Bulls News: Grading the Pick: Lachlan Olbrich

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - 5 hours ago

Before the second round of the 2025 NBA draft could even begin, the Bulls found themselves trading away the No.45 selection as they came to a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. In the process of that deal, the Lakers would acquire the No. 45 pick from Chicago in exchange for the No. 55 pick and some extra cash.

With that deal officially expected to happen by the end of the week, the Bulls entered the second round of the draft with one pick and several needs to address heading into camp. One of their needs was to get some extra size on the inside for Nikola Vucevic, as the Bulls don't have a lot of size on this team.

Not only did they go with size at pick 55, but some have already called this the steal of the draft as the Bulls selected Australian big man Lachlan Olbrich with their second-round pick. Listed at 6-10 and 238 pounds, the 21-year-old center has all the size the Bulls are looking for from a frontcourt player and comes with several years of professional experience already under his belt.

Some have gone on to compare him to Domantas Sabonis, and should he become a player close to that level, you will be looking back on this pick as one of the biggest steals in over a decade. A bit unpolished in his overall game, Olbrich is coming off a season in which he averaged 11.4 PPG and 6.1 RPG while playing for Illawarra. Those may not be elite scoring numbers, but when you shoot close to 50% from the field and 30% from deep, you do tend to wonder if there is still some more left as to how good of a player you can become.

Anytime you compare an incoming prospect to Sabonis, there is a ton of risk involved, as the pressure that comes with that type of comparison is astronomical. To his credit, Olbrich is nowhere near the level of Sabonis at this point in his career, but he did exhibit Sabonis-like attributes during his workouts, particularly in his footwork.

That footwork allows him to be soft around the rim while he does a great job of creating his own shot and finding ways to finish in traffic. Given his size, it shouldn't surprise anyone to find out that his post-game is one of his best attributes, but in a world where the post-game is becoming less important, how much will that hurt him in the NBA?

The answer could be minimal, as he has some of the best fastbreak potential among all bigs and should be able to show that throughout the summer league with the Bulls. Olbrich is also one of the most intelligent basketball players in this year's class, particularly in terms of basketball IQ, as his discipline on the court enables him to make informed decisions throughout the game.

As expected, there will be some weaknesses in his game, and his overall shooting is one of those weaknesses. He is excellent when the ball is in his hands, and he isn't forced to do much, but when he is forced to stretch the floor, he almost becomes non-existent. Olbrich is also a defensive liability at times, as he doesn't demonstrate the same potential as his offensive skills would suggest.

A lot of that could stem from his overall lack of athleticism, as Olbrich isn't going to outplay the guys who have one distinct advantage over him. Although Arturas Karnisovas hasn't had much draft success with the Bulls, this was about the same area Nikola Jokić got drafted, and look at how he has turned out.

Grade B: Second-round picks are a dime a dozen in today's NBA, especially since most of them don't pan out. Of all the second-round picks, Olbrich may have the highest upside of them all, and that alone makes him an intriguing pickup for the Bulls. Expect him to play a significant role in the G League next season, but if things go well, there is no reason to believe he won't see time in the NBA as well.