2024 NBA Draft Thread

[Samuel]

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.

I like Ryan Dunn, I think he has all-defense first team upside, you just have to buy that he can get to 36-38% from 3 eventually. He’s a monster on the defensive end, a 6-8 Tisse type with switchier possibility at the NBA level.

he’s limited offensively so you’re buying the upside and the tools there and you’d develop them. He’d be on the Rupert Remix track probably while he fills out on that end.

Swain seems a bit more limited than that, more of a second round flier?

 

[BankTeller]

If you buy that Scoot can develop nicely off the bench, and you accept the reality that this draft could be pretty bad, you can still be excited about one thing, building out this mf’in bench.

Sarr is the one guy I’m confident can be a starter for this team. Even then, I kind of like the idea of Sarr playing backup PF/C and having to prove himself before I think about trading Grant.

After that, I’m not sure. I still think I’d pick Scoot over most of the PGs in this draft. PFs, I don’t know any who will be as good as Grant in the next four years. Cs, I don’t see any of them outside of Sarr being better soon. Guys like Ware could become better than DA, but who knows really, and I wouldn’t bet any money on it.

Then the only thing I see left to be excited about is building out this bench, and hoping one of them can become a starter.

(PG) Scoot
(SF/PF) Walker (1 year after this one)
(SG/SF) Thybulle (2 years after this one)

All three guys are scrappy and bring a lot of energy. I’m not including Camara because I think he should continue as starting SF until we get a player with star potential. 3 note-worthy picks and a pick in the mid 40s. Schmitz just needs to find the ones who might fit this bench this year. 3-D, playmaking, potential to become a good starter.

(PG/SG/SF) Castle
(SF/PF) Williams
(SF/PF) Swain
(SG/SF/PF?) Buzelis
(SG/SF) Edwards (if he slips close to 30)
(C) Ware
(C) Bradshaw (honestly might go back to school. Injury has kept him out, and he’s all the way down at 35 on Tankathon now after high lotto expectations)
(PF/C/SF?) Smith

These are just some of the possible guys that could come in and make this bench a lot better.

 

[BankTeller]

I like Ryan Dunn, I think he has all-defense first team upside, you just have to buy that he can get to 36-38% from 3 eventually. He’s a monster on the defensive end, a 6-8 Tisse type with switchier possibility at the NBA level.

he’s limited offensively so you’re buying the upside and the tools there and you’d develop them. He’d be on the Rupert Remix track probably while he fills out on that end.

Swain seems a bit more limited than that, more of a second round flier?

You can’t possibly have already concluded that Swain seems more limited than Dunn when he’s arguable shown more in limited minutes than Dunn has in his years in college. Or are you speaking to only his defense?

If you are speaking strictly defense, I can’t be confident in saying Swain is more limited than Dunn on that end, I’ll give you that. Dunn looks like a beast on defense right now. I can assure you though, even if Swain is more “limited” on that end, he will still be very good on defense. Just looking at raw numbers, Swain’s 1.4stl/0.9blk vs
Dunn’s 0.4stl/1.1blk as freshmen is comparable. He’s just as switchable, and his measurements should be around the same, minus the 10lbs that Dunn has on Swain.

Outside of defense, Swain has shown much more potential in pretty much ever other facet of the game. Swain has all the same concerns as Dunn as a shooter, except he’s shooting 83.3% on fts as opposed to Dunn who has shot 71% this year, 62% throughout college. And the biggest thing to me is he’s 2.5 years younger.

We already have someone like Dunn in Camara. If we are going to draft someone for their defense, they have to at least already be a decent shooter imo. I don’t know whether or not I buy thant Dunn can become a shooter yet. What I do know is I do not want to bank on both Camara and Dunn learning to shoot the 3 ball well. If we are going to acquire a young talented defensive player, I’d much rather pray Indy trades Walker to us for Grant.

