2024 NBA Draft Thread

[CGD]

Rightly or wrongly, Cody Williams is gonna get a nice draft bump on his brother performance in these POs alone. Jalen is a star.

[CGD]

More thoughts:

on this team, with the assumption that Vassell is here for awhile, it makes sense for the third high volume scorer to be the point guard vs the wing starting next to Vassell. Another way to look at this is which position would we rather have a 3 and D guy? A 3 and D point guard or a 3 and D wing? A 3 and D wing gives the lineups more versatility, obviously. There’s only one ball to go around. The point guard is typically the primary initiator, meaning he has the ball a lot and it’s a more unpredictable offense when that point guard can score. All that aside, there are hardly any wing/ forwards in this draft who could be dynamic enough to score in enough ways to warrant the high volume touches. Zaccharie can’t dribble. Matas has some semblance of it, but still enough questions there. Ron Holland’s impressive going left or right but his in between game seems nonexistent and so forth…

Gotta love all these back door #DraftDilly takes. It’s charming.

[Dejounte]

Which one?

No answer is going to sound nice.

Reed reminds me of Jamal Murray the most. I think Reed could be a little craftier and maybe if Kentucky gave him the keys more like they did with Dilly— it would have made me more confident about him. If the Spurs find in their interviews that Reed has that “dog” in him and a willingness to score for the team when they need a bucket, then they should draft him.

Dilly would be the most obvious answer for the Spurs’ needs if he wasn’t so damn bad on defense. God, it’s scary. Like, people have been ting on Branham for a couple years now because of his defense… to have another player like that or worse? RIP Spurstalk.

Castle is the obvious NO for addressing the “which scoring PG” question, isn’t it? I would say so until I watched a lot of his film and got Jimmy Butler vibes. What gives me pause though is if he will ever learn to be a “dog” on offense CONSISTENTLY. Same issue as Reed, but maybe Castle’s disease in this area might be more severe. His brain might be so ingrained with team-first philosophies that he may not project into the scoring point guard that we will need.

Collier has been my favorite for awhile now and everybody has issues with him but he had the most experience being the top scorer for his team and looked convincing having that role for some games.

Gun to my head, I’ll say Reed Sheppard.

[SpursBills]

No answer is going to sound nice.

Reed reminds me of Jamal Murray the most. I think Reed could be a little craftier and maybe if Kentucky gave him the keys more like they did with Dilly— it would have made me more confident about him. If the Spurs find in their interviews that Reed has that “dog” in him and a willingness to score for the team when they need a bucket, then they should draft him.

Dilly would be the most obvious answer for the Spurs’ needs if he wasn’t so damn bad on defense. God, it’s scary. Like, people have been ting on Branham for a couple years now because of his defense… to have another player like that or worse? RIP Spurstalk.

Castle is the obvious NO for addressing the “which scoring PG” question, isn’t it? I would say so until I watched a lot of his film and got Jimmy Butler vibes. What gives me pause though is if he will ever learn to be a “dog” on offense CONSISTENTLY. Same issue as Reed, but maybe Castle’s disease in this area might be more severe. His brain might be so ingrained with team-first philosophies that he may not project into the scoring point guard that we will need.

Collier has been my favorite for awhile now and everybody has issues with him but he had the most experience being the top scorer for his team and looked convincing having that role for some games.

Gun to my head, I’ll say Reed Sheppard.

Have you seen any tape of McCain? Of all the guys in the draft he's actually the guy who reminds me of Murray the most. The dude is an unrepentant gunner who can shoot from pretty much anywhere and can get hot in a hurry. He's basically got almost the exact same strengths and weaknesses that Murray did coming into the draft, except he's just worse at everything. Older, smaller, less good getting to the rim. But he's basically your combo guard with questionable point guard translation and average athleticism who's a bucket and can get hot in a hurry. Not my favorite guard in the draft, but the one who definitely reminds me most of Murray.

