His stock seems to be rising quickly. I also saw the Jazz are interested in moving up to get him or Castle.
I think it would be for Zacc. But if it's for Reed, I'm good with that. Zacc, Reed and Daniels are going to be ballaz
Draft Clingan…we need to be dominant in the paint. Amen is our backup point guard, not Reed. Reed would be cooked on defense and with Amen and Cam….Reed would really not play much.
Clingan is neither the best player available and is possibly the worst fit for our team. The media is always corrupt, but this time of year everything being released is pure conjecture, click-bait, or being fed to them by GM’s anxious to manipulate. I doubt Clingan would be a top 10 bpa. If he is drafted in the top 10 it will be for need. I believe more teams than ever will be drafting for need this year since almost all of the guys being considered for the lottery are in the same tier. Hell, Edey showed better in all the drills and massively outplayed Clingan in college. Atlanta is floating that they might take Clingan, because they are trying to up the trade value for no. 1 from a team desperate for a center. Using the third pick in the draft for a guy that at best would start out as our number 3 center and would have no chance of ever starting for us is laughable.
Spoiler https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/38788364/2024-nba-draft-rankings-espn-top-25-prospects 1. Zaccharie Risacher | SF | Bourg (France) ("Risacher's 75-game season ended May 30, giving him a few days off before the start of the NBA Global Camp on June 4. There he was measured and conducted interviews, a medical examination, athletic testing and drills. Risacher will depart for Atlanta next week -- his home base for the remainder of the pre-draft process, a city he is familiar with after training there in previous summers. Before leaving for the United States, he has some loose ends to tie up in France, sources say, including passing his driver's license test, a farewell news conference at his club, JL Bourg, and a suit-fitting in Paris with Armani for draft night on June 26. We'll see how wide of a net Risacher elects to cast in NBA team workouts with fairly limited time at his disposal and coming off a long season. Most teams don't expect him to be available in the draft past No. 4, when the San Antonio Spurs pick, so the Atlanta Hawks (No. 1 pick) and Washington (No. 2 pick) are looking like increasingly strong options.") 2. Alex Sarr | PF/C | Perth (Australia) ("Sarr will be one of the first names off the board on June 26, but the situation at the top of the draft has yet to fully play out. He is firmly in the mix as an option for Atlanta at No. 1, but the Hawks are being thorough in gathering information as they move toward their decision. If Atlanta passes on Sarr, Washington is strongly shaping up as a landing spot, with rival teams believing the Wizards at No. 2 to be his floor.") 3. Donovan Clingan | C | UConn ("Clingan is a top-three prospect who might experience a minor drop on draft night because teams that are in the Nos. 3-6 range already have starting centers in place. He's in conversation at No. 1 after working out in Atlanta (which is exploring trade-down scenarios). He is also spending time in Washington, which has the No. 2 pick. Clingan isn't expected to drop past the Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7, whom he just visited for a private workout as well. He is being discussed among teams as a possible target for the likes of Chicago, Memphis, Oklahoma City or Utah, who all might explore trading up for a player in his mold.") 4. Reed Sheppard | PG/SG | Kentucky ("Sheppard's range appears somewhat narrow at this stage, and his draft positioning likely begins at No. 3, with the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets all viable landing spots early on. His impressive freshman season and elite shooting numbers have helped him to break the mold for a guard his size and put him at or near the top of many analytics models, helping to frame the conversation around his upside. The fact he can play on and off the ball -- and makes the most of his limitations defensively -- also helps envision a valuable floor. If Sheppard falls out of the top five, which might hinge to an extent on potential teams trading picks -- he'd be a strong fit with the Hornets at No. 6 as a complement to their young core.") 5. Matas Buzelis | SF/PF | G League Ignite ("Buzelis will work out for almost every team in the top five, sources say, as many around the NBA are intrigued by the idea of an explosive 6-10 wing who has playmaking ability, defensive versatility and flashes of shot-making prowess. The fact he doesn't need the ball in his hands to be successful but has significant upside to grow into at 19 years old with a developing frame, could be attractive for teams. Sources say Buzelis' hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, watched him work out privately in Los Angeles early in the pre-draft process. Chicago has shown a willingness to explore moving up in the draft for the right price. The Bulls' Lithuanian president, Arturas Karnisovas, has extensive knowledge of Buzelis, who is also Lithuanian.") 