The late-lottery is a tricky spot in selecting a top-tier prospect. Every draft class tends to yield a high-impact player. From Tyrese Haliburton to Jalen Williams, All-Stars are routinely found in the 10-to-14 range, where the Chicago Bulls are projected to pick.
Still, the latter half of the lottery is notorious for duds. Moses Moody is the best player in the 2021 NBA Draft’s 10 through 14 range, while the 2022 iteration yielded Johnny Davis and Ousmane Dieng in back-to-back selections, at 10 and 11.
The Bulls’ projected 13th slot is certainly precarious. There’s a possibility of ideal prospects, such as Duke’s Khaman Maluach, Maryland’s Derik Queen, and South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles, all being off the board by the time Chicago is on the clock. While Jase Richardson, Asa Newell, and Noa Essengue are ancillary options, they don’t fit the Bulls’ biggest needs.
Arizona’s Carter Bryant’s low-usage is reminiscent of Patrick Williams
However, there’s another prospect who’s an ideal fit, rising up draft boards that will surely tempt the Bulls’ Front Office. That’s Arizona Wildcat freshman Carter Bryant. The 19-year-old is a picturesque fit at either forward, standing 6-foot-8, weighing 225 pounds. The Wildcat is a plus-athlete with impressive defensive instincts.
The catch is that Bryant averaged 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.9 steals in 19.3 minutes per game. The freshman started only five games and recorded a 16.4 percent usage rate—the second-lowest among 10 Wildcats to see at least 100 minutes. Carter’s usage rate is only higher than fellow first-round prospect Maluach (16.1), a rim-running, defensive-minded big.
A low-usage, role-playing freshman wing undoubtedly rings a bell for Bulls’ fans. Chicago notably selected Patrick Williams fourth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft. Williams didn’t start a game for the Florida State Seminoles and averaged merely 9.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals in 22.5 minutes per game. Unlike Bryant, Williams recorded a usage rate of 22.2 percent, the second highest on a team that went 26-5.
The similarities between the two are evident, even size-wise. Sure, Bryant’s scouting report tells a different story from the present-day version of Williams. Bryant is a springy athlete, a prototypical 3-and-D wing who’s an adept defensive playmaker.
Entering the NBA, Williams was billed as an explosive athlete, a versatile defender, and even a talented playmaker. Williams’ physical gifts remain evident, yet no one is quick to call the 23-year-old forward one of the best athletes in the NBA. Moreover, Williams has never averaged north of 1.0 blocks or steals per game in the association. As NBADraft.net foresaw in 2020, “being a standout role player type could be his calling,” is on par with what the former top-five pick’s role has evolved into.
After a middling freshman campaign, Bryant could fall into the same boat. The potential is there, but he’s a raw prospect who may never develop into a starting-caliber wing. Selecting Bryant has the potential to yield disastrous results—an avoidable outcome the Bulls should have learned from drafting Williams five years ago.
