2024 NBA Draft Thread

[TrainOfThought5]

Now that we've finished the NCAA season and wait on combine results/interviews/ workouts etc, this is my Board at the present time. I've included my personal top 10 Spurs Board, which I don't usually do.

I think there are a few guys that I have top 10 that will be lower on draft day and I'm starting to see some value later in the draft (13-20) that could warrant trading back (or up) in certain scenarios. Guys like Tristan Da Silva, Johnny Furphy, Devin Carter, Kevin McCullar and Kyshawn George, provide various things that would fit or have upside if we are willing to move on from a few guys on the back end of our roster.

2024 NBA Draft Board
Tier 1:
1. Zaccharie Risacher
2. Alex Sarr
3. Nikola Topic
4. Matas Buzelis
Tier 2:
5. Reed Shephard
6. Cody Williams
7. Dalton Knecht
8. Isaiah Collier
Tier 3:
9. Robert Dillingham
10. Tidjane Salaun
11. Donovan Clingan
12. Stephen Castle
13. JaKobe Walter
14. Kyle Filipowski
15. Ron Holland
16. Johnny Furphy
Tier 4:
17. Ryan Dunn
18. Tyler Smith
19. Ke'lel Ware
20. Yves Missi
21. Zach Edey
22. Bobi Klintman
23. Kyshawn George
24. Tyrese Proctor
Tier 5:
25. Pacome Dadiet
26. Trevon Brazile
27. Kevin McCullar
28. Juan Nunez
29. Tyler Kolek
30. Tristan Da Silva

My Spurs Board Top 10

1. Matas Buzelis
2. Nikola Topic
3. Zaccharie Risacher
4. Alexander Sarr
5. Cody Williams
6. Reed Shephard
7. Dalton Knecht
8. Isaiah Collier
9. Tidjane Salaun
10. Robert Dillingham

Reed Sheppard over RoB Dillingham?!

[Bruno]

Regarding the Euro U18:
In odd years, there is also an U19 WC during the summer. It is customary to have the best 18 years old playing the U19 WC instead of the Euro U18. In 2023, Serbia really wanted to win the Euro U18, because it was at home, and they put all their best 18 years old in the U18 compe ion. Sarr, Risacher or Almansa played the 2023 U19 WC while they could have played the Euro U18.

Something I like about Topic is that he is the son of Milenko Topic, a high level Serbian player. While there are some counter example (like Bol Bol), most of the prospect coming from basketball families have a great work ethic and at ude.

[Kevin]

Thinking about the weakness of this year class and where Sarr would have went in the two previous drafts.

Last year he doesn't touch the top 3 and the Rockets would have passed on him at 4 because of Sengun, Eason and Smith. Good chance he goes to the Pistons and might fall as far as 7 to the Wizards.

The year before is much the same. Doesn't sniff the top 3 with Paulo, Chet and Smith and the Kings prolly take the much more sure thing in Murray even if Sarr has a higher ceiling. Once again the Pistons might be stuck with Sarr and if they don't take him he might fall to 8 for the Blazers.

With such a weak class this year Sarr is a lock for top 3. In a normal draft class Sarr goes in the 5-7 range certainly not top 3 let alone first overall.

[scott]

Thinking about the weakness of this year class and where Sarr would have went in the two previous drafts.

Last year he doesn't touch the top 3 and the Rockets would have passed on him at 4 because of Sengun, Eason and Smith. Good chance he goes to the Pistons and might fall as far as 7 to the Wizards.

The year before is much the same. Doesn't sniff the top 3 with Paulo, Chet and Smith and the Kings prolly take the much more sure thing in Murray even if Sarr has a higher ceiling. Once again the Pistons might be stuck with Sarr and if they don't take him he might fall to 8 for the Blazers.

With such a weak class this year Sarr is a lock for top 3. In a normal draft class Sarr goes in the 5-7 range certainly not top 3 let alone first overall.

Does he even go ahead of Duren and Mark Williams in the 2022 draft? Questionable.

[Kevin]

Does he even go ahead of Duren and Mark Williams in the 2022 draft? Questionable.

