I knew Risacher wasn't an incredible vertical athlete, but 31" vert is pretty bad and the wingspan is also lower than I think you would hope. I don't know if it necessarily hurts his stock but I don't think he was helped by those numbers either.
Feigen mock 3. Rockets: Donovan Clingan, Connecticut, C, 7-2, 20 The chances that Houston will trade the pick remain, but they diminished when it jumped up from ninth to third in the lottery. As much as the Rockets would rather push back draft capital to another season (and another draft), it is dicey to trade a third pick for a future late lottery pick. They might be more inclined if they can get multiple picks or if they can use the pick in a larger package. GM Rafael Stone has long insisted he would ignore need and fit to choose the best player available at No. 3. He has tended to pick based on a prospect’s ceiling. This season could be the ultimate test of that, but it could give Clingan the edge over Sheppard even if there is no immediate path to playing time. Clingan’s two-way potential also could make him a trade target for teams looking to move up.
Feigan only prints what he is told to print by the Rockets. I take everything he says with a grain of salt. If we draft Clingan it is for someone else in a trade that has to take place after the draft or something they are still ironing out. I don’t think there is a good avenue to trade completely out of the draft unless the Net’s lower their expectations to just that pick and filler. Bridges is also a better fit for someone like the Knicks or another team that think they are one piece away from serious contention. Everybody knows that the top of next year’s draft is loaded, so no team with a likely high lottery pick is going to trade a 25 pick for a 24 pick. So in conclusion, we either stay put at 3 and draft for need or trade back and get a useful player and a later lottery pick and draft a project.
https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/st...ferent-skills-shooting-offense-defense-clutch Best pick-and-roll finisher: Zach Edey, C, Purdue Best pick-and-roll playmaker: Nikola Topic, PG, Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) Best ball handler: Rob Dillingham, PG, Kentucky Best pull-up shooter: Cam Spencer, SG, UConn Best spot-up shooter: Reed Sheppard, PG/SG, Kentucky Sheppard gave defenses headaches at Kentucky with absurdly consistent shot-making prowess, hitting 56 of his 109 catch-and-shoot attempts (per Synergy) and shooting 51.4% on the season from long range. His release is compact and consistent, with minimal dip and wasted motion, and his lower-body balance and shot-prep habits are excellent, giving him a high-level skill that should translate to NBA range. Sheppard, ranked No. 4 in ESPN's Top 100, looks comfortable from all over the arc, and has a great baseline to keep improving, with room to hone his shot even more off the bounce if he can gain separation at a higher level. His ability to space the floor away from the ball simplifies his path into a role quite a bit, with his ceiling tied to how much he can expand his game as a handler. But there's a very legitimate shooting profile here that could also see him become more of an off-ball threat if needed. -- Woo Best movement shooter: Dalton Knecht, SF, Tennessee Best offensive rebounder: Ariel Hukporti, C, Melbourne (Australia) Best leaper/dunker: Matas Buzelis, SF/PF, G League Ignite Best defensive playmaker: Ryan Dunn, SF/PF, Virginia Best shot-blocker: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn Clingan's combination of elite size (7-3, 7-6¾ wingspan, 9-7 standing reach), coordinated footwork and feel for positioning and timing makes him the draft's top rim-protector, having drawn Rudy Gobert comparisons from his more optimistic fans in NBA front offices. Once he worked back into better conditioning and health, his season turned around in a major way, as he walled off the paint in the NCAA tournament and showed the defensive impact he can make. The area the No. 3 prospect in ESPN's Top 100 covers and the visual impact he has on the floor can make scoring a daunting task for opposing offenses. While not a vertically explosive help-side rim-protector, Clingan has the length and hand speed to contest everything in his area and make bigs and drivers alike uncomfortable. He's well-suited to drop coverage and has the potential to be one of the NBA's premier defensive bigs if all goes well for him. -- Woo Best off-ball defender: Zaccharie Risacher, SF, Bourg (France) Best on-ball defender: Stephon Castle, PG/SG, UConn Castle, ranked No. 6 in ESPN's Top 100, combines excellent size, at 6-7 and 210 pounds with a 6-9 wingspan, with great agility and quickness in pursuit, allowing him to stay close to ball handlers, take away space and create problems at the point of attack. He can sit low in a stance, get beaten and still recover in time to get a quality contest. He also does an excellent job navigating ball screens and staying involved in the play when at a disadvantage. Castle's ability to stay attached, switch and match up with guards of all sizes creates a major advantage for defensive scheming, something UConn utilized to great effect during its title run. Having a defender of that quality who can adequately slow down both guards and wings is a luxury for NBA teams. -- Woo Best full-court defender: Jamal Shead, PG, Houston Best clutch player: Devin Carter, PG/SG, Providence Carter has vaulted up the draft board this season for a range of reasons; his defense, improved scoring and strong intangibles are among them. The No. 13 prospect in ESPN's Top 100 has built that reputation with strong play when it matters, helping to carry a Providence team that wasn't the deepest or most talented to 21 wins and an NIT berth. He has a knack for showing up on both ends of the floor when it counts, with a steely, focused approach -- his 10 overtime points in a win over Butler on Dec. 23 was a signature moment. The success he and Providence had, despite the Friars arguably over-relying on Carter at times -- was a testament to the way he showed up when it mattered. -- Woo Best motor: Adem Bona, C, UCLA Best backstory: Enrique Freeman, PF/C, Akron Best unicorn potential: Alex Sarr, PF/C, Perth (Australia) Best frame: Tidjane Salaun, PF, Cholet (France) Best competitor: Tyler Kolek, PG, Marquette Best intangibles: Jared McCain, PG, Duke
I have some reservations about Sarr, but if he falls to 3, I'll take him. 20/9 in the Aussie league is legit production
If I’m hunting for draft content I sure fire would rely on Jason f****** McIntyre. i can fw Sarr drop to 3 tho.
