend now if we shore up the front court and add one or two veteran bench players who aren't terrified to shoot when open and that can actually hit some shots when it counts. I'm not interested in any of the guards in this draft beyond Ivey and Mathurin, both of whom will be long gone by #18. As a side note I'm seeing one of two mocks that have Mark Williams slipping to the Bulls at #18. If he's on the board he has got to be the pick. His measurables are just too impressive and we need a rim protector. I don't want Gobert and his gaudy contract. Williams can back up Vooch for a year and take over at the "5" next season.

[DuckIII]

The idea that Liddell is not athletic enough is foolish. Look at the video. He switched on guards in space a lot in college. He didn't get abused. And if he can stand torso to torso with Kofi Cokburn and hold his own....The combine numbers don't lie. Even though he is a very strong 240-245 pounds he can get off the ground very well.

I don’t think he’s tall enough to be an impact 4 in the NBA, and I don’t think he’s quick enough to play the 3. College and NBA are two completely different levels of athleticism. His ability to switch and stay in front of wings in college isn’t completely meaningless but the highlights only mean so much. I saw him look like he was standing in concrete plenty of times in college as well. Like you, most of the college ball I watch is Big 10. I’ve always had concerns with Liddell translating to the NBA game defensively.

Liddell works hard and is smart. He won’t suck as a defender but he’s also going to be exploitable at both the 3 and 4. Offensively he’ll be fine as a role player which, for a good defender, would be plenty.

Regarding his athleticism, I beat this drum with Pat too. Athleticism is based on a wide variety of factors. Liddell can leap, but he has a poor second leap and his lateral quickness is sluggish. There is a difference between measurable athleticism and functional athleticism. And in actual game action, Liddell’s functional athleticism has always been a big question mark for translating to the NBA.

If Liddell were in fact as functionally athletic as he is measurable athletic, he’d be a lock as a top 10 pick. It’s not foolish that this is a concern.

That said, I do believe Liddell will be a useful NBA player. I also believe that certain teams in certain situations would be wise to use an 18th pick on him. But in my view the Bulls need to target someone with a standout ability as a specialist or a much higher upside player to take the bigger risk.

I don’t want Liddell for the Bulls, but it’s not like I think he’ll be a bad NBA player.

[sco]

I guess the "good news" is that we'll know draft night if we're keeping the pick, as FRP trades are usually leaked that night.

If we keep the pick, I'm 100% on board with getting the BPA with the highest ceiling vs. filling a need. By the time this guy is likely ready to contribute meaningfully, Vuc will be gone, Demar will be gone or playing a lesser role, etc.

[biggestbullsfan]

This is the first draft in a long time that i have no idea who we might draft lol I’m still Expecting us to trade this for a player. Just hope we don’t overpay or anything.

[VolumePoster]

My personal shot in the dark: AKME is playing it super close to the vest as ever, and it's Jovic the whole way. i don't really understand why he isn't rating higher. big athletic skilled shooter with early professional experience. named nikola jovic.

[sco]

2 days to go...gotta say I have no business being this excited, give it's the 18th pick.

[Andi Obst]

2 days to go...gotta say I have no business being this excited, give it's the 18th pick.

Sure, but there's also a decent chance we see a draft nigh trade. Definitely an interesting situation.

[sco]

2 days to go...gotta say I have no business being this excited, give it's the 18th pick.

Sure, but there's also a decent chance we see a draft nigh trade. Definitely an interesting situation.

Yeah, that's the excitement kicker!