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Chicago Bulls 2017 NBA Draft: Team linked to former five-star prospect Hamidou Diallo

By Dan Schmelzer

Dec 18, 2016; Ft. Meyers, FL, USA; Putnam Science Mustangs gaurd Hamidou Diallo (3) handles the ball against St Anthony Yellowjackets during the first half at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Ft. Meyers, FL, USA; Putnam Science Mustangs gaurd Hamidou Diallo (3) handles the ball against St Anthony Yellowjackets during the first half at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bulls are reportedly among the most interested teams in exciting 2017 NBA Draft prospect Hamidou Diallo.

As things currently stand, the Chicago Bulls hold the 16th and 38th overall picks in the 2017 NBA Draft. With both selections, they need to find a way to find potential impact young talent to add to their mix. The Bulls do not have a ton of draft capital but this draft class is loaded with more talent than most years.

According to Adam Zagoria of Sportsnet New York, the Bulls are among the teams most interested in guard Hamidou Diallo, one of the most naturally gifted athletes in the 2017 NBA Draft class.

Diallo is a ridiculous athlete who was a top-tier five-star recruit. Unsurprisingly, Diallo committed to play for John Calipari at the University of Kentucky and was expected to be a premier player for the program. Unfortunately, Diallo was never able to get on the court for the Wildcats.

Despite not playing a minute of college basketball, Diallo is flirting with the NBA. His raw talent alone is enough to get teams interested and he showed it off at the scouting combine. At the combine, Diallo put up a ridiculous 44.5-inch max vertical leap, leading all players. On top of his ridiculous athleticism, Diallo is also one of the fastest players in the class.

A quick and explosive player, Diallo is always a threat with the ball in his hands. He can get to the rim with ease and knows how to finish with both power and finesse. To get an idea of Diallo’s ability as a player, check out this exciting highlight reel:

It is easy to see why the Chicago Bulls and many other teams are interested in Diallo. He has a ton of natural upside based on his explosive athleticism alone. That being said, he also comes with obvious concerns.

Diallo has not played in over a year and there simply is not as much to go off of compared to other players in the draft. Sure, his upside is exciting but taking Diallo also comes with a ton of risk. Plus, at 6-foot-5, he does not have ideal size for a two-guard. Diallo’s near seven-foot wingspan obviously helps but he may struggle with size at the next level.

On top of that, Diallo is a poor outside shooter. He has not shown the ability to hit a jump shot with any sort of consistency and that will hurt him at the next level. He can fly to the rim and make plays with the best of them. But if Diallo cannot be any sort of a threat on the outside, he is going to struggle to make a consistent impact at the next level.

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DraftExpress ranks Diallo as their 42nd ranked prospect. That means taking him at 16 would be a massive reach. However, if the Bulls want to swing for the fences, Diallo at 38 would certainly make some sense.is lack of experience and inability to hit an outside shot makes Diallo an extremely poor fit for the Bulls. This team needs players who can stretch the floor and make plays on the outside. Diallo’s athleticism is exciting but I do not see a strong fit here.

That being said, his lack of experience and inability to hit an outside shot makes Diallo a poor fit for the Bulls. This team needs players who can stretch the floor and make plays on the outside. Diallo’s athleticism is exciting but I do not see a strong fit here.

Even if Diallo decides to stay in the draft (he is still considering a return to Kentucky), the Bulls would probably be better off looking in another direction.

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