2014 NBA Mock Draft: An in-depth look at both rounds
By Joe Nardone
Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
19. Chicago Bulls – Jusuf Nurkic, C, Bosnia
H: 6′ 11″ W: 280 lbs DOB: 08/23/1994
2013-14 Eurocup, Adriatic, Croatia (58 GP) 10.9 PPG 5.0 RPG 0.8 APG 29.9 PER
Hashtag draft and stash. I was between Tyler Ennis, Kyle Anderson, and Cleanthony Early with this pick, but felt:
- A) They won’t take Ennis, they believe in the return of Derrick Rose (PS. both G-Unit and Dipset came back before Rose).
- B) I’m just not convinced Anderson can become the type of defensive player that Tom Thibodeau would want with this pick, and if Rose does indeed come back, Anderson isn’t nearly as effective playing off of the ball.
- C) Early is kind of like a Jimmy Butler/Luol Deng hybrid, meaning he’s extremely athletic and can defend like an animal, but already plays a position that they have plenty of depth in (I’m aware they don’t have Deng, but we’re assuming they now have T.J. Warren).
The Bulls are rumored to be big time players in free agency this year, so I could see them either dealing this pick, or going foreign, and if they do, Jusuf Nurkic makes a lot of sense for them. Nurkic is already drawing comparisons to T’Wolves center Nikola Pekovic, as he’s a big body with great hands, but is still a year or two away from coming to America. The jury’s still out on Nikola Mirotic, but he’s expected to join the team this year and be a major contributor. If he isn’t, Nurkic could be a great complement to Joakim Noah in the frontcourt. — Jared