2024 Draft Thread - Part II

[payitforward]

You have to think of Topic as a 6'-4" guy with a 6'-5.5" wingspan and 3 extra inches of neck.

Do I have to picture him with those extra 3 neck inches? Wait, let me try.... Ok. I did it. He looks really weird, let me tell you!

[nate33]

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[Frichuela]

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No perfect choice at #2 in this draft, but Castle has to be under consideration if our front office thinks his jumper can improve to a decent level. Bigger measurements than Topic.

[doclinkin]

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What I said. Rumors said Spurs were trying to trade into that #1 spot. That only happens if they like a guy that they think WE want.

I don't see Sarr as a Popovich player, and he is superfluous with Wemby. It's not an Duncan/Admiral situation given how far Sarr needs to upgrade to play his position with any strength. Plus Pop has had athletic talents who don't play fundamental ball, pretty sure I recall he sent Ian Mahinmi down to the G league again and again and was frustrated with the gap between his talent and accomplishment.

Which means Pop et al would be looking at Risacher or Castle. Fair guess we are interested in both. Good positional size, BBIQ, work ethic.

Which do the Spurs want? Both play defense, though Castle is dominant there. Risacher is the better shooter, which the Spurs could use to give skinny Wemby space. But the D would be impossible to solve with Wemby and Castle, and clearly Pop has been looking for a tall PG to get the ball in to his giant center, given how long he forced it with Sochan. Is Castle redundant with Sochan? Or is that the start of a really tough wall to crack.

I can see either of Risacher or Castle as Spurs. I'm fine with either if the Spurs jump the queue to take one. Better would be they fail in their trade up bid, somebody takes Sarr at #1 and we take the guy the Spurs really want, then find out how much they are willing to give to get him anyway.

[doclinkin]

I think player positions are shifting on team boards as they work out players. A guy like Sheppard will shine in team workouts, I expect post draft reports of him shooting a blistering hot percentage in any drill. He seems like the type of player who will work out at game speed. And interview as a the son of a Championship MVP PG would. Fundamentally sound interview, able to diagram inbounds plays etc.

Jared McCain and Dalton Knecht also seem like they'd be high risers after team workouts, for the same reason. Devin Carter likewise since his motor is set on feisty.

Dillingham doesn't seem like he'd be a riser in the draft process even if he shoots well since he will look legit tiny in person. Unless he gets to workout in player vs player settings, where his wizardry can impress. I'd bet DaRon Holmes jumps up the board, possibly Kel'El Ware if he gets hot in front of the right team. His size and shooting will impress even if his in game motor hasn't.

Somebody takes Edey way earlier than he is mocked. He interviews well and is just a massively impressive human being. I think seeing his work ethic up close, and his gargantuan size, some FO guy will think they'd be stupid to pass him up and will roll the dice. Even as early as 15 to the Heat. I don't think he falls past New York if they keep either of their picks.

[gambitx777]

Let say we get another top ten pick. Would anyone be mad if we drafted Sheppard and dillingham? Star back court.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using RealGM mobile app

[doclinkin]

Here's Reed Sheppard's dad Jeff Sheppard, MOP of the 1998 NCAA Tourney.

Watch on YouTube

The bloodline is there. With Topic likely slipping after injuries and measurements I bet there is more buzz to get Reed.

[closg00]

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What I said. Rumors said Spurs were trying to trade into that #1 spot. That only happens if they like a guy that they think WE want.

I don't see Sarr as a Popovich player, and he is superfluous with Wemby. It's not an Duncan/Admiral situation given how far Sarr needs to upgrade to play his position with any strength. Plus Pop has had athletic talents who don't play fundamental ball, pretty sure I recall he sent Ian Mahinmi down to the G league again and again and was frustrated with the gap between his talent and accomplishment.

Which means Pop et al would be looking at Risacher or Castle. Fair guess we are interested in both. Good positional size, BBIQ, work ethic.

Which do the Spurs want? Both play defense, though Castle is dominant there. Risacher is the better shooter, which the Spurs could use to give skinny Wemby space. But the D would be impossible to solve with Wemby and Castle, and clearly Pop has been looking for a tall PG to get the ball in to his giant center, given how long he forced it with Sochan. Is Castle redundant with Sochan? Or is that the start of a really tough wall to crack.

