MCCORMICK PLACE — The Chicago Bulls will draft 11th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft beginning on July 26.
Though they had a chance of jumping into the top four (9.4 percent) and even miniscule odds of landing the top pick (two percent), the Bulls remained in the 11th spot.
There was some excitement though, for other teams. Both the Atlanta Hawks, who will select first overall, and the Houston Rockets, jumped into the draft’s top four. That bumped the Detroit Pistons from the first to the fifth spot for the second consecutive season. The Toronto Raptors moved back from six to eight, which means their pick will be sent to the San Antonio Spurs from the Jakob Poeltl trade in 2021.
Rookie forward Julian Phillips represented the Bulls on the stage waiting for the Bulls fate to be determined.
“It was pretty cool,” Phillips said “You don’t really do much. It was definitely cool to actually be up there and represent the team.”
Though Phillips is far from the conversations going on in the front office war room, he offered some perspective on what the team might be looking for.
“Just high character guys who work hard,” Phillips said. “That’s something that they’ve really preached a lot through the organization. Guys who are coming in ready to work. I think that’d be good.”
Phillips, whose rookie campaign was cut short due to a foot injury, said that he finished his rehab and will begin working out shortly. He did not know whether he will be playing in Las Vegas Summer League in July.
As for the Bulls, their assets are now clear. They will be drafting 11th overall and do not currently own a pick in the second round. Though this draft is not projected to produce a franchise changing player at the top, there are plenty of interesting names the Bulls could choose from.
For more in-depth coverage, I created a database that has a ton of useful stats and information on the top 58 prospects to comb through for CHGO Diehards. There is also a composite mock draft that averages the draft position from various mocks around the internet to give an estimation of where guys will land.
With that said, there are a few different directions the Bulls can go in this draft and that may depend on what direction they want to go bigger picture. Without a premier prospect at the top, there could be a few plug-and-play, lower upside options to help the Bulls depth if they continue on their current trajectory. Alternatively, they could take some upside swings on some flawed prospects to rebuild around.
Looking for contributors
Zaccharie Risacher
Bio: 6’8 Wing, JL Bourg (France), 19.2 years old on draft night
Per 75 possessions: 16.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, 2.4 turnovers
Shooting splits: 46.0 field goal percentage, 51.5 two-point percentage, 38.7 three-point percentage, 71.9 free throw percentage
Blurb: Risacher is currently projected to go in the top five, but I’ve heard that is a smokescreen. If he were to fall to the 11 area, the Bulls would be getting a lanky wing who can shoot the ball at a very high level from deep. He hasn’t shown much with the ball in his hands, which could lead to him slipping. If the Bulls are looking for an impact role player, Risacher may be best case scenario with his combination of impact-ready skills and upside.
Dalton Knecht
Bio: 6’6 wing, Tennessee, 23.2 years old on draft night
Per 75 possessions: 30.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1 steal, 0.9 blocks, 2.4 turnovers
Shooting splits: 45.8 field goal percentage, 49.9 two-point percentage, 39.7 three-point percentage, 77.2 free throw percentage
Blurb: Knecht was a high-volume scorer at the college level, but at 23 years old, he projects as more of a three-and-D wing in the NBA. Still, his explosive scoring and athleticism would be valuable off-ball. He may be the most NBA-ready player in the lottery.
Kyle Filipowski
Bio: 7’0 center, Duke, 20.6 years old on draft night
Per 75 possessions: 24.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals, 2.2 blocks, 3.1 turnovers
Shooting splits: 50.5 field goal percentage, 55.9 two-point percentage, 34.8 three-point percentage, 67.1 free throw percentage
Blurb: Filipowski is a do-it-all big who can shoot from the perimeter, score from the post and operate as a facilitator. Taking him at 11 might be a bit rich, but with Andre Drummond likely leaving in free agency, the Bulls are in need of a backup center, and someone who can ultimately take over for Nikola Vucevic after his contract expires.
Bet on talent and tools
Cody Williams
Bio: 6’8 wing, Colorado, 19.6 years old on draft night
Per 75 possessions: 18.2 points, 4.6 points, 2.4 assists, 1 steal, 1.1 blocks, 3.1 turnovers
Shooting splits: 55.2 field goal percentage, 58.8 tw0-point percentage, 41.5 three-point percentage, 71.4 free throw percentage.
Blurb: Younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder standout Jalen Williams, Cody is a stretched out, less polished version. He’s shown flashes of being able to create offense and shoot from deep, but does it on low volume. He’s raw and toolsy like many other Arturas Karnisovas draft picks, and could be a combine riser depending on how he performs. There are questions, but the upside is there.
Isaiah Collier
Bio: 6’5 guard, USC, 19.7 years old on draft night
Per 75 possessions: 23.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.3 blocks, 4.7 turnovers
Shooting splits: 49.0 field goal percentage, 54.3 two-point percentage, 33.8 three-point percentage, 67.3 free throw percentage
Blurb: One of the top players in his high school class, Collier struggled mightily in his freshman season at USC — low efficiency, high turnover basketball for a 15-18 basketball team. Still, the tools, vision and rim pressure abilities are tantalizing. He’s someone that will need the ball in his hands to be successful, but it remains to be seen whether he will be good enough to warrant high usage. If he hits, he’s got star upside.
Ron Holland
Bio: 6’8 Wing, G League Ignite, 19 years old on draft night
Per 75 possessions: 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.6 steals, 0.8 blocks, 3.2 turnovers
Shooting splits: 44.3 field goal percentage, 50.2 two-point percentage, 24.0 three-point percentage, 75.7 free throw percentage
Blurb: Another top name at the beginning of the draft cycle, it’s likely Holland may not make it to the Bulls at 11. If he does, he may offer the most upside of anyone. A very raw, toolsy athlete, Holland is a dogged defender with the build and upside to be the next two-way star wing. However, his creation and shooting is so questionable, it may prevent him from ever getting close to that ceiling. For a team in desperate need of a best player, it would be hard to pass on him at 11 if he was available.
