Getty Bobby Portis of the Milwaukee Bucks runs up court after a three point make during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Finals on June 29.
Not only did the Chicago Bulls not make the playoffs this season, but they also had to watch from home as one of their former first-round picks, Bobby Portis, won the title.
The 26-year old, who spent three and a half seasons in the Windy City, played a contributing role on this year’s Milwaukee Bucks team, the eventual champions.
Portis averaged 8.8 points and 5.5 rebounds across 20 playoff games, including a crucial 22-point performance in Game Five of the second round against Atlanta.
But it wasn’t until Tuesday that Bulls fans were reminded of the forward’s, now an NBA champion, connection to the team.
He took to Twitter to respond to a thread centered on the failed efforts of Chicago’s last regime, headlined by Gar Forman and John Paxson:
The downfall of GarPax
2012 Draft: Marquis Teague
2013 Draft: Tony Snell
2014 Draft: Doug McDermott
2015 Draft: Bobby Portis
2016 Draft: Denzel Valentine
2017 Draft: Lauri Markkanen
2018 Draft: Wendell Carter / Chandler Hutchinson
99%+ of us could’ve done a better job drafting.
Portis simply replied to the thread with an absolute, leaving no doubt of his intention, or wiggle room for interpretation:
The Bulls traded Portis, along with Jabari Parker, to the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline in 2019, for recently departed forward Otto Porter Jr.
He left the franchise after 221 appearances, and career averages of 9.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.
Is that truly the biggest draft mistake made by the Chicago Bulls front office’s predecessors though?
Denzel Valentine Was a Bigger Miss Than Portis
From the list provide by Chicago Bulls Rumors (@chicagobullsbot) on Twitter, Portis isn’t even top-three in regards to draft misses by Forman and Paxson.
Most fans would point to Denzel Valentine, who the team took with the 14th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, as the most recent draft bust in the Windy City.
With comparisons to three-time champions Danny Green and Draymond Green out of college, it’s safe to say the (now) 27-year old has come up short.
Valentine played 232 out of 383 possible games with the Bulls over five seasons, as he missed one year (2018-2019) entirely due to an with an ankle injury.
No one can predict season-ending injuries, but the Michigan State product has more lowlights than highlights from his four seasons in the NBA.
As the age-old saying goes, availability is the best ability.
If we’re taking that into account, then there are far worse outcomes than drafting Bobby Portis, an ironman by comparison.
New Bulls Regime has Pulled Off a Quick Turnaround
For all the waste that was laid by the Chicago Bulls’ past regime, credit to Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversely, who’ve done as quick of a 180 degree turn as fans could hope for, and effectively, too.
That much is apparent in their swift and strategic plays for All-Stars like DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic. As well as young stud point guard Lonzo Ball.
Chicago looks to have a winning product ready for the 2021-2022 season, whether that means the play-in tournament or an actual playoff run in the East.
That’s more than you can say for the tail end of the Forman and Paxson regime, the dark days after Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler’s departures.
Now, Arturas Karnisvoas and Marc Eversley have set the Bulls up for a new era of basketball in the Windy City.
One that, presumably, will not include Bobby Portis, first-time NBA champion.
61 days until next season’s start. Buckle up, Chicago Bulls fans.
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Former Bulls First-Round Pick Blasts Past Regime: ‘I’m A Champ Now’