The “what if’’ game is alive and well around the Advocate Center these days.
That’s what the NBA Draft does to an organization.
Heck, the “what if’’ game is likely the biggest — and only — game the Bulls will compete in before next December.
So what if the lottery balls are kind to the Bulls, dropping them in that range of three to five, rather than the all-too-familiar No. 7 spot they are currently slotted in?
Basically, placing them down in Obi Toppin territory.
Do they take best available player on the board in the Dayton power forward? Or do they draft for need in a small forward or point guard?
If there is a spot the Bulls do seem to have some depth it is that four.
There’s starter Lauri Markkanen, who the new-look front office is hell-bent on rebooting to the player he was back in February 2019, and there’s Wendell Carter Jr., who has been moonlighting as the starting center, but badly wants to return to the power forward spot he played his entire pre-Bulls basketball life.
The addition of Toppin would add even more confusion, but would also give the roster something it lacks in the frontcourt: An athletic 6-9 above-the-rim scorer.
Not only does Toppin make frequent flights to Zach LaVine altitude, but can shoot it from long range, and could be the most accomplished scorer in the draft not named Anthony Edwards.
But is he a fit?
That’s what executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley have to decide.
In what many consider a down draft — sshhhh, don’t tell Karnisovas — the power forward spot may have some of the more intriguing players. The line, however, starts with Toppin.
1. Obi Toppin – Dayton: Toppin can score it and run the floor with the best of them, leaving very little argument who the top power forward in the draft is.
2. Onyeka Okongwu – USC: At 6-foot-9, Okongwu falls under the tweener description, getting looks as a center by some teams because of his ridiculous shot-blocking ability and bounce around the rim, but the Bulls have gone that route with Carter already.
Okongwu would be the perfect fit for a team that has scorers but lacks a defensive presence at the rim, and that’s why Atlanta and Detroit will have him on their radar. He could develop into an elite defender and an underrated scorer, but too closely resembles the same skillsets as Carter for the Bulls to go that direction with that high of a pick.
3. Precious Achiuwa – Memphis: Like Okongwu, Achiuwa is a 6-9 rim protector that doubles as a center in some systems. The difference is he’s just a small step down from the USC product, and would be a bit more of a project.
4. Patrick Williams – Florida State: Here’s where the position takes a dip, with Williams being a borderline lottery pick. He’s a really good defender, versatile enough to guard fours and fives, and even certain threes, but doesn’t have the paint presence as Okongwu and Achiuwa.
What makes him attractive to scouts is his athleticism off of pick-and-roll on the offensive end, as well as his team-first attitude.
5. Jaden McDaniels – Washington: Listed at 6-10, McDaniels screams power forward. Here’s where it gets tricky, however. He’s a skinny 6-10, and there are serious questions about his toughness. He can shoot it from long range, which makes him seem more stretch-four, and does have agility on the defensive end to switch onto a guard.
The interview process will be key for McDaniels because he has a lot of questions to answer, starting with his inconsistencies from game-to-game.
