2024 NBA DRAFT THREAD

[VanWest82]

I would like us to find a way to draft Nikola Topic. He just needs the pull three and I'm all in on PG Manu.

I'm on the Topic train. His highlight reels are halfcourt 1on1 breaking down defense for layups. We need that half court offense and rim pressure

The Serbia connection is a bonus

What spot is Topic is being mocked so far?

Givony has him 5th https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable

[hyper316]

I would like us to find a way to draft Nikola Topic. He just needs the pull three and I'm all in on PG Manu.

I'm on the Topic train. His highlight reels are halfcourt 1on1 breaking down defense for layups. We need that half court offense and rim pressure

The Serbia connection is a bonus

What spot is Topic is being mocked so far?

Givony has him 5th https://www.espn.com/nba/draft/bestavailable

Thanks! Interesting read on his scouting report. 6'-7" PG. That would make IQ as the scorer guard that he fits better his play. And make Barnes more of a play maker/finisher than play initiator which I'm totally fine with. How's Topic defense?

[Son Goku 25]

Hard for me to believe this draft won't have stars or players who'd be part of the core when you know how much the game has grown globally plus our strength in drafting (majority of the time).

Let them go to work and if we can be strategic in bundling picks for more talent then that's fine too but id like to keep our top picks at the minimum and see what we can do.

[ArthurVandelay]

I would like us to find a way to draft Nikola Topic. He just needs the pull three and I'm all in on PG Manu.

Get into top 4 and make sure Spurs behind Raptors… piece of cake

[WuTang_CMB]

Ryan Dunn is 100% a target with that Indiana pick.

[OakleyDokely]

I would like us to find a way to draft Nikola Topic. He just needs the pull three and I'm all in on PG Manu.

Get into top 4 and make sure Spurs behind Raptors… piece of cake

If the Spurs get #1, they probably take him there.

[Psubs]

Ryan Dunn is 100% a target with that Indiana pick.

Imagine if OG shot the 3 at 30%, everyone would be saying he's unplayable.

[Rapsfan07]

Ryan Dunn is 100% a target with that Indiana pick.

If he is, Masai and Co should be fired.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Ryan Dunn is 100% a target with that Indiana pick.

Imagine if OG shot the 3 at 30%, everyone would be saying he's unplayable.

OG shot 31% from 3 as a sophomore at Indiana.

[WuTang_CMB]

Ryan Dunn is 100% a target with that Indiana pick.

If he is, Masai and Co should be fired.

be prepared

[Rapsfan07]

Ryan Dunn is 100% a target with that Indiana pick.

If he is, Masai and Co should be fired.

be prepared

Would be a horrible, horrible waste of a pick. We need to move away from these defense only guys and into more two way players who can put the ball in the basket. Because at the end of the day, that's what basketball is about.

Unless come workout time, Dunn shows he has a reliable 3 ball, McCullar and Ware are better swings available at that part of the draft.

[REJECTEDBYCLARK]

If he is, Masai and Co should be fired.

be prepared

Would be a horrible, horrible waste of a pick. We need to move away from these defense only guys and into more two way players who can put the ball in the basket. Because at the end of the day, that's what basketball is about.

Unless come workout time, Dunn shows he has a reliable 3 ball, McCullar and Ware are better swings available at that part of the draft.

This whole draft doesn't have me excited at all especially in the areas we have our 3 acquired picks. McCullar has the kind of skillset a guy like Jalen Slawson did coming out of Furman last year as a 5th year senior. You can chalk up the increased efficiency in certain areas to the fact Slawson played awful competition but McCullar should theoretically be what people imagined Slawson could become in a well-rounded plug and play solid but unspectacular player. That doesn't excite me at all as I feel like he'll just be an average NBA starter. I could see him being most useful as a bench piece and depth for a contender right away, unfortunately there are a ton of projected 1st round picks who fit this mold.

That said I might need to give him a closer look to see if there's something hiding there but the way he moves on the court just screams average player to me. His offense has improved tremendously very late in his college career which is interesting.

[OakleyDokely]

Ryan Dunn looks the part, has the size and the defensive versatility that if he shows anything in the shooting drills at the combine, he will likely go in the lottery in a draft like this.

He's likely not a high upside guy but he could develop into a Herb Jones type guy, which has value.

[Rapsfan07]

be prepared

Would be a horrible, horrible waste of a pick. We need to move away from these defense only guys and into more two way players who can put the ball in the basket. Because at the end of the day, that's what basketball is about.

