2024 NBA Draft Prospects

[ForeverRDjazz]

With Brice Sensabaugh we could have top five pick in this years draft, we got last year. Kid looked real good last game. 5 for 8 15 pionts 12 boards.

Jazz never get lucky when it comes to moving up. down and out is most likely the case this year.

[babyjax13]

Looks like we are keeping the pick unless someone jumps us on lottery day. It looks like there is a reasonable chance Brooklyn finishes the year with a better record than us, too, but the most likely scenario feels like we pick at 9.

[babyjax13]

Spoke too soon, Houston lost Sengun, hopefully not for too long (both for him and for our pick).

[Hoops Addict]

new mock.

https://www.nbadraft.net/

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/matas-buzelis/

NBA Comparison: Franz Wagner
Strengths: 6’10 wing … Although his length isn’t great relative to height, he has good size considering position with a 6’10.25 wingspan and 8’8 standing reach … Natural feel for the game and versatile skill set. Very skilled, crafty, and smooth with the ball for his size. Demonstrates ball skills in the half-court and leads well in transition. Sees the floor well, makes impressive one-handed passes with either hand off the dribble. Distributes well in pass and kick situations, especially when driving baseline. Good ball-handler, can break down the defense and get to the rim off the dribble, isn’t completely reliant on triple threat. Good change of speed, creativity, and wiggle with the ball. Can start the offense after grabbing a rebound … Can play on or off the ball, knows when to space the floor and when to cut/rotate … Impressive and fluid athlete. Jumps well off one or both feet. Has eye-opening dunks when getting to the rim and gets impressive pop after euro-steps. Isn’t afraid to attempt dunks in the crowded paint. Good body control when contorting himself in the air for finishes. Covers a lot of ground and uses euro-steps to react to the defense on drives. Drives well going to his left or right and good use of counters when needed. Good touch on floater and accurate with either hand at the rim … Patient offensively, doesn’t blindly attack the rim or force his impact. Reads and reacts well … Averaged 14.2 points per game on 52.1% FG% over the Nike EYBL in 2022 and finished 2nd in scoring with 15.4 points per game on a 4th best 49.6% FG% over the NIBC in 2022-23 … Good aggression. Despite lack of strength, he doesn’t shy away from contact and plays well against tight pressure … Good form on jump shot with comfortable 3PT shooting range. Capable shooting off the dribble, including step-backs, and hits shots when given little space from the defender. Improved 3PT shooting over his senior year, from 26.6% 3PT% on 3.4 3PT attempts per game over the Nike EYBL in 2022 to 42.2% 3PT% on 3.8 3PT attempts per game over the NIBC in 2022-23 … Shows a midrange fadeaway … Good free throw shooter. Shot 77.6% FT% over the Nike EYBL in 2022 and a 4th best 81% FT% over the NIBC in 2022-23 … Good size and anticipation on the defensive end. Good timing as a help a help defender when blocking shots. Averaged a 3rd best 1.9 blocks per game over the NIBC in 2022-23. Moves well laterally … Possesses desirable size and skills for a modern-day perimeter player …

Weaknesses: Has much room to improve upper and lower body strength, as well as being stronger with the ball. Can be too straight up when handling the ball, lacking the low center of gravity. Picks up his dribble early or loses the ball when enduring contact trying to work in tight spaces at times. Contact noticeably affects his balance, eliminating his wiggle and effectivity with the ball. Sometimes ends up on the floor when taking contact at the rim. Handling contact against full grown pros this season in the G-League will be quite an adjustment and contrast to what he was against in high school … Good shooter, but can speed up his release … Although he’s more of a perimeter player, he has room to improve as a rebounder. Sometimes after getting a hand on the board, he loses the rebound battle with his lack of strength, failing to corral the ball. Averaged 5.6 rebounds per game over the Nike EYBL in 2022 and 6.1 rebounds per game over the NIBC in 2022-23 … While he keeps turnovers fairly low considering his volume and role with the ball, he holds a negative assist to turnover ratio and can improve assist count, especially if he’s going to be at least a secondary initiator at the next levels. Averaged 2.2 assists to 2.3 turnovers per game over the Nike EYBL in 2022 and only 1.6 assists per game over the NIBC in 2022-23 …

[HadAnEffectHere]

Buzelis is easily the most overrated player in this class. He has nothing other than "tall."

