2024 NBA Draft Thread

[smd_swagswag 1]

This was a great showing from Hunter Sallis the other day vs UF.. Complete showing.. I mean he's not on the mocks right now(edit - looks like nbadarft net has him in the 1st rd) --- but that sure looks like an NBA player to me.. I'd bet a pretty penny on that

 

Sallis was buried on the bench for Gonzaga for 2 seasons now he's running the show at Wake and playing great... This kid, everyone knew he was a late bloomer, he went from 6'3 to 6'5 late, you can see his still a bit wiry but he's 6'5 with a 6'10 wingspan and one of these combo guards in the frame of a swingman types..

 

look at how low he keeps that dribble though!

 

He's the first player in the history of the state of nebraska to make the McDonalds All-American team..  He's one of those players whos mom was a really good player. I think his mom is 6'3 and won a bunch of state titles, something like that.

 

Sallis's shooting 50/44/85 so far.. and hes relatively young for a Junior. Seems to have good chemistry with the guard Hildreth they have from England and Wake will get a big boost to their team when Damari Monsanto returns, he had knee surgery last season and is being brought along cautiously.

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 (I'll edit in more info like teams and born years later on, just wanna get the list in order)..  Its still super early and so much will change, but still it seems like things are very different from just a week or 2 ago so im looking forward to putting this together.

1 Zaccharie Risacher 6'10 sf
2 Alex Sarr 7'1 pf/c
3 Isaiah Collier 6'4 pg
4 Donovan Clingan 7'1 c
5 Stephon Castle 6'7 cg
6 Nikola Topic 6'6 pg
7 Matas Buzelis 6'10 sg/sf/pf
8 Ja'Kobe Walter 6'5 sg/sf
9 Justin Edwards 6'7 sf/sg
10 Cody Williams 6'8 sf
11 Trevon Brazile 6'10 f
12 Dalton Knecht 6'6 sg
13 Tyler Smith 6'10 f
14 Baba Miller 6'11 f
15 Kel'el Ware 7'c
16Tyrese Proctor 6'5 cg
17 Izan Almansa 6'10 pf/c
18 Kyle Filipkowski 6'11 pf/c
19 Aaron Bradshaw 7'1 pf/c
20 Aday Mara 7'2 c
21 Bub Carrington 6'5 cg
22 Kevin McCullar Jr. 6'7 sg/sf
23 Jarin Stevenson 6'11' pf
24 Ron Holland 6'8 sf/pf
25 Tidjane Salaun 6'10 sf/pf
26 Robert Dillingham 6'2 pg
27  Hunter Sallis 6'5 sg
28 Reed Sheppard 6'4 cg
29  Bobi Klintman 6'9 pf/sf
30 Jarred McCain 6'2 sg

31 Milan Momcilovic 6'9 pf
32 Yves Missi 7'1 c
33 Oso Ighodaro 6'10 pf/c
34 Dillon Mitchell 6'8 sf/pf
35 Johni Broome 6'11 c/pf
36 Caleb Foster6'5 cg
37 Kylan Boswell 6'2 pg
38 Trynten Flowers 6'8 sf/pf
39 Lucas Ugolin 6'5 sg/sf
40 Wooga Poplar 6'5 sg
41 Tristan Da Silva 6'9 sf/pf
42 Alex Karaban 6'8 pf/sf
43 Trey Alexander 6'4 cg
44 Mackenzie Mgbako 6'8 sf  --- got arrested for berating workers at taco bell (wouldnt leave the property) few months ago. he'd be higher but seems like a jerk
45 Kobe Johnson 6'6  sf/sg
46 Ajay Mitchell 6'5 pg
47 Ryan Dunn 6'8" f
48 Alex Toohey 6'8 sf
49 Tyler Kolek 6'2 pg
50 Peyton Sandfort 6'7 sf
51 DaRon Holmes 6'10 pf
52 Pacome Dadiet 6'8 f
53 Harrison Ingram 6'7 sf
54 Reece Beekman 6'3 pg
55 Malique Lewis 6'8 f
56 Ariel Hukporti 7'1 c
57 Yannick Kraag 6'8 sg/sf
58 Somto Cyril 6'11 C
59 AJ Johnson 6'5 sg
60 Samson Johnson 6'10 pf/c

rather than spam this thread with rambling posts ill just update my mock every few weeks and if anyone has any questions or comments, then ill ramble on :P

 

[smd_swagswag 1]

I know theres a "were good so we dont pay attention to the draft" thing that goes on with NBA fans, and thats all well and fine.. we've got so many young players adding more doesnt seem like much of a priority, totally understandable.

