2024 Draft Thread - Part II

[pcbothwel]

Buzelis with a 38-inch vert is interesting. Same as Holland. Wouldn't take him 2 but is a little more athletic than I thought, watching his videos.

Buzelis and Edey are the two guys people should not overthink.
Buzelis is my guy in the 4-7 range. Floor is Kuz, Likely Siakam/Lamar Odom with focus/work ethic... Absolute Ceiling is PG13.Yes, I am aware of how that sounds

[The Consiglieri]

dawkins dosnet sound like he is taking a guy who is NBA ready for next year. So likely no Clingan, Reed or Dillingham. He is clearly looking at payoff in 2-3 years which should keep us bad.

Good, smart man, such a relief to not be indulging floor picks anymore, especially when you know you suck going in.

[dckingsfan]

A trade down of 2 + 26 for 7 + 14 could work.

I figure one of Holland or Buzelis is there at #7. I'd take McCain at #14. (I don't think Clingan will last that long, but if he is there, I'd be fine with him at #14 too.)

I can't recall a case of anyone trading down from the #2 pick, though I suppose it must have happened....

I wouldn't give both 2 & 26 for 7 & 14 in any case, but that's just me. I'd do 2 & 51 however.

Speaking as a Blazers fan, I might do 2,51 for 7,14 for Portland already has picks 34,40 and doesn't really need
26. Depends on who Atlanta picks at 1 for if they pick Sarr, they'd have to be sold on Risacher at 2 being that much
better than Matas or Ron Holland at 7.

So, for you there is a player that needs to be there at 2 to make this trade. So, this would be a draft day trade with a caveat to the Wizards. Clearly your FO won't say who the player is but would reach out if that player is available at 2?

Which is the player that you covet?

[JAR69]

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Sarr's form looks pretty good from the side. But at the end of the video when you are viewing him from behind, you see a slight hitch just before he releases. Still, the results were pretty good. He seemed to hit the final 3 out of 5 from each location.

The off hand placement is making my eyes burn. Back of the ball at a 45 degree angle. Pause it at the release from behind to see. I'm shocked he is able to hit 3 of 5, more power to him.

[TGW]

It would be stupid to pass on Edey with that 2nd FRP. I highly doubt he's available at that pick tho.

[nate33]

It would be stupid to pass on Edey with that 2nd FRP. I highly doubt he's available at that pick tho.

I think he'll go in the teens.

[NatP4]

It would be stupid to pass on Edey with that 2nd FRP. I highly doubt he's available at that pick tho.

I think he'll go in the teens.

I would assume he put similar numbers up at the combine last year, still went back to school.

I think he’ll go 17ish.

[nate33]

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[tontoz]

I wouldn't use the 52nd pick on a center that plays defense like this:

Watch on YouTube

[tontoz]

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I was wondering how he got all those blocks.

[80sballboy]

Wow, Sheppard's lack of size is now somewhat pushed to the side by his athleticism.

[closg00]

Edey is so damn slow-reacting, he is going to be a fouling machine against NBA centers, still very curious where he will be drafted.

[The Consiglieri]

This "weak draft" stuff is driving me a little batty.

1. Take 3 guys out of the 2011 draft -- Kyrie, Kawhi & Jimmy -- & how does it look? Horrible. Especially the lottery.

2. Did anyone -- even a single commentator -- predict that Kawhi & Jimmy would become two first-ballot HOF players? Two of the very best players of their or any era? No, no one did.

3. Of the 13 players taken after Kyrie & before Kawhi, how many of them turned into outstanding NBA players -- not just good but outstanding, tho not necessarily perennial all stars? Answer: 2 of them: the 9th pick (Kemba Walker) & the 11th pick (Klay Thompaon).

4. Did anyone predict big upsides of that kind for Kemba Walker & Klay Thompson? Answer: no -- that is, they both outperformed expeectations.

In other words, we have not the faintest idea of whether 2024 will turn out to be a strong draft , a weak one, or somewhere in between.

Its weak, deal with it. Doesn't mean there aren't going to be huge values, or guys much better than expected. The take that they have no clue about anything is just silly. It really is. I think part of the problem too is that people are not taking into account what makes people like drafts, and it aint freaking kemba walkers. People like drafts and rate them strongly when they have prospects projected to have elite, very high ceilings from the jump. Are they wrong sometimes, yes, do they miss on a Giannis here, or a Kawhi there, yes (although I find the Kawhi stuff particularly amusing since he and MKG had the same knock: broken shots, and now people pretend MKG was always stupid and Kawhi was always genius), but classes get judged both on the depth of their high end quality, and on the overall presence or lack thereof of obvious, elite, franchise changing talents in terms of potential, does a draft have guys like Ja Morant, Wemby, Antonio Davis, Kevin Durants, Doncic's, etc or does it not. The reason people are hating on this is because it's light on high end guys with star potential (nobody can identify anyone that seems likely to be that) and its completely absent of transformative, superstar potential.

