2024 NBA Draft Thread

[Chuck Everett]

I'm beginning to come around on Big Z at Kentucky. He has a feel for the game and obviously size you can't teach. You pack 3-4 years of experience and 25 lbs of upper body strength and there's a good chance this guy becomes a top tier center in this league. I'm thinking he would go top 10 in this draft (15 at the lowest).

We're gonna need some Wemby and Chet stoppers soon.

[tester551]

I'm beginning to come around on Big Z at Kentucky. He has a feel for the game and obviously size you can't teach. You pack 3-4 years of experience and 25 lbs of upper body strength and there's a good chance this guy becomes a top tier center in this league. I'm thinking he would go top 10 in this draft (15 at the lowest).

We're gonna need some Wemby and Chet stoppers soon.

He's already in the league. He's a younger Porzingis. Should have about a similar impact.
I would call that a top 10 player in this draft.

[Chuck Everett]

I'm beginning to come around on Big Z at Kentucky. He has a feel for the game and obviously size you can't teach. You pack 3-4 years of experience and 25 lbs of upper body strength and there's a good chance this guy becomes a top tier center in this league. I'm thinking he would go top 10 in this draft (15 at the lowest).

We're gonna need some Wemby and Chet stoppers soon.

He's already in the league. He's a younger Porzingis. Should have about a similar impact.
I would call that a top 10 player in this draft.

If you think Porzingis-like is his ceiling, then I am way too low on him. He needs to be top 4.

[JustBuzzin]

As a Hornets fan, I'm hoping we land Matas Buzelis.

Sent from my SM-F936U using RealGM mobile app

As a Hornets fan, I agree.

Buzelis has the highest potential of all the players at the top imo.

[BlazersBroncos]

Ivisic doesnt have the athleticism of KP at the same age but outside that there are a lot of similarities and IMO Ivisic is more developed as a passer - even if the stats dont show it right now for KU.

He is clearly a Top-10 pick IMO.

[elias808]

I struggle to judge these heliocentric guys.

There's a skill to being able to play a role and play within a scheme. I don't know if he has it.

And after I say this he drops 30pts, 23rbds (not a typo), 9asts and 3stls. Efficiency wasn't great as he went 1-9 from 3 but he did go perfect from the line (11-11).

Just crazy numbers. At some point you stop worrying about role and just take him to see what he can do.

He also played 45 minutes in this OT game, so I assume the Knicks are going to end up drafting him.

Yeah I don't really get the hype with him. He is a 4 yr college player who is just too big/fast for the Big Sky. If he played on a decent power 5 team vs real power 5 schools I really don't know if he would be considered a draft prospect. Go look at their schedule it is a joke.

He also is only a career 32% three point shooter on pretty meh volume. He will probably be around 45 on my board if I extend it that far.

At pick 45 in the draft I’ll gladly take a guy with a tangible skill set that translates to the NBA. A guy with decent enough athleticism and extremely high IQ and motor should not only make a roster but also project to be a high level glue guy/rotation player in my book. As you can tell, I’m very high on Jones. Would happily draft him in the 15-20 range.

[MemphisX]

Cam Christie (younger brother of Max) looks promising. Not sure he declares for '24 draft.

He should.

[JMAC3]

And after I say this he drops 30pts, 23rbds (not a typo), 9asts and 3stls. Efficiency wasn't great as he went 1-9 from 3 but he did go perfect from the line (11-11).

Just crazy numbers. At some point you stop worrying about role and just take him to see what he can do.

He also played 45 minutes in this OT game, so I assume the Knicks are going to end up drafting him.

Yeah I don't really get the hype with him. He is a 4 yr college player who is just too big/fast for the Big Sky. If he played on a decent power 5 team vs real power 5 schools I really don't know if he would be considered a draft prospect. Go look at their schedule it is a joke.

He also is only a career 32% three point shooter on pretty meh volume. He will probably be around 45 on my board if I extend it that far.

At pick 45 in the draft I’ll gladly take a guy with a tangible skill set that translates to the NBA. A guy with decent enough athleticism and extremely high IQ and motor should not only make a roster but also project to be a high level glue guy/rotation player in my book. As you can tell, I’m very high on Jones. Would happily draft him in the 15-20 range.