 

HOWEVER, when I look at all these draft picks the Magic are owed moving forward.. (plus we have lots of good young players on rookie deals..) just seems like if the Magic have a player they really want, they have PLENTY of ammo to trade up to secure them.. 

 

Its like, do we really have to sit here rooting for good players to drop to us? I'm pretty sure we can just trade up.. As much as the depth chart is loaded, so was bostons going into the season but they traded 2 good players for an even better one... maybe a deal like that is in our cards soon..

 

Watching last nights game (obviously Carter is out) but I was thinking  "Kel'el Ware looks like a match here"..Now I have Ware almost in the lottery . pick 15, but most mocks have him closer to where our 1st rd pick is projected in the 20's..

 

 

I think Ware made a very poor choice going to Oregon.. the whole idea of that 3 5-star Centers thing was always flawed, and in some stranger than fiction type of news Nate Bittle and Nfaly Dante both got injured already and are out for a long time again...its like groundhogs day over there with those 2 getting hurt.. I wanted to see Bittle let it fly from 3 too and now we dont get that.. sucks..

 

but Ware, they killed this kid for his attitude and made it like he wasnt a baller last season, ya know, like he's not dedicated but he's just talented or something... and I really like the way he looks and has responded this season, certainly hit the weight room hard..  He's very mobile and very athletic and long armed, hes got good timing..

 

ya know people want to squeeze blood out of a stone sometimes, a lanky 7-footer like Ware, its unfair to needle him like that in such a bad situation in his freshman year.. sorta beyond distasteful venturing into stupidity type of bs...

 

I cant help but ask myself if hes not a "buy-low' target.. thats a heck of a frontcourt IU has, probably my favorite even tho Mgbako is apparently an entitled jerk, but I'm a big fan of Malik Reneau too, its just unlikely we see all 3 end up in this draft.

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oh and in typical Jackson Shelstad fashion in his first start in college basketball he hits a cold blooded game-winner in overtime a 3 from deep in NBA range..

Shelstad's a 6-foot freshman PG --- I truly believe he's got an outside chance to go one-and-done... he's an NBA player eventually, not a 4 year player like Peyton Pritchard he'll get drafted before then..

start the video at 2:49 if you wanna see the game winner..

and trust me, I dont like short PG's for the NBA.. but  Shelstad seems to be good enough..  Not saying hes an NBA starter but he can come off the bench no problem..

 

If Fred Van Vleet can get paid $50MM per season or whatever houston pays him, this kid can get drafted.. Van Vleet wasnt even drafted..

[CTMagicUK 1,482]

4 hours ago, smd_swagswag said:

 (I'll edit in more info like teams and born years later on, just wanna get the list in order)..  Its still super early and so much will change, but still it seems like things are very different from just a week or 2 ago so im looking forward to putting this together.

