2024 NBA Draft Thread

[The Q]

I know it's a little early, but since it's march madness I wanted a place to share thoughts now, especially beyond guys who are in my second round steals list.

- I may be biased but I really like Donovan Clingan in this draft. He doesn't have the highest ceiling, but in a draft like this a high floor has some value. He fits in the Walker Kessler, Rudy Gobert model. As Memphis I would take him as an easy Steven Adams replacement, and I don't think he should get by OKC's pick (via Hou).

- I'm not big on FIlipowski. Screams a Kelly O type. Which...is fine. But not as a lottery pick.

- Dante from Oregon is a guy who will be on my second round steals list. He's built like a tank, but proved he can get out in space and not embarrass himself. He is also a low maintenance offensive player.

- I'm probably low man on Dillingham. I see a Lou Williams type.

- There's an interesting group of guys who nothing alike yet all of them have a value that is enhanced by if teams think they can play the point in the NBA. Sheppard and Dillingham from Kentucky and Castle from UConn.

- Tidjane Salaun is fascinating to me. He started playing basketball later than most of the guys in the draft, is one of the youngest players in the draft and yet is meaningfully contributing on a pro team. He is likely getting a lot of g league run year 1, but he probably has one of the higher ceilings due to his combination of youth and inexperience/room to grow.

- I have no idea why the G league recruits so many guys who cannot shoot. It just messes up the experience for everyone since it looks like a HS defense against them.

- This draft has some nice older defense first players. Devin Carter, Kevin McCullar (who would've been on my 2nd round steal list if he stayed in last year's draft), and Ryan Dunn all should go in round 1, and one of them should be a phoenix sun (assuming they don't trade the pick)

- I think Harrison Ingram is fools gold. He's a 60ish % FT shooter, and yet is shooting 40% from 3 this year vs. closer to 30% in his prior stops.

 

[trojanfan12]

I know it's a little early, but since it's march madness I wanted a place to share thoughts now, especially beyond guys who are in my second round steals list.

- I may be biased but I really like Donovan Clingan in this draft. He doesn't have the highest ceiling, but in a draft like this a high floor has some value. He fits in the Walker Kessler, Rudy Gobert model. As Memphis I would take him as an easy Steven Adams replacement, and I don't think he should get by OKC's pick (via Hou).

- I'm not big on FIlipowski. Screams a Kelly O type. Which...is fine. But not as a lottery pick.

- Dante from Oregon is a guy who will be on my second round steals list. He's built like a tank, but proved he can get out in space and not embarrass himself. He is also a low maintenance offensive player.

- I'm probably low man on Dillingham. I see a Lou Williams type.

- There's an interesting group of guys who nothing alike yet all of them have a value that is enhanced by if teams think they can play the point in the NBA. Sheppard and Dillingham from Kentucky and Castle from UConn.

- Tidjane Salaun is fascinating to me. He started playing basketball later than most of the guys in the draft, is one of the youngest players in the draft and yet is meaningfully contributing on a pro team. He is likely getting a lot of g league run year 1, but he probably has one of the higher ceilings due to his combination of youth and inexperience/room to grow.

- I have no idea why the G league recruits so many guys who cannot shoot. It just messes up the experience for everyone since it looks like a HS defense against them.

- This draft has some nice older defense first players. Devin Carter, Kevin McCullar (who would've been on my 2nd round steal list if he stayed in last year's draft), and Ryan Dunn all should go in round 1, and one of them should be a phoenix sun (assuming they don't trade the pick)

- I think Harrison Ingram is fools gold. He's a 60ish % FT shooter, and yet is shooting 40% from 3 this year vs. closer to 30% in his prior stops.

Where do you see Isaiah Collier?

At the beginning of the season, folks were saying he's a lottery pick and at least a couple said he could go #1. But dude has been something of a disappointment and has not looked NBA ready to me.

He did a little better late in the season, but still looked like 2nd round at best to me.

 

[Gman]

Do the Celtics still have time to trade away Tatum, Porzingis and Brown to get better draft position?

 

[The Q]

Do the Celtics still have time to trade away Tatum, Porzingis and Brown to get better draft position?

No lol

 

[The Q]

Where do you see Isaiah Collier?

At the beginning of the season, folks were saying he's a lottery pick and at least a couple said he could go #1. But dude has been something of a disappointment and has not looked NBA ready to me.

