Brinbe wrote:team not contending anytime soon so load up on the local can talent in the meantime.
also, upside swings on lively


7. Brandon Miller
Let's get this out of the way, I still very much like Brandon Miller as a prospect. Yes I have him lower than the vast majority, but he is still very much a great lottery prospect, just not quite to the very top level that most seem to value him as. There is a strong case to be made that Miller is the best shooter in this class, although at a certain point it is just splitting hairs for me. I think he has some of the best movement shooting upside of anyone in this class, especially for someone of his size, and the touch is really good. The space creation I think is viable at an NBA level despite the fluid handle being somewhat loose at times. Once downhill I felt that both the finishing and passing reads improved throughout his season at Alabama. He became more creative and reactive as a passer, who may not be a strong bet to consistently create or make complex passing reads, but I'm more than comfortable projecting as a player who can make the right reads and be a solid connective passer. As a finisher the verticality really showed itself, where I think in combination with the touch allows him to be a strong three level scoring threat. Defensively I don't have many qualms with his on-ball prowess. I think he has rather good hands with fast reactive time to alter shots and passes. As for the off-ball outlook I am less enticed with his lack of being able to simultaneously track multiple players and consistently position himself properly between his man and the ball. Often times he found himself trying to catch up after being back-cut due to some ball watching and losing track of his man. Again, Miller at seven is no knock on how I view him as a prospect, I just don't see the same higher end outcomes that I might with the names I have ahead of him, and at the very top that matters a fair bit to me.
37. Jaime Jaquez
Jaime is a player I just buy to help his team win, even in a more limited role. He is a strong connective passer who isn't creating anything without the help of a screen, but can find cutters when stationary and can exploit the tinniest of cracks in the defense to get the ball to teammates. Since he is likely to be a poor traditional athlete at the next level, he relies upon excellent footwork and general craft to get himself anything from a self-creation standpoint. The touch is decent on layups and mid-range shots, though he would benefit from trying to add floaters into his game. The shooting is basically spot-up only, and although it won't likely be to a high level, I buy it as being good enough to not be a true liability within his game. Defensively he is best off the ball as a low man who makes the right rotations and is gritty, diving for any loose ball. On-ball he should be able to hang against opposing forwards, but anybody much quicker will be a tough assignment for him. Jaime does a lot of the little things as a glue guy to keep his team flowing and isn't ever going to make any crazy advantages or flashy plays, but has the chance to be a serviceable role player for several years.
40. Bilal Coulibaly
If I haven't lost you yet, don't let me lose you now with this ranking. I'll preface this by stating that I totally do get why people have Bilal top ten and higher. In the past I have fully bought into prospects in similar ranges due to similar overlying principles of extraordinary athleticism and youth. Maybe it is because of being burned on this before, but that point of intersection for me with Bilal has him as more of a second-round flier. I don't really let past prospects determine how I view current ones, but I do like to think that I have maybe learned at least a little bit from my past mistakes in a much broader sense. So let's get into it. Offensively I think Coulibaly does already have some NBA level skills, but they are pretty limited to mostly being a cutter and finisher at this point. That isn't to say other parts of his game can't continue to develop and grow at his very youthful age, but it is worth noting some things are very much a bet at this point rather than any sort of sure thing. As far as the finishing I do think his amazing athletic tools including his bounciness and load time as a leaper, and incredible wingspan, allow him a baseline level of finishing capabilities. I am not a huge fan of the touch, and that goes for his overall shooting outlook as a whole. I don't really buy serviceability with the shooting in any regard at this moment. Against the lesser U21 competition he seems to be a lot more confident in his handle, and is likely allowed by the coaching staff to be a bit more experimental. Having said that, it seems very underdeveloped at this point. It is very loose and not reactive enough to pressure, though I thoroughly enjoy the pace he can push with the ball in his hands in the open court. The shot selection in general outside of the easier assisted finishes, just aren't to a level I feel comfortable with projecting as a player I trust for extended periods with the ball. On defense it is a lot of projection of tools for me right now, and I definitely see the value in how they can be maximized, but in my opinion that isn't the case quite yet. Though I do see him as a very good defender right now, I don't think he is necessarily elite, but I am also not ruling that out as an outcome for him in the future. For the most part I like his on-ball defense and think against wings and guards that aren't ultra quick he can hold his own very well. I think he is good at switching and coming off of screens, while sealing gaps solidly. Off the ball I have some rotational concerns while acknowledging age can be a big factor in this regard. I think there is really enticing help side rim protector equity if he can reign in how much momentum he puts into leaping towards opponents. The rebounding is the final aspect of Bilal's game that stood out to me. Quick load time and long arms should translate to solid rebounding. There is obviously a lot to weigh with Bilal, and I think ultimately a project pick who I envision as only really offering much value one one end of the court is a player I'm much more comfortable taking in the second.
50. Trayce Jackson-Davis
TJD projects to be a lot more of a backup rim running big to me than a starting caliber center. Offensively he likely won't be getting the same volume of post creation attempts that he did in college, and I think he lacks some finishing versatility in a role that might relegate him more to that. He has a nose for offensive boards and tip-ins, often positioning himself well, and using his great strength to do so. I don't love the touch and think he could benefit using his right hand a bit more as a finisher to extrapolate as much versatility as he can in a play finishing role. He is a really solid screener and roller, who makes some nice short roll passes, despite not being the quickest leaper, limiting some of his effectiveness as a lob threat. As a passer he has great awareness and accuracy, generally in the mid/low-post, finding cutters and composed under double-teams. Defensively I find Jackson-Davis a bit underwhelming, not really active as help side guy, and more of a post defender than a primary rim protector. TJD has some interesting nuance to his game, I am just not confident it can ever be of value that is worth giving high minutes to.