I just wish there was some way we could make sure we got atleast Rose via a trade to move into the number 2 spot or w/e.. We need him more than anything!

Tyrus Thomas + our pick for whoever has the #1 or #2 pick so we can get Rose....bam. Do it.

why are you guys so quick to push tyrus out the door? we knew coming in he was extremely raw and i think he has improved alot since his rookie year, even since the beginning of the year. i say give him another year, you cant just get energy like that from any player.

why are you guys so quick to push tyrus out the door? we knew coming in he was extremely raw and i think he has improved alot since his rookie year, even since the beginning of the year. i say give him another year, you cant just get energy like that from any player.

I really hope we could get DJ Augustin if we can't get Rose. Augustin is fast enough, with good penetration and great quickness. If we did hire D'Antoni, he'd be a much better option running the run-and-gun offense than Hinrich would.

I would absolutely love to get lucky and get one of the top 2 picks. If we don't get one of those picks, I'm a real big fan of Brandon Rush, but the only way that pickup would make sense is if the Bulls moved a couple of there wings/guards during the off-season.

I think Rush is going to be similar to Brandon Roy (not as good) but in the sense that he was never quite the dominant college player, but he has stuck around college and is a good all around athlete with a very well rounded game who will make an immediate impact within the NBA (he played with so many great players at Kansas that throughout the season while Rush would shine for a couple games, he would also be more quiet because on any given night there was at least one guy on KU that could dominate a game).

I really want Rush as well. But I see him more of an unselfish Michael Redd type but without the quick release and with better size and D. He's a very good shooter. He's very unselfish and maybe he can outgrow that a little bit in the NBA. But he has good size. I'm not so sure he has top notch quickness but you don't need that when you can shoot. He's been well over 40% each of his 3 years from the arc. I saw a draft profile that compared him to Reggie Lewis but I just don't see that. He could become as good a slasher as Reggie but Reggie never had the outside shot that Rush has. That's going to be huge. If he can continue to work on his defense he can use his 6'10" wingspan to become a lock down defender at the guard spot. That with a good outside shot usually guarantees significant playing time.

I've been talking about him for a couple of years now and I can only hope that he ends up on the Bulls. At the beginning of the year many mock draft sites had him going in the 2nd round and I thought they were crazy. He has since moved up.

NBA Draft.net has him falling to 27 to the Hornets and I've seen him as high as 22 to the Magic. I'll say this. If the Hornets get him that's their replacement for Peja when he retires. I could see the Hornets seriously trying to move up in the draft if they have to to get him. They already are poised to win a title or a handful with the young nucleaus they have but if they add Rush I think they'll have the nucleaus to win even after Peja retires or his game declines. If he truly does go at 27 he has to be one of the most underated players in the draft.

I like him too but he's so small. He'd likely be injury prone. But in terms of running around and creating havoc I think he'd do a good job of that. He also had a good shot. Either way, it would be nice to have him as a backup if Duhon leaves.

With D'Antoni, Love's lack of athleticism could pose problems. Although D'Antoni would love his basketball IQ, passing and ability to stretch the defense, Love struggles to play the up-and-down game. A pure point guard such as Texas' D.J. Augustin, who has modeled his game on Nash's, might be a better pick.

If we get the 9th or 10th pick and we can't trade up what should we do? Should we take the best player available or the position that we need? I've seen some draft boards have us taking Kevin Love, some Randolph, and some Danilo Gallinari.

If we do get the pick who do we take. I've watched Danilo Gallinari on several NBATV specials and he looks pretty good. But he's probably not a PF. He's more of a SF with great range on his jump shot. I'm a huge Deng fan but if we take him we have to trade either Nocioni or Deng. That is of course if Deng doesn't move to SG (which I don't think he'll ever do). Gallinari's coach has already said that he thinks Gallinari will be better than either of the 2 italian's taken in the past 2 years (Bargnani & Marco Bellineli who was taken 18th last year).

If we do indeed get D'Antoni and we do get the 9th or 10th pick I'd say that it's safe to assume we are going to take either Gallinari, Randolph, or possibily DJ Augustin. Gallinari b/c of his ability to create matchup problems with his 6-9 (6'10) frame, his ballhandling abilities, and his great outside shot, Randolph for his rediculous length and athleticism, or Augustin for his ability to run a high paced offense.

