Choices to make

The Cubs are the buzz of the city right now by winning six strait. The Bears were in the news because of their decision to release Tank Johnson. But right now the majority of my attention is on the Bulls. With the NBA Draft tonight, the team has a major choice to make. Go with the best player available (regardless of position), the best post player on their board or trade the number nine pick. All three have their positives and negatives, but they can only end up doing one of them. While it is John Paxson’s move to make, here’s a breakdown of the possibilities.

Best player available----Because this draft is so deep, there will definitely be a talented player still on the board at number nine. Either Jeff Green, Mike Conley, Brandon Wright, Yi Jianlian, or one of the three Florida Gators will be avalible when the Bulls get on the clock. While not all of these players play a position that the team needs to fill, one philosophy in the NBA is that you can never have enough talent. Paxson has always said that he wants players from winning programs, and every one of those guys other than Yi played in the Elite Eight last March. While it doesn’t seem to make sense from a roster standpoint because of Hinrich, Gordon and Deng, if players like Conley, Green of Corey Brewer are really as good as advertised, there’s no doubt they could help the team.

Best big man on the board---- So the only guys left on that list above are Brewer and Conley, do the Bulls take them because they are rated highly, or go with a guy like Spencer Hawes or Al Thronton because they fill a need? A power forward or center, preferably somebody who can score, is what the team needs most. But those are not easy to find. A lot of mock drafts have Pax reaching for Hawes, even though he is considered a mid-first round talent. PJ Brown is a free agent, Tyrus Thomas is less than a year older than I am, and Ben Wallace couldn’t hit Lake Michigan from the top of the Navy Pier ferris wheel. It’s no secret that the Bulls need a post scorer; the only question is wheatear they can get one.

Trade the pick---It seems that everybody, from superstars Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Paul Pierce to scrubs like Luke Ridnour and Theo Ratliff are being rumored in draft day deals. Other than Portland and Seattle, the rumors have pretty much every other team wanting to move up or move down. So maybe the Bulls will be one of those teams. Though I doubt they will move up, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the team trade down or even out of the first round if they can get a player that fills a need. I would love to see KG or Kobe on our roster by the end of the night, but that seems unlikely. But with a lottery pick, a few expiring contracts and a young team, the Bulls are prime targets to get involved in a multi-team deal.




What I think will happen---It’s almost impossible to tell what will end up happening tonight, for many reasons. First off, there are likely to be trades and that will effect who gets picked where. Second off, look at the teams picking three though eights: Atlanta, Memphis, Boston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Charlotte. If you use SI.com’s GM rankings, the Bulls are picking after the five of the nine worst decision makers in the league. (The highest ranking for a GM picking three through eight is Bucks GM Larry Harris at fifteenth. Paxson is fifth overall.) So who knows what these crazy guys will do. For all I know, Hawes and Thornton might be gone but Al Horford could still be available at nine. And third, the draft tends to make people think irrationally. Instead of evaluating three years of college play, some GM’s would rather look at last weeks workout. (See Mario Williams over Reggie Bush) That’s never a good idea in my opinion, but maybe that is why I’m not in charge of a professional basketball team.

With that all being said, I think the Bulls will get either Joakim Noah or Yi if they stay at nine, whichever one slips past the Bucks at six. I would prefer Noah, because he has more experience and the Bulls are trying to win now. Then again, maybe they’ll both be gone and we’ll have to take Conley. Or there will be trade. On draft night, anything is possible, which is what makes it so exciting.