2019 NBA Mock Draft: The Lakers are finished
24. . F. Duke. Cam Reddish. 4. player
Are we underrating the potential that the Bulls already found their point guard? It is the position most Chicago fans seem to want their team to target with this pick, and certainly, the potential of Ja Morant may be too strong to pass up if they land in a spot to get him. However, with the Bulls winning more lately behind Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen, it’s unlikely they vault into the top three of the reverse standings. In that case, they will be looking at lesser options such as Darius Garland or Romeo Langford, neither of whom is worth grabbing over Reddish.
Here’s why: Ryan Arcidiacono is really good. The 24-year-old, arriving fresh from the first Villanova championship run, took a little to arrive but his game is super efficient and fits nicely within Chicago’s young infrastructure. In the high pick-and-roll, Arcidiacono is actually one of the best playmakers in the league, very rarely turning the ball over and generating an elite 1.1 points per possession, per Synergy. In fact, he has over four assists for every turnover this year to pair with an above-average 58.9 true shooting percentage.
The Bulls are still starting Kris Dunn, likely because they want to keep the dream of the Jimmy Butler trade alive, but Arcidiacono is at the very least a solid third guard at this stage and clearly better than Dunn. The Villanova product will be a restricted free agent this summer but considering the depth at point guard across the league, they should be able to get him back for a reasonable price.
It follows, then, that Chicago would take Reddish to join their young forward rotation rather than another guard.