2024 NBA Draft Thread

[CJ_is_Gone]

Some notes regarding our own lotto pick:

Diving into more on this class, I’m still very excited about it, but f’ing this up will have serious consequences on the future. We can all find players we ‘like’ every draft cycle and we can be fixated on that singular player, I realize that. This year, we have plenty of four shots at different ranges in the draft, we are good on ‘24 draft picks.

1) Sarr, for obvious reasons, the news of his arrival would change life on this team
2) Buzelis, even if you don’t think he can be a superstar, there are so many skills to point to that make me think he can be a great third star
3A) Risacher, I’ve heard some scouts say they like Risacher more than Buzelis, but I’ve seen more tape on Buzelis
3B) Castle, might be my third favorite prospect right now, even though he’s more of a combo guard. I’m just hoping that he will measure out to be 6’7 in shoes, but I see him being a better version of Dyson Daniels on offense, while still having the defensive potential. Depending on his measurements, I might have him above Risacher.

Outside of that, it’s so hard to justify being excited about anyone else with our own lotto pick. Collier will be near the top of the board but he isn’t going to be someone we target. If those five guys are gone and we have yet to pick, my projection for the rest of draft night becomes bleak.

I’m going to be paying close attention to what happened during the ‘13 and ‘00 drafts this year to try and bring some informed insight, eventually.

The talent pool is so undefined right now that I wouldn’t rule out looking at some of these 6’6-6’7 PGs like Nikola Topic over a SF prospect like Holland or Edwards. How much better is Edwards (projected top 10 still by most, I think) than Cody Williams (who is kind of all over the place but mainly between 15-20)? I have no idea right now.

Im right there with you on Sarr, Buzelis, Risacher, Castle, & Topic

I do like Ryan Dunn for the GSW pick.
Klintman is intriguing. So are Shephard & Ighodaro.
But none of these guys are top 8 guys

 

[BankTeller]

I know I’m posting a lot on this thread, lol.

Another point also to think about, fit also has to matter, we gotta learn from the mistakes of other franchises. Look at a team like Detroit. They have been bad for a very long time. They’ve drafted a lot of pieces. Lot of whiffs, but also a lot of individual pieces I like (Ausar, Duren, Ivey, Cunningham). None of these pieces have fit.

I follow the NBA Draft subreddit, and there’s a current thread called “how do you currently feel about Cade Cunningham?” There’s comments about his lack of separation still and stuff like that, all of which are due to his limitations as a player. But they’ve also done nothing to help him with these issues—Ivey, Ausar, these are talented players, but none of them can shoot. The fact that Stewart is the best shooter to come out of their crop of drafted talent is a HUGE concern.

Use Detroit as a precautionary tale. We have guys like Scoot already, who we project to do a lot of great things, but shooting won’t be one of them. Shae is going to be a good shooter eventually, once he develops into a better player and isn’t relied upon for 40mpg. DA is a good mid range shooter and hardly considered a liability outside the paint, but is not a 3pt shooter.

That means that on draft night, positional need be damned, we have to pick the right FITS. That means if Schmitz doesn’t think Holland can become a good 3pt shooter, PLEASE do not draft him. If Edwards can’t show to be a good 3pt shooter by the end of the college season, he better be a combination of a great playmaker, defender, or scorer, or else he is no good on this team.

Holland and Edwards are just buzz-names from the the summer before. I remember watching Shabazz Muhammed’s “#1 pick mixtape” and saw him fall to 15 in the ‘13 draft. There isn’t a clear division in the talent pool to consider drafting for talent, need will be a bigger emphasis this year than BPA imo.

 

[BankTeller]

Im right there with you on Sarr, Buzelis, Risacher, Castle, & Topic

I do like Ryan Dunn for the GSW pick.
Klintman is intriguing. So are Shephard & Ighodaro.
But none of these guys are top 8 guys

Hmm, I’m going to have to watch some clips on Topic. I wouldn’t be surprised if Holland and Castle are really close to the same size. This year, I’m more open to taking a “big PGs” who could potentially guard wings. You could say that seeing Sharpe play against bigger guys this year has up’d my confidence in this.

Outside of Sarr (who no one expects to be a primary decision maker with the ball), it would really be hard for me to justify drafting a guy who can’t at least initiate the offense some of the time, with our lotto pick. The second dinger would be an inability to shoot. So that already knocks Holland and Edwards off my radar for a top 5 pick.

