I've been watching the 2024 NBA Draft class and it's been... weaker than usual

[KB21]

 

[KB21]

 

[KB21]

 

[Spud2nique]

7 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

"Of course, I want to see him one-on-one. He just doesn't want to do that with me. His agent will not do that with me, and I know he won't. It’s a business decision," Buzelis responded to BasketNews when asked if he would like to challenge Risacher in the NBA pre-draft workout.

 

"My advantage is that I have everything over him," he added when asked about his main advantage that would enable him to win this duel.

Buzelis will fck up Risacher in a one on one scenario. Both good players for sure.

[Sothron]

Mrs. S is so excited her Fighting Illini are in the Sweet 16. They have a kid on that team that is just killing people.

[NBASupes]

8 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

Buzelis will fck up Risacher in a one on one scenario. Both good players for sure.

Yep. It won't be close but anyone drafting Matas due to 1v1 should look at the Knicks when they took Knox over Mikal Bridges because he dominated him 1v1

[Spud2nique]

15 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

Knicks when they took Knox over Mikal Bridges because he dominated him 1v1

I was about to correct you to say Bridges went before Knox but no, he went after. Why did I think Bridges went 7th and Knox 9th! I’m losin it.

 

Does Buzelis remind you of Mario Hezonia from a decade ago? Both ultra aggressive wing type dudes. But Hez could shoot it well he was just mad cocky comin into the league and was humbled fast.

5 hours ago, Sothron said:

Mrs. S is so excited her Fighting Illini are in the Sweet 16. They have a kid on that team that is just killing people.

Nice! How you feelin brotha? 

[NBASupes]

12 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

I was about to correct you to say Bridges went before Knox but no, he went after. Why did I think Bridges went 7th and Knox 9th! I’m losin it.

 

Does Buzelis remind you of Mario Hezonia from a decade ago? Both ultra aggressive wing type dudes. But Hez could shoot it well he was just mad cocky comin into the league and was humbled fast.

Nice! How you feelin brotha? 

He's better than Hezonja. His BBIQ is at least decent. I don't know what you make of Matas. All of them dudes will be lucky to be rotational players next year. Matas is at least very talented. He's skilled. Just has to work on his shooting. 

[shakes]

6 hours ago, Sothron said:

Mrs. S is so excited her Fighting Illini are in the Sweet 16. They have a kid on that team that is just raping people.

Fixed!

[NBASupes]

6 minutes ago, shakes said:

Fixed!

Come on shakes. Let's wait till the facts present themselves and justice runs it's course. 

[KB21]

I'm formulating my list of prospects that I like for the Hawks based on what I feel the biggest needs are with an eye towards their excellent player development program that is in place now.  I'm also taking into account what Quin Snyder wants to do as far as scheme.

10th pick:

• Ron Holland, SF, Ignite - I'm curious to see what his actual measurements will be.  I think long term, he's a guy who can potentially guard 1-4 on the floor.  He's dynamic in transition.  He can create his own offense off the dribble.  If the shot comes along, you have something special when you take into account that he is potentially a high-level defender.  I want to see if he is 6'8" as listed or if he is actually closer to 6'6".  
• Cody Williams, SF, Colorado - High upside play.  He's clearly not ready for the NBA, so his entire rookie season will likely be spent at College Park.  He needs skill refinement as well as body development.  He's a guy who you may not see much out of him till his third season.  However, the upside is there.  He's got innate ability to create offense for himself.  He's shown the ability to shoot the ball albeit on a low volume of attempts.  He's got some defensive chops that will improve as he gets stronger.  He could be Jalen Johnson or he could be Cam Reddish.  
• Stephon Castle, SG/PG, Connecticut - While I don't really believe the Hawks need a guard, I love this kid's game.  He can guard 1-3 on the floor.  He has the frame to play on the wing.  He has the capability to be a secondary ball handler and even a primary ball handler at times.  Great defensive player on the perimeter.  

