Bulls Eyeing Iowa State Point Guard Monte Morris For 2017 NBA Draft

The Chicago Bulls' positioning in the 2017 NBA Draft is completely unpredictable right now. Just past the halfway point of the season, Fred Hoiberg's crew holds the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference at 23-23. Making the playoffs is still a very real possibility. Missing out on the playoffs for a second straight season is just as likely. That's how it is for a mediocre team in a weak conference. Even if the Bulls miss the playoffs, their record won't be bad enough to have a decent shot at winning a high draft position in the lottery. Assuming the Bulls don't plummet or surge to finish well above .500, they're looking at another pick in the mid to late teens. Then there's the pick Sacramento owes Chicago. That first round pick, which was part of the Luol Deng trade, is protected inside the top 10. The Kings (17-27) are currently in position to finish with the 9th worst record in the league. Assuming they don't turn things around in the second half of the season and the lottery unfolds with no major upsets, the Kings will keep that pick. That means unless the Bulls acquire another 2017 first round pick in a pre-deadline trade, they will have a tough time trading up to get a high lottery pick.

Point Guard Wanted

So why are we talking about this? Because the Bulls need a point guard, and the incoming draft class is loaded with talent at that position. Unfortunately, Gar Forman and John Paxson's insistence to "remain competitive" this season killed any hope of getting a potential franchise-changer like UCLA's Lonzo Ball or Washington's Markelle Fultz. Those two, along with NC State's Dennis Smith and Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox, are almost guaranteed to go in the top ten. The Bulls might be fine with that. In a recent column, ESPN Insiders Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton shed light on another point guard option for Chicago in the 2017 draft class. He's not projected as a top ten guy. Some even have him going outside the entire first round, so there's a great chance he'll be available if the Bulls are picking in the mid or late teens. Oh, and one other thing. He's a former pupil of "The Mayor", aka ex-Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg.

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Monte Morris

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="406"] Fred Hoiberg instructs Monte Morris and his Iowa State teammates.[/caption] Iowa State point guard Monte Morris is on the Bulls' radar, according to Ford and Pelton.

"One dark horse for the Bulls is Iowa State's Monte Morris. Fred Hoiberg coached him, and sources say the Bulls' coach loves him. While Morris doesn't have a huge upside, he posts an incredible assist-to-turnover ratio every season and is shooting 40 percent from 3 as a senior. Morris is ranked in the 30s right now, but some teams, including the Bulls, have him ranked much higher."

Morris, currently a senior at Iowa State, played his first two college seasons under Hoiberg before his coach made the NBA jump to Chicago. This season, Morris is leading the Cyclones with 15.9 points, 5.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. The praise he receives from Ford and Pelton regarding his assist-to-turnover ratio (AST) is no joke. At 4.87, Morris's AST is the best among all Division I players in NCAA men's basketball. The 40% shooting from downtown would be another nice perk for a Bulls team in desperate need of capable distance shooters in their backcourt. As a downside, Monte isn't considered to be an elite athlete and he's only 6'2.

Tunnel Vision

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the Bulls are looking closely at Morris. Hoiberg knows his skillset and is impressed with his basketball IQ. Obviously, Monte is familiar with Fred's "pace and space" offensive system. Then there's the confounding Bulls-Iowa Sate Connection. Forman's ties to Iowa State led him to hand-pick Hoiberg to replace Tom Thibodeau two years ago. Doug McDermott played college ball at Creighton, but he's from Ames and has known Hoiberg since he was a kid. Doug's father Greg McDermott was Hoiberg's predecessor, serving as the Cyclones' head coach from 2007-2010. The big question, however, is whether or not Morris is a strong enough value as a first round pick in the teens. The Bulls' recent first round picks (Denzel Valentine, Bobby Portis, and yes-even Doug) are underwhelming thus far at the NBA level despite the huge fanfare they received from GarPax. Can Bulls fans really expect Hoiberg and his bosses to spend equal time evaluating every possible option in the draft if they've got Morris occupying their minds? Will he be a reach wherever they take him, leaving more talented options on the board because they want "their guy" from Iowa State? It's very possible. All you have to do is remember the so-called "search" for Thibodeau's replacement. Gar promised that it would be expansive and intricate, but everyone knew he preemptively landed on Hoiberg. Now that Fred's on board, will all three of them spout the same spiel about the 2017 draft before selecting Morris? Again, very possible. The Bulls aren't bad enough to land Lonzo or Fultz. They are bad enough to be in a position to draft Morris and be judged for overreaching. Perhaps we're analyzing this too prematurely. After all, Gar still thinks the Bulls are ready to make some noise in the playoffs. Who cares about the 2017 draft?