<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the French word for \u201cmeh\u201d?<\/p>\n
Looking to add another player for their up-tempo style, the Bulls took a big swing with the No. 12 pick in the NBA Draft, selecting athletic Frenchman Noa Essengue on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The good? At 6-9, he can guard one through four, has shown elite defensive skills for his team in Germany (Ratiopharm Ulm)and can attack the rim with the best of them in the draft class.<\/p>\n
The bad? He\u2019s raw and is the type of player that Bulls executive vice president Arturas Karnisovas seems to chase too often \u2014 one who needs to add size, physicality and an outside shot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had some calls before the draft,\u201d Essengue, 18, said. \u201cWe just talked to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Bulls must have liked what they heard because Maryland big man Derik Queen as well as a bigger, stronger forward in Carter Bryant were still on the board.<\/p>\n
But much like draft-lottery night, it was more about the misses than the one the Bulls made. Their draft board changed a bit when Collin Murray-Boyles went slightly higher than projected at No. 9. Duke center Khaman Maluach, whom they were high on, was sliding a bit, though. But hope quickly dissolved when Maluach was drafted 10th by the Rockets and traded to the Suns.<\/p>\n
That left the Bulls with Essengue, whom they also had been linked to the last few weeks.<\/p>\n
General manager Marc Eversley admitted that they were discussing moving up with \u201cthree or four teams,\u201d but with the way the board was falling, they stayed put for Essengue.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s the second-youngest player in the draft; he\u2019s a skilled power forward who has the skills to score,\u201d Eversley said. \u201cHe\u2019s excellent in transition, and he can play above the rim. He\u2019s got great hands and a great feel for the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Essengue wasn\u2019t about to dispute that.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefense, offense, I\u2019m going to give it all I got,\u201d Essengue said. \u201cI think my biggest strength is finishing at the basket \u2014 dunks, layups, all that stuff. I think I need to work on my shooting skills.\u201d<\/p>\n
In other words, he\u2019s a project.<\/p>\n
On a roster that is basically completely filled and stuck in mediocrity, it\u2019s not exactly a pick that moves the needle right away.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a good thing that Karnisovas was given that contract extension a few months ago because he\u2019s going to have to start earning it.<\/p>\n
The Bulls have the 15th pick (45th overall) in the second round Thursday and could go with a draft-and-stash, picking a player who has another year overseas. Then the real roster cleanup begins.<\/p>\n
The Sun-Times reported earlier this week that the Bulls were actively looking to package Patrick Williams in a deal this summer, and little on the roster was deemed untouchable.<\/p>\n
Karnisovas undoubtedly will look to extend restricted free agent Josh Giddey at an expected $30 million per year, while Matas Buzelis would have to be pried from the organization for a deal they couldn\u2019t refuse. That\u2019s how highly the Bulls covet Buzelis.<\/p>\n
Everyone else has been discussed, including active conversations for guards Coby White and Lonzo Ball.<\/p>\n
White will not take any extension offer from the Bulls this offseason, opting to play out his contract and test the free-agent market next summer.<\/p>\n
That leaves the Bulls with the decision to prepare to possibly make him a $40 million-a-year player or move off him before he can walk.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a no-brainer for a team that is still trying to get out of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament year in and year out.<\/p>\n
So why not draft a guard with that 12th pick?<\/p>\n
The hope is Essengue can do what Williams hasn\u2019t done enough over the years, and that\u2019s play with urgency and energy. Essengue doesn\u2019t have Williams\u2019 physical build, but he does play a similar role. If the Bulls can develop his offense, especially from the outside, Essengue and Buzelis could be a nice young one-two punch.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a big if. Nothing new for the Bulls on draft night.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The 18-year-old is raw but has a lot of skills and athleticism, especially defensively. Essengue played in Germany last season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":73339,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"yoast_head":"\n