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Ugh when you look at a draft and hope the guy going #1 is going to be as good as Nicolas Batum
I’d still take Knecht….
Ugh when you look at a draft and hope the guy going #1 is going to be as good as Nicolas Batum
You think it can beat 2000 for tiness? Ugh some of the lottery picks of that draft like Marcus Fizer, Jerome Moiso, Stromile Swift, Dermarr Johnson, Chris Mihm, Mateen Cleaves, Darius Miles, etc
I think Dillingham is a solid tier above Sheppard. The top 3 stuff for Sheppard is madness.
i still like Risacher. Not going to let a couple of bad games skew judgment too much after the season he’s had
i don’t think there’s a world where we can land both though
epic draft. One Kenyon Martin and maybe Miller as role player 3rd best behind Hedo. Ouch Redd 2rd 4-5 solid guysYou think it can beat 2000 for tiness? Ugh some of the lottery picks of that draft like Marcus Fizer, Jerome Moiso, Stromile Swift, Dermarr Johnson, Chris Mihm, Mateen Cleaves, Darius Miles, etc
Unfortunately, yea I do..You think it can beat 2000 for tiness? Ugh some of the lottery picks of that draft like Marcus Fizer, Jerome Moiso, Stromile Swift, Dermarr Johnson, Chris Mihm, Mateen Cleaves, Darius Miles, etc
To sum up, what do have with Sheppard so far: A 54.5/52.3/83.1 FG/3P/FT shooter; a ball hawk with 80 steals in 32 games (7 shy of Rondo’s record in 34 games); Top freshman based on Evanmiya.com; High win share and BPM; and a decent playmaker. All I am asking is Toronto pick for this player.
This is what it has always come down to for me, when Kentucky NEEDS something to happen, it's always about Dillingham. Sheppard can have a huge impact with his shooting, transition passing, and smart reads on both ends, but he struggles to get anything going in the halfcourt when the defense is set, countless times with the game on the line and Kentucky needing a bucket, he gets the ball, looks around, and passes it back Sochan style. He's just not that good at creating his own shot, and he won't take anything other than super quality shots (possibly because he's super aware of how being efficient affect his draft stock).
Dillingham on the other hand catches flak for sometimes being a little wild, turning it over or failing to finish SUPER TOUGH shots, but he's basically the only one who is capable of creating in those situations and he doesn't back down, more often than not with good results. I didn't watch the whole game last night, just the last 8 minutes or so, but all things considered he made some key shots and assists, was really active on defense (not necessarily effective, but it's a start) and, though he did have some untimely turnovers, they weren't disproportionately high for the context (look at Trae in key games, for a reference). I thought he did fine.
Also, there is this tendency to discard players on some games and lose context, Brandon Miller had one AWFUL game last year (3/19 from the field, 1/10 from 3, 6 TO) yet he's still far and away the 2nd best rookie from the '23 class (Chet isn't a rookie). All in all, I'm a believer in his ability to be a game changer on offense at the next level. Whether he's going to be a net possitive in playoff situations (due to defensive shortcomings) I don't know, but if he does what he can he'll be good for his rookie deal at least, making Vic's life much easier (keeping him happy is a priority) and being a store of value that can be moved for other more "winning" chips later on if necessary (I'm assuming he can be at least 70% of Garland/Maxey), which is harder to do if you pick a bust pioritizing long term fit over talent.
On the other hand, I'm not out on Sheppard but he's definitely more of a role player. The Steph comparisons are way off, he's not in the same stratosphere in terms of movement or handles, Steph is like the best of Sheppard, Dillingham and Hawkins, and in steroids. Sheppard can still be a very nice complementary piece if we pick around 9/10 or so and all the higher upside prospects are gone. But I'd consider other options as well.
IMO, players with a glimmer of star upside:
-Dilly
-Topic
-Buzelis
-Collier
Players with no star upside but with chance to turn out to be super role players
-Shepperd
-Sarr
-Rissacher
-Dalton
Role players, nothing more:
-Castle
-Cody Williams
games like last night give so much more context to how they are used, and give way more insight than stats. Stat geeks will ignore games like last and point to free throw percentages or assist/turnover rates. They don’t care about anything but tankathon, tbh.
Maybe this draft is actually alright but many names are just super raw right now but with the tools to one day be good or at least solid support players. High potential but just a lump of clay right now and it's up to a coaching staff to see into the future a bit and project ahead that they could draft, sculpt and mold these raw kids into a good NBA player, just going to take 2-5 seasons from start to come to fruition. Like Williams and Castle. Both just seem like solid starting points in terms of physical frame and basic basketball functions / what they hypothetically stand to bring; yet mute to demonstrating consistent/any brilliance currently. Could they be further assembled over time and eventually built out into a solid pro? Like a solid engine, you just have to build the frame. Reminds me of DJM a bit if you will, and if I'm not misremembering he did fall but was a steal at his selection because he fell for being an off court knucklehead mostly. He was raw too so it was an investment just like I'm saying but look at him now vs first few seasons. He would perhaps go way higher in a redraft with hindsight. Obvs Spurs timeline/Wemby can't afford to wait for fruit to ripen on the vine. Seems other moves to reflect this urgency should be on the table to consider.
Not a fan of them but Buzelis and Salaun are another two that while I'm only mild on, I'd probably gamble that with the right focus, role and environment, you could turn that coal into a diamond over 3-5 seasons just due to the starting materials. Not a hill I'd die on, but more "if you squint real hard maybe"
Some steamy takes here but makes me wonder if some bigger names have under the table pledges from NBA teams already and that's why they play so passive. Williams and Castle in mind, both passive enough and projected high enough to qualify for this. A team tells you they want you, you like it, everything's locked up then and nothing left to play for and risk the payday on an injury so just go through the motions until time to level up. Meanwhile the teammates are busting out because they still have to earn it?
