The Official 2024 NBA Draft Talk Thread
- Thread starter tremonthustler1
- Start date
Could be worse... Could be Chicago
tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
of the players available to join clusterfukk city, Sheppard at least has an elite skill, but something's gotta give with the talent there. Not everyone's gonna pan out.
tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
I have Edey at 19 for now and I'm certain I'm gonna move him into the lottery by tomorrow.
it would be classic Bulls and honestly I wouldn’t even be mad at considering the talent pool. I don’t really know any of these players so it ll be a big shrug for me either way. Feels dirty taking a slow footed center that projects as a 15 min backup but whatever
tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
Givony compared Edey to Jonas Valanciunas but 6 inches taller
that would be a massive win for Chicago. does his shot project to the 3pt line then? Honestly watching March, I was surprised by his ability to run the floor
thelonious21
I like my women tall
Hoping the rumor of us trading 9 and Smart for 3 is legit. Seems to be picking up steam.
tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
EDIT: link ain't working.
Last edited:
Dwight Howard
Superstar
Terrance shannon jr should go top 10 in this draft
FreshFromATL
Self Made
Hawks need to draft Sarr smh. How you gonna pass on him for Clingan??
The 2024 NBA Draft Class is the weakest in the decade plus I’ve studied since I began running some version of my stat-based draft prospect evaluation tool, Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA for short). Most seasons, there are 2-4 players who rate better than this year’s number one.
Overall depth is similarly lacking, according to YODA. I have 16 players with first round grades, and another 13 who are close. In a more normal draft class, those numbers are more like 22-25 and 18-20. Basically, this would be a fairly normal class if there were a few more top prospects, and several more in the late first or early second round range.
YODA focuses on overall production in actual games, as well as objective measures of size and athleticism, which are collected at the NBA Draft Combine. The system includes accounting for age, position/role, and quality of competition.
While this year’s class looks disappointing on the front end, valuable players can emerge even from weak drafts. History is replete with poorly regarded prospects (whatever method used to scout and evaluate them) who turn out great, as well as highly-regarded prospects who bust.
In other words, cast a skeptical eye on all pre-draft content, including mine. It’s all best guess — and that includes the teams charged with making the selections.
Below are the best guesses of my stat-based approach, as well as where the prospects rank in the Rookie Scale Consensus Mock Draft.
The YODA Big Board
- Alex Sarr, F/C, Perth (1) — Long and agile, Sarr reminds of Evan Mobley on the defensive end. The offense is still a work in progress, but he’s just 19 years old and has flashed some tantalizing skill. I think he’s likely to the best player from the 2024 draft.
- Reed Sheppard, G, Kentucky (4) — Sheppard’s on-court production defied his lack of size and wingspan. He shot 56% on twos, 52% on threes, and 83% from the free throw line. He’s second on Kentucky’s all-time single-season steals list behind Rajon Rondo — and ahead of John Wall. He blocked more shots last season than Wall did in his season at Kentucky. Does that mean he’ll be great in the NBA? Of course not. Sheppard being this high is a signal of the draft’s overall weakness. Still, at minimum, I think he’ll be a good NBA player.
- Stephon Castle, G, Connecticut (5) — Big, strong, defends, accepted coaching and a “lesser” role at Connecticut, which helped the team repeat as NCAA champions. Must improve his shooting.
- Donovan Clingan, C, Connecticut (3) — Clingan has a long future as an elite drop defender and rebounder in the NBA. His lack of agility will limit defensive versatility. He’ll need to develop (or reveal) a better offensive game.
- Devin Carter, G, Providence (11) — If I was an NBA GM, I’d want Carter on my team. He did just about everything reasonably well, including shoot the ball. He rebounded like a forward, assisted like a guard, and produced steals and blocks. Oh yeah, he also has good size and tested as the best athlete at the combine. And he defends.
- Zach Edey, C, Purdue (17) — I could make a case for Edey to rank even higher based on his on-court production. The two-time NCAA Player of the Year was a big-time scorer and rebounder, who also was an effective defender in college. His agility score at the combine suggests a good enough athlete to hold his own in the NBA. And he’s 7-4 in socks.
- Ron Holland, W, G League Ignite (13) — Talented youngster with obvious skills who had a bad season for a dysfunctional team that had no competent guards. Against G League competition, Holland rebounded, got steals and blocks, and at least tried on offense. The offensive results were poor — 24.0% on threes — but the overall package is still worth a high pick in this year’s draft.
- Nikola Topic, G, Red Star (12) — Skilled offensive creator with a knack for getting into the lane despite lacking elite physical tools. Excellent playmaker and good finisher at-rim. Concerns: he’s been a poor defender, and he reportedly has a partially torn ACL.
- Rob Dillingham, G, Kentucky (10) — Creative scorer and good shooter, who’s lack of size and strength raises questions about whether he can defend effectively enough to play big minutes in the NBA.
- DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton (27) — I’m a bit puzzled about why consensus mocks have him so low. The 22-year-old scored efficiently, rebounded well, produced some assists, and generated steals and blocks without fouling. If he’s still available when the Washington Wizards pick at 26, they’d do well to take him.
- KJ Simpson, G, Colorado (45) — The last time I can remember a mismatch like this (YODA liking a prospect to this degree and consensus having him much lower) was Jalen Brunson. Not to say Simpson is the next Brunson, and he is small for an NBA guard, but he shot well, grabbed 6.6 rebounds per 40, and got just enough steals to be interesting.
- Dalton Knecht, W, Tennessee (7) — Already 23 years old, Knecht’s main (only?) selling point is his shooting, which is pretty good. He posted a strong agility score at the combine.
- Tyler Smith, F, G League Ignite (28) — Another talented youngster who had a rough season with a terrible Ignite squad. Smith shot well (36.0% on decent volume of threes) and grabbed some rebounds. He also fouled a lot. Still, interesting enough to be worth a late lottery pick.
- Jared McCain, G, Duke (15) — Great shooter who probably has more dimension to his game than he could show at Duke.
- N’Faly Dante, C, Oregon (65) — Long. Shot 69.5% on twos, rebounds well, averaged 2.2 steals and 2.4 blocks per 40 minutes. This kind of production usually signals a productive NBA rim runner.
- Jamal Shead, G, Houston (44) — Smaller, older (22), but freaky quick and tough. Averaged 8.1 assists per 40 and a 3/1 assists-to-turnover ratio. Shooting is a question mark.