NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bulls caught everyone off guard during the 2023 NBA Draft and traded into the early second round to select forward Julian Phillips.
The one-and-done talent undoubtedly offers Chicago some intriguing qualities, but he’s another raw prospect who will certainly need ample time to develop. Anyway, now that I’ve had some time to evaluate him more, I put together some more thoughts and info on the selection below.
Hope you enjoy!
Pre-College Resume
Phillips entered the 2022 recruiting class as the No. 19 prospect on 247 Sports and the No. 13 prospect in ESPN’s rankings. He also sat as the sixth-best small forward and the No. 1 player out of Missouri on 247 Sports. Phillips played his senior season at Link Academy in Branson, MO after transferring from Blythewood High School in South Carolina.
Phillips received offers across the country from top-tier programs like Florida State, USC, Auburn, LSU, and Indiana. After initially signing on to join the LSU Tigers, Phillips was granted a release from his National Letter of Intent after the firing of head coach Will Wade. He went on to then sign with the Tennessee Volunteers.
Before beginning his freshman year of college, Phillips also received the prestigious honor of participating in the McDonald’s All-American game. The roster included a handful of the first-round selections in the 2023 NBA Draft, including Brandon Miller (No. 2), Anthony Black (No. 6), Jarace Walker (No. 8), Cason Wallace (No. 10), Dereck Lively II (No. 12), Gradey Dick (No. 13), Keyonte George (No. 16), Cam Whitmore (No. 20), and Dariq Whitehead (No. 22).
Tennessee Stats
Phillips played 32 games for Tennessee and started 25.
PPG: 8.3
REB: 4.7
AST: 1.4
FTA: 3.7
FG: 41.1%
3PT: 23.9%
FT: 82.2%
Box Plus-Minus: 5.7
Stats via Basketball-Reference
Strengths
Julian Phillips’ stats may not jump off the page, but his athleticism sure jumps off the screen.
As his pre-college resume helps suggests, Phillips is among an elite group of pure athletes in the 2023 NBA Draft Class. He has an insane 43-inch vertical to go along with a seven-foot-wingspan. While he – like many rookies – can stand to gain some extra muscle, Phillips has the potential to be an immediately impactful player on the defensive end thanks to his raw talent.
Indeed, standing six-foot-seven with elite length, Phillips projects to be a highly switchable defender who can help lock down the perimeter. His ability to move laterally and stay locked into his opponent is immediately noticeable on the tape. Not to mention, an extremely springy athlete, Phillips has real potential as a weak-side help defender and rim protector. He also has the ability to make up a lot of ground very quickly and can catch opponents off guard with a sneaky swat.
For as many similarities as Phillips and the Bulls’ 2022 draft pick Dalen Terry have in common, Phillips is clearly the more naturally gifted athlete. All things considered, this could play a vital role in getting him on the floor during his rookie campaign, which is something Bulls fans didn’t see as Terry honed his craft in the G-League.
The offensive end is where Phillips needs *a lot* of work. But his high motor and explosive athleticism could make him a valuable piece for a Bulls offense that tends to do its best work in transition. He very well could take on a similar role to that of Derrick Jones Jr. the past two seasons. Not only might he be a consistent lob threat, but he could be a real cutting threat in the halfcourt and provide some much-needed offensive rebounding. There may also be potential there as a small-ball roll man.
It’s hard to say whether or not he’ll be as efficient near the rim as he was in college against NBA size, but he did demonstrate solid touch at Tennessee. Again, I especially like his potential early on as a cutter. He seemingly has a very good feel for the game and keeps himself moving off the ball to find open lanes. And that’s good news for a Bulls team that had issues with players cutting toward the rim to help out teammates who were stuck in the paint.
Areas to Improve
Karnisovas loves athletic freaks who can’t shoot! Whether it be Troy Brown Jr., Javonte Green, Jones Jr., or Terry, Karnisovas continues to invest in players who need a lot of work behind the arc. Phillips converted at just a 23.9 percent clip from downtown in college, and the eye test backs up that ugly number.
Phillips’ shooting form looked inconsistent and stiff while at Tennessee. While doing my research, I’ve seen people suggest that he was an adequate shooter in high school, which could potentially mean last season was nothing more than an outlier. But I still think it’s abundantly clear that his form needs a lot of work.
Not to mention, it doesn’t appear as if Phillips can create much of his own offense. He isn’t going to be breaking any ankles or attacking folks off the dribble from the jump. None of that is to say he can’t progress as a ball-handler, but it’s just not something we saw him have to do much while at Tennessee. In general, if he’s the guy with the ball in his hands while the shot clock is winding down, the opponent is going to be pretty happy.
The lack of a viable jumper obviously puts a harsh cap on his ceiling for now. Defenses are going to happily leave him open and it’ll severely limit the amount of time Chicago can have him on the floor.
Lastly, as good defensively as Phillips projects to be, he isn’t the strongest player just yet. There are likely a handful of NBA wings who can get into his chest and knock him off course on their way to the rim. At the end of the day, though, I’m not really too worried about this right now. An NBA weight and conditioning program should help him bulk up pretty quickly.
What Does Phillips Think?
Phillips recently spoke with Lou Bezjak of The State in South Carolina about getting drafted by Chicago. When asked what he can bring to the Bulls’ organization, this was his response:
My biggest thing and concentration is getting to be as well-rounded as I can. I am going to be an everyday guy, someone who shows up, works hard and gets the job done, does all the right things, makes the winning plays. Defensively, I am going to be a guy who guards multiple positions and just brings a lot of versatility to the team. I am very excited to do that.
You can read the full interview here.
Final Thoughts
Look, I’m not going to deny that Phillips’ fit with the Chicago Bulls is odd. I understand the draft shouldn’t necessarily be about fit, but the fact the Bulls traded up to acquire someone who has similar pros and cons to the player they drafted last year is simply confusing.
With that said, I do like Phillips in a vacuum. Today’s league is dominated by perimeter play and elite wings. The 19-year-old does have the kind of frame and early foundation to potentially become a high-end defender down the road. There are similarities between him and guys like Herb Jones, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Robert Covington.
The reason those names above have been able to turn into above-average contributors, however, is because they’ve also been able to hit the 3-ball. That’s going to HAVE to come for Phillips to even begin to reach his full potential. Fortunately, his solid free throw percentage indicates this could develop with a little help from new player development coach Peter Patton in Chicago.
If Phillips does struggle to find an identity on the offensive end, though, it’s hard not to see him as a Stanley Johnson 2.0. Given several opportunities because of his top-tier athleticism and defensive versatility, Johnson is still struggling to find a home in the NBA because of his inefficient offensive play. Phillips may have a little bit easier of a time simply because he does appear to be a solid finisher, but only time will tell.
