I hate myself for paying attention, but a number of mock drafts have the Bulls taking either Jeff Green or Spencer Hawes at number nine. Green, I like more, though I don't know how he fits with Deng. Hawes, on the other hand, makes me think Will Perdue. Admittedly, I don't know a lot about him (my Washington basketball experience is limited). Anyone have any opinion?

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Hallelujah
Eyeball Kid

I'll be interested to see Spinnin Bucket;s thoughts on Hawes myself. I saw him a few times last year and he's got talent. He can dribble pretty well for a big man, hit the shot out to 15-18 feet, good post moves, passes well from the post and runs the floor well. I think he'll be overmatched early in his career on the block as he was a 'late bloomer' in height and hasn't fully developed into his body yet. Nothing a few years in the weight room couldn't help. I'd probably compare him to a Brad Miller or Vlade Divac like player that might be more of a high post 5 early in his career.

Best case comparison I saw was Andrew Bogut, which doesn't bother me too much. If he could score like Miller or Divac, that would be good, given the Bulls' need for some low post scoring. Better than Nick Fazekas I guess!

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Hallelujah
Eyeball Kid

Hawes is supposedly fundamentally very sound. The Bulls had a bunch of tall white stiffs but I think this guy is better than any of them. I'll admit that my big ten biased self rarely caught much Washington basketball but I'd take a chance on a 7 foot player with decent post moves and a good shot.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I have a feeling Hawes will be gone by the time the Bulls pick. I just hope they don't take Noah from Florida.

Noah is the exact player the Bulls don't need. An undersized big man who can't score very well and looks like a transvestite.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Remember when everyone wanted Chris Mihm

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Please take the best available player, not the best available big man. I think Hawes and Noah will be bench players in the NBA.

If Conley is there at 10, I would take him. Let him learn for a year under Heinrich and then find the best possible trade of either Heinrich or Gordon.

He won't be, but I agree with the sentiment. Of the Bulls' big three of Hinrich, Gordon and Deng, none of them can be considered a good ballhandler or penetrator. Hinrich is solid at best while Gordon mixes flashes of brilliance with complete ineptitude (he dribbles off his leg more than any other player I've ever seen), and Deng is simply not a very good dribbler. The Bulls obviously need a big man, but they need better ballhandlers, too.

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Highly unlikely for Conley to be there at 9, but if he is, I have no problem with drafting him and trading Kirk after July 1, 2008. Trading Hinrich now, however, would be a horribly inefficient use of his contract.