Chicago Bulls: Pre-NBA Draft offseason primer, hype manual

This would be considered my best case scenario for the Bulls at pick seven (assuming they don’t make a trade).

I have been a big Jarrett Culver fan for quite some time (and I think the majority of Bulls Twitter is as well). Had the Bulls not tumbled to seventh and maybe stayed at fourth or slipped to fifth, Culver would be a likely target. I thought it was a great thing to see him lead Texas Tech to the NCAA Championships. More national exposure let us really see what the hype was all about.

However, his shooting was off in the tournament and some people probably panicked a little. The Red Raiders rode their wicked defense all the way as they pantsed Michigan, Gonzaga, Michigan State, and nearly stymied Virginia in the title game. Culver did get his points and assists, but shot 35.8% from the floor and was vile from long range (22.6%). Both percentages were far lower than his regular season splits (48.7% and 33.9%, respectively).

So while it is understandable to be a little concerned with his shooting after Tech’s crazy postseason run, Culver is a capable scorer. So don’t read too much into his March. Culver was also relied upon to do his fair share of ball handling. This was a responsibility that Chris Beard saddled him with after his freshman year. Culver showed he was up to the task (not by his assist totals but by his passing).

Now, this by no means should imply that he can be a point guard at the next level, but that he can provide lineup flexibility in the NBA and that he can take some pressure off of LaVine or whoever plays point guard.

The intrigue with Culver is that he would be one of the few two-way players on this roster. Seriously, look around their current roster. Who’s the best two-way player under contract? Wendell Carter Jr.? You’d think, right? But we never saw enough to know he’ll be a playmaker on offense (I think he will; his passing is one of his underrated traits). In fact, I think WCJ is the *only* true two-way player on the team (Porter Jr. might have an argument).

Culver instantly becomes one of the best players on the roster because he can play on both sides of the floor, and that’s something that LaVine or Lauri can’t offer.

His defense will absolutely get Jimbo fired up.