Official 2022 NBA Draft thread

[Mr. Body]

Man, college basketball can be offensive to the eyes some times. This Duke/UNc came is ugly as hell.

I watch the first week of the tournament and start losing interest. The play is just sloppy, bad, so many mistakes.

[exstatic]

Guys who can ball out in the NCAA might not even be able to play in the gleague. The level of competition isnt even close. If it were, the NBA rosters would turn over every 3 years with cheap new talent.

[dbestpro]

Guys who can ball out in the NCAA might not even be able to play in the gleague. The level of competition isnt even close. If it were, the NBA rosters would turn over every 3 years with cheap new talent.

Forbes- all you got to do to play in the NBA is shoot the other three. Nothing else is required.

[Dejounte]

Success in the NCAA does matter when you’re gauging if that prospect will translate to the NBA

but it is not success alone

1)if the player is putting up big numbers but only showed up big in March, I’d be concerned that it was just a hot streak. See Johnny Juzang.

2)if the player is putting up big numbers all the while exhibiting killer instinct / immense confidence throughout their college season, that will translate. See Curry.

3)if the player is putting up big numbers AND has unreal physical attributes (talent that’s not typical of a player their size)… that’s as sure of a prospect you’ll get. See Zion, Durant, Davis.

IMO, Jabari doesn’t fit any of these three. He’s not efficient, and he’s not physically special

Chet, Ivey, and Banchero are borderline #3 so they are good prospects

[exstatic]

Forbes- all you got to do to play in the NBA is shoot the other three. Nothing else is required.

It’s funny that you mentioned Forbes, because there are only two attributes that are a near lock to translate from one level of bball to the next level up: shooting and rebounding. Bryn Forbes has forged a moderate NBA career by being a top notch shooter. He is 701-1700,41.1% for his career. He’s a flawed player, but a guy like Forbes has a better chance at playing in the NBA than almost any athlete-type prospect.

[BackHome]

It amazes me that these kids who grow up wanting to be in the NBA yet they can’t even hit a 3 ball and have terrible handles.

[BackHome]

So just my thoughts on players I like at areas we pick;

First Pick:
* Bennedict Mathurin - Has a great 3 point shot and can shoot it on the move or set - good athlete can take it to the rim and plays D.
*Jeremy Sochan - Very good team defender a position of need is young and has a high ball IQ
*Malaki Branham - A very young SG who can play defense has nice handles and can score and has a 3 ball to his game
*Dyson Daniels - A version of Murray another young player who seems can grow into something specialjjj
*Tari Eeason - A great defender not sure but he does have potential to have a high level if he puts in the work on offensive side

Second Pick*
*Mark Williams - A very athletic Center has shown glimpses he can be much more then a rim protector lob kinda player
*Blake Wesley - If Walker leave he brings that instant offense
*Nikola Jovic - Has good handles a point forward can stretch the floor good passer
*Moussa Diabate - My new fav - very twitch has a high IQ good passer and decent defender who have a high upside with the right team
*Walker Kessler - Big time shot blocker has good movement for someone his size can guard big centers and small fast centers
*E.J. Liddell - A small PF but has good length over all defense - Tucker from LA

Third Pick:
*Max Christie - A young SG good athlete could be a good player has the skills and athleticism
*MarJon Beauchamp - Solid SG if you want to go with a more defensive type of player kinda Danny Green like
*Christian Koloko - Good athlete can protect the rim
*Jean Montero - A very good PG has potential to be a steal if he can learn to play defense reminds me a little of Parker with his speed

Second Round Pick:
*Hugo Besson - A tweener PG/SG who has a nice 3 ball
*Gabriele Procida - Another player I really like would not be made if they used early pick is very athletic and very good 3 ball right team could have a high upside
*Jamie Jaquez - Good player plays hard on both sides of the ball

[PhantomDashCam]

I don’t think the Spurs have any interest in Diabate after that mini-escalation:


https://youtu.be/V2oG_HjrkG8

[Ariel]

Here's the remaining schedule for every team which could affect the 1st, 2nd and 3rd first rounders respectively. Projected wins in green:
https://i.ibb.co/3SRX66n/projected-picks.png
It's an optimistic scenario if you're looking for the best picks possible, but not unrealistic. If it were to happen and the Spurs don't succeed in advancing to the playoffs through the play in, then they would be in a tie for the 8th pick (randomly decided with the Lakers), the Toronto pick would fall in the 20th place, and the Boston pick would be at 23, though this could vary significantly, since Boston has only 3 games remaining that are tough, and dropping one or two would be huge for us.

[Big Empty]

The Spurs draft 6’9 Manek late in the 1st.

[BatManu20]

The Spurs draft 6’9 Manek late in the 1st.

Zero chance. Poor athlete, horrible defender, bad rebounder. He’s a one-trick pony who may carve out a bench spot on a bad NBA team but no way he’s a 1st Round Pick imo.

[BatManu20]

Keep an eye on Ochai Agbaji tonight. He’s been ballin’ in the tournament and was already a projected top-20 pick before it. He’s 22 already so a little older, but he’s going to be a good 2-way SG at the next level imo.

[Ariel]

The Spurs draft 6’9 Manek late in the 1st.
If the Spurs were to draft anyone from North Carolina, I'd take Caleb Love, whom most draft boards have missed altogether. Getting him with the Lakers' 2nd rounder would be pretty nice, even with Boston's... unless he goes ballistic today and his stock skyrockets. I'll take Armando Bacot before Manek as well.

[Mr. Body]

If the Spurs were to draft anyone from North Carolina, I'd take Caleb Love, whom most draft boards have missed altogether. Getting him with the Lakers' 2nd rounder would be pretty nice, even with Boston's... unless he goes ballistic today and his stock skyrockets. I'll take Armando Bacot before Manek as well.

Caleb Love reminds me of another UNC sharpshooter, a guy who won player of the tournament in the early 90s, Donald Williams. He went off that tournament but wasn't an NBA player.

[Ariel]

I'd be disappointed if Agbaji is our first pick because I'd like a forward like Eason or Sochan, but if he were to fell to the Toronto pick (which may end up as high as 18.. unlikely but possible) I'd be a nice pick up. Though he's projected to be drafted in the late lottery, so...

[Ariel]

Caleb Love reminds me of another UNC sharpshooter, a guy who won player of the tournament in the early 90s, Donald Williams. He went off that tournament but wasn't an NBA player.
Can't say I remember him, but Caleb Love isn't a shooter per se, he can shoot but he can drive, he's athletic, has adequate size for a combo guard (6-3' 6-4'), and he's aggressive and fearless... that you can't teach. He's definitely earned his chance in the League.

[Mr. Body]

Can't say I remember him, but Caleb Love isn't a shooter per se, he can shoot but he can drive, he's athletic, has adequate size for a combo guard (6-3' 6-4'), and he's aggressive and fearless... that you can't teach. He's definitely earned his chance in the League.

I really should say tournament sharpshooter. Love's fg% is atrocious (.388) and he coughs up the ball a ton (3.6 assists to 2.7 TOs) and he's not usually a great three point shooter, either (.368). Go ahead and pencil him in for the 2nd round, but he's actually not close to being an NBA player.

In the 1993 game, UNC also had Eric Montross, who was a big white stiff in the NBA for a while. I think George Lynch was a rotation guy for a while, too. They defeated the Michigan Fab Five team in the game where Chris Webber called a timeout they didn't have. Donald Williams hit 5 of 7 from deep and scored 25 points. Again, he wasn't drafted and never saw an NBA floor. He was 6'3".

[Ariel]

I really should say tournament sharpshooter. Love's fg% is atrocious (.388) and he coughs up the ball a ton (3.6 assists to 2.7 TOs) and he's not usually a great three point shooter, either (.368). Go ahead and pencil him in for the 2nd round, but he's actually not close to being an NBA player.
His FG% is certainly a concern, but he's 20, he can learn to play smarter and be more selective. College players back in the day were significantly older, he's far from a finished product at his age. Plus we're talking second round here, about the same place we picked Wieskamp... Of course there are rough edges to work on, otherwise he'd be a lottery pick.

[BatManu20]

Caleb Love has been balling out, how is he not drafted at all in most mock drafts?

Dude is complete ass. 5-24 (!!) tonight from the field and single-handedly lost him team the National Championship game. And this is without taking into account all his turnovers. He was legit horrendous.

He can’t handle the ball and is a poor passer. Poor decision maker too. He’s basically an undersized chucker. I wouldn’t touch him even with a 2nd Round Pick.

[Atl Spur]

Sochan is my selection……

[Ariel]

Dude is complete ass. 5-24 (!!) tonight from the field and single-handedly lost him team the National Championship game. And this is without taking into account all his turnovers. He was legit horrendous.

He can’t handle the ball and is a poor passer. Poor decision maker too. He’s basically an undersized chucker. I wouldn’t touch him even with a 2nd Round Pick.
:lol Yeah, today he was HORRENDOUS... the decision making in that last shot was just atrocious. However, in all fairness, he beat UCLA and Duke almost single handedly, so you take the good with the bad... and today it was REALLY BAD :lol

[MultiTroll]

Dude is complete ass. 5-24 (!!) tonight from the field and single-handedly lost him team the National Championship game. And this is without taking into account all his turnovers. He was legit horrendous.

He can’t handle the ball and is a poor passer. Poor decision maker too. He’s basically an undersized chucker. I wouldn’t touch him even with a 2nd Round Pick.
Not familiar with him, but i can say tonight that was complete ass coaching by Herbert Davis to leave him in. You see the possessions where it was 4 on 5 and moron Hubert didn't even call a timeout?
Obvious blown ankle and yes his Kirby Bryant chucking should have been silenced.

[SPURt]

Dude is complete ass. 5-24 (!!) tonight from the field and single-handedly lost him team the National Championship game. And this is without taking into account all his turnovers. He was legit horrendous.

He can’t handle the ball and is a poor passer. Poor decision maker too. He’s basically an undersized chucker. I wouldn’t touch him even with a 2nd Round Pick.
Hard to argue for Love based on tonight. That is gonna haunt him for the rest of his life.

[MultiTroll]

:lol Yeah, today he was HORRENDOUS... the decision making in that last shot was just atrocious. However, in all fairness, he beat UCLA and Duke almost single handedly, so you take the good with the bad... and today it was REALLY BAD :lol
How about the pathetic D by Wonder Bread on Kansas to allow the wide open trey?

Jesus BBIQ died and was buried years ago.

[ZeusWillJudge]

Not familiar with him, but i can say tonight that was complete ass coaching by Herbert Davis to leave him in. You see the possessions where it was 4 on 5 and moron Hubert didn't even call a timeout?
Obvious blown ankle and yes his Kirby Bryant chucking should have been silenced.

Do you remember what the clock read when that injury happened? I don't think the coach can ask for that timeout, except in the last 2:00. And the refs aren't supposed to call it except to protect the player. They'll go ahead and call it, but they won't break the momentum unless the player is in danger of being trampled. He was on the opposite end of the court, so not in danger of being hurt further. I thought Kansas was dumb for not pressing that 5-on-4 advantage they had for a few seconds.

[ZeusWillJudge]

1)if the player is putting up big numbers but only showed up big in March, I’d be concerned that it was just a hot streak. See Johnny Juzang.



That isn't what you meant to say, is it? Juzang was pretty steady all season, but his numbers in the Tourney were really sub-standard. Sort of the opposite of what you said there.

I still like him as a late 1st or early 2nd pick, depending on how the earlier picks have gone. But he's not someone I would really be evaluating as a potential starter. I think he'll be getting rotation minutes in the NBA, and if he goes to some teams I think that could happen his rookie season. But he sure wasn't on a streak in March.

[Dejounte]

That isn't what you meant to say, is it? Juzang was pretty steady all season, but his numbers in the Tourney were really sub-standard. Sort of the opposite of what you said there.

I still like him as a late 1st or early 2nd pick, depending on how the earlier picks have gone. But he's not someone I would really be evaluating as a potential starter. I think he'll be getting rotation minutes in the NBA, and if he goes to some teams I think that could happen his rookie season. But he sure wasn't on a streak in March.

Maybe it was the wrong example

[Dejounte]

https://twitter.com/PostinsPostcard/status/1502060648401887233

Opening up to the idea of Sochon more

Apparently he’s half Polish. Maybe the Spurs like that and the fact that he’s “woke”

But on the serious side,

If the Spurs are buying more and more into their developmental program, given the huge success of DJ and probably Keldon soon, then they will continue to draft young players they think they can mold into great ones

I don’t think this would apply to just any young player. For example, i think Griffin’s template isn’t great given his poor handles

The young prospect has to have a good enough starting point skills-wise. The Spurs can’t turn water into wine. They’re not miracle workers. People like to point to Kawhi as an example a lot. Kawhi was a fucking skilled player in college and actually was handling the ball and taking it to the rack a lot. It’s nowhere close to these prospects that people fawn over like Griffin.

[Dejounte]

“Of course, it’s always a challenge physically,” Sochan said. “But it’s not always about physicality. Sometimes you have to use your brain and IQ to maneuver and things. I think positioning and trying to outsmart the opponent is important.”

If Sochan looks and sounds more mature than his 19 years, it’s because he’s lived and played basketball in four different countries.

He was born in Oklahoma, raised in England, and has played basketball in Germany and Poland. He speaks with a British accent, and has brought some of his English traditions to the Bears.


“On the plane, Dale Bonner sits with me, and I’ve influenced him to drink tea,” Sochan said. “I like to bring English chocolate too.”

Sochan’s love for the game comes naturally since his Polish-born mother, Aneta, and his American father, the late Ryan Williams, played basketball at Panhandle State in Goodwell, Okla.

“I always had a basketball around me since I was born since both of my parents did it,” Sochan said. “My mom coached me, and she said the biggest advice she could give me was to control only what I can control, be aggressive and use your skills.”

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

https://twitter.com/PostinsPostcard/status/1502060648401887233

Opening up to the idea of Sochon more

Apparently he’s half Polish. Maybe the Spurs like that and the fact that he’s “woke”

But on the serious side,

If the Spurs are buying more and more into their developmental program, given the huge success of DJ and probably Keldon soon, then they will continue to draft young players they think they can mold into great ones

I don’t think this would apply to just any young player. For example, i think Griffin’s template isn’t great given his poor handles

The young prospect has to have a good enough starting point skills-wise. The Spurs can’t turn water into wine. They’re not miracle workers. People like to point to Kawhi as an example a lot. Kawhi was a fucking skilled player in college and actually was handling the ball and taking it to the rack a lot. It’s nowhere close to these prospects that people fawn over like Griffin.

i am a big fan of him and Eason if we pick 9 or 10. Sochan reminds me a bit of Boris Diaw when he was with our SPURS. dude can handle the ball a little bit, pass, defend, and seems to know how to play the game. He has some warts but he is so young with a good basketball IQ.

I think (especially if he is a legit 6’9” with a plus wing span)he could fit in nicely on our team. He definitely has to work on his shooting but he isn’t afraid to shoot which is nice also.

[duncan2150]

https://twitter.com/PostinsPostcard/status/1502060648401887233

Opening up to the idea of Sochon more

Apparently he’s half Polish. Maybe the Spurs like that and the fact that he’s “woke”

But on the serious side,

If the Spurs are buying more and more into their developmental program, given the huge success of DJ and probably Keldon soon, then they will continue to draft young players they think they can mold into great ones

I don’t think this would apply to just any young player. For example, i think Griffin’s template isn’t great given his poor handles

The young prospect has to have a good enough starting point skills-wise. The Spurs can’t turn water into wine. They’re not miracle workers. People like to point to Kawhi as an example a lot. Kawhi was a fucking skilled player in college and actually was handling the ball and taking it to the rack a lot. It’s nowhere close to these prospects that people fawn over like Griffin.

I'm a fan of Sochan after watching him more closely during last months.

Can defend all positions, can develop into a complete offensive player tough he needs to work on his shoot ( FT% are low), like his mentality : he's a dog. I think he has a big upside. With a pick around the 10th he is one of my targets.

