Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Jackpot!

If my name was Jerry Reinsdorf, I'd be buying 100 tickets to play the Illinois Lottery's Mega Millions game.

On the same night his baseball team beat Cleveland Indians starter C.C. Sabathia for the first time at Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field, his basketball team won the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

Despite the odds, which pegged the Bulls with a 1.7-percent chance to land the top pick, the Bulls leap-frogged from the No. 9 position all the way to the chance to grab the impact player of their choice.

So who do you want?

Kansas State forward Michael Beasley was an absolute beast in his one year on campus.

The 6-foot-9-inch future star averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds, leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament. He shot over 53-percent from the field and showed a feathery touch from beyond the arc, making over 37-percent of his 3-point shots.

Beasley is the low-post presence the Bulls have been missing. He's a game-changer who I think will average better than 20 points and 10 rebounds and be a star in the league.

Then there's Memphis point guard Derrick Rose, the Chicago native that averaged 14.9 points and 4.7 assists per game in his only collegiate season.

In the NCAA tourney, Rose averaged 20.8 points and 6 assists for a team that was a few missed free-throws away from winning the NCAA title. If not for the heroics of Davidson's Stephen Curry, Rose would have been the face of The Big Dance, especially after hitting the shot of the tournament.

The Bulls need Rose, who would be next in the line of elite guards that are taking over the basketball world such as Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Steve Nash. His addition would allow General Manger John Paxson to package Kirk Hinrich and/or Ben Gordon in an off-season trade.

But the Bulls need Michael Beasley, too. Chicago's professional basketball team hasn't had a low-post presence since Elton Brand averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in his two seasons in Chicago. Drafting Beasley would allow the Bulls to package either Drew Gooden, Tyrus Thomas or Joakim Noah in a trade.

The best thing about being No. 1 is that the Bulls can't lose!

I'm sure Mike D'Antoni is kicking himself as he looks forward to coaching the Knicks and working with Italian project Danilo Gallinari.

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