Bulls Select Bobby Portis At No. 22 In NBA Draft
By Cody Westerlund--
(CBS) The Bulls entered the NBA Draft on Thursday evening with the understanding that sitting at No. 22, the value was likely to lie in a backcourt player rather than a big man.
So when they saw a run of nine straight point guards and wings go just before them, the Bulls were surprised.
They were also happy, though, because it allowed them to select Arkansas forward Bobby Portis, a 6-foot-11, 246-pounder who was the SEC Player of the Year in 2014-'15 and who Chicago's front office viewed as a late lottery talent.
Portis didn't work out for the Bulls prior to the draft, and they spent little time on him the past few days because they thought he'd be gone.
"He's a guy we really think fits our team and the makeup of our team," Bulls general manager Gar Forman said. "We've had people just rave about his work ethic, how hard he plays, his makeup, his character. And we really like his game. He's a big that can play inside and outside. He's got some skill.
"As we saw him start to slip, we got excited about him ... We were thrilled he was there at 22."
Portis averaged 17.5 points and 8.9 rebounds as a sophomore for the Razorbacks last season. He shot nearly 54 percent from the field and was 14-of-30 (47 percent) on 3-points attempts.
Scouting reports generally praise Portis for his high energy and good mobility, and his wingspan is 7 feet, 2 inches. He's a capable shooter for a player of his size, but he lacks the ability to create on his own.
"I'm a guy who's always going as hard as he can, I'm going 100 percent for every possession, for every loose ball," Portis said. "That's the thing that got me here – my hard work."
Portis projects as a power forward, so it's unlikely he'll have a rotation role anytime soon. He'll have to work to earn minutes in a frontcourt that includes Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah, Nikola Mirotic and Taj Gibson. Noah (knee) and Gibson (ankle) were both been hampered by injuries in 2014-'15, though Forman said their health had nothing to do with the decision to choose Portis.
"It's too early to talk about how that's going to play out with the new system that's going to be implemented," new Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said of what role Portis may play.
Hoiberg confirmed he did have a role in the evaluation and selection of Portis and was comfortable with it in his first draft as an NBA coach.
"First and foremost, he moves very well for a kid that size," Hoiberg said. "He's over 6-10. He runs the floor extremely well, which is very important for the pace we're going to want to play with. He's good with the pick-and-roll.
"The thing I'm excited about is his ability to play all over the floor."
A native of Little Rock, Ark., Portis has an interesting backstory, as he overcame a rough upbringing to get to this point. He and his family overcame poverty and violence during Portis' childhood.
The Bulls were widely believed to have been searching for backcourt help entering draft night -- a point Forman didn't deny -- but a run on guards/wings just before they selected helped lead them to Portis.
In the six picks before Chicago selected, three points guards were selected: Terry Rozier to Boston at No. 16, Jerian Grant to Atlanta at No. 19 (he was traded to the New York Knicks) and Delon Wright to Toronto at No. 20. Wings Rashad Vaughn (to Milwaukee at No. 17), Sam Dekker (to Houston at No. 18) and Justin Anderson (to Dallas at No. 21) also went off the board just before Chicago picked.
The Bulls did pass on Duke point guard Tyus Jones at No. 22. He was drafted by the Cavaliers at No. 24 and then traded to the Timberwolves.
Chicago didn't have a second-round pick this year because it parted with it in trading up to draft Doug McDermott in 2014.
Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for CBSChicago.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.
