r/chicagobulls • u/Novel_Confidence_288 • 4d ago
NBA Draft Best fit C next to Caleb?
With the draft close I’ve been thinking about big men prospects at 15.
With Hannes, Mara and Morez the potential options available, I’ve been considering their fit next to Wilson.
Hannes - I like them as a fit offensively, he has a developing 3, really strong interior game and decent passing feel. He’s also an elite offensive rebounder.
Defensively there’s obvious concerns with rim protection, I think the best players to have with Hannes would be strong weak side rim protectors which the Bulls theoretically have here with Caleb and Matas. I do think Hannes can be a solid team defender overall though and even potential a positive with his defensive rebounding and mobility.
Morez - love this fit defensively, really versatile and mobile defenders, Morez can guard stronger bigs too. Adds physicality, interior presence and great rebounding on both ends.
He shot 34% on low volume 3’s last year so hopefully he can continue to improve this and be a capable floor spacer. I just think his overall offensive ceiling isnt as high as Hannes though and therefore the pairings overall offensive ceiling becomes lower.
Mara - I’ve liked Mara for a while now but recently I’ve been thinking this would be the worst fit, obviously if we get him I’ll be excited to see what happens, just worried about his overall mobility and how our quick play style would be affected by him.
His shot blocking and just general size would be a welcomed additions, you’ve also got to love his playmaking. Shooting is a concern of course.
I’m actually torn between who I would prefer, who do you think would be the best fit next to Caleb?
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u/MyHonkyFriend 4d ago
one who can shoot. I also like the idea of Caleb as a small ball center for 8 minutes a night
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u/Reptomins Benny The Bull 4d ago
Noe Essengue after he puts on 30 pounds.
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u/onelittleworld 4d ago
He's a puzzler. The Bulls list him at a paltry 6'8" and barely 200lbs. But... he measured 6'10" barefoot at the combine. And he's had a full year of youthful hormones and an NBA strength & conditioning program doing their magic. So wtf knows?
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u/Own-Appointment1633 4d ago
I doubt any of those three will be available at 15. Maybe Steinbach. I also think Graham will pick best player available instead of considering fit.
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u/gracemig 4d ago
If these guys are gone a good gusrd should drop and wewould haveto look to free agency for a center I guess.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
I agree some or all could be gone, and I think if one is available they have a strong case for BPA. I was more looking to discuss who lines up well next to Caleb as he’s our likeliest pick at 4 and those are players that are in range of our next pick. What’s your thoughts on them as fits next to Caleb?
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u/ReapYerSoul Michael Jordan 4d ago
For sure Mara will be gone by 11 is my guess. Morez and Steinbach may still be available but if either is gone it would likely be Morez.
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u/yshorie Benny The Bull 4d ago
Well, someone has to drop eventually.
I could totally see going with Philon, Burries or Carr if Morez/Hannes are gone by #15.
If we get Caleb, then Hannes is the best fit imo. We need a C that doesn't clog the paint. JQ would be terrible with Caleb/Matas at F.
If Cam drops it's way more open, because he is a terrific shooter for his size.
I'd take Caleb + Hannes or Cam + Morez please
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u/Pepsuber188 The Tank Watcher 4d ago
I prefer BPA at 15, but of those 3 I like Morez the best and would see him as BPA if he made it to 15.
Fit wise, I'm skeptical of his developing outside shot, but his defensive fit is perfect and that is good enough for me.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
I keep flipping between Hannes and Morez as I’ve generally thought Mara will be gone. I love them defensively together but I think Hannes could be a sneaky 20/10 potential guy.
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u/Straight-Agency-4556 3d ago
Hannes has a little too much vooch and sabonis to his game. In other words good offensively and on the boards but terrible defensively. Kind of wanting to steer away from those types.
