Chicago Bulls: 2020 NBA Mock Draft 1.0
PF Paul Reed, DePaul
The Chicago Bulls reaching (a little) and plucking the kid from a Chicago school? You’re damn right!
Yeah, I’m a DePaul fan so this is biased. I am also the first to admit that they sucked it up when it came to in-conference this year. However, Paul Reed was awesome to watch and is my favorite kind of athlete: tall, lanky, and plays angry.
Reed is a lot like Wendell Carter Jr., where he is undersized (6-9) at the center position but plays it well, especially defensively in the paint. Where Carter has on-court intelligence and passing, Reed has above-average athleticism, speed, and verticality.
Ranked as the #10 power forward in the 2020 class (#50 overall) by ESPN, Reed could end up falling in the laps of Karnisovas and Eversley, and turn out to be the player they didn’t know they wanted.
I think Reed could slide into the backup forward spot after Thaddeus Young ends up leaving (most likely via trade) and time in the G-League. A backup frontcourt of Reed and Daniel Gafford could be interesting.
The Good
Reed was the leader on a DePaul team that couldn’t get things together but had the ability to play really hot in stretches. He was the anchor of the Blue Demon defense, averaging 2.6 blocks and 1.9 steals per game while averaging a double-double (15/10).
Reed can run in transition, catch lobs, do some work in the post and shoot the occasional jumper, so his offensive game can keep the opposing defenses guessing. His rebounding at 10.7 per game could compliment not just Gafford, but Carter and Lauri Markkanen as well when he is paired with either of them.
Reed is consistent at the free-throw line, knocking down nearly 74 percent of his attempts (2.8 per contest) and, like Avdija, shoots over 50 percent from the field
Reed could be a better defender than almost any prospect that goes in the first round due to his length and jaw-dropping instincts.
The Not So Good
Reed doesn’t have a tremendous amount of faith in his jump shot which leads to him not using it too often, and his 3-point percentage (30.8) leaves a lot to be desired. Reed can sometimes look out of place in general in the half-court so his offense can be out of control, oftentimes resulting in a turnover.
His aggressiveness on defense can also get him into foul trouble, which can be explained by his three fouls per game in his junior season.
I also have doubts about how well he can make an NBA roster if he doesn’t develop his offensive game. Modern power forwards need to be able to shoot jumpers at a respectable clip and find an open man, and Reed’s game needs to include a lot more of those qualities if he wants a spot the Bulls frontcourt.
There is a chance that his upside may see him taken before the Bulls even pick at 44. The Bulls could also choose to go point guard with Kris Dunn likely pricing himself out of town and Ryan Arcidiacono only playing in spots.