The Official 2023 Draft Thread

[NatP4]

I’ll be the hot take guy, but if that happens, I’m trading #4 for massive haul. I bet we could get something like 9/16/28 from Utah in return.

Amen Thompson flashes the elite athleticism forsure, but he has so many red flags to me:

1. Awful shooter against really poor competition, jumpshot is totally broken. Teams will go under and play drop coverage all day.

2. No clue how to play off ball. He’s John wall off the ball, just stands there.

3. Doesn’t give any effort at all on defense. Gets totally lost, gets blown by, gambles for steals.

4. Dribbles the air out of the ball and looks off wide open teammates. Takes some really brutal shots.

His numbers are really great due to all the transition opportunities against poor competition. Best athlete on the court by a mile. No one talks about how those twins are going to be almost 21 years old by the time they play their first NBA game. Josh Giddey is only 2 months older than them. Anthony Edwards is only 1 year older.

How many guys that are ball dominant and don’t have any defensive impact, and cannot shoot at all, turn into impact NBA players?

Shaedon Sharpe was the huge eye test wildcard prospect last year, but he was already an elite jumpshooter from everywhere on the floor. It was clearly going to translate.

[Kanyewest]

If you forced me to pick at 7/8, I’m going off the board and taking Bilal Coulibaly. He’s the best physical talent in the entire draft after Wembanyama. There’s legit superstar upside there.

On the “Scottie Barnes to Kevin Durant/Giannis” spectrum, he’s significantly closer to KD/Giannis.

His highlights look very smooth. I was looking at a mock draft yesterday and I was surprised Coulibaly wasn't mentioned in the 1st round. His athleticism is very high, his efficiency is alright.

[NatP4]

If you forced me to pick at 7/8, I’m going off the board and taking Bilal Coulibaly. He’s the best physical talent in the entire draft after Wembanyama. There’s legit superstar upside there.

On the “Scottie Barnes to Kevin Durant/Giannis” spectrum, he’s significantly closer to KD/Giannis.

His highlights look very smooth. I was looking at a mock draft yesterday and I was surprised Coulibaly wasn't mentioned in the 1st round. His athleticism is very high, his efficiency is alright.

62.7% TS with the junior team
63.3% TS with the senior team

I’ve read some stuff about him being projected for 2024, so maybe if/when he officially declares for 2023, he moves up a bit.

We would have to wait two full years from now, and then throw him in the OTE to get a direct comparison to the Thompson twins.

Pretty crazy to think about with a guy that was already a quality rotation player on the Metro 92 senior team at 18 years old. To me, he’s Michael Porter without the injuries, has a Kawhi Leonard motor.

[FAH1223]

I’ll be the hot take guy, but if that happens, I’m trading #4 for massive haul. I bet we could get something like 9/16/28 from Utah in return.

Amen Thompson flashes the elite athleticism forsure, but he has so many red flags to me:

1. Awful shooter against really poor competition, jumpshot is totally broken. Teams will go under and play drop coverage all day.

2. No clue how to play off ball. He’s John wall off the ball, just stands there.

3. Doesn’t give any effort at all on defense. Gets totally lost, gets blown by, gambles for steals.

4. Dribbles the air out of the ball and looks off wide open teammates. Takes some really brutal shots.

His numbers are really great due to all the transition opportunities against poor competition. Best athlete on the court by a mile. No one talks about how those twins are going to be almost 21 years old by the time they play their first NBA game. Josh Giddey is only 2 months older than them. Anthony Edwards is only 1 year older.

How many guys that are ball dominant and don’t have any defensive impact, and cannot shoot at all, turn into impact NBA players?

Shaedon Sharpe was the huge eye test wildcard prospect last year, but he was already an elite jumpshooter from everywhere on the floor. It was clearly going to translate.

You feel the same about his twin Ausar?

[Dat2U]

Hendricks just reminds me of Harrison Barnes. Passes the eye test, can shoot it, can make some highlight reel blocks and dunks. Isn’t really very good defensively, has a wing skillset in a big man body, like a Rui. Never going to be a true perimeter player or an off the dribble guy/playmaker. Never going to naturally match up and guard wings, but doesn’t have big man instincts or rebounding ability.

On the highlight reel, you really wanna see Jaren Jackson Jr or Evan Mobley, or maybe a Mikal Bridges 3&D wing type, but he’s just not that. Tweener.

Reminds me of the PF version of Benedict Mathurin Gained a bunch of late in the cycle hype because he has a great highlight reel. Shoots it really well, isn’t very good at anything else. Meh.

Except he's nothing like Harrison Barnes. He's a rim protecting 4 & a high volume 3 pt shooter who can attack closeouts in a straight line. Maybe that middy pull up also becomes a staple too but this is modern 3 & D PF. What keeps him from stardom is his limited skill on the ball but 6-9 guys with explosive ups and 3 pt marksmanship will always be loved by NBA execs.

