2024 Draft Prospects

[KingCat]

How much stock are we suppose to put in guys being role players on national championship teams?

I remember we mainly picked MKG for being a "culture changer" cause he was on a dominate national champion, but the guy doesn't go in the lottery in a redraft.

[MasterIchiro]

And based on conversations with teams, there will be a lot of drafting for best fit,

This is what I'm gathering from all the draft coverage. Best player available fits your team best, despite rival scouts challenges that other options are more talented. If the talent doesn't fit your team, the player may not fully develop/optimize that talent.

Surround Castle with elite spacing (LaMelo/Miller) and his creation off the dribble for his own shots and for others will flourish. He will have all the time in the world to relax and calmly get off a good shot. Defenses will have no choice but to cheat him, mindful of LaMelo and Miller. Those two spacers can hit from so deep, and both command double teams. Castle is already good at attacking the rim. He will quickly start to spot open lanes to the basket given all the space. He's going to make the right read/play with that space and the game will slow down quicker.

Defensively, Hornets need to add another defender like Grant Williams, Cody Martin and Mark Williams. If Castle makes a mistake as POA defender, Mark Williams is an eraser. We have the luxury of backing our perimeter defense with an elite prospect who has elite length and shot blocking ability.

In summary, Castle can connect/glue the offense while establishing himself as a formidable bedrock of the defense with Mark Williams.

With Castle, Hornets will increase quality possessions on both ends.

So, who do you like in the draft?

I haven't made up my mind yet. I have a hard time focusing.

[MasterIchiro]

I've been saying Rockets @ 3 since my first mock.

Read on Twitter

[JustBuzzin]

How much stock are we suppose to put in guys being role players on national championship teams?

I remember we mainly picked MKG for being a "culture changer" cause he was on a dominate national champion, but the guy doesn't go in the lottery in a redraft.

Being honest I never got the MKG hype. Not sure what people were watching in college but I laughed when the Hornets drafted him.

[JustBuzzin]

I've been saying Rockets @ 3 since my first mock.

Read on Twitter

That's good news for us.

I prefer one of the wings drops to us and we take the best available.

Right now my top 3 are Castle/Knecht/Risacher in that order.

[KingCat]

According to experts, this draft is the equivalent of starting a normal draft at the #9 pick.

As a franchise that pretty much perpetually picked in the 9 range for the past decade, I wonder where our past recent draftees would be mocked in this draft. Feels like a fun thought experiment for context:

Miller would be the consensus #1 pick. He laps Risacher and Matas as wing prospects

Mark would be in the same range as Clingan no doubt. So an outside chance of being #1

Bouk would be in the same range as Dillingham. so around 5 to 8

...Oh god would Kai Jones be getting the same hype as Sarr?

Melo had a lot of red flags and was disliked by many experts if I recall, so I imagine Topic being taken over him

PJ was a solid college player; would prob go top 3 in this draft

[MasterIchiro]

I've been saying Rockets @ 3 since my first mock.

Read on Twitter

That's good news for us.

I prefer one of the wings drops to us and we take the best available.

Right now my top 3 are Castle/Knecht/Risacher in that order.

Yea I'm confident Sarr, Topic, Clingan go 1-2-3. And I'm confident Pistons go Buzelis.

I'm a little unsure about the Spurs. They could play spoiler. They have the luxury of building around Wemby.

Everyone fits in some way given his diverse skill-set.

[Diop]

Castle openly says he wants to be a PG and he's a bad shooter. That isn't exactly screaming "good fit" with this team.

Didn’t seem to bother anyone here when it was Scoot Henderson

Scoot was viewed as a higher potential prospect and was an actual PG. Castle is a non-shooting SG that wants to be a PG.

But on the reverse of that, it is interesting that certain people who were anti-Scoot now suddenly want Castle.

If miller was in this draft, castle wouldn’t have entered consideration for me at all.

[Diop]

I want Spurs to take Edey to form a gigantic front court with wemby at Pf.

[MPM]

We should just throw a hand grenade into the NBA universe and draft Bronny at 6.

[Bassman]

We should just throw a hand grenade into the NBA universe and draft Bronny at 6.

