2024 NBA DRAFT THREAD 3

[Dalek]

I feel like this is a wide open draft and I think one guy who I think isn't rated high enough is Cam Christie. Max Christie's younger brother has the same type of shot making, maybe a better dribble drive and playmaking game. He seems to have a pro game already.

I'd imagine he will end up getting a first round look if he works out well. He is likely a wing in the NBA, but in college he was a combo guard and pretty effective using his dribble. The numbers don't quite tell the whole story, but he could rise up the boards like Josh Primo did.

Turns 19 in July
6'6 wing
NBA lineage, both parents played college ball

Key stats:
39% from three (70/179)
14% Ast rate
11 PPG / 3.6 Reb / 2.2 Ast (1.2 TOs)

Developing areas:
22 FTR
2 BPM
45% at the rim

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[WuTang_CMB]

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[BoyzNTheHood]

I feel like this is a wide open draft and I think one guy who I think isn't rated high enough is Cam Christie. Max Christie's younger brother has the same type of shot making, maybe a better dribble drive and playmaking game. He seems to have a pro game already.

I'd imagine he will end up getting a first round look if he works out well. He is likely a wing in the NBA, but in college he was a combo guard and pretty effective using his dribble. The numbers don't quite tell the whole story, but he could rise up the boards like Josh Primo did.

Turns 19 in July
6'6 wing
NBA lineage, both parents played college ball

Key stats:
39% from three (70/179)
14% Ast rate
11 PPG / 3.6 Reb / 2.2 Ast (1.2 TOs)

Developing areas:
22 FTR
2 BPM
45% at the rim

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He should be in consideration at 31


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[grant101]

All I have to say is Herb Jones. Career 29% on threes in college and a 60% FT. He was 33% for his first two NBA seasons, but his defense kept him on court. This year he hit 42% from three. With development things can change.

What is impossible to do is teach defensive instincts. Dunn has the ability to be a game changer from the defensive end. I don't see a great fit in Toronto, we have too many offensive question marks (Poeltl, Ochai), but I think on a team like Charlotte he could add a missing piece.

Castle has better defensive skills than Turner but I can see your comparison. I think he is closer to a Josh Hart type of guard coming in. That is a very valuable connective piece. Really, we need defense and one other decent skill. and Castle can be a good secondary playmaker, maybe even a primary in time. He does everything at a high level and has great poise and played and started for the best team in college. What I will say about the outside shooting is Hurley kind of kept guys in their role. Klingan has a bit of jumpshot but he never took one. Castle probably was asked to focus more on attacking rim and mid-range. With Karaban and Spencer spacing the floor it made sense. In the NBA, guys can really expand their games.

I am starting to feel like Topic is a wild card, but luckily he comes back soon. Once we have more film of him in the playoffs, we can get a better feel for him. Nikola Djurisic has really taken a big leap since Topic has left. I kind of wonder who is the better prospect at times.

Herb Jones reclamation project = Fred Vinson’s work

He fixed Lonzo’s shooting as well. Possibly the best shooting coach, between him and Chip England who fixed Kawhi, now in OKC.

Raptors don’t have them. Shot is easier to teach than height and athleticism but bad shooters never learn to shoot most times.

In addition, Herb was an offensive hub for a very good Alabama team his senior year, despite his poor 3pt shooting. Dunn is close to zero on the offensive end. Wouldn't be opposed to picking Dunn at 31, but I think there are better big wing options there.

[grant101]

The prophicy has already been written.

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We were saying the same thing when he was in France a couple years back to scout Ismael Kamagate

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In any case, I hope someone else takes Tidjane leaving more skilled player for us at #17

[Dalek]

Herb Jones reclamation project = Fred Vinson’s work

He fixed Lonzo’s shooting as well. Possibly the best shooting coach, between him and Chip England who fixed Kawhi, now in OKC.

Raptors don’t have them. Shot is easier to teach than height and athleticism but bad shooters never learn to shoot most times.

I agree that if you are bad sometimes you don't progress much, but I think the NBA make or break is defense. If you can defend you can get on the floor early on. That early experience is going to make a difference in player confidence and how a team develops the player.

The other guy I think of is Jerami Grant. During his draft I was thinking this guy cannot shoot, but his uncle is Horace Grant, and he could defend and Jerami's dunks were breathtaking like Dunn. Grant was 6/20 from three his whole two years in college and didn't make a three in his last year. He only shot 64% from the line.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=ACCDigitalNetwork

Fast forward to now and he is 21 PPG 45/40/81 at age 30. Guys can take a while to develop but when you have size, defense and finishing ability, you buy yourself time.

