2024 NBA Draft Thread

[Samuel]

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.

I'd like to see Zacch get into the teeth of the defense and create ATR a bit more, and see him operating more in PNR (it's why Topic is rated so high).

As 3/D catch-and-shoot wing he sounds intriguing. and he's doing it against professionals. I guess you're drafting the intangible physical tools and hoping the other stuff comes around. a catch and shoot guy selected that high is a little scary. there were similar questions about jabari smith jr, I think.

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

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.

Of what I have watched of Risacher, I really like him. He's definitely in my top 3-4.

I didn't like what I watched of Topic. The video wasn't great, so I need to watch more game film on him.

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

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

The poster dunk was nice... but it was #34 that did it. Not Topic.

This video showed a lot of the same concerns that I have about Topic. He looks slow, a bit pudgy, and not particularly athletic. The drive & kick was a nice play - but that was the only positive I saw from him.

There was nothing from this video (or the 2 other videos that I watched of Topic) that would make me think he's even an NBA prospect. I know I need to look at a LOT more video, but I'm not seeing it at all with him.

 

[MarinerDNA]

I've caught up on all the footage and articles,etc for the upcoming draft. My V.1 mock for the first 20 picks.

1. Sarr
2. Castle
3. Topic
4. Walter
5. Holland
6. Williams
7. Clingan
8. Risacher
9. Buzelis
10. Collier
11. Dunn
12. Dual
13. Bradshaw
14. Dillingham
15. Shepherd
16. Bona
17. Carrington
18. Filipowski
19. McCuller
20. Brazile

I'm a big believer in Dual, even with all thats happened recently. That's my big swing for the year.

Collier is dropping hard. I know I'm not the only one who doesn't see top 5 with him. Watch that Gonzaga game if you have time.

Clingan - I would cringe a bit taking him at 7 in any other draft.

 

[BankTeller]

Buzelis is having a breakout game, and not doing anything out of his skill level right now. He does a bit of everything you love. Imagine him playing off of guys like Ant and Shae. As a spot up shooter alone, he would make Scoot’s life so much easier as another guy to space the floor for him. Much better prospect than Gradey last year, and I still think he could be available around #10-14.

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

I've caught up on all the footage and articles,etc for the upcoming draft. My V.1 mock for the first 20 picks.

1. Sarr
2. Castle
3. Topic
4. Walter
5. Holland
6. Williams
7. Clingan
8. Risacher
9. Buzelis
10. Collier
11. Dunn
12. Dual
13. Bradshaw
14. Dillingham
15. Shepherd
16. Bona
17. Carrington
18. Filipowski
19. McCuller
20. Brazile

I'm a big believer in Dual, even with all thats happened recently. That's my big swing for the year.

Collier is dropping hard. I know I'm not the only one who doesn't see top 5 with him. Watch that Gonzaga game if you have time.

Clingan - I would cringe a bit taking him at 7 in any other draft.

I don't love the idea of bringing in 4 additional rookies (2- to the main roster and 2- to GLeague). I'd rather have 1 pick in each round.
As far as prospects go, there are only 3-4 that I like as lottery talents at this point.

1. Castle
2. Risacher
3. Buzelis
4. Sarr


These guys have potential (ie- as picks in the teens), but I need to see more.
5. Williams
6. Dunn
7. Shepherd
8. Boswell
9. Walter
10. Bradshaw
11. Tyler Smith

The pickings are fairly slim this year...

 

[BankTeller]

I've caught up on all the footage and articles,etc for the upcoming draft. My V.1 mock for the first 20 picks.

1. Sarr
2. Castle
3. Topic
4. Walter
5. Holland
6. Williams
7. Clingan
8. Risacher
9. Buzelis
10. Collier
11. Dunn
12. Dual
13. Bradshaw
14. Dillingham
15. Shepherd
16. Bona
17. Carrington
18. Filipowski
19. McCuller
20. Brazile

I'm a big believer in Dual, even with all thats happened recently. That's my big swing for the year.

Collier is dropping hard. I know I'm not the only one who doesn't see top 5 with him. Watch that Gonzaga game if you have time.

Clingan - I would cringe a bit taking him at 7 in any other draft.

I don't love the idea of bringing in 4 additional rookies (2- to the main roster and 2- to GLeague). I'd rather have 1 pick in each round.
As far as prospects go, there are only 3-4 that I like as lottery talents at this point.

