Pick No. 11: Chicago Bulls select Ron Holland
The Bulls recently traded Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey, which may signify an impending full-on rebuild in Chicago. Next on the list may be Zach LaVine, who has been involved in trade rumors. They aggressively acquired Lonzo Ball, LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic, only to consistently finish around an eighth seed. It’s time for the Bulls to move on from their failed experiment.
Although they potentially could have gotten more along with Giddey in exchange for the coveted two-way guard Caruso, it’s a step in the right direction for the Bulls' franchise. They could have a future backcourt between Giddey and Coby White, and selecting a high-upside wing like Ron Holland would be a great addition to their core going forward.
White is a great player to build around and has emerged this past season, but he’s not a star that will singlehandedly make you a playoff contender. The Bulls need to find that piece in the draft, and of the prospects left on the board, Holland is the best bet. He’s even No. 1 overall on John Hollinger's prospect rankings for The Athletic.
However, Holland comes with significant risk as a draft prospect. As a result, he has been falling in mock drafts lately. The primary and obvious cause for concern with Holland is his shooting. This season with the G League Ignite, he averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 steals on 44/24/76 shooting splits. The swing skill for Holland will depend on whether or not he can develop into becoming at least an average shooter. If not, it will be difficult for Holland to have a consistent role in the NBA.
Despite the risk, the Bulls shouldn't pass up on Holland's two-way upside at this stage in the draft.ck