I can see either of Risacher or Castle as Spurs. I'm fine with either if the Spurs jump the queue to take one. Better would be they fail in their trade up bid, somebody takes Sarr at #1 and we take the guy the Spurs really want, then find out how much they are willing to give to get him anyway.

Although I am very hesitate to add another player who can’t shoot, I would prefer Castle over Zach…

[payitforward]

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No perfect choice at #2 in this draft, but Castle has to be under consideration if our front office thinks his jumper can improve to a decent level. Bigger measurements than Topic.

Well, if SA is actually going to take him at 4, then we have leverage to trade 2 for 4 plus whatever else we can get.

OTOH, if they are unwilling to make the trade, we can conclude there's someone they like even more than Castle (& simply assume he won't be there at 4).

Then again, that too would give them motivation to make the trade....

IOW, this is interesting & useful news (if it's true).

[J-Ves]

Risacher Measurements

Height (no shoes): 6'8.5"
Wingspan: 6'9.5"
Standing Reach: 8'11"
Weight: 195 lbs

Hand width: 8.75"
Hand length: 8.5"

Pretty bad all things considered. Small hands means you shouldn’t expect much improvement in the ball handling department. His short arms likely limit his defensive versatility and overall defensive impact. His standing reach is quite nice though. His weight shouldn’t be a problem as his frame looks like it could pack on the muscle easily in time. Between his standing reach and quality frame I won’t be surprised if he becomes a above average rebounding 3.

[doclinkin]

Risacher Measurements

Height (no shoes): 6'8.5"
Wingspan: 6'9.5"
Standing Reach: 8'11"
Weight: 195 lbs

Hand width: 8.75"
Hand length: 8.5"

Pretty bad all things considered. Small hands means you shouldn’t expect much improvement in the ball handling department. His short arms likely limit his defensive versatility and overall defensive impact. His standing reach is quite nice though. His weight shouldn’t be a problem as his frame looks like it could pack on the muscle easily in time. Between his standing reach and quality frame I won’t be surprised if he becomes a above average rebounding 3.

I wouldn't say bad. He's got narrow shoulders and long legs, decent length arms. Same standing reach as a PF/C like Kyle Filipowski. Only .5" shorter than PF Pascal Siakam. Better than Ron Holland by 3 inches if you believe it (probably tanked the reach for vert). Yeah he has smaller hands. But so did Steve Nash. So does the best ballhandler in the draft in Dillingham. When I see ZR dribble I'm always impressed by how bent his knees are while he stays upright, which keeps his dribble low. That's more important to me than hand size: a low dribble is tougher to swipe. This is where his long arms come into play. Yeah it's nice if you can palm it, but I'm more curious to see his athletic measures.

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[doclinkin]

Well, if SA is actually going to take him at 4, then we have leverage to trade 2 for 4 plus whatever else we can get.

OTOH, if they are unwilling to make the trade, we can conclude there's someone they like even more than Castle (& simply assume he won't be there at 4).

Then again, that too would give them motivation to make the trade....

IOW, this is interesting & useful news (if it's true).

Though I wouldn't be startled if the Spurs leak that they like Castle because they really like Risacher. Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Ian Mahinmi, Wemby, the Spurs have often had a french connection. And especially now that Parker is involved in ownership of the French leagues. He's surely been tugging their sleeve to guys he sees coming up.

[NatP4]

So Topic measured at 6’6 without shoes, 6’5.5” wingspan.

Longer wingspan than: Collier, Simpson, McCain, Sheppard, Dillingham, Shead, Kolek, and Sears.

Only lead guard prospect with a noticeably longer wingspan is Carrington at 6’8, and Castle at 6’9 if you wanna include him as a PG.

[TGW]

Risacher Measurements

Height (no shoes): 6'8.5"
Wingspan: 6'9.5"
Standing Reach: 8'11"
Weight: 195 lbs

Hand width: 8.75"
Hand length: 8.5"

Pretty bad all things considered. Small hands means you shouldn’t expect much improvement in the ball handling department. His short arms likely limit his defensive versatility and overall defensive impact. His standing reach is quite nice though. His weight shouldn’t be a problem as his frame looks like it could pack on the muscle easily in time. Between his standing reach and quality frame I won’t be surprised if he becomes a above average rebounding 3.