[NatP4]

Hendricks just reminds me of Harrison Barnes. Passes the eye test, can shoot it, can make some highlight reel blocks and dunks. Isn’t really very good defensively, has a wing skillset in a big man body, like a Rui. Never going to be a true perimeter player or an off the dribble guy/playmaker. Never going to naturally match up and guard wings, but doesn’t have big man instincts or rebounding ability.

On the highlight reel, you really wanna see Jaren Jackson Jr or Evan Mobley, or maybe a Mikal Bridges 3&D wing type, but he’s just not that. Tweener.

Reminds me of the PF version of Benedict Mathurin Gained a bunch of late in the cycle hype because he has a great highlight reel. Shoots it really well, isn’t very good at anything else. Meh.

Except he's nothing like Harrison Barnes. He's a rim protecting 4 & a high volume 3 pt shooter who can attack closeouts in a straight line. Maybe that middy pull up also becomes a staple too but this is modern 3 & D PF. What keeps him from stardom is his limited skill on the ball but 6-9 guys with explosive ups and 3 pt marksmanship will always be loved by NBA execs.

That’s simply not accurate. He has some highlight reel blocks, but he is not a rim protector/paint defender at all. He’s actually an average to below average defender. No concept or rotations or team defense. 7 rebounds per36 is even worse than Rui in college.

He has one consistent skill: 3pt shooting. A good comparison is probably year 3 Rui after he developed his 3pt shot.

Actually John Collins without the rebounding is a great comparison

[NatP4]

It seems like Ausar can actually shoot and plays defense. I don’t understand why he’s ranked below his brother. Need to watch more footage on him, but he’s definitely a different kind of player entirely.

[Dat2U]

Sidy Cissoko is basically Issac Bonga minus a few inches in height. Excellent length & IQ make him a plus defender but he can't stop fouling. Offensively, he handles a little and makes good decisions but in reality no offensive game exists. Doesn't have a 1st step and has no feel for his shots. Alot of misses are ugly! Every shot I saw him make was ***wide open*** they don't even bother defending him.

Late 2nd rounder to free agent. Decent candidate for a two-way.

[Jay81]

Ernie can’t draft

https://www.si.com/nba/draft/.amp/newsfeed/nba-draft-catching-up-with-the-bigs-of-2022-draft-and-stash-class

[Dat2U]

I’ll be the hot take guy, but if that happens, I’m trading #4 for massive haul. I bet we could get something like 9/16/28 from Utah in return.

Amen Thompson flashes the elite athleticism forsure, but he has so many red flags to me:

1. Awful shooter against really poor competition, jumpshot is totally broken. Teams will go under and play drop coverage all day.

2. No clue how to play off ball. He’s John wall off the ball, just stands there.

3. Doesn’t give any effort at all on defense. Gets totally lost, gets blown by, gambles for steals.

4. Dribbles the air out of the ball and looks off wide open teammates. Takes some really brutal shots.

His numbers are really great due to all the transition opportunities against poor competition. Best athlete on the court by a mile. No one talks about how those twins are going to be almost 21 years old by the time they play their first NBA game. Josh Giddey is only 2 months older than them. Anthony Edwards is only 1 year older.

How many guys that are ball dominant and don’t have any defensive impact, and cannot shoot at all, turn into impact NBA players?

Shaedon Sharpe was the huge eye test wildcard prospect last year, but he was already an elite jumpshooter from everywhere on the floor. It was clearly going to translate.

On the flip side Amen Thompson is a pure PG and yes, the ball will be in his hands. Very much a raw PG prospect but with game changing athleticism *top 1%* who can still get into the lane at will despite being a poor outside shooter and sees the floor extremely well like John Wall did.

He is a passing prodigy. He makes some passes you just don't see. His defensive ability is considered asset among most scouts. Your one of the few that seems to knock it. 6-7, quick feet, explosive leaper. He can defend 3 positions potentially as he gets stronger.

Scoot Henderson is the more confident shooter & shot creator for himself (which is why I think he's the consensus #2 in most eyes) but Amen is 5 inches taller and may even have a quicker first step. I'd be very happy coming away with one of these two.

[Dat2U]

Gradey Dick is by far the safest pick in the draft outside of Wemby. I think his floor is extremely high with his ceiling being a high level starter & 3rd offensive option. The more I look at his defense, I think he's a really underrated athlete and he's sharp off the ball. They'll pick on him initially on the ball but he has the toughness and length to handle it. Just needs to get stronger. Offensively he is tailor made for today's nba as an elite floor spacer who sees the floor well and has enough handle to attack closeouts AND explosive enough to finish at rim, especially on the break.

