2024 NBA Draft Thread

[SpursBills]

Dilly is just behind Topic in the players I hope spurs don't draft. Sheppard over him any day if you ipick a guard.

And I believe (like every single year) we're starting to see these kids a bit too much with the eyes of love... If Dilly had even a remote chance to become a Trae-Kyrie hybrid, he would be a no brainer in this meh draft. I beleive it's a success if you ever can get a decent starter out of him.

Ha, the Trae-Kyrie bit was slight hyperbole on my part and written more for effect, but it does represent the 99 percentile outcome for Dilly. I mean realistically Dilly's median outcome is somewhere between Brandon Knight and Collin Sexton based on college performance and prior comps, but if we're talking realistic median outcomes, this entire draft class looks pretty bad.

Even Risacher, who's mocked #1 on a lot of mocks right now, looks terrible after his recent stretch. If you comp his entire age 19 season to Nic Batum at the same age playing in the same league, he's worse in pretty much every metric, and concerningly worse in certain feel and playmaking metrics that correlate with upside and development.

Not sure Castle is any better than Dyson Daniels when he came out.

You are right though regarding rose tinted glasses, I think maybe the best approach is that we try and hunt for upside and see the likelihood of hitting that upside while keeping median outcomes in mind.

[couchman]

My board has evolved a bit. Topic has dropped and Clingan moved up.

1. Risacher - 6’10” 3&D looks like his floor. That’s extremely valuable, even if he hasn’t shown much else, and it fits a Spurs need 100%
2. Sheppard - the best shooter in the draft plays mistake free ball and make opportunistic plays on D. That will translate immediately to a good rotation role with room to grown if his ball handling evolves
3. Clingan - Poeltl but better. He will play 15 years in the league if he stays healthy
4. Star - not a great fit for the Spurs but at this spot the value is too high to ignore. Will be a good defender and there are signs the offense has room to develop into something good
This is where the safe picks end and we get into high risk high reward players
5. Dillingham - Trae Young type of potential on offense but damn that D is atrocious.Ive moved him above Topic because I believe his offense will translate immediately
6. Topic - enormous wingspan and great ability to drive and finish or dish. Defense is poor and will he shoot’s 3s? He has the highest upside in the draft because I think the shooting will eventually come and if we are drafting to find a star player he would be my first home run swing.This draft sucks so much though that I’ve moved the safer picks to the top.
7. Buzelis - great size and fundamentals but we’ve seen it takes at least 2 years for prospects to unlearn G League BS.
8. Holland - he was miscast this last year but the athletic ability and compe iveness will eventually work out after he gets real coaching for 3-4 years
9. Castle - thstb isnugly but everything else is there. Big gamble that he can learn to shoot but if he does the potential is huge
10. Filipowski - safe bet for a serviceable backup big

[Mr. Body]

I don't think Sarr will be as good defensively as Mobley, but I do see more promise on offense, he's shown flashes of being able to put the ball on the floor, drive, touch, that I think there's a scenario where he's definitely better than Mobley on that end. But in any case, IMO, it's a trap to think of this draft in terms of pick numbers. We just have to take whomever is best regardless of where said player would usually fall in a normal draft, if you think that's going to be Sarr, Dillingham, Sheppard, Risacher, Topic or whomever, then that's your guy wherever you pick.

Agree. We get into a fallacy of thinking that if a previous player doesn't develop a skill, the current possibility won't, either. I agree with you on Sarr and just because Mobley hasn't become an offensive threat, there's no reason to think Sarr won't, either.

I think Castle comps pretty close in many ways to Dyson Daniels, who is still developing but also isn't a big threat. This doesn't mean they go in the same ways.

[Mr. Body]

Ha! scott

I also have been reading rumors that Givony is driven by (possibly paid off) a lot of draft politics, which is why you’ll never hear a peep from him when prospects don’t perform well. Pretty sad when you consider there’s people out there that rely on him for scouting reports.

ESPN gets to them eventually. What many people feared once he started working there.

[CGD]

What if it's Rubio minus the defense?

