Dallas made the right move with Doncic, Bulls still waiting
The game in Dallas on Wednesday was what the Bulls had in mind when they decided to rebuild three years ago.
Unfortunately, the league's latest star, acquired with a high draft pick, played for the other team. Luka Doncic torched the Bulls in just about every way possible as he piled up 38 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Where did the Bulls go wrong? Well, when it comes to the 2018 draft, the Bulls didn't have much of a chance to get Doncic with the No. 7 pick, but were also tantalizingly close to choosing higher.
Remember, that was the year when the Bulls finished with the same record as Sacramento, then won a coin flip to decide which team would pick sixth or seventh. It seemed like good luck at the time, but then the Kings moved from No. 7 to No. 2 in the draft lottery.
Of course, if the Bulls did land the second pick, there's no guarantee they would have taken Doncic. Centers DeAndre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III went 1-2 in that draft.
Some scouts thought Doncic, a 6-7 guard from Slovenia, lacked the elite athleticism to be an NBA star. There's a belief the Bulls would have preferred Oklahoma guard Trae Young, but who knows what would have happened if the Bulls took a long look players for the No. 2 pick?
Dallas ended up trading a future first-rounder to move up from No. 5 to No. 3 and chose Doncic. Atlanta took Young and added Cam Reddish with the Mavs' 2019 first-rounder. The Bulls selected Wendell Carter Jr. with the No. 7 pick in 2018.
There may not have been a scenario where the Bulls could have traded up for Doncic. If the Hawks moved down to No. 7, they probably wouldn't have been able to get Young.
On the night of the 2018 draft, John Paxson did say the Bulls were not interested in giving up a future draft asset to move up.
Dallas was and it paid off. The Mavericks should be looking at a good 10-year run led by Doncic, while the Bulls are still searching for the piece that could lift them back to playoff contention.
This story is another illustration of how risky it is to try to build through the draft in the NBA. In the age of one-and-done college players, there just aren't many guys out there who can turn a franchise around.
The Bulls play in New Orleans on Wednesday. The Pelicans landed the No. 1 draft pick last year, but Zion Williamson has yet to play in a regular-season game due to a knee injury.
So the jury is out on Williamson, though he looked good against the Bulls in preseason. At this point, there are no major complaints with the Bulls' three No. 7 picks - Lauri Markkanen, Carter and Coby White.
Here's an approximate ranking of the players in the last three drafts. The list will change over time, but it's a look at how teams have fared since the Bulls started rebuilding.
1. Luka Doncic, Dallas (No. 3 in 2018): Could finish top-5 in the MVP vote in his second season.
2. Jayson Tatum, Boston (No. 3 in 2017): He did have the benefit of joining a winning team.
3. Donovan Mitchell, Utah (No. 13 in 2017): On pace to be the best player on a playoff team three years in a row.
4. Trae Young, Atlanta (No. 5 in 2018): He's currently fourth in the league in scoring, although the Hawks are aiming for another high draft pick.
5. Ja Morant, Memphis (No. 2 in 2019): Already making highlight reels, he appears to be the franchise-caliber player everyone expected.
6. Lauri Markkanen, Bulls (No. 7 in 2017): His numbers have dropped since last season, but he still compares well to other in his draft class.
7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City (No. 11 in 2018): He's been a big part of keeping the Thunder in playoff contention after trade from Clippers.
8. De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento (No. 5 in 2017): Kings are still searching for some chemistry, but Fox has been good.
9. John Collins, Atlanta (No. 19 in 2017): One of the best value picks in the last three drafts.
10. DeAndre Ayton, Phoenix (No. 1 in 2018): He's missed some time, but his numbers are solid.
All this proves is there aren't many instant stars to be found in the draft these days.
Carter sidelined:
Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. will likely miss a few games after suffering a sprained right ankle during Wednesday's loss to Dallas.
"It was probably the worst pain I ever endured as far as playing basketball," Carter said, according to bulls.com. "It was very frightening. I couldn't feel my toes after awhile. My goal is to come back no later than the end of this month."
Rose set for contest:
Former Bulls guard Derrick Rose will participate in the skills contest during all-star weekend in Chicago, according to NBA insider Shams Charania.
Twitter: @McGrawDHBulls
Bulls game day
Bulls vs. New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday 7 p.m. at the Smoothie King Center
TV: NBCSCH; Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Outlook: Rookie Zion Williamson participated fully in a 5-on-5 practice Tuesday, but there's been no talk of him playing against the Bulls. The No. 1 overall draft pick is more likely to make his NBA debut next week. ... The Pelicans (12-25) are playing better, winning five of their last seven games. ... SF Brandon Ingram is the leading scorer at 25.2 ppg, followed by SG Jrue Holiday (19.6 ppg), who is expected to miss his second straight game with an elbow contusion. PG Lonzo Ball has been on a roll, averaging 23.8 points, 8.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds over the last four games. ... The Bulls have dropped four straight to the Pelicans. Prior to that, they won eight of nine games in New Orleans.