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By Anne Erickson
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The NBA draft is here, and it's already delivered plenty of excitement. You never know what's going to happen when the event starts, even after months of mock drafts.
The NBA Draft remains one of the league's most fascinating spectacles because it blends scouting, strategy and optimism into a single night. Trades materialize out of nowhere. Prospects cry. General managers gamble. Fan bases celebrate picks they spent six months demanding and instantly question the ones they didn't. And this year doesn't feel any different.
One of the biggest surprises of the draft was the Chicago Bulls selecting Dailyn Swain with the team's No.15 selection. This wasn't predicted in hardly any mocks. But it's the move the team thought would be best for the franchise.
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Jeremy Woo, Ben Golliver and Bobby Marks of ESPN call the Swain pick one of the biggest surprises of the first night of the draft. But it's a good surprise.
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"Adding Swain and Caleb Wilson to a group that includes Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey and Noa Essengue gives the Bulls a young group that should be able to play fast, defend and run in transition," they state. "The shooting and spacing component is another question -- one that they will eventually have to address -- but this is square one of a full rebuild. Though this was a slightly surprising choice, it makes sense from a roster-building and style perspective."
My Take: Why Did the Bulls Select Swain?
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So, why did they do it? Chicago was in a special position to have two picks in the first 15 selections of the draft. They could afford to gamble a bit with this selection. But it's actually a solid choice.
Swain could be an excellent fit for the Bulls because he brings the kind of versatility and toughness every team needs. The wing impacts games in multiple ways, whether it's defending several positions, attacking the basket, rebounding or making winning plays.
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Chicago has been searching for athletic, high-energy players who can help reshape the team's identity. Well, Swain fits the bill.
He doesn't need a high volume of shots to be effective, and that makes him an easy player to plug into different lineups. His motor, defensive upside and basic game skills could make him a valuable addition. It's starting to become obvious why the Bulls picked him.
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