2024 NBA Draft Thread

[FarBeyondDriven]

you're all on record saying it's the worst class in history. You're saying the draft is loaded with nothing but Torrey Craigs. If you truly mean these things it's one thing. But if you're just "making a joke" then that's the definition of trolling. Just don't cry when people call you out and pretend you're above such things.

You're not comprehending what I read.

I never said it is the worst class in history. You just assume everyone is the same person, which I don't understand.

I've not even seen anyone say it is the worst in history, just that it is pretty bad compared to recent drafts. It certainly isn't touching 2000.

I was being hyperbolic but this narrative is littered throughout this and the GB. It's a very very weak draft. Worst draft in memory. Worst H.S. class in many many years. This is not the draft class you want to tank for. This is not the draft you want a high pick in. This draft class sucks. All intimating that compared to other drafts it's one of the worst ever. I'm sure we can all agree the incessant voicing of these opinions that this is a bad draft amounts to that no? Pretty much every page has someone stating how bad the class is and it's been this way since before last draft. Why the need to state this over and over again? I'd respect the opinion if I respected the poster and they made salient points and compelling arguments but that's never the case. Or if they weren't making these claims before they ever saw them step foot on a college floor. Or after they admitted they don't pay much attention to international players. And it always just reads like they're spouting Givony's takes.

[Hal14]

McCullar doesn't really do anything that well. I liked him more back when he was playing at Texas Tech. He's like a homeless man's Josh Hart and I feel like I'm insulting Josh when I say that.

He's the best wing defender in the draft..can handle the ball and playmake well for a wing. Plays with toughness, physicality, has good positional size and has improved his shooting significantly this season.

There's no reason why he can't be as good as Josh Hart or Herb Jones. Even Jaquez isn't much better as a prospect than McCullar..

[Colbinii]

McCullar doesn't really do anything that well. I liked him more back when he was playing at Texas Tech. He's like a homeless man's Josh Hart and I feel like I'm insulting Josh when I say that.

He's the best wing defender in the draft..can handle the ball and playmake well for a wing. Plays with toughness, physicality, has good positional size and has improved his shooting significantly this season.

There's no reason why he can't be as good as Josh Hart or Herb Jones. Even Jaquez isn't much better as a prospect than McCullar..

McCullar is the same age as Jaime, so he isn't a better prospect because he is a year older at the time of the draft.

If you buy the shot [FT% has improved for 4 straight seasons] then yeah, he is fine, but will be 23-24 during his rookie season.

[whitehops]

i haven't done much research on prospects, just the common top 5-10 guys since the pistons will end up with a top 5 pick.

what i've seen so far is pretty underwhelming relative to recent years, which pretty much everyone feels. it made me think that would it be crazy for the team with the #1 pick to go with "low-ceiling, high-floor" player? this draft profiles as a class similar to the 2013 draft with its lack of high-end talent so would it be better for teams in the top 5 take a "safer" pick than an upside one? besides oladipo and mccollum at 10 all of the quality players in that draft were taken outside the top 10.

right now for the pistons i'm most intrigued with topic and castle but again it's super early for me.

[EvanZ]

I bet you've watched less games of these kids than you can count on one hand You probably haven't even heard of 1/3 of them. And pray tell why should Boswell be a OAD? He played 35 games last season I refuse to let the handful of awful prolific posters get away with bad takes and ruin this board. I wish more quality posters weren't so drowned out by you guys.

Can you tell me how old Boswell was in his Freshman season? Thanks I'll be waiting.

Here's what "guys like you" do. You post like 20 names and then when 1 of them randomly hits you cherry pick that one and make this place insufferable. It's so predictable. That is what makes this forum suck. Not my giving honest opinions and telling people how old prospects are.

just because you've formulated a new and distinct definition for a returning college player that literally nobody else in the world uses, based on someone's age, doesn't mean he's not 100% and without a doubt a returner and classified as a returning player by literally ever other person besides you that has lived on the face of the earth It's a clown show in here

So you either don’t know or don’t want to admit how old Boswell is. Great scout you are.


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[Hal14]

McCullar doesn't really do anything that well. I liked him more back when he was playing at Texas Tech. He's like a homeless man's Josh Hart and I feel like I'm insulting Josh when I say that.

He's the best wing defender in the draft..can handle the ball and playmake well for a wing. Plays with toughness, physicality, has good positional size and has improved his shooting significantly this season.

There's no reason why he can't be as good as Josh Hart or Herb Jones. Even Jaquez isn't much better as a prospect than McCullar..

McCullar is the same age as Jaime, so he isn't a better prospect because he is a year older at the time of the draft.

If you buy the shot [FT% has improved for 4 straight seasons] then yeah, he is fine, but will be 23-24 during his rookie season.

