2024 Draft Prospects

[Diop]

Still left just thinking Castle is too small. Love his energy and motor on the floor, but I'm concerned he's too small to make his name as a primary POA defender. Offensively I just don't see it, but I know he's only 19 and will have a long time to develop his game.

Marcus Smart was small he won DPOTY.

There's also a whole lot of smaller defenders that never make NBA rosters. Smaller wings with limited offensive skill sets have a major uphill battle. Makes me nervous to bet on that working out.

The smarts help castle, a bit like Martin in that respect

[JustBuzzin]

Still left just thinking Castle is too small. Love his energy and motor on the floor, but I'm concerned he's too small to make his name as a primary POA defender. Offensively I just don't see it, but I know he's only 19 and will have a long time to develop his game.

Marcus Smart was small he won DPOTY.

There's also a whole lot of smaller defenders that never make NBA rosters. Smaller wings with limited offensive skill sets have a major uphill battle. Makes me nervous to bet on that working out.

He's not a wing though. He's listed as a 6'6 guard.

Even if he's say more 6'4 is that really undersized for a guard in today's NBA?

Donovan Mitchell is 6'1 and he's one of the best sgs in the league.

[yosemiteben]

Marcus Smart was small he won DPOTY.

There's also a whole lot of smaller defenders that never make NBA rosters. Smaller wings with limited offensive skill sets have a major uphill battle. Makes me nervous to bet on that working out.

The smarts help castle, a bit like Martin in that respect

I just feel like I need to see more upside to justify a top 5 pick, even in a weak draft.

It's kind of a shame that he was such a bit player on a dominant team, we really didn't get to see him in a more important role offensively. If his role is as a poor shooting, non-playmaking guard that defends and has high BBIQ, I just can't get excited about that.

Ideally we would've seen him return and lead a less loaded team.

[MasterIchiro]

We will see how he measures out at the combine.

Quick and dirty Google search says 6' 6" 215. He looks longer than Suggs.

NBA.com lists Jalen Suggs at 6' 5" 205. Magic fans said they would not deal him for our pick.

But I don't see why Castle can't add a shot while playing lock down defense.

We'd kill for a player like Suggs for this lineup. He's really a perfect fit.

You need a wing defender with length to guard an opposing 3 but also quickness to guard a 1. That's something I'm confident Castle can handle. And a reason you can't go with LaMelo/Miller as your backcourt. Length is great but who guards the 1?

Suggs should be his goal. He's a winning player, tenacious defender, combo guard.

[GoBobs]

Still left just thinking Castle is too small. Love his energy and motor on the floor, but I'm concerned he's too small to make his name as a primary POA defender. Offensively I just don't see it, but I know he's only 19 and will have a long time to develop his game.

Marcus Smart was small he won DPOTY.

Beverly had success as poa defender and he’s even smaller.

That is true, I wouldn't mind a young Pat... Is he that level of defensive culture changer though?

Usually steal rate is one of the best predictors of athleticism. His 0.8 steal rate is sort of underwhelming. Basically the same steal rate as Nick Smith Jr and A. Bailey. Marcus Smart was a 3 steals per game. Pat Bev was at 1.5 for his college career.

[yosemiteben]

I'm not gonna act like I'm some big draft guy so maybe my assessment is way off. The last time I felt really strongly about a draft pick was probably when I wanted Justise Winslow over Frank Kaminsky, and ironically Frank probably had the better career.

I just look at Castle's raw.stats, his size, and what seems to me to be his most likely role, and I just don't think there is enough there to get me excited about picking him over other guys projected to go top 5.

[MasterIchiro]

I'm confident in Castle because his defense will translate right away and he's well-rounded in all areas of the game which is often a sign a player is coachable and doesnt neglect any one area of the game. He's a winning player with a high floor. This draft seems like floor may factor in more than upside compared to previous drafts.

[GoBobs]

We will see how he measures out at the combine.

Quick and dirty Google search says 6' 6" 215. He looks longer than Suggs.

NBA.com lists Jalen Suggs at 6' 5" 205. Magic fans said they would not deal him for our pick.

