I used to do these a lot. With Rose out, Bulls' fans may have to pay attention to the upper portion again. There was some tanking talk on the other boards, so who knows? The Bulls would still have some interest in this regardless because of the Charlotte pick.
Unfortunately, this looks like a horrible draft for the tanking approach as it may be one of the weakest in quite some time. Virtually every intriguing underclassmen left and this is widely considered to be a subpar freshman class. Things start to get ugly pretty fast after the first few prospects.
1) Nerlens Noel, PF/C, Kentucky
NBA comp- Marcus Camby
Anthony Davis 2.0? Kentucky gets another ridiculous shot-blocker on campus. He has absurd length and is a mobile and explosive athlete that can cover a lot of ground. He's still a work in progress offensively (even moreso than Davis by most accounts), but we all know how much scouts love lengthy athletes that can jump.
2) Cody Zeller, PF/C, Indiana
NBA comp- LaMarcus Aldridge
I seriously typed Tyler Zeller before I caught my mistake. Besides the same last name, their games are fairly similar. He's another mobile big man with good touch around the basket. He seems to be more athetic than his brother, but he'll need to bulk up if he wants to be effective inside at the next level.
3) Shabazz Muhammad, SG, UCLA
NBA comp- A more well-rounded Tyreke Evans
Muhammad doesn't quite have the mind-blowing athleticism or outside shot to be considered a can't-miss star. However, he is a powerful guard with very good length that should be able to get his own shot. He constantly attacks the rim and can finish when he gets there. He can also score from mid-range and should be able to defend multiple positions.
4) James Michael-McAdoo, PF, UNC
NBA comp- David West
He didn't get much of a chance last year playing behind Zeller and Henson, but he was as highly touted as any freshman and should have a huge sophomore year. He doesn't have the ideal length or explosiveness for the 4, but he's mobile and highly skilled. While longer, better athletes might bother him, he should be able to score inside and out with proficiency.
5) Alex Poythress, SF/PF, Kentucky
NBA comp- Rudy Gay if he develops his perimeter skills a bit
He's a better athlete than most of the guys ahead of him, but his 'tweener status is a bit of an issue. There's no question his length and explosiveness should make him a factor in college and he's mobile too, but he doen't have the skillset of a pure 4 or a pure 3.
6) Isaiah Austin, PF, Baylor
NBA comp- Chris Bosh if he figures it out
Didn't Perry Jones just go pro? Well, yeah, but Austin is basically his clone. Same great length, same mobility and athleticism, same decent but not great perimeter skills, same tedency to lack aggression and not dominate as thoroughly as he should. Supposedly he's a better interior defender and has a few post moves, we'll see how that works out for the Bears.
7) Rudy Gobert PF, France
I really have no idea, so he sounds like the right guy to put on the edge of "safer" options. He's definitely projected in the top-10 and he sounds like a project.
8) Kyle Anderson, SF, UCLA
NBA comp- a far less athletic Andre Iguodala
He's not a good athlete, but he's too skilled to not go reasonably high, especially in this draft. He has PG-caliber handling and passing despite his very good length and a solid mid-range game. Biggest concerns are who he defends and his outside shot.
9) B.J. Young, PG/SG, Arkansas
NBA comp- Jared Bayless
Fast, thin guard that can shoot. Lacks ideal size for a PG and may be too much of a shooter to play the point.
10, tie) Adonis Thomas, Memphis/LeBryan Nash, Oklahoma State/CJ Leslie, NC State/Tony Mitchell, North Texas
NBA comp- pick a garden variety SF
Pick your small forward that's a work in progress. They're all athletic, only Thomas really has any shooting ability but he's also a bit less dynamic an athlete than the other guys.
A couple more:
Steven Adams, PF, Pitt- Haven't really seen him and he may not be one-and-done, but he also could wind up in the top-10 on potential.
Anthony Bennett, PF, UNLV: Powerful 4 that's a good athlete, but a bit undersized and a work in progress on offense
Archie Goodwin, Kentucky and Rodney Purvis, NC State: both are 6'4" ish combo guards that can get to the rim but aren't really PG's and are streaky shooters. Goodwin is more capable of sticking at the two and could easily be a top-10 pick.