Even if Dunn's jumper is declared broken, you can still find a place as an energy big. Look at how Nurse uses BBall Paul Reed who is Embiid's back-up. There are roles for long athletes in the NBA especially for teams that want to play end-to-end and generate turnovers like Toronto. At 31, it seems like a no brainer taking a guy who had Dunn's defensive impact.

[alpngso]

Herb Jones reclamation project = Fred Vinson’s work

He fixed Lonzo’s shooting as well. Possibly the best shooting coach, between him and Chip England who fixed Kawhi, now in OKC.

Raptors don’t have them. Shot is easier to teach than height and athleticism but bad shooters never learn to shoot most times.

I agree that if you are bad sometimes you don't progress much, but I think the NBA make or break is defense. If you can defend you can get on the floor early on. That early experience is going to make a difference in player confidence and how a team develops the player.

The other guy I think of is Jerami Grant. During his draft I was thinking this guy cannot shoot, but his uncle is Horace Grant, and he could defend and Jerami's dunks were breathtaking like Dunn. Grant was 6/20 from three his whole two years in college and didn't make a three in his last year. He only shot 64% from the line.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=ACCDigitalNetwork

Fast forward to now and he is 21 PPG 45/40/81 at age 30. Guys can take a while to develop but when you have size, defense and finishing ability, you buy yourself time.

Even if Dunn's jumper is declared broken, you can still find a place as an energy big. Look at how Nurse uses BBall Paul Reed who is Embiid's back-up. There are roles for long athletes in the NBA especially for teams that want to play end-to-end and generate turnovers like Toronto. At 31, it seems like a no brainer taking a guy who had Dunn's defensive impact.

Oh I do agree Dunn is worth a shot at 31. I even liked him around mid 1st in February.

Scottie needs a POA defender who can take a load off of him. In this case Scottie better keep up his 1st half shooting + all 4 guys would need to be average to above average shooters if Dunn is on the court.

[Dalek]

Herb Jones reclamation project = Fred Vinson’s work

He fixed Lonzo’s shooting as well. Possibly the best shooting coach, between him and Chip England who fixed Kawhi, now in OKC.

Raptors don’t have them. Shot is easier to teach than height and athleticism but bad shooters never learn to shoot most times.

I agree that if you are bad sometimes you don't progress much, but I think the NBA make or break is defense. If you can defend you can get on the floor early on. That early experience is going to make a difference in player confidence and how a team develops the player.

The other guy I think of is Jerami Grant. During his draft I was thinking this guy cannot shoot, but his uncle is Horace Grant, and he could defend and Jerami's dunks were breathtaking like Dunn. Grant was 6/20 from three his whole two years in college and didn't make a three in his last year. He only shot 64% from the line.

Watch on YouTube

;ab_channel=ACCDigitalNetwork

Fast forward to now and he is 21 PPG 45/40/81 at age 30. Guys can take a while to develop but when you have size, defense and finishing ability, you buy yourself time.

Even if Dunn's jumper is declared broken, you can still find a place as an energy big. Look at how Nurse uses BBall Paul Reed who is Embiid's back-up. There are roles for long athletes in the NBA especially for teams that want to play end-to-end and generate turnovers like Toronto. At 31, it seems like a no brainer taking a guy who had Dunn's defensive impact.

Oh I do agree Dunn is worth a shot at 31. I even liked him around mid 1st in February.

Scottie needs a POA defender who can take a load off of him. In this case Scottie better keep up his 1st half shooting + all 4 guys would need to be average to above average shooters if Dunn is on the court.

I agree. There is no way we can play Ochai and Dunn together off the bench. But, with some added shooting, he could be with Scottie, RJ, IQ. Someone like Filipowski makes sense to help with spacing.

[Dalek]

Saw this old post from Mike Gribanov and ran the same query in Bartorvik for this cycle to find the next Keon Ellis.

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Ast/TO Ratio ≥ 1; Block % ≥ 2; Steal % ≥ 2.5; 3P FG % ≥ 0.35; 3PA/100 Poss ≥ 7; Free Throw Rate ≥ 30; Dunks attempted ≥ 10;
4 results:
1. Devin Carter (Providence) - 6'3" (84-223 from three)
2. Coleman Hawkins (Illinois) - 6'10" (59/160 from three)
3. Kasean Pryor (South Florida) - 6'10" (37/105 from three)
4. Guillermo Diax Graham (Pitt) - 7'0" (32/79 from three)

You notice that it is a bunch of bigs and Devin Carter. Carter plays way bigger than his size. He should be the Indy pick considering the need for a POA defender and back-up PG.