Sounds like Josh Giddey, who folks seem to like around here…

[scott]

Ha! scott

I also have been reading rumors that Givony is driven by (possibly paid off) a lot of draft politics, which is why you’ll never hear a peep from him when prospects don’t perform well. Pretty sad when you consider there’s people out there that rely on him for scouting reports.

Important clarification! Good catch. Definitely less interesting.

Would be interesting to compare what this "service" has put out in the past versus actual draft positoin.

[rankingtear]

Important clarification! Good catch. Definitely less interesting.

Would be interesting to compare what this "service" has put out in the past versus actual draft positoin.

He just throws some rando high in early mocks like Bronny and Salaun this year. But he still has the most accurate final mocks.

[JPB]

"Reading rumors ont the Internet"...

Givony may be pimping a few prospects on his X, for but not in his mock drafts, which happened to be the among the most accurate ultimately. This isn't an exact science, and there's a lot of elements factoring in a prospect developing or not, but Givony is the closest to what you could call an educated journalist as far as mock drafts are concerned. And ofc, much more than anybody here.

[Dejounte]

"Reading rumors ont the Internet"...

Givony may be pimping a few prospects on his X, for but not in his mock drafts, which happened to be the among the most accurate ultimately. This isn't an exact science, and there's a lot of elements factoring in a prospect developing or not, but Givony is the closest to what you could call an educated journalist as far as mock drafts are concerned. And ofc, much more than anybody here.

You are such a sheep for media talking heads

here is Givony’s 2021 mock draft where he got everything wrong after the top 3 (the top 3 was obvious to anybody):

1. Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham
2. Houston Rockets: Jalen Green
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley
4. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Suggs
5. Orlando Magic: Scottie Barnes
6. Oklahoma City Thunder: James
   Bouknight
7. Golden State Warriors: Franz Wagner
   (Previously - Jonathan Kuminga)
8. Orlando Magic: Jonathan Kuminga
   (Previously - Moses Moody)
9. Sacramento Kings: Moses Moody
   (Previously - Franz Wagner)
10. Memphis Grizzlies: Josh Giddey
    (Previous/v/Same Position - Josh
    Giddey to New Orleans)
11. Charlotte Hornets: Corey Kispert
12. San Antonio Spurs: Alperen Sengun
13. Indiana Pacers: Davion Mitc
14. Golden State Warriors: Chris Duarte
15. Washington Wizards: Trey Murphy

2023 with again, so many big misses:

1. SAS - Victor Wembanyama
2. CHA - Brandon Miller
3. POR - Scoot Henderson
4. HOU - Amen Thompson
5. DET - Cam Whitmore
6. ORL - Ausar Thompson
7. IND - Jarace Walker
8. WAS - Anthony Black
9. UTA - Jalen Hood-Schifino
10. DAL - Taylor Hendricks
11. ORL - Gradey
12. OKC - Nick Smith Jr.
13. TOR - Jordan Hawkins
14. NOP - Dereck Lively II
15. ATL - Keyonte George
16. UTA - Kobe Bufkin
17. LAL - Cason Wallace

Another classic:

Pick No.	Team	Player	Position	School/Team
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Anthony Edwards	G	Georgia
2	Golden State Warriors	James Wiseman	C	Memphis
3	Charlotte Hornets	LaMelo Ball	G	Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
4	Chicago Bulls	Deni Avdija	G/F	Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
5	Cleveland Cavaliers	Obi Toppin	F	Dayton
6	Atlanta Hawks	Onyeka Okongwu	F/C	USC
7	Detroit Pistons	Patrick Williams	F	Florida State
8	New York Knicks	Tyrese Haliburton	G	Iowa State
9	Washington Wizards	Isaac Okoro	G/F	Auburn
10	Phoenix Suns	Devin Vassell	G/F	Florida State
11	San Antonio Spurs	Saddiq Bey	F	Villanova
12	Sacramento Kings	Killian Hayes	G	Ulm (France)
13	New Orleans Pelicans	Kira Lewis Jr.	G	Alabama
14	Boston Celtics (via Memphis)	Precious Achiuwa	F/C	Memphis
15	Orlando Magic	RJ Hampton	G	New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
16	Houston Rockets (via Portland)	Tyrese Maxey	G	Kentucky
17	Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn)	Aaron Nesmith	G/F	Vanderbilt
18	Dallas Mavericks	Aleksej Pokuševski	F	Olympiacos B (Greece)
19	Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia)	Josh Green	G/F

