The biggest mystery man heading into the 2018 draft has to be 7'1" center Mitchell Robinson, one of the nation's top high school recruits a year ago out of Chalmette, Louisiana.
Robinson originally accepted a scholarship at Western Kentucky during his senior year of high school, but dropped out after attending a week of summer classes. After looking at other college opportunities, Robinson re-enrolled at Western Kentucky in late August, but then three weeks later dropped out again saying he was going to spend the next year preparing for the 2018 NBA draft.
So, what do we really know about Robinson?
He definitely has NBA size and was ranked the No. 9 national recruit in his high school class. Robinson has been working with a professional trainer in Dallas, but taking a year off from high level competition is far from ideal. He was selected to play in the McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand All-Star games after his senior year in high school and was invited to participate in the USA basketball U19 trials last summer.
The upcoming NBA combine and individual team workouts will be crucial in determining Robinson's readiness to play in the league. He's been all over the map in mock drafts lately, listed anywhere from 15th to late first round. Whichever team ultimately drafts the 20-year-old will be taking a leap of faith, and might decide to let Robinson spend his rookie season playing against G-League competition.
Where does Robinson fit for the Bulls?
Well, if he's still on the board when the Bulls are on the clock at No. 22, Robinson could turn out to be a value pick based on future potential. The Bulls have Robin Lopez, Omer Asik and Cristiano Felicio all under contract for next season, but Lopez and Asik will most likely be moving on after that, and Felicio has done nothing to suggest he could be the long term solution at center.
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It's possible the Bulls will feature more lineups with either Bobby Portis or Lauri Markkanen at center in future years as they try to compete with the top teams in today's offense-driven NBA.
Still, grabbing a legit 7-footer with good athleticism might not be a bad gamble considering the number of quality centers that have come into the league in recent years. Given the fact the Bulls roster is already close to being set for next season, Robinson could play in the G-League with little or no pressure to contribute on the NBA-level as a rookie.
It's no secret NBA executives draft more on potential than past production, so Robinson's lack of college experience probably won't hurt him if he shows well in individual workouts. Look for the 7-footer to go somewhere in the mid-to-late teens, and if he's still around at 22, the Bulls might just take a flier.
After all, they had no plans to draft a power forward with the 22nd pick back in 2015, and the selection of Portis has worked out very well.
In Year 2 of the Bulls’ rebuild, it really is about taking the best player available, regardless of position.