I don't know why this is hard. Could a Giannis happen? Yes. It can always happen. Could a 2000 or 2013 happen where the top end of the draft is total ----, and the vast bulk of it is landmine after landmine with a few hidden gems, yes, equally so. We don't know who will be great and who will be bad, but its always a better draft when the draft features talent that appears to have higher ceiling players present, and lots of them as opposed to ones that do not. If its the latter, its far, far more difficult to avoid the land mines and find that hidden giannis or gobert etc.

You just cherry pick the hell out of this like the two hits between slot 11 and 60 are obvious when they are not, and for some reason you fixate on complimentary players when they don't move the needle much at all, Were you and the rest of the board that loved Brandon Clarke 5 years ago right? Yep. Did Brandon Clarke transform anything at all for anyone? Nope. Collecting complimentary 4th and 5th best players on a playoff teams aint winning squat, and suggesting that there are two superstars hidden between 7 and 45 is all well and good, but you do know the 36 other guys taken there are not needle movers or franchise transformative and generally speaking there is a reason those guys are going in those random odd spots, and are impossible to identify with any consistency ahead of time both for good and for bad.

I'm all for your strategy when we're picking low and outside the obvious stud tier, but otherwise, no, and its not a magic solution to any problem to begin with because the bulk of franchise transforming players have been at the top of drafts and the ones that aren't were typically blind folded pin tail/donkey scenario selections rather than GM genius.

[Jay81]

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ya he dont play white. Mark Price didnt have a 42

[Rafael122]

From Michael Scott per Hoops Hype:

The Washington Wizards hold the No. 2 and 26 picks in the first round and will look to acquire another first-round pick in the draft, league sources told HoopsHype.

I think Kuz being dealt on draft night is firmly in play. I would have considered #2 to the Spurs for 4 and 8, but I'd like to walk away from this draft with Clingan and Holland.

[80sballboy]

From Michael Scott per Hoops Hype:

The Washington Wizards hold the No. 2 and 26 picks in the first round and will look to acquire another first-round pick in the draft, league sources told HoopsHype.

I think Kuz being dealt on draft night is firmly in play. I would have considered #2 to the Spurs for 4 and 8, but I'd like to walk away from this draft with Clingan and Holland.

Well, they added just one in the trade deadline and off-season, so I'm not super positive. Got rid of Beal for swaps and Porzinigis for nada. Maybe a S&T with Tyus, but he's not worth a first. I'd trade Kuzma for a first in a heartbeat. Would hope they could get a 20 or higher in a weak draft.

[Rafael122]

From Michael Scott per Hoops Hype:

The Washington Wizards hold the No. 2 and 26 picks in the first round and will look to acquire another first-round pick in the draft, league sources told HoopsHype.

I think Kuz being dealt on draft night is firmly in play. I would have considered #2 to the Spurs for 4 and 8, but I'd like to walk away from this draft with Clingan and Holland.

Well, they added just one in the trade deadline and off-season, so I'm not super positive. Got rid of Beal for swaps and Porzinigis for nada. Maybe a S&T with Tyus, but he's not worth a first. I'd trade Kuzma for a first in a heartbeat. Would hope they could get a 20 or higher in a weak draft.

Any smart, forward-thinking GM would want to take advantage of the draft "being weak" and try and get another pick. The price might not be as high as one might think but if it does end up being Kuzma that gets traded away, so be it.

[nate33]

From Michael Scott per Hoops Hype:

The Washington Wizards hold the No. 2 and 26 picks in the first round and will look to acquire another first-round pick in the draft, league sources told HoopsHype.

I think Kuz being dealt on draft night is firmly in play. I would have considered #2 to the Spurs for 4 and 8, but I'd like to walk away from this draft with Clingan and Holland.

If this is true, I think it's a little disappointing.

I'm all for trying to acquire an extra pick, but I prefer that pick be in the 2025 draft.

[Dat2U]

The measurements probably ensure Holland is my number #2 as well. 6-8, long, switchable, high motor, upside as a ball handler and shot creator. Swing skill is shooting.

As far as Dillingham being 6-2 1/2, he probably loses 1/2 inch from what I expected at 6-3. Not a huge deal IMO although depending how Topic measures out and doing a deeper dive into Topic, I could see them flip flop on my board.

[nate33]

I like how Sheppard does this drill and game speed instead of taking his time like all the other guys do. Sheppard knows everyone knows he can shoot the lights out. He wants to demonstrate that he can shoot the lights out with a quick release.

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They only showed 19 of the 25 shots. He made 15 of 19.