Bulls Draft Central: 2004 Prospect Profiles (A-H)

Josh Childress has a 6-foot-11 wingspan, is athletic, a fantastic playmaker and is one of the best rebounding swingmen in the nation. (Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images)

NBA Comparison: Mike James

A terrific athlete with a shaky jumper ... one of the best defensive guards in college ... a bit of a “tweener” ... strong and has an NBA body, but a little undersized to play shooting guard at the next level ... has a quick first step and gets to the free throw line with regularity, which is a plus ... but needs to refine his ball-handling skills in order to stick in the NBA ... a likely early-to-mid-second-round pick.

NBA Comparison: Rasho Nesterovic / Greg Ostertag

A college senior—in the NBA Draft? ... this past season he was one of the most dominant college centers on the offensive end (18.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg) ... physically he’s huge and very strong and not afraid to get nasty in the paint ... uses his strength to bulldoze opponents ... also capable of stepping out on the perimeter and knocking down a mid-range jumper ... runs the floor well for a big man ... a native of Brazil, some considered him to be a late first-round sleeper pick last season, but he returned to BYU and led the Cougars back to the NCAA tournament this spring ... continues to improve every time he steps onto the court ... expected to be picked somewhere mid-to-late first-round.

NBA Comparison: Andrei Kirilenko

One of the most promising big men prospects in Europe ... only 18 years old ... is a good defender, and has the size, wingspan and timing to block shots and rebound ... however, not very polished on the offensive end, but scores consistently with both the drop-step and the turn-around jumper out to 10 feet ... needs to add more inside moves, a more reliable outside shot and some muscle ... member of the Latvian National Team at the Euro Cadet Championship in 2001, finished 4th in scoring (16.3) and 3rd in rebounding (8.5) ... also performed at the Euro Junior Championship 2002, where he played against opponents who were two years older, and held his own ... was named "Newcomer of the Year in 2003 in Latvia’s LBL.

NBA Comparison: Allen Iverson

Fearless point guard ... slight in size but not slight in heart ... one of the most underrated guards in the country ...penetrates to the bottom of the circle for a beautiful running floater ... has developed into an excellent long-range shooter ... steps into his shot ... shoots from his fingertips ... gets a lot of leverage behind his release with his elevation ... makes quick recognitions as a distributor ... sometimes that ability can lead to him making overzealous passes ... is often used at shooting-guard spot due to team personnel, but will need to play the point to survive in the NBA.

NBA Comparison: Scottie Pippen

Early entry candidate ... his ability to “multi-task” on the floor has teams drooling ... has a 6-foot-11 wingspan, is athletic, a fantastic playmaker and is one of the best rebounding swingmen in the nation (ranked second in the Pac 10 in rebounding in 2003-04) ... can penetrate, create for others at the point-forward position and finish as well as anyone ... will need to add muscle and continue to work on long-range jumper, but a sure-fire top-10 pick.

NBA Comparison: Scottie Pippen

Early entry candidate after playing freshman season at Duke ... says he will not sign with an agent in order to keep collegiate eligibility ... but says he’ll stay (in the Draft) if he determines he will be a top-5 pick ... which is likely since the consensus among NBA GMs say he’ll go somewhere in the top 3 ... there isn’t an NBA team who doesn’t like this guy ... he’s an excellent athlete with an NBA-ready body ... he’s incredibly quick and has a nice mid-range shooting touch ... an unselfish player who has a feel for the game and is fundamentally sound at both ends of the floor ... handles the ball well and rebounds in traffic ... defensively he has the ability to lock down opponents at crunch time.

NBA Comparison: Eric Snow

A pure point guard with great fundamentals and floor vision ... excels at setting up teammates, ball-handling, controlling the action, taking defenders off the dribble, and can get to the rim and finish ... a smart player on both ends of the floor ... a gritty, tough defender—ballhawk ... has great imagination/confidence/intelligence on the floor ... however, has a questionable jumper from long-range ... but has great character and strong work ethic ... an extremely quick, gifted athlete ... will be an asset to any team that selects him ... likely to be a late first-round, early second-round pick.

The consensus among NBA general managers is that Duke forward Luol Deng will go somewhere in the draft's top three selections. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

NBA Comparison: Dirk Nowitzki

Has been called college basketball's Dirk Nowitzki ... a shooter with tremendous height ... will take five-to-six 3-pointers per game, and countless mid-range shots ... does a lot of his shooting off the dribble—he’s not just a spot-up guy ... usually has at least a couple of inches (of height) on his opponent, so he requires less separation (from defenders) to collect clean looks ... on the block, he has a nice turn-around jumper ... often takes shots that have a high degree of difficulty ... plays away from contact, often taking him away from the basket ... a poor rebounder and shot-blocker ... not the physical presence that players as big as he often are ... has a good chance of being a second-round selection in the NBA Draft.

