Chicago Bulls: Complete 2018 offseason grades
Drafting Chandler Hutchison
The Bulls used their second pick on Boise State wing Chandler Hutchison. In some circles, this was considered the worst-kept secret in the NBA after reports surfaced about the Bulls promising to take Hutchison at that spot if he was still on the board.
Draft Rumors: Hearing two promises coming out of Chicago Pre-Draft Combine. @chicagobulls with Chandler Hutchison at 22 and @Lakers with Mitchell Robinson at 25. Updated Extended Mock 4.1 | https://t.co/GrocNca6vH pic.twitter.com/vSoQZyD8hv
— NBADraft.net (@nbadraftnet) May 19, 2018
As it turned out, Hutchison was still available and the Bulls nabbed him with the 22nd overall pick. Early in his collegiate career, Hutchison wasn’t exactly what you would call a standout player as he averaged 3.1 points and 6.8 points per game, respectively, in his first two seasons.
That soon changed, however, with Hutchison increasing his scoring output to 17.4 points per contest during his junior campaign. He followed that up with a solid senior season, compiling averages of 20.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on slash lines of .475/.359/.728.
Not only did Hutchison increase his scoring output each year, his rebounding and assists numbers increased during that span as well. On the heels of an impressive season, Hutchison was named the Mountain West Player of the Year; he was selected to the All-Mountain West First Team and the Mountain West All-Defensive Team.
Standing at 6’7”, Hutchison possesses the ability to play at and defend multiple positions. This is one of the reasons why his former coach, Leon Rice, feels that he will be a good fit for the Bulls.
"“I think the Chicago Bulls got a steal,” Rice said to NBC Sports Chicago. “You look at the last four years, he’s gotten better every year.” “I think it’s a great fit. You’ve got a terrific coach out there for Chandler and the style that he is. It’s just the same way. I think it’s a really good match.”"
Although Hutchison didn’t shoot the ball at a high clip during Summer League competition (39.5 percent overall), he did produce averages of 11 points and seven boards per contest while converting 50 percent of his attempts from 3-point-range.
If Hutchison can improve his overall shooting numbers, the Bulls may have nabbed one of the biggest steals in this year’s draft.
Grade: B