Chuck Everett wrote:Just some last minute thoughts on the guys who I liked before the draft:
Kel'el Ware (Miami): If he's going to turn into the player his talent level dictates, he couldn't have picked a better environment. The Heat are going to work him like a dog. Here's hoping he meets the challenge and becomes a high-level big man. The measurables and athleticism are there.
Miami continues to not play the guy even after the summer league and preseason he had. They are too wired to their culture and it's to their detriment. The corpse of Kevin Love should not be playing over this kid.
Stephon Castle (San Antonio): Glove-like fit and will defend from Day One. Has a great support system. The fact that his dad played with Tim Duncan at Wake, just makes it kismet. He's going to end up being a gem. Wemby's gravity will unlock a lot with him.
No complaints. He's going to have a great career.
Donovan Clingan (Portland): I am fine with him in Portland, just hope his feet will remain okay. Whether he starts right away or backs up Ayton, he is a rim runner, a screen setter, an elite rim protector and a lob threat. He is Scoot's future pressure release valve and I expect to see a frisky Blazer team in 2025. Getting rid of Brogdon for Avdija was a win as well.
A true game changer. The sooner Portland gets him into the starting lineup and builds their defense around his immense gifts, the better. They probably don't want to do that until after the 2025 draft however.
Baylor Scheierman (Boston): The system the Celtics are employing will find a way to utilize this guy's skillset. The off-ball movement, the secondary connector stuff, the deep range. He definitely needs more arc, but I'm guessing in 4-5 years, he will be in the NBA 3-point contest and be looked at as one of the best three point shooters in the game. He leveled up at Creighton from South Dakota State and I know Mazzulla and Brad have to be salivating about what he can do. He is a gamer. Much more Strus than Kispert.
Killing the G-League. There are no minutes for him in Boston, for obvious reasons, but the Celtics have been complimentary. I am intrigued what he could do next season. This one is a wash. Boston too deep and talented with experienced players.
Kyle Filipowski (Utah): Well, I remain not a long-term fan, but I will say, ending up with the brain typer himself in Danny Ainge and a coach who is pretty creative in Will Hardy, is about the best Flip could hope for this early in his career. I said he needed to watch a lot of tape of Kelly Olynyk and he has the coach and front office guy who got the very best out of Kelly O in his career. He lucked up and I am happy for him. Hope he proves me wrong.
Flip has played well in this lost season for Utah. It's hard to really figure what's his best role, but he belongs in the NBA. Utah's aggressive tank makes it difficult to evaluate some of their players. Kind of dysfunctional.
Jaylen Wells (Memphis): Guy is a 6'7-6'8 late bloomer, but one heck of a shooter. I expect a lot of G-League in his future, but Taylor Jenkins to me, is pound-for-pound one of the best development head coaches in basketball. There is no reason for Desmond Bane, Vince Williams, Jr., Brandon Clarke and GG Jackson to be as good as they are. It's a testament to what him and that coaching staff. This guy is going to get stronger and eventually be another one of those tall wings like Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins or Naji Marshall.
Loved him before the draft, but damn, what a surprise. Dude came in a took a starting job as a second round rook. From Marcus Smart. Good for him. Memphis done, done it again.
Enrique Freeman (Indiana): Calling it now. Kendall Brown, it's been nice knowing you. Enrique is coming to take your lunch. Give it another year, but by December 2025, Freeman and Jarace Walker will be in the rotation for the Pacers. Furphy and Tristan Newton was a great haul as well, but this kid is the Herb Jones-like sleeper. Absolutely stunned he fell to 50, but again, another organization that always has to do more with less, so the fact that they got him where they did was beautiful.
So a few things. Kendall Brown was waived as I expected. Enrique made the team and he has played a handful of games. Hard to get read on this situation though since the Pacers had two backup centers tear their ACL's, then Nesmith and Nembhard hurt and Haliburton playing like crap. Still I think Freeman is going to carve out a career in the league.
Adem Bona (Philadelphia): Another fast twitch African big like Embiid, this kid is a hard worker, with an elite motor and athleticism. If you watched that Knicks' series, you saw Paul Reed really get exposed on both ends of the floor. Bona is a switchable defender, who can also give minutes as a small ball five. A coach like Nick Nurse is going to love Bona's energy and the fact that he can run makes him such an ideal pick and roll partner with Maxey and in transition. Darryl Morey gets a lot of **** from me, but this was an A+ pick.
Has barely gotten any run even with injuries to Embiid and sometimes Drummond. Incomplete. He's taken 13 shots, made 8. C'mon Nick Nurse, get this guy some minutes. McCain getting hurt sucks.
Jamal Shead (Toronto): I love this kid. I have loved him since I first saw his terrible Final Four against Davion Mitchell as a freshman. He is a highly decorated NCAA player, but his anticipation defensively is what sets him a part. He does his best work off the ball and navigates screens effectively. Even bigger guards will not like going against him when they don't have the ball because he is going to make them expend a lot of energy. Jumpshot needs arc and to be a natural motion, but it's not broken. I would suggest to watch tape of D'Angelo Russell. He becomes a 35-37% from 3, even at his listed height and he could eventually find himself becoming a starter like Kyle Lowry, Fred Van Vleet and Derrick Fisher.
Remains a jumpshot away from a 25minute player a night. It's up to him to work to become elite at shooting the basketball. He's got almost everything else you want from a backup.
Isaac Jones (Sacramento, two-way): Another guy who could have easily been drafted. This is actually a great place for him because there is a pathway to minutes and a roster promotion. The Kings are one of the smallest teams in the NBA in the frontcourt and one of the least athletic (not a good combo). This guy projects to be a Carl Landry, Ryan Gomes, Craig Smith, Marcus Morris, Leon Powe, Anthony Mason, Paul Millsap type. He transferred from Idaho and immediately was one of the best players in the Pac-12 (he almost went to Houston too in the transfer portal in '23). He kind of slipped under the radar for me until the Pac-12 tournament and the NCAA's, but this guy just knows how to play basketball.
He's getting minutes in Sacramento due to injury, but Mike Brown's obsession with small ball is not doing him any favors. He's a PF. The good thing though, Isaac looks like he belongs on an NBA floor.
Teams with multiple picks always get the A's, teams with one pick where they draft a guy three spots higher than guy giving the grades had him on their pointless board gets an F.
