Which players projected in the top 10 have an elite-level skill? Other than athleticism, which isn't a skill. Giddey has elite-level passing.
I think we get gummed up a lot with mock drafts produced by websites that are looking over each other's shoulders and mimicking most of the same things. The reason why Cade Cunningham is claimed by many to be the 'only' Tier 1 player and sometimes the only 'Superstar Potential' in this draft, which is ludicrously stupid. What about Cunningham pops out to you as a superstar? Not saying he won't be good, or that he could make a leap, but... c'mon.
So there's tons of groupthink. Instead what matters is what GMs go for. Many will be swayed by popular opinion -- not saying Cunningham shouldn't go #1, for example, but soberly -- others will 'reach' for players they think should be at their spots. They evaluate players differently. Obviously this is how the Knicks pick Obi Toppin or Phoenix picks Smith last year and Haliburton drops.
Weird happens every draft because the basketball community is collectively crap at evaluating players, everyone gets hard over pure athletes, and it's a hard business, period. Then some GMs get smart and pick guys early who shouldn't have been picked early. And then team fit matters way more than anyone admits. A decent player going to the Wizards ten years ago was likely screwed completely.
What's somewhat unusual this draft year is that two shrewd franchises have multiple picks and some of those very early. GSW and OKC are very smart orgs and often draft well. (So does Toronto, but they're in the 'locked in' top 6.)
So the question is... for all those mock drafts repeating essentially the same things... do we really think Bouknight, Moody, Jalen Johnson, etc., are better prospects than Josh Giddey?
Not saying he's a sure thing, of course, but that we start talking down his abilities, raise his deficiencies, while overlooking them in the others, in order to make these groupthink mock drafts look right in our minds. To me, that GSW beat reporter is just repeating the same line about #7 being a reach for Giddey. Why? If you think he has the appropriate talent, and he's a great fit (very smart IQ-wise, too) and in three years, when no one cares or has forgotten when he was drafted, you think he'll be talked about more than Bouknight or Moody, why do you think he's worth a #13 pick but not a #7 pick?