What is his tangible skill? He is a 6-6 big bodied guard who just bullies smaller slower opponents, but vs real NBA athletes I have a hard time seeing him just physically dominating like he does now. I get he is a great rebounding guard, but does that translate to NBA at his size consistently? Also, no issues with him going at pick 45. I just don't agree with him in the 20-25 range that he is creeping up to.

[The-Power]

Although some would hate it, I think the Spurs landing the #1 pick again would be great for them. They get to pair Wemby with a running mate for the future.

Not sure it makes a big difference whether the Spurs land the #1, #2 or #5 pick. The odds of getting a genuine running mate for Victor are not all that different, I'd reckon. They might be looking at Topic, Sheppard or even Dillingham in that range.

[ItsDanger]

Ivisic defense is really bad, weak physically. It's like he's at least 1 year behind where he should be. Very good offensive instincts although the way he's used at Kentucky in half court will definitely change in NBA. When drafted, expect at least 1 season where his overall performance might be very poor. Good upside gamble.

[SeattleJazzFan]

dudes are sleeping on Isaiah Collier, but he is - quietly (after a rough stretch early in the season) putting together a very nice season at USC. He's at 18 ppg on 50% FGs, 4 assists and only 2 TOs per game in PAC 12 play. 17 ppg, 50% FGs, 4 assists and 3 TOs over the course of the season.

Early on TOs were a glaring weakness and he has improved that part of his game considerably during the second half of the season - cutting down from 4 per game to 2.

his other main weakness - 3pt FGS - has gone from 31% pre-conference play to 35% during conference play. still not great, but respectable, and when you combine that with elite production, I don't think any other OADs really compare.

Is there another first round prospect frosh who has been even close to this productive? It feels a lot like Brandon Miller from last year - people are going to pick apart the weaknesses incessantly while ignoring the fact that mfer just goes out and produces, does it efficiently and is one of the best players in a p5 conference as a frosh. no other OAD prospect comes close.

[JustBuzzin]

dudes are sleeping on Isaiah Collier, but he is - quietly (after a rough stretch early in the season) putting together a very nice season at USC. He's at 18 ppg on 50% FGs, 4 assists and only 2 TOs per game in PAC 12 play. 17 ppg, 50% FGs, 4 assists and 3 TOs over the course of the season.

Early on TOs were a glaring weakness and he has improved that part of his game considerably during the second half of the season - cutting down from 4 per game to 2.

his other main weakness - 3pt FGS - has gone from 31% pre-conference play to 35% during conference play. still not great, but respectable, and when you combine that with elite production, I don't think any other OADs really compare.

Is there another first round prospect frosh who has been even close to this productive? It feels a lot like Brandon Miller from last year - people are going to pick apart the weaknesses incessantly while ignoring the fact that mfer just goes out and produces, does it efficiently and is one of the best players in a p5 conference as a frosh. no other OAD prospect comes close.

Brandon Miller was the clear cut best player in college basketball last year. Collier hasn't had that kind of impact.

Miller dropped 41 on the road after the off court stuff. What is Collier signature game?

If you don't have a signature game we can all remember then you can't be mentioning the #2 overall pick in the same sentence with Collier. Kind of crazy Miller gets overlooked because of Wemby performance.

Sorry I got off track that Collier/Miller comparison just didn't seem right.

[SeattleJazzFan]

dudes are sleeping on Isaiah Collier, but he is - quietly (after a rough stretch early in the season) putting together a very nice season at USC. He's at 18 ppg on 50% FGs, 4 assists and only 2 TOs per game in PAC 12 play. 17 ppg, 50% FGs, 4 assists and 3 TOs over the course of the season.

Early on TOs were a glaring weakness and he has improved that part of his game considerably during the second half of the season - cutting down from 4 per game to 2.

his other main weakness - 3pt FGS - has gone from 31% pre-conference play to 35% during conference play. still not great, but respectable, and when you combine that with elite production, I don't think any other OADs really compare.