6. Stephon Castle | PG/SG | UConn ("It has been difficult for NBA teams to schedule Castle on the workout circuit, so it remains to be seen exactly where that will land him on draft night. Teams on his trail will be closely monitoring whether he decides to open up his availability in the coming weeks. He has been most strongly connected to San Antonio, but if the Spurs go a different direction with their two first-round picks, there will be suitors elsewhere in the top 10, with a potentially strong fit in the Utah Jazz." 7. Rob Dillingham | PG | Kentucky ("Dillingham is nearing a mid-month return from the ankle injury that has disrupted his pre-draft process, sources say, likely leaving him time for only a handful of workouts before June 26. While somewhat polarizing among teams because of his size, Dillingham is one of the rare prospects in this class who could potentially anchor a team's offense with his dynamic shot creation and shot-making prowess, giving him rare star power in a class sorely lacking in that department. He's in the conversation for every team drafting in the top 10 that is in the market for a point guard, but he might need some trade scenarios to come to fruition to aid his cause on draft night.") 8. Dalton Knecht | SF | Tennessee ("Knecht has positioned himself pretty firmly as a mid-lottery pick, drawing strong interest from Charlotte, Portland, San Antonio, Memphis and Utah in the Nos. 6-10 range.") 9. Tidjane Salaun | PF | Cholet ("...Salaun's measurements -- 6-10 in shoes, 217 pounds with a near 7-2 wingspan and 9-2 standing reach, indicate he has the potential to play some small-ball 5 down the road as his frame fills out, with comparable dimensions to NBA players such as Daniel Gafford or Kevon Looney at the same age." ... "He is expected to be targeted by many of the teams picking in the Nos. 4-14 range, with workouts ultimately determining where he lands.") 10. Nikola Topic | PG | Red Star (Adriatic League) ("NBA teams' fears were realized when it was revealed at the draft combine medicals this week that Topic has a partially torn ACL that will require surgery. The extent of Topic's recovery process will be determined by specialists in the U.S., but it will not be surprising if he will require a redshirt season -- similar to how Chet Holmgren, Joel Embiid, Michael Porter Jr. or Blake Griffin started their NBA careers. The fact Topic is only 18 -- younger than six of the 24 McDonald's All Americans entering college this season -- and was at one point in consideration as a potential No. 1 pick prospect early in the season, means he is unlikely to fall very far down the board on draft night. San Antonio (No. 8), Utah (No. 10), Oklahoma City (No. 12) and Portland (No. 14) are viewed by teams as potential landing spots depending on team doctors' full assessments of his medicals, which have yet to be distributed." 11. Ron Holland | SF | G League Ignite ("Holland's range appears to be a little wider than initially thought. He has fans among teams drafting in the top 10 but is casting a fairly wide net in workouts, including teams such as the Miami Heat at No. 15 and the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 17, in part because of his strong positional fit in those attractive markets." 12. Cody Williams | SG/SF | Colorado ("At this stage, Williams' range would appear to be among the widest of our projected lottery prospects. He has interest from teams in the top 10, including Detroit, Charlotte, Portland, San Antonio and Utah, but there are also teams picking outside the lottery that remain curious whether he might fall to them.") 13. Devin Carter | PG/SG | Providence ("Carter has built up buzz throughout the pre-draft process and has worked himself comfortably into the Nos. 8-15 pick range. He worked out for the Los Angeles Lakers at No. 17 this week and has multiple workouts in the lottery still scheduled. While he has not accepted any type of promise from a team, he is trending in a positive direction, with front offices intrigued by his motor, scoring ability and defensive toughness. The San Antonio Spurs (No. 8), who have a need at guard, and the Memphis Grizzlies (No. 9), where his father, Anthony Carter, serves as an assistant coach, are viewed as the high end of his range. Another interesting landing spot would be the Miami Heat at No. 15, where his father played from 1999 to 2003 and coached from 2018 to '23, creating a level of familiarity.") 14. Ja'Kobe Walter | SG/SF | Baylor ("Walter has interest from teams drafting in the lottery and shouldn't fall too far out of it if he slips, bringing a 3-and-D skill set that's widely in demand.")
