Bulls Draft: Players Chicago Should Consider on June 23rd

The agony of the post-Michael Jordan era has ended at the United Center

With Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose, the Chicago Bulls advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals and have perhaps the most promising team going into the 2011-2012 season.

Expectations will be high next season, and the Bulls will likely have to tangle with a determined LeBron James and the Miami Heat. In other words, reinforcements are needed.

The Bulls have had some failures on draft day. Some of the bad ones include: taking Marcus Fizer with the fourth pick in 2000, trading LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas, and drafting Rodney Carney over Rajon Rondo.

But there have been far more successes. Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, and Ben Gordon were all excellent picks.

The NBA Draft is next week, and the Bulls have two First Round draft picks at No. 28 and No. 30. The club also has the 43rd pick, and Second Round picks have proven to be a pretty good place to land a prospect. For example, Carlos Boozer is a former Second Rounder and he seems to have turned out pretty good.

This is a weak draft and most NBA general managers are aware of that, but the Bulls may still be able to land some quality players should they choose to hold on to their picks.

Here's a look at who they might draft:

- JaJaun Johnson, Purdue. Perhaps the most under-rated player in the draft, the Pacers will likely pursue the Indianapolis native along with other Midwest teams. Johnson is a lean and athletic forward with great awareness in the open court, and is raved about for his maturity.

- Davis Bertans, Latvia. A lanky 6'10 forward with a smooth outside shot, Bertans a lot of potential as a 19-year-old scorer. He has a lot to learn, and needs to put on weight, but the talent is there.

- Justin Harper, Richmond. An athletic power forward, Harper has a well-developed offensive game. Harper needs to work on his defense, but he can shoot and plays smart.

- Chandler Parsons, Florida. This 6'10 small forward has a pure shooting stroke, despite not actively looking for his shot. One of the smarter players in the draft, Parsons has a good chance of finding playing time because of his court awareness.

- Shelvin Mack, Butler. A dynamic scorer, Mack has compensates for his athletic deficiencies by playing with grit, and knocking down tough shots. Mack can perhaps be a combo guard in the NBA.

Like every team in the NBA, the Bulls could use a stronger bench. There are plenty of options to bolster their reserves with this year's draft class.