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

Here are some highlights of Dunn.

 

[BankTeller]

The intrigue on Cody Williams just popped back up. These highlight clips kind of shows a little bit of everything that he can do right now. I think a lot of people cooled their excitement on him after the McDonalds AM game but he’s looks fairly solid so far.

19.6yo on draft night. Looks like a true 6’8 and has long arms.

11.2/3.6/2.4/1.0/0.4 on .583/.429/.647

He hasn’t made more than one 3 in any game, and he averages 2to’s, so he still has plenty of flaws. But depending on his development through the rest of the season, I might have Cody higher than Ron on draft night. Cody might crack the end of the lotto still.

 

[BankTeller]

Here are some highlights of Dunn.

Oh my God, that first clip had be hyped. I’ll be paying more attention to this guy. 7’1 wingspan is night, he kind of looks like a Deandre Hunter or Kobe Brown kind of player.

 

[BankTeller]

I’ve just done a shallow dive on Nikola Topic, here are my thoughts.

The good:
- great physical profile, apparently measured at 6’6 without shoes with a 7’0 wingspan at Basketball Without Borders. That’s legit SF size.
- He’s like, lightning quick. I’ve read that he could probably clock a 4.3second 40y
- He looks like someone who is going to be a great PG. With his size to see over defenses like Luka, I wouldn’t be surprised if he looks like Luka as a rookie when passing the ball.

The bad:
- I wouldn’t particularly say he’s a great passer right now. He’s a player who is still learning to process the game. He has great size and is playing with grown men, I don’t think decision making will be a problem long term.
- He is not a great shooter. When we already have Scoot to worry about as a shooter, I don’t like the prospect of bringing in another rookie who’s a liability to shoot. His percentages are with the likes of the twins from 3.
- This guy is never going to be able to play off the ball, imo. With his quickness, you’d love for him to learn to cut, but he’s played with the ball in his hands the majority of his life.

Conclusion:
While he is an interesting prospect, he would not be the right fit for this team. A team like Washington should pounce on this guy. A team like the Spurs, who might be better sooner than they thought, has to seriously consider a guy like this. SA is going to eventually stop f’ing around with experiments like Sochan at PG—trying nonsensical things like that instead of bringing in a real PG will stunt Wemby’s development. But he isn’t someone that I see being able to play off the ball. That, combined with the jumper, and no formed conclusion on his defensive potential, I’d pass on him, especially in the top 5.

We would be much better off drafting a player like Castle if we are looking to draft a PG/SG/SF kind of player.

 

[Galakelife]

Some notes regarding our own lotto pick:

Diving into more on this class, I’m still very excited about it, but f’ing this up will have serious consequences on the future. We can all find players we ‘like’ every draft cycle and we can be fixated on that singular player, I realize that. This year, we have plenty of four shots at different ranges in the draft, we are good on ‘24 draft picks.

1) Sarr, for obvious reasons, the news of his arrival would change life on this team
2) Buzelis, even if you don’t think he can be a superstar, there are so many skills to point to that make me think he can be a great third star
3A) Risacher, I’ve heard some scouts say they like Risacher more than Buzelis, but I’ve seen more tape on Buzelis
3B) Castle, might be my third favorite prospect right now, even though he’s more of a combo guard. I’m just hoping that he will measure out to be 6’7 in shoes, but I see him being a better version of Dyson Daniels on offense, while still having the defensive potential. Depending on his measurements, I might have him above Risacher.

Outside of that, it’s so hard to justify being excited about anyone else with our own lotto pick. Collier will be near the top of the board but he isn’t going to be someone we target. If those five guys are gone and we have yet to pick, my projection for the rest of draft night becomes bleak.

I’m going to be paying close attention to what happened during the ‘13 and ‘00 drafts this year to try and bring some informed insight, eventually.

The talent pool is so undefined right now that I wouldn’t rule out looking at some of these 6’6-6’7 PGs like Nikola Topic over a SF prospect like Holland or Edwards. How much better is Edwards (projected top 10 still by most, I think) than Cody Williams (who is kind of all over the place but mainly between 15-20)? I have no idea right now.

i like Sarr, but i feel like somehow the NBA is going to send him to the Spurs to pair with you know who.

 

[BankTeller]

i like Sarr, but i feel like somehow the NBA is going to send him to the Spurs to pair with you know who.