Yeah, Swain would be a swing high pick. I can assure you though, if he is projected second round, he will be going back to school and his stock will only go higher. There’s going to be no such thing as a second round flier with him. I wanted to use a 2nd to draft Baba last year, but he went back to school, which is what all highly rated prospects will do. Nowadays NIL money is pretty close to late 1st salary I think, no reason to leave unless you make more than your NIL deal.

 

[MarinerDNA]

Want---- Sarr, Dual, Dunn, Reed Shepherd, K. Johnson, Clingan, Oso Ighodaro, Castle, Topic(TBD)

NO----Edwards, Almansa, Mara, Mgbacko, Kel'el Ware, Buzelis(TBD)

Everyone else would fall under "would take" or "meh" depending on where they're drafted.

 

[BankTeller]

These are some clips of Buzelis from his game 2 days ago. He’s been battling ankle injuries.

(16mins) 11/4/0/0/2 on 5/10 fg, 1/4 3, 0/1 ft

Also important, he showed a willingness to work on the defensive end. Lack of explosiveness, but isn’t unathletic. The lack of a true PG makes the Ignite players hard to scout, but Buzelis has always been a playmaker by all accounts.

I definitely would still have a lotto grade on him. I hope he slips. For those who want Gradey so much, Buzelis looks like he a much better prospect. If he is available around 10-14 and Buzelis, I’d happily take him and I’d personally look at it as getting two high-lotto talents in the draft this year.

 

[BankTeller]

The length of Buzelis is just too enticing to me if he is good at everything. Right now, my dream is to put Shae next to someone who can do everything. I loved Amen because I saw the potential to play PG, be a special defender, play off the ball, and have top 1% athleticism.

In Buzelis, I see the same unselfishness and playmaking off the ball. Buzelis does not have Amen’s athleticism, but he will still be a good defender. He’s also going to be a routine 40% from 3 guy imo.

Shae + Amen has a higher ceiling, but Shae + Buzelis will have a higher floor.

 

[MarinerDNA]

The length of Buzelis is just too enticing to me if he is good at everything. Right now, my dream is to put Shae next to someone who can do everything. I loved Amen because I saw the potential to play PG, be a special defender, play off the ball, and have top 1% athleticism.

In Buzelis, I see the same unselfishness and playmaking off the ball. Buzelis does not have Amen’s athleticism, but he will still be a good defender. He’s also going to be a routine 40% from 3 guy imo.

Shae + Amen has a higher ceiling, but Shae + Buzelis will have a higher floor.

How concerned are you about GLI development vs college? Right now, I feel more comfortable with drafting players from college. Buzelis seems soft. Fades into the background. The talent is there for sure. He could be Franz Wagner or he could be Luke Babbit with more playmaking and handles. There's risk here, which is why I'm not sold on him being a top 5 pick. We need to see more games, though, which is why I put "TBD." I've got no issue with top 5 if he comes back balling.

 

[BankTeller]

How concerned are you about GLI development vs college? Right now, I feel more comfortable with drafting players from college. Buzelis seems soft. Fades into the background. The talent is there for sure. He could be Franz Wagner or he could be Luke Babbit with more playmaking and handles. There's risk here, which is why I'm not sold on him being a top 5 pick. We need to see more games, though, which is why I put "TBD." I've got no issue with top 5 if he comes back balling.

I'm the type to put very little emphasis in where someone played. Some of the guys who I've loved during their time in college like Stanley Johnson and Kris Dunn had really good college careers and flamed out in the NBA. Additionally, some of the guys I've loved like Luka Doncic, Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, the Thompson twins, didn't play any bit of college basketball.

I look more at the talent and intangibles. If I like to see what a player can do individually, I watch their HS tape to see their full offensive arsenal. In college, the game restricts too much of what a player can do because coaching matters more--it's the reason I inaccurately graded Banchero. Banchero has shown he's a way better player than he looked like in college. Bam Adebayo, same thing.

I don't think you've actually watched any Buzelis if you really mean it when you say "or he could be Luke Babbit with more playmaking". I'll assume that statement was more tongue in cheek.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Salivating at adding a guy like Sarr to our already existing defense.

