Keeping their options open
Bulls honest they need a wing but might not draft one
The Bulls’ days of operating in the shadows seem to be fading.
It’s no coincidence that as they’ve become more transparent the last few seasons, general manager Gar Forman has slipped further and further into the background, along with his old methodology of hiding everything behind a curtain.
Two weeks ago, when vice president of basketball operations John Paxson was asked about the draft and team needs, he was up front about the priorities.
“We need to look at the wing position,” Paxson said. “That would be an ideal spot. Size and length at the wing, a shooting component [ and] a defensive component would be something that, if you’re looking at an area we would like to improve, that would be it.
“But depending on where we draft, it’s hard to overlook talent, even when you’re looking at maybe a specific need. Again, that process, we’re still over two months from the draft. We have a lot of work to do. [ Our approach to] positions — not that they’re going by the wayside, but the lines are blurred. You no longer really have center, power forward. You need versatility. Our game has changed that much. We can use versatile players, guys that have length and size and shooting component, those types of things.”
It’s not a commitment to drafting a forward no matter what, but it’s certainly an honest assessment of what the Bulls consider an area of need.
Yes, Lauri Markkanen is more power forward than center, but as he bulks up his frame, and as those two positions continue to blur in today’s NBA, it feels like the Bulls are set in the big wing department. Small forward remains an obvious issue, and it needs more than just a Band- Aid.