2024 Draft Thread - Part II

[doclinkin]

You guys are selling me on Castle lol. I just can't get past the shooting numbers. I did read he's working out with some sort of shooting trainer that has worked with SGA, KD in the past so hopefully that's a start.

Catch and shoot off motion: 4th best at the combine, tied with Dalton Knecht.

https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-non-stationary?dir=D&sort=ON_MOVE_COLLEGE_PCT

[machu46]

You guys are selling me on Castle lol. I just can't get past the shooting numbers. I did read he's working out with some sort of shooting trainer that has worked with SGA, KD in the past so hopefully that's a start.

Ultimately you have to kinda pick which skill you want a player to have right now for this year's draft. You can either take someone that is already a good shooter but projects to be a poor (or at least limited) defender or you can take someone that is already a good defender but projects to be a poor shooter. Risacher might be the only one that can kinda check both boxes but I'm not sure he's really great in either category.

[DCZards]

Castle says he wants to make All-NBA Defense. Works for me.

[doclinkin]

You guys are selling me on Castle lol. I just can't get past the shooting numbers. I did read he's working out with some sort of shooting trainer that has worked with SGA, KD in the past so hopefully that's a start.

Ultimately you have to kinda pick which skill you want a player to have right now for this year's draft. You can either take someone that is already a good shooter but projects to be a poor (or at least limited) defender or you can take someone that is already a good defender but projects to be a poor shooter. Risacher might be the only one that can kinda check both boxes but I'm not sure he's really great in either category.

Much easier to add shooting than team defense and on ball instincts. Incredibly difficult to add lateral quickness to keep in front of PGs while moving backwards. Impossible to add length on top of that. I dunno. Castle is my guy. Holland has the aggression and raw athletics and better size, swift development, but Castle has shown the winning resume. Shown that his desire translates into team success. But he's a UConn guy so I admit I am not unbiased.

[nate33]

You guys are selling me on Castle lol. I just can't get past the shooting numbers. I did read he's working out with some sort of shooting trainer that has worked with SGA, KD in the past so hopefully that's a start.

Ultimately you have to kinda pick which skill you want a player to have right now for this year's draft. You can either take someone that is already a good shooter but projects to be a poor (or at least limited) defender or you can take someone that is already a good defender but projects to be a poor shooter. Risacher might be the only one that can kinda check both boxes but I'm not sure he's really great in either category.

Well said.

This is why there are no elite prospects in this draft. Elite prospects project as good two-way players. Most of the guys in this draft are only good at one side of the court.

Good offense, bad defense:
Dillingham
Topic
Knecht
Edey

Good defense, bad offense:
Sarr
Clingan
Buzelis
Castle
Holland

Okay at both, but great at neither:
Sheppard
Risacher
Cody Williams

So the trick is, who can develop into a quality two-way player? Do you bet on Castle's shot? Do you bet on Sheppard becoming an agressive shot creator so he moves up to a "good" offensive player rather than just an efficient off-ball scorer? Do you bet on Clingan developing a shot which could leverage his passing? Do you bet on Buzelis shooting? Knecht has exceptional athleticism measurables. With proper coaching, can that be converted to much better defense?

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Interview with Dawkins at combine asked about weak draft he brought up the international prospects make it more exciting and there is talent, makes me think they’re are looking route of Risacher or Topic...

[NatP4]

Interview with Dawkins at combine asked about weak draft he brought up the international prospects make it more exciting and there is talent, makes me think they’re are looking route of Risacher or Topic...

Made another specific comment related to this on lottery night. Talking about how international scouting was a comfort zone/familiarity as opposed to mystery/unknown with other teams.

I think Topic is their guy as long as the medical stuff checks out at the June pre-draft event.

[DCZards]

Interview with Dawkins at combine asked about weak draft he brought up the international prospects make it more exciting and there is talent, makes me think they’re are looking route of Risacher or Topic...

Decoy incoming

[Benjammin]

I love how everyone is like "I can't take X,Y, or Z at 2." Unless they trade (and every team is probably also thinking the same thing), you have to take someone at 2. Assuming Sarr goes 1, my three to consider are Holland, Castle, and Clingan. I know a lot of people aren't excited to take any of those guys at 2, but I can make good arguments for each one of them. I feel less enthused about Risacher or Topic at this point.

