NBA Mock Draft: Sarr or Risacher No. 1 to Hawks? Who will Spurs pair with Wemby? | Nerd Sesh

NBA Mock Draft: Sarr or Risacher No. 1 to Hawks? Who will Spurs pair with Wemby? | Nerd Sesh

welcome everybody back into nerd sesh as always I’m Carson breber and alongside me is Logan Camden and it is officially offseason time folks which means we got to get ready for the NBA draft because it is only a week from today a very quick turnaround here from the finals to the draft so today we’re going to be doing a mock draft we’re just going to mock the lottery today so the top 14 picks and we are going to be acting as if we were the GMS of these teams doing what we would do in their shoes not necessarily predicting what we think they will do because it’s more fun in my opinion to go off of our own beliefs and evaluations of these guys and also we just don’t know we don’t have Insider information and a lot of times even the public stuff we hear is smokees screens from these guys so we are going to be legm today and Logan you have been gifted with the first overall pick you are GM of the Atlanta Hawks who are you taking in that one spot with the first overall pick I as general manager of the Atlanta Hawks am selecting Alex SAR uh you know it seems like the Hawks are going to trade Trey young or dejonte Murray uh in this off season is what the rumors are saying uh they’re going to choose to build around one of those guys whether one of them gets moved or both of them get moved that really has no bearing on this decision to me I think SAR is the no-brainer number one pick in terms of upside and in terms of you know what he brings with his skill set uh long term I just think SAR has probably the highest ceiling out of anybody in this class this is a relatively weak draft compared to years previous you know we’ve had you know I think you could argue probably the top four picks in the last couple of drafts might go number one in this one you know uh I think we took that a little for granted in comparison to this year but uh SAR looks to be the kind of defensive anchor and rim protector that you can build a great team defense around and consider considering that’s been the Achilles heel of Atlanta uh I think it’s the the smartest play and you know I think he’s got other upside in terms of what he brings vertically um his shot looks smooth right the percentages aren’t great but it seems like that’s something he could tap into and frankly if I’m the Atlanta Hawks Carson I’m not dealing away Trey young if I don’t have to right I think a test with you know like SAR and Jaylen Johnson and Trey young right it’s just an asset that you’ve never had right this kind of game-changing Defender and rim protector right in theory with what SAR could uh become if you hold on to Trey young you would have potentially your offensive centerpiece and your defensive centerpiece and I’m still very high on Trey young so if you’re not getting Great Value back for a player of his caliber I’m talking multiple first round picks another Superstar kind of talent you don’t move off of a guy like that for Less value right he has trotted out consistently top five offenses you know with limited Supporting Cast around him helping him in that regard so uh if I was the GM I would try to hold on to Trey I would deal to jante for a more complimentary piece and I would you know see how this Duo Works um regardless though I think any team uh unless they were really locked down at the center spot I would take Alex SAR with the number one pick so uh that’s what I’m doing if I’m Atlanta I do agree with the choice but what’s very interesting is that this is not what the reports are indicating right now the reports are indicating that it is very likely going to be Reas going number one to the Hawks a couple of Frenchmen and by the way Logan the Frenchmen are just taking over the league and you better get used to it because my goodness we have a lot of them in this year’s class and of course we had wemi and kabali last year I just think SAR is pretty clearly a superior Prospect to reace and although this is obviously a relatively weak class and it is a very weak class in terms of star power in any year a win going number one with really unproven shot creation is just crazy to me like it is so much more feasible for a big to have a star level impact because of how they can change the game defensively even when they have offensive question marks like we see that archetype right you see what a Rudy gobear can do changing games with his defense alone you see what an Evan Moy can do defensively even with his flawed offense and I think that SAR has tools he has upside offensively I think he projects is a decent floor spacer and if he really figures that jump shot out well that’s awesome I think you get some short roll passing some flashes of ball handling and vertical spacing like I do expect him to be at the very least a solid offensive player but not a great one but when you get that sort of awesome defensive Foundation switchability Rim protection 71 with a 74 wingspan that is a foundational piece that every NBA team can benefit from and I do think that SAR is the best Prospect in a very valuable archetype Ono Kong as much as I like him in clink capella these guys