Tag: 2024 NBA Draft

Recent projection predicts San Antonio Spurs use No. 8 pick on Kentucky point guard

We might prefer the less-likely prospect from UConn in this projection.

In a recently released analysis from our sister site HoopsHype, the prospective pick of each draft pick in the 2024 NBA draft has been predicted via a method that, as H/H analyst Alberto De Roa writes, uses the Draft Predictor, “a new tool that factors in our Aggregated Mock Draft and our workout tracker to generate the probability of every player landing at each draft slot.”

And in the case of the San Antonio Spurs‘ No. 8 selection in this summer’s draft, that prospective draft pick would be freshman University of Kentucky point guard Reed Sheppard with 22.5% odds, narrowly edging out the next-closest prospect.

That prospect would be University of Connecticut combo guard Stephon Castle, with 19.1% odds.

The method posits University of Kentucky floor general Rob Dillingham as the third-most likely selection, with 16.1% odds.

It also has a pair of G League Ignite small forward teammates, Matas Buzelis (8.8% odds) and Ron Holland (8.0% odds) in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

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New analysis predicts San Antonio Spurs use No. 4 pick on floor general with size

We’d be fine with such a selection for San Antonio.

In a new analysis from our sister site HoopsHype, the likely selection of every pick in the 2024 NBA draft has been projected according to a system that, as H/H analyst Alberto De Roa writes, uses the Draft Predictor, “a new tool that factors in our Aggregated Mock Draft and our workout tracker to generate the probability of every player landing at each draft slot.”

And in the case of the San Antonio Spurs’ No. 4 overall pick and who the projection favors, HoopsHype sees the Spurs taking the 18-year-old, 6-foot-6, 201 lb. Serbian point guard Nikola Topic with 25.5% odds, currently playing in the Euroleague for Crvena zvezda Meridianbet.

Other likely picks include JL Bourg small forward Zaccharie Risacher (19.3% odds), University of Kentucky point guard Rob Dillingham (16.8% odds), University of Connecticut combo guard Stephon Castle (11.3% odds), or his big man teammate Donovan Clingan (7.3% odds) in the 2024 draft.

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Trevon Brazile: NBA draft scouting report and intel

2003 | 6’9 | 7’3 WS | 220 LBS Team: Arkansas Agency: Daniel Hazan Best aggregate mock draft rank : 44 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Brazile averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 0.3 steals per game. He shot …

2003 | 6’9 | 7’3 WS | 220 LBS

Team: Arkansas

Agency: Daniel Hazan

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 44 / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Brazile averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 2.8 blocks, and 0.3 steals per game. He shot 55.0 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from the foul line.

Pelle Larsson: NBA draft scouting report and intel

2001 | 6’6 | 215 LBS Team: Arizona Agent: Daniel Poneman Best aggregate mock draft rank : 39 / Worst rank: NR 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, Larsson averaged 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. He shot 51.9 …

2001 | 6’6 | 215 LBS

Team: Arizona

Agent: Daniel Poneman

Best aggregate mock draft rank: 39 / Worst rank: NR

2023-24 stats:

In 2023-24, Larsson averaged 12.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.2 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game. He shot 51.9 percent from the field, 42.6 percent from three, and 75.0 percent from the foul line.

Spurs NBA Draft: Reed Sheppard raised his stock at NBA Draft Combine

Could the San Antonio Spurs look into drafting Reed Sheppard?

The San Antonio Spurs have two top-10 picks in this year’s draft, sitting at four and eight. Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard could be a potential draft candidate, and according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, he raised his draft stock at the NBA Draft Combine.

“Scouts surely expected Reed Sheppard to show out in shooting drills, and he certainly didn’t disappoint on that front,” Buckley wrote. “What they maybe weren’t expecting was to watch the 6’3” combo guard spring his way to a 42-inch max vertical jump, matching the best mark posted by anyone this week. Sheppard’s draft stock didn’t necessarily need a big lift. B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman slotted Sheppard into the No. 3 spot of his latest mock draft.

“Still, for anyone questioning his lack of size or ability to separate against NBA-caliber defenders, this show of explosive athleticism could’ve quieted them all. If anything, it may have cemented Sheppard, a 52.1 percent three-point shooter during his lone season with the Wildcats, as a top-five selection.”

The Spurs have reportedly been interested in Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham, but Sheppard is an intriguing prospect, too.

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Woj believes Rockets could consider position fit in 2024 NBA draft

“Houston, at pick three… they have, I think, way more pieces in place than Atlanta and Washington,’ ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski says of the Rockets.

In most cases, teams selecting high in the first-round order at an NBA draft are doing so because they had strong lottery odds following a dreadful season. But that’s not the case with the Houston Rockets in 2024, whose No. 3 pick is from the Brooklyn Nets.

With an established young core in place, the Rockets (41-41) may use different criteria than more desperate teams.

In his latest episode of The Woj Pod, ESPN league insider Adrian Wojnarowski says of the Rockets:

Houston, at [pick] three … they have, I think, way more pieces in place than Atlanta and Washington have. In Houston, you could make a case that you might look positionally, a little more.

Atlanta and Washington are at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

At 15-67, the Wizards had the NBA’s second-worst record. Given that, they seem likely to take whoever they view as the best prospect available, regardless of position — since it’s not as if many current players are likely  part of their longer-term blueprint, anyway.

The Hawks (36-46) could be a slightly different case, since they’re much closer in wins to the Rockets than the Wizards. However, with veteran guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray in trade rumors for months, Atlanta might soon be headed into its own rebuild.