Just want to say, I have no faith in Paxson to make a good pick, no matter the slot. Watch us get #2, someone takes Rose first, and we pass on Beasley for DeAndre Jordan or Jerryd Bayless. Or, we'll pick Beasley and trade him to the Grizzlies for Randolph and Aaron McKie or something.

I'd spiff a brick if we got anywhere below number 7. We may have a shot at OJ Mayo though, with his recent news about the money issue.. I don't know though.

Just want to say, I have no faith in Paxson to make a good pick, no matter the slot. Watch us get #2, someone takes Rose first, and we pass on Beasley for DeAndre Jordan or Jerryd Bayless. Or, we'll pick Beasley and trade him to the Grizzlies for Randolph and Aaron McKie or something.

I for one would have no problem with DeAndre Jordan, he has a lot of potential, however on the offense side of the ball he is basically a clone of Ben Wallace. We could use some serious size down low, I still love the move to get Gooden because we badly needed the good post player but I miss that defensive force in the post.

Hopefully Paxson does his homework for this draft there are some nice upside players projected to go in the second round, one guy being Lester Hudson. If we don't take a guard in rd 1 I think you take him or Courtney Lee in rd 2.

Your not talking about at number 3 right? Maybe 9 or 10 but this guy didn't impress me at all when I watched him a few times in college. He is slow on defense, doesn't rotate well, he will get in bigger foul trouble than Tyrus Thomas next year which is scary, and he doesn't have a single reliable post move to go to and thats sad when your 7'0 or whatever he is; but.. The silver lining to him is that he's extremely young and has a big body to put on more muscle. He looks like Dwight Howard when he's out on the court but plays nothing like him. So if we were to take him, I'd be skeptical but I could live with it only if there wasn't any good guards out there.

I'd spiff a brick if we got anywhere below number 7. We may have a shot at OJ Mayo though, with his recent news about the money issue.. I don't know though.

I for one would have no problem with DeAndre Jordan, he has a lot of potential, however on the offense side of the ball he is basically a clone of Ben Wallace. We could use some serious size down low, I still love the move to get Gooden because we badly needed the good post player but I miss that defensive force in the post.

Hopefully Paxson does his homework for this draft there are some nice upside players projected to go in the second round, one guy being Lester Hudson. If we don't take a guard in rd 1 I think you take him or Courtney Lee in rd 2.

I don't think I could deal with a Noah-Tyrus-Jordan frontcourt for the next 5-10 years. So many guys with so little offensive ability...

Seriously, the guy averaged like 8 points and 6 boards at Texas A&M and didn't even start most of the year. He's a massive project. Tyrus Thomas was considerably better than him in college, that's a scary thought. MAYBE you end up with Andrew Bynum, but it'll be at least 2 years before you find out, and more likely 3.

If we take Jordan I'm done with Paxson. While we may have too many guards and SF's I don't care if we take another one. We need to take a player with star potential. If we get the 3rd pick I think we have to seriously consider drafting Bayless and trading Gordon. If we get 9 it's hard. If Randolph is there we have to take a chance on him. If Gordon is there we need to consider it but only if we can deal the other Gordon. But if Mayo, Bayless, Gordon, & Randolph are off the board I think we have to go with Love if he's still there. He's not likely to be a star but he's pretty good offensively and he's a great passer. Just having his passing ability out of the post should help. He's not fast or athletic but he did post some pretty good numbers as a freshman.

Jordan isn't really even worthy of a 1st round pick. I'd be utterly disappointed if we took him with the 9th pick. It would probably be the only pick worse than Tyrus Thomas. He sat on the bench in college so he's a lottery pick in the NBA? My god. If we get #9, Augustin or Love is who I want. If we get 1-2, it's obviously either Rose or Beasley, whichever is there. If we get #3, I want Lopez or Mayo.

I'd like to see the Bulls get Love too...I know some aren't really that fond of him...but I think he'll be a pretty good 4 in this league.

I'm not really sure how to read him on his strength attributes. He looks like he's still got some of that baby fat that he can shed off but then again, he's one of the few people I've seen that can launch a full court chest-pass into the basket..

Here's my report from Day 1.