I would be content if he was the pick if the Wizards miss in the lottery. He also fills an immediate need at SF and provides the shooting the team is desperate for so I would also not be surprised if this is someone Shepp has his eyes on as well.

[Jay81]

Gradey Dick is by far the safest pick in the draft outside of Wemby. I think his floor is extremely high with his ceiling being a high level starter & 3rd offensive option. The more I look at his defense, I think he's a really underrated athlete and he's sharp off the ball. They'll pick on him initially on the ball but he has the toughness and length to handle it. Just needs to get stronger. Offensively he is tailor made for today's nba as an elite floor spacer who sees the floor well and has enough handle to attack closeouts AND explosive enough to finish at rim, especially on the break.

I would be content if he was the pick if the Wizards miss in the lottery. He also fills an immediate need at SF and provides the shooting the team is desperate for so I would also not be surprised if this is someone Shepp has his eyes on as well.

Gonna be hard for Tommy to screw up this draft. Orlando would love gradey too. Tom needs to pick the bpa…

[NatP4]

Sidy Cissoko is basically Issac Bonga minus a few inches in height. Excellent length & IQ make him a plus defender but he can't stop fouling. Offensively, he handles a little and makes good decisions but in reality no offensive game exists. Doesn't have a 1st step and has no feel for his shots. Alot of misses are ugly! Every shot I saw him make was ***wide open*** they don't even bother defending him.

Late 2nd rounder to free agent. Decent candidate for a two-way.

Obviously gonna disagree with this one. Cissoko is posting 16 points on 60% TS as an 18 year old in the G-league. Bonga never did that. Very few young players have come close to that efficiency, at that age, in that good of a league. Jalen Green is actually the only 18 year old I can remember that posted that level of efficiency at 18.

Combine that with the secondary playmaking, 4.4 assists per 36. Has above the rim athleticism. Is already an impact defender. The 3pt shooting is the only flaw right now, but his shot passes the eye test, and he’s shooting from the NBA 3pt line, not the NCAA line. Massive difference.

This one is an easy one to project if you ask me. Quality impact player at 18 years old in the 3rd or 4th best league in the world, will obviously be a good NBA player.

[NatP4]

Gradey Dick is by far the safest pick in the draft outside of Wemby. I think his floor is extremely high with his ceiling being a high level starter & 3rd offensive option. The more I look at his defense, I think he's a really underrated athlete and he's sharp off the ball. They'll pick on him initially on the ball but he has the toughness and length to handle it. Just needs to get stronger. Offensively he is tailor made for today's nba as an elite floor spacer who sees the floor well and has enough handle to attack closeouts AND explosive enough to finish at rim, especially on the break.

I would be content if he was the pick if the Wizards miss in the lottery. He also fills an immediate need at SF and provides the shooting the team is desperate for so I would also not be surprised if this is someone Shepp has his eyes on as well.

For reference: Dick, at 19.5 years old, is averaging less points, less assists, on worse efficiency while playing college basketball vs Cissoko at 18 years old playing for the Ignite.

There is no comparison in terms of the defense, secondary playmaking, and athleticism between the two.

[Kanyewest]

Gradey Dick is by far the safest pick in the draft outside of Wemby. I think his floor is extremely high with his ceiling being a high level starter & 3rd offensive option. The more I look at his defense, I think he's a really underrated athlete and he's sharp off the ball. They'll pick on him initially on the ball but he has the toughness and length to handle it. Just needs to get stronger. Offensively he is tailor made for today's nba as an elite floor spacer who sees the floor well and has enough handle to attack closeouts AND explosive enough to finish at rim, especially on the break.

I would be content if he was the pick if the Wizards miss in the lottery. He also fills an immediate need at SF and provides the shooting the team is desperate for so I would also not be surprised if this is someone Shepp has his eyes on as well.

For reference: Dick, at 19.5 years old, is averaging less points, less assists, on worse efficiency while playing college basketball vs Cissoko at 18 years old playing for the Ignite.

There is no comparison in terms of the defense, secondary playmaking, and athleticism between the two.

I'm not really sure if the defense is worse in the G-league or if the addition of zone defense makes college basketball overall harder to score. From an eye test, it does feel like the defensive intensity is lower in the G-league. Or perhaps you are right that maybe it's just overall talent level difference to why offensive efficiency is lower in college. Maybe it seems that way because the offensive players that one plays with in the g-league are better and are generally better than the defenses that they play against. I would be curious if Dick's efficiency actually increases/decreases in the gleague if he had better teammates and how Cissoko would perform in the NCAA with lesser competition but different rule changes.