Is there another first round prospect frosh who has been even close to this productive? It feels a lot like Brandon Miller from last year - people are going to pick apart the weaknesses incessantly while ignoring the fact that mfer just goes out and produces, does it efficiently and is one of the best players in a p5 conference as a frosh. no other OAD prospect comes close.

Brandon Miller was the clear cut best player in college basketball last year. Collier hasn't had that kind of impact.

Miller dropped 41 on the road after the off court stuff. What is Collier signature game?

If you don't have a signature game we can all remember then you can't be mentioning the #2 overall pick in the same sentence with Collier. Kind of crazy Miller gets overlooked because of Wemby performance.

Sorry I got off track that Collier/Miller comparison just didn't seem right.

Collier just dropped 31 on 14-20 in a close win against Washington. Either way, it's silly to argue that a guy can't be a great prospect because he doesn't meet some random, subjective definition of a "signature" game.

the comparison with Miller is one of sheer production. Both of these guys just flat out produced in power conferences. Miller averaged 19 ppg on 58% TS, Collier is at 17 ppg (20 ppg since returning from injury), on 57% TS. They are absolutely comparable. Also, comparable in the sense that no other OAD prospect is really in the same conversation in terms of sheer production.

[JustBuzzin]

dudes are sleeping on Isaiah Collier, but he is - quietly (after a rough stretch early in the season) putting together a very nice season at USC. He's at 18 ppg on 50% FGs, 4 assists and only 2 TOs per game in PAC 12 play. 17 ppg, 50% FGs, 4 assists and 3 TOs over the course of the season.

Early on TOs were a glaring weakness and he has improved that part of his game considerably during the second half of the season - cutting down from 4 per game to 2.

his other main weakness - 3pt FGS - has gone from 31% pre-conference play to 35% during conference play. still not great, but respectable, and when you combine that with elite production, I don't think any other OADs really compare.

Is there another first round prospect frosh who has been even close to this productive? It feels a lot like Brandon Miller from last year - people are going to pick apart the weaknesses incessantly while ignoring the fact that mfer just goes out and produces, does it efficiently and is one of the best players in a p5 conference as a frosh. no other OAD prospect comes close.

Brandon Miller was the clear cut best player in college basketball last year. Collier hasn't had that kind of impact.

Miller dropped 41 on the road after the off court stuff. What is Collier signature game?

If you don't have a signature game we can all remember then you can't be mentioning the #2 overall pick in the same sentence with Collier. Kind of crazy Miller gets overlooked because of Wemby performance.

Sorry I got off track that Collier/Miller comparison just didn't seem right.

Collier just dropped 31 on 14-20 in a close win against Washington. Either way, it's silly to argue that a guy can't be a great prospect because he doesn't meet some random, subjective definition of a "signature" game.

the comparison with Miller is one of sheer production. Both of these guys just flat out produced in power conferences. Miller averaged 19 ppg on 58% TS, Collier is at 17 ppg (20 ppg since returning from injury), on 57% TS. They are absolutely comparable. Also, comparable in the sense that no other OAD prospect is really in the same conversation in terms of sheer production.

It's more than just a signature game.

Miller was the best player in college basketball. He was on the #1 team in the country for most of the season.

Collier is none of that. He's not even a projected top 5 pick. I'm trying to understand why you included him in the same tier of player as Miller.

[SeattleJazzFan]

Brandon Miller was the clear cut best player in college basketball last year. Collier hasn't had that kind of impact.

Miller dropped 41 on the road after the off court stuff. What is Collier signature game?

If you don't have a signature game we can all remember then you can't be mentioning the #2 overall pick in the same sentence with Collier. Kind of crazy Miller gets overlooked because of Wemby performance.

Sorry I got off track that Collier/Miller comparison just didn't seem right.

Collier just dropped 31 on 14-20 in a close win against Washington. Either way, it's silly to argue that a guy can't be a great prospect because he doesn't meet some random, subjective definition of a "signature" game.

the comparison with Miller is one of sheer production. Both of these guys just flat out produced in power conferences. Miller averaged 19 ppg on 58% TS, Collier is at 17 ppg (20 ppg since returning from injury), on 57% TS. They are absolutely comparable. Also, comparable in the sense that no other OAD prospect is really in the same conversation in terms of sheer production.

