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2017 NBA Draft: Top point guard prospects for the Chicago Bulls

By Carlos Nazario

Dec 11, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) calls a play against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Nevada defeated Washington, 87-85. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Markelle Fultz (20) calls a play against the Nevada Wolf Pack during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Nevada defeated Washington, 87-85. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

De’Aaron Fox, Kentucky (6-foot-4, 185 pounds)

In this era of one-and-done, Kentucky head coach John Calipari has done a great job recruiting top prospects and getting them NBA-ready. He continues to succeed in the NCAA Tournament, and his kids continue to succeed in the NBA.

The latest in the line of top players is Fox. Fox was instrumental in helping the Wildcats have not only one of the best offenses (ranked 12th) and defenses (ranked 7th) in the nation. He boasts a 6-foot-7 wingspan, and his size and strength are tremendous.

One of the Bulls’ troubles last season was their ability to run an up-tempo offense. This is something Hoiberg is known for, but he didn’t have the pieces to run it. Fox is a great player who fits into a Hoiberg up-tempo offense and who can run it effectively.

Fox’s speed and quickness make it difficult for defenders to square him up. Add to that his explosive leaping ability and he can get to the rim consistently. Furthermore, while he looks like he needs to strengthen up, he takes contact well at both ends of the court.

Fox’s speed is something teams salivate over. It helps him be effective in both transition and half court. He ranked first among power conference players in fast break scoring (5.9 points). In the half court, 55 percent of his shots were at the basket despite opposing defenses planning to defend his drives. He is an incredibly elusive player.

While Lonzo Ball gets all the attention for both his play and his father’s mouth, Fox continues to put in the work to get ready for the NBA. Some scouts are even ranking him higher than Ball.

Fox has the perfect attitude the Bulls look for — he is just as happy shutting opponents down as he is with scoring; He also has great confidence in himself without sounding too cocky.

"Defensively, I feel like I’m definitely the best guard in the draft. I’m confident in myself. For me, it’s not about offensive scoring, I want to shut the other guy down."

If Paxson and general manager Gar Forman want Hoiberg to succeed with the Bulls, they need to give him the tools to run his offense. Drafting Fox would be a great step in doing that.

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