1. Castle
2. Risacher
3. Buzelis
4. Sarr


These guys have potential (ie- as picks in the teens), but I need to see more.
5. Williams
6. Dunn
7. Shepherd
8. Boswell
9. Walter
10. Bradshaw
11. Tyler Smith

The pickings are fairly slim this year...

I do my boards a little different, I don’t really add guys who I can’t see as Blazers on my boards. So I’m out on a guy like Collier due to his size already, and this goes for Dillingham, Sheppard, etc.

1) Sarr
2A) Buzelis
2B) Castle
4) Bradshaw
5) Williams
6) Risacher
7) Topic
8) Holland
9) Carrington
10) Walter
11-13) Clingan/Ware/Almansa

 

[BankTeller]

This video does a good job of pointing out what teams need to do for non-shooting wings to survive. I think the qualities of what makes shaky 3pt shooting wings stick around are what we should be looking for at the top of the board. Those guys make the most impact in this league. Tatum, PG, Kawhi, Lebron, KD. Most of the NBA’s toughest matchups are guys that do multiple things. The video suggests that shaky shooting wings need the following to stick around:

- plus-defender status (good at ball pressure, screen navigation, anticipation, and switch-ability)

- off ball awareness, being active without the ball, anticipating when to cut, and putting pressure on the rim in transition

- “connective passing”, so the ability to make second reads and being able to find the open man. “Might not be the period at the end of the sentence, but will embrace being a comma”.

Right now, Castle and Buzelis look like those kind of players at the top. Williams is also in that group. These are currently my three favorite guys in the lotto range, and I know Riascher has more hype than all three guys right now. Any of these three also would be good shooters, so they wouldn’t even qualify in the category of wing that the video is talking about.

This video made a very good point about teams needing to to have moving parts on offense and adequate spacing though, both are very important if you want to bring a player like this in one day. If we have a team that can organically grow into a good shooting team one day, it makes it easier to just plop a player with an Amen Thompson, Ben Simmons skillset into in.

 

[MarinerDNA]

Buzelis is a breakout game, and not doing anything out of his skill level right now. He does a bit of everything you love. Imagine him playing off of guys like Ant and Shae. As a spot up shooter alone, he would make Scoot’s life so much easier as another guy to space the floor for him. Much better prospect than Gradey last year, and I still think he could be available around #10-14.

His POA defense looked better than I gave him credit for. GLI games are a rough watch sometimes lol.

 

[BankTeller]

His POA defense looked better than I gave him credit for. GLI games are a rough watch sometimes lol.

Extremely rough lol. I’ll just have to judge what I see from the what I see.

I hate that they don’t have a PG. Unfortunately, some of the most intriguing parts of Buzelis’ game are his point forward abilities, and the lack of spacing and talent just doesn’t show that part of his game. He looks great at making the second pass though, and seems like a great player to make the next play out of an Ant double team. Watching Ant pass out to Bari and Mani is somewhat painful, they aren’t good enough as offensive threats or playmakers yet.

The first step is also good and quick. I’m not certain that Topic for sure has a quicker first step. That probably helps Buzelis with his on ball defense. As long as he keeps up the effort on that end, he’s not going to be a defensive liability, even at PF. Effort and length can go a long way.

Obviously, if the defense isn’t a liability, the potential impact on offense he can provide the Blazers is MASSIVE. As a spot up shooter, I think he can be a 36-40% on Thybulle’s 3pa right off the bat. He’s a walking paint touch, especially against guards and shorter SFs, and he will find the cutter as soon as a defender over-commits. I’m salivating at the thought of a 6’10 Buzelis paint touch where his two main options will be a 45” vert Shae and a 43% 3pt on the perimeter.

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

Extremely rough lol. I’ll just have to judge what I see from the what I see.

I hate that they don’t have a PG. Unfortunately, some of the most intriguing parts of Buzelis’ game are his point forward abilities, and the lack of spacing and talent just doesn’t show that part of his game. He looks great at making the second pass though, and seems like a great player to make the next play out of an Ant double team. Watching Ant pass out to Bari and Mani is somewhat painful, they aren’t good enough as offensive threats or playmakers yet.

The first step is also good and quick. I’m not certain that Topic for sure has a quicker first step. That probably helps Buzelis with his on ball defense. As long as he keeps up the effort on that end, he’s not going to be a defensive liability, even at PF. Effort and length can go a long way.