1 Zaccharie Risacher 6'10 sf
2 Alex Sarr 7'1 pf/c
3 Isaiah Collier 6'4 pg
4 Donovan Clingan 7'1 c
5 Stephon Castle 6'7 cg
6 Nikola Topic 6'6 pg
7 Matas Buzelis 6'10 sg/sf/pf
8 Ja'Kobe Walter 6'5 sg/sf
9 Justin Edwards 6'7 sf/sg
10 Cody Williams 6'8 sf
11 Trevon Brazile 6'10 f
12 Dalton Knecht 6'6 sg
13 Tyler Smith 6'10 f
14 Baba Miller 6'11 f
15 Kel'el Ware 7'c
16Tyrese Proctor 6'5 cg
17 Izan Almansa 6'10 pf/c
18 Kyle Filipkowski 6'11 pf/c
19 Aaron Bradshaw 7'1 pf/c
20 Aday Mara 7'2 c
21 Bub Carrington 6'5 cg
22 Kevin McCullar Jr. 6'7 sg/sf
23 Jarin Stevenson 6'11' pf
24 Ron Holland 6'8 sf/pf
25 Tidjane Salaun 6'10 sf/pf
26 Robert Dillingham 6'2 pg
27  Hunter Sallis 6'5 sg
28 Reed Sheppard 6'4 cg
29  Bobi Klintman 6'9 pf/sf
30 Jarred McCain 6'2 sg

31 Milan Momcilovic 6'9 pf
32 Yves Missi 7'1 c
33 Oso Ighodaro 6'10 pf/c
34 Dillon Mitchell 6'8 sf/pf
35 Johni Broome 6'11 c/pf
36 Caleb Foster6'5 cg
37 Kylan Boswell 6'2 pg
38 Trynten Flowers 6'8 sf/pf
39 Lucas Ugolin 6'5 sg/sf
40 Wooga Poplar 6'5 sg
41 Tristan Da Silva 6'9 sf/pf
42 Alex Karaban 6'8 pf/sf
43 Trey Alexander 6'4 cg
44 Mackenzie Mgbako 6'8 sf  --- got arrested for berating workers at taco bell (wouldnt leave the property) few months ago. he'd be higher but seems like a jerk
45 Kobe Johnson 6'6  sf/sg
46 Ajay Mitchell 6'5 pg
47 Ryan Dunn 6'8" f
48 Alex Toohey 6'8 sf
49 Tyler Kolek 6'2 pg
50 Peyton Sandfort 6'7 sf
51 DaRon Holmes 6'10 pf
52 Pacome Dadiet 6'8 f
53 Harrison Ingram 6'7 sf
54 Reece Beekman 6'3 pg
55 Malique Lewis 6'8 f
56 Ariel Hukporti 7'1 c
57 Yannick Kraag 6'8 sg/sf
58 Somto Cyril 6'11 C
59 AJ Johnson 6'5 sg
60 Samson Johnson 6'10 pf/c

rather than spam this thread with rambling posts ill just update my mock every few weeks and if anyone has any questions or comments, then ill ramble on :P

 

No DJ Wagner? 

No Adem Bona? 

Riley Kugel not top 60?

What's the thoughts behind Ryan Dunn outside the first? 

Risacher at 1? (I like him, I just can't get to #1 even in a weak draft I'd rather swing at a creator)

I'm interested in hearing your general philosophy here because it's a very unique ranking (not a shot at all, I'm here for it)

[smd_swagswag 1]

1 hour ago, CTMagicUK said:

No DJ Wagner? 

No Adem Bona? 

Riley Kugel not top 60?

What's the thoughts behind Ryan Dunn outside the first? 

Risacher at 1? (I like him, I just can't get to #1 even in a weak draft I'd rather swing at a creator)

I'm interested in hearing your general philosophy here because it's a very unique ranking (not a shot at all, I'm here for it)

DJ Wanger could be on the board but he's very late 1st or early 2nd rd right now, I'm a Kentucky fan so im more apt to grade them super tough, and Wagner has almost been worthy of an "incomplete" grade so i took him off (for now).. its the same thing as Riley Kugel, when I watch them this season they miss EVERY 3... I'd have Kugel mid 2nd rd.. I like watching Walter Clayton Jr at UF more than Kugel so far this season (and its not close)

Wagner is redundant here, we have Jalen Suggs.

Ryan Dunn just seems like all defense and very little offense.. its early... I was a big Olivier Maxence Prosper guy last season, (followed him since he was at clemson actually) from when he was low ranked til he went in the first --- Dunn seems more limited than O-Max imo. Even though I have Dunn and Beekman listed on this bigboard, my personal favorite player to watch at UVA is Isaac McNeely, whos shooting 54% from 3..