 

[blazerkor]

Salivating at adding a guy like Sarr to our already existing defense.

This should be the goal. Add Sarr and a high quality role player or steal with the Warriors pick in this draft. Honestly we are going to see around 50 more losses this season and I want to see our guys keep working their asses off and for us as fans just looking towards this draft.

 

[BankTeller]

This should be the goal. Add Sarr and a high quality role player or steal with the Warriors pick in this draft. Honestly we are going to see around 50 more losses this season and I want to see our guys keep working their asses off and for us as fans just looking towards this draft.

Stephon Castle is a guy that I’m loving as a prospect right now, he just has been battling injuries, so he might even slip. If the Warriors pick stays around 10 and he is there, I’d be ecstatic.

I do think Castle would be around Brown’s size if they stood next to each other. Castle would add a new wrinkle to the forward room cause he’s looked at as a PG/SG prospect right now.

If we don’t land Sarr, the next goal should be big guards who could become more than just role players. The NBA standard has now become 6’7-7’0ish guys who do everything. I think most of us are confident that Scoot, Sharpe (and Ant) have the potential to be a star studded backcourt. DA is good enough that unless it is a big with star potential like Sarr, there is no need to waste a high pick on him (for example, I would not use the Warriors pick on a big this year unless Ware convinces me he can be a star). I think guys like Castle, Williams, Topic have a higher chance of being higher impact players than Ware unless Ware can become a dominant defensive player.

 

[blazerkor]

Stephon Castle is a guy that I’m loving as a prospect right now, he just has been battling injuries, so he might even slip. If the Warriors pick stays around 10 and he is there, I’d be ecstatic.

I do think Castle would be around Brown’s size if they stood next to each other. Castle would add a new wrinkle to the forward room cause he’s looked at as a PG/SG prospect right now.

If we don’t land Sarr, the next goal should be big guards who could become more than just role players. The NBA standard has now become 6’7-7’0ish guys who do everything. I think most of us are confident that Scoot, Sharpe (and Ant) have the potential to be a star studded backcourt. DA is good enough that unless it is a big with star potential like Sarr, there is no need to waste a high pick on him (for example, I would not use the Warriors pick on a big this year unless Ware convinces me he can be a star). I think guys like Castle, Williams, Topic have a higher chance of being higher impact players than Ware unless Ware can become a dominant defensive player.

I really like Sarr next to Deandre. He has good mechanics on his jumper out to the three point line and is mobile, long and slim like Chet.

 

[BankTeller]

I really like Sarr next to Deandre. He has good mechanics on his jumper out to the three point line and is mobile, long and slim like Chet.

Yeah, I feel like any team who drafts Sarr is the winner of the draft and had the true #1 pick.

It helps that two teams at the top in SA and Detroit really cannot afford to draft him (at least imo).

 

[MarinerDNA]

I'm the type to put very little emphasis in where someone played. Some of the guys who I've loved during their time in college like Stanley Johnson and Kris Dunn had really good college careers and flamed out in the NBA. Additionally, some of the guys I've loved like Luka Doncic, Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, the Thompson twins, didn't play any bit of college basketball.

I look more at the talent and intangibles. If I like to see what a player can do individually, I watch their HS tape to see their full offensive arsenal. In college, the game restricts too much of what a player can do because coaching matters more--it's the reason I inaccurately graded Banchero. Banchero has shown he's a way better player than he looked like in college. Bam Adebayo, same thing.

I don't think you've actually watched any Buzelis if you really mean it when you say "or he could be Luke Babbit with more playmaking". I'll assume that statement was more tongue in cheek.

Pretty much tongue-in-cheek. Babbit would be a basement level comp if he's a bust. Buzelis is pretty unique in terms of skills vs size. I can't think of a comp for his floor. I want to see if he can play a legitimate SF and switch on PF's as a wing on defense. The entire draft analysis community is eagerly awaiting his return.