Really good size 6'9 230 lbs 7'0 wingspan, still 18 yrs old, will be fresh 19 on draft day.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHzNpJRFN74
Sochan D ( Not perfect but you can see the switchability)

[JPB]

It amazes me that these kids who grow up wanting to be in the NBA yet they can’t even hit a 3 ball and have terrible handles.

That's where you still see the difference with Europe (specially eastern Europe) where even most bigs can handle and pass the ball pretty well, which you have to with the way ball is played over there. Evey kid works early on their handle and dreams to be a PG, not just dunk the ball or force you way to the rim... Morphotypes differences may have something to do with it too.

Reason why college BB can be trash is that those kids want to replicate NBA play and try to play like the big dogs without having the abilities to do it, not as a team anyway where you may have one two guys who will actually make the NBA. They don't have yet the reactivity, instincts and BBIQ that gives you that tenth of a second or so that will make the difference in elite...

[exstatic]

It amazes me that these kids who grow up wanting to be in the NBA yet they can’t even hit a 3 ball and have terrible handles.

It’s not possible for everyone to be an NBA player, no matter how hard they work. All you have to do is lack one or two of hand eye coordination, speed, length, strength, or vertical.

[rascal]

Too bad the Spurs won too many games to have a realistic chance to get Ivey. Ivey will be a superstar in the league. The Spurs need a star talent on the roster.

[The Truth #6]

I'm intrigued by Sochan for sure, though he could easily be a riser and already gone, but definitely has Spur written all over him. He has Rodman's Demolition Man haircut, also spent time in Oklahoma, has some aggressiveness but none of the outlandish craziness that I can see, and his game, we hope, would be like Bobo, which would be incredible it that panned out. And he's a position of need. Would be tough to play him alongside Yak with such poor shooting, but I'm ok moving Yak if it helps the team overall.

[MultiTroll]

Do you remember what the clock read when that injury happened? I don't think the coach can ask for that timeout, except in the last 2:00. And the refs aren't supposed to call it except to protect the player. They'll go ahead and call it, but they won't break the momentum unless the player is in danger of being trampled. He was on the opposite end of the court, so not in danger of being hurt further. I thought Kansas was dumb for not pressing that 5-on-4 advantage they had for a few seconds.
44 seconds left when NC Center #5 Armondo Bacot seriously rolled his ankle. Correct you are the coach could not call a time out. KU, rather then taking advantage of the literal 4 on 5 had their #10 Jalen Wilson literally held the ball and waited for Bacot to limp up court. The humanity of Wilson waiting for Bacot to come up court is commendable. But FFS this is a competition game, Championship at that. Remy Martin the high IQ point for KU looked at Wilson and threw his arms out saying in effect saying Would You Move The F-cking Ball!!! KUs other two players stood on the total opposite side of the arc and clamored for the entire cross court pass (not feasable) instead of collapsing to the rim to take advantage of the 4 on 5. Soo much idiocy in this game. :lol

Separately at 45-39 with 14:40 to go, Love seriously tweaked the ankle and was soo obviously limping around to the tune of it was 4 on 5. NC had the ball. Hubert Davis refused to pull him out even after he limped over to the NC bench. NC misses, KU fast breaks the other way. 45-41. Certainly not the play of the game as this one had plenty. However huge momentum play as it was the continuation of a Kansas run. Love was more or less standing around on O and D for the next several possessions. Love did have a driving layup that greased around the rim and fluked in to make it 48-45 NC. However in the next transition KU simply posted up Wonder Bread on Love for the easy spin around short layup. Davis didn't even take Love out after a timeout nor the rest of the game. :downspin:
Even with Loves ankle sprain, the Selfoviches failed to take advantage and managed to lose their 5 point lead at one point 69-68 with 1:40 to go. :downspin:

Oh well, Self will get glorified by the clueless and sniffing media and it goes in the books as a KU win. Super entertaining game nonetheless and many good plays.
I love the little point guard for KU Remy Martin. His 3 treys were huge.

[Drom John]

Piecing from a Reddit thread about the paywall Pelton stats from top 30 ESPN consensus NCAA/G-League players. Missing Pelton number rankings should be foreigners and NCAA players with much better numbers than the scout loved players.

1) Chet Holmgren
2) Walker Kessler
3) AJ Griffin
4) Keegan Murray
5) Tari Eason
6) Zach Edey
7) Dyson Daniels
8) Jabari Smith
9) Jeremy Sochan
10) Benedict Mathurin
11) Jalen Duren
12) Patrick Baldwin Jr.
13) Jacob Gilyard
14) Hyungjung Lee
15) Kennedy Chandler
16) Christian Braun
17) Jabari Walker
18) Trevor Keels
19) Marcus Bagley
21) Keon Ellis
26) Blake Wesley
39) Jaden Ivey
41) Kendall Brown
50) TyTy Washington Jr.
51) Paolo Banchero
53) Mark Williams
54) Malaki Branham
61) EJ Liddell
70) Ochai Agbaji
71) Johnny Davis

[exstatic]

Piecing from a Reddit thread about the paywall Pelton stats from top 30 ESPN consensus NCAA/G-League players. Missing Pelton number rankings should be foreigners and NCAA players with much better numbers than the scout loved players.

1) Chet Holmgren
2) Walker Kessler
3) AJ Griffin
4) Keegan Murray
5) Tari Eason
6) Zach Edey
7) Dyson Daniels
8) Jabari Smith
9) Jeremy Sochan
10) Benedict Mathurin
11) Jalen Duren
12) Patrick Baldwin Jr.
13) Jacob Gilyard
14) Hyungjung Lee
15) Kennedy Chandler
16) Christian Braun
17) Jabari Walker
18) Trevor Keels
19) Marcus Bagley
21) Keon Ellis
26) Blake Wesley
39) Jaden Ivey
41) Kendall Brown
50) TyTy Washington Jr.
51) Paolo Banchero
53) Mark Williams
54) Malaki Branham
61) EJ Liddell
70) Ochai Agbaji
71) Johnny Davis

You can’t go just by college performance. That’s a lower level of competition. NBA GMs have to try to project what they WILL BE. Not an easy task.

[Mr. Body]

I'm prett high on Sochan. He's pretty much what you want in a modern switchable defense. He's extremely active, energetic and relentless. He's basically the model for this, like an anti-Samanic. He even has some distribution skills. I may be going too far to compare him to Scottie Barnes -- less of a facilitator, a better defender, just as bad a shooter in college -- but there are slight similarities. He projects more as a role-player, of course, but character-wise seems to be good, the franchise and Pop love them some worldly guys. And he fills a massive need.

[emanueldavidginobili]

1511370081607077893
1511372957611749378

[Big Empty]

Piecing from a Reddit thread about the paywall Pelton stats from top 30 ESPN consensus NCAA/G-League players. Missing Pelton number rankings should be foreigners and NCAA players with much better numbers than the scout loved players.

1) Chet Holmgren
2) Walker Kessler
3) AJ Griffin
4) Keegan Murray
5) Tari Eason
6) Zach Edey
7) Dyson Daniels
8) Jabari Smith
9) Jeremy Sochan
10) Benedict Mathurin
11) Jalen Duren
12) Patrick Baldwin Jr.
13) Jacob Gilyard
14) Hyungjung Lee
15) Kennedy Chandler
16) Christian Braun
17) Jabari Walker
18) Trevor Keels
19) Marcus Bagley
21) Keon Ellis
26) Blake Wesley
39) Jaden Ivey
41) Kendall Brown
50) TyTy Washington Jr.
51) Paolo Banchero
53) Mark Williams
54) Malaki Branham
61) EJ Liddell
70) Ochai Agbaji
71) Johnny Davis Mathurin looks like he has star potential

[BatManu20]

1511370081607077893



Lol at thinking Keegan Murray will still be available at 9. And I’m pretty confident Johnny Davis won’t be a Spur.

[duncan2150]

Lol at thinking Keegan Murray will still be available at 9. And I’m pretty confident Johnny Davis won’t be a Spur.

Why not ? Murray max pick range is 5, with the workouts ... he could totally be a pick 8 or 9. Agreed about Davis.

[Degoat]

I like Keegan Murray a lot, I was listening to the Ringer podcast and they compared him to Marcus Morris. While I like his game and would be thrilled if we could grabbed him I don’t want to use a lottery pick who ends like a player like Marcus Morris without the attitude lol

[exstatic]

Lol at thinking Keegan Murray will still be available at 9. And I’m pretty confident Johnny Davis won’t be a Spur.

Your biggest problem with that list is Keegan Murray available at 9 and not AJ Griffin still on the board at 8?

[Mr. Body]

I like Keegan Murray a lot, I was listening to the Ringer podcast and they compared him to Marcus Morris. While I like his game and would be thrilled if we could grabbed him I don’t want to use a lottery pick who ends like a player like Marcus Morris without the attitude lol

Hmm... he seems less beefy and much more fluid than Marcus Morris. Also not a nutcase of course.

[BatManu20]

Your biggest problem with that list is Keegan Murray available at 9 and not AJ Griffin still on the board at 8?

I didn’t say that but sure. Murray, who was the best & most versatile player in CBB this season, will not be available at 9. Don’t care that he’s 21. Griffin is currently trending downward. Pre-draft workouts & projection can change that, of course, since he’s only 19 this year. And I actually think he’ll make a good if not great role player at the next level. But it’d take some pretty poor GM’ing to take Griffin over Murray imo. He’s the much better player, despite his age advantage.

[exstatic]

I didn’t say that but sure. Murray, who was the best & most versatile player in CBB this season, will not be available at 9. Don’t care that he’s 21. Griffin is currently trending downward. Pre-draft workouts & projection can change that, of course, since he’s only 19 this year. And I actually think he’ll make a good if not great role player at the next level. But it’d take some pretty poor GM’ing to take Griffin over Murray imo. He’s the much better player, despite his age advantage.

The problem with Murray is that he’s been playing against younger and less physically mature kids all year. He’s a sophomore, but he’ll be almost 22 on draft night. He’s older than Devin Vassell, by a smidge.

He may not have much of a development curve left. What you see in year 2 may be what you get.

[R. DeMurre]

I couldn't help noticing that after one prominent mock draft (https://nbadraftroom.com/) used Manu as a comp for Johnny Davis, the Davis-to-San-Antonio predictions started to multiply like crazy.

https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2022-nba-mock-draft/

[The Truth #6]

I don't know much about Davis but in general reports mention him as a scorer who isn't very athletic and doesn't shoot well, and he thrives in the mid range. Seems like someone who is going to drop and for us to avoid. But I haven't seen him much, and maybe he's really good in ways that elude all the simplified draft reports.

[Kurik]

If the Spurs end up drafting at 10 and assuming Murray/Mathurin are gone I’d be cool with Eason, Sochan, or Duren. Johnny Davis isn’t horrible at that spot but I have a feeling he may drop further.

[Mr. Body]

Davis is the kind of guy who could drop to a pretty good team and wreak havoc in an existing structure. I could even see him being pretty good in Portland if Lillard is back.

[Atl Spur]

We need front court players………that’s all. BTW don’t forget, we must like ol’ Romeo!

[PhantomDashCam]

I’m not at all familiar with Terquavion Smith but he’s been added to Chad Ford/ Rafael Barlowe’s latest mock.

I’ve seen hair triggers before but if this guy was a video game character, he’s getting nerfed in the next patch…

1491414443083055106

[duncan2150]

I didn’t say that but sure. Murray, who was the best & most versatile player in CBB this season, will not be available at 9. Don’t care that he’s 21. Griffin is currently trending downward. Pre-draft workouts & projection can change that, of course, since he’s only 19 this year. And I actually think he’ll make a good if not great role player at the next level. But it’d take some pretty poor GM’ing to take Griffin over Murray imo. He’s the much better player, despite his age advantage.


I think it's your opinion, no problem with that but i could totally see a gm taking griffin before murray... Griffin is not trending donward, he has a good march madness except the last game. If i'm sure Griffin will not be injury prone, i'll take him before Murray.

[NickiRasgo]

I see some Bam Adebayo comparison to Jalen Duren. Anyone? Even statistically at college, they're quite similar. Kinda want him as a lottery pick if available.

Bam Adebayo (Kentucky)

Per Game



Season
School
Conf
G
GS
MP
FG
FGA
FG%
2P
2PA
2P%
3P
3PA
3P%
FT
FTA
FT%
ORB
DRB
TRB
AST
STL
BLK
TOV
PF
PTS

SOS


2016-17 (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/2017.html)
Kentucky (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/kentucky/2017.html)
SEC (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/sec/2017.html)
38
38
30.1
4.5
7.5
.599
4.5
7.5
.599
0.0
0.0

4.1
6.2
.653
3.1
4.9
8.0
0.8
0.7
1.5
1.7
2.6
13.0

10.49


Career
Kentucky

38
38
30.1
4.5
7.5
.599
4.5
7.5
.599
0.0
0.0

4.1
6.2
.653
3.1
4.9
8.0
0.8
0.7
1.5
1.7
2.6
13.0

10.49



Jalen Duren (Memphis)

Per Game



Season
School
Conf
G
GS
MP
FG
FGA
FG%
2P
2PA
2P%
3P
3PA
3P%
FT
FTA
FT%
ORB
DRB
TRB
AST
STL
BLK
TOV
PF
PTS

SOS


2021-22 (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/seasons/2022.html)
Memphis (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/memphis/2022.html)
AAC (https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/aac/2022.html)
29
29
25.3
4.9
8.1
.597
4.9
8.1
.600
0.0
0.0
.000
2.2
3.6
.625
3.0
5.2
8.1
1.3
0.8
2.1
2.2
2.7
12.0

7.86


Career
Memphis

29
29
25.3
4.9
8.1
.597
4.9
8.1
.600
0.0
0.0
.000
2.2
3.6
.625
3.0
5.2
8.1
1.3
0.8
2.1
2.2
2.7
12.0

7.86



If not and available, maybe Shaedon Sharpe is worth a gamble in terms of upside. Tari Eason seems a safe pick but he seems a guy that you'll pick between 15th-20th.

[Russ]

If not and available, maybe Shaedon Sharpe is worth a gamble in terms of upside. Tari Eason seems a safe pick but he seems a guy that you'll pick between 15th-20th.


If you can't get one of the three bigs (Banchero, Jabari or Chet), Shaedon Sharpe looks like the best option (but he may be gone by 9-11 or wherever the Spurs end up).

Duren is interesting but how tall is he really?

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

If you can't get one of the three bigs (Banchero, Jabari or Chet), Shaedon Sharpe looks like the best option (but he may be gone by 9-11 or wherever the Spurs end up).

Duren is interesting but how tall is he really?

Looks 6'9, although he's listed taller.

[NickiRasgo]

If you can't get one of the three bigs (Banchero, Jabari or Chet), Shaedon Sharpe looks like the best option (but he may be gone by 9-11 or wherever the Spurs end up).

Duren is interesting but how tall is he really?

Sharpe if he will pans out is the guy who can strive in the NBA esp. how he plays just doesn't know anything much to him outside of the highlights from his high school and what's the real reason why he was sat out this season in NCAA.

Duren listed as 6'11" (7'5" - Wingspan) but he looks like 6'9" / 6'10" to me. Not much of an issue tho since he's quite mobile but he might have an issue guarding up bigger than him but he's still 18 years old so he can still grow a few inches and if not, he can still bulk up - his body looks like an NBA ready type already.

[The Truth #6]

I don't know much about Davis but in general reports mention him as a scorer who isn't very athletic and doesn't shoot well, and he thrives in the mid range. Seems like someone who is going to drop and for us to avoid. But I haven't seen him much, and maybe he's really good in ways that elude all the simplified draft reports.

After watching Davis a little bit (though not a ton), I'm actually intrigued as a backup option for our first pick and seems like a no brainer if he drops to our second FRP. I'm still not into the midrange game because it gives me PTSD flashbacks of DDR, but I wasn't fully aware that Davis actually plays scrappy defense. He seems like one of the more tenacious, hardworking players in the draft. I mean, he plays on both sides of the ball, which is a great starting point. Not sure if he'd be a starter with us, but could definitely see him being a high end 6th man, but actually plays quality defense. You would have to hope that his 3P shooting comes around. It probably won't completely.