just are not good enough for me to be thinking about fit if I’m the Atlanta Hawks it’s not enough for me to say we have those guys I want to go out there and get a wing I’m taking the best player available because the front Court as a whole is an area in which you can improve dramatically especially on the defensive side of the ball and this was huge for Atlanta to get this pick in the lottery it was a long shot but they desperately needed it because this past year was extremely disappointing there are obvious issues with the fit between Trey and dejonte long term and so you’ve opened up a plethora of options to yourself if they wanted to trade this pick which they seem to have no intention of doing but they could have potentially parlayed that into more of a win now asset but as things currently stand I think this is your best opportunity to put an awesome basketball player alongside Trey Young Who yes is going to be on a different timeline from SAR but you still have a long window around Trey if you commit to putting the right pieces around him and so all around they’re just in a much better position having this pick but if you blow it well then you have negated that advantage and I think that going anywhere else than SAR to me would be a mistake not my pick though but I agree with your choice number two is the Washington Wizards who very likely are going to end up Landing SAR because if rash goes one then I think SAR is the clear next choice Logan is disgusted at the thought of Ras going one but there seems to be a real chance that it happens it’s weird but sometimes teams are weird with the draft anyways if I were picking for Washington at two with SAR off the board I’m going to take Reed Shepard and I just think Washington is in Flatout best player available mode and to me Shepard is probably the second best player in this class there’s not a big drop off whatsoever between two and like eight maybe even 10 right we’re talking about a lot of dudes who have issues as prospects there are some guys maybe with higher ceilings than Shephard but who have significantly lower floors with Reed I absolutely love the floor like this dude is a ridiculous shooter of the basketball he was a 100th percentile spot up player quick release constantly shot ready lethal shooter in transition just like off the bounce off the catch you are getting a Bonafide Elite three-point shooter one of the best that we’ve seen in recent years he’s also been quite effective as an on ball Creator out of pick and roll out of isolation his ability to shoot from so deep and run very high High pick and roll stresses the defense that can get him a Runway as a driver where he’s not the most athletic but that spacing gives him an advantage there he’s pretty crafty as well and so I don’t view him as some sort of star on ball Creator I don’t think that he’s an exceptional ball handler I don’t think that he again is like a high-end Rim pressur whatsoever he’s not exceptionally crafty when we’re talking about some of those guards who don’t have the best athletic attributes but are still Elite pick and roll scorers I don’t see that from him but I think be a good pick and roll scorer I think he will be an excellent decision maker like he is a very good passer in every aspect of the game executing out of pick and roll executing designed actions inbounds spotting Cutters in transition and he is fundamentally unselfish he’s always going to make those passes so not an elite passer doesn’t do the sort of Next Level wue stuff doesn’t have the size for these crazy passing angles to always see over the defense but a very very sound passer an excellent shooter a good decision maker and then defensively just an Absolute Pest again he doesn’t have great size there we’re talking about a guy who is like 6-2 with a 6-3 wingspan and so you question how high is his ceiling defensively if you’re talking about like all defense sort of impact small guards often can struggle to reach that but he is going to constantly pester you he is going to pick people’s pockets he is still in spite of the fact that he doesn’t have great length capable of affecting you out of pick and roll with rear viiew contests and he’s got a super high motor so he’s just going to constantly bring that ball pressure constantly bring that defensive effort and impact so I just think this is a dude who is going to be a really really good NBA player if you think about the archetype think about a guy like a Derek white to me who isn’t inherently somebody who is built to shoulder like a lead ball handler offensive load but if he’s your second or third ball handler and he’s bringing you massive defensive impact and Elite spot up shooting that’s just a basketball player who I want on my team every single day of the week and I do think that Reed Shepard is that guy and I’m just more confident in him being a really good NBA player not a great one not a star but a do do I want on my team every day of the week than I am anybody else in this class after SAR Shepard’s a really good pick and I was hoping he was going to linger around for uh another team that I was drafting for I don’t think the Wizards are really in any kind of position to draft on like positional value you know I think they should just