Offseason review: Did the Bulls get it right with Gafford and White?
Ryan Borja’s review of the Chicago Bulls 2019 NBA Draft
The Bulls had the 7th and 38th overall picks in the 2019 draft. Coby White is a point guard and the Bulls were in need of a point guard. So the interest in White made sense. White was a projected lottery pick and the Bulls took him at №7 while filling an obvious need.
Was he the best player available to the Bulls? Considering he nor anyone from the 2019 class has played an NBA game yet, there isn’t any way to judge this besides Las Vegas Summer League, which isn’t a great way to evaluate talent for long-term projection.
Ultimately, players drafted after White like Brandon Clarke and Tyler Herro impressed throughout Summer League. Maybe trading down would have made more sense for Chicago?
Daniel Gafford was taken with the 38th pick. The Bulls lacked depth at the center position with Robin Lopez on the way out, which is one reason they drafted Gafford. Gafford also was a projected lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Bulls got a lottery talent at pick 38, which is a positive any way you look at it. But then why did a lottery talent drop so far? Clearly, teams didn’t like something. Watching Gafford in Summer League, what stood out the most was his motor.
Gafford has great speed for a big man, but really it was his constant energy on the court that stood out. His skills are really raw, and honestly, the lack of polish in his game explains why he dropped out of the lottery. But his athleticism and motor are two things that will translate into the NBA. Personally, I like Gafford but I am not the biggest fan of drafting centers who are likely to end up being role players.
Centers are not hard to find these days, especially ones with Gafford’s current skill set. Rim-running centers with defensive upside are also generally cheap. The Bulls could have signed someone like Richaun Holmes or Nerlens Noel to the minimum and likely got equal or better production.
From what we have seen so far, the Bulls drafted two players who have skills that should translate to the NBA. They didn’t completely screw this up. They drafted players in ranges where they probably should have been taken. They didn’t reach with White at 7 or Gafford at 38. Personally I rather the Bulls have taken a chance on a wing player with 38th pick, but I don’t mind the pick because Gafford has NBA skills that could help the Bulls in the future.
White for me isn’t the most exciting pick at 7. It is a rather safe and obvious pick for the Bulls. Fill a need, take a player where he is expected to be taken. Nothing overly creative. This is fine, but White seems to be more of a project than a sure thing. The Bulls took a player that will require patience, but I just don’t see such a high ceiling with White. Chicago got NBA players who may be good one day, but a lot of teams can say that after the draft.