He looks extremely agile, and though maybe not a total combine warrior with vertical pop and quick twitch athleticism and all that , but his athleticism seems very functional. He seems to get in the lane with ease, and we definitely need a player who can break down a defense and get into the paint. His assists need to be way higher, but yeah, big picture, there's something to work with here. Lonnie Walker would have to be gone to even consider drafting him, however. Anyway. Random thoughts.

[Mr. Body]

I don't think there's any way Davis lasts beyond the lottery, especially in this draft.

[The Truth #6]

Yeah, probably not. Probably shouldn't be our main target but if we end up late lottery and our preferred picks are gone, he's probably worth a pick. I think I'd rather take him dropping then reach for someone who hasn't done much yet.

[Rito3d30]

Isn't Sharpe plans to play for Kentucky next year as per Calipari?
Don't think he will declare for the coming draft although I really want the spurs picking him

[NickiRasgo]

Isn't Sharpe plans to play for Kentucky next year as per Calipari?
Don't think he will declare for the coming draft although I really want the spurs picking him

He can still declare since he's eligible AFAIK.
It's something Calipari will said because he needs to but to Sharpe's camp, they'll probably gauge where he'll be picked (which is in the lottery) before the deadline of declaring.
Pretty sure the Kentucky will try to convince him to stay but the smart thing to do is to declare since it's guaranteed he'll have an NBA contract already instead of risking his health in NCAA - he's one-and-done anyways.

[Big Empty]

So now that we’re in the play in tournament, what happens to this years 1st round pick? Is it locked in or do we move down into the latter teens if we make the playoffs by winning in the play in tournament?

[Ariel]

So now that we’re in the play in tournament, what happens to this years 1st round pick? Is it locked in or do we move down into the latter teens if we make the playoffs by winning in the play in tournament?
If comes down to whether we make the playoffs or not. If not, we pick at 9 (currently, and depends on the outcome of the lottery... could be 1-4 or 10 or lower also), otherwise we pick at 15

[Dejounte]

A 14th pick and a 30th pick is leading their team to 1st in the East
A 15th pick (a future HOFer) is leading his team to 2nd in the East
a 14th pick and a 2nd rounder is leading his team to 5th in the West
a second rounder (a future HOFer) is leading his team to 6th in the West

The Spurs can find their franchise player (if Murray isn’t one already) without a top 5 pick.

[Ariel]

The Spurs can find their franchise player (if Murray isn’t one already) without a top 5 pick.
Of course they can, Denver drafted Jokic at 41. But that was never the question. The point is, if the gains from making the playoffs (through player development or rise in player value for future trades) warrant the potentially steep price in draft stock drop. Some say yes (presumably you), I beg to differ. We'll see.

[Dejounte]

Of course they can, Denver drafted Jokic at 41. But that was never the question. The point is, if the gains from making the playoffs (through player development or rise in player value for future trades) warrant the potentially steep price in draft stock drop. Some say yes (presumably you), I beg to differ. We'll see.

It’s very possible the Spurs’ own scouts are telling them the talent difference between the projected 6-9 picks and the end of the lottery are negligible. Superior talent is found past the top 5 every year. This “make it or break it” attitude towards not getting a top pick is unwarranted. Time travel back to the years Parker and Ginobili or even Kawhi were drafted and tell those Spurs scouts that they weren’t going to find players that were any good because they weren’t drafting in a good range.

[Dejounte]

Folks have an image of a player they can rally behind. That image is a top draft pick. What people don’t get is that it comes in all shapes and forms. People didn’t think David was an image of a warrior that could take down Goliath. For a long time, DJ wasn’t their image for a future star either. And before folks say, “I knew along that DJ…” then why the fuck are we worried about not getting another player of his caliber?

read your bibles, people ismael-robert

[Ariel]

That's a flawed line of thinking for a couple of reasons. First, if you make the playoffs, your lottery chances are ZERO. If you pick at 9, you still have 20 something percent chances of picking top 4, which is a DRAMATIC increment in your odds. Also, just because the best talent is still available it doesn't mean you'd take it. If you pick at 1, you have every possible player at your disposal, meaning you alone could prevent you from drafting the best player available. If you pick at 15, you not only have to identify the best player, you have to count on 14 teams passing on such player, and that diminishes DRAMATICALLY your chances. That's not a matter of scouting, it's a matter of logic and mathematics.
Also, Spurs scouts have a pretty good track record, it'd be foolish to challenge that, but they're not infallible (Primo at 12? really?). And they're not the only good scouts out there...

Folks have an image of a player they can rally behind. That image is a top draft pick. What people don’t get is that it comes in all shapes and forms. People didn’t think David was an image of a warrior that could take down Goliath. For a long time, DJ wasn’t their image for a future star either. And before folks say, “I knew along that DJ…” then why the fuck are we worried about not getting another player of his caliber?
Dejounte Murray is the first all star caliber player the Spurs have drafted in the late first round in the past 20 years. And it took 5 years for him to become an All Star... counting on one unlikely successful event repeating over and over is not a good policy.

read your bibles, people ismael-robert
The bible says water can be turned into wine. People sitting there waiting for it to happen in the last 2000 years haven't had such luck.

[stnick2261]

A 14th pick and a 30th pick is leading their team to 1st in the East
A 15th pick (a future HOFer) is leading his team to 2nd in the East
a 14th pick and a 2nd rounder is leading his team to 5th in the West
a second rounder (a future HOFer) is leading his team to 6th in the West

The Spurs can find their franchise player (if Murray isn’t one already) without a top 5 pick.

I agree with most of what you write, but here's a counter-point:

Depending on the draft, 1 or 2 draft positions can make a huge difference. Here's an article from 2019 that goes into the odds that someone makes an all-star team (based on draft position).
https://threesandlayups.com/2019/05/15/how-likely-is-each-draft-pick-to-someday-make-an-all-star-team/

Obviously there is a huge drop off after the first few picks, and getting the best draft position helps with those odds to make it a one-time tanking year.

Now, the Spurs are good at scouting and drafting, so I would assume those odds are greater for our team. However, that doesn't matter if the person you want gets selected right before your pick (and this can happen at any range of the draft). For example, the 2008 draft had 24 Serge Ibaka - 25 Nicolas Batum - 26 George Hill. We got a hell of a trade from shipping out Hill, but Ibaka and Batum would probably have contributed to a championship before 2014. And then the 2013 draft had 27 Rudy Gobert go one spot before our 28 Livio Jean-Charles.

[Ariel]

https://threesandlayups.com/2019/05/15/how-likely-is-each-draft-pick-to-someday-make-an-all-star-team/
I think it could be improved if, instead of looking at all stars PICKED at a given draft position, they'd looked at all stars AVAILABLE at a given draft position. That would better represent the value of picking at a given spot, irrespective of whether the pick was actually the best player available at that spot or not. But thanks for the article nonetheless, it's interesting and very relevant to the point at hand.

[The Truth #6]

Folks have an image of a player they can rally behind. That image is a top draft pick. What people don’t get is that it comes in all shapes and forms. People didn’t think David was an image of a warrior that could take down Goliath. For a long time, DJ wasn’t their image for a future star either. And before folks say, “I knew along that DJ…” then why the fuck are we worried about not getting another player of his caliber?

read your bibles, people ismael-robert

When you first mentioned David, I thought you meant David Robinson. Lol.

[TD 21]

Presuming they don't trade it, the pick lands in the most likely range and the draft plays out according to projections until that point (in addition to the five locks, Mathurin, Griffin Jr., Sharpe seem most likely to round out the top 8), Davis, Daniels, Branham all seem like typical Spurs picks.

Agbaji does too, but more so in a scenario where they move up into the late lottery, with Dieng, Jovic and Baldwin Jr. as late round possibilities.



Why not ? Murray max pick range is 5, with the workouts ... he could totally be a pick 8 or 9. Agreed about Davis.

Not a chance. He's going 5 or 6 at worst. The four is by far the most difficult position to fill and every year recently the top one(s) either rise or go at the peak of their range.

[Mr. Body]

I'd be surprised to see Keegan Murray go past Indiana esp after trading off Sabonis.

[mo7888]

I'd be surprised to see Keegan Murray go past Indiana esp after trading off Sabonis.

I'm kinda with you on this... I think there are several teams that would pass on him this high because of his age but, I think indy is on a shorter rebuild with Carlisle and the age might even be a plus for them...IF he slips past indy for some reason then I think he could fall to 8 or 9 but I'd say the odds are on indy taking him if they pick at 5..

[Mr. Body]

I'm kinda with you on this... I think there are several teams that would pass on him this high because of his age but, I think indy is on a shorter rebuild with Carlisle and the age might even be a plus for them...IF he slips past indy for some reason then I think he could fall to 8 or 9 but I'd say the odds are on indy taking him if they pick at 5..

They also drafted an even older guy in Duarte last year. It just makes sense to see him there.

[Ariel]

They also drafted an even older guy in Duarte last year. It just makes sense to see him there.
I'd have to agree, he seems an Indiana kind of guy if they pick outside the top 4.

[mo7888]

I'd have to agree, he seems an Indiana kind of guy if they pick outside the top 4.

Yep, if you want him to drop then hope indy moves into the top 4..

[Ariel]

The Blazers might also take him if they're set on making the most of Lillard's "prime" (more like twilight if you ask me, but whatever).

[mo7888]

The Blazers might also take him if they're set on making the most of Lillard's "prime" (more like twilight if you ask me, but whatever).

Portland is the most confusing team to me in the top 10. If their goal is to make the most of Lillard's prime and keep him happy there's literally no rookie in this draft that can do that.

I think if they make the pick and keep it it portends the end of the Lillard era there... Maybe they are tanking to get a tradeable asset to try and get a significant player in trade?

[Ariel]

Portland is the most confusing team to me in the top 10. If their goal is to make the most of Lillard's prime and keep him happy there's literally no rookie in this draft that can do that.

I think if they make the pick and keep it it portends the end of the Lillard era there... Maybe they are tanking to get a tradeable asset to try and get a significant player in trade?
That would be the sensible way, but if they don't, I can see them going with him.

[PhantomDashCam]

https://i.ibb.co/CKdz9hf/Sochan-01.png (https://imgbb.com/)

[duncan2150]

Presuming they don't trade it, the pick lands in the most likely range and the draft plays out according to projections until that point (in addition to the five locks, Mathurin, Griffin Jr., Sharpe seem most likely to round out the top 8), Davis, Daniels, Branham all seem like typical Spurs picks.

Agbaji does too, but more so in a scenario where they move up into the late lottery, with Dieng, Jovic and Baldwin Jr. as late round possibilities.




Not a chance. He's going 5 or 6 at worst. The four is by far the most difficult position to fill and every year recently the top one(s) either rise or go at the peak of their range.


we'll see i'm not convinced by Murray as a lock at 5 or 6.

[Maddog]

I don't know much about Davis but in general reports mention him as a scorer who isn't very athletic and doesn't shoot well, and he thrives in the mid range. Seems like someone who is going to drop and for us to avoid. But I haven't seen him much, and maybe he's really good in ways that elude all the simplified draft reports.

I saw one game- and was underwhelmed. There's my expert opinion

[duncan2150]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqh3-cqX1jk
Dejounte

Nice scouting about EJ Liddel, a guy we talked a lot about. Still don't know if he has much upside but could be in the mix for a late pick. His measurements will be interesting too as some reports have him at 6'5'5 wo shoes.

[duncan2150]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqh3-cqX1jk
Dejounte

Nice scouting about EJ Liddel, a guy we talked a lot about. Still don't know if he has much upside but could be in the mix for a late pick. His measurements will be interesting too as some reports have him at 6'5'5 wo shoes.

[Dejounte]

How accurate are those measurements? Dude looks very big on the court compared to the other players.

tbh if his standing reach and wingspan are good enough, I don’t have a prob with him playing as a big in the NBA.

height is not as important as standing reach, imo. Players have long necks. It’s what you can do with your arms on defense.

[duncan2150]

How accurate are those measurements? Dude looks very big on the court compared to the other players.

tbh if his standing reach and wingspan are good enough, I don’t have a prob with him playing as a big in the NBA.

height is not as important as standing reach, imo. Players have long necks. It’s what you can do with your arms on defense.

I think it was a draft combine measurements.

Agreed with his wingspan and his body he can play inside, still i think he's a little bit undersized.

[duncan2150]

https://twitter.com/HugoBessonStuff/status/1513080354126639105

A name to watch : Ousmane Dieng, 6'9 with a 7'0 wingspan, only 18 yrs old and will be 19 on draft day. He struggled at the beggining of the yeart but he starts to be really good in the Australian League.

[JPB]

https://twitter.com/HugoBessonStuff/status/1513080354126639105

A name to watch : Ousmane Dieng, 6'9 with a 7'0 wingspan, only 18 yrs old and will be 19 on draft day. He struggled at the beggining of the yeart but he starts to be really good in the Australian League.

WTF is he doing in the australian league as a frenchman at 18? Seems a bit slow tbh.

Real french sensation is 7'3" Victor Wembanya (2004) eligible next year, potentially a #1 pick...Need to put some weight but good handle, court vision, versatile, can block, pass and shoot the 3... IQ, poised and great work ethic. At the game of adventurous comparisons, some people talk about a mix of Doncic, Gobert and a taller Nowistski... Oo... Gobert practiced with him and says he has much more potential and will be a much better player than himself....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q44nTNti-bQ

But that's for next year and unless spurs are in full tank mode he'll be out of reach.

[Ariel]

But that's for next year and unless spurs are in full tank mode he'll be out of reach.
That would mean this draft and offseason was a complete disaster, which is why I was so adamant on the need for a high pick now, because it should be the last in a while (unless things go horribly wrong).

[duncan2150]

WTF is he doing in the australian league as a frenchman at 18? Seems a bit slow tbh.

Real french sensation is 7'3" Victor Wembanya (2004) eligible next year, potentially a #1 pick...Need to put some weight but good handle, court vision, versatile, can block, pass and shoot the 3... IQ, poised and great work ethic. At the game of adventurous comparisons, some people talk about a mix of Doncic, Gobert and a taller Nowistski... Oo... Gobert practiced with him and says he has much more potential and will be a much better player than himself....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q44nTNti-bQ

But that's for next year and unless spurs are in full tank mode he'll be out of reach.


He had some offers from french teams in Pro A but he choose to go overseas, the Australian league with the examples of Ball or Giddey is good for young talents who wants to go to the NBA.

Wembenyama is unbelivable, a phenom, if he stays healthy ( he had some injuries this year with ASVEL but not somehting big) he will kill it in the league.

[Ariel]

He's following the Chet diet :lol
His frame is bigger though, should be able to fill it somewhat.

[PhantomDashCam]

Liddell was at the G-League Elite camp last year where he underwhelmed. The measurements are from there. He’s improved a great deal and really took the feedback to heart it seems.

https://gleague.nba.com/news/2021-nba-g-league-elite-camp-player-measurement-results/

I’ve watched Dieng a bit here in Australia. I think it was Rafael Barlowe who said that “Dieng is the kind of concern people have about Chet and his weight” and it’s hard to disagree.

He is a very smooth player, with a nice guard-type package on Offense but Defensively, I’m really concerned about him.
He shys away from physicality, gets blown by off the dribble consistently.

I still think he’s talented but I’m not sure what position he guards on Defense in the NBA…

[TD 21]

Liddell is both a 4.5 and relatively old (White was the exception, but that was before their situation changed), two things they've generally avoided in recent years. I can't see them going with him over Jovic or Baldwin Jr.

Look at the recent history . . .

- Samanic over Clarke in '19.
- Picked up Bates-Diop in '20 after missing out on him by one pick in '18; ditto recently with Woodard II.
- Fours of past half decade: Anderson, Bertans, Gay, Cunningham, Carroll, Lyles (agreed in principle with Morris), Johnson, Samanic, Bates-Diop and McDermott.
- Maybe it was because they knew the Hawks would match, but seemingly didn't pursue Collins last off season and probably could have had Markkanen if they really wanted him.

