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

[NBASupes]

3 hours ago, Mikey said:

This is pretty much true of every player though. Every play in the right situation can do well. 

Not really. Most guys are what they are. They may have a great fit and a poor fit but the gap isn't 6th man to stardom 

[JayBirdHawk]

TOP 50:

2024 NBA Draft Big Board: Top 50 Prospects Ahead of Combine | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report

[Final_quest]

6 hours ago, NBASupes said:

 

Pod #2 will be made today. It's covering both Edey and Clingan with my guest from the Memphis Grizzlies nation. 

If the Hawks are lucky enough to move up, Clingan would be sweet.  Edey is polarizing so depends on the Hawks FO take on him.

[AHF]

1 hour ago, NBASupes said:

Not really. Most guys are what they are. They may have a great fit and a poor fit but the gap isn't 6th man to stardom 

I think that is a valid point wildly overstated.  Not everyone is a genuine NBA talent and some guys are just going to wash out no matter where they go.  The valid point is that fit matters for nearly all players and for some players it matters a lot.  Fit really just raises the ceiling and lowers the floor from midpoint and some guys are never going to do "well" because they just aren't good enough regardless of fit (i.e., for some guys the range accounting for fit might be "unplayable" with the worst fit to "end of the bench serviceable" with the best fit).

[theheroatl]

While Ron Holland would be a great offensive potential (Jabari Smith like)... He has a long way to go before he is a defender that is worthwhile. I'd rather have Risacher or Castle if we don't get the high lottery

 

Also, can't deny Reed Sheppard due to the Kentucky product history

Edited May 9 by theheroatl

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

I think that is a valid point wildly overstated.  Not everyone is a genuine NBA talent and some guys are just going to wash out no matter where they go.  The valid point is that fit matters for nearly all players and for some players it matters a lot.  Fit really just raises the ceiling and lowers the floor from midpoint and some guys are never going to do "well" because they just aren't good enough regardless of fit (i.e., for some guys the range accounting for fit might be "unplayable" with the worst fit to "end of the bench serviceable" with the best fit).

Yep. Prime example is Jarrett Culver and Cam Reddish. 

Both players never got much better as players no matter where they went. It's clear, they just didn't have upside 

Brunson and IT0 are the extreme guys

Whereas most players are like Marvin Williams and Kevin Huerter. They may have best fits or poor fits but they aren't much different no matter where they go. 

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, theheroatl said:

While Ron Holland would be a great offensive potential (Jabari Smith like)... He has a long way to go before he is a defender that is worthwhile. I'd rather have Risacher or Castle if we don't get the high lottery

 

Also, can't deny Reed Sheppard due to the Kentucky product history

I think you have it backwards. His defensive potential could be great with development and experience. His offense is a mess and he doesn't play winning basketball at all. While could he, possibly but you would be taking a risk you aren't sure you will see the reward. 

[theheroatl]

10 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

I think you have it backwards. His defensive potential could be great with development and experience. His offense is a mess and he doesn't play winning basketball at all. While could he, possibly but you would be taking a risk you aren't sure you will see the reward. 

Holland? Holland is nowhere near a defender. His offensive game is average to me. I wasn’t saying it was either/or

Edited May 9 by theheroatl

[Spud2nique]

32 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

Yep. Prime example is Jarrett Culver and Cam Reddish. 

Ughhhh you just made me think of my wasted time and assessment of both these dudes. What a waste, I thought at least 1/2 would be A LOT better. 

[KB21]

What it boils down to is this.  What is the translatable skill the player has, and is that a skill that is something NBA teams can use?  Are there any skills that can potentially be improved upon that have shown themselves to be a weakness to date?  For every Jalen Brunson, there is a Luka Garza and Frank Mason III.  

Take Trae Young for example.  He isn't the biggest or most athletic, but when he came out of Oklahoma, he was already a three-level scoring threat with tremendous passing skills.  Both were highly translatable to the NBA.  Trae would be a great point guard in the NBA regardless of what system you put him in.  Jalen Brunson, OTOH, wasn't a star in Dallas where he was second fiddle to Luka Doncic and was also in a faster paced scheme.  He's been unlocked in New York's slower paced offense.  

Tools give you a bigger margin for error.  

[Mikey]

19 hours ago, theheroatl said:

Holland? Holland is nowhere near a defender. His offensive game is average to me. I wasn’t saying it was either/or

Holland isn't a defender???? He's one of the best defenders in the class lol. That's his best skillset right now

[Mikey]

Did anyone ever send that Givony top 10 list for the combine in here. They are literally telling you as of now how teams have people ranked in aggregate and who the top 10 are

[AHF]

1 hour ago, Mikey said:

Did anyone ever send that Givony top 10 list for the combine in here. They are literally telling you as of now how teams have people ranked in aggregate and who the top 10 are

Yes but feel free to repost.  I don't fully trust that teams are being honest with their rankings for obvious reasons but it is a good data point.

[KB21]

I like Dalton Knecht, but he doesn't help us at all defensively.

[KB21]

2024 NBA draft lottery - Odds for every team and potential picks - ESPN

10. Atlanta Hawks | Average pick: 9.2

No. 1 pick odds: 3.0% | Top-three pick odds: 9.9%

If they land in the top four, they should pick ...