If Ousmane Deing goes 11 no way does Sarr fall into the teens that year. Still think he goes somewhere between 5-7 in 2022. I mean the Blazers rolled the dice on Shady Sharpe who also has a pretty low floor with character questions that Sarr doesn't have.

[mo7888]

Reed Sheppard over RoB Dillingham?!

100% I see Dilly as a 6th man energy guy off the bench and I don't think he'll be a full time starter on a good team. I see him as valuable though. Reed I believe has a 'chance' to be a lead PG in certain systems with a floor pf being a role player off the bench. There's just a little more upside there, although the difference isn't much..

[BatManu20]

Of course Dilly goes with Klutch smh

[ambchang]

Granted, this is just based on a few youtube highlights, but I am very wary of Topic.
1) Players dominating in leagues that have more players than fans in the stands are always red flags;
2) His main strength seems to be driving to the hoop and finishing. While he does look really good finishing with both hands in the clips, I have serious doubts he would have the same type of room in the NBA;
2a) Similarly, I am not sure if he can drive past NBA defences with that speed. His defenders look like they were wearing cement shoes;
3) For all the talks about his vision, he sure misses a lot of simple obvious passes and instead choose to make the layups in traffic. Sure he makes them or it wouldn't have made the highlights, but I don't really see too many incredible passes;
4) As difficult it is for the NBA to defend nowadays, he will likely be hunted on every possession through pick and rolls. Our defence is hard enough;
5) He can't really shoot (well do ented). The form looks fine, so I think he will get better in that front;
6) He looks like Justin Bieber and the Joker (comic book one) had a baby.

[heyheymymy]

Damn, Kanye Calipari and Klutch

Dilly is not Spurs material

[JPB]

Giving the nature of this draft, my way if thinking as a GM would be reducing the risks as much as I can and "choosing by elimination" by passing on players with big question marks and focusing on players who apparetnly present the profile and charaterisitcs that have the biggest chances to adapt to the NBA. That's for example why Miller was (rightfully so) picked over Scoot last year, as a long, versatile wing every NBA team is looking for today vs. an undersized PG who can't shoot.

And that's the reason I beliieve Risacher (versatile, long wing himself) and Sarr (mobile, rim protector) are mocked top 2 in many drafts and should go 1 and 2. Not necessarily because they're perceived as game changers or future stars but because their profile present the biggest chances to make them valuable, contributors, contrary to other prospects with no real cer itudes.

Not bullying Topic (...) but that's the problem I have with hmi for example... I don't see any glaring element in his profile or morphology that makes me confident enough his game would adapt as a solid contributor in the NBA. Maybe he will, but yet again, it's about reducing risks, and he would ABSOLUTELY have to become a good shooter or he'll be useless in the NBA, specially condidering his bad defense...

Same with Dillingham, an undersized PG who can't shoot. Looks like a poor man's Scoot to me... Nothing surefire with them too, but I feel more confident a Risacher or a Sarr could contribute in different ways in the NBA. Put differently, I see a niche for these guys in the big league, with at elast or two things (hopefully more) they could be solid for, while other guys may just look like potentially good BB players OVERALL but nothing you could really put emphasis on to confidently make your choice...

It's kinda guarantees and rationality vs. gambling and hope. Time will tell.

[Atl Spur]

Damn, Kanye Calipari and Klutch

Dilly is not Spurs material

Why is Klutch so polarizing on this board? I guess because the owner currently plays basketball…. CAA along with other agencies never get any flack whatsoever! Oh well, get your bread Dilly

[scott]

If Ousmane Deing goes 11 no way does Sarr fall into the teens that year. Still think he goes somewhere between 5-7 in 2022. I mean the Blazers rolled the dice on Shady Sharpe who also has a pretty low floor with character questions that Sarr doesn't have.

Sarr's NBL stats are about as unimpressive as Dieng's were. Maybe that should tell us something.

[heyheymymy]

There goes my dream of drafting Cody Williams and Rob Dillingham to begin the Willy Dilly era in San Antonio.

Cody could wear #11 and get a nike brand on Wi11iams.