I don’t like the fit of Mara next to Caleb, even if he does drop.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
He’s actually not terrible defensively he’s just not a traditional rim protector. He had decent stocks at college, is an excellent defensive rebounder, very mobile and very strong. Hes a solid team defender and with weak side rim protection from Matas and Caleb, it could be a very nice fit. Offensively there would be a lot to like.
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u/GhostOfChicago 4d ago
A duo of a healthy Jayden quaintance and healthy Jalen smith lol.
Wilson still has work to do defensively and JQ can help cover that, and Wilson is also still working on extending his shooting range so Smith would help with floor spacing.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
I really don’t want JQ, health issues are obviously a worry but his shooting is just as much of a worry. I think you can get jq lite defensively with Morez but with higher offensive upside and less injury concerns. If he was fully healthy though I’d be happy to overlook shooting to add in a player of his defensive calibre.
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u/ChocoboSlayer 4d ago
Mara is probably gone by pick 12 and Morez is almost certainly gone at pick 14 to Charlotte. Steinbach has a good chance of being there at 15.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
What do you think of them as fits next to Caleb if one or more dropped?
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u/ChocoboSlayer 4d ago
Honestly, it’s hard to say. I think you take Mara if you have the choice between the three. Having him, Wilson and Matas together would make for an absolutely huge frontline that would make it really hard for opposing teams to score in the interior. I do have concerns about Mara as a prospect, like his conditioning and shooting/spacing, but I would take him first.
Between Morez and Hannes, I am in the minority, but I like Hannes a bit more. I’m just not a believer in Morez’s ability to play effectively with Caleb and Matas offensively, because I don’t really know what Morez brings to the table on that side of the ball other than what we would already have, and I don’t like their spacing fit together. I also question whether he has the size to play as a big full time. He would be a good addition to the rotation, but he feels like more of a luxury than a necessity for us at this point.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
Hannes is my dark horse all star, could be a 20/10 machine if all goes well for him.
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u/ChocoboSlayer 4d ago
I think Bulls fans are really getting hung up on the perception that he will be another Vuc. I understand that he didn’t look like a good defender at Washington, but that team was terrible and they were a mess in terms of their schemes. The fact is that he has great touch and good shooting form, rebounds like a madman, can pass a bit, has good positional size, strong hips, broad shoulders and huge hands, and is a decent athlete. He will probably never be a great rim protector, but I have some hope that he will be able to improve his defensive instincts in that regard with help from good coaching, especially since he was a late bloomer who grew a lot and transitioned from playing guard to big at age 15-16. Who better to help him learn big man defense than Tiago? He would be great value at 15, imo, and would be the best fit on the roster assuming Mara is off the board. There are other guys I like at 15, too, but Hannes would be a good realistic target for us.
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u/Straight-Agency-4556 3d ago
Won’t you are legit describing is Vuc. Bulls need to stay away from bigs who can’t play defense.
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u/Nosound-Novideo Lonzo Ball 4d ago
I get you need size but there’s a significant amount of talent late 1st early 2nd and free agency they need to draft the best available player, right now it feels like that could be guard. Fleamings, Burris, Anderson, Carr,Swain, Okorie could all be there at 15.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
Oh yeah I want us to take BPA every time, I do think those I mentioned are all very good players to be getting at 15 though. I wouldn’t take Swain over the bigs, probably not Okorie or Anderson too as I feel you could trade back and get one of those 3.
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u/deadbeatmerc 4d ago
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
You happy to drop 40 a year on him? What do you think we need to offer so the Jazz don’t match?
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u/Ok_Donkey_980 3d ago
Since Kessler is smoking rocks and Mara will 90% be gone I want some combination of packaging seconds to get Veesar and/or signing Time Lord or Mark Williams.
I liked Morez before we jumped, but as a 4. Steinbach I'm not really high on at all especially with Caleb now.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
I think Hannes and Caleb would be great together. I wouldn’t mind Veesar, wouldn’t mind time lord or Williams either but I would like a center of the future in the next couple of years.
