I do think there are lesser drafts like when Bargnani, Kenyon Martin, Kwame, even Bogut were drafted.
Kevin O' Connor has these players as his top 8. https://nbadraft.theringer.com/?_ga=2.107733894.560784794.1647371914-375385344.1646845987 Chet Jabari Paolo Jaden Keegan AJ Shaedon Jalen
KOC on Chet PLUSES Elite ambidextrous shot blocker with incredible coordination. His mere presence deters players from challenging the paint. He has a desire to stop opponents from scoring and will put his body on the line to make a play. Capable of sliding his feet laterally on the perimeter at a competent enough level to bother opponents using his length, which would be useful on NBA switches. He’s the type of big who could excel at defending any pick-and-roll scheme. Turns defense into offense. He’s at his best following a defensive rebound or block, then bringing the ball up the floor himself. He’s a dynamic finisher in space, plus he can pass and shoot. It’s a genuine pleasure to watch a player his size smoothly dribble into a pull-up 3 on the break or use the threat of his jumper to drive hard into the lane. Minimizes errors on offense and can be relied on to make the smart play. Even if he isn’t a flashy playmaker, he has the size, skill, and vision to find cutters over the top of defenses. In the half court, he’s an attentive cutter who elevates quickly around the rim as a finisher. And on the break, he runs the floor hard and also has a knack for trailing catch-and-shoot 3s. Elite interior finisher. He can use either his left or right hand, plus he elevates quickly. Coordinated ball handler who gets low to turn the corner while maintaining control of his dribble. Good shooting touch from the line and near the rim, and his smooth form offers optimism he’ll be a 3-point shooter in the NBA. Holmgren didn’t shoot nearly as well at lower levels, but he might just be blossoming now. In high school, he regularly was making turnarounds and face-ups from the mid-post, he just didn't get those reps playing next to Drew Timme. But all together, Holmgren can be a star if his shooting progress is for real. MINUSES Skinny frame hurts him as a post defender. Smaller guys are able to back him down. He needs to get much stronger in general, especially to have any hope of battling talents like Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Lack of strength affects his ability to handle contact when driving to the rim or finishing in the paint. Though Holmgren has coordination, he still needs to tighten it even more since players his size are susceptible to getting stripped. Struggles to establish deep post positioning. Also doesn’t have a strong repertoire of back-to-the-basket moves. Defenses will match up smaller players against him, similar to how they treat Kristaps Porzingis, unless he’s able to prove he can make them pay. KOC on Jabari PLUSES Lethal spot-up shooter with an undeniable jump shot. An NBA offense will be able to install countless wrinkles to allow Smith’s perimeter talents to flourish. Auburn didn’t run him off many screens or handoffs, but he looked comfortable setting his feet then turning to shoot. Smith can pull up and make jumpers from anywhere even under pressure, or hit turnaround shots from the post. Few players boast both Smith’s size and shooting skill. Some of the clutch shots he’s made this year looked awfully like Kevin Durant. Smith lacks KD’s handle, but he’s already good enough to get a bucket even against a tightly contested defender. Bruce Pearl called Smith the best player he’s ever coached and he has empowered him with the ball. Smith frequently runs plays from around the elbows and wings, and his role as a shot creator has steadily increased as the season has passed. March Madness will be an opportunity for him to have a shining moment. Smith’s father played four seasons in the NBA and taught his son strong habits and inspired his love for the game. People around the NBA say Smith is among the more mature and hardest-working prospects in this draft class. Sets a tone with his defense. He brings constant energy. He competes, flies around the floor, fights through screens, and rotates to help in the paint. On-ball, he has flashed some lockdown potential across positions. With his length, versatility, and mindset, he has the upside to make All-Defensive teams. MINUSES He doesn’t get very low with the ball, and he doesn’t have the tightest handle. There’s tightness to Smith’s lower body on drives to the rim, which limits his fluidity. This is where the MPJ comparison comes from. Considering his shooting prowess, he doesn’t need to improve much to thrive as a scorer. But becoming a guy who can get into the paint would make him virtually unstoppable. Sometimes the blinders go on when he’s dribbling and he misses open teammates with passes. The