[Dejounte]

Giving the nature of this draft, my way if thinking as a GM would be reducing the risks as much as I can and "choosing by elimination" by passing on players with big question marks and focusing on players who apparetnly present the profile and charaterisitcs that have the biggest chances to adapt to the NBA. That's for example why Miller was (rightfully so) picked over Scoot last year, as a long, versatile wing every NBA team is looking for today vs. an undersized PG who can't shoot.

And that's the reason I beliieve Risacher (versatile, long wing himself) and Sarr (mobile, rim protector) are mocked top 2 in many drafts and should go 1 and 2. Not necessarily because they're perceived as game changers or future stars but because their profile present the biggest chances to make them valuable, contributors, contrary to other prospects with no real cer itudes.

Not bullying Topic (...) but that's the problem I have with hmi for example... I don't see any glaring element in his profile or morphology that makes me confident enough his game would adapt as a solid contributor in the NBA. Maybe he will, but yet again, it's about reducing risks, and he would ABSOLUTELY have to become a good shooter or he'll be useless in the NBA, specially condidering his bad defense...

Same with Dillingham, an undersized PG who can't shoot. Looks like a poor man's Scoot to me... Nothing surefire with them too, but I feel more confident a Risacher or a Sarr could contribute in different ways in the NBA. Put differently, I see a niche for these guys in the big league, with at elast or two things (hopefully more) they could be solid for, while other guys may just look like potentially good BB players OVERALL but nothing you could really put emphasis on to confidently make your choice...

It's kinda guarantees and rationality vs. gambling and hope. Time will tell.

There’s nothing versatile about Risacher. He can’t dribble. He’s too weak to defend up and too slow to defend down. , it’s looking like he can’t even shoot. 25% shooter on 59 threes for the last 16 games. That’s pathetic. He’s long whoopty doo. There’s your gambling and hoping right there.

[mo7888]

Giving the nature of this draft, my way if thinking as a GM would be reducing the risks as much as I can and "choosing by elimination" by passing on players with big question marks and focusing on players who apparetnly present the profile and charaterisitcs that have the biggest chances to adapt to the NBA. That's for example why Miller was (rightfully so) picked over Scoot last year, as a long, versatile wing every NBA team is looking for today vs. an undersized PG who can't shoot.

And that's the reason I beliieve Risacher (versatile, long wing himself) and Sarr (mobile, rim protector) are mocked top 2 in many drafts and should go 1 and 2. Not necessarily because they're perceived as game changers or future stars but because their profile present the biggest chances to make them valuable, contributors, contrary to other prospects with no real cer itudes.

Not bullying Topic (...) but that's the problem I have with hmi for example... I don't see any glaring element in his profile or morphology that makes me confident enough his game would adapt as a solid contributor in the NBA. Maybe he will, but yet again, it's about reducing risks, and he would ABSOLUTELY have to become a good shooter or he'll be useless in the NBA, specially condidering his bad defense...

Same with Dillingham, an undersized PG who can't shoot. Looks like a poor man's Scoot to me... Nothing surefire with them too, but I feel more confident a Risacher or a Sarr could contribute in different ways in the NBA. Put differently, I see a niche for these guys in the big league, with at elast or two things (hopefully more) they could be solid for, while other guys may just look like potentially good BB players OVERALL but nothing you could really put emphasis on to confidently make your choice...

It's kinda guarantees and rationality vs. gambling and hope. Time will tell.

That's an argument for high floor/ low ceiling guys. Knecht is probably the only one in the top 10 (or closest). Everyone else is a risk, so I'd gamble on the bigger upside for positions we need.

[baseline bum]

100% I see Dilly as a 6th man energy guy off the bench and I don't think he'll be a full time starter on a good team. I see him as valuable though. Reed I believe has a 'chance' to be a lead PG in certain systems with a floor pf being a role player off the bench. There's just a little more upside there, although the difference isn't much..

You think he can be a lead PG in the Spurs system where Wemby is the only decent creator? Assuming Sheppard would have earned the starting spot over Tre at some point next season.

[BackHome]

The thing with Dilly is he will be hunted relentlessly on the defensive side so what he gives you on offense he will then quickly give backup on the defensive side.

