The Chicago Bulls are on the clock in less than a month, and no prospect is off limits for the 12th pick. Entering their latest rebuild, the front office will likely take the “best player available” approach on draft night regardless of positional fit. In the latest weekly assessment, I will evaluate how Kasparas Jakucionis‘ skill set meshes with the Bulls.
Prospect Profile: Assessing Kasparas Jakucionis’ Fit with the Bulls
Measuring in at 6’6″ and just 19 years old, Jakucionis is one of the top point guard prospects in the draft. Jakucionis was born and raised in Lithuania and played for FC Barcelona in high school. In his lone collegiate season, Jakucionis averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game for the Illini.
Jakucionis helped lead the Illini to the sixth seed in the NCAA Tournament, earning nominations to the All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman teams along the way. Although the Illini only made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament this season, Jakucionis provided a standout first-round performance. He recorded a double-double of 16 points and 10 assists, and grabbed nine rebounds to propel the Illini to an 86-73 victory over Xavier.
Strengths
Jakucionis’ passing, vision, and decision-making made him one of the NCAA’s top playmakers last year. He had an exceptional ability to read defenses while running an efficient pick-and-roll offense. His ability to create passing lanes and make jaw-dropping passes allowed him to efficiently facilitate scoring plays as the Illini’s primary ballhandler.
At 6’6″ and 205 lbs, Jakucionis fits the modern point guard prototype well. He is gifted at getting physical with defenders and using his body to draw fouls. At the line, Jakucionis shoots an impressive 84.5%. Jakucionis is also a very capable scorer at the rim, where he sank 64.4% of shots from last year.
Lastly, Jakucionis has the versatility to slide in at the shooting guard position when needed and scores in creative ways. In addition to running the pick-and-roll, Jakucionis thrives in spot-up offense and late-game scenarios where the team needs quick points.
Weaknesses
The biggest areas of concern with Jakucionis’ game are his outside shooting, defense, and ball security. Jakucionis shot a mere 31.8% from three-point range last season. While he is more than capable of taking open threes off of screens, the consistency with which he knocks outside shots down has a lot of room for improvement.
Jakucionis also struggles with consistency on the defensive end of the ball. Compared to other NBA guards, he is notably slower and does not have the lateral quickness or defensive awareness to keep up with top scorers. Jakucionis allowed an average of 0.867 points per possession last season, which ranks above average in the 54th percentile.
The number of turnovers that Jakucionis gave up last season is also alarming, as he averaged 3.6 turnovers per game. His ball security and decision-making will need to improve at the NBA level in order to efficiently run a pro offense and not cost his team games.
Potential Fit with the Bulls
While there is no immediate need for Jakucionis in a crowded Bulls backcourt, his skill set makes him an intriguing option at the 12th overall pick. His playmaking abilities would create lots of open shots for Coby White and Matas Buzelis, and would allow Matas to further develop on offense. Jakucionis’ passing ability combined with his ability to get physical at the rim give him the potential to develop into one of the league’s top point guards.
However, drafting Jakucionis would likely mean that the Bulls will let Josh Giddey or White walk this or next offseason. It seems likely that Giddey will be re-signed this offseason, therefore leaving a lack of need in the backcourt for Jakucionis. While it could certainly be beneficial for Jakucionis to learn behind Giddey in the rotation, putting the 19-year-old on a minutes restriction could hold him back from improvement.
Jakucionis’ weaknesses on defense and with ball security are also concerns for the Bulls. The Bulls do not need another turnover-prone guard on their roster, and they certainly do not need another guard who does not play efficient defense. In their latest rebuild, the Bulls need to commit to drafting guys that excel on the defensive end of the ball, something that is not Jakucionis’ strong suit.
If the Bulls decide to draft Kasparas Jakucionis, it furthers their commitment towards the youth movement. However, the lack of positional need and weakness on defense make it where Jakucionis should not be first priority in the draft.
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