2026 NBA DRAFT CLASS

[BigGargamel]

Jack Kayil has to have a first round promise. Nobody stayed in this draft unless they were guaranteed to be a first round pick.

[Chuck Everett]

Jack Kayil has to have a first round promise. Nobody stayed in this draft unless they were guaranteed to be a first round pick.

Is a top of the second round, guaranteed contract not a possibility (i.e. Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Rasheer Fleming, Noah Penda)? I mean, the guy clearly wants to be a pro over play college basketball (which I find refreshing).

[Caneman786]

Flemings feels very likely to slide right now.

I think sliding is like to pick 10 or so, which is where I've had him all year. Fun playe4, might be a good pro, but not a natural PG and I dont trust the shot as much as others do.

What makes you think this?

[Caneman786]

Same. Sorta a master of none and his WS is a pretty big nick.

What 'non-blue-chip' (IE CP3) guys marketed as 2-way starters at PG/CG have succeeded at above-replacement-starter levels w/ a similar wingspan?

Kyle Lowry, Davion Mitchell, Jamal Shead (maybe?), and Fred VanVleet is the list. All these guys are notably stockier than Flemings, though (and also shorter, which isn't a coincidence: most guys of Flemings' stature have longer wingspans).

Also, while Flemings may not have been as formally lauded and recognized as someone like Chris Paul was entering college, he does have a significant resume, being ranked #15 in his class, being selected for the Jordan Brand Classic (only 26 players participated), and having been selected as Texas Mr. Basketball in his senior year.

[babyjax13]

Flemings feels very likely to slide right now.

I think sliding is like to pick 10 or so, which is where I've had him all year. Fun playe4, might be a good pro, but not a natural PG and I dont trust the shot as much as others do.

What makes you think this?

I don't think he has a great handle for a point guard and while he generates some assists, I don't think he will be in the upper half of starting point guards at generating assists. He is more of a slashing combo-guard to me - I like the Monte Ellis comparison - looking to score, can move the ball a bit, but you ideally have someone else on the roster who is your offensive hub. e.g., I like him in Dallas a lot next to Flagg who has a lot of ball-handling responsibilities. He could look good in Houston next to Sengun, or Sacramento next to Sabonis.

[babyjax13]

Same. Sorta a master of none and his WS is a pretty big nick.

What 'non-blue-chip' (IE CP3) guys marketed as 2-way starters at PG/CG have succeeded at above-replacement-starter levels w/ a similar wingspan?

Kyle Lowry, Davion Mitchell, Jamal Shead (maybe?), and Fred VanVleet is the list. All these guys are notably stockier than Flemings, though (and also shorter, which isn't a coincidence: most guys of Flemings' stature have longer wingspans).

Also, while Flemings may not have been as formally lauded and recognized as someone like Chris Paul was entering college, he does have a significant resume, being ranked #15 in his class, being selected for the Jordan Brand Classic (only 26 players participated), and having been selected as Texas Mr. Basketball in his senior year.

I don't think Shead and Mitchell really qualify for being 'above-replacement-starter' levels. Mitchell is probably one of the 3 or 4 worst starting point guards in the league, and Shead would be, too?

[JMAC3]

Flemings feels very likely to slide right now.

I think sliding is like to pick 10 or so, which is where I've had him all year. Fun playe4, might be a good pro, but not a natural PG and I dont trust the shot as much as others do.

What makes you think this?

Seems like Mikel Brown is getting consideration at pick 5/6/8.
Acuff getting consideration at 5/6/7
Wagler getting consideration at 5/6/7/8 trade up candidate.

Then you have Flemings who seems like the odd man out, I think the earliest he goes is 8- but Hawks could opt for one of the aforementioned guards or Mara. Then you have Mavs zeroing on Burries, doubt GSW or Thunder are taking a point guard... so you have the Bucks at 10 or maybe 13 (heat/bucks) as his primary spots imo.

Also, have heard Philon linked to Bucks quite a bit so chance they pass on Flemings for him in some runouts.

[Caneman786]

I don't think Shead and Mitchell really qualify for being 'above-replacement-starter' levels. Mitchell is probably one of the 3 or 4 worst starting point guards in the league, and Shead would be, too?

Shead maybe but Mitchell has improved a lot in recent years. At this point in his career he is a consummate floor general who brings an all-defensive level of intensity, and it shows up in lineup data. When it comes to starting point guards, I'd have him middle of the pack.

[ReggiesKnicks]

I don't think Shead and Mitchell really qualify for being 'above-replacement-starter' levels. Mitchell is probably one of the 3 or 4 worst starting point guards in the league, and Shead would be, too?