Castle, Sheppard, Clingan, Risacher or Sarr. We think these are the prospects the Rockets are considering at #3. But what if they have another name on this list? Who do folks think is that 6th player under consideration at #3?
And those numbers made him the 17th pick, so not exactly a ringing endorsement for Castle's prospect pedigree, given that Holiday required a lot of improvements after getting to the NBA to be a star on the Bucks/Pelicans.
I've somewhat come around to Castle playing more of a Jrue PG role. I still question his "pure PG" skills, but I suppose he could be more of a connective PG who mostly focuses on defense. I think my next concern with Castle is that maybe he does develop that nice offensive game (which allows him to be on the floor for his defense), though I do wonder if it might take quite a while to get there. Jrue has turned into a great player, but he's not playing for the team who drafted him (76ers). Or even the team the 76ers traded him to. Skimming over his stats, he was under 50% EFG (and similar TS) for most of his career at age 25 and under. Took closer to 30 before he was more like over 55% EFG. And Jrue shot 3s better and had a higher 3PR than Castle I think.
I believe that is what it is. All GM’s use these click baiters to put up smokescreens. Of course, I doubt any decent GM would fall for it. I’m sure they know who is a reliable source and who isn’t (Iko, Fegan)
Topic nearly 6’6 barefoot is nice. That size with the ability to break down the D, score at the rim or find the open man gives him star upside
Who can help take Houston to the NEXT LEVEL. Iko lists four veterans (Johnson, DeRozan, KCP, Brown) Him: Castle can take us to the next level! I know he’s a Castle fan but come on! If you could describe the perfect player to help complement and take Houston to the next level what would they do and look like? With that in mind, who do you see them targeting this offseason? — Donald C. The Rockets are in Phase 2.5 right now. Last season, they established competitiveness and a culture change, coming within a few games of the Play-In Tournament. Given the age of their core, there’s no rush to jump into title contention this summer. Continue to build the youth with veteran experience around the edges. However, there should be a focus on making the playoffs next season. It’s hard to have a 19-win improvement in the standings and not think upward, even if the climb isn’t as steep as the previous year. The perfect player for Houston is a two-way wing with size, one who can also put the ball on the floor and create for himself to some degree and others. He doesn’t have to be an all-star type, but an efficient, connective player would work. Think San Antonio’s Keldon Johnson or Chicago’s DeMar DeRozan. Alternatively, they could go in another direction and try to find a 2019 Robert Covington, a small-ball dream: smart, unselfish, connective and defensive-oriented floor-spacing wings. Looking at the free agent market, if I’m the Rockets (and looking at the more realistic route), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Bruce Brown are circled on my big board. Both are veterans who would mesh with Udoka’s defensive discipline while providing half-court spacing that was sorely lacking last season. Brown’s shooting has dipped in recent years but both Royal Ivey and Tiago Splitter were on Brooklyn’s staff in 2021-22 when Brown shot 40 percent from 3. Caldwell-Pope could have made an All-Defense team this past year. No brainers, in my opinion.
Isn’t it wonderful to have the reporter assigned to your team having no clue about the roster or what is needed? DeRozan? Give me a break. We already have Tari, Cam, Amen, Brooks. Iko is the worst.
Yup. If you think from the perspective of Stone and the FO, who are not dumb, Iko’s content is so odd. I actually like the guy, and I think he’s quite adept at a certain kind of access / relationship journalism. But dude just doesn’t know ball. The Rockets need a connective two way wing with size to add to the mix? Because we need a sixth one of those guys to play behind Jabari, Tari, Dillon, Amen, and Cam? Keldon Johnson and DeMar DeRozan?! If you ranked NBA teams by who needs Keldon Johnson added to their rotation, the Rockets would be 30th/30. Do not read Iko for anything but laundered intel from the FO, interviews, and off the record locker room quotes. You will save brain cells.