Btw, I agree with your take on Castle. Dude has a killer instinct.

 

[BankTeller]

Pretty much tongue-in-cheek. Babbit would be a basement level comp if he's a bust. Buzelis is pretty unique in terms of skills vs size. I can't think of a comp for his floor. I want to see if he can play a legitimate SF and switch on PF's as a wing on defense. The entire draft analysis community is eagerly awaiting his return.

Btw, I agree with your take on Castle. Dude has a killer instinct.

My guess is his absolute floor is Batum if you want to use a player comparison, but I think that the floor of Buzelis is higher than what Batum’s peak was.

Lanky tall guys (I’m talking 6’9 in shoes and up) that move well and have some skill all have a place in the league. Physicality is always a bit of a struggle in the beginning, but they figure it out. Buzelis isn’t like Josh Jackson where he was able to just dominate college basketball with his athleticism. He does so many different things. Scouting young talent isn’t exactly a science, but that’s why I love it.

I don’t think I’d like Buzelis to switch onto PFs that much. He’s more of a SG/SF right now like KD was when he was young. KD actually started at SG his rookie year. It’d be awesome if he could switch onto PFs and have relative success. But personally, I’m hoping Buzelis slips to the Warriors pick, and that sounds like something that would send him shooting up to the top 3 lol.

 

[BankTeller]

Btw, I agree with your take on Castle. Dude has a killer instinct.

Yeah, agreed. He does so many things that would benefit this team besides the “he’s a playmaker”, “he’s a defender”, blah blah blah.

He’s gotten to the line 17 times in 3 games. He has 9 orb in 3 games, 17 boards overall. We got a guy that kind of sounds like this guy, Shannon Sharpe or something like that, lol.

What would be better than having one Good Ol’ Shae Sharpe? TWO Good Ol’ Shae Sharpes.

 

[Whyachi]

this Blazers team tries hard, they're just not very good at winning. I think we can start our draft pick happy dance by the end if this month.

 

[MrDraftGuy]

Good to see the Castle love in here. I'm going to stand by my Joe Johnson comparison.

Here's Joe Johnson at Arkansas:



Here's a Castle mix:



It's very similar in the way they time themselves, the way they methodically move against an opponent to juke them or back up against them, similar speed and athleticism, good vision, similar jumpshot mechanics where they rise and wait to get their shot off (Sharpe doesn't rise as much, his jumpshot can be kinda lazy). Same height and position, too, at 6'7" SG.


I'm watching Nikola Topic, too, and he is like a mix of Drazen and Mitch Richmond (the latter comp, which would make him a little Brandon Roy-like). This draft might not have MVPs but I think people will be surprised at the potential All-Star talent in it.

I think, if I'm going to rank things into tiers, it's going to be:

I'm Seeing Stars: Castle, Topic, Williams

High Star Potential but Iffy/Inconsistent: Collier, Sarr, Holland

Safe Starter, Mid-chance Star Potential: Clingan, Buzelis

Safe Roleplayer, Low-chance Star Potential: Risacher, Wagner, Edey


When you frame it like that, it'll probably be 4-5 All Stars which is pretty normal.

 

[MarinerDNA]

Good God Collier looks bad right now. These TO's are scaring the shit out of me. That Gonzaga game was a bit eye-opening, too.

What's the board's opinion on him? He's got to be more consistent or teams like the Spurs and Pistons will just go with Topic.

 

[BankTeller]

Good to see the Castle love in here. I'm going to stand by my Joe Johnson comparison.

Here's Joe Johnson at Arkansas:



Here's a Castle mix:



It's very similar in the way they time themselves, the way they methodically move against an opponent to juke them or back up against them, similar speed and athleticism, good vision, similar jumpshot mechanics where they rise and wait to get their shot off (Sharpe doesn't rise as much, his jumpshot can be kinda lazy). Same height and position, too, at 6'7" SG.


I'm watching Nikola Topic, too, and he is like a mix of Drazen and Mitch Richmond (the latter comp, which would make him a little Brandon Roy-like). This draft might not have MVPs but I think people will be surprised at the potential All-Star talent in it.