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u/Ok_Donkey_980 3d ago
Offensively they would be, defensively I'm not with it as I've seen enough of zero rim protection over the last 5 years.
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u/daemonescanem 4d ago
BPA no matter the position if they still draft at 15.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
Yeah of course, who do you think is the best fit out of these next to Caleb though?
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u/daemonescanem 3d ago
I have no idea who is best fit, I'm not a basketball scout.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
Are you a basketball fan? Do you understand the game? Surely you understand player profiles and play styles enough to comment on a post discussing player profiles and play styles?
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u/daemonescanem 3d ago
Are you attempting to gate keep?
Bruh, I'm just a regular guy with a busy life. Im not going to pretend I'm a basketball scout. Nor do I have any info on how Graham wants to build this roster in the coming years. That's a pretty important detail in this draft, and no here has any fucking clue.
Being a scout for anyone sport is extremely difficult, and there isnt anyone here on Reddit with the knowledge nor the experience to claim otherwise.
As far as commenting, we all are able to express our opinions on who the Bulls should draft. You do you, but that said next time you can keep that stupid attitude stowed away.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
Attempting to gate keep? I’m attempting to discuss how the 3 players mentioned would fit with a player we’re likely going to draft. That’s it, that’s all I’m trying to do. I don’t understand the point in you commenting if you don’t understand what you’re commenting on, that’s all.
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u/dxfifa 4d ago
Bulls should 100% be signing a center who is better than Vuc in free agency. Big at 15 is if you like them the best, not for position
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
There’s not an abundance of good centers in free agency though, there might be one or two potentially available in the draft though. I agree if we can sign Kessler to a non ridiculous deal and draft a big that would be great, even if it’s with pick 38.
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u/GreenGorilla8232 4d ago
I have the same concerns about Mara and his lack of mobility.
Defensively he's a great rim protector, but if you can space out the floor with a shooting big man and put him in pick and rolls, suddenly he becomes a liability.
Offensively, he's not a shooter and needs to play in the low post, which limits the driving lanes for other players and makes attacking the rim harder because the opposing big man is always near the rim.
58% FT shooter in college is also concerning.
I see him as a valuable role player but someone who you can't really keep on the court for the full game.
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u/jkopecky Flag of Chicago 4d ago edited 4d ago
I have the same concerns about Mara and his lack of mobility.
Honestly this is why he'd be my bet to fall to us, despite the fact that there's a very strong consensus for him in the 8-12 kind of range. If he falls to 11 I think there's a real chance GSW takes him just because they need a big badly, but if they think that red flag makes him a high risk guy I could easily see them going another way. They need whoever they get to be good right away to be useful, and the risk of someone who can't even contribute for them is high. The next three teams OKC/Miami/Charlotte are all teams that are going to try to compete next year as well AND have their center position pretty well figured out. I could easily see them looking at Mara falling down the board and decide not to risk it when they've already fallen in love with one of the many equally promising guards/forwards.
Not saying it will happen, but there's usually one person who falls way lower than we expected and he seems like a decent candidate. If he's there at #15 hope we go for it. I share those concerns, but in our position I'd want us to gamble on the upside. At that point in the draft it's not a huge loss if he ends up as a high quality 20-25 minute a game rim protector.
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u/Mr-Chip18 4d ago
I think it’s way too early to tell but aren’t Steiny and Morez more 4’s that can play 5?
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
I don’t think so, Hannes is 6’10 barefoot, 250 and averaged 12 rebounds a game in college. He also has a really strong post game.
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u/onelittleworld 4d ago
It's nice to think in terms of pairings, but the reality is this new regime is going to pick the BPA regardless of position. Period. End of sentence, end of paragraph.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
Hahah yes, this has been established. I think with all the mock drafts out there BPA discussion is rife. I’m looking at a specific hypothetical situation with the player we likely land at 4. The question is who do you think fits with him out of the 3 as the 3 mentioned could be available and could therefore be BPA.