positives outweigh the negatives, but this specific area could use improvement. Rim protection is about his only notable weakness on defense. He is tall but not much of a presence defending the paint. But that’s not his role. He’s playing next to a dominant college rim protector in Walker Kessler, which works to show exactly how NBA teams will want to use him as a perimeter weapon. As Smith grows stronger and learns more, his interior defense should only grow stronger. KOC on Paolo PLUSES Versatile scorer who can post up and feast inside off lobs and cuts. He can also operate outside. He grew up playing guard, growing from 6-foot-1 at the start of seventh grade to almost 6-foot-5 by the end. Now he stands at nearly 7 feet, ripping down defensive boards and still going coast to coast. Skilled interior scorer who uses power and finesse on post-ups. He’s too quick for many bigs. Overall he’s a talented finisher who does a nice job of scoring through contact. He’s also a strong offensive rebounder who has a feel for reading the trajectory of the ball. Fluid ball handler with good footwork. He changes pace and has some shake, while mixing in hesitation moves using his left hand. With his size, he could thrive facilitating from the elbows. Confident shooter, though not a pure knockdown guy. Off the bounce, he can stop on a dime and pull up or fade away from midrange. He has great body control. He also gathers the ball quickly off the catch. Creative passer off the dribble who can deliver difficult passes. If his shot develops, it’ll open the entire floor for him as a playmaker. A strong and quick defender who could potentially develop into a versatile on-ball stopper. He can slide laterally against smaller guys and might be best suited as a small-ball 5 due to his comfort switching screens. Effective help defender who can alter shots around the rim using his length and athleticism—when he’s trying. MINUSES Defensive effort fluctuated in high school and has absolutely evaporated in college. Every game, he has instances when he doesn't even bother to contest a shot or rotate to help. He’ll sometimes lose track of his man and he could be better about boxing out more frequently. Banchero shoulders a lot of responsibility on offense, so he might be conserving energy. While he doesn’t lack confidence in his jumper, it can be inconsistent. His improvement since high school provides reason for optimism, but he still needs to make progress to be effective in the NBA. Shot selection could stand to improve. Sometimes he drives with a plan to shoot rather than reading the floor and waiting to make his choice. It’s a coachable flaw. Prefers to finish using his right hand. Needs to improve his off hand to get even better scoring inside.
KOC on Ivey PLUSES Dynamic shot creator out of isolations and pick-and-rolls. He has one of the quickest first steps in the draft. He can use stepbacks or pull-ups for jumpers. He makes 33.3 percent of his 3s off the dribble. And he shot 35.5 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s this season, according to Synergy. He’s most intoxicating on drives to the rim. He takes long strides and looks like he’s gliding. Some athletic drivers are anxiety-inducing, but Ivey is both calming and thrilling. He’s an ambidextrous at-rim finisher who can score through contact. He also has this leaning fadeaway and a floater that can sky over shot blockers. Active cutter and mover without the ball. Purdue loved to use him in handoff and screening actions that would slingshot him toward the basket. When he’s not scoring, he shows creativity delivering passes to teammates, including kickouts and entry feeds. He lacks great experience and natural feel in the pick-and-roll, but it’s not like he can’t execute. On the break, there are few players more threatening with or without the ball in their hands. Ivey makes some remarkable highlight plays on defense. He showed how capable of a defender he can be when he locked in during the Big Ten tournament. His issue is consistency. If he uses his athleticism and 6-foot-9 wingspan to his advantage to lead Purdue in the NCAA tournament, he could move up draft boards. Athletic family. His mom is an ex-WNBA player and the current Notre Dame head coach. His father and grandfather were both in the NFL. MINUSES Often falls asleep on defense, losing track of his man. He stands there doing nothing a lot of the time, as if he’s tired, apathetic, or both. Struggled to shoot 3s as a freshman. Though his improvement seems to be for real, we have seen outlier shooting seasons in the past. He’s streaky and had some poor shooting performances, such as his 1-for-8 night from 3 in the Big Ten championship game. He projects as a lead guard, but he doesn’t really run the show for Purdue, averaging just 3.2 assists per game. He dribbles