Cha-ching! Bulls claim top prize
Sometimes luck is born from the horrible mistakes of others, such as Portland drafting Sam Bowie instead of Michael Jordan in 1984.
Other times, ping-pong balls simply bounce in mysterious ways.
After stumbling to the NBA's ninth-worst record last season, the Bulls had just a 1.7 percent chance of winning the top prize at Tuesday night's draft lottery in Secaucus, N.J.
But they beat the odds and miraculously landed the No. 1 pick in the June 26 draft. Miami will choose second and Minnesota third.
In the 15 years the league has used the current lottery format, the Bulls made the longest jump to No. 1. New Jersey had the seventh-worst record in 2000 and beat 4.4 percent odds to land Kenyon Martin.
"I understand that it was pure luck," said Bulls general manager John Paxson. "Now it's our job to make the most of it."
If they keep the top pick, the Bulls undoubtedly will choose between Memphis point guard Derrick Rose and Kansas State power forward Michael Beasley.
Rose, a Chicago native who attended Simeon High School, is sure to be the popular choice. As a freshman, he led the Tigers to within five seconds of their first national title.
But Beasley also is seen by many as a can't-miss pick. The 6-foot-9 Baltimore native averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds during his one college season.
Both players would fill a need for the Bulls.
"You've got two players that are different and unique," Paxson said. "We have a lot of different needs. We need leadership on our team; we need scoring.
"At point guard, it's difficult to find terrific players who can lead your team and make others better. But you also have a kid that's a flat-out scorer, and we've seen how valuable those guys are. Again, it's nice to be in this position to evaluate that."
Paxson didn't want to speculate on the chances that he might trade the pick but admitted that he has to listen to what people say. One idea that figures to be bounced around is whether Miami would like to rebuild with both Rose and Beasley while sending Dwyane Wade back home to Chicago.
Paxson did hint at making some personnel changes on the existing roster sometime soon.
"There are things that maybe we can do to balance our roster a little bit better, so that when we do make the selection our roster's a little bit better equipped," he said.
Paxson also addressed his search for a new head coach, which has been going on for more than a month. Utah assistant Tyrone Corbin is expected to visit today for an interview, with former Minnesota coach Dwane Casey, Utah Jazz part-time assistant Jeff Hornacek and Sacramento assistant Chuck Person scheduled for interviews later this week.
The Bulls also have spoken to Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis. Other top candidates - including Boston's Tom Thibodeau, Detroit's Michael Curry and the Lakers' Brian Shaw - still are busy working in the playoffs.
One coach the Bulls wanted, Mike D'Antoni, was on the lottery stage representing the New York Knicks, who will choose sixth in the draft.
"Other than the Mike D'Antoni thing, I've tried to be deliberate in this process," Paxson said. "I think it will be important to get a guy who can teach the game and motivate players and connect with them on a lot of different levels. When I have a good feeling for somebody, I think I'll know."
Interestingly, the Bulls' representative inside the room where the ping-pong balls were drawn already has started cleaning out his desk at the United Center. Brandon Faber begins his new job as public-relations director for the Blackhawks next Tuesday.
"They said, 'Chicago, you have the No. 1 pick,'Ȧ" Faber said. "I replied to the entire room, probably louder than I should have, 'We'll take it.' I was standing right next to my cell phone, thinking I want to get on the phone. But you've got to wait."
Bulls vice president of marketing Steve Schanwald was on stage representing the team.
"I thought it was an absolute waste of time to come all the way out here," he said after accepting the top prize. "I thought I'd at least get a good meal out of the deal."
Early mock draft
Mike McGraw projects how the lottery picks might play out at the June 26 draft:
1. BULLS
Derrick Rose, PG, Memphis
2. Miami Heat
Michael Beasley, PF, KSU
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
Brook Lopez, C, Stanford
4. Seattle SuperSonics
Jerryd Bayless, PG, Arizona
5. Memphis Grizzlies
O.J. Mayo, SG, USC
6. New York Knicks
Danilo Gallinari, SF, Italy
7. Los Angeles Clippers
Eric Gordon, SG, Indiana
8. Milwaukee Bucks
Kevin Love, PF, UCLA
9. Charlotte Bobcats
Anthony Randolph, SF, LSU
10. New Jersey Nets
DeAndre Jordan, C, Texas-A&M
11. Indiana Pacers
Russell Westbrook, SG, UCLA
12. Sacramento Kings
JaVale McGee, C, Nevada
13. Portland Trailblazers
D.J. Augustin, PG, Texas
14. Golden State Warriors
Chris Douglas-Roberts,
SF, Memphis