Dunn is redundant here as well, we have Jonathan Isaac..

Bona ill just tell you flat out I'm not a fan of.. He's too short.. too inconsistent(though his effort is always 110%, the results just arent), feast or famine, and UCLA is  underwhelming to me whenever I watch them, should be better, Buyuktuncel should get more burn.. I wish Bona wasnt even on the team and they let Mara get big reps..  bona is like Trayce Jackson Davis last year,  I'm firm he's not a 1st rd pick, and I had a lot of people tell me otherwise about TJD last year --- and then he fell to 50 and i was right..

 

 

Rischaser is very good. Everyone else has him top 5, I had him #2 on my board weeks ago, i've been trying to keep him a little higher than the consensus... He's 18 years old performing vs grown men..  Looks like hes a legit 6'10 these days... Michael Porter Jr just won an NBA championship last year... Jayson Tatums a superstar at PF, I really like Rischasers footwork, he gives great fakes, he's a floor spacer, --- the pistons have ATROCIOUS SPACING, beyond putrid, below NBA level,  Rischaser is one of their only hopes ....  He looks like a real wing player to me too. the pistons damn sure dont need creators, they need spacing for their creators..  I'm very much a believer in Rischaser being a match with the Pistons,I also believe the pistons season is ostensibly over and their just going thru dress rehearsals for next szn.. Bogdanovic expires in the summer of 2025 so everything actually lines up..  Draft Rischaser, they have like 50 million in cap space too so they could offer Anunoby or Siakam the max, and thats how I'd fix that team (here in early dec)

[smd_swagswag 1]

Oh I forgot someone whats the kids name... Rasheer Fleming  at St. Joes

 

 

6'9 and 230lbs and he's shooting 3's... He's got sleeper written all over him..

 

he puts up statlines like this

 

22points 8/11 fgs  2/4 from 3, 4/4fts, 2orebs 9 total, 3 asts 4 blocks and he's 230 lbs but very long armed(7'3 wingspan) and jumps well. He's sorta built like Noah Vonleh.

 

He kinda reminds me of Paul Reed back at DePaul who's been way better than I expected in the NBA and signed a 3 year/$23MM contract this summer with the 6ers.

[CTMagicUK 1,482]

14 minutes ago, smd_swagswag said:

DJ Wanger could be on the board but he's very late 1st or early 2nd rd right now, I'm a Kentucky fan so im more apt to grade them super tough, and Wagner has almost been worthy of an "incomplete" grade so i took him off (for now).. its the same thing as Riley Kugel, when I watch them this season they miss EVERY 3... I'd have Kugel mid 2nd rd.. I like watching Walter Clayton Jr at UF more than Kugel so far this season (and its not close)

Wagner is redundant here, we have Jalen Suggs.

Ryan Dunn just seems like all defense and very little offense.. its early... I was a big Olivier Maxence Prosper guy last season, (followed him since he was at clemson actually) from when he was low ranked til he went in the first --- Dunn seems more limited than O-Max imo. Even though I have Dunn and Beekman listed on this bigboard, my personal favorite player to watch at UVA is Isaac McNeely, whos shooting 54% from 3..

Dunn is redundant here as well, we have Jonathan Isaac..

Bona ill just tell you flat out I'm not a fan of.. He's too short.. too inconsistent, feast or famine, and UCLA is very underwhelming to me whenever I watch them, should be better.. I wish Bona wasnt even on the team and they let Mara get big reps..  bona is like Trayce Jackson Davis last year,  I'm firm he's not a 1st rd pick, and I had a lot of people tell me otherwise about TJD last year --- and then he fell to 50 and i was right..