right almost all the time, rarely ever going left. Maybe he’s the type of player where it won’t matter, and he can do exactly what defenses don’t want him to do because he’s so electric. But maybe not. KOC on Keegan PLUSES Super versatile on-ball defender who can handle wings and bigs, and possibly serve as a small-ball center. With his positional instincts, intelligence, and length he could just be starting to tap into his defensive potential. Skilled scorer who can pick-and-pop for 3s or run off screens. Though he isn’t an ankle-breaker off the dribble, he has excellent body control. He keeps his dribble low and can glide toward the basket from unusual angles to take leaning layups. He also flashes a nasty stepback going to his left that he can use behind the arc or from midrange. Low-maintenance scorer who makes timely cuts, seals underneath the basket to make himself an easy target, and relocates to get open. He runs the floor hard in transition, always positioning himself for an outlet. But if the team is in need of a bucket, he also has a diverse post skill set with drop steps, jump hooks, and turnarounds. He has the game of a trustworthy veteran. He just makes smart plays, rarely committing mistakes. He knows when to crash the boards. If he gets a touch, he’ll rapidly assess the situation and decide whether to attack or pass. He knows when to give it up, too, which is an important skill. If he’s playing small-ball center, or next to center who can shoot 3s, he could be dangerous as a roll man to the basket. Iowa calls lob plays for him, and he’s shown the ability to finish in the open floor. He’s not an explosive leaper, but with his handling, scoring, and feel he projects as a major weapon in ball screens. MINUSES Older prospect who will be 22 as a rookie. Nor is he a tremendous athlete at a position where there are many of them. Lacks significant experience playing against high-level competition that could expose his flaws. March Madness will reveal a lot about his game. He’ll need to improve as a scorer in the paint against length. Larger teams, like Illinois, tend to give him more trouble, which could be a preview of the type of resistance he’ll see in the NBA on a nightly basis. He’s a good-but-not-great shooter, and he’s still relatively unproven. He's a career 73.2 percent shooter from the line, but hit just 29.6 percent of his shots from 3 last season compared to 38 percent this season. KOC on AJ PLUSES Creative bucket-getter who uses subtle pump fakes, hesitations, and shimmies to throw defenders off balance. He dribbles at his own rhythm to get into pull-up jumpers and stepbacks going to his left. From midrange, he can draw contact and score in ways that resemble Jimmy Butler. On top of that, he’s also a knockdown shooter who would have led the NCAA in 3-point percentage if he had qualified. It came on just 3.9 attempts per game, but with a higher usage Griffin could have exploded. Does all the little things on offense as a savvy cutter and willing passer who can fire on-target dimes to open teammates. He’s still developing a feel for creating opportunities but he keeps the ball flowing with quick decisions while limiting turnovers. Great defensive potential largely thanks to his tough mindset and impressive measurables (including a 7-foot wingspan). He has a wide, sturdy frame and the pound-for-pound strength of a big man. If he’s able to master his fundamentals he could become a lockdown defender. Griffin missed nearly two years of basketball due to injuries in high school. For him to play this well against the best competition of his life reflects the positive intel about him. Scouts say he has a great head on his shoulders, works hard on his weaknesses, and absorbs feedback from coaches. He comes from an athletic family as the son of 10-year NBA veteran Adrian Griffin, and his mother Audrey ran track in college. MINUSES Knee and ankle injuries have plagued Griffin’s young career. The medical reports that teams receive will be key in determining his final draft positioning. He shows effort on defense but he’s not always reliable due to his inexperience. He takes awkward angles on rotations and sometimes loses track of his man when off the ball. Learning proper positioning should come in time, but it doesn’t always. Rigid shooting mechanics could limit his upside unless he’s able to make a change. From 3-point range off the catch and from certain angles pulling up, he needs to go into a set shot. There’s a slight pause that can give defenders time to close out. Removing that hitch would make him even more dynamic as a shooter. Inexperienced pick-and-roll operator without a good feel for timing, angles, and leveraging screens. Considering his isolation scoring skills, becoming more advanced using ball screens could allow him to blossom.