Obviously, if the defense isn’t a liability, the potential impact on offense he can provide the Blazers is MASSIVE. As a spot up shooter, I think he can be a 36-40% on Thybulle’s 3pa right off the bat. He’s a walking paint touch, especially against guards and shorter SFs, and he will find the cutter as soon as a defender over-commits. I’m salivating at the thought of a 6’10 Buzelis paint touch where his two main options will be a 45” vert Shae and a 43% 3pt on the perimeter.

Who is Buzelis' closest NBA comp?
Franz Wagner? If so, I think he'd be PERFECT for the Blazers.

 

[BankTeller]

Who is Buzelis' closest NBA comp?
Franz Wagner? If so, I think he'd be PERFECT for the Blazers.

Okay, so I’m making my comp more nuanced…

So, if he came in with the Blazers, my initial thought is he will be a Gradey Dick type player (in role) but with better defensive and playmaking potential. That alone helps us immensely.

Once he starts being able to stay on the floor with his defense and shooting, we’ll be able to see him display positive development in other parts of his game faster.

- I think that with his size and skill for shooting, he can be Doncic-lite in the post, not as much as a scorer, but very much as a passer. I really think that. I think that if Buzelis learned to play in the post early, the inside-out game with him inside or in the mid post, with Ant’s shooting, Shae’s shooting and cutting, and an athletic PF/C in the dunker spot would be sooo dangerous. Buzelis could spend all night hitting Dirk style fadeaways on these guards if they switch onto him the entire game.

- I’m not completely sold on the Franz comparisons yet, mainly because he hasn’t had a lot of “point forward” type plays in the GL, mostly assists that indicate he’s great at making secondary reads. This could be due to playing with the Ignite though, he was a point forward in HS and handled the ball a lot it looked like.

So a mix of Franz’s playmaking, Doncic’s post play, and Dick’s shooting? Buzelis was always looked at as someone with more offensive potential than Franz though. But to me, Franz looks like a great third option than a great second option, and that’s what I see Buzelis as, a great third option, maybe 4-5x AS if he were playing on a dynasty. Franz isn’t efficient enough for my liking to be my second option. I never thought Klay was a great defender, just a pretty good defender who happened to be one of the best shooters ever. I think Buzelis is a better player than that. He likely won’t be as great of a shooter all time, but his defense will be on par and he will be much better getting his own shot and making plays for others. I would have more wins with Buzelis as the #1 option than Klay as the #1 option. Klay was drafted #11.

 

[BankTeller]

Man, can Cody Williams play without the ball. Natural feel for the game, promising spot-up shooter and defender. Some ball handling and playmaking potential as well.

I’ll say, if we end up with Buzelis and Williams at by end of the first round, that is a great first round. Both guys have potential to be starters on this team. Both have more talent than Mani and Bari imo, with just as much size. I’m ready for a team that can shoot already.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

Man, can Cody Williams play without the ball. Natural feel for the game, promising spot-up shooter and defender. Some ball handling and playmaking potential as well.

I’ll say, if we end up with Buzelis and Williams at by end of the first round, that is a great first round. Both guys have potential to be starters on this team. Both have more talent than Mani and Bari imo, with just as much size. I’m ready for a team that can shoot already.

As of now Sarr is still my favorite followed by Cody and Buzelis. We may need to add some incentive to the Golden State pick to get Cody. Buzelis will be long gone with the later pick.

 

[BankTeller]

As of now Sarr is still my favorite followed by Cody and Buzelis. We may need to add some incentive to the Golden State pick to get Cody. Buzelis will be long gone with the later pick.

Obviously Sarr is the main prize, but I never hang my hopes on winning the lotto, so I didn’t mention him lol.

 

[BIG Q]

Obviously Sarr is the main prize, but I never hang my hopes on winning the lotto, so I didn’t mention him lol.

Running the 'ole reverse jinx!

 

[MrDraftGuy]

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.

Holland, I'm a little skeptical of, myself. I personally think he has Luol Deng or Rudy Gay type offense where there isn't much creativity on offense but where he utilizes his athleticism and first step to get 16-20ppg and not much else. Hence, I listed guys like Kelly Oubre or Gerald Wallace as comparisons, as well. Good passing, which is a positive, but nothing fantastic. Unless he improves drastically, don't expect Kawhi, Butler, or Paul George essentially. Imo, Cody Williams has better potential to become that (and his statline looks similar to their freshman stats).

