Next to French forward phenom Victor Wembanyama, such a combo would immediately become one of the league’s most feared frontcourts.
Breaking down champion University of Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan‘s fit with the San Antonio Spurs, should they take him with their Nos 4 or 8 picks of the 2024 NBA draft, is not too hard if you do not overthink it.
An old-school big man who can block shots, box out, and grab boards with a bit of an away from the basket game that might be stretchable to the NBA 3-point line is a worthwhile gamble in a thin draft cohort. Next to French forward phenom Victor Wembanyama, such a combo would immediately become one of the league’s most feared frontcourts.
The folks behind the “SSPN: A San Antonio Spurs Podcast” YouTube channel, recently took a deep dive into the Husky big man’s fit with the Spurs ahead of the 2024 draft.
Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.
Does it make sense for San Antonio to gamble here?
Should the San Antonio Spurs consider drafting G League Ignite small forward Ron Holland II? At just 18 years old, his game is still a bit raw, but standing at 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, an 8-foot-8 standing reach, and a 38-inch vertical leap, Holland is turning heads for all the right reasons.
Mocked as high as No. 1 overall before the last season, which saw him suiting up for the G League Ignite, his poor shooting from beyond the arc (24.0%) and high rate of turning the ball over and making bad fouls have not done his current draft standings any favors.
Currently projected to fall after the Spurs’ last lottery pick comes in at No. 8 overall, Holland would likely be on the board still — but does it make sense for San Antonio to gamble here?
The folks behind the “TSR Sports” YouTube channel recently took a closer look at just such a scenario. Check it out above!
Why is the 6-foot-6 floor general sliding well before the big day finally rolls around?
Could Nikola Topic fall to the Chicago Bulls at No. 11 in the 2024 NBA draft? With a number of mock drafts tracking the Serbian Red Star point guard’s draft prospects, sending the Novi Sad native skidding down the low lottery in recent days, it is a fair question to ask.
But why is the 6-foot-6 floor general sliding well before the big day finally rolls around? Projected to be taken as high as No. 3 overall by some mock drafts earlier this offseason, a concerning if not career-threatening knee injury may have some potentially interested ball clubs nervous about using a good lottery pick on a player who might take longer than expected to get on the floor.
The hosts of the “CHGO Bulls” podcast took a deep dive into all fo the rumbles around Topic, as well as whether he might really fall to Chicago’s range. Check it out for yourself below!
Rumor: Thunder could add Nikola Topic if he falls to No. 12 spot of 2024 NBA draft.
A shockwave was sent throughout the 2024 NBA draft process when it was reported that projected lottery pick Nikola Topic suffered a partially torn ACL.
The extent of the injury is unknown, but it’s the latest example of a concerning trend. He suffered a knee injury in January that cost him four months. His return in April was shortlived as he suffered an ACL tear on the same knee just three games later.
The 18-year-old could go down the road of redshirting his first year recovering from the knee injury. If that’s the case, it will seriously hurt his draft stock.
In ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony’s prospect rankings, he noted the Oklahoma City Thunder as a possible destination if he falls to the No. 12 spot.
“San Antonio (No. 8), Utah (No. 10), Oklahoma City (No. 12) and Portland (No. 14) are viewed by teams as potential landing spots depending on team doctors’ full assessments of his medicals, which have yet to be distributed. Only teams picking in the top 15 will have access to those, per new CBA rules.”
The strategy behind the risky selection is to trust Topic’s recovery process and take a top-five talent with the 12th pick. The Thunder can afford the luxury of not needing him ready for his rookie year. They can slowplay his rehab in the background of another contending season.
Topic is viewed as a project with a real chance to be a high-end playmaker. The jumper needs to improve but the 6-foot-7 guard has the potential to be a great traditional point guard.
In 12 games last season with the ABA’s Mega MIS, he averaged 18.4 points on 52.3% shooting, 7.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds. He shot 25.9% from 3 on 4.5 attempts. He shot 85.5% from the free-throw line.
Is this really a prospect that the Bulls will want to burn assets on to acquire?
There is buzz out there that the Chicago Bulls are trying to make a deal, Bulls fans. But don’t get too excited — not for an NBA player, as fans have been begging Arturas Karnisovas to do for literally years now, but to move up in the 2024 NBA draft.
Are the Bulls trying to move up to take Matas Buzelis? A 6-foot-10 string bean of a small forward weighing just 197 lbs., Buzelis last played in the G League, and is known for his shot-blocking abilities. He could really step up his 3-point shooting ability at the next level, with his going just 26.1% from beyond the arc, however.
Is this really a prospect that the Bulls will want to burn assets on to acquire?
Check out a clip recently put together by the folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel to get up to speed on what you need to know about him, which we embedded above for your viewing pleasure.
Would it make sense for the Spurs to take these two prospects in real life, however?
Do San Antonio Spurs fans want San Antonio to select Stephon Castle and Tidjane Salaun in the 2024 NBA draft? A wing currently suiting up for France’s Cholet ball club and a champion combo guard from the University of Connecticut, the duo would be a pair of intriguing adds to the Spurs’ 2024-25 roster in their quest to build a real contender long term around French forward phenom Victor Wembanyama.
In a recent fan vote put together by the folks behind the “TSR Sports” YouTube channel, that duo were the preferred options for San Antonio at Nos. 4 and 8 in the draft lottery.