At first, I thought about this possibility. Yeah, in the grand scheme of things, it would just suck if the Spurs got both Wemby AND Sarr. I just don’t think the chances that they even take him, given the chance, are not as high as you would think.

Sarr is definitely #1 on our board, but not a lock to be #1 on all boards by any means. Sarr looks like he could be a hybrid of Mobley/JJJ. To me, that sounds like a #1 prospect, but he isn’t being treated as such in the media. So Sarr doesn’t seem like a sure thing. When the Spurs already have Wemby and a very manageable salary in Collins, I just can’t see the Spurs justify picking Sarr. The only reason to do this would be if SA believes one of them will become strong enough to play full time C in a couple of seasons.

Wemby is showing that his development is ahead of schedule. The Spurs are going to be competing sooner than they thought, and at some point, they’re going to have to stop with the goofy stuff like playing Sochan at PG. The Spurs are going to need a real PG to actually help Wemby develop, and that means to trade for someone or draft a PG at the top. Topic is a 6’7 PG who should be a PnR maestro as soon as he gets here—I’m not sure I could pass on him or Castle over Sarr, even if the ceiling with Sarr is higher.

I know drafting for need would go against even my own drafting philosophies. But that’s my feeling on SA right now. Honestly, in the Eurohub that is SA, Topic should be their #1 target. Unless I’m confident Collier can be my franchise PG, I might grab Topic over Collier.

 

[PCmor7]

At first, I thought about this possibility. Yeah, in the grand scheme of things, it would just suck if the Spurs got both Wemby AND Sarr. I just don’t think the chances that they even take him, given the chance, are not as high as you would think.

Sarr is definitely #1 on our board, but not a lock to be #1 on all boards by any means. Sarr looks like he could be a hybrid of Mobley/JJJ. To me, that sounds like a #1 prospect, but he isn’t being treated as such in the media. So Sarr doesn’t seem like a sure thing. When the Spurs already have Wemby and a very manageable salary in Collins, I just can’t see the Spurs justify picking Sarr. The only reason to do this would be if SA believes one of them will become strong enough to play full time C in a couple of seasons.

Wemby is showing that his development is ahead of schedule. The Spurs are going to be competing sooner than they thought, and at some point, they’re going to have to stop with the goofy stuff like playing Sochan at PG. The Spurs are going to need a real PG to actually help Wemby develop, and that means to trade for someone or draft a PG at the top. Topic is a 6’7 PG who should be a PnR maestro as soon as he gets here—I’m not sure I could pass on him or Castle over Sarr, even if the ceiling with Sarr is higher.

I know drafting for need would go against even my own drafting philosophies. But that’s my feeling on SA right now. Honestly, in the Eurohub that is SA, Topic should be their #1 target. Unless I’m confident Collier can be my franchise PG, I might grab Topic over Collier.

Feel the same. Unless Sarr really takes a step forward and the Spurs are drafting ahead of the Blazers, I think SA is looking at one of a couple of PGs or the best shooter with their pick, not a guy similar to Wemby when they already also have Collins and Sochan.

 

[PCmor7]

Sarr hasn't done enough to separate himself from any of these other guys that are being talked about as the potential No. 1 pick in 2024. When there's no separation, teams will put a little more weight on current roster composition and area of need than just the best player available, which is who high lottery teams usually should pick.

 

[Predator]

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/in...ck-draft-why-isaiah-collier-new-no-1-prospect

FIRST ROUND

1. San Antonio Spurs

Isaiah Collier | USC | PG | Age: 18.9


2. Detroit Pistons

Alex Sarr | Perth Wildcats | PF/C | Age: 18.4

3. Portland Trail Blazers

Zaccharie Risacher | JL Bourg | SF | Age: 18.4

4. Washington Wizards

Ja'Kobe Walter | Baylor | SG | Age: 18.7

5. Charlotte Hornets

Ron Holland | G League Ignite | SF | Age: 18.2

6. Chicago Bulls

Donovan Clingan | UConn | C | Age: 19.5

7. Memphis Grizzlies

Matas Buzelis | G League Ignite | SF | Age: 18.9

8. Utah Jazz

Nikola Topic | Mega MIS | PG | Age: 18.1

9. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Houston)

Stephon Castle | UConn | PG/SG | Age: 18.9

10. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto)

Justin Edwards | Kentucky | SG/SF | Age: 19.7

 

[BonesJones]

@BonesJones @hoopsjock @bxb @MrDraftGuy

Whoever else that’s been following any prospects, feel free to reply as well,

Does anyone have a clear top 5 for your version of OUR big board yet? Meaning, take out Collier who is only 6’4.

