Fresh off the NBA Draft, John Paxson went on 670 the Score to discuss his selection of Derrick Rose with the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Omer Asik, and the restricted free agency situation.

From the start, Paxson saw this as a two player draft with there being no question that Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley would be the top two picks. Ultimately, Paxson chose Rose over Beasley because he felt that the position of point guard is so hard to fill for the long term, so when you have the opportunity to take a player of Derrick’s caliber, you cannot pass that up. Paxson does not think that there are any other point guards in the league who possess Derrick’s physical gifts of strength and speed.

Paxson feels that the point guard is at a premium because of the rule changes that the NBA made a few years ago. The NBA changed the rules to allow less contact on the perimeter. Paxson feels these rules make it so that really good guards who can penetrate with speed and quickness have a huge advantage in the NBA. He thinks that Derrick will be able to get to any spot on the court that he wants to.

He feels that Derrick will be a great fit with the other young players already on the team. He thinks a natural way to lead is by making the guys around you better. Paxson feels that Derrick will be able to take advantage of Tyrus Thomas’ and Joakim Noah’s youth, athleticism, and ability to run the court. In addition, he sees Rose making Luol Deng better by setting him up for easier shots in transition.

Paxson’s hope is for Rose to take to take over the team from day one and run with it, but he preaches patience because Derrick is only 19 years old. Paxson is confident that if Rose doesn’t take over the team from day one, that he will take it over very soon.

With their 2nd round pick, the Chicago Bulls selected Sonny Weems who they dealt shortly after for Omer Asik, a 7 foot, Turkish center. Paxson sees Asik as a futures play. Paxson did not want to add any more players to the roster out of the draft other than Derrick. Paxson said that Omer Asik will be able to come over in 2010.

The Bulls plan to start talks with Luol Deng and Ben Gordon at the beginning of free agency. The Bulls have been in constant contact with both Deng and Gordon, and Jerry Reinsdorf has talked to both players. They want to sit down face to face with both guys right away. While Paxson hopes to get things done early on, he knows that you never know what’s going to happen in free agency.

This interview can be listened to at 670theScore.com