Chicago Bulls: 5 reasons Chandler Hutchison was a good pick

2. Impressive work ethic

Chandler Hutchison put up some impressive numbers during his junior and senior seasons. However, he did not arrive in Boise as an ready-made NBA prospect. It took a lot of work over the last four years to turn him into the player that shook Adam Silver’s hand in Brooklyn.

Hutchison averaged only 3.1 points in 12.3 minutes per game in his freshman year, as Mountain West Player of the Year Derrick Marks and current NBAer James Webb led the Bronco attack. His production barely rose his sophomore year, as he averaged 6.8 points in 19.8 minutes per game.

Things kicked into gear for Hutchison when assistant coach Phil Beckner arrived in 2016. Beckner spent seven seasons as an assistant at Weber State, where he helped develop Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard into the high-level player he is today. Coach Rice brought him in to do the same for Hutchison.

Beckner told Boise’s KIVI-TV that he could tell Hutchison possessed something special.

"“I figured out early that he did have a drive, he did have a passion, he did have some really special competitiveness. But he just didn’t know how to bring it out.”"

Beckner’s influence was apparent, as Hutchison averaged 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game his junior year. After the season, he considered entering the NBA Draft, but thought better of it. That led to a senior season that saw him improve his numbers and prove himself to be a surefire first round prospect.

Now that Hutchison has been drafted, he will have to utilize that same work ethic to become a valuable player in the NBA. If he works hard enough, he could even unlock another level of his game and exceed expectations.