Go European or go home

By Isiah Thomas
NBA Mastermind

How very exciting that my hometown Chicago Bulls have been granted the first overall pick in this year's NBA Draft. I was hoping that my current team, the New York Knicks, had done enough in the regular season to merit the top pick, but I was disappointed when lady luck did not smile upon our franchise, which has been hit with some bad luck over the past few years.

I'd like to think if I hadn't traded all my draft picks the past couple years, I would have made some franchise-changing successes. If I presided over the Bulls -- say someone gave me a phone call and asked me to be their head coach -- then I know what I would do this year.

A lot of people are simplifying this draft down to two players -- Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley. Both are nice players, but I think some outside-the-box thinking is always a good idea when you're trying to turn your franchise around. You have to see potential where others have not found out, like in Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries. You have to stick your neck out there to have success.

So rather than go with the obvious consensus selections, I submit another name to you, Chicago. Danilo Gallinari.

Foreign players aren't often as glamorous as the stateside guys, but there is some very simple logic here. My good friend Joe Dumars had the No. 2 pick not that long ago and had to choose between a European superstar and a college freshman who had just come away from playing in the national title game. He chose Darko Milicic -- and immediately won the NBA Championship that year. That's what it's all about. I salute Joe Dumars for making the call.

I urge Chicago to do the same. You obviously can't use the overall top pick on a guard like Rose, and there are just some non-specific things I don't like about Beasley. But Gallinari has the full package, and I think the Bulls would be wise to take my advice.

Take it from me. I drafted David Lee. Call me, John Paxson.