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Bulls select Bobby Portis with No. 22 pick

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

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The Chicago Bulls selected Arkansas power forward Bobby Portis with 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday night, making a crowded frontcourt a little more crowded.

Portis may not be the flashiest player in the draft, but he's believed to be the most certain to play regular minutes as an NBA power forward, since there's little he doesn't do well. Most mock drafts had him going just after the lottery, and despite their glut of size, the Bulls were reportedly thrilled to find he was still available at No. 22.

A hard worker with an endless motor - his energy reserves come from a strange place - Portis checks plenty of boxes. With a 7-foot-2 wingspan and 9-foot-plus standing reach, he's big enough to man the four and brings an NBA-ready body. He's not an overwhelming athlete, but his combination of inside moves, midrange jumper, and steady defense makes him a safe pick - and, in all likelihood, an instant contributor.

The early parts of the draft are for upside. Once the hopeful contenders have their turn, it's about finding players who can move the needle in a playoff run, and that's Portis. How the Bulls manage to squeeze him into their frontcourt rotation, which already features Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Pau Gasol, and Nikola Mirotic, is another matter.

The Bulls struggled to juggle minutes and find the right combinations among those four this past season. Gibson was the subject of trade rumors throughout the year, and it's not inconceivable that either he or Noah (or both) could be on the block following injury-hampered campaigns.

You can read more about Portis in our scouting report.

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