[Dejounte]

Liddell is both a 4.5 and relatively old (White was the exception, but that was before their situation changed), two things they've generally avoided in recent years. I can't see them going with him over Jovic or Baldwin Jr.

Look at the recent history . . .

- Samanic over Clarke in '19.
- Picked up Bates-Diop in '20 after missing out on him by one pick in '18; ditto recently with Woodard II.
- Fours of past half decade: Anderson, Bertans, Gay, Cunningham, Carroll, Lyles (agreed in principle with Morris), Johnson, Samanic, Bates-Diop and McDermott.
- Maybe it was because they knew the Hawks would match, but seemingly didn't pursue Collins last off season and probably could have had Markkanen if they really wanted him.

Is there a reason why a 3.5 at the four spot is preferable to a 4.5? With the recent push by the Spurs to play a 4.5 (Landale) over a 3.5 (Keldon, debatably KBD, McDermott) and seeing its benefits on rebounding and on the defensive end, it seems optimal to try to find an upgrade over Landale if there’s an opportunity to do so. Liddell’s strengths appear to be on ball defense on the perimeter and changing shots at the 3 point line while being a force with weakside blocking— these are all elements of the perfect 4.5 for any team given that the most common complaint against playing a 4.5 (with a true 5) is their lack of agility.

[Dejounte]

P.S. I do agree the Spurs may prioritize youth over anything else as I mentioned in an earlier post… the Spurs may double down on their developmental program and continue to reap its benefits.

[Dejounte]

If the Spurs are picking late lottery instead of at the 9th or 10th pick, it makes sense to go for a homerun type pick. Players who look like they have the tools to be a star but it’s not plainly obvious (hence being available in late lottery). I mean, how do guys like Giannis and Kawhi end up there at 15th anyway? For Giannis, it was questions over if he even knew how to play organized basketball. For Kawhi, it was his lack of burst and unexciting athleticism. But both had one thing going for them: they were physically unique and had skills that were uncommon for a player their height.

Maybe let’s take a look at late lotto guys who may be a tad similar:

Tari Eason - only slightly older than the age Kawhi came out. Has a similar style, and his advanced metrics are favorable.
Dyson Daniels - if he’s truly 6’7” now, his exceptional passing skills become twice as appealing
Sochan - he’s young and huge for a 19 year old 3.5.
PBJ - I recently watched this dude’s lowlights and he settled for bad shots far too often. But, he’s extremely young and maybe can still be molded into something great.

[PhantomDashCam]

1512564133996154884

Spurs 101

[TD 21]

Is there a reason why a 3.5 at the four spot is preferable to a 4.5? With the recent push by the Spurs to play a 4.5 (Landale) over a 3.5 (Keldon, debatably KBD, McDermott) and seeing its benefits on rebounding and on the defensive end, it seems optimal to try to find an upgrade over Landale if there’s an opportunity to do so. Liddell’s strengths appear to be on ball defense on the perimeter and changing shots at the 3 point line while being a force with weakside blocking— these are all elements of the perfect 4.5 for any team given that the most common complaint against playing a 4.5 (with a true 5) is their lack of agility.

Obviously, there are always exceptions, but typically the 3.5's have better ball skills and agility.

I'm not opposed to a 4.5, I'm just saying there's no recent evidence of their being interested in them.

I view their playing bigger at times recently more necessity based than intentional because the need for 3-point shooting is obviously exacerbated with McDermott out and Landale provides more of it than Bates-Diop.

[Dejounte]

1512564133996154884

Spurs 101

The “aptitude for learning” is what Primo has in spades.

It’s going to take more research into these prospects than simply watching their highlights if we want to figure out which of them have that character or aptitude for learning-attribute. Some guys say stuff for fluff, but it’s those you will find in the deep corners of the internet where an interview with so and so’s coach says prospect X stays in the gym longer than anybody and has an extremely high basketball IQ. I really wonder which ones they are.

[Dejounte]

I was just watching a two hour vid on Dyson and my oh my his on ball defense is elite. His footwork on defense is excellent. He may just be too good and too versatile to pass up if he’s there at the first FRP the Spurs have. His closeouts are really good too. The Spurs defense would be much improved if he was drafted.

[BackHome]

I said this before he kinda reminds me of Murray, but man I watch him shoot a lot if Air Balls - Chip will definitely have his work cut out for him if we draft him

[Dejounte]

I said this before he kinda reminds me of Murray, but man I watch him shoot a lot if Air Balls - Chip will definitely have his work cut out for him if we draft him

Yes to another taller Murray. Though I’m not sure if Dyson will have the same will and determination to be something great in the NBA. But his IQ is there.

[CGD]

I'd be surprised to see Keegan Murray go past Indiana esp after trading off Sabonis.

Agree. Keegan has Carlyl written all over it. I think he’s firmly in the “top 5” now.

[ZeusWillJudge]

If the Spurs are picking late lottery instead of at the 9th or 10th pick, it makes sense to go for a homerun type pick. Players who look like they have the tools to be a star but it’s not plainly obvious (hence being available in late lottery). I mean, how do guys like Giannis and Kawhi end up there at 15th anyway? For Giannis, it was questions over if he even knew how to play organized basketball. For Kawhi, it was his lack of burst and unexciting athleticism. But both had one thing going for them: they were physically unique and had skills that were uncommon for a player their height.

Maybe let’s take a look at late lotto guys who may be a tad similar:

Tari Eason - only slightly older than the age Kawhi came out. Has a similar style, and his advanced metrics are favorable.
Dyson Daniels - if he’s truly 6’7” now, his exceptional passing skills become twice as appealing
Sochan - he’s young and huge for a 19 year old 3.5.
PBJ - I recently watched this dude’s lowlights and he settled for bad shots far too often. But, he’s extremely young and maybe can still be molded into something great.


Baldwin had a terrible season, considering his expectations. But he went to Milwaukee to help bail out his father's program. His dad had him playing as a guard, which was totally wrong. I saw him play several games, and it looked to me like he was pressing all the time. At least some of his struggles came from playing out of position on a dumpster fire of a team.

He was listed as 6'8", 190 lbs. in high school. He was listed as 6'9", 230 lbs. in college. Several people swear he's actually 6'10". Unfortunately one of those people is his dad, who I wouldn't trust if he told me what time it is. But if you see him on the floor next to other guys, he looks like he might be a legit 6'9".

He absolutley can shoot the long ball, even though he didn't shoot it well this season. He has a solid stroke, and I think his confidence will come back if he's handled well his rookie season.

The point is, he's got the right build to be a real stretch-4. He needs to bulk up just a little, but most guys coming out of college after their freshmen season do. I just don't know if he'll ever have the aggression to bang as a PF. I think he would benefit from another year in college, but that's not a smart option for him now. The Spurs would give him time in the G-League to do the same things. He's got the talent, if this year in college didn't ruin him. He's not likely to make any immediate impact, but I wouldn't hate him with the Celtics pick.

[rankingtear]

Is there a reason why a 3.5 at the four spot is preferable to a 4.5? With the recent push by the Spurs to play a 4.5 (Landale) over a 3.5 (Keldon, debatably KBD, McDermott) and seeing its benefits on rebounding and on the defensive end, it seems optimal to try to find an upgrade over Landale if there’s an opportunity to do so. Liddell’s strengths appear to be on ball defense on the perimeter and changing shots at the 3 point line while being a force with weakside blocking— these are all elements of the perfect 4.5 for any team given that the most common complaint against playing a 4.5 (with a true 5) is their lack of agility.

It is just easier to find a 3.5 who can attack the rim in traffic and shoot above the break 3 with volume. I think most of the 4 in this class have a long way to go in that regard. Almost all of them are playing 5 in college for the most part.

[The Truth #6]

I was just watching a two hour vid on Dyson and my oh my his on ball defense is elite. His footwork on defense is excellent. He may just be too good and too versatile to pass up if he’s there at the first FRP the Spurs have. His closeouts are really good too. The Spurs defense would be much improved if he was drafted.

Nice. Going to take a look at his game.

[Degoat]

I’ve been deep diving into the prospects and it’s kinda hard to pinpoint what the spurs need tbh lol like I think most would agree we need size so ideally a PF or C but Keldon has been holding it down all year with the PF position even if it’s not his natural position and Jakob and Collins have been really good as the bigs as well.

[Mr. Body]

I’ve been deep diving into the prospects and it’s kinda hard to pinpoint what the spurs need tbh lol like I think most would agree we need size so ideally a PF or C but Keldon has been holding it down all year with the PF position even if it’s not his natural position and Jakob and Collins have been really good as the bigs as well.

The prevailing idea seems to be a PF is needed. Keldon can swing to play SF instead of undersized PF. The team might not struggle against bigger teams as much as they have, for example giving up so many offensive boards against Minnesota last week.

In that vein, for me it would be Keegan Murray, Tari Eason, Jeremy Sochan, with the order of the last two open for discussion.

[Degoat]

The prevailing idea seems to be a PF is needed. Keldon can swing to play SF instead of undersized PF. The team might not struggle against bigger teams as much as they have, for example giving up so many offensive boards against Minnesota last week.

In that vein, for me it would be Keegan Murray, Tari Eason, Jeremy Sochan, with the order of the last two open for discussion.

Those are the three guys I’m kinda leaning into as well but other then Keegan Murray I don’t feel great about taking Eason or Sochan in the lottery because at that point we’re probably drafting on team needs instead of selecting the best player available.

[Mr. Body]

Those are the three guys I’m kinda leaning into as well but other then Keegan Murray I don’t feel great about taking Eason or Sochan in the lottery because at that point we’re probably drafting on team needs instead of selecting the best player available.

They wouldn't be reaches at #9, not in this draft. They're both lottery picks.

[ragas]

I like Jaylin Williams with the picks in the 20s. Good size, good defender & rebounder, can pass. His 3p% is bad, but he shot 73% on ft.

[mystargtr34]

Posted this in another thread by accident.

I am ok with the team at four of the five spots for now tbh (1,2,3 and 5), the 4-spot needs to be improved desperately and that will have positive flow-on effects such as moving Keldon to his natural SF position, and moving McDermott to the bench as the backup 4 which suits his skillset. Making these two lineup changes alone improves the starting lineups rebounding and defense, two areas its severely lacking.

Improving the 4-spot has to be the main goal of the draft surely. The Spurs have a couple of options here. In the order of likeliness;

Option 1: Keep the projected 9th pick and take Sochan or Tari Eason as your future 4.

Option 2: Trade up to the 4-5 range in the draft and pick Keegan Murray. This will cost you assets such as an established player and/or the Spurs other two 1sts projected at 20 and 24.

Option 3: Keep the projected 9th pick and take the best player available which may be Mathurin, Sharpe or Griffin (depends who the Spurs like) and continue to play undersized at the 4 spot next season.

Option 4: Pick Jalen Duren and trade Jakob for a PF. I think OG Anunoby is gettable as they have Siakam and Barnes at the 3/4 spots. Not saying the Raptors take that deal straight up but I think they're definitely looking for a C.

[Ignazzz]

Not a chance for OG. He is for Toronto very importand. We dont have assets to get him. Jacob plus picks not enough

[scott]

Option 5: we use the picks to trade for an established PF

[rankingtear]

Surprised Malaki is not lottery yet he just put up a 50-40 season as a freshman. I would take a good look at him before the defensive role players.

[exstatic]

Surprised Malaki is not lottery yet he just put up a 50-40 season as a freshman. I would take a good look at him before the defensive role players.

Most front offices draft based on projecting what you will be in the NBA, not numbers put up against lesser competition.

[Ariel]

I think this draft will not be as good as 2021 in the top 8 picks (not bad though), but better from then on, with quite a bit interesting prospects and role players. There's a real chance you could still find value in the 20-25 range of the Boston and Toronto picks, and even in the early 2nd rounder from the Lakers. Of course its all contingent of a lot of circumstances, and it'd be awesome to move up to the late lottery (I'd love to get Eason and Sochan), but with the draft and one or two free agents (Jalen Smith?) this could very well be a pivotal offseason and next year a breakout one.

[Mr. Body]

Surprised Malaki is not lottery yet he just put up a 50-40 season as a freshman. I would take a good look at him before the defensive role players.

The mocks you see are done by complete amateurs and then a few professionals that are only guessing at this point. The teams haven't even started evaluations yet. At that point, the prognosticators do their jobs of trying to read what's going on.

[rankingtear]

Most front offices draft based on projecting what you will be in the NBA, not numbers put up against lesser competition.

Pretty select company though they are only 7 players with full games with his efficiency and volume as a freshman since 1992 and only 1 did not play in the NBA.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&year_min=1993&year_max=2022&class_is_fr=Y&pos_is_g=Y&games_type=A&c1stat=fg_pct&c1comp=gt&c1val=49&c2stat=fg3_pct&c2comp=gt&c2val=40&c3stat=fga_per_g&c3comp=gt&c3val=10&c4stat=fg3a_per_g&c4comp=gt&c4val=2.7&order_by=pts

[exstatic]

Pretty select company though they are only 7 players with full games with his efficiency and volume as a freshman since 1992 and only 1 did not play in the NBA.

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/play-index/psl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=single&year_min=1993&year_max=2022&class_is_fr=Y&pos_is_g=Y&games_type=A&c1stat=fg_pct&c1comp=gt&c1val=49&c2stat=fg3_pct&c2comp=gt&c2val=40&c3stat=fga_per_g&c3comp=gt&c3val=10&c4stat=fg3a_per_g&c4comp=gt&c4val=2.7&order_by=pts

That's a pretty checkered list, and I'm not sure how you go from "most of these guys made the NBA" to "let's spend our lottery pick on this guy". I'm also not sure I want family of LeBron on the roster. Bad flashbacks to Nephew.

[duncan2150]

Surprised Malaki is not lottery yet he just put up a 50-40 season as a freshman. I would take a good look at him before the defensive role players.

He could totally be a lottery pick, a lot will change since the draft and he's a late riser. Really good player imo, he reminds me of a shorter Middleton, something like that.


Most front offices draft based on projecting what you will be in the NBA, not numbers put up against lesser competition.

He played in the Big ten ? I also don't understand the projection you're talking about.

[duncan2150]

https://twitter.com/TravisBranham_/status/1513891029396639755?t=snu7PusS_5NYOLwSEYi5Rg&s=01

Good for us. More depth attention the top of the draft.

[ginobilized]

Some great takes here. Will check out Dyson.

In my observation, the Spurs rarely, if ever, draft for need. They subscribe to best player available credo.
My guess is that their recon is exceptional and they will find another player that fits their system.
I hope it’s a power forward, but, don’t expect it.

[rankingtear]

That's a pretty checkered list, and I'm not sure how you go from "most of these guys made the NBA" to "let's spend our lottery pick on this guy". I'm also not sure I want family of LeBron on the roster. Bad flashbacks to Nephew.

It is an outlier , considering there are other variables like mental , athleticism and physical profile that prevent some of this guys to not make it or make it far, being so skilled offensively while being so young singlehandedly carried this guys to the NBA. Now apply that to a one and done guy with good intangibles and I think you have a lottery pick.

I don't know what you mean by family of Lebron or what it has to do with drafting him.

[exstatic]

It is an outlier , considering there are other variables like mental , athleticism and physical profile that prevent some of this guys to not make it or make it far, being so skilled offensively while being so young singlehandedly carried this guys to the NBA. Now apply that to a one and done guy with good intangibles and I think you have a lottery pick.

I don't know what you mean by family of Lebron or what it has to do with drafting him.

He’s LeBron’s cousin, and I don’t want that circus anywhere near our locker room. I assure you that if he did fast track develop, he’d be spirited away to a large market. Hard pass on drafting him. NFW you use a lottery pick.

[Dejounte]

So who has been saying Blake Wesley? I like the way this kid moves on the court. A lot of style and flair to his game. I think he would be a Primo-type pick. Looks kinda like a less athletic version of Ivey… before Ivey became Ivey.

