Will Perdue Has Big Shoes to Fill--His Own

If the measure of a man can be taken by his sneakers, Will Perdue, at size 21, is big enough to play in the NBA. But the 7A-width on those same shoes suggests the Bulls’ No. 1 draft choice has some filling out to do.

As soon as the Bulls used the 11th pick in the draft to grab the 7-foot, 240-pound center from Vanderbilt, photographers asked for the obligatory shot of those long doggies propped on a table

“I’ve been in Sports Illustrated just for that fact,” the good-natured Perdue said Thursday as he was introduced to the media in Chicago. “But I want to be in there for another fact.”

The Bulls, who were slated to select 19th in Tuesday’s National Basketball Association draft, grabbed Perdue after dealing league-leading rebounder Charles Oakley to the New York Knicks for center Bill Cartwright and a swap of draft positions.

Cartwright’s addition, plus the presence of veteran center Dave Corzine, will enable Perdue to acclimate to the more-physical pro game at a slower pace, said Coach Doug Collins.

“There is a difference between a guy being a project and bringing along a talented player. Will is definitely not a project,” said Collins. “We know he’s got the talent to play for us now.

“But he has to learn the spacing on the floor, where is his best spot in the post, how he plays against different guys and how to handle the grind of the NBA,” he said.

Perdue finished his final season at Vanderbilt as the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, averaging 18.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. But he was red-shirted after a a dissapointing freshman season there, and didn’t garner much attention during his first two seasons there or in high school in hometown of Merritt Island, Fla.

But that shouldn’t prevent him from making a contribution early with the Bulls, he said.

“The NBA should help my game offensively because it’s a little more open in the pivot (because zone defenses are outlawed),” said Perdue. “But I know I’ll have to put in a lot of work on my defense and lateral movement.

“Strength is another thing I know I’ll have to work on, and maybe add 10 or 20 pounds. When I first got to college, I was 6-10 and 195. But I left there at 7-0 and 240, so I think with some work, I’ll be able to adapt to the situation here,” he said.

Perdue declined to discuss goals for his rookie season, saying it’s too early to project playing time, points or rebounds.

“Most players that get picked that high would like to go to an expansion team where they’ll play a lot right away, but this is a perfect situation for me,” said Perdue.