he needs to have a seat after this gem- 12 Spurs Usman Garuba PF – Real Madrid (Spain) – HT: 6-9 – WT: 230 – WING: 7-2 – Int.02 – Usman is one of the top defenders in the draft and has been a productive player in the second best league in the world. He hasn’t been getting a ton of draft buzz but it’s hard to imagine him falling too far on draft day. The Spurs would be an ideal landing spot for him. faster Tristan Thompson
KOC on Shaedon PLUSES Blossomed physically as a high school junior, sprouting from 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-6. He’s an above-the-rim athlete who skies for dunks in space and blocks on the break. His movements are shifty and have a certain elasticity. He’s such a quick leaper that teams could use him in the half court on lobs or finishes from the dunker’s spot. With long arms and lateral quickness, he’s able to utilize his athleticism to get stops on the ball, help in the paint, and rack up deflections. Good ball handler with an advanced layup package. If he drives baseline and gets contested, he can soar underneath and score on a reverse from the other side. As an explosive, ambidextrous finisher, drawing more fouls and adding more craft could make him a top-tier scorer. Shoots the hell out of the ball. He can drain jumpers out of isolation using a variety of moves. Off the ball, he can relocate or run off a handoff then launch. He’s a little streaky, so he’ll need to prove he’s an elite shooter rather than just a good one. Gritty player on offense. He crashes the boards, cuts, and would probably screen if his coach asked him to. He’s able to score off scrappy plays with no wasted motion. Willing passer who shows an effort to weaponize his scoring. For example, in multiple high school games I reviewed, he dribbled into a stepback going to his left and could have taken the shot but instead kicked it out for a corner 3. He’s a score-first player, but passes like those signal that he wants to make his teammates better. Late bloomer in high school who went from unranked to the top of draft boards. Now he has an outside chance to become the third Canadian to get picked first in NBA history. MINUSES Sharpe didn’t play basketball at Kentucky, electing to sit out the year to better prepare for next season. He already lacked significant big-game exposure in high school, so the jump to the NBA will be both a major physical and mental challenge. Off-ball defense. He sometimes falls out of position when defending his man, leading to closeouts from rogue angles. When rotating, he’s sometimes a beat late to make a read. Lacks experience running the pick-and-roll, which should be a staple of his offense in the NBA. He also doesn’t have the tightest handle, though he’s made enough progress to suggest that will further improve. Shot selection can be an issue. He’s a streaky shooter who too often falls in love with his jumper. If he drove all the way to the basket rather than settling for pull-ups and floaters, his percentages from the perimeter would be better. KOC on Jalen PLUSES Elite upside as a shot blocker. He’s unafraid to get physical and his 7-foot-5 wingspan and nimble feet make him a sentry defending the paint. He can also defend on the perimeter on an occasional switch or recovery to a shooter. He already does a great job of trailing ball handlers and using his length to block shots from behind, a trademark of the NBA’s best rim protectors. Excellent interior finisher. Throw him the ball anywhere and he’ll catch it. In lineups with four shooters, he has the leaping ability to pressure the rim with his rolls. Flashes passing upside from the perimeter, which is ironic considering he’s an interior scorer. But whether he’s diving to the basket out of the short roll or operating from the high elbow, he does a solid job of locating teammates. Good offensive rebounder. MINUSES Off-ball defense. He still needs to improve his awareness. He sometimes gets caught ball watching, though he often makes up for it with his activity. Occasionally struggles with simple things, such as boxing out or falling into foul trouble too regularly. He needs to cut down on his physical and mental lapses so that his skills and athleticism can fuse. Lacks passing accuracy and discipline out of the low post. He takes too many risks with the ball, as if he’s predetermined where he wants to go with it rather than reacting to what the defense gives him. Struggles with shooting, both from the free throw line and from the field. Back-to-the-basket game is not a strength. Even when trying to establish positioning, he often gets pushed off his spots. Getting more skilled against switching defenses could lead to many mismatches for him.
Garuba is practically another first round pick for Rockets because he was so gently used this past season. His upside is unknown at this time.
Well at least Detroit plays Orlando tomorrow. That's good news. The bad news: We have 4 games against Portland and Sactown, and one against Indiana.
Debatable. Quite early to judge USman We have a sht coach who has yet to figure out how to balance mins between rookie/vets, much less develop the rookies properly Usman got injured Every rookie so far looked rough under silas. I would give it another year or so, before i start clowning this analysis, but that's just me.
I can't get past the idea that this draft could solve the Rockets need for length and athleticism on the wing. Would love to see either Jabari Smith at the 4 and Kendall Brown at the 3 or Griffin (3) and Eason (4).
I like Chet but seeing how Wood plays makes me cautious on another tall skinny dude. I know, not the same type of player, but still. Edit: Seeing how close the top 4 teams are we really need to keep our foot on the gas and drive this tank all the way over the cliff.