[babyjax13]

I'm going to be so upset if this is the year we pick first.

[Inigo Montoya]

I'm going to be so upset if this is the year we pick first.

Me too. It'll be such a Jazz thing to happen that we finally get the first pick in a terrible draft and probably never again, and we'll have the front office say how right they were to take the direction they took, while we eventually end up with just another role player because this draft sucks.

[babyjax13]

In terms of who I like, I think Castle and Risacher are good fits. Both are pretty tenacious defenders, both fit with George, Lauri, and Hendricks, and both have some warts. Castle has a bit of an edge to his game, is a solid defender and a good rebounder, and he can be a secondary creator freeing up George to be off-ball a little more. But his jumper is suspect and I don't think he's an elite athlete. Risacher really gets into the people he is defending and has good length, but he can also get beaten with screens and against smaller, faster players. I think he will be a plus on that end. His shooting looks good but not great, and I don't think there is going to be a ton of self-creation but he can attack a bent defense and hit open shots. He also is a decent passer with above-average vision while being really big.

At 9 I kind of assume they are off the board and we are picking from guys like Collier, Knecht, Filipowski, Clingan, Saluan, Dillingham, and Sheppard (though the latter two are high on some mocks and may push a more desirable player to us). I don't really love the fit with any of them and some are redundant, but I think you still pick BPA and worry about fit issues later - once you know who the keeper is. With enough draft picks moving forward, just draft BPA and worry about the rest later. But, basically, there is a scenario where we are looking at what I would call 'hypothetical skillsets' and asking if players can be developed into what we need. I could see Furphy, Saluan, Knecht, Collier (if he measures larger than he looks), and Kyshawn George fitting this logic [and I'd probably pick between Furphy, Saluan, and George - but I could also see going for more proven players like Collier, Knecht, Filipowski, and Clingan here).

[Catchall]

I'm guessing the Jazz want a big wing with some creation ability--e.g., Risacher, Williams, Buzelis or Holland. That said, I think they would take Sarr or Topic as well if given the opportunity. If the Jazz are drafting at #9 and all those guys are gone, then it gets interesting.

Filipowski offensively is a nice fit. Defensively, he might be Cody Zeller, just limited impact. I'm curious to see if the Jazz would draft Dillingham, though I think probably they wouldn't. One person whom I don't think gets talked about enough is Tyler Smith. He has lottery-level talent, imo, but Ignite has been so awful this year I think people just tuned out.

One guy I'm still holding out hope for is Ulrich Chomche. Let's see what he looks like at Nike Hoop Summit next month and if he jumps into this draft.

[Catchall]

In terms of who I like, I think Castle and Risacher are good fits. Both are pretty tenacious defenders, both fit with George, Lauri, and Hendricks, and both have some warts. Castle has a bit of an edge to his game, is a solid defender and a good rebounder, and he can be a secondary creator freeing up George to be off-ball a little more. But his jumper is suspect and I don't think he's an elite athlete. Risacher really gets into the people he is defending and has good length, but he can also get beaten with screens and against smaller, faster players. I think he will be a plus on that end. His shooting looks good but not great, and I don't think there is going to be a ton of self-creation but he can attack a bent defense and hit open shots. He also is a decent passer with above-average vision while being really big.

I haven't been excited about Castle. If his shooting doesn't come together, both in terms of volume and consistency, I think he's probably a backup 2/3. I just don't see why he'd be a priority for the Jazz. They like positional size/length, athleticism and shooting. I think Castle will probably be solid. I just don't think he's a top 10 guy.

[babyjax13]

I'm guessing the Jazz want a big wing with some creation ability--e.g., Risacher, Williams, Buzelis or Holland. That said, I think they would take Sarr or Topic as well if given the opportunity. If the Jazz are drafting at #9 and all those guys are gone, then it gets interesting.

Filipowski offensively is a nice fit. Defensively, he might be Cody Zeller, just limited impact. I'm curious to see if the Jazz would draft Dillingham, though I think probably they wouldn't. One person whom I don't think gets talked about enough is Tyler Smith. He has lottery-level talent, imo, but Ignite has been so awful this year I think people just tuned out.

