2024 NBA Draft Thread - the hawks might be on the clock

[frshstunna]

How far can the Knicks move up with 19, 21, & 32?

Can't imagine Thibs or the FO want to add three rookies to the current rotation.

Like 13 or 14…Could add a future 1st too if they really want somebody in the late lotto

 

[VARNELL HILL]

 

[pmatic]

 

[VARNELL HILL]

What do you do if you're Cleveland picking #4...and Cade, Mobley, and Green went 1-3?

 

[addict4sneakers]

What do you do if you're Cleveland picking #4...and Cade, Mobley, and Green went 1-3?

kuminga since Garland took a leap.

 

[pmatic]

 

[pums]

If theres a team i dont wanna see move up its the cavs

 

[pmatic]

 

[youngthundercat]

Draymon replacement

 

[pmatic]

 

[frshstunna]

He’ll be better in the league, Cal had yo playing like 19 mins a game …He fouled a lot , that’s what I seen wrong with him

 

[carolinakickg]

Somebody school me on Kai Jones.

I've seen him mocked to the Hornets a few places, and it makes sense since big man is the most urgent need.

However, he didn't jump off the screen to me as a lottery pick the only time I saw him play this year.

 

[pmatic]

 

[Mister Meaner]

 

[carolinakickg]

MKG is that you?

 

[pmatic]

 

[wavycrocket]

 

[pums]

Stone Please

 

[ballinsam23]

With Cole, Fultz, RJ Hampton if Suggs is on the board do the Magic take him?

 

[pmatic]

Spoiler

How the playoff performances of Trae Young and Ja Morant could impact the 2021 NBA draft

There's almost always a trickle-down effect from the trends of the NBA postseason to the subsequent NBA draft. Those trends and the reactions they produce can lead to draft-day mistakes, but it's imperative for NBA evaluators to discern what works in the playoffs, why it works and how it pertains to the next batch of prospects. The league is full of accomplished regular-season players that can run around and put up numbers, but teams are always in search of prospects who can shine in postseason play against more sophisticated game plans and an uptick in intensity.

So what has stood out about the first round of the playoffs, and what could it mean for a 2021 class awaiting a draft day that is now less than two months away?

What does the play of Trae Young and Ja Morant mean for the 2021 NBA draft? Which prospects could benefit?

There's only one Trae Young, and no guard in this draft is on his level as a shooter, ball handler or playmaker. More importantly, few prospects possess his level of confidence. With that said, Young has opened the door for slight, skill-based guards like NCAA tournament darling Max Abmas of Oral Roberts and former Auburn star guard Sharife Cooper. Abmas is the better shooter of the two, and Cooper is far more dynamic with the ball as both a ball handler and a passer. Like Young, both figure to struggle defensively in the NBA, and being able to hold up on that end is ultimately the difference between a good team and a great team.

But, with the way the NBA is refereed now, there's a place for 6-foot-1 guards like Abmas and Cooper, even if that's ultimately off the bench. Cooper was able to get wherever he wanted in the SEC to the tune of 20.2 points and 8.1 assists per game, changing speeds effortlessly and playing with the type of pace you often see from Young. Firing laser beams all over the floor with either hand, he's arguably the draft's best passer, as we broke down in our ESPN film session. Like Young and even Morant, he can throw off-the-dribble lobs to the roll man with perfect timing and accuracy, delivering passes with conviction you rarely see from a player his age

For his impact to be fully realized, however, he'll have to improve as a 3-point shooter, especially given his size -- Cooper converted just 23% of his triples in 12 games at Auburn, with teams regularly darting under screens and daring him to shoot. He also needs to find ways to add more value when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Similar to Young at Oklahoma, Cooper got to the free throw line 8.6 times per game, has a feathery soft floater, is unapologetic about his talent, and can dissect teams with his passing on the move.

Abmas, on the other hand, is an absolute sniper from 3 with Young-like range (43% on 8.6 attempts per game) and an even more expansive off-ball repertoire. Abmas is still fine-tuning his handle, but he's more cerebral than most score-first guards and has an excellent all-around court sense that should result in continued progress as a passer. Playing the season as a 19-year-old sophomore, Abmas averaged a remarkable 25.5 points and 3.9 assists on 63.7% true shooting, not looking the least bit rattled against high-major programs like Ohio State (29 points), Florida (26 points and 7 assists) and Arkansas (25 points and 4 assists). Abmas was the most prolific pick-and-roll player in all of college basketball, using 520 ball screen possessions as a sophomore while remaining incredibly efficient



Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs and Davion Mitchell of Baylor are clearly the premier lead guards in this class, in part because of their two-way impact, which is an area where Abmas and Cooper struggle.

As Young has shredded the Knicks' top-five defense with his shooting, in-between game, and ambidextrous passing to the tune of 27.5 points, 10.0 assists and 2.8 turnovers, Morant has helped challenge the No. 1 overall seed Jazz with his play through four games. While he struggled from distance in Game 4 (1-for-7), was unable to punish Utah for going under screens and coughed up a few costly turnovers, Morant's explosive downhill attacks were a reminder that, even with his light frame, that combination of speed, quickness and leaping ability can overwhelm even the league's best defenses.

