Chicago Bulls: Where does Chandler Hutchison fit in?

With the 22nd pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls selected Chandler Hutchinson, but where exactly does he fit in?

It was rumored that Chandler Hutchison was guaranteed a first-round selection by the Chicago Bulls, and was requested to stay out of the limelight in the pre-draft tryouts. And the Bulls did exactly as they said they would with the 22nd overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Remember Scottie Pippen? Jerry Krause, the former Bulls GM was so excited about that kid as a raw NBA prospect alongside Michael Jordan because of his athleticism and size, as well as his consistent production in the minor league of small colleges, with Central Arkansas in the NAIA.

Maybe the brothers’ Paxson and Gar Forman know something we don’t know.

Losing Nikola Mirotic may not be as bad as a blow now if Chandler Hutchinson can turn into a real player on the wing. He may be able to develop into one of the team’s top offensive options if they don’t elect to bring back Zach LaVine.

Chandler Hutchison is from the Mountain West division of the NCAA, and represents the mature and reliable stud player; the player the Bulls normally pick if they don’t take a chance on a freshman phenomenon.

Finishing all four years of college, Hutchison averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals in his senior season for Boise State. He is a 6-foot-7 wing forward with a 7-foot-1 standing reach, but has a light frame at 200 lbs at a young 22 years old, considered as too old for a first round draft pick in today”s NBA.

But Chicago has a tradition of going with mature and skilled players over high risk-high upside picks, GarPax draft guys who have great character and are the best guys at the time they come up during the draft order.

Hutchison’s numbers may go down in the NBA if he is not used as a primary gun like say Zach LaVine, who overlaps Hutchison’s play style and position as a tall guard-point forward wing type.

Take note that Markannen was only able to show his stuff because Bobby Portis was suspended while Nikola Mirotic was injured for a month due to a fight at the start of their season. If Hutchison sits out the first three months, he might regress so the Bulls must play a second unit with this kid getting plenty of development playing time alongside current teammates, Denzel Valentine and Bobby Portis.

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But as part of any future Bench Mob, the nickname ascribed to the Chicago Bulls second unit, Chandler Hutchison plays as aggressive as former Bull Bench Mob pioneer John Salmons.

Paxson may like his 72 percent at the rim consistency, and since coach Fred Hoiberg runs a rim running, share-the-ball motion offense, Hutchison’s fit on the team as a hardworking, hustling wing makes him the sensible pick late in the draft.

If the kid can haul caroms and stay in passing lanes, while running in-your-shorts defense like teammate Kris Dunn, the Bulls look really good to have a young and athletic build for their new look, post Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic.

Some of the Chicago Bulls players like Paul Zipser may be traded soon because of their uncomfortable situation with 25 roster changes in the Bulls; tank season, and it remains to be seen if they can come around and stay to compete for next year, which John Paxson himself promised to be a competitive one for the Hoiberg team.

Is Hutchison worth the loss of Nikola Mirotic? Let’s see come Summer League. He may not be anything like say Donovan Mitchell, but Hutchison should be someone worth the salt of the Chicago Bulls’ scouting team.

If Zipser goes, Hutchison immediately fits inside the second unit and Fred Hoiberg should play him as much as he can, given his run-and-gun attacking game, or the kid gets rusty by December or January. Hutchison may have NBA game already compared to big man prospect Wendell Carter, the Bulls 7th pick in the first round, who at 19 has a raw traditional-post up big man offense.

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Carter may take some time to grow into his center body and find his own NBA skillset because big men traditionally take time to find both chemistry and impact in the faster paced game the NBA is played at right now.

The Summer League, which follows in July, will allow us to get a really good look if wing prospect Chandler Hutchison is worthy of his numbers against NBA competition.

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