But I don't see why Castle can't add a shot while playing lock down defense.

We'd kill for a player like Suggs for this lineup. He's really a perfect fit.

You need a wing defender with length to guard an opposing 3 but also quickness to guard a 1. That's something I'm confident Castle can handle. And a reason you can't go with LaMelo/Miller as your backcourt. Length is great but who guards the 1?

Suggs should be his goal. He's a winning player, tenacious defender, combo guard.

Last year we got A Bailey and Nick Smith Jr and both were listed at like 6'5'' or 6'6''. When I watch them I always feel like they are undersized for anything but PG.

Bailey measured at 6'3.25'' at the combine without shoes and Nick Smith didn't measure. Tre Mann is also 6'3.25 without shoes but has a short wing span so his standing reach is only 8'2'' (same as Rozier). Bailey has a standing reach of 8'7''. Nick Richards is 9'2'' for reference. So there is also the question of is Castle like a big 6'3'' without shoes or a small 6'3'' without shoes if he turns out to measure around the same range.

[yosemiteben]

I am surprised to see that Castle is averaging less than 1 steal and 1 block per game despite playing almost 30 mpg. What's up with that? Expected more based on his reputation.

[MasterIchiro]

We will see how he measures out at the combine.

Quick and dirty Google search says 6' 6" 215. He looks longer than Suggs.

NBA.com lists Jalen Suggs at 6' 5" 205. Magic fans said they would not deal him for our pick.

But I don't see why Castle can't add a shot while playing lock down defense.

We'd kill for a player like Suggs for this lineup. He's really a perfect fit.

You need a wing defender with length to guard an opposing 3 but also quickness to guard a 1. That's something I'm confident Castle can handle. And a reason you can't go with LaMelo/Miller as your backcourt. Length is great but who guards the 1?

Suggs should be his goal. He's a winning player, tenacious defender, combo guard.

Last year we got A Bailey and Nick Smith Jr and both were listed at like 6'5'' or 6'6''. When I watch them I always feel like they are undersized for anything but PG.

Bailey measured at 6'3.25'' at the combine without shoes and Nick Smith didn't measure. Tre Mann is also 6'3.25 without shoes but has a short wing span so his standing reach is only 8'2'' (same as Rozier). Bailey has a standing reach of 8'7''. Nick Richards is 9'2'' for reference. So there is also the question of is Castle like a big 6'3'' without shoes or a small 6'3'' without shoes if he turns out to measure around the same range.

If it's my team I will be looking at how he compares to Suggs' combine numbers. Again, you need your elite wing defender to swing from 3 to 1. The longer you are, the more you surrender to those small quick perimeter attackers. Castle can hang with anyone on the perimeter. That's what Suggs does so well for the Magic defense. And they lack a rim protector like Mark, who could be elite there.

[MasterIchiro]

Read on Twitter

[Bassman]

Castle with a good game, but agree his overall body of work doesn’t push my trigger if we’re drafting 4th or higher. Clingan did his thing, and some are projecting him to the Hornets at 3. He’s good not great, agree he seems a bit stiff but moves more quickly than Edey. I know you can’t teach size, but hopeful we see some major upside options from one of Topic, Risarcher or Buzelis. I think those 3 could be impactful over time with a higher ceiling than others projected within the top 6.

[GoBobs]

We will see how he measures out at the combine.

Quick and dirty Google search says 6' 6" 215. He looks longer than Suggs.

NBA.com lists Jalen Suggs at 6' 5" 205. Magic fans said they would not deal him for our pick.

But I don't see why Castle can't add a shot while playing lock down defense.

We'd kill for a player like Suggs for this lineup. He's really a perfect fit.

You need a wing defender with length to guard an opposing 3 but also quickness to guard a 1. That's something I'm confident Castle can handle. And a reason you can't go with LaMelo/Miller as your backcourt. Length is great but who guards the 1?

Suggs should be his goal. He's a winning player, tenacious defender, combo guard.