Feels like I'm just thinking a lot about Williams and Castle. Two I want to like but show nothing to get very excited about outside of drastic and likely unrealistic extrapolation. "but just" is the theme of this draft.
Give me Dilly with our pick and Buz with the Raps pick.
The under-the-table conspiracy you just laid out puts these organizations more at risk of breaking NBA code and ethics and for what? So they can have a more likely chance of drafting a random kid themselves? Do you really think the Spurs tell their own employees to go and tell these kids to play bad so they can be drafted? If that was such a thing, it would have leaked by now. By the 18 year old or by that 18 year old’s family.
Yeah you're probably right. Just feel like at the end of the day NBA is an entertainment business, there are probably ways to send info through back channels where it's mostly untraceable, and the incentives may outweigh the risk.
You do see things like forfeited picks for tampering in the NBA already. PHI lost a 2RP for tampering in FA, and PHX lost a 2RP for talking to FA Drewbanks before legally allowed. Could be just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe it's only worth it for a Brunson, maybe it only happens in FA and not the draft. I don't know, I heard the rumor about Haliburton telling teams don't draft me. Bet it occurs here and there.
you don’t think Sarr has the potential to be a star?
I don’t, but it’s just my opinion.
I get a serious Michael Olowokandi vibe from him. Here’s the thing: if you have motor issues, that’s really incurable. You can be cajoled into effort over a span like the draft evaluation period, but you’ll always go back to floating through games. If it’s not in you, it’s not in you. Guys with motors never have to be asked to give extra effort.
Anytime I'm starting to be into a player, he's having bad games lol
Topic got injured
Cody hand injury and since so so
Risacher series of bad outings
Sheppard now
You have to bank on Sheppard developing handles, change of pace type stuff to be a real threat off the dribble. He has glimpses of that stuff but not nearly consistent enough to be a full time pg. he won’t be a great man defender at either position but he’d get murdered as a 2
or you have to pair him with a big pg like castle/topic so they can cross-match defensively
With that said his advanced stats and on off numbers are absolutely bonkers
I think the breakdown of players is pretty accurate, more or less. I have a higher opinion of Castle, for example. I've been more down on Risacher and Sheppard, but they definitely can be good players (I'd pick Risacher). I don't think I'd take Sarr with a top few picks, but at 8, definitely interested.
Definitely can't agree with any promises thing. Certainly not this far out and even more for the high lottery slots.
That said, Castle and Williams play for teams jammed with veterans. Each has upperclassmen who are also going to be draft picks who are better and more important players right now. UConn is a championship contender and Colorado, after ups and downs, is solidly in the NCAAT field.
Castle. He was recruited by Dan Hurley as a four-star before UConn got its championship and Castle blew up into a five star. He stuck with them and was always attracted to the non-fussy environment. Right now he plays as a connective piece sharing duties initiating the offense. He unfortunately is not an outside scoring threat, but does a lot of other things. Despite not carrying a large scoring load, he's trusted to do most everything else.
Williams. Also honored his commitment to a school after rising in hs rankings. Due to his role, he doesn't handle the ball as much as Castle and takes a backseat offensively, but is trusted to move the ball up the court and has good handles. Like Castle, he is trusted to do the right things, rotations on defense, swing the ball, and he does this. To me, he looks more like a freshman and seems more 'passive,' because he posts in the corners in many sets and Castle has prime ball-handling duties.
I'm not really sure what we'd see if they went to schools where they'd be more featured.
touche Dejounte and Mr Body
good thoughts and I've adjusted my views
Yeah, I have to agree Dejounte and Mr. Body make good points - I feel like a Bi Polar basketball college fan right now one day I like a certain player the next day watching them I hate them. I swear this draft has been the hardest for me to figure out I don't even have 1 favorite cat in this draft from first round to second round...
Pretty much the same. I think we're all tired of the poor play and limitations of the team. It would be nice to know the draft could fix some of these problems and the available players don't look like homerun swings and each has question marks. So it feels like the year was a loss (in that regard). But I feel like the Spurs can get a couple of players in this draft - even not getting the Raptors pick - who will improve the roster.
Has anyone looked into PG Juan Nuñez, who was named MVP of the FIBA U20 European Championship 2022 when he was 18? Playing for a Spanish club now at 20 years old, 6'4" 190. Projected late 2nd round, interesting highlights. Decent handles, scores on drives with a solid burst. Some loose ball/poke away fast breaks, nice finishes, and basic distribution with a few nifty passes. Has this sling pass that looks kind of sneaky. Seems like a Spursy project pick. Nuñez is teammates with 18 year old SF/PF Pacome Dadiet 6"8" 187 also projected around mid 2nd as of now and has been mocked to SA with #44. When you watch Pacome highlights, some of his offense starts with a Nuñez pass. Nuñez/Dadiet is my new irrational overhype of the week lol
Would be cool to target them both as a chemistry duo. Says they played Bourg which has Risacher and I'm looking at film on that. Some of the most promising names in Europe. Pretty good tape (Nov. 2023) as it has all 3 on court: https://youtu.be/AGJWiTikiiY
Was looking at second round and wondering who everyone liked there? Looks loaded with nice names. Collin Murray-Boyles, KJ Simpson, Kyshawn George may fall around #33 and Tyler Kolek, Trey Alexander around #44.
Probably see Spurs punt #33 in a trade for a future 2nd tbh but figure they pick one 2nd rounder who would you prefer?
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