Unless come workout time, Dunn shows he has a reliable 3 ball, McCullar and Ware are better swings available at that part of the draft.

This whole draft doesn't have me excited at all especially in the areas we have our 3 acquired picks. McCullar has the kind of skillset a guy like Jalen Slawson did coming out of Furman last year as a 5th year senior. You can chalk up the increased efficiency in certain areas to the fact Slawson played awful competition but McCullar should theoretically be what people imagined Slawson could become in a well-rounded plug and play solid but unspectacular player. That doesn't excite me at all as I feel like he'll just be an average NBA starter. I could see him being most useful as a bench piece and depth for a contender right away, unfortunately there are a ton of projected 1st round picks who fit this mold.

That said I might need to give him a closer look to see if there's something hiding there but the way he moves on the court just screams average player to me. His offense has improved tremendously very late in his college career which is interesting.

This is exactly why I like him to be honest lol

It's rare to see a rookie come out and impact the game right away but Jaquez is a recent example of an older player who's been able to do that. I'm not sure if McCullar can/will have the same effect but the idea of a do-it-all, jack of all trades kind of SG/SF player who isn't useless on either side of the ball is incredible value in the middle of the draft, in my opinion. Especially if they can do it out of the gate. If he was able to become a starter, that's icing on the cake.

I much prefer that over Dunn, who projects to be a defensive specialist on a team that desperately needs to get better at scoring.

[Rapsfan07]

Ryan Dunn looks the part, has the size and the defensive versatility that if he shows anything in the shooting drills at the combine, he will likely go in the lottery in a draft like this.

He's likely not a high upside guy but he could develop into a Herb Jones type guy, which has value.

Agreed. The calculus changes drastically if he can shoot. But the numbers seem to indicate that he can't.

I remain open and hopeful though.

[WuTang_CMB]

Ryan Dunn looks the part, has the size and the defensive versatility that if he shows anything in the shooting drills at the combine, he will likely go in the lottery in a draft like this.

He's likely not a high upside guy but he could develop into a Herb Jones type guy, which has value.

Agreed. The calculus changes drastically if he can shoot. But the numbers seem to indicate that he can't.

I remain open and hopeful though.

I'd take him at 18-20 if he's there. Shooting limitations are an issue but the defense is intriguing and something we are lacking after losing OG. In a perfect world we grab him with the 31st pick but he's not lasting that long. In a draft like this I much rather take a chance at 20 on a guy with proven defensive capability and try and get his shot going.

[ItsDanger]

Virginia players are a product of their system, so beware. I would not target a player like that middle of the 1st, maybe later on in the draft. Raps roster is short on shot creation, so you need to swing at some offensive players. If they bust, so be it.

[OakleyDokely]

It's pretty hard to ignore a 6'8 guy with a 7'1 wingspan who currently is averaging 5.2 blks and 3.8 steals per 100 possessions as a soph.

Dunn's going to go high imo.

[Rapsfan07]

Ryan Dunn looks the part, has the size and the defensive versatility that if he shows anything in the shooting drills at the combine, he will likely go in the lottery in a draft like this.

He's likely not a high upside guy but he could develop into a Herb Jones type guy, which has value.

Agreed. The calculus changes drastically if he can shoot. But the numbers seem to indicate that he can't.

I remain open and hopeful though.

I'd take him at 18-20 if he's there. Shooting limitations are an issue but the defense is intriguing and something we are lacking after losing OG. In a perfect world we grab him with the 31st pick but he's not lasting that long. In a draft like this I much rather take a chance at 20 on a guy with proven defensive capability and try and get his shot going.

I suppose that's a fair opinion to have. I just think looking at our history, the only non-shooters we've taken in recent years that have developed a reliable/semi-reliable shot is Barnes and Pascal. I'm personally tired of trying to make guys something they aren't and watching 5 minute droughts of no one on the team being able to score.

Anyway, my hope is that we keep our pick and draft Risacher or Williams, which would make this all moot but if we're going with a project player, I think Ware is the way to go. Again, this is all contingent upon whether or not Dunn does well at the shooting drills.

[Rapsfan07]

Virginia players are a product of their system, so beware. I would not target a player like that middle of the 1st, maybe later on in the draft. Raps roster is short on shot creation, so you need to swing at some offensive players. If they bust, so be it.

Yep, this is my thinking as well.

McCullar is theoretically a two-way high floor, low ceiling plug and play senior and Ware could be Myles Turner-esque. I'd much rather swing on those guys.