Would it make sense for the Spurs to take these two prospects in real life, however? Are there too many concerns to use the picks in the draft if the Spurs want to get better in a hurry?
Take a look at the clip embedded above for all the detail you need to know about such a situation.
An excellent scorer who shot 39.7% from beyond the arc at the NCAA level last season, Knecht could improve his defense.
Should the San Antonio Spurs take Dalton Knecht in the 2024 NBA draft? A n older prospect at 23 years old, Knecht is a 6-foot-6.5 small forward with a 6-foot-9 wingspan who weighs 212 lbs. and played his college ball with the University of Tennessee Volunteers basketball program.
An excellent scorer who shot 39.7% from beyond the arc at the NCAA level last season, Knecht could improve his defense and passing to boost his game at the next level. Shooting 45.8% from the floor overall and 77.2% from the free throw line at 5.7 attempts per game shows he is not afraid to get into the trees, but is he the right prospect for the Spurs at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NBA draft?
The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, sat down with guest Jack Thompson, formerly with San Antonio Sports Star, to talk it over on a recent episode. Check it out below!
McCain emerged as a tremendous shooter in one season at Duke, and is eager to showcase that ability and more at the next level.
Jared McCain emerged as a tremendous shooter in one season at Duke, and the projected first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft is eager to showcase that ability and more at the next level.
McCain was named to the ACC All-Rookie team after averaging 14.3 points, five rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals on 41.4% shooting from 3-point range in 36 games. He ranked 16th in the country among freshmen in 3-point percentage.
The 6-foot-3 guard registered nine 20-point games, including a season-high 35 points on Feb. 17 in a win over Florida State. He set the program record for a freshman with eight 3-pointers and tied the single-game scoring record (Zion Williamson, 2018-19 season).
He explained what he wants to show teams in the NBA.
(I’m) just showcasing my shooting ability. I feel like I wasn’t able to do a lot of on-ball stuff at Duke, so I think showcasing that I can handle the ball and make good reads off pick and rolls, driving to the hoop and finishing. Just kind of all around.
McCain is currently projected to be drafted in the 12-16 at this stage of the predraft process. He emerged as a tremendous shooter and excelled in pick-and-roll situations with the Blue Devils. He also showed great touch around the rim when getting downhill.
His shooting will likely intrigue teams the most at the next level. He is viewed as one of the top shooters in the draft this year and can knock down shots on the move, in catch-and-shoot situations, and off the bounce with his smooth stroke.
McCain recently worked out with the Portland Trail Blazers, which was his second overall of the predraft process. He projects to fill a big need for teams and knows that will be his shooting.
“I think my shooting is going to be the one that gets me on the floor, being able to communicate well on defense (and) be a team-defensive player,” McCain said. “I think me being young, I can come into the league ready to learn. I think I can use my shooting and just being curious and that will lead me to playing minutes.”
Report: New Hampshire’s Clarence Daniels to have predraft workout with Thunder.
The calendar has flipped to June, which means NBA teams are intensifying their predraft process and hosting players for workouts and visits. The 2024 NBA draft will take place from June 26-27.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enter this year’s class with a sole draft pick of the No. 12 selection. OKC was gifted the free lottery pick via the Houston Rockets.
The Thunder will host several meetings with draft prospects in the coming weeks. This includes players outside the lottery range as OKC will likely seek to add undrafted free agents or even buy back into the second round if it likes someone enough.
One possibility is New Hampshire forward Clarence Daniels, who is set to meet with the Thunder in a predraft workout, per local sports reporter Jonathan Marshall.
The 23-year-old spent the last two seasons of his college career at New Hampshire. He had previous stops at Division II and JUCO schools.
In 31 games last season, Daniels averaged 19.4 points on 45.8% shooting, 9.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He shot 36.3% from 3 on 4.7 attempts. At 6-foot-6, 210 pounds, he has decent size for a wing.
Daniels will likely be an option in undrafted free agency. He’s also someone the Thunder can easily get at the end of the second round.
A full list of 2024 NBA draft prospects that have worked out or visited the Thunder in the predraft process can be viewed here.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released a new two-round mock draft with pro comparisons on Friday. See where he put Duke’s two prospects here.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released a two-round NBA mock draft on Friday, giving a professional comparison for each prospect in the process.
The longtime draft analyst paired both Duke prospects, sharpshooting guard [autotag]Jared McCain[/autotag] and sophomore 7-footer [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag], with NBA teams in the process. McCain went 15th overall to the Miami Heat, a popular draft destination for him, and Filipowski went 22nd to the Phoenix Suns.
McCain, whom Wasserman compared to Immanuel Quickley, lit the NBA Draft Combine on fire with a 3-point shooting showcase. He shot 41.4% from distance as a freshman.
“Shotmaking has and will always be what powers his offense and value,” Wasserman wrote. “But McCain’s effectiveness this year in ball-screen situations, using change of speed, footwork, crafty finishing and vision, point to more on-ball upside with his creativity and feel.”
The longtime writer compared Filipowski to Moritz Wagner and praised him as a potential depth for the team with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker after he averaged 2.8 assists per season as an All-American last year.
“His shooting range, post skill, improved finishing and passing and defensive mobility create versatility that should lock Filipowski into the late lottery/mid-first round,” Wasserman wrote.
Both players went to one of Duke Wire’s five best fits for them. McCain’s top five potential homes can be found here while Filipowski’s can be found here.