18th-20th pick:

• Yves Missi, C, Baylor - Potentially a young Clint Capela with possible a bit more ability to create his own offense at times.  I've seen flashes of him being able to take the ball from 17 feet out and score at the rim without needing an assist.  Pick and roll finisher on offense who is both a rim protector and switchable defender on defense.  Honestly, I'd consider him at 10 if all of the other three players are gone.  Best center in the draft for Atlanta.
• Kel'el Ware, C, Indiana - Another springy switchable defender who can rim protect.  Ware is slightly behind Missi for me, but he does bring the extra dimension of being a strong three-point shooter.  
• Tyler Smith, PF, Ignite - 6'11" big who is perimeter oriented.  Athletic.  Not much of a defender at this point.  Solid three point shooter.  

[NBASupes]

11 minutes ago, KB21 said:

I'm formulating my list of prospects that I like for the Hawks based on what I feel the biggest needs are with an eye towards their excellent player development program that is in place now.  I'm also taking into account what Quin Snyder wants to do as far as scheme.

10th pick:

• Ron Holland, SF, Ignite - I'm curious to see what his actual measurements will be.  I think long term, he's a guy who can potentially guard 1-4 on the floor.  He's dynamic in transition.  He can create his own offense off the dribble.  If the shot comes along, you have something special when you take into account that he is potentially a high-level defender.  I want to see if he is 6'8" as listed or if he is actually closer to 6'6".  
• Cody Williams, SF, Colorado - High upside play.  He's clearly not ready for the NBA, so his entire rookie season will likely be spent at College Park.  He needs skill refinement as well as body development.  He's a guy who you may not see much out of him till his third season.  However, the upside is there.  He's got innate ability to create offense for himself.  He's shown the ability to shoot the ball albeit on a low volume of attempts.  He's got some defensive chops that will improve as he gets stronger.  He could be Jalen Johnson or he could be Cam Reddish.  
• Stephon Castle, SG/PG, Connecticut - While I don't really believe the Hawks need a guard, I love this kid's game.  He can guard 1-3 on the floor.  He has the frame to play on the wing.  He has the capability to be a secondary ball handler and even a primary ball handler at times.  Great defensive player on the perimeter.  

18th-20th pick:

• Yves Missi, C, Baylor - Potentially a young Clint Capela with possible a bit more ability to create his own offense at times.  I've seen flashes of him being able to take the ball from 17 feet out and score at the rim without needing an assist.  Pick and roll finisher on offense who is both a rim protector and switchable defender on defense.  Honestly, I'd consider him at 10 if all of the other three players are gone.  Best center in the draft for Atlanta.
• Kel'el Ware, C, Indiana - Another springy switchable defender who can rim protect.  Ware is slightly behind Missi for me, but he does bring the extra dimension of being a strong three-point shooter.  
• Tyler Smith, PF, Ignite - 6'11" big who is perimeter oriented.  Athletic.  Not much of a defender at this point.  Solid three point shooter.  

Based on Quin in Utah. He liked older age prospects, FYI

https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Utah-Jazz/29/Draft-History

https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2023/6/19/23758748/what-can-we-learn-from-quin-snyder-era-utah-jazz-drafts-history-2023-nba-picks-selections

Hawks University only works when you have the right players. Age doesn't matter. Experience does. 

[thecampster]

16 hours ago, KB21 said:

I am in touch with reality.  I see Edey for what he is.  A situational, throwback big who has no perimeter game and can't defend.  That's his reality.  He's not this unicorn prospect that is going to change the way the game is played, which is what you are trying to make him into.  There isn't an ounce of modern NBA big skill in his body.  

90% of the time, you and I are lock step together in our evaluations.  Back in the Trae draft, we had similar opinions, with me preferring Trae, you preferring JJJ but respectful blurred lines in our evaluations.  I'm going to do now what I did back then and make my case for Edey.