Thinking about how Keon Ellis locked down Steph in an elimination game and hit key buckets. Carter can easily be one of those guys that outperforms his draft slot.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Saw this old post from Mike Gribanov and ran the same query in Bartorvik for this cycle to find the next Keon Ellis.

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Ast/TO Ratio ≥ 1; Block % ≥ 2; Steal % ≥ 2.5; 3P FG % ≥ 0.35; 3PA/100 Poss ≥ 7; Free Throw Rate ≥ 30; Dunks attempted ≥ 10;
4 results:
1. Devin Carter (Providence) - 6'3" (84-223 from three)
2. Coleman Hawkins (Illinois) - 6'10" (59/160 from three)
3. Kasean Pryor (South Florida) - 6'10" (37/105 from three)
4. Guillermo Diax Graham (Pitt) - 7'0" (32/79 from three)

You notice that it is a bunch of bigs and Devin Carter. Carter plays way bigger than his size. He should be the Indy pick considering the need for a POA defender and back-up PG.

Thinking about how Keon Ellis locked down Steph in an elimination game and hit key buckets. Carter can easily be one of those guys that outperforms his draft slot.

Devin Carter looks about as safe as a pick can get in that Indy range.

[grant101]

Saw this old post from Mike Gribanov and ran the same query in Bartorvik for this cycle to find the next Keon Ellis.

Read on Twitter

Ast/TO Ratio ≥ 1; Block % ≥ 2; Steal % ≥ 2.5; 3P FG % ≥ 0.35; 3PA/100 Poss ≥ 7; Free Throw Rate ≥ 30; Dunks attempted ≥ 10;
4 results:
1. Devin Carter (Providence) - 6'3" (84-223 from three)
2. Coleman Hawkins (Illinois) - 6'10" (59/160 from three)
3. Kasean Pryor (South Florida) - 6'10" (37/105 from three)
4. Guillermo Diax Graham (Pitt) - 7'0" (32/79 from three)

You notice that it is a bunch of bigs and Devin Carter. Carter plays way bigger than his size. He should be the Indy pick considering the need for a POA defender and back-up PG.

Thinking about how Keon Ellis locked down Steph in an elimination game and hit key buckets. Carter can easily be one of those guys that outperforms his draft slot.

Absolutely! It's why I've come around on Carter @ 17 if Collier is gone. Even if he's not the most skilled pg, he's such an impactful player. He's a 16 game player. A dog - the rebounding is ridiculous.

He also slots in perfectly as a back-up pg for his first few years, with the potential to play with the starters when we're facing particularly pesky guards (e.g. Garland, Trae, Brunson, etc.). Also, I suspect he contributes much sooner than Keon, who had to put on significant weight/strength to be effective as a pro.

[WuTang_CMB]

Vecenie

Stephon Castle, 6-6 wing, Connecticut, No. 3

I completely understand the shooting concerns with Castle; they’re real. But where I’m at in this class is simple: It’s hard to find guys who have proven they can be a part of winning basketball. And throughout the course of Big East play as well as the NCAA Tournament, Castle showcased that better than any other guy in this class.

I’m not sure what more evaluators want him to do. Throughout the season, Castle consistently took on the toughest assignment on the perimeter and wing defensively for Connecticut, a top-five defense in the country, and found success. Need someone to chase potential first-rounder Baylor Scheierman around screens? Castle can do it. Need someone to defend at the point of attack? Castle can do that. What about a big wing creator? Castle will do that, too, and shut off his water, just like he did in the Elite Eight against Illinois’ Terrence Shannon Jr.

Shannon came into that game averaging 27.2 points over his prior 15 games. Castle held him to eight points on 2-of-12 shooting. In the Final Four, he took on the Mark Sears assignment at point guard. Sears scored 24 but only nine of those points came on Castle, and four of those nine came on heavily contested attempts that Sears maneuvered around or shot over the top of to make. He made life miserable for one of the best guards in the country this season and made him work for every bucket. Against Purdue in the title game, Castle took long swaths of time on Braden Smith, who only scored two points when being guarded by Castle.

If that’s all he did, he’d be worth a first-round pick. But Castle also was quite good on offense. He averaged 12.5 points, nearly six rebounds and three assists while posting a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. He had 21 points in the Final Four against Alabama and was the team’s best offensive player, then followed it up with 15 against Purdue. I thought he had a real case as Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four, especially when accounting for the defensive job he did on Sears and Smith.

Castle has tremendous spatial awareness as an off-ball player, plus the ability to cover ground with long strides as an on-ball driver. He passes really well, and in high school, he showcased the ability to make whatever read you want from him out of ball screens. He’s not a lead guard, but he doesn’t have to be. At 6-foot-6 with reasonable length and a 215-pound frame, Castle has all the measurements you’re looking for out of a secondary ballhandler on the wing.