 

 

Rischaser is very good. Everyone else has him top 5... He's 18 years old performing vs grown men..  Looks like hes a legit 6'10 these days... Michael Porter Jr just won an NBA championship last year... Jayson Tatums a superstar at PF, I really like Rischasers footwork, he gives great fakes, he's a floor spacer, --- the pistons have ATROCIOUS SPACING, beyond putrid, below NBA level,  Rischaser is one of their only hopes ....  He looks like a real wing player to me too. the pistons damn sure dont need creators, they need spacing for their creators..  I'm very much a believer in Rischaser being a match with the Pistons,I also believe the pistons season is ostensibly over and their just going thru dress rehearsals for next szn.. Bogdanovic expires in the summer of 2025 so everything actually lines up..  Draft Rischaser, they have like 50 million in cap space too so they could offer Anunoby or Siakam the max, and thats how I'd fix that team (here in early dec)

So is Magic fit taken into account here in these rankings? Is this a mock draft with team fit accounted for? Or just a big board?

Kugel is 8/12 from 3 in his last 2 games and 37.5% for his college career. 

I'm not super high on Wagner either tbh just felt he warranted a top 60. For my money Reed Sheppard is the best prospect on the Kentucky roster and he'll wind up top 20 minimum.

I was high on Trayce, by all accounts he fell to 50 because he asked teams not to draft him because he saw a good fit with Golden State. Remains to be seen if he sticks but he's got a chance. Don't think he's that similar to Bona though to be honest. Though I am high on Bona as well. Think he's a first round guy. 

There's no such thing as redundancy in the draft in my opinion. Whoever we pick likely isn't playing year 1 given the roster and we'll be trying to win. It's not about picking someone who can help right away, it's about picking someone who'll help 2, 3, 4+ years from now and we don't know who will and won't definitely be here long term besides Paolo/Franz (and probably Suggs). Picking in the late teens/20s you kind of just want to find a real NBA player and not someone who's out of the league 3 years from now. Dunn is an exceptional defensive player. That alone should keep him in the league until he can develop his offense (or he'll be a bench guy if he never does). 

I get where you're coming from with Risacher, like I say he's a good prospect. Is he #1 on your big board? Or just this mock presuming Detroit picks #1? Don't think he's the creator Tatum was. And I'm not sure I'd be super happy picking MPJ at #1 overall even in a weak draft.

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and also let me just say the kid they call "the best prospect from Cameroon since Joel Embiid" is going to do 1 year more at the NBA Academy in Africa and then come to the states in some capacity to showcase for the 2025 draft..

Ulrich Chomche is his name. He's 6'11 234lbs with a ~7'5 wingspan and skills.

He's born like december 29th of 2005 though, so he's definitely old enough to be in this draft.. and obviously he'd be the youngest player in the field.

 

I'd actually have him like top20 easily but the plan is he's not gonna be in this draft..

 

but there are sort of situations to be monitored like this.. things change..

 

Its easier/quicker for me to do a top100 than a top60.. but If you started asking me questions about next years draft or 2026, I know alot about those drafts too, i follow recruiting and the HS rankings.. but obviously I'd prefer to keep this all 2024 related.. its just... things are sort of mixed up these days..

[smd_swagswag 1]

29 minutes ago, CTMagicUK said:

So is Magic fit taken into account here in these rankings? Is this a mock draft with team fit accounted for? Or just a big board?

Kugel is 8/12 from 3 in his last 2 games and 37.5% for his college career. 

I'm not super high on Wagner either tbh just felt he warranted a top 60. For my money Reed Sheppard is the best prospect on the Kentucky roster and he'll wind up top 20 minimum.

I was high on Trayce, by all accounts he fell to 50 because he asked teams not to draft him because he saw a good fit with Golden State. Remains to be seen if he sticks but he's got a chance. Don't think he's that similar to Bona though to be honest. Though I am high on Bona as well. Think he's a first round guy. 

There's no such thing as redundancy in the draft in my opinion. Whoever we pick likely isn't playing year 1 given the roster and we'll be trying to win. It's not about picking someone who can help right away, it's about picking someone who'll help 2, 3, 4+ years from now and we don't know who will and won't definitely be here long term besides Paolo/Franz (and probably Suggs). Picking in the late teens/20s you kind of just want to find a real NBA player and not someone who's out of the league 3 years from now. Dunn is an exceptional defensive player. That alone should keep him in the league until he can develop his offense (or he'll be a bench guy if he never does). 