Yea I'm not interested at all. Average measurements + obvious deficiency in skillset = bust. I hope Atlanta takes him.

[Frichuela]

Risacher Measurements

Height (no shoes): 6'8.5"
Wingspan: 6'9.5"
Standing Reach: 8'11"
Weight: 195 lbs

Hand width: 8.75"
Hand length: 8.5"

Pretty bad all things considered. Small hands means you shouldn’t expect much improvement in the ball handling department. His short arms likely limit his defensive versatility and overall defensive impact. His standing reach is quite nice though. His weight shouldn’t be a problem as his frame looks like it could pack on the muscle easily in time. Between his standing reach and quality frame I won’t be surprised if he becomes a above average rebounding 3.

Yea I'm not interested at all. Average measurements + obvious deficiency in skillset = bust. I hope Atlanta takes him.

Agreed. His physical profile is underwhelming and he misses so many dunks possibly due to his small hands and lack of overall strength..

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[Dark Faze]

Eh, regardless of measurements I see potential as a plus defender. Not a stopper by any means, but a guy who isn't a negative on that end.

I see him as an MPJ kind of player with better defensive potential and better off ball movement. Main concern being if he can actually hit threes at a high efficiency and rate.

Not a ton of all-star potential, maybe once or twice if things break right, but I have a hard time saying with confidence that another player in this draft will do better. I think Sheppard if everything goes right can be a more valuable player, but not shocking to see things go the other way. Same thing with Dillingham.

I've not scouted Sarr at all tbh.

[nate33]

Risacher Measurements

Height (no shoes): 6'8.5"
Wingspan: 6'9.5"
Standing Reach: 8'11"
Weight: 195 lbs

Hand width: 8.75"
Hand length: 8.5"

Pretty bad all things considered. Small hands means you shouldn’t expect much improvement in the ball handling department. His short arms likely limit his defensive versatility and overall defensive impact. His standing reach is quite nice though. His weight shouldn’t be a problem as his frame looks like it could pack on the muscle easily in time. Between his standing reach and quality frame I won’t be surprised if he becomes a above average rebounding 3.

Yea I'm not interested at all. Average measurements + obvious deficiency in skillset = bust. I hope Atlanta takes him.

Agreed. His physical profile is underwhelming and he misses so many dunks possibly due to his small hands and lack of overall strength..

He's not a freak, but I think it's overstating it to say that his profile is underwhelming.

A useful comp to him is Cameron Johnson, who was 6'7" without shoes and a 6'10" wingspan and weighed 205 pounds (at age 23). His standing reach was only 8'7", though it's hard to trust that number anymore. Johnson panned out to be a guy who could man either forward position adequately, though his rebounding is definitely more like a 3 than a 4 (averages about 5.7 per 36 these days).

If you buy the shooting, then I can see him being a solid NBA SF. With the ball handling we get from Deni at forward, Risacher could play SG for us, where he is huge.

I'm not saying he's the guy I want, but I can see him fitting in nicely and panning out as a reliable starter.

[NatP4]

Eh, regardless of measurements I see potential as a plus defender. Not a stopper by any means, but a guy who isn't a negative on that end.

I see him as an MPJ kind of player with better defensive potential and better off ball movement. Main concern being if he can actually hit threes at a high efficiency and rate.

Not a ton of all-star potential, maybe once or twice if things break right, but I have a hard time saying with confidence that another player in this draft will do better. I think Sheppard if everything goes right can be a more valuable player, but not shocking to see things go the other way. Same thing with Dillingham.

I've not scouted Sarr at all tbh.

Sarr, Sheppard, Dillingham, Holland, Topic, Castle, Clingan, Carter, Knecht, Simpson, Collier, Holmes, and Dadiet all have more upside IMO.

MPJR has a 7’0 wingspan.

[Benjammin]

At this point if Sarr goes #1 I want to trade out of 2 if possible. If I have to make a pick at 2, I'd probably take Castle and hope he learns how to shoot. I know Dat and others would hate this but I would also strongly consider Clingan. He probably has the highest floor of these guys and still has upside as well.

[NatP4]

New No Ceilings mock:

https://www.noceilingsnba.com/p/2024-nba-mock-draft-v7

Has us taking Clingan at #2.