Kevin Love, PF, UCLA


Love was the first player I wanted to see in this environment. We already know that he's one of the most skilled big men to ever enter the draft. His basketball skills, both in the paint and out on the perimeter, resemble those of an NBA veteran.

His basketball IQ is off the charts, his footwork is strong, his jump shot has range out to the NBA 3-point line, his outlet passes are legendary and he has a series of step-backs, up-and-unders and spins that made him one of the top 5 players in college basketball this season.

However, what Love has lacked is explosive athleticism and a chiseled, athletic body. As a freshman at UCLA, he often carried a spare tire around his waist. He seemed to run out of steam in up-tempo games and, at times, looked like he lacked the athleticism to excel in the pros.

Love's strengths and weaknesses have generated a huge debate among NBA scouts and executives about his NBA prospects. Sure, he knows how to play the game. But would that be enough in the up-and-down, breakneck pace of the NBA?

Abunassar has spent the past three weeks with Love and the results are really impressive. Love has lost 13 pounds since UCLA was bounced from the Final Four and he's starting to show muscle definition. He really is getting up and down the floor -- he went through a one-hour, fast-paced workout and finished with plenty of gas left in the tank.

Ford's NBA Dish
Chad Ford chats with Kevin Love about his training regimen, and more. Listen

Love is clearly in much better shape than he was at UCLA and it dramatically improves his game. He's more explosive getting off the floor. He moves better laterally. And he isn't sacrificing the trademark strength that made him one of the toughest big men in college basketball.

Abunassar said a mixture of conditioning and dietary changes have led to Love's improvements. He now eats structured meals several times a day and is working out roughly five to six hours a day. In addition, Abunassar is working on improving Love's flexibility and agility -- which has really helped with his quickness on both ends of the floor.

"Kevin has been working hard," Abunassar said. "And I still feel like we're scratching the surface. He's probably going to lose about five more pounds before Orlando [the NBA pre-draft combines that begin May 27] and we're still working on his explosiveness and flexibility. Every week he's looking better and better."

Love's confidence shines through on the floor. He's taking the lead in drills, encouraging everyone in the gym and going all-out on every drill.

After the workout, he said he's treating basketball like a job. "I want to come in to work every day and put in 100 percent. I know NBA teams expect a lot and I don't want to disappoint them. I love the game and I want to be the best player I can be."

Love admits that he struggled to stay in great shape at UCLA and said he felt that his eating habits were the primary problem. Love said he didn't eat a lot of junk food (thought he mentioned a fondness for chocolate milk) but that he ate large quantities at bad times. Now he's spreading out his meals and it makes a difference.

On Thursday, at least, Love didn't look like the slow, unathletic big man that many NBA scouts had pegged him. He was pretty nimble on his feet.

"I'm telling you right now, I'm going to shock a lot of people coming to the combines," Love said. "Whether it's jumping off the floor or the agility drill or the three-quarter court sprint."

Watching Love work out and seeing his confidence has pushed me to rethink his draft stock. If he goes into pre-draft combines in great shape and shows he has the requisite athleticism and quickness to be a full-time NBA power forward, Love could really move up the board -- possibly in the 5-to-10 range in the draft.

We've already identified the Bobcats, Bulls and Pacers as possibilities. A few other teams higher up in the draft like the Grizzlies and Sonics might also have to give him serious consideration.

espn draft machine has the bulls taking a 7footer out of ohio state.

espn draft machine has the bulls taking a 7footer out of ohio state.

I would put a bounty on JP's head if that ever happened..

The Bulls will have 1.7 percent of the ping-pong ball combinations. So while it's OK to dream, prepare for the reality of the No. 9 pick.

Two obvious needs for the Bulls are point guard and a big man. The only point guard who figures to be a candidate at No. 9 is Texas' 5-foot-11 D.J. Augustin.

But there are a boatload of big men with low-lottery potential. Most are college freshmen who kept a low profile last season. So here's a rundown of some possibilities for the Bulls:

Kevin Love, 6-9, UCLA:ŒOut of this group, Love is the one guy who seems to be polished and also a proven winner, having helped lead the Bruins to the Final Four. He also could go higher than No. 9.