take the frankly like the Wizards just need good basketball players and I think there’s a lot of guys who could immediately come in here in play because the Wizards are in such despair you know I thought about klling in here I thought about buellis I thought about Ron Holland like I think all of those guys really work but Shephard to me is the the right pick and one you mentioned it he’s one of the deadliest Shooters I’ve ever seen the percentages will tell you that alone but also like what he does off movement what he does off screens what he does as a spot up player I think the one big misconception with Reed though is that he doesn’t have those point guard chops and he does like like you know I think people may pigeon hole Reed into this you know kind of just oh he’s a spot up guy oh he’s just a straight up shooter no I think Reed has legitimate you know good decision making I think he’s got a good handle I think he’s a good passer like I think Reed checks a lot of extra boxes and you know I you shouldn’t pige and hole him just into that shooter mold I think he’s going to be impactful immediately because of that but I think he also has upside uh long term it’s a good pick and like I said man the Wizards just need good basketball players and Reed fits that bill um I think it’s a good pick I don’t know I I was caught between other players but I like that pick man I I think Houston probably is the most interesting pick here uh one the fact that they have Brooklyn’s first uh few more Brooklyn first over the next couple of years is massive for them uh classic Brooklyn obviously we see the Celtics just win the title with two Brooklyn Nets uh F first round picks but uh they have found themselves in the very familiar position and uh Houston made a genius trade by moving off of harden when they did the thing that I struggle with Carson with the rockets at number three is like finding a guy that can play immediately and be impactful you know and get like major rotation minutes for Houston and there’s a lot of different directions that I can see them going right longterm if they’re thinking about about life post Fred Van vit maybe you get one of these young guards um Castle call your um shepher if he was available caller at three is going only off the Logan Camden Big Board only off of my agenda correct uh if you wanted a little more positional versatility maybe you go Donovan klling in here you can run him in certain lineups with senon at the four spot um he changes your defensive ceiling I think or you go and get one of these young talented wings and bring them off the bench Man Behind Jabari Smith Jr like buellis or Ron Holland I’m stuck between the Yukon boys between castle and kingan and the only reason I’m debating Castle I think Castle would be a really good pickup here the only reason I’m debating that is because I wonder if longterm if amen Thompson is going to be your point guard right um if that’s already the contingency plan like that’s what’s weird man Houston has so much young Talent uh in abundance sinon green Javari Smith Thompson cam Whitmore I’m going to take Stefon Castle here Dam I just think he’s a really good basketball player I think he’s a smart point guard I think he’s a really great defender I think he does a lot of winning things at a high level and for a team like the Rockets that’s kind of the player I want there are more long-term projects and I know that sucks because actually I like San Antonio Navin castle at four to bear with wemi I actually really like that a lot but um I am legm of the Houston Rockets so I’m going to take one of the best players available and a guy that just does winning things for the Rockets I think the Rockets probably need another guy to put them over the top right uh and maybe they trade this pick in in searching for that guy if that guy becomes available but um there’s not really a major need for them and so I’m just going to take the uh Best winner available I think that’s Stefan Castle man he does a lot of winning things immediately and I think he’s got pretty good upside long term um so yeah I think Castle’s the pick at three for me bro ruin my plan for the Spurs at four bit of a bummer this is weird for the Rockets because there’s not a single position group that you can look at and say that things aren’t going to be crowded if you add another young highly touted prospect there which is why there is a lot of talk about them trading this pick I think that it would make a ton of sense Castle is obviously headed into a crowded back court and not just that him and a have a lot of similarities and that they are these like freakishly athletic big guards like wing size right six seven sort of dudes who are predicated on athleticism in defense in playmaking but you question the shooting you question the lead ball handling how do they coexist that is sort of inherently clunky and then you have this other super athletic bowling ball wing and cam Whitmore at the same time I think that figuring out some sort of kinging shenon fit would be weirder like you can’t really figure out a fit between the two of those guys in my opinion just considering shang’s lack of floor spacing at this stage and his struggles guarding in space so if you were to draft clinging