Frichuela wrote:In the podcast below they are very negative on Topic...He is rated as a back up guard in a good scenario, who is pretty bad defensively...
They are also quite negative on Risacher and fine with Sarr taken in the lottery though probably not top 5 in a "normal" draft.
The way I see this draft, I would not select Topic or Risacher in the top 6 where we will draft. Full disclosure, I am not overly excited about anyone in this draft, but, if I was Dawkins/Winger, this would be my board:
1) Sarr
2) Clingan
3) Castle
4) Sheppard
5) Dillingham
You can see I have two centers at the top. I think both Sarr and Clingan are likely to be pretty decent defensively from the get go, which is something this team desperately needs.
Yeah honestly the first picks on my board would be Trade Down and Trade Forward. I want more future picks so we can reload on the fly or consolidate a few for the right swap later. I'm happy with many of the guys pencilled into the late lotto or mid first. I don't know that I have a top 3 this year LOL.
Every player I've liked developed flaws during the process, with the exception of Castle who steadily maintained his flaws but his strengths grew even stronger. So by default he has become my favorite in the draft. At this point I want to slide to 4-5 with him still on the board so we will be forced to pick the guy that I know will be able to do what he can do, with a chance for a better upside. More so than risk a pick on a guy whose upside may be an all-star, but whose flameout potential is bigger or whose current flaws bother me.
--Sarr. I don't want a big who does not rebound and can't finish in traffic, plays small.
--Topic. I don't want a guard who is dribble heavy but can't hit from outside, and does nothing else but dominate the ball. Including disinterest on Defense.
--I wish Risacher had not fallen apart, but he did. Do you bank on a skinny 18 year old to develop consistency? Was his rise fuled not by love of the game but by having a pro team around him that is geared to landing him a top pick, but not future improvmeent?
--Dillingham. Child sized guards no longer are spotlit, in fact with rules changes they are becoming an endangered species right now.
--I like Holland for his energy, he will not cheat you on effort. But he will not measure long for his position, so defense and rebounding will be sub-par.
I like Sheppard for his game smarts, he maxed out all the categories of Fundamentally Sound. He's a okay if underwhelming in upside.
I like Clingan for his defense and passing, but have a suspicion there will be Centers picked later who will have a stronger two-way effect and greater upside. Kel'El Ware for instance, if not my other guy.
I suspect Knecht will be able to do what he does at an NBA level. Including both scoring AND not defending.
I dunno. I expect there will be some shuffling after the combine measurements. And of course post-lotto when the picks are locked in. I trust our brain trust to make the right read. But right now my ideal scenario would be land #1, sell off Sarr to drop back a couple spots, pick Castle plus a package of picks.