I think, if I'm going to rank things into tiers, it's going to be:

I'm Seeing Stars: Castle, Topic, Williams

High Star Potential but Iffy/Inconsistent: Collier, Sarr, Holland

Safe Starter, Mid-chance Star Potential: Clingan, Buzelis

Safe Roleplayer, Low-chance Star Potential: Risacher, Wagner, Edey


When you frame it like that, it'll probably be 4-5 All Stars which is pretty normal.

You’re echoing all my thoughts on Castle. Those things all sound great, and I look forward to seeing him fulfill his potential on that end, but I’m excited about everything else. To me, all the other little things are what is impressing me right now. The great offensive rebounding. Getting to the line a lot even for a freshman on limited playing time. The solid base to his frame like Shae has. The ability to make plays for others but also play off the ball. He’s going to be a very good, smart defender.

I really hope he slips. With him returning from injury and likely not putting up numbers that would suggest that he becomes a star, there could be teams in the lottery that might not consider him. He’s 8th on the Tankathon big board. This guy just screams winners’ intangibles to me. He’s noticeably better than Jaylen Brown as a playmaker and ball handler at that age, and around the same size.

 

[BankTeller]

I think, if I'm going to rank things into tiers, it's going to be:

I'm Seeing Stars: Castle, Topic, Williams

High Star Potential but Iffy/Inconsistent: Collier, Sarr, Holland

Safe Starter, Mid-chance Star Potential: Clingan, Buzelis

Safe Roleplayer, Low-chance Star Potential: Risacher, Wagner, Edey

You have Wagner in the “safe roleplayer, low-chance star potential” category, and he’s not even the most talked about guard on Kentucky? Between Dillingham and Sheppard, one of them might have Tyrese Maxey potential. I haven’t really been scouting guards so I don’t have any opinions, but I’m sure one or both of those guys might fall in some of these categories.

I just don’t see it with Holland at all. My fear is that Holland is only slightly taller than Isaac Okoro barefoot. Okoro as a SF in the league just looks so small, and I would say Holland isn’t that much better on offense than Okoro was at Auburn. I’d actually move him a tier down into the safe starter tier. Okoro is actually a decent 3pt shooter, he just doesn’t shoot enough of them for me to consider him a 3-D player.

Aaron Bradshaw has to enter your tiers as well. Based off his highlight tapes, his post game makes me think he could’ve been a Brook Lopez kind of player in the early ‘10s with the Nets, but he has the potential to play like current Brook who can shoot 3s, and he’s looked good at doing the dirty work in his games back. I’d put him in the safe starter, mid-chance star potential tier. I think he’ll be Mitchell Robinson++ as a starter, and could be an AS if his offensive game from his HS tape translates.

 

[BankTeller]

Based off what I’ve seen so far, these are the players I’d love on the Blazers and what tier they might be in:

- Alex Sarr (high lotto pick)
- Matas Buzeliz (high lotto, interested in him around/past #10)
- Cody Williams (8-20, interested in him around/past #10)
- Stephon Castle (6-14?, interested in him at any range, but the lower, the better)
- Tristen Newton (30-45?, interested in him if he slips past #40)
- Aaron Bradshaw (20-40?, interested in him at any range, but the lower, the better)
- PJ Hall (30-45?, only interested in him if Sarr and Bradshaw are gone, between 35-40 is where I’d like him)
- Tyler Smith (25-40, only interested in hims if Sarr and Bradshaw are gone, between 30-35 is where I’d like him)
- Dailyn Swain (25-45?, interested in him past #40)
- Trevon Brazile (35-50, interested in him past #45. If you could buy a mid 2nd to draft him and keep him on the GL squad, why not. John Collins potential)

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

Based off what I’ve seen so far, these are the players I’d love on the Blazers and what tier they might be in:

- Alex Sarr (high lotto pick)
- Matas Buzeliz (high lotto, interested in him around/past #10)
- Cody Williams (8-20, interested in him around/past #10)
- Stephon Castle (6-14?, interested in him at any range, but the lower, the better)
- Tristen Newton (30-45?, interested in him if he slips past #40)
- Aaron Bradshaw (20-40?, interested in him at any range, but the lower, the better)
- PJ Hall (30-45?, only interested in him if Sarr and Bradshaw are gone, between 35-40 is where I’d like him)
- Tyler Smith (25-40, only interested in hims if Sarr and Bradshaw are gone, between 30-35 is where I’d like him)
- Dailyn Swain (25-45?, interested in him past #40)
- Trevon Brazile (35-50, interested in him past #45. If you could buy a mid 2nd to draft him and keep him on the GL squad, why not. John Collins potential)

Sounds like we need to trade that GSW pick...
No need to have 4 picks in this draft

 

[BankTeller]

Sounds like we need to trade that GSW pick...
No need to have 4 picks in this draft

It just depends on where guys fall. A guy like Swain is kind of like Ant when we first drafted him, great potential, won’t see the floor for over two years, so you can stash him on the Remix. Yeah, you could trade down from the Warriors pick and draft Bradshaw, and collect a future 1st. Some of the guys on that list will be gone by the time we select. Stuff like that.

 

[BankTeller]

Nikola Topic had a big game today:
21/5/5 (2to)
7/13 fg
3/5 3pt
4/5 ft

Shooting is the major concern with him, and he’s progressing well in that category. There’s definitely a real possibility that he gets selected over Collier. That’s great for us.

 

[BankTeller]

Another great effort tonight. Ant shooting 3’s like crazy in all sorts of ways and improving on defense. He just makes the right passes. Shae showing he’s improving at everything and might become good at everything if he continues this trajectory. 9reb again tonight, he might become a triple double threat every night. This game is going to be a huge confidence booster for Scoot.

This game has showed me that we need guys like Shae at every position. Shae is in the 99th percentile in terms of potential, no one expects to just find a Shaedon Sharpe every year. Now, it’s all about the right guys. Guys who can play great team defense, if they don’t have potential to be great individual defenders. Guys who are great at creating offense off the ball, but can also score at will if needed. Guys who have potential to space the floor. Guys who can generate offense as a primary ball handler, but can also make smart 2nd/3rd reads. Bringing guys like these in maximizes Ant’s ability as a floor spacer, and it makes Ant’s ability to score so much easier when the opposing SF/SF actually has to guard one of our wings. Guys like these also give Shae the ability to collapse a defense and find the open man with the confidence they can progress the play. Scoot is actually going to have the spacing needed to develop as an elite playmaker/scorer.

 

[BankTeller]

Going to see if I can start a new game in this thread. Every time there is a major change in the standings, I’ll post where we are projected assuming the lotto happened exactly as the standings show. Based on what we’ve seen from your favorite prospects and what you’ve heard about their projected range, generate a scenario where we end up with those players. What you think about their range is an important note, it’ll say why you think your player might land in one range while other readers might think that player is in a different range.

As of 12/12/23: 4, 11, 37, 40 (Hornets have been surprisingly resilient, but Hawks might be in free-fall?). Teams ahead of us: DET, SA, WAS

Pick 4: Sarr or trade down. Rationale: I’ve mentioned multiple times why I think Pistons and Spurs can’t afford to bank on Sarr’s potential. I think that Topic has a real shot at being #1 or #2 if either of these teams are the top two picks. Collier might still be the 2nd pick due to both their need for a PG. The question will be whether WAS thinks a guy like Holland or Risacher can become elite scorers in addition to the defense. If they pick Sarr, I’m just not interested in anyone up here right now to justify the #4 pick. Trade down.

