Bulls have eye toward bigs in upcoming draft
As the clock ticks down toward Thursday's NBA Draft, the Bulls are still trying to settle on a wish list for the No. 16 and 26 picks.
General manager Gar Forman wouldn't name names, but he did confirm that the Bulls are trying to schedule one or two last-minute workouts.
The draft-dedicated Web site DraftExpress.com suggested the Bulls were trying to line up Ohio State center B.J. Mullens, Pitt power forward DeJuan Blair and possibly Wake Forest forward James Johnson for a Berto Center visit. All three have worked out for the Bulls once before.
They're also trying to reschedule a visit by 6-10 Louisville forward Earl Clark, who canceled an appearance on Sunday, citing a hamstring injury. Clark worked out on Saturday in Phoenix, which owns the No. 14 pick.
Forman did talk about the decisions the Bulls may face with the No. 16 pick. Mullens stands 7-foot-1, tested well athletically and looked good in his first workout with the Bulls. But he averaged just 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds, while playing just over 20 minutes per game, in his lone college season.
In recent NBA history, there are few, if any, examples of big men who sat glued to the bench or toiled in the D-League early in their pro careers, then improved enough to become significant contributors. In other words, if Mullens isn't ready to play 15 minutes per game next season, he may never be.
"That's one of the things we debate all the time," Forman said during Monday's predraft interview session. "Do you take a more ready player or do you take the guy you think is extremely talented, that has potential, that's got a higher ceiling, but you've got to wait a little bit? That's one of the things we're kicking around up there on a daily basis."
Blair was productive in college (15.7 points, 12.3 rebounds), but he measured just 6-6½ in shoes at the predraft camp. The obvious question is whether he can succeed as an undersized power forward in the NBA.
"He's an intriguing guy," Forman said of Blair. "The one thing if you study drafts over the last 15 to 20 years, rebounders rebound. That's a stat that does translate. So I think he's going to be a good player in the NBA."
The 6-foot-8 Johnson averaged 15.0 points and 8.5 rebounds as a sophomore at Wake Forest. But he might be better suited to play small forward in the pros and the Bulls already have Luol Deng and John Salmons at that spot.
If the Bulls take a guard at No. 16, one possibility is Louisville's 6-6 Terrence Williams, who might be able to step in if either Ben Gordon or Kirk Hinrich doesn't return next season. Williams is an athletic, versatile guard with a brash personality.
"He was good (during his Bulls visit)," Forman said. "He's a very personable kid, very outgoing and very talented. That's how he was on the floor, also. Usually, their personalities line up with who they are on the floor."
The Bulls don't seem all that anxious to move up in the draft. This year's class is not considered very strong, so trading two picks for one may not make sense. New Jersey at No. 11 is one team rumored to be interested in trading down. Forman said the Bulls have explored moving up, moving down and moving out of the draft.
"Usually, those things don't become crystal clear until that night," he said. "We're not positive, but we do feel out of our group, there will be somebody there at 16 that we like."
Injury report: General manager Gar Forman said forward Luol Deng's recovery from a stress fracture in his right shin continues to show progress. Deng missed the final 22 games of the regular season and all of the playoffs because of the injury, which could require surgery if it's slow to mend.
"He's starting to run some and he's getting some shots up," Forman said. "At this point, they're real happy with the progress."
Forward Tyrus Thomas receently suffered a sprained wrist, which was immobilized for a short period of time.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=302270">Imrem: Draft gives new Bulls' GM Forman his opportunity <span class="date">[06/22/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>