ducks
05-25-2006, 02:24 PM
No. 2 draft pick is no slam dunk
May 25, 2006
BY BRIAN HANLEY Staff Reporter
It's a wonder why Bulls general manager John Paxson and his scouting staff spent so much money traveling the country and overseas to find the best fit for what turned out to be the second overall pick in the June 28 draft.
Apparently, the answer could be had for a couple of quarters at the local newsstand, as almost every expert in print lists LSU's 6-9 Tyrus Thomas and Texas' 6-10 LaMarcus Aldridge as the top two talents.
Big men being the Bulls' biggest need, Paxson's selection of either should be a slam dunk.
But that's not how these things work.
Which is why Paxson and his staff will make the trip to Orlando. Fla., for the predraft workouts. They begin June 6 and end with the likely lottery candidates -- who will not work out there -- meeting the media June 10.
"When we get to Orlando in a couple of weeks, you run into every team and we'll have ideas we'll exchange with other teams,'' Paxson said Wednesday, a day after he drew the No. 2 pick in the draft lottery. "There are a lot of things to get accomplished.''
Paxson, who also owns the No.16 selection, said he will try to interview a number of players in Florida before bringing 20 or more to the Berto Center in the ensuing two weeks for workouts with his staff.
The time those prospects spend with Bulls brass also will include more meetings and even psychological testing as the team leaves virtually nothing to chance with millions of dollars and the organization's immediate future on the line.
"The workouts are interesting,'' Paxson said, "because the higher-tier guys come in, and a lot of their workouts are one-against-none or one-on-one. They're not much. From a physical standpoint, you can see things that may be difficult when you're watching a game in person. It's nice to get an up-close look at them.
"Also, just getting an opportunity to sit down with them and talk to them, you get a feel for them. Sometimes you can't explain it, but I've gone through a lot of interview processes over the last three years where you walk out of the room and you feel real positive about a kid, and sometimes you walk out and there's a real negative vibe. Those things are important.''
And after all that, Paxson might trade either or both of his picks.
"There's usually not a perfect deal out there, but I'm not going to make a deal just for the sake of making it,'' said Paxson, who is weighing whether his team is in danger of being too young. "I'm not afraid to throw another young guy into this mix if we really like him.
"But I'd also like to explore the fact of maybe getting a proven player that we could hang our hat on night in and night out. It's going to have to be a player we really like ... somebody we'd run our offense through that can give us something that we don't have.''
Should Paxson keep his picks, size will not necessarily matter. That seemingly could open the door for 6-8 Gonzaga small forward Adam Morrison or even 6-5 Washington guard Brandon Roy.
"I wouldn't be hesitant to go any number of ways -- whether it's another young guy, whether it's a big or a small,'' Paxson said. "If we really like that player, then why not?
"Everybody's going to tell you there's not a LeBron James in here, a Dwyane Wade. That's OK. We obviously have needs that we need to address in terms of our size, our athleticism and our length. We're going to have to be open-minded in this whole thing, do our work, because there are a lot of kids in this draft that we like. It comes down to trying to make the best decision for us.''
Does Paxson agree with those who believe Thomas and Aldridge are the top two talents to be had in this draft? It would be foolish to say so publicly, even if he did, so he gave an open-ended answer.
"Potentially they are,'' Paxson said, "if you're going to evaluate it three or four years down the road. There's a good chance of that. But it also could be the guys that are maybe a little more NBA-ready to play more significant roles. They could improve, too.
"It's a tough call. But I do think that the young bigs -- we talk about [6-11 Italian forward Andrea] Bargnani, Tyrus Thomas, and Aldridge -- they have a ton of potential just based on their size and their ability.''
All of which makes this potentially the most pivotal summer for the Bulls, who also will have between $15 million and $20 million for free-agent shopping.
"I don't feel any added pressure or anything like that,'' Paxson said of having the second pick. "It's a very good position to be in. We'll have a lot of options. The pick will obviously have value around the league. I'd be surprised if there wasn't [trade] interest in it.
"But I'm prepared for there not to be. We'll take a very good player, we'll take a guy we like and we'll take a player our coaching staff will enjoy coaching and our fans will enjoy watching.''
NOTE: Bulls guard Chris Duhon underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. Duhon is expected to need two to four weeks for recovery.
