Los Angeles - Derrick Rose will not only run with the Chicago Bulls next season, the highly-touted Memphis point guard is expected to lead the charge back to the top after being selected on Thursday night as the top overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft. The Bulls defied the odds and secured the number one selection last month in the draft lottery despite a lowly 1.7 per cent chance of pulling it off.
This year's draft was considered a two-man race between Rose and Kansas State forward Michael Beasley, projected as the top prospects to provide an immediate impact.
As a university freshman, Rose averaged 14.9 points and 4.7 assists in the regular season. He took it to another level in the NCAA tournament, averaging 20.8 points a game while leading Memphis to a runner-up finish for the national title.
Meanwhile, the 6-foot-7 Beasley averaged 26.5 points - third best in the nation - and topped all rebounders with 12.5 per game.
After having more than a month to weigh their options, Bulls vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and new head coach Vinny Del Negro tabbed the 19-year old Chicago native to help reverse the fortunes of an underachieving club that finished 33-39 last season.
"It's a perfect fit. He's a very talented young man," Paxson said.
"In this league, point guards are very hard to find. He's got a strength about him at that position that most points in this league don't have, great burst, very fast with the ball. I think he's going to make other players better. He'll give us some leadership abilities as we go on that we really need."
There was no guarantee Rose would go first, but he was thrilled when NBA commissioner David Stern announced his name to tip off the future of the league at New York's Madison Square Garden.
"I was a little nervous when they came back out, but I always had that in mind that I want to be No 1," Rose said. "So it was great hearing my name and being the No 1 pick.
"It feels great to be back home," he added. "I will give the Bulls more leadership and hopefully a couple of more wins."
Rose is considered one of the best point guards to enter the draft in the last decade. He is an explosive, unselfish, athletic floor leader who prefers to get his teammates involved instead of scoring, most often compared to all-star guard Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks.
At 6-foot-3, Rose has the size and speed that make him the modern point guard, but he needs to improve his outside shot and free-throw shooting to reach his full potential.
"He's a winner," ESPN college analyst Jay Bilas said. "He's the proto-type point guard. He's not a great shooter, give him time, but he's the real deal."
Rose becomes only the third guard to be selected first overall in the last 28 years, joining Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, chosen in 1979 by the Los Angeles Lakers, and Allen Iverson, the Philadelphia 76ers' pick in 1996.
With the number two pick, the Miami Heat selected Beasley, who is expected to give a giant helping hand to Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion at both ends of the court for a club that owned a league-worst 15-67 record.
"Miami is getting a great player, a hard worker and rebounder, who is a fun-loving guy off court," Beasley said when asked what he brings to the Heat.
"His numbers are off the chart," said Heat President Pat Riley. "We hope he matures real quickly, and we feel we have the infrastructure and the organization to help him do that."
At number three, the Minnesota Timberwolves chose OJ Mayo , who left the University of Southern California following his first year, after averaging a team-best 20.7 points.
Mayo's outside shooting along with high-scoring Al Jefferson is expected to give the Timberwolves a formidable inside-outside presence.
Addressing a need to strengthen their backcourt, the Seattle SuperSonics, who finished 20-62 last season, selected UCLA guard Russell Westbrook with the number four pick. Westbrook will join first year stars Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant and Jeff Green.
At No 5, the Memphis Grizzlies grabbed Kevin Love, who will give the perennial bottom-feeders immediate help up front. As a freshman, the 6-foot-10 centre/forward led the Bruins in points (17.7) and rebounds (10.6) while earning first team All-America honours this season.
The New York Knicks went with Italy's Danilo Gallinari at No 6, whose father played with new coach Mike D'Antoni. The 6-foot-9 small forward averaged 17.5 points and 5.7 rebounds for Armani Jeans Milano in the Euroleague.
The 20-year-old is expected to help D'Antoni implement his high-octane offence to a team that finished 23-59 last season.
Indiana's shooting guard Eric Gordon was taken by the LA Clippers with the seventh pick and the Milwaukee Bucks followed by tabbing West Virginia's Joe Alexander.
Charlotte Bobcats new coach Larry Brown took point guard DJ Augustin of Texas with the ninth pick, the New Jersey Nets chose Stanford centre Brook Lopez at No 10 and Arizona shooting guard Jerryd Bayless was the choice of the Indiana Pacers.
Bayless would have been competing for playing time with TJ Ford, if a proposed trade to send six-time All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal to the Toronto Raptors as part of a package goes through.
However, the rights to Bayless and Ike Diogu were shipped to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for the rights to the No 12 pick Brandon Rush of national champion Kansas along with Jarrett Jack and Josh McRoberts.
The Sacramento Kings selected little-known senior forward Jason Thompson of Rider College at No 11, while Rush was initially picked by the Trail Blazers.
The Golden State Warriors followed by taking Louisiana State forward Anthony Randolph with the 14th and final lottery pick.