it would probably be to move off of shenon which you could talk me into if the value was right but if they aren’t going to make that sort of seismic move in terms of their roster composition I can get behind the castle I think that adding just a straight up Wing would be the cleanest fit because you can kind of never have too many wings but I do think that Castle’s probably a better Prospect than any wing on the board at this stage that does bum me out though cuz I really loved his fit with the Spurs and I honestly did not think that you were going to take him at three so I think I’m going to get you back here I think I’m going to take one of your favorite guys and that is Cody Williams I think that there is a lot of areas in which the Spurs can improve around wemi you need more high-end offensive skill in the backourt what I loved about castle is that to me kind of the ideal vision for them is you add that one offensive engine in the back court whether that’s through the draft or whether that’s trading for a Trey young which we talked about from the Hawks perspective from the Spurs perspective I would love that I think that’d be perfect for wemi and then you want to pair that guy in the back court with maybe a secondary Creator an awesome defensive guy an athlete a bigger guard and I was just like Castle checks all those boxes there’s definitely questions about his shot there’s questions about okay how large of a role does he take on offensively but also like because of his off ball instincts his cutting because of the fact that he’s one of the best offensive rebounding guards that I can think of as a prospect and with all the defensive tools there is a floor there with castle and if he becomes an average shooter like I think you’re looking at a really really good NBA player so with him off the board I’m gonna go with Cody because I think that he is my favorite Wing remaining and again when we talk about the kingan fit kingan might be my favorite Prospect left on the board I do do not think he works with wemi I know that there’s talk about the Twin Tower setup I just don’t think you need it I think that once Zack Collins got hurt and wemi became the starter it was very clear that this dude as a rookie was capable of holding down a defense at what could have been an elite level like in terms of Team defense if he had capable guys around him the onoff numbers are monstrous they were legitimately a good defense with him on the floor and a disaster with him off it wem’s a five he’s a five for the rest of his career from this point forward since December of his rookie year to me he just has to be your center it’s by far the best option for you offensively and Def and defensively it works really well so I’m going to take one of the most versatile players in this class I really like a lot about Cody I think that he is capable of taking on some ball handling responsibilities like for a 68 wing and by the way for those who don’t know Cody Williams played at Colorado he’s the younger brother of Jaylen Williams that being jdub of the Thunder he’s got some change in Pace he doesn’t necessarily have like crazy pure quickness but he’s solid there and he’s a pretty effective driver when he remains under control sometimes he sort of has those baby deer moments but then he’s got great length 72 wingspan as a finisher and he’s got really good touch there so he’s been extremely efficient at The Rim I think there’s a case that he’s the best Rim finishing Wing or guard in this class and then he has pretty solid playmaking feel I like his interior passing as a driver he’s not going to be a guy who carries like a a heavy creating load but again sort of a tertiary guy who can make plays for you I do think that sets him apart from say a I’m more confident in that sort of offensive versatility from him and then he’s awesome in transition great athlete in the open floor good cutter and is a solid catch and shooter I don’t necessarily buy him as like a good pull-up shooter yet but I think he’s capable of knocking down those catch and shoot looks and then defensively really good lateral mover awesome length gives a bunch of effort still very slight but his older brothers added size I don’t think that his frame prudes him from adding size so I think that this is a nice fit for San Antonio because to me you have your wing who you really believe in in Devon vasel and then Cody Williams is the guy who you can play as effectively or two you can play as effectively your three if he gets bigger maybe he could be a four in certain looks I’m just going to take that sort of of versatile allaround Wing who I think is very close to at the least the best prospect on the board at this point yeah I really like this pick uh Cody is one of my favorite prospects in this draft uh I’m I’m really intrigued to see where he goes I love his finishing at The Rim how easy he makes it look off Cuts man he is so long like he can just get to those looks and hit easy Bank layups I also really like uh his ability to slam on the brakes like how jdub does you talk about that pullup jump shooting I think it’s a major swing factor and you know his ceiling as an on ball Creator but there’s something there right like there’s a he’s got a really high floor now but