[email protected]
May 25, 2006
BY BRIAN HANLEY Staff Reporter
It's a wonder why Bulls general manager John Paxson and his scouting staff spent so much money traveling the country and overseas to find the best fit for what turned out to be the second overall pick in the June 28 draft.
Apparently, the answer could be had for a couple of quarters at the local newsstand, as almost every expert in print lists LSU's 6-9 Tyrus Thomas and Texas' 6-10 LaMarcus Aldridge as the top two talents.
Big men being the Bulls' biggest need, Paxson's selection of either should be a slam dunk.
But that's not how these things work.
Which is why Paxson and his staff will make the trip to Orlando. Fla., for the predraft workouts. They begin June 6 and end with the likely lottery candidates -- who will not work out there -- meeting the media June 10.
"When we get to Orlando in a couple of weeks, you run into every team and we'll have ideas we'll exchange with other teams,'' Paxson said Wednesday, a day after he drew the No. 2 pick in the draft lottery. "There are a lot of things to get accomplished.''
Paxson, who also owns the No.16 selection, said he will try to interview a number of players in Florida before bringing 20 or more to the Berto Center in the ensuing two weeks for workouts with his staff.
The time those prospects spend with Bulls brass also will include more meetings and even psychological testing as the team leaves virtually nothing to chance with millions of dollars and the organization's immediate future on the line.
"The workouts are interesting,'' Paxson said, "because the higher-tier guys come in, and a lot of their workouts are one-against-none or one-on-one. They're not much. From a physical standpoint, you can see things that may be difficult when you're watching a game in person. It's nice to get an up-close look at them.
"Also, just getting an opportunity to sit down with them and talk to them, you get a feel for them. Sometimes you can't explain it, but I've gone through a lot of interview processes over the last three years where you walk out of the room and you feel real positive about a kid, and sometimes you walk out and there's a real negative vibe. Those things are important.''
And after all that, Paxson might trade either or both of his picks.
"There's usually not a perfect deal out there, but I'm not going to make a deal just for the sake of making it,'' said Paxson, who is weighing whether his team is in danger of being too young. "I'm not afraid to throw another young guy into this mix if we really like him.
"But I'd also like to explore the fact of maybe getting a proven player that we could hang our hat on night in and night out. It's going to have to be a player we really like ... somebody we'd run our offense through that can give us something that we don't have.''
Should Paxson keep his picks, size will not necessarily matter. That seemingly could open the door for 6-8 Gonzaga small forward Adam Morrison or even 6-5 Washington guard Brandon Roy.
"I wouldn't be hesitant to go any number of ways -- whether it's another young guy, whether it's a big or a small,'' Paxson said. "If we really like that player, then why not?
"Everybody's going to tell you there's not a LeBron James in here, a Dwyane Wade. That's OK. We obviously have needs that we need to address in terms of our size, our athleticism and our length. We're going to have to be open-minded in this whole thing, do our work, because there are a lot of kids in this draft that we like. It comes down to trying to make the best decision for us.''
Does Paxson agree with those who believe Thomas and Aldridge are the top two talents to be had in this draft? It would be foolish to say so publicly, even if he did, so he gave an open-ended answer.
"Potentially they are,'' Paxson said, "if you're going to evaluate it three or four years down the road. There's a good chance of that. But it also could be the guys that are maybe a little more NBA-ready to play more significant roles. They could improve, too.
"It's a tough call. But I do think that the young bigs -- we talk about [6-11 Italian forward Andrea] Bargnani, Tyrus Thomas, and Aldridge -- they have a ton of potential just based on their size and their ability.''
All of which makes this potentially the most pivotal summer for the Bulls, who also will have between $15 million and $20 million for free-agent shopping.
"I don't feel any added pressure or anything like that,'' Paxson said of having the second pick. "It's a very good position to be in. We'll have a lot of options. The pick will obviously have value around the league. I'd be surprised if there wasn't [trade] interest in it.
"But I'm prepared for there not to be. We'll take a very good player, we'll take a guy we like and we'll take a player our coaching staff will enjoy coaching and our fans will enjoy watching.''
NOTE: Bulls guard Chris Duhon underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. Duhon is expected to need two to four weeks for recovery.
[email protected]