Slap dash: Where are the shooters? Graham, Bulls plan to start with defense
The Bulls made this very clear with their draft-night activities.
The S in SLAP does not stand for shooting.
Basketball operations boss Bryson Graham introduced that term when he was hired. He likes players with SLAP, which stands for size, length, athleticism and physicality.
Maybe someday the Bulls will expand the acronym to SLAPS, but not right now.
“We're not addressing every skill yet,” Graham said late Tuesday night. “I know a lot of people might (say), 'Where's the shooting at?' I'm not typically worried about that right now.”
Part of that is because Graham believes shooting is a skill that can be taught and developed. It's probably safe to say every NBA team is aiming for at least 40% on unguarded corner 3-pointers.
But also, Graham clearly wants to begin this rebuild with a defensive mindset. That was the thinking behind adding North Carolina power forward Caleb Wilson and Texas small forward Dailyn Swain in the first round.
Wilson, plus presumed center addition Nic Claxton, would at least provide some resistance at the rim, which the Bulls never had with Nikola Vucevic at center. Swain won't be much of a shot blocker, but he tried to play sort of an Alex Caruso role at Texas, jumping into passing lanes to create steals.
“We're definitely not where we really want to be, but we're establishing an identity,” Graham said. “I think that's really important for this organization, especially where we're at right now. Both Caleb and Dailyn, they fit the bill.”
Wilson was always the obvious pick at No. 4. Graham said the Bulls approached the evaluation process with an open mind and landed on Wilson as the best choice, as did every other NBA analyst.
The No. 15 pick was more of a toss-up, and the Bulls went with a versatile forward, rather than a shooter like Iowa's Bennett Stirtz or Baylor's Cameron Carr. There were also point guards available, if Graham isn't sold on Josh Giddey as the primary playmaker of the future.
The Bulls are probably hoping a good comparison for Swain is Collin Murray-Boyles, another 6-7, defensive-minded forward chosen by Toronto with the No. 9 pick last year. One major difference is Swain weighed in at 211 pounds at the combine, while Murray-Boyles is 239.
Murray-Boyles also has a longer wingspan, so maybe Swain is more of a big guard than undersized power forward. Coach Tiago Splitter can sort that out later, but Graham mentioned defense is the best way for a rookie to earn playing time.
During two years at Xavier, Swain barely hoisted any 3-point shots. After moving to Texas, he tossed up 2.6 long-range attempts per game, connecting on 34.4%. For Wilson, the likely goal is to at least draw a defender out to contest any long jumper.
“When you check a ton of other boxes — defending, playmaking, advantage-creating — maybe shooting is, well, somewhat of a weakness at the moment,” Graham said. “It doesn't deter me from taking you. The mentality, the work rate, and a variety of skills is really, really important. No one's perfect.”
With Wilson, Swain and Claxton, whose trade won't be official until at least July 6; the Bulls have 12 players under contract for next year.
They have several free agents — Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, Zach Collins, Guerschon Yabusele and Nick Richards. The guess here is none of those players return, but Graham figures to search for some value in free agency. Maybe he'll seek shooters as well.