It's hard not to watch Morant slice and dice Utah's drop defense without thinking about just how dynamic G League Ignite guard and potential top pick Jalen Green will look at the next level. Green -- who some scouts believe has the highest upside in this class -- is the most explosive leaper in the entire draft and will be one of the NBA's most explosive players from the moment he sets foot on the floor. Like Morant, he's fearless attacking the rim when he sees a crevice, despite his lean 6-6 frame. ("I'm coming for heads," Green told me during our first film session.)

Of course, Morant is a highly skilled 6-3 lead guard with a slick handle that allows him to get wherever he wants on the floor. He plays with an outstanding pace, slowing down in traffic and lofting left-handed finishes over one of the league's best shot-blockers, Rudy Gobert. He's also an elite passer. Green, who averaged an impressive 18.7 points and 3.1 assists in 16 G League games, is more in the Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal mold -- wired to score, with outstanding shot-making ability yet still evolving as a ball handler and playmaker.

But players with the level of speed and bounce of a Morant and Green don't come around very often, and Memphis' franchise player is further proof that on a spaced NBA floor in an up-and-down game, Green's million-dollar legs will strike fear in opposing defenses for years to come. While the two are far from carbon copies as players, Green told us back in January that he's grown close to Morant over the years, and the 19-year-old Fresno native has his sights set on helping to turn around a franchise like Morant did in Memphis.

"That's my big bro," Green told ESPN. "I watch him all the time. ... Before he even blew up or anything at Murray State he had reached out to me and just told me keep working and that meant a lot to me. I was doing the same thing, trying to get going. This is right before [the 2019] Peach Jam. I was kind of going through a funk and that really helped me out."

How does the play of Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and Khris Middleton point the way for Cade Cunningham?

Before he was slowed by a neck injury, the Clippers had zero answer for Luka Doncic's size, shot-making ability and playmaking, as he's posting a blistering 33-8-8 split through four Mavs playoff games.

Although they're on the brink of elimination to the star-laden Nets, the Celtics' Jayson Tatum is averaging 34.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists on 60% true shooting in five playoff games (including Wizards play-in bout), dropping a 50-piece twice during that stretch.

Then there's Bucks wing Khris Middleton, who averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 56% from 2 and 41% from 3 in Milwaukee's sweep of the Heat, highlighted by a game-winning pull-up 2 in game 1. A perfect fit alongside Giannis and Holiday, he's had great success both as a spot-up shooter, ball screen playmaker and mid-post scorer.

We've said it all season and we'll say it again: 6-8 shot creators who can pass, dribble and shoot are crucial come playoff time, which bodes well for projected top pick Cade Cunningham.

Cunningham isn't exactly Doncic, Tatum or Middleton, but the trio's playoff success offers a nice range of outcomes for the former Oklahoma State player, who averaged 20.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks over the course of 27 games in Stillwater.

None of the three was considered a run-and-jump type of player during the pre-draft process, but Doncic, Tatum and Middleton have all proved to be tough covers when the game slows down in the playoffs. All can make pull-up 3s, play pick-and-roll, score in mid-range, and create offense out of the midpost. Those are all things Cunningham, who shot 40% from 3 for the Cowboys, does at a high level.

Cunningham will never be confused for Jalen Green from an explosiveness standpoint, but was still able to rank as the most efficient isolation scorer in high-major college basketball on 89 possessions, even without the benefit of much spacing to work with.

Whether he brings the ball up every possession like Luka or functions more in Middleton-type role, Cunningham's strengths are well suited for playoff basketball, and the postseason has been a great reminder as to why the 19-year-old's floor is so high.

Some teams are 'playing bigger' in these playoffs -- who could be a draft-night beneficiary of this trend?

For all the talk about small ball over the past five years or so, size matters when it comes to playoff basketball.

The Bucks mopped up the smaller Heat with a starting lineup of Giannis Antetokounmpo (6-foot-11), Brook Lopez (7-1), Khris Middleton (6-, Donte Divincenzo (6-5), and Jrue Holiday (6-4).

The Sixers start Ben Simmons (6-10), Joel Embiid (7-1), Tobias Harris (6-9), Danny Green (6-6) and Seth Curry (6-3).

The Lakers play Anthony Davis (6-10) and Andre Drummond (6-11, 280 pounds) or Marc Gasol (6-11) together, alongside 6-8 LeBron James.

The Grizzlies have found success with a starting group of Jonas Valanciunas (6-11), Jaren Jackson Jr. (6-11), Kyle Anderson (6-, Dillon Brooks (6-6), and Ja Morant (6-3).

The Hawks put great size around Trae Young with Clint Capela (6-10), John Collins (6-9), DeAndre Hunter (6- and Bogdan Bogdanovic (6-6).

With teams still closing out quarters and games with downsized lineups, however, the key is to find prospects who can both thrive in supersized lineups and not get played off the floor when teams like the Nets unleash Kevin Durant at center like they've done at times this postseason.