McCullar will be basically the same age on draft night as Herb Jones, Derrick White, Austin Reaves, Max Strus, Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Dorian Finney-Smith, Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser, Terance Mann and Kenrich Williams were.

If I'm an NBA GM and feel pretty confident in KMJ being similar to a Herb Jones/Derrick White/Caleb Martin-Finney Smith type of player, I'll absolutely take him in the 10-15 range...especially in a draft that is this weak, where so many of the other prospects have many glaring flaws.

Also I never said KMJ is a better prospect than Jaquez. I said "Jaquez isn't much better as a prospect than McCullar.."

Also bringing up how good each guy was as a rookie is not really relevant - KMJ hasn't played his rookie season yet. KMJ is certainly in the ballpark to all the guys I mentioned *as a pre-draft prospect*

[Colbinii]

He's the best wing defender in the draft..can handle the ball and playmake well for a wing. Plays with toughness, physicality, has good positional size and has improved his shooting significantly this season.

There's no reason why he can't be as good as Josh Hart or Herb Jones. Even Jaquez isn't much better as a prospect than McCullar..

McCullar is the same age as Jaime, so he isn't a better prospect because he is a year older at the time of the draft.

If you buy the shot [FT% has improved for 4 straight seasons] then yeah, he is fine, but will be 23-24 during his rookie season.

McCullar will be basically the same age on draft night as Herb Jones, Derrick White, Austin Reaves, Max Strus, Duncan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Dorian Finney-Smith, Malcolm Brogdon, Sam Hauser, Terance Mann and Kenrich Williams were.

Yup. Only Brogdon really showed out as well as a rookie as JJJ.

White was also much better in college.

[babyjax13]

You're not comprehending what I read.

I never said it is the worst class in history. You just assume everyone is the same person, which I don't understand.

I've not even seen anyone say it is the worst in history, just that it is pretty bad compared to recent drafts. It certainly isn't touching 2000.

I was being hyperbolic but this narrative is littered throughout this and the GB. It's a very very weak draft. Worst draft in memory. Worst H.S. class in many many years. This is not the draft class you want to tank for. This is not the draft you want a high pick in. This draft class sucks. All intimating that compared to other drafts it's one of the worst ever. I'm sure we can all agree the incessant voicing of these opinions that this is a bad draft amounts to that no? Pretty much every page has someone stating how bad the class is and it's been this way since before last draft. Why the need to state this over and over again? I'd respect the opinion if I respected the poster and they made salient points and compelling arguments but that's never the case. Or if they weren't making these claims before they ever saw them step foot on a college floor. Or after they admitted they don't pay much attention to international players. And it always just reads like they're spouting Givony's takes.

You are just assuming that no one watches games. We do. The college class looks really bad, the ignite class looks bad, and the international class has two very nice prospects who I would not have top two last season, and I think I prefer Miller to Sarr (who I prefer to Topic). Everyone understands you disagree with the characterization of the draft. From watching games so far (to me and many others here) it looks bad at the very top, below average in the mid/late lottery, and not deep. But I'm not calling you an idiot for disagreeing...

[EvanZ]

I watched this GLI a few times and it’s very rough. No one pops at all.


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[babyjax13]

I watched this GLI a few times and it’s very rough. No one pops at all.


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I am intrigued by Darlan and Almansa, but the former is really, really raw. I could also see London Johnson going in the second, but Buzelis and Holland are really underperforming. Holland's shot hasn't developed, and Buzelis is really struggling w/the physicality of the league. I've also liked Smith since he was in OTE, but don't see him as a top 5 kind of guy. I think Buzelis' body will develop and he's going to be a good player, I just don't see him as a guy that I would love to take #1 in most drafts, and maybe not even this draft. I think I have Sarr #1 (have for a while) but this could change. I'm hoping some of the Freshman who have struggled start looking better.

[BigGargamel]

I get how everyone wants to be optimistic but this looks like the third worst draft since 2000. I don't think it's quite as bad as 2000 or 2013 but it's close. We keep saying it's really bad because it is really bad. When evaluating prospects, doing mock drafts, calling someone a "top five pick" this year..we keep going back to the fact that someone is going to be picked number one overall and it's really hard to call any player available a number one pick.

Every player is severely flawed.

Holland and Buzelis, hard to get a read on them since the Ignite is a mess, but not impressed. Topic is a subpar athlete and terrible defender. Sarr isn't an offensive threat at all. Walter and Cody Williams are the only two freshmen I'm bullish on. Walter could be a Desmond Bane at the very very very very best. Cody Williams has been out for weeks because of a sprained wrist? Seems like he's just sitting back and waiting for the draft since he'll be a top ten pick by default.

Wish they'd make an exception for Cooper Flagg just so this draft could have a little bit of excitement behind it.

[BigGargamel]

Upperclassmen I have who could be late first round guys/rotation pieces.

