2014 NBA Redraft: A tale of two big men and two missed picks

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#11 Pick: Jusuf Nurkic (Originally: Doug McDermott)

This pick originally belonged to Denver, who flipped it and Anthony Randolph for two upcoming picks in this draft and a future second-round pick. The Bulls were looking for someone who could contribute to an already loaded roster and selected Doug McDermott. Since Tom Thibodeau notoriously does not play rookies, taking someone who needs to learn on the bench a little longer makes some sense.

Conveniently, the best player available fits this bill. Jusuf Nurkic feels like he belongs on the Bulls of this era, a hulking seven-footer who would fit the rotation perfectly. Nurkic slowly came along in Denver before perfectly growing in his role in Portland.

Over his three seasons in Portland, Nurkic averaged 15.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 blocks per game. Being able to go from Joakim Noah — still in his prime — to Nurkic on the bench would have been tough for any team to keep up with physically.

Adding shooting may make more sense, but McDermott was not ready for that role. Dario Saric may make some sense over Nurkic in an attempt to modernize this team, but Nurkic fits the mentality too well to be passed up on again.

With the twelfth pick in the 2014 NBA Redraft, the Philadelphia 76ers select…

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