I struggle finding a fifth guy that I would be happy with taking if the first four are gone. I also haven’t paid attention to many prospects outside of the ones I already like. Any insight or suggestions on guys to pay attention to would be great.

Not really. Other than Sarr, I'm pretty low on every other frontcourt player I've seen to the point where I don't think you can take Collier out of the top 5. I think the Blazers have to give themselves the best chance at having a true, game-changing superstar (Top 10 player) and that might mean taking Collier over a better fit.

I know it becomes extremely messy with the guards we already have. I don't know what the solution is.

Holland and Buzelis haven't impressed me. And G-League Ignite guys haven't lived up to their draft stock (but it might be too early to make that conclusion).

 

[BonesJones]

Some notes regarding our own lotto pick:

Diving into more on this class, I’m still very excited about it, but f’ing this up will have serious consequences on the future. We can all find players we ‘like’ every draft cycle and we can be fixated on that singular player, I realize that. This year, we have plenty of four shots at different ranges in the draft, we are good on ‘24 draft picks.

1) Sarr, for obvious reasons, the news of his arrival would change life on this team
2) Buzelis, even if you don’t think he can be a superstar, there are so many skills to point to that make me think he can be a great third star
3A) Risacher, I’ve heard some scouts say they like Risacher more than Buzelis, but I’ve seen more tape on Buzelis
3B) Castle, might be my third favorite prospect right now, even though he’s more of a combo guard. I’m just hoping that he will measure out to be 6’7 in shoes, but I see him being a better version of Dyson Daniels on offense, while still having the defensive potential. Depending on his measurements, I might have him above Risacher.

Outside of that, it’s so hard to justify being excited about anyone else with our own lotto pick. Collier will be near the top of the board but he isn’t going to be someone we target. If those five guys are gone and we have yet to pick, my projection for the rest of draft night becomes bleak.

I’m going to be paying close attention to what happened during the ‘13 and ‘00 drafts this year to try and bring some informed insight, eventually.

The talent pool is so undefined right now that I wouldn’t rule out looking at some of these 6’6-6’7 PGs like Nikola Topic over a SF prospect like Holland or Edwards. How much better is Edwards (projected top 10 still by most, I think) than Cody Williams (who is kind of all over the place but mainly between 15-20)? I have no idea right now.

Biggest differentiating factor for me with guys in this draft where theres not much seperation will be processing speed, good movement patterns and a high enough skill base. (Haliburton and Maxey are two guys that were steals where they were drafted that I had higher than they were drafted based in these areas). From the little I've seen of him, Cody Williams seems to fit this mold just like his brother did.

 

[theprunetang]

Biggest differentiating factor for me with guys in this draft where theres not much seperation will be processing speed, good movement patterns and a high enough skill base. (Haliburton and Maxey are two guys that were steals where they were drafted that I had higher than they were drafted based in these areas). From the little I've seen of him, Cody Williams seems to fit this mold just like his brother did.

I really like Cody Williams with the Golden State pick, even if it's late lottery. I'll be keeping my eye on him this season.

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

Cody Williams seems to fit this mold just like his brother did.

Who is his brother?

 

[theprunetang]

Who is his brother?

Jalen Williams of OKC.

 

[BankTeller]

Sarr hasn't done enough to separate himself from any of these other guys that are being talked about as the potential No. 1 pick in 2024. When there's no separation, teams will put a little more weight on current roster composition and area of need than just the best player available, which is who high lottery teams usually should pick.

Personally, Sarr not separating does a lot in helping us land him. Spurs and Pistons both seem like teams who should just stay away from Sarr unless they’re confident in Sarr’s ability to shoot the ball. Spending this pick on Sarr could really waste a year of Wemby and Cade’s development. Cade is already struggling with the lack of spacing, and the clogged lanes just highlight his inability to get separation. I’m not going to name a reason for why every team besides us could stay away from Sarr, but I think a lot of teams will prioritize a guard over a big.

Houston ended up picking Green over Mobley, which is still a baffling choice to me. Mobley was always the better prospect between he and Sarr, so anything can happen in this draft.