[baseline bum]

No answer is going to sound nice.

Reed reminds me of Jamal Murray the most. I think Reed could be a little craftier and maybe if Kentucky gave him the keys more like they did with Dilly— it would have made me more confident about him. If the Spurs find in their interviews that Reed has that “dog” in him and a willingness to score for the team when they need a bucket, then they should draft him.

Dilly would be the most obvious answer for the Spurs’ needs if he wasn’t so damn bad on defense. God, it’s scary. Like, people have been ting on Branham for a couple years now because of his defense… to have another player like that or worse? RIP Spurstalk.

Castle is the obvious NO for addressing the “which scoring PG” question, isn’t it? I would say so until I watched a lot of his film and got Jimmy Butler vibes. What gives me pause though is if he will ever learn to be a “dog” on offense CONSISTENTLY. Same issue as Reed, but maybe Castle’s disease in this area might be more severe. His brain might be so ingrained with team-first philosophies that he may not project into the scoring point guard that we will need.

Collier has been my favorite for awhile now and everybody has issues with him but he had the most experience being the top scorer for his team and looked convincing having that role for some games.

Gun to my head, I’ll say Reed Sheppard.

Though I guess the real answer should be whichever is still there when the Spurs pick now that #7 is the most likely pick

[heyheymymy]

I'm thinking Reed Sheppard is the correct pick.

People talk about his lack of size, athleticism but look at the 3 steals per game and the 1 block (0.9). defense creates offense on the open break. No one is blocking Sheppard when he's taking open looks. He could be 2 feet tall but if he's creating uncontested opportunities with his defense does that perhaps negate his size deficiencies/inability to burst past to a net positive? Does his defense project to be elite enough to have this impact?

These are the questions any drafting GM must ask. You could look at his tape. The SEC is a pretty athletic conference, could be a decent comp with NBA with a slight handicap. You could trace every poke away/block and say who is that guy, how tall is he and what is the gulf in difference between him and Reed? You could create at metric, have categories, height, wingspan, more subjective but build/tone not sure how you analytically quantify that though.

I see a situation were Sheppard struggles to score in set offenses but wreaks havoc on poke aways where

1. He uses his speed on the fast break and strong finishing skills at the rim to score
2. contested at the rim on fast break and uses high IQ to draw the foul/and1 slows the game down and gets opponents in foul trouble
3. hits a teammate early on the turn over fast break and the team mate scores; assist to Sheppard
4. hits a teammate early on the steal and cuts off ball to the open 3 point line team mate draws defenders in at the rim and kicks to open Sheppard for the 3.
5. Wemby trails and Reed gets stymied at the rim on the fast break and resets to hit the trailing Wemby for an open 3. Wemby exerts minimal, scores near maximum.

Will the Spurs seize momentum off of Reed's defensive playmaking skill? Think about 5. Wemby trails and Reed gets stymied at the rim on the fast break and resets to hit the trailing Wemby for an open 3. I saw Wemby hit a few trailers last week of this season so I think it's in his wheelhouse. Now you see Sheppard's play is ripple effect preserving Wemby's stamina and wear and tear because creating fast break offense off his dare I say elite defensive playmaking leads to easy buckets where bigs aren't banging as much and leads to scoring runs that get Wemby rest etc. Just a total system liberator in a way, could Reed Sheppard be like engine oil?

[rankingtear]

We also got a taste of what going from a non-scorer point guard to a scorer point guard looks like at the end of season with Graham. Graham being a threat from deep kept the defense honest. Everybody noted it looked like a different team and I think a huge credit to that was the fact that we had a point guard who could shoot. More and more I’m on the bandwagon that the Spurs draft a PG this summer.

Graham played more 2.

[jjspur]

I'd draft Sheppard as well. All rookies need some development time, but in this draft, he seems to need less overall development than a lot of the top 10 players, which would be a plus for the spurs.