Right now, I have Williams as the #1 overall prospect - subject to change, of course, but he is who I think Portland would be most happy to put next to Sharpe for the next 10-15 years. Then, you get either Buzelis, Risacher, or Clingan with the Warriors pick. If Clingan isn't available or you feel Buzelis/Risacher is superior, you get Edey with a pick from, say, a Brogdon trade or a 2nd round pick.

Y'know, funny thing is that Bradshaw does meet that criteria I was mentioning earlier, with the Freshman center stats. Only problem is that he has only played a few games so it's hard to tell just how much of an impact he'll have and I won't count it as meeting that thresh hold. By that, I'll have to evaluate him by the season's end. At the moment, I do think it's possible for him to be like Lively or a DeAndre Jordan clone based on the way he moves and his instincts.

 

[MickZagger]

My second time watch UCONN. This Castle kid hasn’t really shown me much at all. Some places saying top 5 pick? Am i missing something

 

[MrDraftGuy]

My second time watch UCONN. This Castle kid hasn’t really shown me much at all. Some places saying top 5 pick? Am i missing something

He just got back from a minor knee injury and has missed the previous few weeks.

Imo, not someone the Blazers need to target anyway since he sort of takes Sharpe's position and is too short for the lengthiness and strong rebounding than the Blazers would need at the 3 and 4.

 

[Sheldon Shape]

If the Spurs get Sarr I'm going to throw up.

 

[MarinerDNA]

My second time watch UCONN. This Castle kid hasn’t really shown me much at all. Some places saying top 5 pick? Am i missing something

Castle is a beast when healthy. Then again, if he's got some meniscus issues I might have to pass with our 1st FRP. I'm not there yet, though. Need to see him come back strong.

 

[MarinerDNA]

Extremely rough lol. I’ll just have to judge what I see from the what I see.

I hate that they don’t have a PG. Unfortunately, some of the most intriguing parts of Buzelis’ game are his point forward abilities, and the lack of spacing and talent just doesn’t show that part of his game. He looks great at making the second pass though, and seems like a great player to make the next play out of an Ant double team. Watching Ant pass out to Bari and Mani is somewhat painful, they aren’t good enough as offensive threats or playmakers yet.

The first step is also good and quick. I’m not certain that Topic for sure has a quicker first step. That probably helps Buzelis with his on ball defense. As long as he keeps up the effort on that end, he’s not going to be a defensive liability, even at PF. Effort and length can go a long way.

Obviously, if the defense isn’t a liability, the potential impact on offense he can provide the Blazers is MASSIVE. As a spot up shooter, I think he can be a 36-40% on Thybulle’s 3pa right off the bat. He’s a walking paint touch, especially against guards and shorter SFs, and he will find the cutter as soon as a defender over-commits. I’m salivating at the thought of a 6’10 Buzelis paint touch where his two main options will be a 45” vert Shae and a 43% 3pt on the perimeter.

It seriously feels like I'm watching a game at 24hr Fitness or something. There are no stakes, other than putting up stats. Winning isn't important. There's nobody in the stands. Everyone is playing without pace other than 100% like their hair is on fire. It's chaos. Some guys thrive in that (Scoot, Holland, Kuminga).

It's really hard to gauge how good a player is defensively in that environment. What I did see was a decent POA from Buzelis at a position where it's needed. I buy the shot. The size is obviously great. If he can be a connector piece and hit 40% 3P then he's already better than Giddey. What I'm looking for from him is more physicality and improved handles. He tends to fade away from contact. I hate that shit. I want to see him get in on someone's jersey on both ends. His handle is sloppy for a bigger wing. I said the same thing about Brandon Miller but he seems to be doing fine. We'll see what happens in the coming days. I can't remember where I heard it but there was talk of him shutting down his season early. Why would he do that?

 

[BankTeller]

Buzelis at a position where it's needed. I buy the shot. The size is obviously great. If he can be a connector piece and hit 40% 3P then he's already better than Giddey. What I'm looking for from him is more physicality and improved handles. He tends to fade away from contact. I hate that shit.