One guy I'm still holding out hope for is Ulrich Chomche. Let's see what he looks like at Nike Hoop Summit next month and if he jumps into this draft.

Chomche looks really raw from what little I've seen. Hopefully he shows something at the summit but I'm not sure what is there to be excited about. I suspect all the big wings you listed will be gone, because I agree those should be the targets. Don't see the fit of Filipowski unless we decide Kessler is a backup. Agree on Smith, but that pick would signal an eventual Lauri trade or playing Hendricks at center, IMO. It's unfortunate that if we were going to tank for a pick we didn't start 15 games earlier so we could get one of the wings at the top of the draft, but it's also a draft with really poor top end talent (in terms of pre draft evaluation, guys always end up overachieving but it is hard to identify who does that).

[babyjax13]

In terms of who I like, I think Castle and Risacher are good fits. Both are pretty tenacious defenders, both fit with George, Lauri, and Hendricks, and both have some warts. Castle has a bit of an edge to his game, is a solid defender and a good rebounder, and he can be a secondary creator freeing up George to be off-ball a little more. But his jumper is suspect and I don't think he's an elite athlete. Risacher really gets into the people he is defending and has good length, but he can also get beaten with screens and against smaller, faster players. I think he will be a plus on that end. His shooting looks good but not great, and I don't think there is going to be a ton of self-creation but he can attack a bent defense and hit open shots. He also is a decent passer with above-average vision while being really big.

I haven't been excited about Castle. If his shooting doesn't come together, both in terms of volume and consistency, I think he's probably a backup 2/3. I just don't see why he'd be a priority for the Jazz. They like positional size/length, athleticism and shooting. I think Castle will probably be solid. I just don't think he's a top 10 guy.

That could be the case. But, he does have decent size at shooting guard and should be a solid defender. There will likely be more variance than usual in the lottery, and Castle, IMO, has a clear path to being really good: improve the shot, because much of what you would want is already there.

[HadAnEffectHere]

Cody Williams sucks really badly at everything other than interior scoring, but he's the only guy with easy to see star upside if everything comes together.

The Jazz's young players just don't have much or any upside so Cody Williams is the easy target here.

I just don't see a path to stardom for Kessler, George, Hendricks, or Sensabaugh while Cody Williams probably has like a 10% chance of being Pascal Siakam.

[Catchall]

I'm guessing the Jazz want a big wing with some creation ability--e.g., Risacher, Williams, Buzelis or Holland. That said, I think they would take Sarr or Topic as well if given the opportunity. If the Jazz are drafting at #9 and all those guys are gone, then it gets interesting.

Filipowski offensively is a nice fit. Defensively, he might be Cody Zeller, just limited impact. I'm curious to see if the Jazz would draft Dillingham, though I think probably they wouldn't. One person whom I don't think gets talked about enough is Tyler Smith. He has lottery-level talent, imo, but Ignite has been so awful this year I think people just tuned out.

One guy I'm still holding out hope for is Ulrich Chomche. Let's see what he looks like at Nike Hoop Summit next month and if he jumps into this draft.

Chomche looks really raw from what little I've seen. Hopefully he shows something at the summit but I'm not sure what is there to be excited about. I suspect all the big wings you listed will be gone, because I agree those should be the targets. Don't see the fit of Filipowski unless we decide Kessler is a backup. Agree on Smith, but that pick would signal an eventual Lauri trade or playing Hendricks at center, IMO. It's unfortunate that if we were going to tank for a pick we didn't start 15 games earlier so we could get one of the wings at the top of the draft, but it's also a draft with really poor top end talent (in terms of pre draft evaluation, guys always end up overachieving but it is hard to identify who does that).

The argument for Chomche is that he shows flashes of a young Alonzo Mourning at age 18. He's really young right now.

Also, I wouldn't mind seeing if NOLA would trade us #14 and #23 for #9. They're in a position where I think they'd cherrypick one player (probably a big), rather than add multiple rookies.

[Catchall]

Cody Williams sucks really badly at everything other than interior scoring, but he's the only guy with easy to see star upside if everything comes together.

The Jazz's young players just don't have much or any upside so Cody Williams is the easy target here.

I just don't see a path to stardom for Kessler, George, Hendricks, or Sensabaugh while Cody Williams probably has like a 10% chance of being Pascal Siakam.

