NBA Draft 2016: Predicting rookie busts

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jaylen Brown (California) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number three overall pick to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

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Feb 28, 2016; East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State Spartans guard Denzel Valentine (45) gestures to the crowd during the first half of a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Denzel Valentine

This is a tough pick to judge for the Chicago Bulls. Denzel Valentine has the heart and desire that you would love to see out of a player on the basketball floor, but he doesn’t exactly excel in one particular area.

That’s not to say he’s bad, but he’s average on the floor and he’s going to have to prove early that he’s more than just one of those great college players that couldn’t turn heads in the pros with his abilities.

Even worse for Valentine is that teams were apparently worried about issues with knees. If he can’t see time on the floor because of injury, it’s going to be tough to get him the time that he’s going to need to develop.

Still, there have been plenty of players in the league that have matched this exact mold and have used their heart to become great players in this league. Bulls fans should take comfort in knowing that he’s going to be relentless in trying to become a good player.

If he didn’t have the injury concerns, this would probably be a pick that everyone loved. He’s a great character guy and hopefully he can become a great player in the NBA.

Next: 1. Georgios Papagiannis

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