 

[BankTeller]

Biggest differentiating factor for me with guys in this draft where theres not much seperation will be processing speed, good movement patterns and a high enough skill base. (Haliburton and Maxey are two guys that were steals where they were drafted that I had higher than they were drafted based in these areas). From the little I've seen of him, Cody Williams seems to fit this mold just like his brother did.

That makes a lot of sense, and I get where you’re coming from. If we’re going to disregard Sarr, the guy at the top I’d be interested in most is Castle. He’s only played two games so it’s a small sample size, but I’ve loved seeing him kind of be able to do everything. Out of the Daniels-Black-mold big PG/SGs that have come out in recent years, Castle looks like he could be the best one to me. I’ve been really impressed with his passing ability and nose for the ball on the boards. 7oreb vs 6dreb in two games is really impressive to me, I think that the presence of both Sharpe and Castle in a lineup will mean even more second chance opportunities than we have now. Even though Castle is being touted as a PG/SG, I can see Castle becoming a Jimmy Butler kind of player. I don’t know if Castle will ever fill out to be a solid 230lb like Butler, but I think he can be a better version of Jimmy on offense and still hold up well on defense if he gets stronger.

I was impressed with Cody vs FSU (especially handling the ball in OT) even though he had the 5to’s. You’d hope he shoots the ball more so we are know for sure of his shooting ability, but his jumper doesn’t look bad. The 7’2 wingspan is obviously intriguing. He immediately becomes more interesting if he can be a legit small ball 5, which I think he can become. He, Walker, and Camara are all around the same size, and I would really like the different blend of skills.

 

[PCmor7]

Not really. Other than Sarr, I'm pretty low on every other frontcourt player I've seen to the point where I don't think you can take Collier out of the top 5. I think the Blazers have to give themselves the best chance at having a true, game-changing superstar (Top 10 player) and that might mean taking Collier over a better fit.

I know it becomes extremely messy with the guards we already have. I don't know what the solution is.

Holland and Buzelis haven't impressed me. And G-League Ignite guys haven't lived up to their draft stock (but it might be too early to make that conclusion).

You're not wrong.

If you think Collier is a special player and separates himself on your board over these other guys, then, yes, in spite of fit, you either take Collier and work out the details later or trade down and add assets either in a young player or an additional pick in a future draft.

My opinion is if the draft were today Collier isn't at that point. There isn't enough separation in ability/potential, and, in that case, you draft the forward that might be slightly lower on your board because you have an dramatically increased opportunity to impact the team at that position which negates the risk/reward considerations.

Like you, I almost always will draft superior talent if there's a gap and work out the other details later.

 

[BankTeller]

You're not wrong.

If you think Collier is a special player and separates himself on your board over these other guys, then, yes, in spite of fit, you either take Collier and work out the details later or trade down and add assets either in a young player or an additional pick in a future draft.

My opinion is if the draft were today Collier isn't at that point. There isn't enough separation in ability/potential, and, in that case, you draft the forward that might be slightly lower on your board because you have an dramatically increased opportunity to impact the team at that position which negates the risk/reward considerations.

Like you, I almost always will draft superior talent if there's a gap and work out the other details later.

I have that same feeling on Collier. I’m not actually convinced Collier will be a better player than Scoot. Castle remains as that guy at the top that I love, despite the small sample size. I don’t think I would trade out of that pick unless both Sarr and Castle are gone. I’ve said Topic wouldn’t be a good fit on this team, but I might also consider him before trading out. He has a feel for the game with his passing that I saw from Luka, and if we’re going to gamble on a guy, he could be that guy outside of Sarr and Castle. (I am thinking we can draft Buzelis with the Warrior pick outright, or trade up slightly from that point to grab him. Just a gut feeling that he’ll fall.)

Since we have the Warriors 1st and Hornets 2nd, I would probably be fine trading out of that pick and trade that pick into a ‘25 or ‘26 1st, if some of the guys of the top are gone.