I get where you're coming from with Risacher, like I say he's a good prospect. Is he #1 on your big board? Or just this mock presuming Detroit picks #1? Don't think he's the creator Tatum was. And I'm not sure I'd be super happy picking MPJ at #1 overall even in a weak draft.

No this is just a bigboard. I'm just spitballing about team fits. Rischaser is #1 on my board.  He was #2 on my board weeks ago. Sarr just had a great game vs Perth, we still havent even seen Buzelis play, lots is up in the air.

 

I had Tatum higher on my board than everyone else too(just like i have Risacher..) I swore up and down the Lakers should take him #2, but all the lakers fans wanted Lonzo Ball the hometown hero.

 

#1 overall is kind of arbitrary imo, as a magic fan i could care less about this lottery tbh, I'm worried about 20 and beyond.... 

 

The Kings took Marvin Bagley #2 overall.. They'd have been way better off taking MPJ #2... and reportedly thats what Vlade Divac wanted to od, the gm.. hahah and they overrode him and he got **** on for the pick he didnt want to make.. thats what i've heard..

MPJr signed a 5 year $180MM contract and Bagley is on the bench behind Isaiah Livers.

[CTMagicUK 1,482]

16 minutes ago, smd_swagswag said:

No this is just a bigboard. I'm just spitballing about team fits. Rischaser is #1 on my board.  He was #2 on my board weeks ago. Sarr just had a great game vs Perth, we still havent even seen Buzelis play, lots is up in the air.

 

I had Tatum higher on my board than everyone else too(just like i have Risacher..) I swore up and down the Lakers should take him #2, but all the lakers fans wanted Lonzo Ball the hometown hero.

 

#1 overall is kind of arbitrary imo, as a magic fan i could careless about this lottery tbh, I'm worried about 20 and beyond.... 

 

The Kings took Marvin Bagley #2 overall.. They'd have been way better off taking MPJ #2... and reportedly thats what Vlade Divac wanted to od, the gm.. hahah and they overrode him and he got **** on for the pick he didnt want to make.. thats what i've heard..

MPJr signed a 5 year $180MM contract and Bagley is on the bench behind Isaiah Livers..

There are at least 4 players they should have picked in that draft before you get to MPJ.

[smd_swagswag 1]

34 minutes ago, CTMagicUK said:

There are at least 4 players they should have picked in that draft before you get to MPJ.

well do you think riscaser should be studying footage from those 4 players? or should he be studying the footwork of players like Jayson Tatum and MPJ? cuz I'd think itd be Tatum/MPjr, cuz he's gonna operate on the perimeter like that, on the same spots of the floor.. which is how that team hes currently on JL Bourg uses him..

at 1:32... that is an NBA pro level catch and fake then dribble into a stepback if i ever did see one... and its crazy smooth considering he's a 6'10  18  year old playing at that pace vs grizzled vets..

To me the most important move on the perimeter in the NBA is the step-back J... its been that way since the rise of the warriors dynasty..   to me rischaser's stepback j looks way more reliable and consistent than most of those other players projected at the top of the draft.. so like i said he represents the best floor spacer on the board...

 

I'm impressed by the level of competition in ProA this season, the games are intense and the rosters are loaded, lots of ex-nba guys. Rischaser didnt have a good showing this summer at the Nike Hoops summit, people were weary about him --- his play this season has wiped away much of those fears quickly, cuz hes productive and consistent vs very good competition..

to me Tatum and MPJ were spectacular at that stuff as teenagers, and this kid is too... and his father was a pro, so he's probably been practicing that stuff since a young age.. his footwork is just so well practiced.. watch his feet, he's quite advanced for 18 years old if u ask me..

 

I used to watch a lot more AAU ball back when Tatum and MPJ were playing... fun teams especially that Mokan elite team with MPJR and trae young.. Tatum for the St Louis Stars was more of a 1 man army but idk I used to watch those players before they got to college, and this kid reminds me of that.. its definitely the footwork..