The 2nd round doesn't carry nearly the same hype as the 1st for obvious reasons. Not nearly as many great players emerge from it in the NBA. That said, all you have to do is mention the name Nikola Jokic to be reminded that the round can be every bit as fruitful with good scouting and a little luck. Arturas Karnisovas already showed he could find value in the 2nd round with Ayo Dosunmu a few years ago. Did he work more of that magic on Thursday night? If the reports are to be trusted, the Chicago Bulls may have just landed the Australian Domantas Sabonis.
After trading with the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire the 55th pick and cash considerations, Karnisovas opted to go with Lachlan Olbrich of the Illawarra Hawks from Australia. The 21-year-old has spent most of his young career playing in the National Basketball League and the New Zealand Basketball League in the South Pacific. He won championships in both, establishing himself as one of the best big men in the region. How good is he? Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report sees striking similarities to three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis.
He explained his reasoning.
Projecting any incoming prospect as a Domantas Sabonis prototype feels risky and frankly unfair. After all, the Sacramento Kings big man just averaged 19.1 points and 13.9 rebounds per game (No. 1 in the NBA), and he's also a triple-double threat on any given night.
But to Olbrich's credit, he's flashed Sabonis-in-training potential with his polished footwork, elite hands and soft touch around the rim. He’s a crafty short-roll threat who makes smart reads, keeps the ball moving and can finish in tight spaces.
Whether it’s handoffs, kickouts or duck-ins, Olbrich plays with great feel and poise for his age. And he shares a nearly identical frame as the 2016 version of Sabonis coming out of college: He's the same height at 6'10" and just five pounds apart.
Karnisovas would know something about Domantas Sabonis.
After all, he was teammates with the man's father, Arvydas Sabonis, during their playing days in Lithuania. If anybody is qualified to know how a Sabonis plays the game, it's the Bulls VP. Olbrich was a man who made the most of his opportunities. Despite only averaging 16.7 minutes per game last season, he still produced 8.7 points and 3.8 rebounds. During his lone year in college, he averaged 11.4 points and 6.1 rebounds as a freshman. He has a long way to go before he earns a comparison to Domantas Sabonis, but you don't have to watch him for long to see the similarities in both body type and style. Olbrich should give the Bulls much-needed depth in the frontcourt
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