The young Bobby Portis hasn’t even put on the uniform yet but ESPN is ready to outrank him over Doug McDermott. ESPN released their annual NBA Rank list putting Bobby Portis at 227, Aaron Brooks 234, and Doug McDermott at 246.
Bobby Portis walked into the draft expecting to be taken as a lottery pick. With most mock draft picking him before the 13th overall pick, it came as shocking news when the Bulls front-office found Bobby Portis still on the board. Without giving Portis a single workout before the draft, the Bulls picked up the 6’11 forward from Arkansas despite already having an overloaded front-court. Bobby Portis showed up big time in the summer league for the Bulls as he averaged 17.4 points per game with 10.4 rebounds per game and 1.6 blocks per game. With Fred Hoiberg going on record to say Bobby Portis has his fair shot at earning minutes, it’ll be up to him to prove himself.
Doug McDermott is expected to be a big part of the Bulls system since the hiring of Fred Hoiberg plays into his favor. Last season, McDermott struggled immensely playing in Tom Thibodeau’s doghouse. With Mike Dunleavy out until late December, McDermott might have his chance to shine if he takes advantage of the opportunity.
The Bulls backup point guard was also ranked behind the rookie. Aaron Brooks was poised for a breakout season as many small guards do under Tom Thibodeau, however he failed to show up in the playoffs. With a new system favorable to Brooks as well, he’s ready to take on the backup point guard role to Derrick Rose once again.
