[maravich44Participant]

The Chicago Bulls are a team that has built through the draft in recent years. John Paxson has been praised mostly and at times jeered for his drafting prowess. Their nucleus is built around players such as Rose, Thomas, Hinrich, Deng, Noah, etc., all players that were drafted in recent years. This core is the team of the present and the hope of the future. A couple of years ago, the Bulls looked like a team on the rise that would be contending for NBA titles by now. The core group in reality is mediocre by NBA standards, winning 41 games last season and losing its leading scorer (Ben Gordon) through free agency. By looking at the drafts from 2001-Present it’s amazing to think about what could have been. Most teams can make similar statements, but looking back at where the Bulls drafted in those years, and the players that were left on the board, only to have other teams grab them shortly after the Bulls passed.

2001 Bulls draft Eddy Curry at #4 instead of Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson or Richard Jefferson. With the 30th pick, they choose Trenton Hassel over Gilbert Arenas who went on the very next pick.

2002 Bulls pick Jay Williams over Amare Stoudemire. Probably the right thing to to at the time, but how unfortunate! They also drafted Roger Mason at #31 instead of Williams’ Duke teammate Carlos Boozer.

2003 Second round picks Auston and Bonner could have been Steve Blake and Mo Williams or Kyle Korver.

2004 Luol Deng was chosen at #7 instead of Iguodala, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith and Jameer Nelson.

2006 They had 2nd pick in draft and walked away with Tyrus Thomas instead of Brandon Roy or Lamarcus Aldridge. At 13, they chose Thabo Sefolosha over Rondo, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Lowry.

2007 Joakim Noah picked over Al Thornton at pick #9 and in the 2nd roundthey chose James OnCurry over Ramon Sessions.

2008 Derrick Rose looks solid. They finally got one right!

2009 Remains to be seen, but haven’t talked to a single Bulls fan that was pleased with draft, especialy the 26th pick that should have been D. Blair.

Yes it is in inexact science, but one would sure think it would be easier to make the right choice than this history.

[c00l kiddParticipant]

only bad draft they had was 2006, which was the worst draft by paxson’s with his good ol’ boy attitude. I just think that the direction the bulls went with paxson was kinda odd with drafting “winners” like luol deng instead of iggy. also i think skiles set the bulls back just with the players they got. I mean really trade JR smith. Dont forget thabo was a trade for rodney carnery, rather have rodney. just a bad draft overall, actually it was brutal.

[JoeWolf1]

Marcus Fizer with #4 is not good

[ksoezoaooParticipant]

If the Bobcats aren’t the team in the league basement this year, however, who is? Most of last year’s other ho-hum rosters improved this offseason, with Washington adding more veterans, New Jersey adding like a billion dollars’ worth of starting lineup to their payroll, New Orleans adding a Unibrow, and Sacramento bringing in a real point guard and a very talented rookie power forward.

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