The Chicago Bulls saw a serious run of guards in front of them in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, and so they went in a different direction as they grabbed small forward Bobby Portis out of the University of Arkansas.
Portis, who stands at 6-foot-10 and weighs in at 246 pounds, is a player who is versatile on the offensive end of the floor. He can step outside and take deep shots, and he averaged 17.5 points per game in his final season with the Razorbacks.
In addition to being a solid scorer, Portis did a nice job cleaning up in the paint for the Razorbacks, averaging nearly nine rebounds per game and swatting away 1.4 blocks per contest in his final season at Arkansas as he won SEC Player of the Year honors.
The selection could potentially mean the end of the line for Taj Gibson with the Bulls, but it’s also an indication that the team recognizes that they have to get younger in their front court. Players like Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah aren’t getting any younger, and with Derrick Rose’s frequent injury concerns, adding another versatile offensive weapon is a smart idea.
