Chicago Bulls big board for 2018 NBA Draft

19. Point Guard Jalen Brunson, Villanova

The more I study Jalen Brunson, the more I am in love with the pick at no. 22 for the Bulls. First and foremost, Brunson is a pure winner. The kid has experienced victory no matter where he has played; at every level. Are we seriously talking about a Wooden Award winner dropping to the second half of the first round? Yes, in fact, it’s highly likely.

A lot like the knock on the aforementioned Holiday, Brunson’s size limits him a bit. For Brunson, though, it’s more so his lack of athleticism than anything — but that’s O.K. As I have mentioned recently, one of the more unique scouting reports in the last few years has been that of Stephen Curry, who also got criticized for his lack of athletic ability and average frame.

Watching Brunson at Villanova, I am not worried about him one bit when it comes to the two major aspects of playing the point guard position: Scoring and facilitating. Being able to run a pro offense with poise is something Brunson should jump right into at the NBA-level. As a point guard in today’s league, you need to be able to score as well, which is something he’s accustomed to doing.

Last year with Nova, Brunson averaged 18.9 points per game on 52.1 percent shooting. Also like Holiday, his shooting percentage dipped compared to his prior year due to the amount of threes he took in 2017-2018 — and he knocked them down at a rate of 40.8 percent. Brunson also put up 4.6 assists per game, showing a good feel for working inside and outside while getting the ball where it needs to be.