[rankingtear]

You are such a sheep for media talking heads

here is Givony’s 2021 mock draft where he got everything wrong after the top 3 (the top 3 was obvious to anybody):

1. Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham
2. Houston Rockets: Jalen Green
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley
4. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Suggs
5. Orlando Magic: Scottie Barnes
6. Oklahoma City Thunder: James
   Bouknight
7. Golden State Warriors: Franz Wagner
   (Previously - Jonathan Kuminga)
8. Orlando Magic: Jonathan Kuminga
   (Previously - Moses Moody)
9. Sacramento Kings: Moses Moody
   (Previously - Franz Wagner)
10. Memphis Grizzlies: Josh Giddey
    (Previous/v/Same Position - Josh
    Giddey to New Orleans)
11. Charlotte Hornets: Corey Kispert
12. San Antonio Spurs: Alperen Sengun
13. Indiana Pacers: Davion Mitc
14. Golden State Warriors: Chris Duarte
15. Washington Wizards: Trey Murphy

2023 with again, so many big misses:

1. SAS - Victor Wembanyama
2. CHA - Brandon Miller
3. POR - Scoot Henderson
4. HOU - Amen Thompson
5. DET - Cam Whitmore
6. ORL - Ausar Thompson
7. IND - Jarace Walker
8. WAS - Anthony Black
9. UTA - Jalen Hood-Schifino
10. DAL - Taylor Hendricks
11. ORL - Gradey
12. OKC - Nick Smith Jr.
13. TOR - Jordan Hawkins
14. NOP - Dereck Lively II
15. ATL - Keyonte George
16. UTA - Kobe Bufkin
17. LAL - Cason Wallace

Another classic:

Pick No.	Team	Player	Position	School/Team
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Anthony Edwards	G	Georgia
2	Golden State Warriors	James Wiseman	C	Memphis
3	Charlotte Hornets	LaMelo Ball	G	Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
4	Chicago Bulls	Deni Avdija	G/F	Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
5	Cleveland Cavaliers	Obi Toppin	F	Dayton
6	Atlanta Hawks	Onyeka Okongwu	F/C	USC
7	Detroit Pistons	Patrick Williams	F	Florida State
8	New York Knicks	Tyrese Haliburton	G	Iowa State
9	Washington Wizards	Isaac Okoro	G/F	Auburn
10	Phoenix Suns	Devin Vassell	G/F	Florida State
11	San Antonio Spurs	Saddiq Bey	F	Villanova
12	Sacramento Kings	Killian Hayes	G	Ulm (France)
13	New Orleans Pelicans	Kira Lewis Jr.	G	Alabama
14	Boston Celtics (via Memphis)	Precious Achiuwa	F/C	Memphis
15	Orlando Magic	RJ Hampton	G	New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
16	Houston Rockets (via Portland)	Tyrese Maxey	G	Kentucky
17	Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn)	Aaron Nesmith	G/F	Vanderbilt
18	Dallas Mavericks	Aleksej Pokuševski	F	Olympiacos B (Greece)
19	Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia)	Josh Green	G/F

The 2023 one is not the final. The final was probably the most accurate mock in history of mocks. Him and Woo got 16/30 , player to team pairing in the first round.

[buttsR4rebounding]

What would really be interesting is how these predictions compare with a theoretical redraft 5 years later. Anyone with a shred of accuracy there should be hired as a GM.

[Dejounte]

The 2023 one is not the final. The final was probably the most accurate mock in history of mocks. Him and Woo got 16/30 , player to team pairing in the first round.

Post it, my friend. If it’s a last minute update based on intel from teams days going into the draft, that’s one thing. But weeks or a month out, just like where we are now, where these experts are mostly relying on their scouting prowess, is another. We’ve also seen these “experts” like Chad Ford update their mock drafts as the selections are made to show they got it “correct”. Point is, overreliance on what these guys write is a joke.

