and Wendell Carter was the #7 overall pick. He should be more than just a "solid NBA center and a good defensive player." and how much of that can be attributed to development he's received in the 6 years he's been in Orlando?

as for the other guys...being "better than their successors" doesn't make someone a good pick. they provided little to nothing of value to the Bulls. James Johnson averaged 7.4 ppg and 3.5 rpg for his career, both of which were better than the 1+ year he spent in Chicago. That's terrible. Tony Snell averaged 6.1 ppg/2.3 rpg. Bobby Portis was the best of the three, averaging 12.1 ppg/7.1 rpg. But that was mostly after they dealt him to Washington. He had a good 3rd year with them but that's it. Players being putting up decent numbers for other teams doesn't mean you drafted well in selecting them.