Last year we got A Bailey and Nick Smith Jr and both were listed at like 6'5'' or 6'6''. When I watch them I always feel like they are undersized for anything but PG.

Bailey measured at 6'3.25'' at the combine without shoes and Nick Smith didn't measure. Tre Mann is also 6'3.25 without shoes but has a short wing span so his standing reach is only 8'2'' (same as Rozier). Bailey has a standing reach of 8'7''. Nick Richards is 9'2'' for reference. So there is also the question of is Castle like a big 6'3'' without shoes or a small 6'3'' without shoes if he turns out to measure around the same range.

If it's my team I will be looking at how he compares to Suggs' combine numbers. Again, you need your elite wing defender to swing from 3 to 1. The longer you are, the more you surrender to those small quick perimeter attackers. Castle can hang with anyone on the perimeter. That's what Suggs does so well for the Magic defense. And they lack a rim protector like Mark, who could be elite there.

Unfortunately Suggs did not attend the combine. Lets say the Magic were willing to trade Suggs for our pick though. What would you want to pay him? He only has one more year of his rookie deal.

He averages 12 pts, 2.7 ast, 3 reb, with good defense and good 3pt shooting.

Clearly he hasn't shown he is a 35-45 mil max player like LaMelo got. If you don't want to max him restricted free agency could get pretty uncomfortable.

So with Castle the first question is will he be better than Miccic, Mann, Smith Jr, Bailey..... His stats aren't much better than Smith Jr and Bailey.

The second question is if he turns out to be like Marcus Smart, third year Suggs level how much are you willing to pay to keep that player vs how much are other teams willing to pay, and can't you just generally trade for a Marcus Smart, or Pat Bev level defensive specialist?

[Diop]

There's also a whole lot of smaller defenders that never make NBA rosters. Smaller wings with limited offensive skill sets have a major uphill battle. Makes me nervous to bet on that working out.

The smarts help castle, a bit like Martin in that respect

I just feel like I need to see more upside to justify a top 5 pick, even in a weak draft.

It's kind of a shame that he was such a bit player on a dominant team, we really didn't get to see him in a more important role offensively. If his role is as a poor shooting, non-playmaking guard that defends and has high BBIQ, I just can't get excited about that.

Ideally we would've seen him return and lead a less loaded team.

Yeah that’s definitely fair

[MasterIchiro]

Topic is the only player who makes me excited in this draft. I would feel satisfied with Castle, but not excited. He could be the type of player teams don't trade even when they're not a star like Suggs. You can't see yourself competing without them nor replacing through the draft the things they do well for your team. Some players fit so well they're irreplaceable, just like a star.

[MasterIchiro]

Last year we got A Bailey and Nick Smith Jr and both were listed at like 6'5'' or 6'6''. When I watch them I always feel like they are undersized for anything but PG.

Bailey measured at 6'3.25'' at the combine without shoes and Nick Smith didn't measure. Tre Mann is also 6'3.25 without shoes but has a short wing span so his standing reach is only 8'2'' (same as Rozier). Bailey has a standing reach of 8'7''. Nick Richards is 9'2'' for reference. So there is also the question of is Castle like a big 6'3'' without shoes or a small 6'3'' without shoes if he turns out to measure around the same range.

If it's my team I will be looking at how he compares to Suggs' combine numbers. Again, you need your elite wing defender to swing from 3 to 1. The longer you are, the more you surrender to those small quick perimeter attackers. Castle can hang with anyone on the perimeter. That's what Suggs does so well for the Magic defense. And they lack a rim protector like Mark, who could be elite there.

Unfortunately Suggs did not attend the combine. Lets say the Magic were willing to trade Suggs for our pick though. What would you want to pay him? He only has one more year of his rookie deal.

He averages 12 pts, 2.7 ast, 3 reb, with good defense and good 3pt shooting.

Clearly he hasn't shown he is a 35-45 mil max player like LaMelo got. If you don't want to max him restricted free agency could get pretty uncomfortable.

So with Castle the first question is will he be better than Miccic, Mann, Smith Jr, Bailey..... His stats aren't much better than Smith Jr and Bailey.