[Dejounte]

What would really be interesting is how these predictions compare with a theoretical redraft 5 years later. Anyone with a shred of accuracy there should be hired as a GM.

Calling our Spurstalk resident research guy, scott

[JPB]

You are such a sheep for media talking heads

here is Givony’s 2021 mock draft where he got everything wrong after the top 3 (the top 3 was obvious to anybody):

1. Detroit Pistons: Cade Cunningham
2. Houston Rockets: Jalen Green
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: Evan Mobley
4. Toronto Raptors: Jalen Suggs
5. Orlando Magic: Scottie Barnes
6. Oklahoma City Thunder: James
   Bouknight
7. Golden State Warriors: Franz Wagner
   (Previously - Jonathan Kuminga)
8. Orlando Magic: Jonathan Kuminga
   (Previously - Moses Moody)
9. Sacramento Kings: Moses Moody
   (Previously - Franz Wagner)
10. Memphis Grizzlies: Josh Giddey
    (Previous/v/Same Position - Josh
    Giddey to New Orleans)
11. Charlotte Hornets: Corey Kispert
12. San Antonio Spurs: Alperen Sengun
13. Indiana Pacers: Davion Mitc
14. Golden State Warriors: Chris Duarte
15. Washington Wizards: Trey Murphy

2023 with again, so many big misses:

1. SAS - Victor Wembanyama
2. CHA - Brandon Miller
3. POR - Scoot Henderson
4. HOU - Amen Thompson
5. DET - Cam Whitmore
6. ORL - Ausar Thompson
7. IND - Jarace Walker
8. WAS - Anthony Black
9. UTA - Jalen Hood-Schifino
10. DAL - Taylor Hendricks
11. ORL - Gradey
12. OKC - Nick Smith Jr.
13. TOR - Jordan Hawkins
14. NOP - Dereck Lively II
15. ATL - Keyonte George
16. UTA - Kobe Bufkin
17. LAL - Cason Wallace

Another classic:

Pick No.	Team	Player	Position	School/Team
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Anthony Edwards	G	Georgia
2	Golden State Warriors	James Wiseman	C	Memphis
3	Charlotte Hornets	LaMelo Ball	G	Illawarra Hawks (Australia)
4	Chicago Bulls	Deni Avdija	G/F	Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
5	Cleveland Cavaliers	Obi Toppin	F	Dayton
6	Atlanta Hawks	Onyeka Okongwu	F/C	USC
7	Detroit Pistons	Patrick Williams	F	Florida State
8	New York Knicks	Tyrese Haliburton	G	Iowa State
9	Washington Wizards	Isaac Okoro	G/F	Auburn
10	Phoenix Suns	Devin Vassell	G/F	Florida State
11	San Antonio Spurs	Saddiq Bey	F	Villanova
12	Sacramento Kings	Killian Hayes	G	Ulm (France)
13	New Orleans Pelicans	Kira Lewis Jr.	G	Alabama
14	Boston Celtics (via Memphis)	Precious Achiuwa	F/C	Memphis
15	Orlando Magic	RJ Hampton	G	New Zealand Breakers (New Zealand)
16	Houston Rockets (via Portland)	Tyrese Maxey	G	Kentucky
17	Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn)	Aaron Nesmith	G/F	Vanderbilt
18	Dallas Mavericks	Aleksej Pokuševski	F	Olympiacos B (Greece)
19	Brooklyn Nets (via Philadelphia)	Josh Green	G/F

Give me ones that were so much more accurate (or give us yours and tell us again how Bilal shold have been #2 last year)...

Anyway, you don't seem to understand the concept of mock drafts (or of opinions), wich isn't necessarily about predicting the picks teams will take, but dress an overall picture of the prospects who entered the draft and the area they may be selected.

Givony, nor any pundit, isn't in any GMs heads, nor does he know their exact strategy. He's not giving informations (also it's possible in the last days before the draft, like CHA leaning on Miller rather than Scoot) but he's listing the kids he believes are the more susceptible to be selected AROUND any spot.. He can't predict spurs are gonna reach for Primo or a bad GM will make a bad pick.