Few players force the defense to make bad choices. Trae Young is that kind of player. The only way to beat Trae is to sell out to double the ball high and play 3v4 against the rest of the team.  Trae is so unique, he commands this type of sell out. 

Edey demands a sellout on offense. There are maybe 8 players in the entire NBA who can guard him 1v1 within 10 feet. There are again, maybe 5 players in the NBA who can challenge him in the rebounding game. The entire defense must adjust when he is on the floor and a double team of Trae Young early, will mean an easy scoring opportunity for Edey against all but a handful of players. Offensively, they are about as dangerous a pairing as you can find.

Although Edey on the defensive end is going to be a problem at the perimeter, much like Gobert, he also has that same effect. Any team that relies on inside play (see Philly) to spark their outside play, will be severely gimped. Regardless of movement or recovery time, a near 8 foot wingspan on a 7'4" frame is very hard to shoot around. Like JJJ, he'll struggle to stay out of foul trouble year 1-2 but once he catches up to the speed of guard play, the lane will be shut down.  Edey will change what other teams due offensively so much (based on size alone), it will free up our wings to actually play man up defense on the perimeter without having to chase every drive in the lane.

 

Its unpopular, but I'll say it. Clint is not the answer. He's not even close to the answer. A "C" who lacks size like Clint has to be able to shoot from outside. Clint gets rebounds by working but he gives up 5 rebounds a game that size alone would offer him (see Bruno easy boards). Edey solves our problem with other team 2nd chances while being just as good as Clint in the rebounding department. Edey is an eventual upgrade over Clint while allowing us to move on from his and/or OO's salary and keep our guard play where it is.

 

Edey's value isn't just in his stats but in how he forces opponents to play outside their normal game plan. With guards like Trae/DJM, teams will have to choose who to guard and who to Hunt. Edey allows the Hawks to dictate matchups, not react to them.  He is the only choice, regardless of if he ends up the best player in the class.

[aali34]

32 minutes ago, KB21 said:

I'm formulating my list of prospects that I like for the Hawks based on what I feel the biggest needs are with an eye towards their excellent player development program that is in place now.  I'm also taking into account what Quin Snyder wants to do as far as scheme.

10th pick:

• Ron Holland, SF, Ignite - I'm curious to see what his actual measurements will be.  I think long term, he's a guy who can potentially guard 1-4 on the floor.  He's dynamic in transition.  He can create his own offense off the dribble.  If the shot comes along, you have something special when you take into account that he is potentially a high-level defender.  I want to see if he is 6'8" as listed or if he is actually closer to 6'6".  
• Cody Williams, SF, Colorado - High upside play.  He's clearly not ready for the NBA, so his entire rookie season will likely be spent at College Park.  He needs skill refinement as well as body development.  He's a guy who you may not see much out of him till his third season.  However, the upside is there.  He's got innate ability to create offense for himself.  He's shown the ability to shoot the ball albeit on a low volume of attempts.  He's got some defensive chops that will improve as he gets stronger.  He could be Jalen Johnson or he could be Cam Reddish.  
• Stephon Castle, SG/PG, Connecticut - While I don't really believe the Hawks need a guard, I love this kid's game.  He can guard 1-3 on the floor.  He has the frame to play on the wing.  He has the capability to be a secondary ball handler and even a primary ball handler at times.  Great defensive player on the perimeter.  

18th-20th pick:

• Yves Missi, C, Baylor - Potentially a young Clint Capela with possible a bit more ability to create his own offense at times.  I've seen flashes of him being able to take the ball from 17 feet out and score at the rim without needing an assist.  Pick and roll finisher on offense who is both a rim protector and switchable defender on defense.  Honestly, I'd consider him at 10 if all of the other three players are gone.  Best center in the draft for Atlanta.
• Kel'el Ware, C, Indiana - Another springy switchable defender who can rim protect.  Ware is slightly behind Missi for me, but he does bring the extra dimension of being a strong three-point shooter.  
• Tyler Smith, PF, Ignite - 6'11" big who is perimeter oriented.  Athletic.  Not much of a defender at this point.  Solid three point shooter.  