Spoiler 15. Jared McCain | PG | Duke ("Teams say McCain is taking a different strategy than most players who are in his draft range, which is believed to be around Nos. 9 to 20. He is refusing one-on-zero workouts in favor of competitive 3-on-3 group settings. Even though he is viewed as one of the best shooters in this draft, the opportunity to showcase his toughness and mentality could be beneficial, even working out mostly against projected second-round picks. With most of the teams in his range also looking for shooting finesse, including Memphis, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando and Toronto, McCain likely won't have a very long wait to hear his name called on draft night.") 16. Zach Edey | C | Purdue ("Teams say Edey's range appears to be in the Nos. 9-19 range based on the workouts he has conducted and scheduled. He was with the Toronto Raptors this past week, will visit the Los Angeles Lakers, and is in the conversation at Memphis (9), Utah (10), Chicago (11), Oklahoma City (12), Portland (14) and Miami (15). Several teams say Edey's productivity ranks him as a top-three prospect in this class according to their draft models -- ESPN's Kevin Pelton had him ranked No. 2 in his stats-only draft projections.") 17. Tristan Da Silva | SF/PF | Colorado ("...He has interest from lottery teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies (No. 9) and Sacramento Kings (No. 13), and has scheduled workouts with teams drafting down into the teens, with the expectation being he'll come off the board somewhere in that part of the draft.") 18. Johnny Furphy | SG/SF | Kansas ("...He should be off the draft board within the top 20 and has interest from the late lottery teams, including Memphis, Chicago, Oklahoma City and Sacramento.") 19. Kyshawn George | SG/SF | Miami ("...George will be getting looks from many of the teams looking for wing shooting from the late lottery through the early 20s, including Oklahoma City, Sacramento, Portland, Orlando and Toronto.") 20. Carlton Carrington | PG | Pittsburgh 21. Kyle Filipowski | PF/C | Duke 22. Isaiah Collier | PG | USC 23. Yves Missi | C | Baylor 24. Kel'el Ware | C | Indiana 25. Baylor Scheierman | SG | Creighton ("... isn't expected to drop past Boston with the No. 30 pick.") 26. Tyler Kolek, PG, Marquette 27. Bobi Klintman, SF/PF, Cairns 28. Jaylon Tyson, SG/SF, California 29. Pacome Dadiet, SG/SF, Ratiopharm Ulm 30. Tyler Smith, SF/PF, G League Ignite 31. Justin Edwards, SG/SF, Kentucky 32. Cameron Christie, SG, Minnesota 33. Terrence Shannon, SG/SF, Illinois 34. Ryan Dunn, SF/PF, Virginia 35. AJ Johnson, SG, Illawarra 36. Juan Nunez, PG, Ratiopharm Ulm 37. Adem Bona, C, UCLA 38. Kevin McCullar, SF, Kansas 39. DaRon Holmes II, PF/C, Dayton 40. Nikola Djurisic, SG/SF, Mega MIS 41. Jonathan Mogbo, PF/C, San Francisco 42. Ulrich Chomche, PF/C, NBA Academy Africa 43. Harrison Ingram, SF/PF, North Carolina 44. Ajay Mitchell, PG, UC Santa Barbara 45. Pelle Larsson, SG, Arizona 46. Jaylen Wells, SG/SF, Washington St 47. Melvin Ajinca, SG/SF, Saint Quentin 48. Dillon Jones, SF/PF, Weber St 49. Izan Almansa, PF/C, G League Ignite 50. Keshad Johnson, PF, Arizona 51. Jamal Shead, PG, Houston 52. Cam Spencer, SG, Connecticut 53. KJ Simpson, PG, Colorado 54. Bronny James, PG/SG, USC 55. Jalen Bridges, SF, Baylor 56. Trentyn Flowers, SG/SF, Adelaide 57. Oso Ighodaro, PF/C, Marquette 58. Isaac Jones, PF/C, Washington