As I mentioned above, the jumper is a concern. Castle made just 26.7 percent of his 3s this season and has a bit of a hitch at the top of his mechanics. His footwork getting into shots is quite differentiated in a bad way, where sometimes he’ll take them off the hop, and other times, he’ll take a one-two step that results in a lean to the left. But he also has touch. He made nearly 76 percent of his free throws and hit a number of floaters this season.

The jumper is going to take time, but if it ever comes along at a reasonable level, he’s probably going to be a star. He’s an elite defender, an awesome processor of basketball and a real passer and playmaker with the frame and strength to finish around the rim. He has better ball skills and a better shooting base than someone like Isaac Okoro, who went in the top five of the 2020 NBA Draft. He was also a more impactful defender than even Okoro was, and that’s saying a lot.

When I talk to teams, I get answers all over the map on Castle. Some executives and scouts will tell me he’s in the top five, as I have him listed. Others will say second half of the lottery. Even more, I’ll hear outside of the lottery in the 15-20 range by the occasional scout who really doesn’t buy the shot. Right now, I think I’d say his range is No. 3 to No. 13 or so, but I’m surprised Castle seems to have become this polarizing. Everyone on the team side asks for young players who impact winning and have upside. It’s hard to do more than what Castle did this season to prove that.

[WuTang_CMB]

Ulrich Chomche, 6-10 center, NBA Africa Academy, No. 88

Chomche was one of the major attractions for scouts this year at Nike Hoop Summit, as he was the lone draft-eligible player in attendance.

He measured at 6-11 1/2 in shoes, which means he’ll come in right around 6-10 without. He had a 7-4 wingspan and a 9-1 1/2 standing reach. Those were the measurement confirmations NBA teams were interested in getting. Having said that, Chomche was not particularly impressive during practices and did not follow it up with a strong performance in the game. The consensus from talking to scouts was that Chomche should certainly look to attend college next season to work on his craft.

It’s easy to see why there was some excitement entering the event. Chomche runs the floor incredibly well, getting up and down with ease. He also has easy lift and gets off the ground quickly, making him a potential lob threat in NBA spacing.

The intersection of size and athleticism is real, but he’s far too raw at this stage. I don’t think I would even feel great about him opening next season as a starting big at a high-major college. Chomche is still really learning and developing his feel for the game. He often looked a bit lost on defense in ball-screen coverages and in communicating with his teammates. He also chased nearly everything around the rim, leading to offensive rebounds or fouls.

Chomche has been billed as a potential shooter from distance, but I don’t see it translating any time soon. He has a hitchy shot that has a long way to go, even if there is some latent touch. He needs developmental reps right now, and college would be the best option for him at this stage.







Other notes

Two freshmen whom NBA teams seemed to be quite high on in my conversations: Johnny Furphy out of Kansas and Bub Carrington out of Pittsburgh. Furphy is ranked No. 17 above, and Carrington is No. 22. The consensus on Furphy was that he would likely be a riser through the pre-draft process due to his size, athleticism and work ethic, with potential to hear his name called in the late lottery. Carrington had an up-and-down season, but he was a player who really impressed scouts at the ACC tournament. He averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in his final six games of the season. His range is a bit more spotty than Furphy’s, but somewhere starting outside of the lottery and extending down to No. 35 or so seemed to be the consensus.




Providence guard Devin Carter also has some real momentum. A number of teams in that No. 15 to No. 23 range could use an immediate contributor, and that’s exactly what Carter profiles as. He’s an elite defender at the guard position and as competitive a player as you’ll find in the class. He drastically improved as a 3-point shooter this season, hitting nearly 38 percent from 3 on over seven attempts per game. The shot looks funky, but it goes in. I think he’ll be able to play from day one in the NBA, and it’s hard to find guys like that in this class. If Carter found his way into the lottery, that wouldn’t stun me. A number of team evaluators are quite high on him.



A player on whom I’ve been quite high throughout the season is Tristan da Silva out of Colorado, and it feels like teams are also interested. He had a spectacular NCAA Tournament run, where he had 20 points against Boise State, 17 points and five assists against Florida and 17 points with three assists against Marquette. On the season, he averaged 16 points, five rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from 3 and 83.5 percent from the line. Those percentages are essentially directly in-line with his career percentages of 49.3 from the field, 38.6 from 3 and 78.6 from the line over four years. I’m probably a touch higher than league consensus by placing him at No. 19, but I do think he hears his name called in the first round

Carter and da silva def in mix
For indy pick. I think devin goes lotto though

[Syd-TK3]

Providence guard Devin Carter also has some real momentum. A number of teams in that No. 15 to No. 23 range could use an immediate contributor, and that’s exactly what Carter profiles as. He’s an elite defender at the guard position and as competitive a player as you’ll find in the class. He drastically improved as a 3-point shooter this season, hitting nearly 38 percent from 3 on over seven attempts per game. The shot looks funky, but it goes in. I think he’ll be able to play from day one in the NBA, and it’s hard to find guys like that in this class. If Carter found his way into the lottery, that wouldn’t stun me. A number of team evaluators are quite high on him.