Read his comments, and you'll see he often precises for any specific prospect that he may end up 2 to 3 pick above or ahead depending an what needs teams who pick there will first privilege...

And eventually Dejounte, saying this kindly, I don't know why you seem obsessed with "keeping tracks" and preemptively calling people for their opinions, and how bad they'll look in 5 years, "HA!" or whatever, but maybe you shouldn't take this so seriously and personnally, and stop acting like you or your opinions were anymore informed or educated than anyone here,
you have as many bad takes or predictions than any random poster. And noone is "keeping track" or will call you out for that in 5 years...

This is just basketball

[Dejounte]

Give me ones that were so much more accurate (or give us yours and tell us again how Bilal shold have been #2 last year)...

But anyway, I don't know why you seem obsessed with "keeping tracks" and preemptively calling people for their opinions, and how bad they'll look in 5 years, "HA!" or whatever... but anyway you also don't seem to understand the concept of mock drafts (or of opinions), wich isn't necessarily about predicting the picks teams will take, but dress an overall picture of the prospects who entered the draft and the area they may be selected.

Givony, nor any pundit, isn't in any GMs heads, nor does he know their exact strategy. He's not giving informations (also it's possible in the last days before the draft, like CHA leaning on Miller rather than Scoot) but he's listing the kids he believes are the more susceptible to be selected AROUND any spot...

Read his comments, and you'll see he often precises for any specific prospect that he may end up 2 to 3 pick above or ahead depending an what needs teams who pick there will first privilege...

And eventually Dejounte, saying this kindly, maybe you should acting like you or your opinions were anymore informed or educated than anyone here. you have as many (if more) bad takes or predictions than any random poster. And noone is "keeping track" or will call you out for that in 5 years...

This is just basketball

I never said Bilal should have been #2 last year, so I don’t who you’re confusing me with.

The reason I make it a mission to keep track of who says what is because I’ve been on this forum for so long to see time and time again how the loudest and most confident people on here, like yourself, are so confidently incorrect with things. So showing people like you, what you said five years ago, will show others how foolish your takes are and how foolish your take might be at the present. Guys like you are so confidently incorrect that it ignites a passion in me to prove that maybe you shouldn’t be so confident in your takes in the first place. Call it my flaw, or whatever, but it’s part of what I enjoy doing on here, and everyone posts on here for one reason or another.

Most of my takes are shared with a bit of humility, using careful words and rarely shutting down the possibility that I’m wrong, saying things like, “if player X doesn’t get better…” or “IMO, this is how I see this player and unless he improves his game”. There’s only so few cases where I’m sure about a thing or a person.

And when I do end up wrong on anything, you won’t see me not owning up to it. In fact, I would enjoy it that you do point out cases that I’m wrong, so I can develop my basketball sense and be better with my takes. I laugh about things I’m wrong about and I try to be better.

[rankingtear]

Post it, my friend. If it’s a last minute update based on intel from teams days going into the draft, that’s one thing. But weeks or a month out, just like where we are now, where these experts are mostly relying on their scouting prowess, is another. We’ve also seen these “experts” like Chad Ford update their mock drafts as the selections are made to show they got it “correct”. Point is, overreliance on what these guys write is a joke.

First round

1. San Antonio Spurs

Victor Wembanyama
Metropolitans 92
PF/C

---

2. Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Miller
Alabama
SF
Age: 20.5
2023 NBA draft highlights

One of the most anticipated drafts in years ended with Victor Wembanyama going No. 1. Here's more from draft night.