 

[BankTeller]

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/in...ck-draft-why-isaiah-collier-new-no-1-prospect

FIRST ROUND

1. San Antonio Spurs

Isaiah Collier | USC | PG | Age: 18.9


2. Detroit Pistons

Alex Sarr | Perth Wildcats | PF/C | Age: 18.4

3. Portland Trail Blazers

Zaccharie Risacher | JL Bourg | SF | Age: 18.4

4. Washington Wizards

Ja'Kobe Walter | Baylor | SG | Age: 18.7

5. Charlotte Hornets

Ron Holland | G League Ignite | SF | Age: 18.2

6. Chicago Bulls

Donovan Clingan | UConn | C | Age: 19.5

7. Memphis Grizzlies

Matas Buzelis | G League Ignite | SF | Age: 18.9

8. Utah Jazz

Nikola Topic | Mega MIS | PG | Age: 18.1

9. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Houston)

Stephon Castle | UConn | PG/SG | Age: 18.9

10. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto)

Justin Edwards | Kentucky | SG/SF | Age: 19.7

I’m starting to cool on Risacher, mainly because I haven’t seen enough tape to suggest he’ll become a star, and I’m starting to not feel right about having him up there cause he’s a comparable talent to Buzelis. I’d probably trade down for Castle or even draft him outside at that spot.

In a world where every team’s leadership is smart though, the Blazers would be picking Sarr, and the Pistons would be picking Walter or Castle. They can’t keep trying to churn these athletic freaks at C at the expense of putting the right guards and wings around Cade. On the Pistons, I can see a guy like Walter start at SG right away, simply because of his ability to at least space the floor for Cade and Ausar. I don’t even think the Pistons can afford to gamble on Topic’s upside, seeing as Cade is going to be entering year 4 and is the main decision maker.

 

[BankTeller]

Here are some highlights of Dunn.

I did some real real light research on Dunn. The physical profile is impressive, as is the defense. The 3pt shooting has me really pausing on him. I hear about the Herb Jones-esque defense, but eventually, piling non-shooters on this team becomes a problem. Low apg numbers suggest he is a great defender suggest that he can be depended on for his defense right now, and nothing else. He will turn 21yo before the draft.

I actually just learned of a new player that is in the mold of Dunn.

Dailyn Swain - SF, Xavier
- 18.92 on draft day (almost a full month after being drafted)
- Listed 6’8. I’m guessing he’ll be between 6’7-6’8 at the combine
- Probably around 10lb lighter than Dunn and around the same wingspan, but he’s almost 2 years younger

So far (7 games):
6.0/2.6/1.7/0.6/1.8 on .469/.300/.750 (20.7mpg)

The guy is so young. He doesn’t start at all. He is coming off the bench and playing very low minutes, and producing very well. I’m very encouraged about 1.7apg on such low usage. Averaging 0.9to’s per game, so nearly 2-1 ast/to ratio. His shot isn’t broken, but is a work in progress. He just isn’t a good shooter yet. 7/12 on fts so fair suggests he can become one eventually.

My notes on him:
- He obviously isn’t as good as Dunn on defense right now. BUT, Swain is averaging 3 steals and 1.4 blocks per 40mins, so it’s not like he’s a slouch.
- Just on age difference alone, Swain is the much more interesting prospect. Dunn is born 1/7/03, and Swain is born 7/15/05, so Swain is around 2.5y’s younger than Dunn. Even physically, Swain could still grow a little bit more
- Overall, I think Swain has shown he more things (on paper, just looking at the statsheet) well than Dunn. Even if Swain is twice the defender Camara is, he’s ultimately just a Camara duplicate if he came here. Swain would provide a slightly different skillset than Camara and Walker, he has potential to become a shooter, but also be a forward who can move the ball and make the right reads and decisions.
- If Swain showed more as a shooter or a scorer, he would be a guaranteed lotto pick.

I’ve seen/heard some rumblings that he might return to school after this season. People are excited about him, some think he will be a lotto pick in ‘25 if he returns to school. In a draft with a suspect talent pool, I’m scouting this guy HARD the rest of the season. We have that Warriors pick that will be decent (we all hope)—he’s jumped up on my board drastically.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Biggest differentiating factor for me with guys in this draft where theres not much seperation will be processing speed, good movement patterns and a high enough skill base. (Haliburton and Maxey are two guys that were steals where they were drafted that I had higher than they were drafted based in these areas). From the little I've seen of him, Cody Williams seems to fit this mold just like his brother did.

If he's anything like his brother we should snatch him up with the Warriors pick.

 

[BankTeller]

There isn’t much tape on Dailyn Swain unfortunately. The most recent clip I could find is from 2 weeks ago.