I like Holland, I think he'll be really good if we draft him. He oozes talent and passes the eye test like how many people viewed Cam Reddish, but he has way more heart and is more athletic.

I wanna know how tall Missi is, if he's actually 7ft or atleast 6'11 I'd be ok taking him, but I've seen him listed as 6'10 online and would like us to actually have a legit 7fter.

[Spud2nique]

5 minutes ago, thecampster said:

Edey demands a sellout on offense. There are maybe 8 players in the entire NBA who can guard him 1v1 within 10 feet. There are again, maybe 5 players in the NBA who can challenge him in the rebounding game.

No. Ummm, only 8 dudes in the NBA can guard him? 
 

damn y’all fall in love wit strippers .. just sayin. They ain’t realllll he ain’t real.

2nd round pick.. as he should.

[thecampster]

Comparing Clint to Edey. Edey is 6 inches taller with a 5.5 inch longer wingspan. That is almost a full extra foot of length for teams to have to shoot over, drive around, out jump.  Edey is strong. He's deceptively strong/wirey. Clint has to work much harder to maintain good position in the post.  Unlike most young bigs, Edey's strength is in his legs. This is something most players must work on after getting into the league. Part of why Edey looks plodding at times is because he's working off of such a strong lower body. He can muscle his way in with his lower body, not just try to out jump people. He's also adept at early box outs. He's committed to boxing his man out early, instead of just relying on his size. This is why you'll see a lot of late reaction snags on rebounds from him. He's giving up the ball for the body. It looks awkward but its the right way to play the post. Establish position before you ball hunt.  You really need to do a reset and watch film on him again for the things I'm discussing. Purdue might not have even made the tourney without him.

[thecampster]

3 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

No. Ummm, only 8 dudes in the NBA can guard him? 
 

damn y’all fall in love wit strippers .. just sayin. They ain’t realllll he ain’t real.

2nd round pick.. as he should.

You really wanna go down this road with me again after your JJ analysis?

[Spud2nique]

10 minutes ago, thecampster said:

You really wanna go down this road with me again after your JJ analysis?

Considering I’m 112-1 against you, sure, cab lightening ️ hit a person twice? Low chances you know that your the (cough cough) numbers guy  

[NBASupes]

16 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

No. Ummm, only 8 dudes in the NBA can guard him? 
 

damn y’all fall in love wit strippers .. just sayin. They ain’t realllll he ain’t real.

2nd round pick.. as he should.

I think half of the bigs in this league if not more than half can guard him if he doesn't have them in deep seal. He has poor fluidity. If he has anyone in deep seal, it's over, no matter who you are. It's over. I don't believe any big can guard his movement which is why I said, if he's on the Hawks, he's a perennial MVP candidate and he's elite in paint touches. In the last 10 games, Capela who's a poor finisher in traffic with a poor PPP is averaging 11.3 paint touches, leading the NBA. You give that to Edey, that's damn near 20 points with ease. He's elite in paint touches. In college, he's good in post touches but you need to be elite at it as an NBA post-up prospect. He's not but when you are elite at movement and at finishing plus you draw fouls and you are 72% around the rim and it's not just dunks like Gafford, it's with players closely guarding you, that's insane. 

 

He's not used to the best of his abilities in college due to the personnel around him. In the NBA, if he was a Hawk, he would be lethal in Quin's scheme. It wouldn't shock me if his numbers are better as a rookie than his last year of college if he was drafted by the Hawks. 

I truly believe, he's a world-class fit for us. We are the one team that will feature him correctly. 

Edited March 27 by NBASupes

[Spud2nique]

Zach Ed…..d…yyyy.. s(curry) not even…

 

come at me