[FAH1223]

Gradey Dick is by far the safest pick in the draft outside of Wemby. I think his floor is extremely high with his ceiling being a high level starter & 3rd offensive option. The more I look at his defense, I think he's a really underrated athlete and he's sharp off the ball. They'll pick on him initially on the ball but he has the toughness and length to handle it. Just needs to get stronger. Offensively he is tailor made for today's nba as an elite floor spacer who sees the floor well and has enough handle to attack closeouts AND explosive enough to finish at rim, especially on the break.

I would be content if he was the pick if the Wizards miss in the lottery. He also fills an immediate need at SF and provides the shooting the team is desperate for so I would also not be surprised if this is someone Shepp has his eyes on as well.

For reference: Dick, at 19.5 years old, is averaging less points, less assists, on worse efficiency while playing college basketball vs Cissoko at 18 years old playing for the Ignite.

There is no comparison in terms of the defense, secondary playmaking, and athleticism between the two.

Sidy is 6'5'' and like 150 pounds. He's mocked late 1st.

You think he's going to rapidly rise to lottery?

[NatP4]

Cissoko? He’s 6’8 200 lbs.

I think he’ll rise a bit. Guys like Ousmane Dieng and Dyson Daniels shot up late last year. Giddey and Wagner the year before. I bet he ends up going 13ish.

[NatP4]

Gradey Dick is by far the safest pick in the draft outside of Wemby. I think his floor is extremely high with his ceiling being a high level starter & 3rd offensive option. The more I look at his defense, I think he's a really underrated athlete and he's sharp off the ball. They'll pick on him initially on the ball but he has the toughness and length to handle it. Just needs to get stronger. Offensively he is tailor made for today's nba as an elite floor spacer who sees the floor well and has enough handle to attack closeouts AND explosive enough to finish at rim, especially on the break.

I would be content if he was the pick if the Wizards miss in the lottery. He also fills an immediate need at SF and provides the shooting the team is desperate for so I would also not be surprised if this is someone Shepp has his eyes on as well.

For reference: Dick, at 19.5 years old, is averaging less points, less assists, on worse efficiency while playing college basketball vs Cissoko at 18 years old playing for the Ignite.

There is no comparison in terms of the defense, secondary playmaking, and athleticism between the two.

I'm not really sure if the defense is worse in the G-league or if the addition of zone defense makes college basketball overall harder to score. From an eye test, it does feel like the defensive intensity is lower in the G-league. Or perhaps you are right that maybe it's just overall talent level difference to why offensive efficiency is lower in college. Maybe it seems that way because the offensive players that one plays with in the g-league are better and are generally better than the defenses that they play against. I would be curious if Dick's efficiency actually increases/decreases in the gleague if he had better teammates and how Cissoko would perform in the NCAA with lesser competition but different rule changes.

I would guess that if you put Cissoko in the NCAA, he would be posting 20+ PPG and 5+ assists and be projected as a top 10 pick. I don’t think the level of competition is even comparable. The g league is just different now. It’s highly competitive, made up of all of the former best college players. Some of Gradey Dick’s best games came against Omaha, Southern Utah, Howard, and Texas Southern. None of those schools have ever had a single player with NBA level talent or anything close to it.

[Jay81]

For reference: Dick, at 19.5 years old, is averaging less points, less assists, on worse efficiency while playing college basketball vs Cissoko at 18 years old playing for the Ignite.

There is no comparison in terms of the defense, secondary playmaking, and athleticism between the two.

I'm not really sure if the defense is worse in the G-league or if the addition of zone defense makes college basketball overall harder to score. From an eye test, it does feel like the defensive intensity is lower in the G-league. Or perhaps you are right that maybe it's just overall talent level difference to why offensive efficiency is lower in college. Maybe it seems that way because the offensive players that one plays with in the g-league are better and are generally better than the defenses that they play against. I would be curious if Dick's efficiency actually increases/decreases in the gleague if he had better teammates and how Cissoko would perform in the NCAA with lesser competition but different rule changes.

I would guess that if you put Cissoko in the NCAA, he would be posting 20+ PPG and 5+ assists and be projected as a top 10 pick. I don’t think the level of competition is even comparable. The g league is just different now. It’s highly competitive, made up of all of the former best college players. Some of Gradey Dick’s best games came against Omaha, Southern Utah, Howard, and Texas Southern. None of those schools have ever had a single player with NBA level talent or anything close to it.

did Amen play in the G league? I think you said he shot extremely poorly against really poor competition.

[NatP4]

Amen and Ausar are playing in the overtime elite league. We have almost no historical context for that league. The best player to ever play in OTE previously was Jean Montero, who went undrafted and is now a really bad backup guard in Europe.

Combine that with the fact that the Thompson Twins could be juniors in the NCAA right now based on their age.

If you rank the leagues, it’s gotta be something like:

NBA
NBL/Euroleague/G League
French league
NCAA/other mediocre pro leagues

Huge gap

OTE