2019 NBA Redraft: Zion, Ja and Garland battle for top pick
player. 24. . Guard. Chicago Bulls. Jordan Poole. 7
Original Pick: Coby White, North Carolina
Any basketball fans who watched the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs this season will think this placement for Jordan Poole is insane, and they might be right. He bounced everywhere from No. 6 to No. 16 in earlier versions of this redraft before ultimately landing seventh. Let’s make the case.
The most valuable skill for a player to have in the NBA is on-ball creation for himself and others. For all that he seemed to forget how to dribble in the playoffs this season, Poole has the craft to gain separation and hit shots from all over the court. He has range well outside the 3-point range, placing him behind just a few players in pull-up shooting. And going back just one season, he averaged 17 points on highly-efficient shooting for a team that won the NBA Finals. How many players in this draft will ever be able to say something like that?
The defense is atrocious, the turnovers can be bad, and he needs to refine his confidence into a slightly better shot diet. Still, on a team that doesn’t have Stephen Curry, Poole’s shooting and creation would be highly valuable.
The Chicago Bulls spent much of the past four seasons wanting more from their highly-drafted point guard. In Jordan Poole they would get plenty of scoring and shooting, juicing their offense and giving them a high-level sixth man in a universe where Lonzo Ball stayed healthy.