Love is a strong rebounder (10.6 per game) and may be the best outlet passer the game has ever seen. But at 6-9, will he score in the spot or be much of a defender in the NBA?

Anthony Randolph, 6-11, LSU: He's supposed to be more of a multi-skilled big man in the vein of Lamar Odom than another Tyrus Thomas. Randolph is very thin, listed at 220 pounds, but flashed plenty of potential (15.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg) on a poor LSU team.

DeAndre Jordan, 7-0, Texas A&M:ŒThis guy looks good in theory but has to be considered a major project. He averaged 7.9 points in just 20 minutes per game during his freshman season.

JaVale McGee, 7-0, Nevada: A Chicago native who attended Hales Franciscan, McGee has tantalizing athletic skills and was reasonably productive as a sophomore (14.1 ppg). He's also very inconsistent and another high-risk, high-reward pick. His parents are former Illinois power forward George Montgomery and former USC star Pam McGee.

Robin Lopez, 7-0, Stanford: Projected to be a strong defender, but not as gifted offensively as twin brother Brook, who is expected to be one of the top five picks.

Kosta Koufos, 7-1, Ohio State:ΠHe showed some post scoring skills during his lone season with the Buckeyes, though some would argue he lacked toughness (6.7 rpg).

Donte Green, 6-10, Syracuse: Baltimore native has a nice-looking jumper but probably shot way too many 3-pointers for someone his size.

Alexis Ajinca, 7-1, France:ΠHe's shown the potential to be a shot blocker but is very thin and didn't play much on his French team last season.

Roy Hibbert, 7-2, Georgetown: Thought to be a possible top-10 pick if he came out last year, Hibbert's stock has apparently dropped following his senior season (13.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg). He did shoot 60 percent from the field, though.

espn draft machine has the bulls taking a 7footer out of ohio state.

Augustin, Love, Westbrook, and Batum are my wish-list if we get the #9 pick.

I think a lot of people around here believe the Bulls need more of a true PG than Hinrich is. So, let me pose this question to you. Would you trade Tyrus and Ben Gordon to the Grizzlies for Mike Conley to get us that PG? This, of course, is pending the Grizz get the #1 or 2 pick to select Derrick Rose in the draft.

Absolutely not. As much as I dislike Tyrus, and as inconsistent as Gordon is, he's still our best scorer and we'd basically be giving them Tyrus as a gift. I think you overestimate Tyrus' defensive abilities. He's not a very good man to man defender, and most, if not all of his blocked shots come off of help defense or during fights for the ball down low. Gordon and Tyrus could get us a MUCH better player than Mike Conley.

For a guy who hasn't really proven anything in the league, and for that matter, only had 2 games if 10+ assists last season, he sure gets a lot of love around here. And thats in 56 games, 46 as a starter. If the deal was Tyrus for Conley, I'd do it, but I doubt Memphis would. But Tyrus AND Gordon would lead me to question Paxson's sanity.

This must be a tough one for you eddog, 3 players you absolutely love.

Absolutely not. As much as I dislike Tyrus, and as inconsistent as Gordon is, he's still our best scorer and we'd basically be giving them Tyrus as a gift. I think you overestimate Tyrus' defensive abilities. He's not a very good man to man defender, and most, if not all of his blocked shots come off of help defense or during fights for the ball down low. Gordon and Tyrus could get us a MUCH better player than Mike Conley.

For a guy who hasn't really proven anything in the league, and for that matter, only had 2 games if 10+ assists last season, he sure gets a lot of love around here. And thats in 56 games, 46 as a starter. If the deal was Tyrus for Conley, I'd do it, but I doubt Memphis would. But Tyrus AND Gordon would lead me to question Paxson's sanity.

This must be a tough one for you eddog, 3 players you absolutely love.

Before I even got to the last paragraph, I knew you were going to throw my name out. To be honest this really isn't a tough one for me. It's down right stupid to trade Gordon & Tyrus for Conley. Now if it means trading those 2 and our pick for Memphis' pick and Conley then I'd have to consider it but I doubt they would.

The way I understand things, I believe this is impossible. Gordon and Deng aren't under contract for next season yet and are still covered by the NBA's no-trade, post deadline rules, and can not be traded for anything until the FA period begins when they can be moved in sign & trade deals, which comes after the draft.