[Ariel]

So who has been saying Blake Wesley? I like the way this kid moves on the court. A lot of style and flair to his game. I think he would be a Primo-type pick. Looks kinda like a less athletic version of Ivey… before Ivey became Ivey.
I mentioned him also. Going by projections he could be had with the Boston pick, maybe even the Lakers 2nd rounder (don't think so, but still)... he's interesting, at least worth considering IMO

[Kurik]

So who has been saying Blake Wesley? I like the way this kid moves on the court. A lot of style and flair to his game. I think he would be a Primo-type pick. Looks kinda like a less athletic version of Ivey… before Ivey became Ivey.

Wesley is as athletic as Ivey to be honest but he doesn’t take advantage of it in a controlled manner yet. He’s all potential and wingspan right now but would be a good pick/project with the last FRP.

[rankingtear]

He’s LeBron’s cousin, and I don’t want that circus anywhere near our locker room. I assure you that if he did fast track develop, he’d be spirited away to a large market. Hard pass on drafting him. NFW you use a lottery pick.

Lebron called him nephew but he is not his nephew. Where did you get cousin. You are too traumatized by Kawhi lol, i though you were the more logical poster in this board.

[The Truth #6]

Just sort of riffing here, mostly completely sarcastically, but in contemplating some potential head-scratching "Primo style" picks we may do this year given we have an abundance of FRPs and we're the Spurs, here's one that comes to mind that I haven't seen anyone at all mention yet.

Harrison Ingram.

Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.
Stanford (smart!)
6-7. 230 Pounds.
Well spoken.
Possible leadership qualities.
Not as athletic as we would want.
Does a little bit of everything on the court, shoots the 3, plays down low, loves to pass.
Fits a position of need (though that may be a strike against him getting drafted by us.)
Has a great smile. (I still believe that Brian Wright likes photogenic, smiling players, mainly because it suggests good character. Not totally serious here, but maybe a tiny bit.)

Seems like Spurs material.

https://youtu.be/2Yy86EMNrpU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSfrPTBkIOk

[rankingtear]

So who has been saying Blake Wesley? I like the way this kid moves on the court. A lot of style and flair to his game. I think he would be a Primo-type pick. Looks kinda like a less athletic version of Ivey… before Ivey became Ivey.

I pegged him as a dark horse with our pick earlier, he does create NBA level separation and can pull up like a star scorer. I think he is more a dynamic 6th man than a starter assuming that shot comes around.

[rankingtear]

I did watch some Tari Eason and he did play a little selfish like showcase to get me drafted. I think it was Zeus that said it first. Reminded me of Precious Achiuwa.

[ZeusWillJudge]

So who has been saying Blake Wesley? I like the way this kid moves on the court. A lot of style and flair to his game. I think he would be a Primo-type pick. Looks kinda like a less athletic version of Ivey… before Ivey became Ivey.


Ooooh. He would have to be fixed. He's a good facilitator, and I get the part about the way he looks. But he's a terrible shooter. Horrible FT shooter for a guard. (I could look it up, but not quite as bad as Bowen, not quite as good as Duncan as I recall.) I only watched ND play twice, but my thought was that he wasn't much interested in the other end of the court, either.

[ZeusWillJudge]

I did watch some Tari Eason and he did play a little selfish like showcase to get me drafted. I think it was Zeus that said it first. Reminded me of Precious Achiuwa.


It was me. And I said then that I wondered how he would interact with Pop. But I also said that he reminded me of young Stephen Jackson. I've watched all the video I could find, and that part still stands. Heh. Remember Pop commenting that Jackson lost as many games as he won?

If I was building the perfect beast, I would change a few things about him. And the biggest would be what I see as a me-first attitude. But I've made no secret of the fact that I think Patrick Baldwin Jr. will be a bargain. He's the other end of the aggression curve, though. I think Eason would come out ready to bounce off of NBA players (and probably rack up a foul-out Per 36 in his first year). Which probably means Pop won't even be looking at him. But I still think he would dovetail into this roster and at least be an incremental improvement.

Maybe I just hate the thought of wondering which 6'5" guy is going to be playing PF tonight.

[D-Robinson 50 fan]

I like Dyson Daniels also if he is actually 6’8” like Mike Schmitz said In his interview with him.

as much as I would like our guys to draft a front court player I am not opposed to them getting another guard if they feel that player is the best available.

I'm more excited about this off season than I have been about our season as a whole. Lol. It’s so many possibilities

[RC_Drunkford]

I’ve been deep diving into the prospects and it’s kinda hard to pinpoint what the spurs need tbh lol like I think most would agree we need size so ideally a PF or C but Keldon has been holding it down all year with the PF position even if it’s not his natural position and Jakob and Collins have been really good as the bigs as well.

it's easy to see what they need: A PF with size who can rebound, shoot the 3, provide weakside shotblocking and flourishes in transition. Who does that profile fit to: Keegan Murray. Now if you want to take it up a notch, it would be even better if that PF could also score from midrange and out of the post when we need buckets. That's Banchero. The problem is they are out of our draft range unless we jump up in the lottery

[Kurik]

This is a total knee jerk reaction but I’m open to everyone now including Sharpe and Johnny Davis at 9, I just want a confident scorer on the team.

[BackHome]

This is a total knee jerk reaction but I’m open to everyone now including Sharpe and Johnny Davis at 9, I just want a confident scorer on the team.

+100

[paperboy77]

Pop's so woke maybe we'll draft Paige Bueckers or Aliyah Boston. LOL! Might be better than drafting a 6-5 guard with their top pick!

[3&D_TBH]

Draft Sochan. He’s exactly what we need tbh

[rankingtear]

We need a half court shot creator first then you can get a defensive 4.

[Russ]

On to the lottery . . .

Plan A: Get lucky and get a 4 by picking top 4 -- Jabari, Banchero or Holmgren.

Plan B: Shaedon Sharp.

But whatever happens, the fun is still ahead . . .

[BackHome]

I am super hyped about our 4 draft picks it’s going to be an interesting summer

[ZeusWillJudge]

I am super hyped about our 4 draft picks it’s going to be an interesting summer


I'll go ahead and get it on record in the draft thread. Andrew Nembhard with that second round pick from the Lakers. Somebody to keep the ball moving when the subs are on the floor, and smart enough to hit it running.

[mystargtr34]

ESPN's latest mock draft order is below (6th April 2022). Sometimes when I go on there I don't see any info due to not being a subscriber/insider other times I can see the info, so I put the link below and copy and pasted the Top 25 picks (up to the Spurs last 1st round pick).

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/insider/insider/story/_/id/33673482/2022-nba-mock-draft-prospects-rise-ncaa-tournament

Jonathan Givony's NBA mock draft

1. Houston Rockets

Chet Holmgren | Gonzaga | 7-0 | PF | Age: 19.9

2. Orlando Magic

Jabari Smith | Auburn | 6-10 | SF/PF | Age: 18.8

3. Detroit Pistons

Paolo Banchero | Duke | 6-10 | PF/C | Age: 19.3

Banchero's outstanding freshman campaign came to end against North Carolina with the projected top-3 NBA pick turning in a 20-point, 10-rebound performance that was very representative of his clear strengths and glaring improvement areas.

On the offensive end, Banchero showed flashes of brilliance. He knocked down a pair of decisive trail 3s (one off the catch and one off the bounce), used his powerful 250-pound frame to attack the rim rather than settle for contested pull-ups, and finished post-ups over Brady Manek and Armando Bacot. Banchero scoring 20 points on 17 shots against a below average defender in Manek isn't going to convince NBA teams that he should be the No. 1 pick. The fact that he did struggle a bit to finish over length at times is noteworthy when you consider his good -- not great -- reach (he shot 49% from 2 in the NCAA tournament). Not scoring a bucket over the last 7:37 is also something naysayers will point to. The 19-year-old still showed yet again how much of a mismatch he is for opposing defenses, which should surely translate well with NBA spacing.

It was Banchero's spotty defensive effort that will likely stick with NBA scouts. UNC had a clear plan to bring Banchero into action to force a switch and attack him. Banchero held up OK in these situations despite getting caught a little flat-footed on a couple occasions, even blocking R.J. Davis at the rim after a switch. He also added some value as a defensive rover when he was defending Leaky Black as he started the game fairly disruptive, and altered a shot at the rim as the drop defender in the second half.

Overall, Banchero's NCAA tournament run should be considered a success, as he averaged 18.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 53% from 3 over five games. He's the most polished of the potential top-3 picks and a strong candidate to compete for Rookie of the Year pending his potential new team. But for the teams that were already concerned about Banchero's defensive impact -- preferring the two-way play of Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren -- Saturday's heartbreaking loss to UNC likely didn't help change their mind. -- Mike Schmitz

Complete scouting report from Mike Schmitz (No. 3 in Top 100)

4. Oklahoma City Thunder

Jaden Ivey | Purdue | 6-4 | PG/SG | Age: 20.1

5. Indiana Pacers

Keegan Murray | Iowa | 6-9 | PF/C | Age: 21.6

6. Portland Trail Blazers

Shaedon Sharpe | Kentucky | 6-6 | SG | Age: 18.8

7. Sacramento Kings

Johnny Davis | Wisconsin | 6-5 | PG/SG | Age: 20.1

8. New Orleans Pelicans (from Lakers)

AJ Griffin | Duke | 6-6 | SF/PF | Age: 18.6

Griffin capped off a freshman season that featured tremendous highs and head-scratching lows with a clunker in Duke's loss to UNC as he went just 1-for-7 from the field (0-for-4 from 3) for six points in 29 minutes. One of the youngest players in the country, Griffin has been feast or famine all season, either catching fire from beyond the arc and splashing tough step-back 3s or showing his youth and inexperience with inconsistent decision making on both ends. The UNC game was the ladder for the 18-year-old wing, as he looked relatively out of rhythm offensively, hoisting up a couple contested triples, failing to knock down the open ones, and appearing relatively limited in terms of burst and bounce when he tried to put pressure on the rim. Griffin did make a heady drop-off pass after collapsing the defense on penetration. He also had some solid defensive moments making it tough on Caleb Love in the first half while using his 7-foot wingspan on an energetic crack-down block. He still runs into screens too often, doesn't mix it up on the defensive like he could, and has his lapses off the ball defensively.

Griffin's Final Four performance feeds into the question that some of his naysayers have asked this season: What does he do in the NBA when he's not making shots? Aside from an 18-point performance in a win over Arkansas and a 21-point outing against Miami in the ACC tournament, Griffin had his fair share of ups and downs over the last 10 games as he failed to reach double-digits four times, shot 33% from 3 and registered just six assists. There's still a lot to like about Griffin. He's young, built like an NBA wing, has a strong basketball pedigree, shot 45% on the season, and had stretches during the year where he looked like Duke's best prospect, displaying better ball skills than most players with his body type while also finding ways to add value as a cutter. Last Saturday's tough showing is a perfect example of why Griffin is one of the more polarizing and often confusing prospects projected in the top-10. -- Schmitz

Complete scouting report from Mike Schmitz (No. 8 in Top 100)

9. San Antonio Spurs

Jalen Duren | Memphis | 6-10 | C | Age: 18.3

10. Washington Wizards

Dyson Daniels | G League Ignite | 6-6 | PG/SG | Age: 19.0

11. Portland Trail Blazers (from Pelicans)

Mark Williams | Duke | 7-1 | C | Age: 20.3

Williams was unable to settle in and have his usual two-way impact as he picked up his second foul that forced him to sit the final 15 minutes of the first half. Williams was again forced to the bench in the second half as he collected his fourth foul with just over 10 minutes remaining. On top of that, Williams missed two huge free throws with 47 seconds remaining that would have put Duke up one. Williams never got in a true rhythm during his 16 minutes, finishing with eight points, four rebounds and zero blocks -- it was only the second time all season that Williams didn't record at least one block. Although not an elite defensive rebounder, Williams' 9-8 reach was sorely missed on the glass, as UNC chased down 17 offensive rebounds.

The 20-year-old sophomore did still have a couple highlights, hammering home four dunks off of putbacks and drop offs, bringing his NCAA total to 17 over five games. He was a mixed bag defending pick-and-roll, taking away passing angles for the ball handler several times, racking up a couple deflections in the process. It's hard to complain about his contest against Caleb Love in what proved to be a back-breaking pull-up 3 for the Blue Devils. But he was a bit too deep in drops on occasion and still gets too high in his stance from time to time.

Given the tough whistle along with his strong body of work as a lob-catching, shot-blocking, offensive rebounding center, Williams' up and down Final Four performance isn't likely to affect his draft stock as he's all but solidified his status as a top-20 prospect, with the potential to earn looks in the late lottery with a strong pre-draft process. With a reach bigger than Rudy Gobert and some stylistic similarities to centers ranging from Robert Williams to Mitchell Robinson to Clint Capela, there are no shortage of successful bigs in Williams' mold, which gives him one of the highest floors among big men prospects not named Chet Holmgren. -- Schmitz

Complete scouting report from Mike Schmitz (No. 11 in Top 100)

12. New York Knicks

Bennedict Mathurin | Arizona | 6-6 | SF | Age: 19.7

13. Charlotte Hornets (Hawks if 19-30)

Jeremy Sochan | Baylor | 6-9 | PF | Age: 18.8

14. Houston Rockets (from Nets)

TyTy Washington Jr. | Kentucky | 6-4 | PG/SG | Age: 20.3

15. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers)

Tari Eason | LSU | 6-8 | PF | Age: 20.9

16. Atlanta Hawks

Ochai Agbaji | Kansas | 6-6 | SF | Age: 21.9

Kansas' Ochai Agbaji was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament. Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Agbaji was named the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player, largely on the back of two phenomenal performances in the Elite Eight and Final Four in which he scored 39 points on an efficient 14-for-20 shooting from the floor with excellent one-on-one defense.

His contributions were more muted in the four other tournament contests, scoring 43 points on 16-for-45 shooting, demonstrating his limitations as a ball handler and passer while having too many lapses with his off-ball awareness and rotations, showing his just-average feel for the game.

Agbaji looks like a plug-and-play 3-and-D NBA caliber wing with his strong 215-pound frame, 6-10 wingspan, 41% 3-point shooting, high-intensity level and ability to score in transition on straight line-drives, especially coming off screens. It was important for him to get back on track from beyond the arc as the tournament progressed as he was mired in a deep slump from the perimeter, hitting 26% for 3 in the 10 games prior to the Elite Eight. When Agbaji gets into rhythm and is playing with confidence, he looks like one of the most dynamic shot-makers in college basketball, rising up smoothly pulling up in transition, ducking behind handoffs and sprinting off pin downs or staggers with outstanding footwork.

The senior won the last 11 games of his college career, was named a First-Team All-American, and likely secured a spot for his jersey to hang in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse in the process. That should also translate to a spot in the green room on draft night and potentially hearing his name called in the lottery by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. -- Jonathan Givony

17. Indiana Pacers (from Cavaliers)

Malaki Branham | Ohio St. | 6-5 | SG | Age: 18.8

18. Chicago Bulls

Ousmane Dieng | NZ Breakers | 6-10 | SF/PF | Age: 18.8

After watching a New Zealand Breakers practice, shootaround and NBL game in Cairns, Australia, Dieng reminded me exactly why he was once considered a top-10 prospect in this class and should earn late lottery consideration once NBA execs get eyes on the 18-year-old. Seeing him in live game action for the first time since the 2019 U16 European Championships, Dieng is now 6-10 in shoes with a 7-0 wingspan, has a thin yet developing frame, and guard-like agility that helps him on both ends of the floor. He was the best player on the court during the practice I evaluated, handling the ball with extreme fluidity while firing several one-handed passes you rarely see from players his height.

With the NBL season winding down, Dieng has put his forgettable start to the season behind him and is now playing the best basketball of his young career. After failing to reach double digits scoring the first 11 games of the season -- with two goose eggs sprinkled in -- Dieng has now scored at least 11 points in seven of his last nine games, capped off by 38 combined points in his last 47 minutes in back-to-back games against Cairns.

