The Season of the Tank has mercifully reached it’s conclusion: With the 7th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Wendell Carter Jr. of Duke, and, at 22nd overall, they selected Chandler Hutchison of Boise State.
It was a good night for the Chicago Bulls. In Carter, they drafted a young, talented, unselfish big man to run along side Lauri Markkanen. In Hutchison, they now have a long, athletic wing ready to step in and contribute.
It was a safe night for the Chicago Bulls. They didn’t jeopardize their future draft picks or salary cap space by trading up. They didn’t risk alienating the fan base by trading down. They avoided injury plagued Michael Porter Jr. They didn’t chase after flashy point guards Trae Young or Collin Sexton. The Bulls stayed in their lane, picking two players that work hard and produce. Based on their physical traits and college production, both Carter and Hutchison should have long and successful NBA careers.
It was a good night for this Chicago Bulls fan. If you’ve read last weeks Big Board post, you’ll know I am pretty high on Wendell Carter Jr. I’m even on record as saying he will be better than #1 pick DeAndre Ayton. Happily, we get to see my basketball genius play out on the Bulls home court. Hyperbole and speculation aside, Carter was an excellent passer and rebounder for Duke. He was a first-class finisher around the rim, and he hit a high percentage of the 3 pointers he took. He was a good rim protector, but struggled when defending opponents on the perimeter. Bulls fans should be very excited that Wendell Carter Jr is playing for us. He is the kind of low maintenance, high IQ player that can fit with any scheme or any teammate. And now, The Obligatory Highlight Video…
It was a boring draft for Chicago Bulls fans. There were no surprises for us tonight. Picks 1-6 ran DeAndre Ayton, Marvin Bagley III, Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson Jr, Trae Young, and Mo Bamba. Super pedestrian, with very little variation from most mock drafts, leaving Carter there at #7. Thankfully, 4 year Duke star and man of questionable integrity, Grayson Allen, was scooped up by the Utah Jazz with the 21st pick, making it nearly impossible for the Bulls to screw up pick 22. All the rumors surfacing after the Draft Combine, claiming Chandler Hutchison was promised to be picked by the Bulls, proved true.
It was a happy night for Chandler Hutchison. He played 4 seasons of college basketball for Boise State. He struggled his first couple seasons, but came into his own during his junior and senior years. While he didn’t play against the greatest collegiate competition, his talent and skill towered above the majority of his opponents. It will be fascinating to see if he can be as effective against NBA talent as he was against the Mountain West Conference. I think Hutchison can be an adequate player for the Bulls. It will probably take him some time to adjust to the speed of the NBA game, but once he does, he will fit in with the Bulls scheme and team. Once again, The Obligatory Highlight Video…
The future is bright for the Bulls. The additions of Carter and Hutchison fill out the young core of Markkanen, Zach LaVine, and Kris Dunn; Two years from now, that could be the new starting lineup (Hell, it might be the new starting lineup halfway through this upcoming season). Starting Saturday July 7th, you can expect to see both Carter and Hutchison in Summer League action for the Bulls. And you can expect me to write all about it. I can’t wait! Thanks for reading. Go Bulls!
Before I go… Congratulations to Donte Ingram, formerly of the Loyola Ramblers! While he went undrafted, he appears to have been invited to join the Chicago Bulls Summer League team. He’s got a great upside and he hails from what is, historically, the BEST Basketball University in Illinois. Go Ramblers!
Sources: Undrafted Loyola Chicago forward Donte Ingram has committed to summer league with the Chicago Bulls.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2018
RokDeez Bulls Blog 
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