Shead maybe but Mitchell has improved a lot in recent years. At this point in his career he is a consummate floor general who brings an all-defensive level of intensity, and it shows up in lineup data. When it comes to starting point guards, I'd have him middle of the pack.

Why are you using 1-year RAPM?

DARKO has him at -0.2, LEBRON at -0.2, LAKER at 0.0, BPM at -0.9, EPM +0.5

The problem with Davion Mitchell is an incredibly low-usage is baked into him having his increased impact to starter level. He has one of, if not the lowest on-ball usage for a Point Guard in the NBA, which isn't inherently flawed but it does provide limitations to a team he is on and thus requires a specific team-composition to maximize his skill-set.

He is a point guard who doesn't pressure the rim, doesn't create at a high level or break-down a defense, and doesn't shoot off the dribble.

What happens to this player when he is on a team with higher-level creators? How does he scale there? He just becomes a 3+D Point Guard who doesn't even attack well off of the 4v3 from the weakside.

As far as his actual rank, I guess it depends. Clearly below the following (Going off of BBREF Positions):

SGA/Luka/Cade
Brunson/Haliburton/Curry
Maxey/LaMelo/Murray
Harden/Suggs/Amen

Maybe you could argue him in this group?

Quickley/Gilispie/Murray/Giddey/Pritchard/Fox/Ayo/White/Holiday/Harper/Jones/Keyonte/Rollins/Nembhard/Black

I see him above Dunn/Schroder/Fears(For now)

And how do we put McCollum/Nickeil/Dyson as Positions?

Regardless, Mitchell is at the lower-end of Point Guards, and at a certain point teams simply value other skill-sets from the Point Guard position from Shooting Guards (Defense of Dyson, Scoring of McCollum, Shooting of Donte DiVincenzo) compared to Mitchell.

[GoBobs]

Here is my board right now

1. Yaxel
2. Boozer
3. Wilson
4. AJ
5. Morez Johnson
6. Acuff Jr
7. Flemings
8. Darryn Peterson - I am not buying that the problem with missing games is over with just because he changes leagues, he isn't even working out for any body. Does this guy even like to hoop? Not picking him with a top pick.
9. Burries
10. Wagler
11. Brown Jr
12. Philon Jr
13. Lopez
14. Ament
15. Stienbach
16. Swain
17. Carr
18. Cenac
19. Graves
20. Anderson
21. Okorie
22. Koa Peat

Would not pick Quaintance (medical and fts) or Mara (stamina and fts)

[Cammo101]

I think sliding is like to pick 10 or so, which is where I've had him all year. Fun playe4, might be a good pro, but not a natural PG and I dont trust the shot as much as others do.

What makes you think this?

Seems like Mikel Brown is getting consideration at pick 5/6/8.
Acuff getting consideration at 5/6/7
Wagler getting consideration at 5/6/7/8 trade up candidate.

Then you have Flemings who seems like the odd man out, I think the earliest he goes is 8- but Hawks could opt for one of the aforementioned guards or Mara. Then you have Mavs zeroing on Burries, doubt GSW or Thunder are taking a point guard... so you have the Bucks at 10 or maybe 13 (heat/bucks) as his primary spots imo.

Also, have heard Philon linked to Bucks quite a bit so chance they pass on Flemings for him in some runouts.

I think it's either Wagler or Flemings who will be that odd man out, I'm just unclear on which one. It felt like after the combine it should be Wagler, and that's what my mocks have done, but you keep seeing and hearing Wagler at 5 and 7 in a bunch of major mocks and rumors. I've said for a while now that teams are going to just take 4 point guards in a row, and it will push certain guys up, and a few of these guys down.

[wco81]

Does Acuff project to be a 3-level scorers, able to get downhill or pull up for midrange as well as shoot from 3?

[Cammo101]

Does Acuff project to be a 3-level scorers, able to get downhill or pull up for midrange as well as shoot from 3?

Yes. I think offensively he is ready to roll. He just has to work to not be a net negative on defense.

[JMAC3]

Does Acuff project to be a 3-level scorers, able to get downhill or pull up for midrange as well as shoot from 3?

Yeah probably the most polished guard offensively we have seen, more polished than Morant, Rose, Young, Sheppard, Scoot, Ivey, Garland etc...

Acuff was 74th% in isolation
89th% as PnR handler
92nd% off screen
98th% catch and shoot
69% off the dribble shot

If he had a weakness maybe finishing at rim, but the numbers were still above average on a verry high volume. (more attempts than fleming, brown, wagler, anderson, stirtz etc).