Brooklyn's Durant, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris lineup has the second-best net rating in the playoffs so far. Portland's three-guard front of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Norman Powell has proved successful so far. The Clippers scratched and clawed their way back to a 2-2 series tie against Dallas largely thanks to Ty Lue starting Nicolas Batum at center against Kristaps Porzingis.

Simply put, there's clearly value in bigs that can play both the four and the five when it comes to postseason basketball. The need for versatile, two-way bigs bodes well for a player like Evan Mobley, who has the skill set to play on the perimeter in a two-big lineup, the feet to chase around fours, and the shot-blocking and length to slide up to the 5 when necessary. Hall of Famer Chris Bosh played a similar role with the Heat, spending at least half of his minutes at the center spot during Miami's back-to-back title run, according to Cleaningtheglass.com.

One-position bigs are far less attractive in today's NBA than during the Bosh era, and the fact that Mobley can function like Davis does for the Lakers gives him a chance to not only put up big individual stats, but take a team deep into the playoffs if paired with the right big (see Isaiah Stewart) that can bang with bruisers while Mobley matures physically. Depending on how the lottery shakes out, expect Mobley to get looks as high as No. 1 in this draft. While we've talked so much about the league devaluing centers, Mobley is in a different category as a hybrid big who can play both spots -- on both ends of the floor -- because of his length, agility, feel for the game and all-around skill set.

Which non-lottery picks could we see contributing in the 2022 playoffs?

When looking at the young role players who have been able to thrive alongside NBA stars in the postseason, three defining traits have stood out -- shooting, defense and experience. It's no secret that team executives scan the globe for these coveted qualities, but the fact that so many current playoff contributors went in the late first or second round should serve as a reminder not to nitpick prospects who possess these traits.

Desmond Bane went 30th overall in 2020 and is already playing an important bench role for the Grizzlies in the playoffs, shooting 39% from 3 in five games.

Bryn Forbes, who averaged 15 points in 19 minutes per game on 71% from 2 and 49% from 3 during the Bucks' sweep of the Heat, went undrafted.

Jalen Brunson went 33rd. Pat Connaughton went 41st. Grizzlies scoring wing Dillon Brooks fell to 45th overall in 2017 despite an impressive three-year career at Oregon. Even a national champion like Mikal Bridges was selected after names like Kevin Knox, Wendell Carter and Mo Bamba.

So with that in mind, who are some of the non-lottery-type collegiate upperclassmen who offer the defensive toughness and shooting that could eventually mean important playoff minutes?

Oregon wing Chris Duarte is the first who comes to mind. Like Bane in last year's draft, Duarte is one of the best shooters in the class with a strong all-around feel, the ability to play with the ball for stretches and excellent defensive instincts at 6-6. Duarte made over 100 3s in two years in Eugene, shooting 42% from beyond the arc as a senior and converting a remarkable 63% of his 2-pointers. Although he'll be almost 24 years old on draft night, Duarte is the type of shot-making guard who can add a lot of value right away for a playoff team.

Another popular name in draft circles right now is junior Trey Murphy, a late-blooming 6-8 wing who was incredibly efficient in his first season with Virginia after transferring from Rice, shooting 62% from 2 and 43% from 3 as Virginia's third-leading scorer. With long arms, a projectable frame and a reliable shooting stroke, Murphy looks the part of a pre-draft riser who could ultimately cement himself firmly in the first round as he fills a position every team is searching for.

Although he underwent foot surgery in April, 22-year-old Michigan forward Isaiah Livers is another sharp-shooting wing (43% from 3) who knows how to play on both ends of the floor and has over 2,700 collegiate minutes played on his résumé. Livers is the kind of veteran with a clear-cut skill set that you wouldn't be surprised to see in a playoff rotation.

Accomplished collegiate players such as Quentin Grimes (Houston), Ochai Agbaji (Kansas), Chaundee Brown (Michigan), John Petty (Alabama) and Aaron Wiggins (Maryland) all bring shooting and glimpses of defense on the perimeter. Of course, a heralded guard like projected first-rounder Jared Butler, who shot 42% from 3 last season at Baylor, should be able to slide right in and have an impact like some of the veteran guards we mentioned.

Simply put, shooting, defense and experience, as well as a strong feel for the game, has consistently proved to translate to playoff basketball, which is something scouts and evaluators will surely have in mind as they comb through this 2021 draft class.

 

[HOU$TON]

I’ll be fine with Cade, Jalen green, or Evan Mobley. In that order.

 

[pmatic]

I'm curious if the Rockets pick a point guard (Cade/Suggs), whether they'll just buy-out Wall a la what the Pistons did with Griffin. Bad precedent and Fertitta won't like it.

 

[frshstunna]

With Cole, Fultz, RJ Hampton if Suggs is on the board do the Magic take him?

None of those dudes has shown they good or dependable enough yet to pass up talent at the guard position

 

[B Sox]

 

[pmatic]