The Chicago Bulls Should Select Michael Beasley

Bulls GM John Paxson shouldn't tempt fate. When his team won the NBA Draft Lottery despite a 1.7% chance, he should have taken the hint that the prayers of he and his fan base were going to be answered.

And those prayers were to draft Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.

Beasley is the inside presence that the Bulls and their fans have been clamoring for since the Paxson regime took over for "The Sleuth" Jerry Krause. Paxson would be foolish if he were to let this opportunity fly by.

The 6-8 forward is a natural born scorer who is blessed enough to be able to score in a variety of ways from power post moves to shots from beyond the arc. And statistically, he was better than his point guard counterpart.

"Beastley" averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and shot 53.2% from the field and 37.9% from the 3-point line in his only season in Manhattan, Kan. After his first three college games, No. 30 proved to the world he was worth the hype, averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds.

While Rose dominated the little sisters of the poor...er...Conference USA, Beasley dominated the monsters of the Big 12, leading the Wildcats to a NCAA Tournament berth and a victory over O.J. Mayo's Southern California team.

Against the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks, Beasley averaged 32 points and 8.5 rebounds. He put up 30 points and 15 rebounds in his only appearance against the Texas Longhorns, who bowed out to the national runner-up Memphis in the Elite 8.

He had 13 games in which he scored more than 30 points. He had 2 games in which he scored more than 40 points, including a career-high 44 in a 92-86 loss against Baylor, another NCAA Tournament team.

Lost in all the scoring is the fact that he only had four games in which he didn't grab double-digit boards. In addition, there were only 5 games in which he didn't record a double-double. For those of you who are mathematically challenged (like I am), that means The Manhattan Man-Child posted 28 double-doubles.

That's not sick, that's ill!

In the end, drafting Beasley would allow the Bulls to build from the inside out. They could team Beasley with Joakim Noah and Luol Deng in the front court. They could deal Drew Gooden, Tyrus Thomas and Kirk Hinrich for a proven NBA point guard and keep Ben Gordon at the two-guard.

Speaking of Thomas, the Bulls chose him with the No. 2 pick over the back-to-the-basket presence of fellow former Big 12 star in Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge. Maybe Johnny Jumpshot should learn from his past mistake.

Deal Or No Deal: D-Wade's Homecoming?

The only thing that might prevent Derrick Rose's homecoming party would be the homecoming of a fellow Chicagoan.

One rumor suggests that the Miami Heat might package the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft along with Dwyane Wade in exchange for the No. 1 pick currently held by the Chicago Bulls. From there, the Heat would select Rose.

Last week at The Big Dead Sidebar, I suggested that Bulls GM John Paxson explore all possibilities, including acquiring Rose and Beasley.

That deal might be just a pipe dream, but this rumor just might be the most tempting offer the Bulls will receive before draft day. Don't forget, Wade was the man Paxson wanted in the 2003 draft before Miami scooped him up, leaving Chicago to settle for Kirk Hinrich.

Wade, who starred at Richards High School and Marquette, grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and would be the Bulls' first superstar since Jordan last graced this city in 1998.

The deal would also allow the Bulls to select Kansas State forward Michael Beasley, presenting Chicago with the best case scenario of a star point guard and the low-post scorer Bulls fans have been craving.

Imagine the buzz that would come with teaming the former NBA Finals MVP with the guy who was college basketball's best player despite not winning the award.

How good would the Bulls lineup be if Wade, Thabo Sefolosha, Luol Deng, Beasley and Joakim Noah.

Imagine how much better that lineup could be if the Bulls could trade valuable pieces such as Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Drew Gooden

23 days 'til the Bulls are officially on the clock.

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.