1. Alex Sarr

2. Donovan Clingan

3. Zaccharie Risacher

4. Stephon Castle

Most likely pick if they stay at 10: Stephon Castle | PG

After missing the playoffs and enduring a difficult season, this is an important summer for the Hawks, who are primed for major changes to the roster. The Trae Young-Dejounte Murray combination hasn't worked out as envisioned, and this is the last of its own draft picks that Atlanta controls for the next three years. There should be an element of NBA readiness to consider here but also weight placed on upside, considering there might not be a chance for the Hawks to pick in the lottery for a while.

Sarr would be the biggest swing to take at the top, as the Hawks were poor defensively this season, and they are continually tasked with building an adequate defense around Young, whose lack of size creates an impediment on that end. With Clint Capela set to turn 30 in May, selecting a center of the future might be the way to go at the top, with Clingan representing a similar opportunity to shore up the front line.

Looking for two-way perimeter players also makes sense, with Risacher an option and Castle looking like an intriguing fit, particularly if he falls here to No. 10. Castle's ability to guard all over the floor and initiate as a secondary ball handler would make for a pretty strong fit alongside Young, potentially freeing Castle up as a shooter while also offering more size and switchability on the perimeter.

While there are some questions about where Castle's upside lies, he could be an ideal complementary player who addresses multiple needs on the Hawks' roster, particularly if they decide to move on from Murray. Castle could be on the board even if Atlanta doesn't move up and is a viable target if they do. -- Woo

[Dragitoff]

29 minutes ago, KB21 said:

2024 NBA draft lottery - Odds for every team and potential picks - ESPN

10. Atlanta Hawks | Average pick: 9.2

No. 1 pick odds: 3.0% | Top-three pick odds: 9.9%

If they land in the top four, they should pick ...

1. Alex Sarr

2. Donovan Clingan

3. Zaccharie Risacher

4. Stephon Castle

Most likely pick if they stay at 10: Stephon Castle | PG

After missing the playoffs and enduring a difficult season, this is an important summer for the Hawks, who are primed for major changes to the roster. The Trae Young-Dejounte Murray combination hasn't worked out as envisioned, and this is the last of its own draft picks that Atlanta controls for the next three years. There should be an element of NBA readiness to consider here but also weight placed on upside, considering there might not be a chance for the Hawks to pick in the lottery for a while.

Sarr would be the biggest swing to take at the top, as the Hawks were poor defensively this season, and they are continually tasked with building an adequate defense around Young, whose lack of size creates an impediment on that end. With Clint Capela set to turn 30 in May, selecting a center of the future might be the way to go at the top, with Clingan representing a similar opportunity to shore up the front line.

Looking for two-way perimeter players also makes sense, with Risacher an option and Castle looking like an intriguing fit, particularly if he falls here to No. 10. Castle's ability to guard all over the floor and initiate as a secondary ball handler would make for a pretty strong fit alongside Young, potentially freeing Castle up as a shooter while also offering more size and switchability on the perimeter.

While there are some questions about where Castle's upside lies, he could be an ideal complementary player who addresses multiple needs on the Hawks' roster, particularly if they decide to move on from Murray. Castle could be on the board even if Atlanta doesn't move up and is a viable target if they do. -- Woo

I like Risacher.  His length and projection as a long 3&D player makes him appealing to me.

[Mikey]

10 hours ago, KB21 said:

I like Dalton Knecht, but he doesn't help us at all defensively.

Agree with what AHF said. Teams could very well be lying on their rankings in hopes someone falls to them. 

That being said I want to pay extra close attention to the 7-10 group. Not sourced but there are only two names in the group that make sense. Holland who likely won’t make it there and knecht who I believe Quin will fall in love with in the draft. He doesn’t solve any defensive concerns however but his spacing would be nice to have. Im Not a fan if they pick him though especially if they do so at the expense of any of the non guard names ahead of him 

[bird_dirt]

7 hours ago, Mikey said:

Agree with what AHF said. Teams could very well be lying on their rankings in hopes someone falls to them. 

That being said I want to pay extra close attention to the 7-10 group. Not sourced but there are only two names in the group that make sense. Holland who likely won’t make it there and knecht who I believe Quin will fall in love with in the draft. He doesn’t solve any defensive concerns however but his spacing would be nice to have. Im Not a fan if they pick him though especially if they do so at the expense of any of the non guard names ahead of him 

And then again, what @Sothron said in another thread:

Also heard from my Twolf source the NBA at large suspects the Hawks are going to fake to get a wing in the draft but really get a true center with size and ability to defend.

[KB21]

7 hours ago, Mikey said:

Agree with what AHF said. Teams could very well be lying on their rankings in hopes someone falls to them. 

That being said I want to pay extra close attention to the 7-10 group. Not sourced but there are only two names in the group that make sense. Holland who likely won’t make it there and knecht who I believe Quin will fall in love with in the draft. He doesn’t solve any defensive concerns however but his spacing would be nice to have. Im Not a fan if they pick him though especially if they do so at the expense of any of the non guard names ahead of him 

Yeah.  I think Quin will love his shooting, but he will have to have a plan in place to improve his defense.  He’s athletic enough, but he will need to improve defensively the way Vit did. 

[KB21]

3 minutes ago, bird_dirt said:

And then again, what @Sothron said in another thread:

Also heard from my Twolf source the NBA at large suspects the Hawks are going to fake to get a wing in the draft but really get a true center with size and ability to defend.

There is only one true center in the draft who is a plus defender, and the Hawks will have to get into the top 3 to have a shot at him.