[Cammo101]

Does Acuff project to be a 3-level scorers, able to get downhill or pull up for midrange as well as shoot from 3?

Yeah probably the most polished guard offensively we have seen, more polished than Morant, Rose, Young, Sheppard, Scoot, Ivey, Garland etc...

Acuff was 74th% in isolation
89th% as PnR handler
92nd% off screen
98th% catch and shoot
69% off the dribble shot

If he had a weakness maybe finishing at rim, but the numbers were still above average on a verry high volume. (more attempts than fleming, brown, wagler, anderson, stirtz etc).

Offensively he reminds me a lot of Chris Paul.

[JMAC3]

Acuff profiles as a bad defender, but truthfully that isn't anything new. Most of the guards in this class will be bad defenders so I don't really knock him as hard for it as everyone else seems to.

Again, here are the best guard prospects recently.

Murray- 7% def epm
Harden- 16% def epm
Young - 7% def epm
Keyonte - 1% def epm
Garland- 31% def epm
Sheppard- 61% def epm
Morant- 43% def epm
Scoot - 1% as a rookie, 5% as a soph def epm
Dillingham- 2% def epm
Ivey- 15% def epm

People pretending Mikel, Wagler, Philon, Flemings etc are going to be significantly better defenders than Acuff are probably just wrong.

[vincecarter4pres]

Does Acuff project to be a 3-level scorers, able to get downhill or pull up for midrange as well as shoot from 3?

Yeah probably the most polished guard offensively we have seen, more polished than Morant, Rose, Young, Sheppard, Scoot, Ivey, Garland etc...

Acuff was 74th% in isolation
89th% as PnR handler
92nd% off screen
98th% catch and shoot
69% off the dribble shot

If he had a weakness maybe finishing at rim, but the numbers were still above average on a verry high volume. (more attempts than fleming, brown, wagler, anderson, stirtz etc).

Offensively he reminds me a lot of Chris Paul.

I thought about this comparison early on and see shades of it, but it just doesn’t sit quite right to me because:

Chris Paul had better vision, better control of an offense, a little more creative as a passer.

But, Chris Paul was not half the scorer Acuff is and was often way too safe for the sake of efficiency, and “doing the right thing”, if you know what I mean.

Also CP3 was considered a mainly high level defender, whereas Acuff? Not so much.

But it’s definitely has some validity, there are some heavy shades.

[Caneman786]

People pretending Mikel, Wagler, Philon, Flemings etc are going to be significantly better defenders than Acuff are probably just wrong.

Why not? There are still significant differences between players in the short list you named (which is incomplete and excludes many success stories). I don't see why it's false to think the other players won't be significantly better defenders than Acuff Jr.. for instance, there's a significant difference between a 5th percentile defensive player and a 20th percentil defensive player, or a 15th percentile defensive player and a 40th percentile defensive player.

[JMAC3]

People pretending Mikel, Wagler, Philon, Flemings etc are going to be significantly better defenders than Acuff are probably just wrong.

Why not? There are still significant differences between players in the short list you named (which is incomplete and excludes many success stories). I don't see why it's false to think the other players won't be significantly better defenders than Acuff Jr.. for instance, there's a significant difference between a 5th percentile defensive player and a 20th percentil defensive player, or a 15th percentile defensive player and a 40th percentile defensive player.

Because the vast majority of guards drafted highly are bad defenders, chances are maybe 1 out of the 6 will be league average, the rest will all be really poor defenders especially for the first couple of years of their careers.

It is far more likely the reason the guards of that group bust is because they are bad offensively than one of them being so bad defensively compared to the rest of the group.

[vincecarter4pres]

People pretending Mikel, Wagler, Philon, Flemings etc are going to be significantly better defenders than Acuff are probably just wrong.

Why not? There are still significant differences between players in the short list you named (which is incomplete and excludes many success stories). I don't see why it's false to think the other players won't be significantly better defenders than Acuff Jr.. for instance, there's a significant difference between a 5th percentile defensive player and a 20th percentil defensive player, or a 15th percentile defensive player and a 40th percentile defensive player.

Because the vast majority of guards drafted highly are bad defenders, chances are maybe 1 out of the 6 will be league average, the rest will all be really poor defenders especially for the first couple of years of their careers.

It is far more likely the reason the guards of that group bust is because they are bad offensively than one of them being so bad defensively compared to the rest of the group.

The difference is Acuff currently projects out as a Trae level abysmal defender.

He has the tools to be passable, or even good, but right now we’re looking at a truly awful defender.

I’m not as personally concerned as some others, but it’s certainly a valid critique and possible problem.