Pick #11: Stephon Castle. Winners intangibles. The ability to generate offense on and off the ball. Great at getting to the line and getting offensive boards already. Going to be a plus defender and shooter. Legit size to play SF, but looked at as a PG/SG prospect right now. I think the thought of Castle as a PG/SG matters, a combination of Castle’s injury and teams maybe being more interested in point guards like Dillingham, Carrington, etc could push him down the board, which is great. Regardless of where he lands, he is still a player who impacts the game in so many ways. Ant and Shae would immediately have another playmaker to outlet to.

Trade down to the late 1st, or trade up from the 2nds: Aaron Bradshaw. I love his potential for a guy we could get in this range. I think he’ll move better than the first two games suggest, as he shakes off the rust. He has modern Brook’s 3pt shooting potential, old Brook’s post game, and Mitchell Robinson’s potential on defense. Bradshaw’s hands would put DA’s hands to shame. Even if we get Sarr, I’m double dipping. If we land Sarr, I hope Schmitz makes it a priority to land Sarr, Bradshaw, and a forward on draft night. I definitely think Sarr and Bradshaw could play together, given Sarr’s ability to defend in space. If Bradshaw proves to be even close to Sarr as a defender in space, they’re interchangeable at PF and C, and we would be set at the center rotation for a REALLY long time. No more size mismatches on a nightly basis. Multiple 7’0ers on the same team. With a GL team nearby, Bradshaw can continue to get stronger and work on growing into his body and playing against real NBA players in the GL. If we trade down from #4 because we don’t land Sarr, we can collect a future lightly protected 1st and maybe more. If we trade up because we are pairing Bradshaw with Sarr for the future, trade the 2nds and future 2nds.

#37 and #40: The players I’d be interested in are Tristen Watson, PJ Hall, Dailyn Swain. PJ Hall is only relevant if we don’t get either of Sarr and Bradshaw. Watson is someone who has more potential as a shooter than Mays and is bigger. He’s a guy who can contribute right away and could be one of those guys who’s viewed as a top backup PG like Tyus or TJ. Swain is a guy who has lotto potential next year and looks better than Ryan Dunn at his age.

Ideal draft night: Sarr, Castle, Bradshaw

Okay draft night: Castle, Bradshaw, Swain, Watson

Bad draft night: a night that doesn’t end with at least one of Sarr or Bradshaw isn’t a Blazer. If we end up with a guy like Ware instead of these two, I’ll trust Schmitz. Otherwise, I’ll be bummed. In a weak class that is deep with NBA ready big men, and one big with AS potential that might be available past 20, I expect us to fix this big man rotation once and for all. Either Cronin and Schmitz have to shoulder the load by acquiring a backup big and drafting a big, or Schmitz will have to shoulder the load and scout the hell out of these big men so we can grab two in this draft.

 

[Predator]

I'm interested in Ryan Dunn, but certainly not with any top 10 picks.

 

[BankTeller]

It looks like the Zaccharie Risacher potential is very real, based on his current production. He won’t turn 19 until April, and his production as an 18yr old has been historic:

“[DraftExpress]
Risacher's historic productivity:
• ⁠Highest scoring 18-year old in EuroCup history
• ⁠2nd highest scoring 18-year old in French history (after Victor Wembanyama)
• ⁠65% true shooting % (21 games) (not including this game where he went 6-12, 4-4 FT)
• ⁠No French teenager since Nicolas Batum (2008) has posted a similar steal/block rate

All in a league that is 2nd-3rd best in Europe. (not including EuroCup/Euroleague)”

Apparently, his foot speed is elite, which helps his defense. With being so young, he might still grow an inch and get to 6’9 barefoot. People talk about Risacher’s passing like I talk about Ant’s passing—much better than given credit for, he has a lot of great passes that don’t get converted. In a draft like this, the top 3 picks might end up being Sarr, Topic, and Risacher in any order, and I’m not sure if we are in position to turn down any of the three.

I’ll be looking into Topic and Risacher more. Either guy is interesting if the shooting is real. Both guys are above 6’7 in shoes.

 

[BankTeller]

#44. Some good clips of Topic. 7:47 nice drive and kick. 1:45 putting somebody on a poster.