While he shows real promise as a ball handler, pick-and-roll creator, shooter and is incredibly smooth with everything he does, Dieng is still a ways away from being able to impact winning at the NBA level, at least with any type of consistency. Although greatly improved, his defensive toughness comes and goes. He's a poor rebounder who doesn't always box out or pursue the ball. He's a finesse over physicality finisher. And he thumbs the ball as a shooter, which plays a role in the fact that he's shooting 24% from 3 and 64% from the free-throw line. His success does come with a bit of a caveat, as the Breakers sit in last place of the NBL standings.

Whether it's as a Nicolas Batum type, Kyle Anderson or some leaner version of Boris Diaw, there's a clear pathway and role for Dieng in the NBA. Dieng has persevered through a brutal start to the season, all while playing zero true home games with the New Zealand borders still closed due to the pandemic. Expect to hear his name a lot more between now and draft night, as he's the type of tantalizing talent that tends to rise in the pre-draft process. -- Schmitz

Complete scouting report from Mike Schmitz (No. 18 in Top 100)

We also scouted top-100 prospects Hugo Besson (No. 32), Ariel Hukporti (No. 71) and Luke Travers (No. 95) on this trip. Evaluations can be found on their respective ESPN Top 100 profile pages.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves

Kennedy Chandler | Tennessee | 6-1 | PG | Age: 19.5

20. San Antonio Spurs (from Raptors)

Blake Wesley | Notre Dame | 6-5 | SG | Age: 19.0

21. Memphis Grizzlies (from Jazz)

MarJon Beauchamp | G League Ignite | 6-6 | SG/SF | Age: 21.4

22. Denver Nuggets

E.J. Liddell | Ohio St. | 6-7 | PF | Age: 21.2

23. Milwaukee Bucks

Walker Kessler | Auburn | 7-1 | C | Age: 20.6

24. Brooklyn Nets (from 76ers)

Nikola Jovic | Mega Mozzart | 6-10 | SF | Age: 18.8

25. San Antonio Spurs (from Celtics)

Kendall Brown | Baylor | 6-8 | SF | Age: 18.9

[PhantomDashCam]

[QUOTE=mystargtr34;10718278]ESPN's latest mock draft order is below (6th April 2022). Sometimes when I go on there I don't see any info due to not being a subscriber/insider other times I can see the info>…

If you google ESPN Draftcast, click the link and select the heading ‘Best Available’ - you’ll get a breakdown of each prospect by their Big Board position.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Go get Eason. Kid's a beast.

[rankingtear]

it's easy to see what they need: A PF with size who can rebound, shoot the 3, provide weakside shotblocking and flourishes in transition. Who does that profile fit to: Keegan Murray. Now if you want to take it up a notch, it would be even better if that PF could also score from midrange and out of the post when we need buckets. That's Banchero. The problem is they are out of our draft range unless we jump up in the lottery

Jonathan Isaac?

[duncan2150]

I keep talking about rim protecting, rebound since a long time ago : as we saw yesterday Spurs need that badly.

I hope they will securize a PF or 3/4 and a C in this draft.

PF( 3/4) :
Murray
Eason
Sochan
Pat Baldwin Jr


C :
Jalen Duren
Mark Williams
Walker Kessler
Christian Koloko

we also need scoring , that could come if we have some lottery luck with smith or banchero.

[pad300]

Barring a trade, we have 3 FRP's (and the Laker's second). Thus, I expect us to consider draft and stash for at least 1 international player (maybe 2). It's not actually a bad draft for that. There are at least 5 players that I would consider with our non-lottery picks (in no order):

Ousmane Dieng
Nikola Jokic
Gabriele Procida
Gui Santos
Ismael Kamagate
Matteo Spagnolo
Ziga Samar

[duncan2150]

Barring a trade, we have 3 FRP's (and the Laker's second). Thus, I expect us to consider draft and stash for at least 1 international player (maybe 2). It's not actually a bad draft for that. There are at least 5 players that I would consider with our non-lottery picks (in no order):

Ousmane Dieng
Nikola Jokic
Gabriele Procida
Gui Santos
Ismael Kamagate
Matteo Spagnolo
Ziga Samar

Yes i totally see the spurs going with one or two draft and stash, if Jovic wants to stay in europe he's my target with a late pick. Dieng and Kamagate are the others in the first round.

[exstatic]

Jonathan Isaac?

Not a terrible option, but restricted and coming off a knee injury.

[Uriel]

If the Spurs win the lottery and get the chance to draft one of Banchero, Smith, and Holmgren, I will cry tears of joy.

[BatManu20]

Jonathan Isaac?

Zero chance. Isaac is a Conservative. Pop would never allow it :lol

[KingKev]

Not a terrible option, but restricted and coming off a knee injury.

Hasn’t played in 2 years, entering his second year of a 70m/4yr contract and coming off an ACL tear and more recently a smaller hammy surgery. Also an outspoken conservative who almost assuredly would be castrated by Pop the first chance he got.

[the golden era]

Go get Eason. Kid's a beast.
This is where I am at. I don’t think he lasts to our pick, and maybe we move up a bit to grab him, but after that game last night, I am of the opinion we need as many chances as possible to land elite talent. I would trade all the picks to move into top three but no one will do that. I think we stand pat and make all three picks. I’d like them to take that kid from NC State with Toronto pick if he last that long. We need a natural lights out shooter who can score at will. His tape looks incredible. Smith is the kid.

[ZeusWillJudge]

Zero chance. Isaac is a Conservative. Pop would never allow it :lol

Well they could always go hire Enes (Freedom) Kanter for cheap. Pop would love him. :lol

[cjw]

Hasn’t played in 2 years, entering his second year of a 70m/4yr contract and coming off an ACL tear and more recently a smaller hammy surgery. Also an outspoken conservative who almost assuredly would be castrated by Pop the first chance he got.

I’d take a flyer on Isaac. But I’m only doing it if it’s part of a trade that means the Magic part with their premium pick this year and trade back and take one of ours. Not sure what we’d have to throw in to entice them. Too bad it can’t be Lonnie given his pending RFA and that plays out after the draft.

[Trueblood]

I’d take a flyer on Isaac. But I’m only doing it if it’s part of a trade that means the Magic part with their premium pick this year and trade back and take one of ours. Not sure what we’d have to throw in to entice them. Too bad it can’t be Lonnie given his pending RFA and that plays out after the draft.

Funny, I came on here to throw out there a Jonathan Isaac trade and ya'll are already talking about it! I think if you can get him on the cheap you take the shot. Statistically, his defensive numbers (when healthy) are son par with Ben Simmons. I know he's coming back off a knee surgery, but so was DJ and he turned out okay. Plus his age puts him in line with what we're doing and headed into his prime. Why waste a late FRP trying to find a guy who can reach the level Isaac's is already at? If we could peel him away for the Celtics pick I say you take it and run.
And the whole 'pop wouldn't put up with him being a conservative' is garbage. Holt and Robinson are both conservative and he gets along with both of them. Plus he won't be here much longer.
Giving us a young defensive anchor aligned with our timeline and like a no brainer to me.

[objective]

I keep talking about rim protecting, rebound since a long time ago : as we saw yesterday Spurs need that badly.

I hope they will securize a PF or 3/4 and a C in this draft.

PF( 3/4) :
Murray
Eason
Sochan
Pat Baldwin Jr


C :
Jalen Duren
Mark Williams
Walker Kessler
Christian Koloko

we also need scoring , that could come if we have some lottery luck with smith or banchero.

Isn't Koloko a horrible defensive rebounder? I think there was some tournament coverage about that. I like him other than that

[The Truth #6]

We need a power forward and we need scoring, so the interest in Banchero, Jabari, and Keegan Murray makes sense and is preferable. At our likely draft spot we will not be able to get both in one player unless someone like Eason or EJ Lidell is better than we think presently and we go that route. So, I can't believe I'm saying that we still may have to end up drafting the BPA who will likely be a guard, like Mathursin (sic) or Johnny Davis if either are available. The third and perhaps more likely reality is that the Spurs will do whatever the fuck they want. I see that as 50/50. It makes getting excited about the draft less likely for me, but we'll see. If they somehow get into the top 4, then that is a godsend, and honestly, something Adam should probably manipulate if there is any karma out there because the Spurs definitely earned it.

[SAGirl]

[QUOTE=mystargtr34;10718278]ESPN's latest mock draft order is below (6th April 2022). Sometimes when I go on there I don't see any info due to not being a subscriber/insider other times I can see the info>…

If you google ESPN Draftcast, click the link and select the heading ‘Best Available’ - you’ll get a breakdown of each prospect by their Big Board position.
Thanks for this tip. Very helpful to narrow guys to look at when I feel like getting ready for the draft.

[mo7888]

Funny, I came on here to throw out there a Jonathan Isaac trade and ya'll are already talking about it! I think if you can get him on the cheap you take the shot. Statistically, his defensive numbers (when healthy) are son par with Ben Simmons. I know he's coming back off a knee surgery, but so was DJ and he turned out okay. Plus his age puts him in line with what we're doing and headed into his prime. Why waste a late FRP trying to find a guy who can reach the level Isaac's is already at? If we could peel him away for the Celtics pick I say you take it and run.
And the whole 'pop wouldn't put up with him being a conservative' is garbage. Holt and Robinson are both conservative and he gets along with both of them. Plus he won't be here much longer.
Giving us a young defensive anchor aligned with our timeline and like a no brainer to me.

It's definitely something I wouldn't mind kicking the tires on to see what it would take to acquire him..

[SAGirl]

Funny, I came on here to throw out there a Jonathan Isaac trade and ya'll are already talking about it! I think if you can get him on the cheap you take the shot. Statistically, his defensive numbers (when healthy) are son par with Ben Simmons. I know he's coming back off a knee surgery, but so was DJ and he turned out okay. Plus his age puts him in line with what we're doing and headed into his prime. Why waste a late FRP trying to find a guy who can reach the level Isaac's is already at? If we could peel him away for the Celtics pick I say you take it and run.
And the whole 'pop wouldn't put up with him being a conservative' is garbage. Holt and Robinson are both conservative and he gets along with both of them. Plus he won't be here much longer.
Giving us a young defensive anchor aligned with our timeline and like a no brainer to me.
I am all for taking a chance on Isaac. They took it with Zollins and he was a more questionable talent with an also worrisome injury history but he was young and filled a need.

[rjv]

if spurs went with a big early in the draft, i'm starting to like the idea of mark williams instead of jalen duren.

[Trueblood]

I am all for taking a chance on Isaac. They took it with Zollins and he was a more questionable talent with an also worrisome injury history but he was young and filled a need.

You read my mind. Zollins is who I was thinking of when I was considering Isaac's. With his addition we could go big by putting him at the 3 with Zollins and poeltl or play him as a small ball center with vassel at the 3 and keldon at the 4. He provides versatility and a high upside of he can get healthy.

[Kurik]

if spurs went with a big early in the draft, i'm starting to like the idea of mark williams instead of jalen duren.

I prefer Williams as well but drafting Duren wouldn’t depress me either. They could probably move down a little to get Williams if they like him enough or move up.

[T Park]

Williams is skyrocketing up the board. I’d be shocked if he survived past 12 at this point.

[TD 21]

Want is one thing, but anyone who thinks there's a legitimate chance of them drafting Duren or Eason is naive at best, delusional at worst and setting themselves up for disappointment.

This is the most predictable organization in the league (Primo was a surprise only because of projections) and they've only gotten more strict with their constraints post Scumbag.

If they can't move up for Murray, be prepared for another guard/wing (Griffin, Davis, Daniels, Branham), with Sochan a long shot.

[Kurik]

Want is one thing, but anyone who thinks there's a legitimate chance of them drafting Duren or Eason is naive at best, delusional at worst and setting themselves up for disappointment.

This is the most predictable organization in the league (Primo was a surprise only because of projections) and they've only gotten more strict with their constraints post Scumbag.

If they can't move up for Murray, be prepared for another guard/wing (Griffin, Davis, Daniels, Branham), with Sochan a long shot.

I don’t disagree. If they fall in love with a guard/wing I hope it’s Mathurin who seems to have a good blend of size, athleticism, and shooting.

[TD 21]

I don’t disagree. If they fall in love with a guard/wing I hope it’s Mathurin who seems to have a good blend of size, athleticism, and shooting.

They'd most likely prefer him to the group I named, but I can't see him making it to 9 or 10.

Granted, he could be the trade up target, but if they're going to burn significant assets for a projected non star, it should be for either a creator, a four or a combination of both.

[duncan2150]

Isn't Koloko a horrible defensive rebounder? I think there was some tournament coverage about that. I like him other than that

You maybe right as he's not a beast on the boards, he's more in my list for his rim protection and i have him after Duren, Williams and Kessler.

[duncan2150]

Want is one thing, but anyone who thinks there's a legitimate chance of them drafting Duren or Eason is naive at best, delusional at worst and setting themselves up for disappointment.

This is the most predictable organization in the league (Primo was a surprise only because of projections) and they've only gotten more strict with their constraints post Scumbag.

If they can't move up for Murray, be prepared for another guard/wing (Griffin, Davis, Daniels, Branham), with Sochan a long shot.


I can see the Spurs going this way , i can also see the spurs taking sochan high. Will depend on a lot of things but i really think that after the top 4 the order is not set.

If i read you correctly, you think that after the top 4 the picks are Duren, Murray , Mathurin and .. another guy. Don't forget Sharpe, Griffin can be in the top 8...

[Atl Spur]

I like Sochan with any of our picks…..

[TD 21]

I can see the Spurs going this way , i can also see the spurs taking sochan high. Will depend on a lot of things but i really think that after the top 4 the order is not set.

If i read you correctly, you think that after the top 4 the picks are Duren, Murray , Mathurin and .. another guy. Don't forget Sharpe, Griffin can be in the top 8...

It's not that I don't think there's a good chance Duren will be available to them, it's that he's literally the antithesis of their preferred type of big.

Also, it could have spoke more to how high they are on Primo than anything else, but passing on Sengun and signing Collins was a sign to me that they, like many, won't be drafting projected non superstar/star bigs period in the lottery and maybe even beyond in the 1st round.

[BatManu20]

It's not that I don't think there's a good chance Duren will be available to them, it's that he's literally the antithesis of their preferred type of big.

Also, it could have spoke more to how high they are on Primo than anything else, but passing on Sengun and signing Collins was a sign to me that they, like many, won't be drafting projected non superstar/star bigs period in the lottery and maybe even beyond in the 1st round.

Agreed. I personally like Duren better as a prospect (higher upside; defensive anchor potential), but I think Spurs would draft Sochan or Tari Eason over him if all three were available.

[duncan2150]

It's not that I don't think there's a good chance Duren will be available to them, it's that he's literally the antithesis of their preferred type of big.

Also, it could have spoke more to how high they are on Primo than anything else, but passing on Sengun and signing Collins was a sign to me that they, like many, won't be drafting projected non superstar/star bigs period in the lottery and maybe even beyond in the 1st round.


Ok that make sense, assuming they draft 3 players you think they will not/can't take a big with one of their late first ? we need one defensive big badly imo.

[TD 21]

Agreed. I personally like Duren better as a prospect (higher upside; defensive anchor potential), but I think Spurs would draft Sochan or Tari Eason over him if all three were available.

Eason isn't their type either.



Ok that make sense, assuming they draft 3 players you think they will not/can't take a big with one of their late first ? we need one defensive big badly imo.

I'd be shocked if they maintained the 3 1sts. The way I see it, they'll probably either retain Poeltl or trade him and replace him with Hartenstein and are committed to Collins for the time being.

The defensive help will presumably come in the form of a legitimate four.

[BatManu20]

Eason isn't their type either.

He’s the best defender in this draft class (ratings-wise; not just my opinion) and would immediately fill a position of need.. I can’t promise you they’re going to take him, but I can guarantee you they’re very interested and are doing their due diligence on him.

[BatManu20]

Sochan is almost a full 2 years younger than Eason so the Spurs may lean in his direction. Either would be a solid pick at 9 though imo. Both project as role-players at the next level unfortunately, but as much as I want someone with more potential star power, I don’t see anyone else available at 9 unless someone like Mathurin falls.