Kevin McCullar, Tristan da Silva, Ajay Mitchell, Oso Ighodaro. I'd also say screw it and take Zach Edey if I was a team like the Celtics.

[FarBeyondDriven]

i haven't done much research on prospects, just the common top 5-10 guys since the pistons will end up with a top 5 pick.

what i've seen so far is pretty underwhelming relative to recent years, which pretty much everyone feels. it made me think that would it be crazy for the team with the #1 pick to go with "low-ceiling, high-floor" player? this draft profiles as a class similar to the 2013 draft with its lack of high-end talent so would it be better for teams in the top 5 take a "safer" pick than an upside one? besides oladipo and mccollum at 10 all of the quality players in that draft were taken outside the top 10.

right now for the pistons i'm most intrigued with topic and castle but again it's super early for me.

There's plenty of high-end talent. What it lacks, and why I think people assume it's a weak draft, is a consensus potential franchise type talent. That where evaluation skills have to come into play. There's no Banchero, Wembanyama, or Zion type talents. That's pretty obvious. But there's potential Miller, Smith, Thompson, Brown, etc. type talents. How many will determine whether it's a better than average draft. It's just the weak label that gets to me because I know people aren't watching tape because they've admitted or have had these takes since before last draft.

Say you're the Pistons G.M. and you have the 1st pick and you want to go high floor/low ceiling type. Who would be your pick. Which prospects fit that description? I can't find that type in this draft until well into the teens. Even a guy like Filipowski has a high ceiling. First guys I can think of are Knecht and McCullar

[FarBeyondDriven]

Can you tell me how old Boswell was in his Freshman season? Thanks I'll be waiting.

Here's what "guys like you" do. You post like 20 names and then when 1 of them randomly hits you cherry pick that one and make this place insufferable. It's so predictable. That is what makes this forum suck. Not my giving honest opinions and telling people how old prospects are.

just because you've formulated a new and distinct definition for a returning college player that literally nobody else in the world uses, based on someone's age, doesn't mean he's not 100% and without a doubt a returner and classified as a returning player by literally ever other person besides you that has lived on the face of the earth It's a clown show in here

So you either don’t know or don’t want to admit how old Boswell is. Great scout you are.


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we know how old he is. You're laughably saying that because he was 17 y/o he should be considered a OAD. But that's moronic. He literally has a full year of college experience under his belt. It's playing time not age that matters with development. The only thing that him being 17 y/o as a freshmen might suggest is he still might grow some which of course for him, given his less than ideal size and length, would be huge. But it doesn't appear to be happening. So yeah, he's a returner by every definition. You fighting this fact makes you look stupid

[EvanZ]

just because you've formulated a new and distinct definition for a returning college player that literally nobody else in the world uses, based on someone's age, doesn't mean he's not 100% and without a doubt a returner and classified as a returning player by literally ever other person besides you that has lived on the face of the earth It's a clown show in here

So you either don’t know or don’t want to admit how old Boswell is. Great scout you are.


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we know how old he is. You're laughably saying that because he was 17 y/o he should be considered a OAD. But that's moronic. He literally has a full year of college experience under his belt. It's playing time not age that matters with development. The only thing that him being 17 y/o as a freshmen might suggest is he still might grow some which of course for him, given his less than ideal size and length, would be huge. But it doesn't appear to be happening. So yeah, he's a returner by every definition. You fighting this fact makes you look stupid

Yeah now I see how you get your bad takes (like it doesn’t matter how old Ndongo is because “he’s a Freshman!”) You haven’t realized yet that age is actually more important than college season. You also don’t realize that I’m not the only one that knows this. Carry on.


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[FarBeyondDriven]

I get how everyone wants to be optimistic but this looks like the third worst draft since 2000. I don't think it's quite as bad as 2000 or 2013 but it's close. We keep saying it's really bad because it is really bad. When evaluating prospects, doing mock drafts, calling someone a "top five pick" this year..we keep going back to the fact that someone is going to be picked number one overall and it's really hard to call any player available a number one pick.

Every player is severely flawed.

Holland and Buzelis, hard to get a read on them since the Ignite is a mess, but not impressed. Topic is a subpar athlete and terrible defender. Sarr isn't an offensive threat at all. Walter and Cody Williams are the only two freshmen I'm bullish on. Walter could be a Desmond Bane at the very very very very best. Cody Williams has been out for weeks because of a sprained wrist? Seems like he's just sitting back and waiting for the draft since he'll be a top ten pick by default.

Wish they'd make an exception for Cooper Flagg just so this draft could have a little bit of excitement behind it.