[Vienna]

Have you seen any tape of McCain? Of all the guys in the draft he's actually the guy who reminds me of Murray the most. The dude is an unrepentant gunner who can shoot from pretty much anywhere and can get hot in a hurry. He's basically got almost the exact same strengths and weaknesses that Murray did coming into the draft, except he's just worse at everything. Older, smaller, less good getting to the rim. But he's basically your combo guard with questionable point guard translation and average athleticism who's a bucket and can get hot in a hurry. Not my favorite guard in the draft, but the one who definitely reminds me most of Murray.

totally agree. I made this comparison some weeks ago (McCain is closer to Murray and Maxey, than Seth and Forbes, as some mocks compared him). about his physical and atheltic profil we at least can point out, that he is pretty strong for a guy his size, especially his legs, and he doesn't hesitate to trow his body into the battle. (that's the main reason, why he is a very good rebounder, despite not playing above the rim).
we know, his measurements won't blow anybody away, but he should measure better than Sheppard. (my guess is, Sheppard will measure 6'1'' w/o shoes and McCain like 6'2.5", with a significantly longer wingspan).
and there is one aspect about athletic abilities, that isn't discussused as it should: "deceleration". McCain might not be the most explosive guy, but he can hit the brakes like few other players. (likely thank's to his strong legs). that's one reason, why he shoots that well in transition. if you can't blow by your defender, just let him fly by. it's his cobra maneuver. so yes, I would pick him over Sheppard.

[Silverheart80]

No answer is going to sound nice.

Reed reminds me of Jamal Murray the most. I think Reed could be a little craftier and maybe if Kentucky gave him the keys more like they did with Dilly— it would have made me more confident about him. If the Spurs find in their interviews that Reed has that “dog” in him and a willingness to score for the team when they need a bucket, then they should draft him.

Dilly would be the most obvious answer for the Spurs’ needs if he wasn’t so damn bad on defense. God, it’s scary. Like, people have been ting on Branham for a couple years now because of his defense… to have another player like that or worse? RIP Spurstalk.

Castle is the obvious NO for addressing the “which scoring PG” question, isn’t it? I would say so until I watched a lot of his film and got Jimmy Butler vibes. What gives me pause though is if he will ever learn to be a “dog” on offense CONSISTENTLY. Same issue as Reed, but maybe Castle’s disease in this area might be more severe. His brain might be so ingrained with team-first philosophies that he may not project into the scoring point guard that we will need.

Collier has been my favorite for awhile now and everybody has issues with him but he had the most experience being the top scorer for his team and looked convincing having that role for some games.

Gun to my head, I’ll say Reed Sheppard.

Agree on Jimmy Butler vibes for Castle. I see him struggling as an NBA rookie. Lot of G-League time, but by February to April, his defense and BBIQ will look good compared to the relative lack of both on the current roster. He's gonna be a slow burn, but worth the wait, when hopefully his longball comes around. Everyone's dwelling on surrounding Victor with shooters, and I love that model -- but setting Victor, Sochan, and maybe Wesley aside, the rest of the Spurs are garbage on defense. And in some cases, unsalvageable. Can't win when Vassell, Johnson, Branham, Collins, etc. are gaping veteran sieves on defense, game after game. All the shooting in the world can't make up for the inability to get stops. Need guys who can defend their position and switch.

If this season was the Spurs "seeing what we've got", then I think Vassell showed there's no way to win consistently with him as a 2nd or 3rd option. He doesn't play smart basketball. He's tailor-made to lose on both ends, when he carries this much responsibility. Selfish, low-IQ, toxic decisions that don't make other players better and don't create consistent matchup advantages. When he's gone, the winning will have a chance to begin. But not before. No matter who we draft.

I do agree with you though -- there's no indication the Spurs are moving him anytime soon. Long term, IMO, Castle is going to have a more productive NBA career than Sheppard. I don't like Sheppard's overplay on defense, which will translate to foul trouble in the league, and I don't see him creating offensive mismatches off-the-dribble against superior athletes. He's this year's Jimmer Fredette. Dilly's not even worth conversation because of his height and absymal defense. Castle -- physical, high-IQ, good size, decent interior midrange game, and a *dawg* on defense.