A player on whom I’ve been quite high throughout the season is Tristan da Silva out of Colorado, and it feels like teams are also interested. He had a spectacular NCAA Tournament run, where he had 20 points against Boise State, 17 points and five assists against Florida and 17 points with three assists against Marquette. On the season, he averaged 16 points, five rebounds and 2.4 assists while shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from 3 and 83.5 percent from the line. Those percentages are essentially directly in-line with his career percentages of 49.3 from the field, 38.6 from 3 and 78.6 from the line over four years. I’m probably a touch higher than league consensus by placing him at No. 19, but I do think he hears his name called in the first round

Carter and da silva def in mix
For indy pick. I think devin goes lotto though

Carter definitely my favorite pacers pick target if we keep our own. Fills 2 needs immediately on this team
I can see lottery but realistically looking at the teams in that range none need a backup pg, Im mainly worried about miami tho he seems exactly like their type of guy

[PhilBlackson]

Given the projected talent that may still be available at the IND pick, I think we're almost forced to draft our back up PG with that pick. There won't be good enough wing prospects there (I've cooled a lil bit on Salaun, it's not so much his "skill" that worries me but his court awareness). I mean personally I'd still be VERY happy to draft Ware but like a few posters in here, I just have a gut feeling we're fairly locked in on Chomche with the DET pick, I'd actually be surprised if we aren't...

With the IND pick though, my current order for drafting a back up PG (if we're fortunate enough they're still available):

1. Jared McCain - his skillset pretty much mirrors IQ so should make for a fairly seamless fit into the rotation
2. Isaiah Collier - I'm torn a bit b/w him & Dev C, but Collier likely has a little more upside
3. Devin Carter - he just screams solid backup PG lol I think McCain can be a more dynamic shooter & Collier more dynamic off the dribble but DC is a good middle ground
4. Mark Sears - complete fall back for me, ofc he kinda resembles Brunson and is an elite shooter too but the obv problem is his height defensively

HM Ja’Kobe Walter obv he’s more a SG but I’d still consider him bc of his shooting. I’d actually have him ahead of DC but doubtful we don’t specifically draft a PG.

In a dream world we trade someone like Brown to the Bulls or Rockets for their pick and somehow snag one of Dillingham (he's actually kinda slept on in a way, I think he could be better than IQ long term) or Sheppard if they fell. I know that's VERY likely wishful thinking but with Coby taking over that starting role at PG, maybe they'll bite since they're always so desperate to remain "competitive", likewise how HOU is itching to make a Playoffs/PlayIn or maybe we can convince them to trade down for both our IND + DET pick. Then pawn off Brown on an actual Playoff team for their pick ie/ maybe Brown + DET pick for both of NYK's, not sure but I'd just LOVE to find a way to get one of those 2 (Rob or Reed). If not, I still think McCain would be the next best thing even if he is a lil zesty lol.

[CazOnReal]

I'
Free Agency
Drop Trent/Brown. Trade Boucher/McDaniels for TPE's and renounce all TPE's.

Overpay both Jalen Smith + Patrick Williams on short term contracts

Training camp/G-league invites
Johni Broome, Jaedon LeDee

Williams is an RFA; the Bulls can match so unless you make it a S+T with Brown's contract or the like, I cannot see the Bulls letting him go for nothing.

[ArthurVandelay]

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I’m still a fan of Salaun. He’s a project. Always has been.

That was a good write up.

[NotMyKawhi]

Better to wait until 31 for a PG not many teams need PG. Only heat and spurs need PG before the pacers pick.

Almost guaranteed BPA at 31 will be a PG. I like Kolek

[CazOnReal]

If the Hawks jump up to 4, us to 3 and Atlanta keeps the Kings pick at 15, how wouldn't y'all feel about trading down from 3 + 16-19 to 4 + 15 or 3 for 4 +, like, Bufkin?

[Psubs]

Better to wait until 31 for a PG not many teams need PG. Only heat and spurs need PG before the pacers pick.

Almost guaranteed BPA at 31 will be a PG. I like Kolek

Kolek to Utah at #29