[Dejounte]

Sochan is almost a full 2 years younger than Eason so the Spurs may lean in his direction. Either would be a solid pick at 9 though imo. Both project as role-players at the next level unfortunately, but as much as I want someone with more potential star power, I don’t see anyone else available at 9 unless someone like Mathurin falls.


Unless someone like Moody falls…

Unless someone like Sengun falls…

Unless someone like Kai Jones falls…

Unless someone like Jalen Johnson falls…

(these are all guys who fell from projected mocks)

Someone will fall. The question is if the Spurs will even want them.

[Biggems]

For those of you who are up to speed on international ball, specifically Europe, what is your assessment of SG Gabriele Procida - Italy?

I am curious because he is our 2nd round pick in the NBA Draft Room mock. I saw some videos of him and he is quite athletic, plays good defense, has solid handles, and is a decent passer. He plays with a lot of energy and hustles all over the floor. He really goes after the offensive glass. He seems to be one of the most important players on his team. I believe he is right handed. If he were left-handed his game would remind me of a young Ginobili-lite. I liked his energy and confidence in the videos I watched. BTW, he is 19 yo.

[mystargtr34]

SI had a surprisingly in-depth mock draft just released.

https://www.si.com/nba/2022/04/14/nba-mock-draft-jabari-smith-chet-holmgren-paolo-banchero-jaden-ivey

For me I still like Jeremy Sochan as the pick. A good comparison I always thought of was Patrick Williams from Chicago. This SI mock compares Sochan to Williams but also mentions Scottie Barnes. I can see some similarities there although Sochan doesn't look like the passer Barnes is but seems a better shooter.

I could also live with Ben Mathurin but then you have a logjam at the 2-3 position. Not a fan of AJ Griffin or Johnny Davis tbh. Dyson Daniels seems a good prospect but his game is best suited to having the ball in his hands, and his 3 point shot is poor. You can't play these guys next to Murray and Poeltl.

Seems like Mark Williams is closing in on Jalen Duren as the first C off the board in a lot of mock drafts recently. Dude has a 7'7 wingspan and a 9''8 standing reach which is an inch longer than Gobert.

[BackHome]

I really like the kid he has a sweet 3 ball and he has NBA athleticism in spades definitely someone I would not mind them picking at all. Out of the foreign draft and stash I looked at him, Hugo Besson, Ousemeng Dieng, and Nikola Jovic , and would not mind any of those players with one of our first. Though I am leaning to Ousemeng Dieng SF - 6'9 - he play was terrible in beginning of season but at end of the season you could see he made huge strides and definitely can see potential in him....

[Ariel]

SI had a surprisingly in-depth mock draft just released.

https://www.si.com/nba/2022/04/14/nba-mock-draft-jabari-smith-chet-holmgren-paolo-banchero-jaden-ivey

For me I still like Jeremy Sochan as the pick. A good comparison I always thought of was Patrick Williams from Chicago. This SI mock compares Sochan to Williams but also mentions Scottie Barnes. I can see some similarities there although Sochan doesn't look like the passer Barnes is but seems a better shooter.
Sochan is nowhere near the athlete Scottie Barnes is, he's a more cerebral player. He's a better passer and ball handler, an improving shooter (though he has ways to go yet), but he can't match Scottie Barnes one on one impact and he doesn't have his ceiling. I can see him providing a Draymond Green kind of contribution to a winning team.

[BackHome]

Sochan is nowhere near the athlete Scottie Barnes is, he's a more cerebral player. He's a better passer and ball handler, an improving shooter (though he has way to go yet), but he can't match Scottie Barnes one on one impact and he doesn't have his ceiling. I can see him providing a Draymond Green kind of contribution to a winning team.

Sochan is really smart player for his age, but he is limited as he is not a shot blocker and his free throw % is very poor the first thing they will have to do is rebuild his shot. But he is crafty and he is a good passer has good handles and is a young guy they can mold and Pop would love the kid for sure as he would probably be first rookie he doesn't yell out for doing something stupid on defense..lol

[Degoat]

I’m concerned Sochan and Eason could end up as Jamychal Green, Morris twins types and that’s not worth a lottery selection imo. Take the best player available regardless of position, Johnny Davis, AJ Griffin, Jalen Duren, Mathurin, Dyson

[Ariel]

Sochan is really smart player for his age, but he is limited as he is not a shot blocker and his free throw % is very poor the first thing they will have to do is rebuild his shot. But he is crafty and he is a good passer has good handles and is a young guy they can mold and Pop would love the kid for sure as he would probably be first rookie he doesn't yell out for doing something stupid on defense..lol
Yes, his 3 pt% is around 30% and I saw him hit some big ones, but his FT % is awful (around the 60% mark). Good thing is he doesn't seem to have a mental block like Simmons or other players. I'd be willing to bet on him improving on it.

[BackHome]

SI had a surprisingly in-depth mock draft just released.

https://www.si.com/nba/2022/04/14/nba-mock-draft-jabari-smith-chet-holmgren-paolo-banchero-jaden-ivey

For me I still like Jeremy Sochan as the pick. A good comparison I always thought of was Patrick Williams from Chicago. This SI mock compares Sochan to Williams but also mentions Scottie Barnes. I can see some similarities there although Sochan doesn't look like the passer Barnes is but seems a better shooter.

I could also live with Ben Mathurin but then you have a logjam at the 2-3 position. Not a fan of AJ Griffin or Johnny Davis tbh. Dyson Daniels seems a good prospect but his game is best suited to having the ball in his hands, and his 3 point shot is poor. You can't play these guys next to Murray and Poeltl.

Seems like Mark Williams is closing in on Jalen Duren as the first C off the board in a lot of mock drafts recently. Dude has a 7'7 wingspan and a 9''8 standing reach which is an inch longer than Gobert.

Yeah, if we do for what ever reason move Poodle then I would have no problem picking Williams he is real good and I think he has more upside then what he showed in college on the offensive side. But, like DJ said it all depends on who drops as someone always drops will it be the player we want is the question???

[Ariel]

I’m concerned Sochan and Eason could end up as Jamychal Green, Morris twins types and that’s not worth a lottery selection imo. Take the best player available regardless of position, Johnny Davis, AJ Griffin, Jalen Duren, Mathurin, Dyson
:lol we'll be the first team in history to start 5 shooting guards.

[BackHome]

What are your all thoughts on Jamarion Sharp from W. Kentucky? He is a 20 year old 7'5 center YES that is correct 7'5 - If you have not watched him play I think you all might be surprised he is very athletic for some one that size and he can dunk..lol ..Serious though watch him..........

[Degoat]

:lol we'll be the first team in history to start 5 shooting guards.

We’ve got 3 picks in the first round lol use the 20/21 Tor pick and grab Liddel, Jovic, or Dieng

[NickiRasgo]

Probably a poor take but I kinda want Kenneth Lofton Jr. for the 2RP (38th) if available. He's one of the reason why Team USA won over Team France last year in FIBA U19 Finals.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nax8u8UCtUw&t=120s&ab_channel=OvertimeNXT

- A situational type of player and it's something you would not mind if he fails since it's a 2RP
- On offense, he could be a problem for opposing end in the post (or shooting) esp. when playing small ball but not sure about his passing ability tho
- On defense, lacking mobility so he's create a space for opposing team tho he's a bit mobile for his size but lacking height and if he trims more down or conditioned like Zach Randolph (he's 6'9" tho while Kenneth Lofton Jr. is only 6'7"), it could be a rewarding


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB9XEFuUP1A&ab_channel=Swish

[Ariel]

Probably a poor take but I kinda want Kenneth Lofton Jr. for the 2RP (38th) if available. He's one of the reason why Team USA won over Team France last year in FIBA U19 Finals.
https://149346005.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/loftonutsa1.jpg
That dude makes Zion look malnourished... can you image him next to Chet? :lol

[CGD]

SI had a surprisingly in-depth mock draft just released.

https://www.si.com/nba/2022/04/14/nba-mock-draft-jabari-smith-chet-holmgren-paolo-banchero-jaden-ivey

For me I still like Jeremy Sochan as the pick. A good comparison I always thought of was Patrick Williams from Chicago. This SI mock compares Sochan to Williams but also mentions Scottie Barnes. I can see some similarities there although Sochan doesn't look like the passer Barnes is but seems a better shooter.

I could also live with Ben Mathurin but then you have a logjam at the 2-3 position. Not a fan of AJ Griffin or Johnny Davis tbh. Dyson Daniels seems a good prospect but his game is best suited to having the ball in his hands, and his 3 point shot is poor. You can't play these guys next to Murray and Poeltl.

Seems like Mark Williams is closing in on Jalen Duren as the first C off the board in a lot of mock drafts recently. Dude has a 7'7 wingspan and a 9''8 standing reach which is an inch longer than Gobert.

There is some good analysis in the SI piece. I now understand, for example, why Eason appears lower on mocks. If you. If you believe this he’d be around in the low 20s.

Everyone wants us to take Davis it appears with our natural pick. I’m lukewarm, but I do like Wendell Moore at 20.

[Degoat]

I hate that the draft is so far away lol

[NickiRasgo]

https://149346005.v2.pressablecdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/loftonutsa1.jpg
That dude makes Zion look malnourished... can you image him next to Chet? :lol

Yes I know how big he is. :lol Hence I mentioned about his weight/conditioning.

[Degoat]

I have a feeling Ousmane Dieng is going to fly up the draftboard and I could honestly see him being the spurs guy at 9

[ragas]

I said it before: If the Spurs can see him improving from deep, they should take a flyer on Jaylin Williams from Arkansas with the Lakers pick or the Boston one. Great size (6‘ 10‘‘, 240), high impact on defense, good passer, low usage and a team player. This guy has written Spurs all over him. His 3p-% is bad, but he could improve with Chip‘s help.

PTS 10,9
REB 9,8
AST 2,6
BLK 1,1
STL 1,3
Charges 1,5


https://youtu.be/WhwZHm5iwqM


https://youtu.be/Y0zQH85Hs5U

[BackHome]

I have a feeling Ousmane Dieng is going to fly up the draftboard and I could honestly see him being the spurs guy at 9

I don't know about 9 but I agree he going to rise very fast on a lot of GM draft boards - It's funny how he was terrible in the beginning of season but then was able to turn it around so fast.

[BackHome]

I said it before: If the Spurs can see him improving from deep, they should take a flyer on Jaylin Williams from Arkansas with the Lakers pick or the Boston one. Great size (6‘ 10‘‘, 240), high impact on defense, good passer, low usage and a team player. This guy has written Spurs all over him. His 3p-% is bad, but he could improve with Chip‘s help.

PTS 10,9
REB 9,8
AST 2,6
BLK 1,1
STL 1,3
Charges 1,5


https://youtu.be/WhwZHm5iwqM


https://youtu.be/Y0zQH85Hs5U

He is another smart player I think he is like number 1 in college as far as taking charges so he definitely plays defense - and he has good ball IQ and a nifty passer - he is another player I see rising in in draft boards

[Kurik]

Williams would be a good pick in the second round for a 2 way contract.

[C-Dub]

Someone mentioned the international prospect from Italy name Gabriel Procida and no one responded to his post. I previously watched film on Procida before the post was made and agree that this guy has true NBA potential. I would draft him with our Toronto or Boston 1st round picks because he may not make it to the 2nd round. Seems like a game changer. Has the 3 ball, athletic, defensive instincts, hops, court vision, ball handling and good size for a G/F. Spurs should draft if available with their 2nd 1st round pick.

[CGD]

Someone mentioned the international prospect from Italy name Gabriel Procida and no one responded to his post. I previously watched film on Procida before the post was made and agree that this guy has true NBA potential. I would draft him with our Toronto or Boston 1st round picks because he may not make it to the 2nd round. Seems like a game changer. Has the 3 ball, athletic, defensive instincts, hops, court vision, ball handling and good size for a G/F. Spurs should draft if available with their 2nd 1st round pick.

Was that poster you burner account? And, is that you Gabriel?

[SpursBills]

Sochan (spurs pick) - let Vassell, Keldon, Primo continue to grow as shooters, Sochan provides the connector as well as versatile defender; he'll have just turned 19 around draft day so plenty of potential; shooting splits look questionable but that's what people said about Scottie Barnes last year too; if he turns into a Draymond/Ben simmons type player that's a huge win

Mark Williams (raptors pick) - length (7'7" wingspan), defensive presence, better mobility than advertised, future defensive anchor, all on the timetable of the young core; would think about sacrificing second rounder or even Poeltl to bring this guy in

PBJ (Celtics pick) - take a flyer on this guy, tall shooters are usually a decent gamble to be useful in the league

[Ariel]

I've been seeing a lot of suggestion on guys who are not projected to be drafted at all, or players with a low ceiling and a lot of question marks. IMO that's not what you use your second rounder for, at all. Bear in mind that we're getting to the point were roster spots will be getting scarce and they are a commodity, since they provide flexibility and allow for moves that get you further assets. That means there's a cost of opportunity in using it, which means if you're going to do so, they have to be worthy enough to warrant:
a) The player whose roster spot they're taking
b) The flexibility that roster spot provides in future moves
c) The value that pick would get you were you to trade it
So there's no point in using them, unless:
1) you really like what you're getting, either because there's significant potential, or they're ready to contribute now and are a lock to translate. That kind would be someone who unexpectedly falls quite a bit, say a Baldwin Jr, a Hardy, a Koloko, a Blake Wesley... The kind you expecto to go 10/15 places earlier and falls into your lap.
2) you're not really certain, but you're willing to gamble because they won't take a roster spot immediately, i.e., the classic draft & stash. In this category I could see a Dieng, a Kamagate, a Procida... even if you're not 100% sold, they're young, they don't cost you, and they may end up a pleasant surprise a few years down the road.
So I think those fringe guys are just not worthy of the cost of making a place for them.

Also... I think the FO is likely to try and use one or more of the picks to climb up in the draft, to get other assets, or to push it forward into the future if nothing else works.

[Russ]

Someone mentioned the international prospect from Italy name Gabriel Procida and no one responded to his post. I previously watched film on Procida before the post was made and agree that this guy has true NBA potential. I would draft him with our Toronto or Boston 1st round picks because he may not make it to the 2nd round. Seems like a game changer. Has the 3 ball, athletic, defensive instincts, hops, court vision, ball handling and good size for a G/F. Spurs should draft if available with their 2nd 1st round pick.

Procida looks like the real deal. Possibly the best shooting stroke in the draft along with athleticism and smoothness. He can handle the ball and go to the hoop with a nice amount of adjustment on the fly. Upside and a pretty high floor. He's a little older than some (almost 20) but he looks like he might become something. I'm surprised he's not higher on most of the mocks.

By comparison, he looks a lot better than some of those being touted as second rounders (or even higher).

[rascal]

Shaedon Sharpe if the Spurs can't make a trade to move up and get Ivey. Sharpe has the potential to be a future superstar Dr. J type of player.

Spurs need to draft for top potential future upside at the 9th position.

[look_at_g_shred]

I can almost guarantee you that Duren/Williams will be Charlotte's pick. They've been eagerly looking to fill that hole since last year RE: Kai Jones.

[rascal]

Procida looks like the real deal. Possibly the best shooting stroke in the draft along with athleticism and smoothness. He can handle the ball and go to the hoop with a nice amount of adjustment on the fly. Upside and a pretty high floor. He's a little older than some (almost 20) but he looks like he might become something. I'm surprised he's not higher on most of the mocks.

By comparison, he looks a lot better than some of those being touted as second rounders (or even higher).

No, no where near the upside of a player like Shaedon Sharpe.

[Ariel]

Shaedon Sharpe if the Spurs can't make a trade to move up and get Ivey. Sharpe has the potential to be a future superstar Dr. J type of player.

Spurs need to draft for top potential future upside at the 9th position.
Shaedon Sharpe may not declare, and if he does, likely will be off the board by then. Honestly I haven't seen anything other than a few clips, but if he does declare, the Spurs are impressed with him in workouts, and he's available, it would make sense to nab a potential star. But that means you have to make other deals to address the forward situation, probably giving up Poeltl / Richardson / picks / whatever... maybe even Vassell or Keldon Johnson. You can't have half the roster comprised of shooting guards.