You've posted a number of takes here that are a bit extreme. Williams' ability to handle, change directions, drive with a low center of gravity and finish with touch are all really attractive for a 6'8" guard or wing. Plus he can make reads and move the ball.

The Jazz desperately need someone who can handle and create. Otherwise, it's going to be more Colin Sexton just barreling into the paint. Most of our guys stand around and wait to catch and shoot.

[HadAnEffectHere]

Williams has a hypothetical handle, but it's way too loose and he got stripped every play once he got scouted. He also dribbles facing away from the basket.

He needs to massively improve everything (especially his athleticism) to be an NBA player (let alone a star), but there's some star upside if absolutely everything goes right for him.

He should be the Jazz's pick because he's almost certain to bust, but he has the most realistic chance at being a star. Whereas guys like Sheppard or Dillingham are probably never postseason playable.

[WinterSoldier]

I'm liking Johnny Furphy out of Kansas. He moves well with great positional size as 6'9" guard, with a smooth looking jumper. He certainly has development but none of game has a major weakness that can't be developed in a NBA system.

[WinterSoldier]

I'm guessing the Jazz want a big wing with some creation ability--e.g., Risacher, Williams, Buzelis or Holland. That said, I think they would take Sarr or Topic as well if given the opportunity. If the Jazz are drafting at #9 and all those guys are gone, then it gets interesting.

Filipowski offensively is a nice fit. Defensively, he might be Cody Zeller, just limited impact. I'm curious to see if the Jazz would draft Dillingham, though I think probably they wouldn't. One person whom I don't think gets talked about enough is Tyler Smith. He has lottery-level talent, imo, but Ignite has been so awful this year I think people just tuned out.

One guy I'm still holding out hope for is Ulrich Chomche. Let's see what he looks like at Nike Hoop Summit next month and if he jumps into this draft.

Chomche looks really raw from what little I've seen. Hopefully he shows something at the summit but I'm not sure what is there to be excited about. I suspect all the big wings you listed will be gone, because I agree those should be the targets. Don't see the fit of Filipowski unless we decide Kessler is a backup. Agree on Smith, but that pick would signal an eventual Lauri trade or playing Hendricks at center, IMO. It's unfortunate that if we were going to tank for a pick we didn't start 15 games earlier so we could get one of the wings at the top of the draft, but it's also a draft with really poor top end talent (in terms of pre draft evaluation, guys always end up overachieving but it is hard to identify who does that).

The argument for Chomche is that he shows flashes of a young Alonzo Mourning at age 18. He's really young right now.

Also, I wouldn't mind seeing if NOLA would trade us #14 and #23 for #9. They're in a position where I think they'd cherrypick one player (probably a big), rather than add multiple rookies.

I haven't seen a mock with him earlier than 20th. I would rather move up with the #27 and #32 pick to around 17-20 and pick him up and keep #9.

[Catchall]

Chomche looks really raw from what little I've seen. Hopefully he shows something at the summit but I'm not sure what is there to be excited about. I suspect all the big wings you listed will be gone, because I agree those should be the targets. Don't see the fit of Filipowski unless we decide Kessler is a backup. Agree on Smith, but that pick would signal an eventual Lauri trade or playing Hendricks at center, IMO. It's unfortunate that if we were going to tank for a pick we didn't start 15 games earlier so we could get one of the wings at the top of the draft, but it's also a draft with really poor top end talent (in terms of pre draft evaluation, guys always end up overachieving but it is hard to identify who does that).

The argument for Chomche is that he shows flashes of a young Alonzo Mourning at age 18. He's really young right now.

Also, I wouldn't mind seeing if NOLA would trade us #14 and #23 for #9. They're in a position where I think they'd cherrypick one player (probably a big), rather than add multiple rookies.

I haven't seen a mock with him earlier than 20th. I would rather move up with the #27 and #32 pick to around 17-20 and pick him up and keep #9.

Let's see how he does in the Hoop Summit and where his draft stock is at that point.

[babyjax13]

I'm warming up on Kyshawn George at 9. Big wing who shoots the hell out of the ball and can make plays. A bit slow but I think some of that will be solved with NBA strength training. He reminds me a ton of Joe Ingles, but there is some upside to be more.