Between these three -- it's Castle for me. (Sarr is still my dream pick for the Spurs, should lightning somehow strike twice.)

[SpursBills]

totally agree. I made this comparison some weeks ago (McCain is closer to Murray and Maxey, than Seth and Forbes, as some mocks compared him). about his physical and atheltic profil we at least can point out, that he is pretty strong for a guy his size, especially his legs, and he doesn't hesitate to trow his body into the battle. (that's the main reason, why he is a very good rebounder, despite not playing above the rim).
we know, his measurements won't blow anybody away, but he should measure better than Sheppard. (my guess is, Sheppard will measure 6'1'' w/o shoes and McCain like 6'2.5", with a significantly longer wingspan).
and there is one aspect about athletic abilities, that isn't discussused as it should: "deceleration". McCain might not be the most explosive guy, but he can hit the brakes like few other players. (likely thank's to his strong legs). that's one reason, why he shoots that well in transition. if you can't blow by your defender, just let him fly by. it's his cobra maneuver. so yes, I would pick him over Sheppard.

I still have Sheppard ahead of McCain because of his defensive instincts and high feel, but the gap is way closer than most mocks would suggest. McCain's biggest issue that drops him is his passing projection - he's playing next to one of the purest point guards in the NCAA in Proctor, so I'm not sure whether his passing is just masked or whether he doesn't have the playmaking chops to play as a lead guard. If you have high confidence that he can play lead guard like many of the current combo/SG turned lead guards in the NBA right now, that dramatically changes his draft projection.

[SpursBills]

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[SpursBills]

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[spurraider21]

For the spurs purposes, Sheppard is PG1

[spurraider21]

For the spurs purposes, Sheppard is PG1

[Strategic]

Yeah spurs don’t really have any players Okc would want. But if Presti sees the next potential Jalen Williams or perfect final piece in this draft and he can snag him at #7 then that is enough for spurs to snag a nice return. Presti is in overpay mode to get what he wants. The rich can afford it.

Be nice if Presti had enough riches to let go of Aaron Wiggins. He shot 50% from 3 this year on 120 attempts and could get on the court only 15 minutes per.

[Strategic]

Yeah spurs don’t really have any players Okc would want. But if Presti sees the next potential Jalen Williams or perfect final piece in this draft and he can snag him at #7 then that is enough for spurs to snag a nice return. Presti is in overpay mode to get what he wants. The rich can afford it.

Be nice if Presti had enough riches to let go of Aaron Wiggins. He shot 50% from 3 this year on 120 attempts and could get on the court only 15 minutes per.

[Strategic]

Yeah spurs don’t really have any players Okc would want. But if Presti sees the next potential Jalen Williams or perfect final piece in this draft and he can snag him at #7 then that is enough for spurs to snag a nice return. Presti is in overpay mode to get what he wants. The rich can afford it.

Be nice if Presti had enough riches to let go of Aaron Wiggins. He shot 50% from 3 this year on 120 attempts and could get on the court only 15 minutes per.

[ace3g]

[ace3g]

[ace3g]

[ace3g]

[Mr. Body]

As everyone else is letting Risacher drop to where he belongs, I begin to wonder if Givony and his bosses at ESPN have other reasons for pumping him up even now. Even his height.

[BackHome]

Thanks for the update and Vid Ace

[objective]

As everyone else is letting Risacher drop to where he belongs, I begin to wonder if Givony and his bosses at ESPN have other reasons for pumping him up even now. Even his height.

Lol, I just watched a Pfeiffer video on him last night from his hotter part of the season a new I *think* he referred to him as 6-8 and mentioned him even looking smaller

I could have been hallucinating though. But yeah, he doesn't look 6-10