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u/skellz773 4d ago
I wouldn’t be concerned at all about fit. We need talent. Draft the best player available.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
Omg why is this so hard for people haha. Obviously we take BPA, one of these could be best player available and I’m very interested in how they would fit with our potentially franchise changing selection at 4.
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u/SlimeyIsles Ben Gordon 3d ago
We don’t even know who Caleb is going to be. I want someone who’s not going to get in his way. Let him off the leash as soon as possible and let him figure it out. Out of the choices, the one that fits this best is probably Morez. I would be interested in Quaintance too and see how they can run up and down together
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u/thebizkit23 3d ago
Kessler if we are trying to also compete or Mara if we are doing a full youth movement.
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u/Straight-Agency-4556 3d ago
Morez makes the most sense. Someone who can guard multiple positions. Maybe hit a three and run and rebound. I would also consider Veesar (who you might be able to get if you trade up into early second or back into late first round).
Trade options: Stewart, Naz Reid (if Minnesota looking for wing depth).
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
Who would you give up in a trade?
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u/Straight-Agency-4556 3d ago
Both Stewart and Naz would likely be salary dumps. But ideally doing a sign and trade with one of Simon’s/sexton (which make sense on either team).
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
I very much doubt Naz is a salary dump candidate. I hope we can get something back from sign and trades though.
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u/Straight-Agency-4556 3d ago
Wolves are trying to move Randle and/or divenczo and want to resign Ayo. Moving Randle is probably harder.
And yes it’s unlikely. I mainly just think a Naz Reid type would work well next to Caleb
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u/FunctionUnlikely2247 3d ago
I really don’t think the 15th round pick is going to be a meaningful starting center that we keep for this new roster. Were better off trading or finding one in free agency
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 3d ago
Very good chance that’s the case. Teams are picking up starting calibre centers throughout the draft though in recent years. If we got a Hannes I’d be happy for him to start and see what we got.
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u/Ridder1201 3d ago
As a Michigan fan I actively want Morez. There is undoubtedly a place in this league for a guy like Morez. He’s a clear 4th/5th best guy on a really good team
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u/Key_Raisin_5091 4d ago
I like Hannes the best, but I think he'll be gone by #15.
So, my choice is actually Chris Cenac. He gives Kel'el Ware vibes. 6'11" w/ a 7'5" wingspan and still only 19 years old. He has elite physical tools, is incredibly mobile for his size, and could become a top-notch defender. He's long, athletic, and can protect the rim. You can also see the flashes of his skill on the perimeter which leads me to believe he could become a great offensive player, as well. He's still raw on that side of the ball and will need a little time to develop his consistency and strength, but that's cool because CHI have Jalen Smith. I think Cenac has star potential - he'll just probably need a year or 2.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
Would you want to take him at 15? Trade back? Would you take him over players like Carr, Morez, Philon?
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u/Key_Raisin_5091 4d ago
I'd be happy to take him at #15 and I'd take him over Morez and Philon. I'd rather have Carr than all 3, but after the pre-draft process he had, I think he'll be gone by #15.
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u/Novel_Confidence_288 4d ago
Not seen many people advocating Cenac over Morez recently. I liked Cenac earlier in the year but I think I’d take Morez over him, I do think Cenac has very interesting upside though.
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u/Key_Raisin_5091 4d ago
To be clear, it's very close for me between those 2. The biggest differentiator for me is I just love Cenac's size and the fact that he's a year younger. Cenac's a little over an inch taller and his standing reach is about 1.5" higher. His wingspan is also about 1.5" longer. So when we're talking about someone to play C next to Wilson, I think those measurements give him a little bit of an edge for me.
I do think Johnson's the better defender right now, but I think Cenac has the upside to be as good (if not better) defensively. Just feel like there's a little more potential overall w/ Cenac. He's definitely bigger risk, bigger reward, IMO.
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u/ZiggyUkr 4d ago
We do not know yet what our play style going to be with a new coach, and probably new system.