HA! I know you’re joking (or hope you are).

But…I do think some team is going to take a swing at him early 2nd. They will be betting on bloodline much like a possible Derby horse.

[LofJ]

We should just throw a hand grenade into the NBA universe and draft Bronny at 6.

HA! I know you’re joking (or hope you are).

But…I do think some team is going to take a swing at him early 2nd. They will be betting on bloodline much like a possible Derby horse.

I'd bet money on Ainge holding Bronny hostage with the 32nd pick. That seems like something he'd totally do.

[SWedd523]

Let them. dude shouldn't have been at a d1 school to begin with, much less be included in the combine process, and doesn't belong in the NBA regardless of his name.

[JustBuzzin]

We should just throw a hand grenade into the NBA universe and draft Bronny at 6.

HA! I know you’re joking (or hope you are).

But…I do think some team is going to take a swing at him early 2nd. They will be betting on bloodline much like a possible Derby horse.

I'd bet money on Ainge holding Bronny hostage with the 32nd pick. That seems like something he'd totally do.

Hold hostage?

This is a very weird comment my man. Getting drafted only to be held hostage now that's some stuff ESPN 30 for 30 would love.

Held Hostage Prince James

[dmutombo321]

Seeing updated mocks that now have Edey breaking into the top 10 (Memphis at 9, SA at 8).

If Edey continues to impress during individual workouts and performs passably in p/r switch drills, unless someone like a Risacher, Clingan or Sarr unexpectedly falls, my feeling now is don't overthink things and just take Edey.

At worst, we've drastically upgraded our backup center and got insurance for Mark Williams' back. At best, a 20/10 bigger version of prime Brook Lopez who could ultimately supplant Williams, healthy or not.

In a weak draft like this, it's a safe/smart selection at #6 that makes more sense than gambling on the other flawed wings projected to be available, most of whom can't shoot, and hoping they develop.

Wait to address adding a SG/SF to slot beside Miller next year when the stronger draft is expected to be loaded with heralded prospects likely to be more talented than any of the players in this class (Flagg, Bailey, Harper, Edgecomb, etc)..

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[JMAC3]

Seeing updated mocks that now have Edey breaking into the top 10 (Memphis at 9, SA at 8).

If Edey continues to impress during individual workouts and performs passably in p/r switch drills, unless someone like a Risacher, Clingan or Sarr unexpectedly falls, my feeling now is don't overthink things and just take Edey.

At worst, we've drastically upgraded our backup center and got insurance for Mark Williams' back. At best, a 20/10 bigger version of prime Brook Lopez who could ultimately supplant Williams, healthy or not.

In a weak draft like this, it's a safe/smart selection at #6 that makes more sense than gambling on the other flawed wings projected to be available, most of whom can't shoot, and hoping they develop.

Wait to address adding a SG/SF to slot beside Miller next year when the stronger draft is expected to be loaded with heralded prospects likely to be more talented than any of the players in this class (Flagg, Bailey, Harper, Edgecomb, etc)..

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Backup center probably is the least valuable backup in the league. Edey can only play 1 position, if we are drafting for depth I would rather get another elite playmaker or a wing who can play multiple positions. You can barely get a first round pick for an average starting center like a Capela, Gafford, Wood, Jarrett Allen... what do you think you are going to get for a guy that is being used as a backup? Steven Adams was traded for 3 2nds, Plumlee we got 1 2nd

[JMAC3]

Scoot, even after his rookie season, would still go #1 in this draft if it were allowed, this draft is that bad. He looked much better the last month despite being in a terrible situation and he has a defined role, and his form on his shot is much better than Castle's.

I would take both Thompson twins over Castle as well, because of superior size and athleticism. Again, Castle will only play if he figures out that shot. He can't be afraid to take them. His form looked much improved during the combine

I agree Scoot the prospect would be in the convo for 1/2 this year, but not after a full season of him being pretty bad. He is probably slipping to 7/8 at best. He was historically bad, I feel like I would rather a blank slate and hope they are just awesome rather than try to fix Scoot at this point.

[dmutombo321]

Seeing updated mocks that now have Edey breaking into the top 10 (Memphis at 9, SA at 8).

