The NBA Draft order is set. Following an unbelievable draft lottery, the Dallas Mavericks, who had a 1.8 percent chance of landing the first overall pick, did just that. Rounding out the top five are the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, and Utah Jazz.
The top four picks appear to be set, with Duke freshman sensation Cooper Flagg unanimously projected to go first, followed by Rutgers’ Dylan Harper, a close second. Next up, Harper’s teammate Ace Bailey is projected to go third, albeit with some mock drafts having him at fourth. Lastly, Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe is entrenched in fourth spot, with some pundits slotting him in at three.
After the top four, things get wonky. SEC guards Jeremiah Fears and Tre Johnson are viewed as top eight prospects, but then variability ensues. ESPN’s first post-lottery mock draft has several Chicago Bulls’ targets going within the top 11. Duke’s Khaman Maluach at seven, South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles at nine, and Maryland’s Derik Queen at 12.
ESPN links BYU’s Demin to Chicago at 12th overall
With Maluach, Murray-Boyles, and Queen off the board, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony links BYU freshman Egor Demin to Chicago. The draft expert spoke warily of Demin, “…more theoretical in nature than some would hope in terms of the productivity, consistency, and bankable skills…” before highlighting Demin’s obscure strengths, “He’s also exceptionally talented, a 6-foot-9 point guard who can make every pick-and-roll read and pass, often in highlight-reel fashion.”
An exceptionally talented, tall point guard sounds very familiar to Bulls fans. That’s because Chicago rosters (barring an unexpected departure in free agency) a 6-foot-8 lead guard in Josh Giddey. Measured at 6-foot-8 (barefoot), without a reliable outside stroke (27.3 percent as a freshman), Demin’s comparisons to Giddey are all too easy to make.
Demin and Giddey’s skill sets overlap
Demin averaged 10.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.9 turnovers per game, suiting up for 33 contests for the BYU Cougars. The 19-year-old shot 41.2 percent from the floor, 27.3 percent from three, and 69.5 percent from the free throw line.
Comparatively, Giddey averaged 10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.1 steals, and 3.3 turnovers as an 18-year-old for the Adelaide 36ers. Giddey shot 42.3 percent from the field, 29.3 percent from downtown, and 69.1 percent from the charity stripe.
The statistical comparison between Demin and Giddey is nearly identical. And, the Aussie and Russian guards’ play style isn’t all too different either. Givony wrote of the now-22-year-old in 2021, “Giddey is one of the best passers in the draft and offers outstanding versatility as a 6-foot-9 guard who can operate on or off the ball, and he should improve as a shooter and defender as his frame fills out and he gains experience.”
Shooting just also happens to Demin’s swing skill, as Givony mentioned the former Cougar’s development will go hand-in-hand with his improving shotmaking. Although tall, with a decent handle, Demin isn’t especially adept at scoring off-the-bounce. He relied on spot-up triples and transition buckets for the bulk of his scoring opportunities.
While Demin’s archetype will forever be intriguing, his fit doesn’t make sense in Chicago, especially if Giddey is retained. Instead, Arizona’s Carter Bryant (14th), Michigan’s Danny Wolf (17th), Ratiopharm Ulm’s Noa Essengue (18th), and Georgia’s Asa Newell (21st) are all better plays, further down Givony’s board.