St 59. Enrique Freeman, PF/C, Akron 60. Antonio Reeves, SG/SF, Kentucky 61. Quinten Post, C, Boston College 62. PJ Hall, PF/C, Clemson 63. Trey Alexander, PG/SG, Creighton 64. Ariel Hukporti, C, Ludwigsburg 65. Bogoljub Markovic, PF/C, Mega MIS 66. Mantas Rubstavicius, SF, NZ Breakers 67. Armel Traore, PF, Blois 68. Tristen Newton, PG/SG, Connecticut 69. Zacharie Perrin, PF/C, Antibes 70. Isaiah Crawford, SF/PF, Louisiana Tech 71. Jesse Edwards, C, West Virginia 72. Nae'Qwan Tomlin, PF/C, Memphis 73. Reece Beekman, PG, Virginia 74. Riley Minix, SF/PF, Morehead St 75. N'Faly Dante, C, Oregon 76. Malique Lewis, SF/PF, Mexico City 77. Andrija Jelavic, PF/C, Mega MIS 78. Judah Mintz, PG/SG, Syracuse 79. Noah Penda, SF/PF, Vichy-Clermont 80. Yannick Kraag, SG/SF, Joventut 81. Ilias Kamardine, PG/SG, Vichy-Clermont 82. Dylan Disu, PF, Texas 83. Tre Mitchell, PF/C, Kentucky 84. Boogie Ellis, PG/SG, USC 85. Thierry Darlan, SG/SF, Bangui SC 86. Emanuel Miller, SF/PF, TCU 87. Anton Watson, PF, Gonzaga 88. Quinn Ellis, PG, Trento 89. David Jones, SF, Memphis 90. Zyon Pullin, PG, Florida 91. Marcus Domask, PG/SG, Illinois 92. Jaylin Williams, PF, Auburn 93. Isaiah Stevens, PG, Colorado St 94. Eli John Ndiaye, PF/C, Real Madrid 95. Jamison Battle, SF/PF, Ohio St 96. Jaedon LeDee, PF/C, San Diego St 97. Spencer Jones, SF/PF, Stanford 98. Babacar Sane, SF/PF, G League Ignite 99. Mouhamed Faye, C, Reggio Emilia 100. Blake Hinson, PF, Pittsburgh
Still perplexed that Risacher is said to be unable to create his own shot yet is so high on the board. In fact couple of those guys cannot create their own shots.
Who in this class projects as an elite shot creator who can do it both on the perimeter and in the paint? I don't see anybody, honestly. Reed can hit shots, but he's more of an off-ball guy than a break his man down off the dribble guy. Dillingham? Doubt he can generate rim pressure in the NBA at his size. Topic has the opposite problem, has the rim pressure but not the jump shot. Just kinda how this draft class is
There is only one basketball. While self creation is important for guys that have the ball, being tall with quick release, accurate shot, able to relocate, able to shoot off screens/movement, and being able to attack closeouts are more important than self creation off ball. The guys with self creation in this draft for the most part have not shown they are efficient enough to be given many self creation opportinities. If they are successful, they will get labeled fool's gold as they will be good enough to win some games keeping the team from getting good draft picks, but not good enough to do much in playoffs. Sheppard and Dillingham are exceptions, but they have their own issues.
I'm not super worried about Risacher's lack of self creation specifically, especially given the type of draft this is. I think he can probably attack closeouts and is big/athletic enough to take some advantage of that. My concern is more feel/BBIQ stuff with him in this area. If he's playing great defense (possibly a big *if* though he has the tools), and he's more like option 3/4/5 on offense, that's probably fine.
That is fair but the shot ain't accurate yet. But yes, we would have a historical Draft that would have possibly 2 Draft picks that could end up as Role players as Number 1 and Number 2. (Sarr and Zacc) All Defensive team type of role players but role players all the same.