No, no where near the upside of a player like Shaedon Sharpe.
Well... one is supposed to be a top 6 pick, the other a second rounder... so yeah...

I can almost guarantee you that Duren/Williams will be Charlotte's pick. They've been eagerly looking to fill that hole since last year RE: Kai Jones.
I think so too... one glaring hole at center and too many options available not to grab one. Duren will likely be gone, if not they'll pick him for sure. But Williams would seem like a perfect fit. Unless they want IMMEDIATE results, in which case they may be willing to give up the pick and assets for Poeltl, which they weren't willing to do at the last trade deadline which is why the deal fell through. Say PJ Washington + the pick / Kai Jones + the pick + filler or something along the lines. I'd like that scenario.

[The Truth #6]

Interesting article about Johnny Davis: https://www.si.com/college/2022/01/26/johnny-davis-wisconsin-basketball-daily-cover

I can see traits the Spurs would like: quiet intensity, uber competitor, plays intense defense, overlooked early and had to prove himself, keeps his composure, gym rat, somewhat of a nerd maybe and liked studying anthropology in college. Will he be a good pro? I don't know. But I like those traits generally speaking.

I'd prefer a higher pick and other players, but I'd probably take this guy over Duren, for example, who seems to be unskilled and would flounder in SA's style of play in my opinion.

Not locked in on Davis, but there's a chance he could fall.

[Degoat]

Interesting article about Johnny Davis: https://www.si.com/college/2022/01/26/johnny-davis-wisconsin-basketball-daily-cover

I can see traits the Spurs would like: quiet intensity, uber competitor, plays intense defense, overlooked early and had to prove himself, keeps his composure, gym rat, somewhat of a nerd maybe and liked studying anthropology in college. Will he be a good pro? I don't know. But I like those traits generally speaking.

I'd prefer a higher pick and other players, but I'd probably take this guy over Duren, for example, who seems to be unskilled and would flounder in SA's style of play in my opinion.

Not locked in on Davis, but there's a chance he could fall.

I completely agree, when I watch him he has an IT factor to me, I don’t think he’ll fail at the next level. Lots of interesting guys in this draft and I think after the top 4, it’ll be a shuffle between who teams like and don’t like

[Kurik]

I've been seeing a lot of suggestion on guys who are not projected to be drafted at all, or players with a low ceiling and a lot of question marks. IMO that's not what you use your second rounder for, at all. Bear in mind that we're getting to the point were roster spots will be getting scarce and they are a commodity, since they provide flexibility and allow for moves that get you further assets. That means there's a cost of opportunity in using it, which means if you're going to do so, they have to be worthy enough to warrant:
a) The player whose roster spot they're taking
b) The flexibility that roster spot provides in future moves
c) The value that pick would get you were you to trade it
So there's no point in using them, unless:
1) you really like what you're getting, either because there's significant potential, or they're ready to contribute now and are a lock to translate. That kind would be someone who unexpectedly falls quite a bit, say a Baldwin Jr, a Hardy, a Koloko, a Blake Wesley... The kind you expecto to go 10/15 places earlier and falls into your lap.
2) you're not really certain, but you're willing to gamble because they won't take a roster spot immediately, i.e., the classic draft & stash. In this category I could see a Dieng, a Kamagate, a Procida... even if you're not 100% sold, they're young, they don't cost you, and they may end up a pleasant surprise a few years down the road.
So I think those fringe guys are just not worthy of the cost of making a place for them.

Also... I think the FO is likely to try and use one or more of the picks to climb up in the draft, to get other assets, or to push it forward into the future if nothing else works.


I would just add that there are 2 two way contract spots that a potential second round pick would not have to compete with someone over. If the Spurs keep their second round pick, they may go the Wieskamp route again. He was drafted at 41 but was was projected to go late in the first round on some mock drafts.

[Ditty]

It sounds like Sharpe is going to declare. I don’t think he is making it past the Kings unfortunately. I don’t know about Dieng going 9th but could see OKC love for international prospects reaching for him at 15. I would take a risk on him forsure with one of our 20 picks.

[mo7888]

1. Paolo Banchero
2. Jabari Smith
3. Chet Holmgren
4. Jaden Ivey
5. Keegan Murray
6. Shaedon Sharpe
7. Benedict Mathurin
8. AJ Griffin
9. Jalen Duren

That's my top 9(in order)... Davis would round out my top 10 and that's where I think there's a drop off with not much difference between 11 and 18.

So one of those 9 'should' be there when we pick..

[bluebellmaniac]

1. Paolo Banchero
2. Jabari Smith
3. Chet Holmgren
4. Jaden Ivey
5. Keegan Murray
6. Shaedon Sharpe
7. Benedict Mathurin
8. AJ Griffin
9. Jalen Duren

That's my top 9(in order)... Davis would round out my top 10 and that's where I think there's a drop off with not much difference between 11 and 18.

So one of those 9 'should' be there when we pick..

Unless we pick 10th or 11th...

[mo7888]

Unless we pick 10th or 11th...
P
That's why I ' ' the word should..

[bluebellmaniac]

P
That's why I ' ' the word should..

+1

[exstatic]

For those of you who are up to speed on international ball, specifically Europe, what is your assessment of SG Gabriele Procida - Italy?

I am curious because he is our 2nd round pick in the NBA Draft Room mock. I saw some videos of him and he is quite athletic, plays good defense, has solid handles, and is a decent passer. He plays with a lot of energy and hustles all over the floor. He really goes after the offensive glass. He seems to be one of the most important players on his team. I believe he is right handed. If he were left-handed his game would remind me of a young Ginobili-lite. I liked his energy and confidence in the videos I watched. BTW, he is 19 yo.

People are so lazy. We’ve drafted like 1 Euro since 2015. We don’t do that much, any more.

[BatManu20]

You have to think Jaylin is smart enough to return to school and try to improve his game when he’s graded as a 2nd Rounder by most mocks.


1514683743679754240

[duncan2150]

People are so lazy. We’ve drafted like 1 Euro since 2015. We don’t do that much, any more.

Yes but it's more likely with those 4 picks if they go for a draft and Stash

[BackHome]

People are so lazy. We’ve drafted like 1 Euro since 2015. We don’t do that much, any more.

To be fair we also don’t always have 4 draft picks in a year.

[Russ]

Procida looks like the real deal. Possibly the best shooting stroke in the draft along with athleticism and smoothness. He can handle the ball and go to the hoop with a nice amount of adjustment on the fly. Upside and a pretty high floor. He's a little older than some (almost 20) but he looks like he might become something. I'm surprised he's not higher on most of the mocks.

By comparison, he looks a lot better than some of those being touted as second rounders (or even higher).


No, no where near the upside of a player like Shaedon Sharpe.

Of course not, Sharpe is the guy to get if we can't get one of the big three. As I've said repeatedly (see below).

I'm just liking Procida as a later pick in the draft.


If you can't get one of the three bigs (Banchero, Jabari or Chet), Shaedon Sharpe looks like the best option (but he may be gone by 9-11 or wherever the Spurs end up).




On to the lottery . . .

Plan A: Get lucky and get a 4 by picking top 4 -- Jabari, Banchero or Holmgren.

Plan B: Shaedon Sharp.

But whatever happens, the fun is still ahead . . .

[Biggems]

People are so lazy. We’ve drafted like 1 Euro since 2015. We don’t do that much, any more.

Wasn't it Luka? He sucked....

exstatic, that was a lazy response from you. you tend to be quite informative about players, especially prospects. I was actually expecting you to offer insight into said player, whether he is on the Spurs radar or not.

[PhantomDashCam]

I’m still interested in Justin Lewis from Marquette with one of the later firsts.

He looks like a little like a more mobile, less chiseled Isaiah Stewart; from purely a physical perspective.
Just turned 20 a few days ago. Developing outside game. Decent rebounder and defender.

6’7” with just under 7’2” WS. You can see that length on display in this clip, specifically at the 1:12 mark…


https://youtu.be/y2DwbEk4Mfc

He could eventually evolve into a PJ Washington type 4, small ball 5.

[SAGirl]

You have to think Jaylin is smart enough to return to school and try to improve his game when he’s graded as a 2nd Rounder by most mocks.


1514683743679754240
Don’t know this guy at all, but he still has a chance to raise his stock at the combine and the show off games there, where the Spurs like to go shopping. They do have 4 picks including some later ones he could go at, presumably. Do you like this guy.?
Starting to think we get another guard or wing unless they chance upon a top pick and can draft one of the projected top bigs.

[Trueblood]

Ya'll are making this to complicated. This draft is simple: take the best player available.
And by best player available I don't mean in a position of need or who is most ready to contribute right away; those are the criteria for contending teams and some of ya'll still thinking we're one of them. We're not a contender as constructed and we won't be unless we can get DJ another allstar. We don't need a bunch of high floor low ceiling guys which some of ya'll seem enamored by.
You take the player with the highest ceiling and hope for the best. Anything outside of that is ignorance.

[RC_Drunkford]

Jonathan Isaac?

I wish lol. He had a huge injury though, so who knows if he can get back to that level

[mystargtr34]

I can almost guarantee you that Duren/Williams will be Charlotte's pick. They've been eagerly looking to fill that hole since last year RE: Kai Jones.

Agree Hornets are taking Williams or Duren if they are available at 13. They may even move up if they need to to get one of these two. Charlotte has one of if not the worst defense in the entire league, yet their offense is around the top 5 last I checked. And C is their weakest position. Also think they are ready to move on from PJ Washington.

Hawks are in a similar boat, one of the leagues best offenses coupled with one of the worst defenses so look for them to go D also in the draft. I think the hawks will take Agbaji as a 3-D specialist if he’s available around 15. Sochan and Eason will also be on Hawks radar I think. I rekon the Hawks regret the John Collins extension and will try and move on from him.

[rascal]

Spurs need defensive physically players first with the ability to score.

No they don't. Spurs need an explosive scorer and a go to player in crunch time. They don't have that offensive star player they can count on in the tough games.

[rascal]

Ya'll are making this to complicated. This draft is simple: take the best player available.
And by best player available I don't mean in a position of need or who is most ready to contribute right away; those are the criteria for contending teams and some of ya'll still thinking we're one of them. We're not a contender as constructed and we won't be unless we can get DJ another allstar. We don't need a bunch of high floor low ceiling guys which some of ya'll seem enamored by.
You take the player with the highest ceiling and hope for the best. Anything outside of that is ignorance.

exactly the Spurs need to shoot for the player with the highest upside and future star potential.

[BackHome]

Spurs Needs:

* A slasher someone who can blow by his man and take it to the rim and either dunk or pass - also someone who can rebound
* A high 3 point specialist that is still athletic doesn't not need the ball in his hands and can play D and can rebound
* Let's be real a PF that can rebound have an impact on defense and has offensive potential
* If they move Poodle then obviously a center

[rascal]

Spurs need to package Murray and the Boston or Toronto pick to move into the top three and draft Ivey. Then at 9 take Shaedon Sharpe. Sharpe can be a future Dr. J type of player and one of the top players in the league. Spurs should have a three year window in mind of building a top team. Don't draft on current roster needs but draft the players with the highest ceiling/upside. Fill in the roster later but get the top talent now. Don't target lower ceiling players because they have a need at a position.

Don't target a big with an early pick, target a couple of future stars in the league and get a big with a later pick.

[rascal]

Spurs need more athleticism and players who can explode by defenders and break down the defense and take it to the basket.

[BackHome]

These are the players I think would fit and have upside to become really good players:
1. Murray
2. Sharpe
3. Mathurin

These are players who could be legit NBA starters:
1. M. Williams
2. Duren
3. Sochren
4. Daniels
5. Kessler

These are my Dark Horses who I think we could pick wary earlier then what people think:
1. Branham
2. Ousmane Dieng
3. Blake Wesly
4. Hugo Bessson
5. Gabriele Procida
6. Montero

[Ariel]

Has anyone here actually watched Besson play? I watched a clip of his, and his finishing was ATROCIOUS... didn't see him in actual games, but unless that was some intentionally misguided clip, he didn't look to me like an NBA player AT ALL...

[The Truth #6]

I’m still interested in Justin Lewis from Marquette with one of the later firsts.

He looks like a little like a more mobile, less chiseled Isaiah Stewart; from purely a physical perspective.
Just turned 20 a few days ago. Developing outside game. Decent rebounder and defender.

6’7” with just under 7’2” WS. You can see that length on display in this clip, specifically at the 1:12 mark…


https://youtu.be/y2DwbEk4Mfc

He could eventually evolve into a PJ Washington type 4, small ball 5.

Nice find. Some decent court vision, size, and shooting. Some decent athleticism, too.

[mo7888]

These are the players I think would fit and have upside to become really good players:
1. Murray
2. Sharpe
3. Mathurin

These are players who could be legit NBA starters:
1. M. Williams
2. Duren
3. Sochren
4. Daniels
5. Kessler

These are my Dark Horses who I think we could pick wary earlier then what people think:
1. Branham
2. Ousmane Dieng
3. Blake Wesly
4. Hugo Bessson
5. Gabriele Procida
6. Montero

I think Dieng is one to watch when we get into individual workouts... he could shoot up the board or get a commitment and shut it down... 6'10" with a 7' wingspan and can handle and is starting to hit 3's all wrapped up in an 18 year old package...

[Silverheart80]

Spurs need a player that creates a dynamic mismatch on both ends, night after night. No current Spur comes close to doing that. I'm not sure if one even exists in this draft. Assuming the Spurs end up with the #9 pick and don't get a top 4, I'm hoping they trade all of this year's 1st-rounders and in return, position them for the 2023 Draft. Stand pat. Play to win every game next season. Give current roster one more year of seasoning. Fall miserably short again because of talent disparity. End up in the 2023 Lottery. Go all-in for The Victor Wembanyama Sweepstakes.

And if they do use the #9, my money is on them picking Jeremy Sochan. Not a player I'm overly-excited about, but his IQ and defensive versatility are very Spursy. If they pick him, I hope they just stash him in the G-League for most of the season. I'd prefer Mark Williams. Again, stash him in the G-League so it doesn't affect a soft tank toward Wembanyama. But yeah, I think the 2023 Draft is the one to aim for.

[rascal]

I hope they don't end up with Johnny Davis at 9.

[PhantomDashCam]

Nice find. Some decent court vision, size, and shooting. Some decent athleticism, too.

:toast He had a poor showing in his last game of the season or I think we’d hear more first round buzz. Combine may be key for his stock to get that exact height measurement and to see whether you’re buying the shooting long term.

[Ariel]

The play in really screwed with the draft order.

On one hand, the Blazers had a second lottery pick from the McCollum trade, provided it was in the 5-14 range. Since the Pelicans made the playoffs, they're out of the lottery and the pick is at 15, and now belongs to Charlotte who gets a second pick in that range (had the 13th pick, pre-lottery)

On the other hand, OKC had the Clippers pick, unrestricted, that was supposed to come at 15. Now with the Clipps out of the play offs, they get into the lottery, and their record has them at 12, which means OKC jumps 3 spots to pick at 12.

Also, Atlanta is out of the lottery and in comes Cleveland, picking at 14.

Interesting shake-up

[Ariel]

I think that 10-15 range is very interesting, because some of the best value in this draft may be just there: Eason, Sochan, Dyson Daniels, Mark Williams, maybe even Duren and Johnny Davis slip a bit, and I think Jovic may rise to that range... the Spurs SHOULD try their best to move up to that range from the Raptors & Celtics picks in the low 20s, IMO. There could be a huge difference.

[mystargtr34]

Yeah was good to see Portland lose that second lottery pick. Serves them right for that shameless tanking the last couple months of the season. They literally sat their top 10 rotation guys. OKC will be happy moving up to 12. They now have the projected 4 and 12 picks.

[HemisfairArena]

Last 5 drafts for the Spurs have been horrible,,,,no reason to think this one will be any different. Spurs fans slobbering all over Murray is the only bright spot theyve had and Murray is a poor mans Russell Westbrook,,,