[payitforward]

Ideal would be a draft-night trade down in which we wind up with Castle & another pick.

I can imagine trading all 3 of our picks to Portland, for example, getting their 7, 14 & 34 in return. If, that is, if Castle were sure to be there at 7. Then take Castle, Do the Edey experiment what the h@ll, & grab Dadiet or Scheierman at 34. Only... Castle very likely to be off the board before 7.

Still, in principle I think that's the direction to go, IMO. Whatever people say about this draft, it looks extremely deep to me.

[nate33]

I feel less enthused about Risacher or Topic at this point.

I do too. But I readily admit that it's mostly because I just don't feel comfortable evaluating foreign talent other than just assessing their physical traits and athleticism.

[Benjammin]

I feel less enthused about Risacher or Topic at this point.

I do too. But I readily admit that it's mostly because I just don't feel comfortable evaluating foreign talent other than just assessing their physical traits and athleticism.

Exactly.

[tontoz]

One additional hesitation i have about Clingan is that he didn't play much. He only played 22.5 minutes per game. He had a foot problem and his durability is a question mark.

Granted everyone seems to have question marks.

[AFM]

I don't even remember at this point--did the FO make any comments about drafting Coulibaly last year or was it a surprise?

[machu46]

I don't even remember at this point--did the FO make any comments about drafting Coulibaly last year or was it a surprise?

Others will remember more than me, but I feel like at least towards the end of the draft process there was Coulibaly buzz but he was one of those guys that rose up the draft boards/mocks as the process went along.

[dckingsfan]

You guys are selling me on Castle lol. I just can't get past the shooting numbers. I did read he's working out with some sort of shooting trainer that has worked with SGA, KD in the past so hopefully that's a start.

Ultimately you have to kinda pick which skill you want a player to have right now for this year's draft. You can either take someone that is already a good shooter but projects to be a poor (or at least limited) defender or you can take someone that is already a good defender but projects to be a poor shooter. Risacher might be the only one that can kinda check both boxes but I'm not sure he's really great in either category.

Much easier to add shooting than team defense and on ball instincts. Incredibly difficult to add lateral quickness to keep in front of PGs while moving backwards. Impossible to add length on top of that. I dunno. Castle is my guy. Holland has the aggression and raw athletics and better size, swift development, but Castle has shown the winning resume. Shown that his desire translates into team success. But he's a UConn guy so I admit I am not unbiased.

Earlier I was leaning toward Topic but given the injuries - nah, that would be #soWizards. I don't think Sarr is there (so there is that).

I am also down with Castle. Why? I think a Castle, Deni, Bilal is a solid defensive rotation. I think that overtime all three will develop solid offensive games (Deni has but I think it will continue to improve).

I think it would then be easier to fill out the roster with a couple of dynamic scorers.

Avdija, Bilal, Vukcevic, Baldwin, Butler & Castle would be the core of the young players that we move forward with. And hopefully the 26th pick works out as well (then you have 7).

Yes, we will still be bad next season and hopefully get lucky.

[closg00]

I love how everyone is like "I can't take X,Y, or Z at 2." Unless they trade (and every team is probably also thinking the same thing), you have to take someone at 2. Assuming Sarr goes 1, my three to consider are Holland, Castle, and Clingan. I know a lot of people aren't excited to take any of those guys at 2, but I can make good arguments for each one of them. I feel less enthused about Risacher or Topic at this point.

It's gotta be someone....

[TGW]

I would grade Reed Sheppard as great on offense. No he didn't average a bunch of points, but as a freshman on a stacked Kentucky team, that was never going to be the case.

If I were to guess on who's going to be a 20 point scorer in this draft, my money would be on Sheppard full stop.

Re: Clingan. It would be nice to have a drop center that can hit an open three.

[Dark Faze]

I'd take Sheppard at this point. His size bothers me a little, but if he ends up being "super" T.J McConnell as a an average scenario case, then I think you could call that a win in a draft like this. Such a player would likely see one or two all-star games.

[dckingsfan]

Wow, lots of different opinions - this draft strikes me as interesting that way. I wonder if this is going on in the FOs around the league.