In that case, Atlanta would also likely select whichever prospect it views as having the most long-term upside. Because the pieces around that player are likely to change in any rebuilding scenario, it probably is not be worth weighting them heavily in draft decisions.

But in Houston, if general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka are convinced of certain players on the current roster sticking around long term, it could make sense to consider that as part of the calculus. Another option may be to trade the No. 3 selection as part of a deal for a veteran player who clearly addresses a need with the team as it looks to make a 2025 playoff push.

Wojnarowski’s complete podcast can be listened to below.

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ESPN’s Givony expects several All-Stars in 2024 NBA draft class

“There are going to be several All-Stars in this [draft] group, and there are going to be a lot of high-quality NBA players,” says ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.

Without an elite prospect like 2023 rookie Victor Wembanyama at the top, some fans and analysts are down on the NBA’s 2024 draft class. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony isn’t among them.

Givony, a staple of NBA draft coverage for years, just wrapped up his coverage of the league’s draft combine in Chicago.

In the latest episode of the The Woj Pod, which was hosted by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski from the combine, Givony said:

I like this draft a lot more than 2013. I think a lot of these players are going to be good. Are any going to be superstars? Probably not. But there are going to be several All-Stars in this group, and there are going to be a lot of high-quality NBA players.

When you’re drafting [top three], you want to get a franchise guy. Are any of these guys franchise players? Probably not, and that’s where people are a little bit down on this draft. Because you’re lacking that star power at the top that we typically expect. There’s not that one guy that we can latch onto, and center all of the attention on. But that’s what makes it interesting, to me. That’s what makes this draft fascinating.

The 2013 draft, which some have compared the 2024 class to, featured Anthony Bennett at No. 1 overall, Otto Porter Jr. at No. 3, Cody Zeller at No. 4 and Alex Len at No. 5 in the first round. All were relative busts for their draft slot.

Ultimately, the best selections in 2013 proved to be Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 15 and Rudy Gobert at No. 27.

As Givony sees it, that doesn’t mean that a team picking No. 3 in the 2024 class — at the moment, it’s the Houston Rockets — will not find significant value there. Givony has French forwards Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, as well as Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan, as the current top three on his draft big board.

The complete Wojnarowski-Givony podcast can be heard below.

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ESPN’s Givony: Trading from No. 3 to No. 1 in NBA draft could be feasible

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony on the 2024 NBA draft: “It might not cost you that much, to move up from No. 3 to No. 1, as it would in a different year.”

As of now, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus No. 1 overall selection in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft.

But what if a team such as the Rockets, who currently hold the No. 3 pick, sees a clear top candidate at the end of their pre-draft scouting process? If that’s the case, based on the lack of a consensus, the price to trade up from could be more reasonable than in most years.

On The Woj Pod, which is hosted by ESPN league insider Adrian Wojnarowski, draft guru Jonathan Givony said:

It might not cost you that much, to move up from No. 3 to No. 1, as it would in a different year. That’s where the deal-making could really happen.

The full episode can be listened to below. French forwards Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher could be potential targets in any trading up scenario, as could Connecticut center Donovan Clingan.

Atlanta and Washington currently hold the No. 1 and No. 2 picks, respectively, making them the only teams ahead of Houston.

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Colorado small forward’s fit with the Chicago Bulls as their No. 11 2024 NBA draft pick explored

An excellent shot from beyond the arc (41.5%) at low volume, his good free throw efficiency (71.4%) suggests it will translate at the NBA level.

Should the Chicago Bulls consider drafting former University of Colorado small forward Cody Williams? A 19-year-old native of Gilbert, Arizona, the Buffalo alum is a freshman who stands at 6-foot-7.75 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, and weighs a wispy 178 lbs that will need to bulk up to play in the Association.

An excellent shot from beyond the arc (41.5%) at low volume, his good free throw efficiency (71.4%) suggests it will translate at the NBA level. However, Williams needs to turn the ball over less, improve his defense and rebounding, and increase his shot attempts at the next level. Projected to go in the 2024 NBA draft more or less around where Chicago will be picking (No. 11 overall), Williams is a worthwhile gamble for upside for the Bulls.

The hosts of the “CHGO Bulls” podcast recently sat down to break down his fit and potential for Chicago’s first round pick.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say about the idea of using that selection on Williams.

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Conference USA Player of the Year Isaiah Crawford to remain in 2024 NBA draft

Crawford was just the third player in Conference USA history with at least 60 steals and 50 blocks in a season.

Louisiana Tech senior Isaiah Crawford will reportedly remain in the 2024 NBA draft and forgo his final year of eligibility, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

Crawford was named the Conference USA Player of the Year after averaging 16.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.7 blocks on 41.4% shooting from 3-point range. He registered nine 20-point games, including a career-high 30 points on Jan. 20.

The 6-foot-6 forward was also named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. He ranked 16th in the country in defensive rating and was just the third player in conference history with at least 60 steals and 50 blocks in a season.

Crawford was invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament last month as one of the top seniors in the country. He also participated in the G League Elite Camp, averaging seven points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in two scrimmages.

The 22-year-old isn’t projected to be drafted but is viewed as one of the top defenders in the class. He likely received positive feedback from team executives and scouts, prompting him to remain in the draft rather than return to school for one more year.

Crawford will have the opportunity to improve his stock in team workouts and interviews over the remainder of the predraft process. He has already worked out with Minnesota.

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