It's more than just a signature game.

Miller was the best player in college basketball. He was on the #1 team in the country for most of the season.

Collier is none of that. He's not even a projected top 5 pick. I'm trying to understand why you included him in the same tier of player as Miller.

lol. reading is hard for you apparently. I literally just spelled out why i compared him to Miller. in fact i've now explained twice in the last four posts why i made the comparison. if you refuse to try or are unable to understand, i can't help you.

Also, Miller was absolutely NOT the clear cut best player in CBB last year. Edey was. Miller wasn't even a first team all-american. But he, like Collier was damn good and incredibly productive for a frosh.

and the fact Collier isn't even a projected top 5 pick - after ESPN had him going #1 overall back in December - is the entire point of my original post. people are sleeping on him.

[EmpireFalls]

I’m growing on Collier not necessarily because I’m super high on him but because he’s one of the only semblances of actual rim pressure in this draft and I see a very imaginable NBA path and role for him. So many of these guys I’m not convinced can actually play the game of basketball at a high level, and I’d be afraid of throwing them on the court in any sort of meaningful game.

[HadAnEffectHere]

Collier is basically old Westbrook without the ability to jump and if old Westbrook didn't care about winning.

Old Westbrook himself is not a valuable player at all so the concerns are pretty massive.

Collier needs to start caring and needs to learn how to shoot to be valuable. Small guards that can't shoot or jump or defend have strongly negative value in the NBA.

Also, Collier's production is not good for a OAD prospect. A 4.5 BPM kind of sucks, lol.

I think Collier has Deron Williams upside (but in an era where Deron would be pretty negative on defense) if he starts playing hard and learns how to shoot though. One of the higher ceiling guys.

I do also wonder if Collier's garbage intangibles are annoying scouts way more because the PG is supposed to be the leader of the team.

[JustBuzzin]

Collier just dropped 31 on 14-20 in a close win against Washington. Either way, it's silly to argue that a guy can't be a great prospect because he doesn't meet some random, subjective definition of a "signature" game.

the comparison with Miller is one of sheer production. Both of these guys just flat out produced in power conferences. Miller averaged 19 ppg on 58% TS, Collier is at 17 ppg (20 ppg since returning from injury), on 57% TS. They are absolutely comparable. Also, comparable in the sense that no other OAD prospect is really in the same conversation in terms of sheer production.

It's more than just a signature game.

Miller was the best player in college basketball. He was on the #1 team in the country for most of the season.

Collier is none of that. He's not even a projected top 5 pick. I'm trying to understand why you included him in the same tier of player as Miller.

lol. reading is hard for you apparently. I literally just spelled out why i compared him to Miller. in fact i've now explained twice in the last four posts why i made the comparison. if you refuse to try or are unable to understand, i can't help you.

Also, Miller was absolutely NOT the clear cut best player in CBB last year. Edey was. Miller wasn't even a first team all-american. But he, like Collier was damn good and incredibly productive for a frosh.

and the fact Collier isn't even a projected top 5 pick - after ESPN had him going #1 overall back in December - is the entire point of my original post. people are sleeping on him.

This man said Edey was the best player in college basketball last year LMAO

So how is the best player in college basketball for the past 2 years is not a projected top 5 pick?

[HadAnEffectHere]

Will say there are some LaMelo similarities here:

-Highly hyped pure PG who was a top 2 player coming into the season
-Stock drops a lot because his intangibles and production are just awful
-Can't jump at all so needs to become an elite shooter to be viable in the NBA and his jumpshot before the NBA is terrible

LaMelo has mostly been a success in the NBA because he did become an extremely high level shooter, Collier would have to follow the same path and just bomb threes at a pretty good percentage to succeed in the NBA.

The big difference between LaMelo and Collier is, of course, that LaMelo has way more upside as a playmaker and defender (though LaMelo has never bothered fulfilling that upside on defense) because he's so much taller.

[Chuck Everett]

Deron Williams wasn't a bad defender at the NBA level. Collier would be lucky to be as good as him.