Miller and Scoot Henderson returned to Charlotte Monday for second visits and workouts as the Hornets finalize their plans at No. 2. Sources told ESPN the feeling coming out of that workout was that Miller further helped himself, bringing a much greater intensity level, making shots, and faring well when tested in defensive situations. The word was he also had a positive meeting with Michael Jordan, and at this point, all indications are that the Hornets are prepared to go with Miller here. Henderson endeared himself to Charlotte, but it's fair to say that Miller looks like the easier choice, able to slot in easily as a tall wing scorer alongside guard LaMelo Ball as the Hornets push toward compe iveness. -- Jeremy Woo

---

3. Portland Trail Blazers

Scoot Henderson
G League Ignite
PG
Age: 19.3

---

4. Houston Rockets

Amen Thompson
Overtime Elite
PG/SG
Age: 20.3

---

5. Detroit Pistons

Ausar Thompson
Overtime Elite
PG/SG
Age: 20.3

---

6. Orlando Magic

Anthony Black
Arkansas
PG/SG

---

7. Indiana Pacers

Jarace Walker
Houston
PF
Age: 19.7
Walker is believed to have a narrow draft range consisting of Detroit at No. 5, Indiana at No. 7 and Utah at No. 9. With the Pacers believed to be actively seeking an explosive, defensive-minded power forward who can bring a physical presence and multi-positional versatility, Walker is a natural fit for their roster composition standing 6-foot-8, 249 pounds with 7-foot-2½ wingspan. The team has plenty of shot-creation and scoring already with Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, but struggled defensively and on the glass because of its lack of physicality. The Pacers trading for a power forward such as Jonathan Kuminga, Tobias Harris, De'Andre Hunter or Dorian Finney-Smith is an option that could be explored as well. Ausar Thompson and Cam Whitmore are also in play here. -- Givony

---

8. Washington Wizards

Cam Whitmore
Villanova
SF

---

9. Utah Jazz

Taylor Hendricks
UCF
PF

---

10. Dallas Mavericks

Dereck Lively II
Duke
C
Age: 19.3

---

11. Orlando Magic (via Chicago)

Gradey
Kansas
SG/SF
y

---

12. Oklahoma City Thunder

Bilal Coulibaly
Metropolitans 92
SG/SF
Age: 18.8
2023 NBA Draft: Victor Wembanyama

---

13. Toronto Raptors

Kobe Bufkin
Michigan
PG/SG
Age: 19.7
The Raptors have a plethora of options at their disposal that could see them end up anywhere on draft night -- higher up in the lottery, with another pick in the mid-to-late first round -- or possibly out altogether. Picking a shooter such as or Jordan Hawkins, or pairing franchise stalwart Scottie Barnes with a versatile combo guard such as Bufkin, Nick Smith Jr. or Hood-Schifino are believed to be some of their most likely options, according to rival teams. However, the amount of activity coming out of the Toronto front office makes it difficult to project what they will do. Bufkin's fit with Barnes because of his experience playing off the ball, defensive tenacity and much-improved shooting has caused many to speculate that the Raptors are the ones who promised Bufkin this pick, and he indeed finds himself as the pick in this scenario. -- Givony

---

14. New Orleans Pelicans

Jordan Hawkins

---

15. Atlanta Hawks

Cason Wallace

---

16. Utah Jazz (via Minnesota)

Keyonte George
Baylor
SG
Age: 19.6
There's been some thought circulating that George could fall a bit further than this on draft night, but the Jazz are known to be among the teams interested. In a scenario like this, where Utah keeps its picks and grabs a frontcourt player at No. 9, this pick seems like a landing spot for a guard. George's scoring instincts and skill level give him good upside relative to the other guards in his range, particularly if he falls out of the lottery, but he has been a polarizing name for teams throughout the pre-draft process, and his range still appears pretty wide as a result. -- Woo

---

17. Los Angeles Lakers

Jalen Hood-Schifino
Indiana
PG/SG
Age: 20.0
The Lakers are thought to be considering several players here, including Lively, Smith and Noah Clowney, but a surprise fall from Hood-Schifino could also make him a logical choice if L.A. decides to keep this pick, or a viable target for another team in a trade. Coming off a run to the Western Conference finals, the Lakers can be opportunistic about where they are positioned on draft night. Several high-level prospects are likely to be available here, allowing them to either add a talented young player to their core, or make an impactful trade that allows them to remain compe ive heading into next season. -- Givony

---

18. Miami Heat

Jaime Jaquez Jr.

