3. Rookies with impact potential
Thanks to the late-season Nikola Mirotic trade, the Bulls managed to secure a second first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft. With the seventh overall pick, they selected Wendell Carter Jr. out of Duke. Despite playing second fiddle to teammate Marvin Bagley III, Carter finished the season with a near double-double, averaging 13.5 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
Not only is Carter a solid scorer around the rim, but he can also pull up for the occasional 3-pointer as well. He knocked down 41.3 percent of his 56 attempts during his lone season with the Blue Devils and shot 42.9 percent (3-for-7) in Summer League competition.
It is also worth mentioning that Carter can be a defensive presence as well.
Wendell Carter Jr. uses his FULL wingspan for the rejection!#NBASummer pic.twitter.com/uigDkZ8wWW
— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2018
Now that the Bulls have a guy a big man who can get it done at both ends of the floor in the fold, some of the horrific defensive numbers the team posted a season ago should improve somewhat. With the No. 22 pick, the Bulls selected Chandler Hutchison, a player who has the potential to do a bit of everything.
With the No. 22 pick, the #Bulls select... pic.twitter.com/zm0b0Fk6Y9
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 22, 2018
This sentiment holds true in terms of being a perimeter threat, as Hutchison converted 50 percent of his looks from distance in Summer League. Needless to say, both players bring different variables to the table, which should give Bulls fans something to look forward to during the course of the season.