I never get much from high school highlights. I don’t like sifting through endless dunking clips to see everything else. I saw a little bit of his ability to handle/shoot/make plays, which was good enough for me.


I don’t have that many players on the board right now that I’d be excited about the prospects of drafting (Sarr, Castle, Buzelis, Williams). Swain has jumped to #4 on my big board between Buzelis and Williams. A big tournament could easily put him in the top 10 imo, if they make it. They had a string of appearances in the ‘10s and have only made it once in the ‘20s. Personally, it actually benefits us for him to not get enough exposure (like Hendricks last year), but it’s hard to not wish these guys the endless opportunities to showcase their talents. I like Swain more than Klintman and any of these other wings in the draft not named Buzelis. Regarding a big, I think there’s going to be one that clips to the Hornets pick, due to the amount of good bigs in this class. Koloko was a 2nd rounder a few years ago, who I really liked, so big chance a big that we like falls to us.

 

[BankTeller]

If he's anything like his brother we should snatch him up with the Warriors pick.

If Sarr isn’t available to us, I really can’t think of a better draft that drafting Cody Williams, Dailyn Swain, and a big with the Hornets 2nd.

Obviously, if Swain doesn’t peak to the top of the board, we can trade down for him. Guaranteeing a pair of forwards like Swain and Williams would be HUGE for us, and I’d be very excited about our forwards for the future.

 

[BankTeller]

Based on what I’ve seen so far, Cody Williams and Dailyn Swain would be my favorite forward pair. If we don’t land Sarr, Swain/Williams + a big would be the closest thing to a consolation prize, to me.

Walker
Camara (already starter)
Williams
Swain (might not see meaningful minutes til year 2/3)

Murray
Rupert

That’s a great mix of forwards. Among the top four, I am pretty confident that they’ll all be impactful defenders. Williams is getting a rep for not being great on that side, but so did Jalen, right (I could be wrong)? Camara is currently starting despite being a bad shooter. But among the four, I think two or more can become good shooters. I was never high on Kris, and Rupert is still very raw, but either of them can still develop well.

 

[Samuel]

Ryan Dunn looks good, you guys. ESPN2, right now.

 

[BankTeller]

Ryan Dunn looks good, you guys. ESPN2, right now.

Can you say with certainty that you don’t think Dailyn Swain can become as good, if not better than Dunn, in a couple seasons? They’re comparable players, but I think Swain will eventually do more than just defend, has a more promising shot, and is 2.5 years younger.

 

[BankTeller]

Updated thoughts on Justin Edwards:

I completely wrote him off as a lotto pick that I kind of ignored him after a not-very-deep deep-dive on him. After watching some more clips, I can totally see the intrigue in this guy. Prototypical lanky 6’8 guy with a 6’11 wingspan, and looks like he’ll be a better SG/SF than SF/PF. That kind of bodes well for him because 6’8 in shoes is a mega-sized SG.

I don’t see a top lotto pick in him. I don’t see a guy who will ever carry a team. I see someone who lacks assertiveness for a top pick and has zero playmaking ability so far. Those all sound like a combination of a lotto bust (Cam Reddish vibes). But I do see someone who can play within a system. I see someone who doesn’t just chuck up shots (unlike Reddish). He’s big enough and athletic enough to guard most wings. I’m going to be paying attention to his defense this season. His shooting hasn’t been good, but I expect that to tick up, I think he’s historically been viewed as a good shooter.

Edwards may have just gotten his grade due to being in a lower tier HS class. His play and personality sound like a complimentary player (maybe even complimentary star in the right situation?) to me. As a senior, he averaged just under 18ppg. I haven’t watched much of his HS tape, but I’ll get around to it.

It’s going to come down to where his range falls. 1-14, not interested. 15-25, ehh, there’s going to be a lot of big men here. 25 and beyond is where you would have to consider drafting him if
1) you are convinced in his shooting
2) he shows he can just play a complimentary role rather than a scorer-type like he was seen as in HS
3) he shows that he can be a really good defende
4) you are convinced that his HS highlights show everything he’s capable of, and part of any struggles is due to playing at Kentucky and not getting to shine

If he was on the border of slipping out of the 1st, I love to draft him. If Edwards found a niche in the league as a 3-D guy first, it will give him the opportunity to develop the rest of the scoring arsenal later, it’ll just be all about playing well enough to get a second contract. Being drafted to the wrong situation could also be the reason he has trouble staying in the league.