---

19. Golden State Warriors

Brandin Podziemski

---

20. Houston Rockets (via LA Clippers)

Jett Howard

---

21. Brooklyn Nets (via Phoenix)

Noah Clowney

---

22. Brooklyn Nets

Nick Smith Jr.
Arkansas
PG/SG
Age: 19.1

---

23. Portland Trail Blazers (via New York)

Kris Murray

[Dejounte]

Kudos to you rankingtear and kudos to ESPN for being pretty good at last year. Not knowing the full context of when this was posted still gives me pause but assuming it’s correct good for them. It still doesn’t prove to me that they’re a reliable source of information when it comes to mock drafts (and especially when it comes to their big boards), since I’ve seen many other years where they were off.

[rankingtear]

Kudos to you rankingtear and kudos to ESPN for being pretty good at last year. Not knowing the full context of when this was posted still gives me pause but assuming it’s correct good for them. It still doesn’t prove to me that they’re a reliable source of information when it comes to mock drafts (and especially when it comes to their big boards), since I’ve seen many other years where they were off.

They were also pretty good in 2022.

Despite the dropoff the pairing is still top 8 in 2021, where the other best intel mocks finished below them.

[spurraider21]

All those mocks are pretty close to accurate. Even if it’s not player to team pairing the expected range of where the picks fall is generally very accurate

[rjv]

Making comparisons to other ST prognosticators is like comparing astrologers.

[CGD]

^ Jeremy Woo and Wasserman are the ones I follow the most.

[scott]

Calling our Spurstalk resident research guy, scott

Project sounds fun but I'm probably going to pass on this one unless I run into an unexpected chunk of time coming up!

[BackHome]

My board has evolved a bit. Topic has dropped and Clingan moved up.

1. Risacher - 6’10” 3&D looks like his floor. That’s extremely valuable, even if he hasn’t shown much else, and it fits a Spurs need 100%
2. Sheppard - the best shooter in the draft plays mistake free ball and make opportunistic plays on D. That will translate immediately to a good rotation role with room to grown if his ball handling evolves
3. Clingan - Poeltl but better. He will play 15 years in the league if he stays healthy
4. Star - not a great fit for the Spurs but at this spot the value is too high to ignore. Will be a good defender and there are signs the offense has room to develop into something good
This is where the safe picks end and we get into high risk high reward players
5. Dillingham - Trae Young type of potential on offense but damn that D is atrocious.Ive moved him above Topic because I believe his offense will translate immediately
6. Topic - enormous wingspan and great ability to drive and finish or dish. Defense is poor and will he shoot’s 3s? He has the highest upside in the draft because I think the shooting will eventually come and if we are drafting to find a star player he would be my first home run swing.This draft sucks so much though that I’ve moved the safer picks to the top.
7. Buzelis - great size and fundamentals but we’ve seen it takes at least 2 years for prospects to unlearn G League BS.
8. Holland - he was miscast this last year but the athletic ability and compe iveness will eventually work out after he gets real coaching for 3-4 years
9. Castle - thstb isnugly but everything else is there. Big gamble that he can learn to shoot but if he does the potential is huge
10. Filipowski - safe bet for a serviceable backup big

Pretty good board Couch - I like

[CGD]

I thought this pod was incisive on Sarr and Dillingham, from the guy at OTE who had them both. Lots of spurs references.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000654659591

[Vienna]

Tony Parker's career three point shooting was 32.4%. Trae Young's is 35.5%. Of course volume is a big part of it, but that's not a huge difference overall. Parker could have developed more from deep if they wanted. Also, imagine him in an era where perimeter defense isn't allowed and any contact by a driving player is called in their favor. He got knocked down all the time inside on shots. Those would be fouls now.

I think you are right about Tony's game translating to todays NBA. but if the Spurs did have a time machine, they don't bring back Tony to play PG alongside Wemby, they would chose Manu to do this.
the fact that thy didn't succeed to find a big PG (or develop one from their player pool) doesn't mean that the plan itself was bad. todays NBA trends to combo guards and Spurs are even building a team for tomorrows NBA, where the traditionell PG might be as outdated as the old school Center already is.