FYI Sam and Bryce talked a bit of Clingan in their last episode: (around 1:22:24) It gets started with a question about SAS taking Clingan to pair with Wemby, which I've seen some people throw around in the Rocket community (and seemingly something to fear). Sam calls that a horrendous idea, it would make him question the SAS front office, etc. They talk about why it is a bad idea if you're interested. They then compare Clingan to Lively. Sam would take Lively over Clingan as a prospect. Sam has both as good NBA starters unlikely to make an all-star team. Bryce also ranted about people comparing Clingan to Lopez (which I've also seen), and neither think either big will shoot long-term. Maybe this goes in one of the Clingan threads, but yeah I was a bit perplexed by some of these Clingan comps/descriptions being thrown around online too (and I *do* like Clingan). Of course, I'm also the guy who doesn't mind the occasional Steve Nash comp for Reed Sheppard (partly because of some dude name Sam Vecenie). And on a side note, I've been kinda down on Castle relative to what I've seen...but I also think he's probably in my top 3-5 still. Mostly wanted Topic as a backup to Reed, but with the injury and wingspan stuff, I'm kinda off on that. I do like guys like Carter, McCain, etc., but probably still take Castle over them I think? I guess I need to do more deep dives on those guys, Holland, Williams, Salaun, etc.
I'm going to stop listening reports about which team wants which player. These are either the media people throwing up guesses, click baits, etc., or teams leaking smokescreens. They give you zero useful information.
3. Reed Sheppard 44. Melvin Ajinça 1. Hawks: Zaccharie Risacher 2. Wizards: Alex Sarr 3. Rockets: Reed Sheppard (“The Houston Rockets should love what Reed Sheppard brings to their rotation: Elite shooting, passing and intangibles/character that scouts and executives praised after interviewing him at the NBA combine. For Sheppard, an undersized 2 who's more limited off the dribble, Amen Thompson would also be the ideal backcourt partner with his creation/playmaking and ability to defend bigger guards. And Sheppard feels perfect for Thompson with his ability to stretch the floor and create space for a limited shooter and shifty ball-handler.” 4. Spurs: Matas Buzelis (“There has been positive chatter from different circles around Matas Buzelis during the predraft process. Teams are expecting him to go before Ignite teammate Ron Holland, and it feels like the intrigue around his athleticism and scoring versatility—and the upside it theoretically creates—continues to grow among teams trying to determine their top prospects during this final evaluation period. We're hearing he's being considered in the top five. The San Antonio Spurs should be able to guarantee themselves one of Nikola Topic, Rob Dillingham or Devin Carter at No. 8. Stephon Castle figures to be in play at No. 4, but Buzelis offers superior positional size and athleticism, better shooting and more flashes of shotmaking diversity.” 5. Pistons: Donovan Clingan 6. Hornets: Stephon Castle (“ Every team in the lottery will discuss Stephon Castle. They're all going to covet the idea of a 6'6" defensive stopper who handles the ball and passes, possesses unique positional strength and just needs some improved shooting touch to unlock a unique potential trajectory and archetype.”) 7. Blazers: Dalton Knecht 8. Spurs: Devin Carter (“ Sources say the San Antonio Spurs are high on Devin Carter, who just completed workouts with the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls. Nikola Topic's ACL tear could give Carter an extra edge at No. 10.”) 9. Grizzlies: Ron Holland (“ Ron Holland is a candidate to slide with scouts feeling comfortable about Dalton Knecht's shooting and more compelled by Matas Buzelis' shotmaking and versatility, and Stephon Castle's playmaking, defense and impact on winning.”) 10. Jazz: Rob Dillingham (“Dillingham figures to be in play for the San Antonio Spurs, the Charlotte Hornets at No. 6 and the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 9. However, the Spurs typically like size and length, the Hornets could decide they can't afford another negative defender, and the Grizzlies may hesitate on taking a ball-dominant guard with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane.”) 11. Bulls: Nikola Topic 12. Thunder: Tidjane Salaun (“ Sources indicate that Tijane Salaun will work out for the Oklahoma City Thunder, though he also has big workouts scheduled with top-10 teams, including the San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers.”) 13. Kings: Cody Williams (“ While scouts do believe a team could reach on Cody Williams early, we're hearing that most still prefer Matas Buzelis and Stephon Castle. Tijane Salaun and Kyshawn George have also popped up as names who could leapfrog Williams.”)
