Who To Take?

BEASLEY VS. ROSE

With the first overall pick in the draft, the Chicago Bulls can put themselves on the fast track to the finals if they make the right pick. Assuming they don't trade the pick, they've got two can't-miss prospects to choose from, however both players would play at solidified or crowded positions on the Bulls current roster. Let's start by going over the current players.

PG - Kirk Hinrich, Chris Duhon, JamesOn Curry
SG - Larry Hughes, Ben Gordon, Thabo Sefolosha, Shannon Brown
SF - Luol Deng, Andres Nocioni, Demetris Nichols
PF - Drew Gooden, Tyrus Thomas, Cedric Simmons
C - Joakim Noah, Aaron Gray

Now of course, you can only have 12 players on an active roster, and the Bulls will add two in the draft. That would put this current total at 17, meaning five would have to be cut, no re-signed, put on IR, or some other trick GM's can use to keep players under their control without having them on the active roster. Speculation of the five that would not be on the roster at the start of the season would be Chris Duhon (not re-signed), Shannon Brown (cut), Demetris Nichols (not re-signed), Cedric Simmons (cut), and one other player. This other player could be JamesOn Curry, who saw very little playing time in his rookie year, but it's just as likely someone is placed on the inactive list.

So now the question is, do you add Derrick Rose to a backcourt with Hinrich, Curry, Gordon, Hughes and Sefolosha? Or do you add Michael Beasley to a frontcourt with Deng, Nocioni, Gooden, Thomas, Noah and Gray?

Beasley was 3rd in the nation in scoring @ 26.7 points/game and was first in the nation in rebounding at 12.6 rebounds/game. Those numbers are hard to overlook, especially considering he was a freshman in a tough conference (Big 12). He's a complete player, who has range out to the 3-point line, and can be lethal with his back to the basket. He has the ability to finish with either hand. His range and skills would allow him to play either the SF or the PF positions, and he's the early favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors, regardless of where he gets drafted.

Rose was a freshman point guard for the NCAA Championship runner-up Memphis Tigers. Some think his best skills weren't showcased in the talent-loaded line-up Memphis put on the floor on a nightly basis. He can be a game-changer with his ability to drive and finish or drive and kick. He's a freakish athlete with a ton of upside.

Both players also have some red flags, as most 19 year old's do. Rose can get carried away and turnover prone at times, and isn't a great outside shooter. Beasley's not known for his defense and won't always show up in a big game situation (see NCAA Tournament game against SoCal).

Weighing all the positives and negatives against both players, you can see how tough of a call this is going to be for VDN and Co. Given the way the NBA is going right now with young guns such as Chris Paul, Deron Williams et al. my vote will go to Derrick Rose for the Bulls pick. He won't be as polished coming out of the gate, but I think will have the better overall career. He's got the big men he can toss the 'oop to (anyone else pictuing Rose-to-Tyrus?) and the shooters around him that can help make him a star. Hinrich or Gordon one will be traded, the other will play in the SG spot with Hughes. DR's ability to create and make the players around him better can't be overlooked here, and the Bulls will be back in the playoffs next season with this pick.