I’ve said it once on Slam Dunk Central and I’ll say it again: the NBA is still a big man’s game. There is no coincidence that the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers became title contenders once they acquired 7-footers Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol, respectively. Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh have made their teams legitimate playoff threats in the Eastern Conference.

Over in the Western Conference, Andrew Bynum and Greg Oden have given their teams hope for next season that their returns from injury can propel each franchise to the next level; the Blazers to the playoffs, the Lakers to an NBA title. The Phoenix Suns thought the mid-season addition of Shaq O’Neal would push them over the NBA title hump. It seems like the move has backfired, primarily because of Shaq’s deteriorating physical health and decreasing on-court effectiveness, not the idea that a productive big man could turn the glare of the sparkling Larry O’Brien Trophy to the Suns.

When looking back at past No. 1 picks in the NBA Draft, one might find as many busts as hits. For every Tim Duncan, there is a Michael Olowokandi. For every Howard, there is a Kwame Brown. Andrew Bogut, Andrea Bargnani (although he’s not the traditional back-to-the-basket type) and Joe Smith are other big men taken with the top overall pick in the last decade or so who haven’t come close to living up to their top billing.
The hope that a dominant big man could turn a team from an also-ran into a title contender overnight is what has spurred teams over the years to roll the dice on talented post players. It’s why the Timberwolves negotiated an under-the-table handshake agreement with Joe Smith years back. It’s why the Lakers traded an All-Star caliber player in Caron Butler for the talented but perpetually flustered Kwame Brown. It’s why the Chicago Bulls formed the Eddy Curry-Tyson Chandler frontcourt in the hope of a new dynasty.

The Chicago Bulls, again with the opportunity to form a new era, have the choice tomorrow of whom to select with the first overall pick. They could choose Derrick Rose, the hometown-bred point guard who seemingly everybody and their mom has pegged as The Next Chris Paul. Is it because he’s just a quick point guard who excelled in college or does he really share Paul’s intensity, leadership qualities and maturity to rapidly develop once he hits the NBA scene? The Bulls could also select the 20/10 man, Michael Beasley. The consensus among NBA front office executives has been that Beasley is as much a lock to produce right off the bat as any big man since Tim Duncan. Questions about Beasley’s character have arisen, but if that’s the deciding factor, why don’t the Bulls just select the Stanford altar boy Brook Lopez?

Beasley’s production from the post will make the Bulls a more threatening playoff team than Rose would as a point guard. Even in the era of no perimeter hand checks, a big man’s ability to control a game through high-percentage scoring opportunities and rebounding is invaluable. Teams with great post players also derive other scoring opportunities off the big man’s offensive tools. Sharpshooters around the perimeter give a big man outstanding passing options when confronted with double teams, and keen-eyed big men who set up higher in the post always have the option to drop off passes for teammates cutting through the lane or backdoor along the baseline.

A versatile big man such as Beasley, who can knock down 18-footers in his sleep, can create outstanding spacing on the floor, a key to any half-court offense. The prevailing thought every NBA playoff season is that the game slows down and proper half-court offensive execution is essential to advancing through the rounds. The reason it’s a prevailing thought is because it’s the truth. The Celtics, Spurs, Pistons and Lakers have won titles since the MJ Era by successfully executing this thought process, Dwayne Wade, the refs from the ’06 Finals and the Heat notwithstanding. If the Bulls want to become a playoff contending team with long-term title aspirations, then they will choose the big man (Beasley) over the little man (Rose) tomorrow night.