If Edey continues to impress during individual workouts and performs passably in p/r switch drills, unless someone like a Risacher, Clingan or Sarr unexpectedly falls, my feeling now is don't overthink things and just take Edey.

At worst, we've drastically upgraded our backup center and got insurance for Mark Williams' back. At best, a 20/10 bigger version of prime Brook Lopez who could ultimately supplant Williams, healthy or not.

In a weak draft like this, it's a safe/smart selection at #6 that makes more sense than gambling on the other flawed wings projected to be available, most of whom can't shoot, and hoping they develop.

Wait to address adding a SG/SF to slot beside Miller next year when the stronger draft is expected to be loaded with heralded prospects likely to be more talented than any of the players in this class (Flagg, Bailey, Harper, Edgecomb, etc)..

Sent from my motorola edge (2021) using RealGM mobile app

Backup center probably is the least valuable backup in the league. Edey can only play 1 position, if we are drafting for depth I would rather get another elite playmaker or a wing who can play multiple positions. You can barely get a first round pick for an average starting center like a Capela, Gafford, Wood, Jarrett Allen... what do you think you are going to get for a guy that is being used as a backup? Steven Adams was traded for 3 2nds, Plumlee we got 1 2nd

I would take Edey today in a heartbeat over the present iterations of any of those guys. And although I'm not as high on him as GoBobs, I think he has a much higher ceiling than career backup; I merely view that as his floor. Think he's more likely to be a bigger and better rebounding version of a young Brook Lopez; gets punished on switches from time to time but is a net positive in light of being an immovable object that can punish defenses down low and also block some shots

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[bravor]

For the record, Risacher is having a pretty good game for now in the 2nd game of 1/4 final playoffs against Nanterre (his team is on the road). 16 pts on 14mn so far, 3/5 on 3's, main downside is his 2 to's and only one ft to shoot till now. Game is close, curious to see if he can keep carrying his team offensively in 2nd half.

[JMAC3]

Seeing updated mocks that now have Edey breaking into the top 10 (Memphis at 9, SA at 8).

If Edey continues to impress during individual workouts and performs passably in p/r switch drills, unless someone like a Risacher, Clingan or Sarr unexpectedly falls, my feeling now is don't overthink things and just take Edey.

At worst, we've drastically upgraded our backup center and got insurance for Mark Williams' back. At best, a 20/10 bigger version of prime Brook Lopez who could ultimately supplant Williams, healthy or not.

In a weak draft like this, it's a safe/smart selection at #6 that makes more sense than gambling on the other flawed wings projected to be available, most of whom can't shoot, and hoping they develop.

Wait to address adding a SG/SF to slot beside Miller next year when the stronger draft is expected to be loaded with heralded prospects likely to be more talented than any of the players in this class (Flagg, Bailey, Harper, Edgecomb, etc)..

Sent from my motorola edge (2021) using RealGM mobile app

Backup center probably is the least valuable backup in the league. Edey can only play 1 position, if we are drafting for depth I would rather get another elite playmaker or a wing who can play multiple positions. You can barely get a first round pick for an average starting center like a Capela, Gafford, Wood, Jarrett Allen... what do you think you are going to get for a guy that is being used as a backup? Steven Adams was traded for 3 2nds, Plumlee we got 1 2nd

I would take Edey today in a heartbeat over the present iterations of any of those guys. And although I'm not as high on him as GoBobs, I think he has a much higher ceiling than career backup; I merely view that as his floor. Think he's more likely to be a bigger and better rebounding version of a young Brook Lopez; gets punished on switches from time to time but is a net positive in light of being an immovable object that can punish defenses down low and also block some shots

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That is fine, but my point is unless Edey is a top 7 center his value is pretty low in a year or 2. Teams don't value centers at all. We could probably trade either of our Dallas or Miami future firsts for a solid starting center like Mitchell Robinson, WCJ, Zubac etc... and there is a chance Edey is worse than those guys so no point taking him 6th overall.

Chance to be better than WCJ- 20%
Equally as good probably like 50%
Worse than WCJ- 30%

Not worth the risk when the cost to acquire established players on affordable contracts is lower than cost to draft said player.