He did a little better late in the season, but still looked like 2nd round at best to me.

Yeah I’m not a huge fan.

Smaller guard

Not a real point type

Not a shooter

It’s a lot of hype in a weird package

I’m with you that he looks like a round 2 guy. That whole usc team had so much hype but they didn’t really impact the game in winning ways

 

[trojanfan12]

Yeah I’m not a huge fan.

Smaller guard

Not a real point type

Not a shooter

It’s a lot of hype in a weird package

I’m with you that he looks like a round 2 guy. That whole usc team had so much hype but they didn’t really impact the game in winning ways

Yeah, for his sake, I hope he just had trouble adjusting to the college game and is smart enough to stay in school. Was really excited to see USC get him, but from the 1st game to the last, I didn't really see much that looked like the player he was supposed to be. Part of the problem too was that he would try to force things.

Maybe he was trying too hard to live up to the hype?

 

[The Q]

Yeah, for his sake, I hope he just had trouble adjusting to the college game and is smart enough to stay in school. Was really excited to see USC get him, but from the 1st game to the last, I didn't really see much that looked like the player he was supposed to be. Part of the problem too was that he would try to force things.

Maybe he was trying too hard to live up to the hype?

entirely possible

but he also doesn't seem to have great touch (sub 70% from the FT line)

and maybe he just wasn't as good of an athlete (at least with the ball in his hands) as expected. It happens.

It's just at tough role to fill out.

Some guys make it and develop a shot (like De'Andre Melton)

But 6'4 shooting guards seem to be one of the US's biggest exports lol

 

[shopson67]

Do the Celtics still have time to trade away Tatum, Porzingis and Brown to get better draft position?

If the Pels defer their pick from the Lakers, they can get that pick for Derrick White. Deal?

 

[The Q]

If the Pels defer their pick from the Lakers, they can get that pick for Derrick White. Deal?

Bear I can do is paytonpritchard

 

[shopson67]

Bear I can do is paytonpritchard

Ehhh, nah.

 

[wildturkey]

This draft blows

 

[The Q]

This draft blows

It’s pretty normal outside of not having a top 5 like normal. But it’s pretty broad in that middle tier

But lotta eye of the beholder will happen this year

 

[shopson67]

This draft blows

It certainly seems that way to me, but I've watched almost zero games outside of Syracuse games, so I have a very limited frame of reference lol. I'm just ready for Bacot to graduate; it seems like he's been playing for a decade now.

 

[The Q]

I’ve jinxed clingan

 

[The Q]

Zach Edey, Donovan Clingan beg question: Does NBA have room for behemoth centers?

These big men are huge ... and skilled. Can their talent overcome the challenges they'll face at the next level?

theathletic.com

Good article

Having the best PERs since zion is absolutely insane

 

[The Q]

I do not have him this high right now

 

[The Q]

This draft blows

the funny thing i saw today with Pelton's article...there are 3 guys in this draft who project (in his system) as better than the avg 1-1 pick the last 12 years.

And they 4 guys projected to be over 3 WARP per season, more than any class since 2012 besides 2014.

I'm not saying the class is perfect, and it doesn't have generational upside. But you can find those gammas (like a Gobert, or a Kris Middleton), and that's still really really valuable.

 

[wildturkey]

the funny thing i saw today with Pelton's article...there are 3 guys in this draft who project (in his system) as better than the avg 1-1 pick the last 12 years.

And they 4 guys projected to be over 3 WARP per season, more than any class since 2012 besides 2014.

I'm not saying the class is perfect, and it doesn't have generational upside. But you can find those gammas (like a Gobert, or a Kris Middleton), and that's still really really valuable.

This draft blows

 

[tlance]

the funny thing i saw today with Pelton's article...there are 3 guys in this draft who project (in his system) as better than the avg 1-1 pick the last 12 years.

And they 4 guys projected to be over 3 WARP per season, more than any class since 2012 besides 2014.

I'm not saying the class is perfect, and it doesn't have generational upside. But you can find those gammas (like a Gobert, or a Kris Middleton), and that's still really really valuable.

Who are those 4 players?

 

[The Q]

Who are those 4 players?

Clingan
Sheppard
Sarr
Edey

Again, it’s not perfect, but it’s interesting

Shouldn’t be surprising when clingan and Edey had Zion level PERs this year