[BatManu20]

[ace3g]

[spurraider21]

Granted, this is just based on a few youtube highlights, but I am very wary of Topic.
1) Players dominating in leagues that have more players than fans in the stands are always red flags;
2) His main strength seems to be driving to the hoop and finishing. While he does look really good finishing with both hands in the clips, I have serious doubts he would have the same type of room in the NBA;
2a) Similarly, I am not sure if he can drive past NBA defences with that speed. His defenders look like they were wearing cement shoes;
3) For all the talks about his vision, he sure misses a lot of simple obvious passes and instead choose to make the layups in traffic. Sure he makes them or it wouldn't have made the highlights, but I don't really see too many incredible passes;
4) As difficult it is for the NBA to defend nowadays, he will likely be hunted on every possession through pick and rolls. Our defence is hard enough;
5) He can't really shoot (well do ented). The form looks fine, so I think he will get better in that front;
6) He looks like Justin Bieber and the Joker (comic book one) had a baby.

yeah this is why euroleague was going to be such a critical part of his evaluation. just requires an insane amount of projection given the league he was playing in

he does seem to have some saving graces for most of his concerns. ie whether he can continue to finish at the rim in the nba, or whether he can become an adequate defender... he reportedly has a wingpsan of 6'10 or 6'11 or so. and while the outside shooting isnt there yet, the very high FT% as well as his touch near the rim are solid indicators that it can come around

[spurraider21]

[$pursDynasty]

Weakness of this class aside. What are the thoughts on how Sarr would fit on our roster? For me he has the highest upside of the potential picks because his negatives are not what we need to be strong positives out of him as a draft pick. In other words what he lacks is not what we would need out of him. I can't say the same for the rest, ie Dilly's inability to play defense would be a major negative to the Spurs just like Topic's inability to shoot would be as well.

[SpursBills]

If Dink Pate is allowed to enter the 2024 draft he's automatically the most interesting prospect in this draft to me. The combination of youth, height, and passing ability has historically yielded excellent draft prospects. The fact that he played most of his ignite season at 17 years old and had a 1.5:1 AST:TO while not being a complete zero offensively is incredibly impressive to me. Not that worried about his shooting percentages considering how physically underdeveloped he is, and his 70+% FT indicates that he most likely has some shooting potential. I'd honestly take him with the Spurs pick right now wherever it lands if given the opportunity. If the raptors pick conveys, probably take one of the four combo guards (Sheppard, Carter, Castle, McCain) to round out my 3 guard lineup.

[exstatic]

If Dink Pate is allowed to enter the 2024 draft he's automatically the most interesting prospect in this draft to me. The combination of youth, height, and passing ability has historically yielded excellent draft prospects. The fact that he played most of his ignite season at 17 years old and had a 1.5:1 AST:TO while not being a complete zero offensively is incredibly impressive to me. Not that worried about his shooting percentages considering how physically underdeveloped he is, and his 70+% FT indicates that he most likely has some shooting potential. I'd honestly take him with the Spurs pick right now wherever it lands if given the opportunity. If the raptors pick conveys, probably take one of the four combo guards (Sheppard, Carter, Castle, McCain) to round out my 3 guard lineup.

70% FTs isn’t really a strong shooting signal.

[exstatic]

Granted, this is just based on a few youtube highlights, but I am very wary of Topic.
1) Players dominating in leagues that have more players than fans in the stands are always red flags;
2) His main strength seems to be driving to the hoop and finishing. While he does look really good finishing with both hands in the clips, I have serious doubts he would have the same type of room in the NBA;
2a) Similarly, I am not sure if he can drive past NBA defences with that speed. His defenders look like they were wearing cement shoes;
3) For all the talks about his vision, he sure misses a lot of simple obvious passes and instead choose to make the layups in traffic. Sure he makes them or it wouldn't have made the highlights, but I don't really see too many incredible passes;
4) As difficult it is for the NBA to defend nowadays, he will likely be hunted on every possession through pick and rolls. Our defence is hard enough;
5) He can't really shoot (well do ented). The form looks fine, so I think he will get better in that front;
6) He looks like Justin Bieber and the Joker (comic book one) had a baby.

You have that exactly backwards. There is MORE spacing in the NBA because of the proliferation of 3 point FGAs.