Buzelis is already plenty physical on defense. He’s not a stopper by any means, but he will be scrappy. He’s going to get more confident in getting to the basket as his body matures more. He seems to play with more physicality on defense on offense. For a guy who’s known for his offensive potential, you like to hear that.

The handle is by no means great, but his handle isn’t any worse than players that size at his age. I wouldn’t say it’s much worse than KD’s during his Texas season, KD averaged like 2.8to a game. Buzelis’ handle is probably on par, if not better than Grant’s right now. Brandon Ingram averaged 2ast/2to his year at Duke. It’s an issue for all tall ball handlers, there is a period of adjusting to the skill level and athleticism of these opposing defenders.

 

[BankTeller]

We'll see what happens in the coming days. I can't remember where I heard it but there was talk of him shutting down his season early. Why would he do that?

He as in Buzelis? Is that true? But immediate thought would be that he wants to just string together a stretch of good games for scouts, then just focus on fully getting healthy for the pre-draft process. Not necessarily an injury concern, shutting down early could just mean he doesn’t want to play in meaningless games for an entire season.

It might be a mistake for him to shut down early though. I imagine a few big performances in the tournament could vault someone over Buzelis. If a team thinks Clingan will help them compete quicker than waiting for Buzelis to fill out, they might take him over Buzelis. Honestly, that works for me, as someone who really loves his game. The lower, the better for me.

 

[BankTeller]

He just got back from a minor knee injury and has missed the previous few weeks.

Imo, not someone the Blazers need to target anyway since he sort of takes Sharpe's position and is too short for the lengthiness and strong rebounding than the Blazers would need at the 3 and 4.

Agree, he isn’t a priority, but Castle should not be left off your board completely. Castle is an amazing rebounder for his size, he averages over 5rpg in limited minutes, and he has more offensive ones than defensive ones this season. He’s a better rebounder than Grant, and would likely average just as many as Camara right away.

Castle affects the game in so many ways that you can disregard some of his shortcomings. With Amen, it was his shooting, but he so many other parts of his game look promising. It’s the same for Castle, his is his size, but he is going to impact the game in so many ways and he isn’t small by any means. He is the same size as Jaylen Brown, and averaged as many rpg as Brown did in college, but on 10 less minutes per game.

Not really a hot take imo, Castle is a better prospect than Jaylen Brown coming out of college. Jaylen is more athletic, but Castle has a much better handle and and is more cerebral with his approach to the game. If Castle slips, we better look at opportunities to grab him.

 

[Freshtown]

Ugh

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10100730-2024-nba-draft-prospects-failing-to-impress-scouts

 

[CJ_is_Gone]

Ugh

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10100730-2024-nba-draft-prospects-failing-to-impress-scouts

Why is that an 'ugh'?
This draft has always known to be poor

 

[MickZagger]

Agree, he isn’t a priority, but Castle should not be left off your board completely. Castle is an amazing rebounder for his size, he averages over 5rpg in limited minutes, and he has more offensive ones than defensive ones this season. He’s a better rebounder than Grant, and would likely average just as many as Camara right away.

Castle affects the game in so many ways that you can disregard some of his shortcomings. With Amen, it was his shooting, but he so many other parts of his game look promising. It’s the same for Castle, his is his size, but he is going to impact the game in so many ways and he isn’t small by any means. He is the same size as Jaylen Brown, and averaged as many rpg as Brown did in college, but on 10 less minutes per game.

Not really a hot take imo, Castle is a better prospect than Jaylen Brown coming out of college. Jaylen is more athletic, but Castle has a much better handle and and is more cerebral with his approach to the game. If Castle slips, we better look at opportunities to grab him.

Brown was taken 3rd in a pretty good draft class. I don’t see Castle even cracking the top 10 in a poor draft class

 

[MickZagger]

Cody Williams is my favorite player in this draft class

 

[BankTeller]

Brown was taken 3rd in a pretty good draft class. I don’t see Castle even cracking the top 10 in a poor draft class

What does pick have to do with anything? Skillset is skillset, I was saying that he’s better than Brown at a lot of things compared to when Brown was at Berkley, and pretty much the same size, only the combine will be able to confirm it.

I won’t argue with you with where you rank Castle. If you’re saying that and you’ve already taken his injuries and the fact that he’s been injured and UCONN has never played freshmen big minutes (Drummond is the only one-and-done off the top of my head, no guards), then I don’t know what to tell you lol. We’ll agree to disagree I guess.