Walter is 6'6" and a great defender. You're comparing him to Bane who is 6'2" and an average defender? See, you should be comparing Sheppard to Bane. And if you did, you'd be basically seeing that Sheppard, not even a lock to be a lottery pick, has Bane type ability. So if a guy is realistically comparable to Bane and isn't a lottery pick, doesn't that suggest maybe the draft isn't weak? Walter is closer to Sharpe as a prospect. Sharpe was just taken #7 in a great draft. Walter might be taken around there in this draft. That suggests there are better prospects than Walter, like there were better prospects than Sharpe in that great draft, which should suggest that it's maybe 2024 is not a weak draft. This is just simple logic.

Sarr isn't an offensive threat at all. This is where I know someone hasn't done their research and is just reading box scores. Here's some highlights from 18 y/o against his peers at the world cup. How many 7 footers move this well and are this skilled? If you can watch this and not come away being impressed and thinking he looks very similar to Evan Mobley who everyone was convinced was a top prospect than you just might not be very good at evaluating prospects.

1) Spin move drive from the FT line.
2) Fast break dunks and layups.
3) Dribble drive kicks to open man
4) Corner three
5) PnR dunk
6) top of the key three
7) jump hook in the post
8) baseline 12 foot jumper
9) running the fast break and dish for an assist
10) dribble drive and Euro step from the FT line
11) high/low assist

and of course lots of dunks and assists. It's all pretty impressive stuff

Watch on YouTube

This isn't just for you but everyone. What exactly are you looking for when you're evaluating Sarr? Considering he's 18 y/o, what are you expecting from 18 y/o centers? What do you see lacking? What are his strengths and weaknesses? Can he put on muscle and retain it? What did Mobley show at this age with almost identical size and length that Sarr isn't?

Sarr especially, but also Holland, is why I have such an issue with this weak draft narrative. Because the supposed evaluation of them are just quippy garbage takes with no substance from people who clearly haven't watched them much. The ONLY reason I'm not willing to say either are franchise types is because they're not doing it as freshmen in college. I don't know why I have this hangup but I do. But they're both clearly damn good prospects that would be in the first half of most draft lotteries regardless. I question anyone's evaluating skills that can't see this. These two will make or break my reputation on here apparently.

[FarBeyondDriven]

So you either don’t know or don’t want to admit how old Boswell is. Great scout you are.


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we know how old he is. You're laughably saying that because he was 17 y/o he should be considered a OAD. But that's moronic. He literally has a full year of college experience under his belt. It's playing time not age that matters with development. The only thing that him being 17 y/o as a freshmen might suggest is he still might grow some which of course for him, given his less than ideal size and length, would be huge. But it doesn't appear to be happening. So yeah, he's a returner by every definition. You fighting this fact makes you look stupid

Yeah now I see how you get your bad takes (like it doesn’t matter how old Ndongo is because “he’s a Freshman!”) You haven’t realized yet that age is actually more important than college season. You also don’t realize that I’m not the only one that knows this. Carry on.


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knowing this board I don't doubt this claim but you're the worst of the worst so I doubt there's too many quite like you

Ndongo's age of course matters. Nobody but the voices in your head said differently. But he just turned 21 y/o days ago Age matters less with him because he didn't start playing organized basketball until he was 14 y/o. So he deserves a little grace when it comes to his later development than say most 21 y/o. You have to be really special to not grasp this.

[The-Power]

Upperclassmen I have who could be late first round guys/rotation pieces.

Kevin McCullar, Tristan da Silva, Ajay Mitchell, Oso Ighodaro. I'd also say screw it and take Zach Edey if I was a team like the Celtics.

At this point, I'd take Pelle Larsson ahead of all of them.

[EvanZ]

we know how old he is. You're laughably saying that because he was 17 y/o he should be considered a OAD. But that's moronic. He literally has a full year of college experience under his belt. It's playing time not age that matters with development. The only thing that him being 17 y/o as a freshmen might suggest is he still might grow some which of course for him, given his less than ideal size and length, would be huge. But it doesn't appear to be happening. So yeah, he's a returner by every definition. You fighting this fact makes you look stupid

Yeah now I see how you get your bad takes (like it doesn’t matter how old Ndongo is because “he’s a Freshman!”) You haven’t realized yet that age is actually more important than college season. You also don’t realize that I’m not the only one that knows this. Carry on.


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knowing this board I don't doubt this claim but you're the worst of the worst so I doubt there's too many quite like you

Ndongo's age of course matters. Nobody but the voices in your head said differently. But he just turned 21 y/o days ago Age matters less with him because he didn't start playing organized basketball until he was 14 y/o. So he deserves a little grace when it comes to his later development than say most 21 y/o. You have to be really special to not grasp this.

Age doesn’t matter less for anyone. Don’t understand why that’s so hard to grasp. But I guess for you it is.


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[The-Power]

I have no idea why this has to turn into a pointless argument with personal attacks again.

Boswell is not like other OADs because it's his second year. That's a fact. He is also the age of a Freshman. That's also a fact. Both age and experience matter for development and projection, and should be taken into account for evaluation. It's not just black and white.