The second question is if he turns out to be like Marcus Smart, third year Suggs level how much are you willing to pay to keep that player vs how much are other teams willing to pay, and can't you just generally trade for a Marcus Smart, or Pat Bev level defensive specialist?

If I have to pay Castle like Suggs then that's a problem I welcome. It would mean we drafted a player who panned out so this outcome should not be used as a deterrent to his selection.

Don't draft that guy because, OMFG, if he pans put you have to PAY him! How are you ever gonna do that!

Let's stick to the draft and worry about the cap later.

[GoBobs]

If it's my team I will be looking at how he compares to Suggs' combine numbers. Again, you need your elite wing defender to swing from 3 to 1. The longer you are, the more you surrender to those small quick perimeter attackers. Castle can hang with anyone on the perimeter. That's what Suggs does so well for the Magic defense. And they lack a rim protector like Mark, who could be elite there.

Unfortunately Suggs did not attend the combine. Lets say the Magic were willing to trade Suggs for our pick though. What would you want to pay him? He only has one more year of his rookie deal.

He averages 12 pts, 2.7 ast, 3 reb, with good defense and good 3pt shooting.

Clearly he hasn't shown he is a 35-45 mil max player like LaMelo got. If you don't want to max him restricted free agency could get pretty uncomfortable.

So with Castle the first question is will he be better than Miccic, Mann, Smith Jr, Bailey..... His stats aren't much better than Smith Jr and Bailey.

The second question is if he turns out to be like Marcus Smart, third year Suggs level how much are you willing to pay to keep that player vs how much are other teams willing to pay, and can't you just generally trade for a Marcus Smart, or Pat Bev level defensive specialist?

If I have to pay Castle like Suggs then that's a problem I welcome. It would mean we drafted a player who panned out so this outcome should not be used as a deterrent to his selection.

Don't draft that guy because, OMFG, if he pans put you have to PAY him! How are you ever gonna do that!

Let's stick to the draft and worry about the cap later.

But I am just saying this is why star hunting in the draft is so much better than role player hunting. If you hit on a star you don't feel bad about paying the max. If you miss you don't feel bad about letting him walk. If you hit on a role player you still might lose him for nothing after the rookie deal or end up with a bad contract.

[MasterIchiro]

Unfortunately Suggs did not attend the combine. Lets say the Magic were willing to trade Suggs for our pick though. What would you want to pay him? He only has one more year of his rookie deal.

He averages 12 pts, 2.7 ast, 3 reb, with good defense and good 3pt shooting.

Clearly he hasn't shown he is a 35-45 mil max player like LaMelo got. If you don't want to max him restricted free agency could get pretty uncomfortable.

So with Castle the first question is will he be better than Miccic, Mann, Smith Jr, Bailey..... His stats aren't much better than Smith Jr and Bailey.

The second question is if he turns out to be like Marcus Smart, third year Suggs level how much are you willing to pay to keep that player vs how much are other teams willing to pay, and can't you just generally trade for a Marcus Smart, or Pat Bev level defensive specialist?

If I have to pay Castle like Suggs then that's a problem I welcome. It would mean we drafted a player who panned out so this outcome should not be used as a deterrent to his selection.

Don't draft that guy because, OMFG, if he pans put you have to PAY him! How are you ever gonna do that!

Let's stick to the draft and worry about the cap later.

But I am just saying this is why star hunting in the draft is so much better than role player hunting. If you hit on a star you don't feel bad about paying the max. If you miss you don't feel bad about letting him walk. If you hit on a role player you still might lose him for nothing after the rookie deal or end up with a bad contract.

Suggs is not a star and he's a hit. Magic wouldn't trade him.

[MasterIchiro]

Read on Twitter

[amcoolio]

I just don't see it, I think Suggs was the far superior prospect

I don't see the need for Clingan on this team either, even with Mark's injury history. Give me Sarr and gamble on the upside.

I guess if we get screwed in the lottery and are picking 6 or 7 I'd be okay with either?

I'd still rather gamble on the international players