NBA Comparison: Lamond Murray

Early entry candidate ... says he won’t hire an agent in order to keep collegiate eligibility ... one of the most improved players in college ... has all the skills to play in the post ... added a nice perimeter game to his repertoire this season ... extended his shooting range in 2003-04 ... attempted just three 3-pointers in 2002-03 and 83 in 2003-04, shooting 34% from behind the arc ... has good athleticism, but needs to continue to extend his game outward ... too small to play down low in the NBA ... will need to play small forward at the next level ... could be a late first-round pick, but more than likely he will return to school for his senior year.

NBA Comparison: Gilbert Arenas

An early entry candidate ... he is the epitome of a combo guard ... is an excellent scorer, but also has the ability to find open teammates ... can create for himself, or create for others ... unbelievable athletic ability has made him an explosive penetrator and a good rebounder ... is always aware of his teammates ... seems to always be in control and rarely loses composure on the court … rarely takes poor shots ... quite simply, he can do things with the ball that others only dream about ... an excellent pro prospect who should be a lottery pick (top 13).

NBA Comparison: Yao Ming

Early entry candidate ... only 18 years old ... has Yao-like qualities, with enormous size, good dexterity and composure ... has nice touch around the basket ... has the quickness and size to be a good shot blocker and intimidating defensive presence ... will break new ground as the first Korean player to ever play in the NBA ... a very encouraging note—Ha can play a game all the way through without getting winded ... however, what’s most astounding is that his medical records reveal that he’s still growing ... basketball in his genes: father, Dong-ki, is 6-foot 6”, was a member of the Korean National team that placed second at the 1978 Bangkok Asian Games ... still very much a work in progress ... could become an impact player SOMEDAY—not today ... likely to go late first-round or early second.

NBA Comparison: Baron Davis

Early entry candidate ... athletic guard who has the size, speed, quickness, explosiveness and shooting stroke NBA teams love ... excellent floor vision and seems to understand how to run a team ... possesses an explosive first step capable of taking defenders off the dribble … also shows three-point range on his jumper … when driving to the basket, he does a great job of drawing contact … has excellent body control … his long arms and leaping ability enable him to make an impact on the glass … his game has improved year by year … ball-handling ability is top-notch as he displays an assortment of crossovers and spins to gain separation from his man … athleticism allows him to be a great finisher on the fast break … has all the physical attributes needed to excel defensively ... moves well without the ball … exhibits good leadership skills and the decision making ability desired in a point guard … an explosive scorer who can take over a game … plays unselfishly … plays the passing lanes extremely … has shown a willingness to listen and work hard ... a likely a top-12 pick.

NBA Comparison: Michael Olowokandi

Early entry candidate after leading Buffs to the NIT this past spring ... strong post player who runs the floor well for a big man ... can post solid offensive numbers (averaged 17.1 ppg and 8.8 rpg as a junior) ... good back to the basket game, but no face-up game or perimeter skills ... scouts sometime question his heart and desire as he often looks to be going through the motions ... however, he has size and that’s a commodity in the NBA ... will get a look, although he’s a late first-round pick at best.

NBA Comparison: Tim Duncan (in time)

Early entry candidate right out of high school ... a true talent ... possesses wonderful ball-handling, passing, shooting ability and a super quick first step ... combine all that with an uncanny ability to see the floor and you have something special ... people with his height and ability to play the perimeter and pass the ball are hard to find ... has great leaping ability and quick hands, which allow him to get his share of points in the paint ... however, he tends to rely on his athleticism a little too much, which is common for players his age (18) ... athletic prowess allows him to rack up rebounds and alter shots ... defensively he is everywhere, snatching balls, tipping shots, running back on D—he can do it all ... an extremely hard worker and very coachable ... an honor student in high school ... the potential here is scary ... quite simply, he's the total package... a top 3 pick for sure.

NBA Comparison: Tom Gugliotta

Early entry candidate after playing freshman season at Minnesota ... named Big Ten Freshman of the Year as well as First Team All-Big Ten this past season ... led conference in both scoring (21.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.5) ... he is a chiseled 6’8”, 240 lbs ... already one of the best rebounders in the country ... excels at cleaning the glass on both the offensive and defensive ends ... has decent range out to the college three-point line; however, he understands that really isn’t the strength of his game ... does not shy away from contact in the paint and does a great job of mixing it up ... also does a great job of getting to the free-throw line and converting—shot .742% from the stripe ... decent shot blocker, too (1.13 bpg) ... he has made the jump from high school to college seem effortless ... it’ll be interesting to see if he can do the same between college and the NBA ... a little undersized at the moment to play significant minutes at power forward in the NBA ... will need to build strength, but he’s only 19 years old and should continue to mature ... bottom line: a very talented player with upside ... likely to be a late lottery pick (top 13).

- Prospect profiles compiled by Anthony Hyde