I think there’s a really high ceiling with with Cody too I think he needs to work on his handle um one thing I noticed on tape is Cody really struggles going back to his left hand uh he’s really relying on his right hand right now um Cody needs to add some more weight but like to me these are all like really marginal things I think he’s going to be a good Defender I think he’s a good decision maker he’s good without the ball in his hands he just does a lot of things at a really high level and so I think you could have gone with any of the Wings there if Castle is available I’m jumping all over that if I’m San Antonio but I don’t really think you can go wrong with any of these wings but in a lot of ways I think Cody is arguably the most ready to play right now and out of the wings that are my favorites might have the highest upside so Cody’s one of my favorite guys in this class I think he is one of the few guys that has maybe an All-Star kind of ceiling I think a lot of things are going to have to go right for him to to attain that but I I’m that high on Cody when we look at Detroit uh Detroit if you have not heard has uh just let go of Monte Williams I think that is an excellent decision um I I think the Pistons fans are going to be throwing a party later today uh the one thing they really desperately need is floor spacing and shooting they were 26th in three-point percentage last season they were 27th in three-pointers attempted and when you think about the roster construction alongside Kate Cunningham like Kate doesn’t have a lot of help in that regard right you can load up on him a lot of non-shooters around him I was really hoping that Reed Shepard was still going to be available here at five uh that was a pipe dream I think that Reed is going to go uh very early in this but if Reed was available that’s probably my favorite Prospect and so now you have this balancing act with Detroit where you ask yourself should we get somebody that can play immediately right now uh and you know can play winning basketball or do we get more of a long-term project that maybe fits with our timeline a little more uh if you want that immediate like plug-and playay immediate impact guy I think doton connect would be a really good pick in what he brings shooting wise considering his age and his ceiling though I’m not going to go with that uh with the fifth pick uh is piston GM I am going to take Matas buellis uh I would consider Holland here but I prefer Holland and maybe a bench six-man or on ball roll a little more with a different team like I want Holland to have some creative freedom where he has the ball in his hands uh a little more than than in theory in a place like Detroit and buellis may not bring the elite floor spacing that connect does but he does so many other little winning things that I think he can have a winning impact from day one but also bring you that long-term upside uh you know positioning is phenomenal offensively and defensively I think he’s a great help-side rim protector and that’s where I really am high on Detroit’s defensive ceiling if they go with buellis in this core right assar Thompson at the three or the four buellis at the other Wing Spot with Duran at the five Ivy and Cunningham right you got a lot of length you got a lot of athleticism um you got a lot of Youth and I think it’s I think it’s a core that’s going to work together are they going to win a lot of games next year with this team no probably not I think Detroit’s probably going to be in the gutter once more kad’s just this team’s just not there yet uh to do that but I think buellis fits the timeline I think he does a lot of winning things immediately and longterm I trust his shot I think he’s going to be a good floor spacer uh you know it’s not like mechanically broken or anything I think he’s going to be a good shooter and I just think he fits his timeline a little more right I think connect would probably have a more winning impact immediately and I really think they desperately need shooting but I like bis’s athleticism a little more than connect I like his upside and his long-term prospects more than him um so yeah I’m going to go with lellis and uh I’m I’m pretty happy with this I think Shepherd’s the ideal pick in the ideal world with all he brings especially as a two guard alongside Kade but I’m very happy to land buellis here at five I like buellis now I do think that there are some questions about his game offensively the shooting being one I’m not out on his shooting potential but I do think that there still clearly needs to be Improvement there I do think he has some issues finishing through contact but he does a lot of stuff that you think will impact winning I think that he has some of the best feel in this class I think that he has some of the best overall versatility when you consider ball handling offensively at his size what he can do in transition the shooting potential to at least be solid there and then defensively he can guard in space but he’s really good as a secondary rim protector so I like this for Detroit the concern to me is just like a front Court of assar Thompson and buellis has the potential to be destructive defensively to be amazing in transition like those are two dudes who are big and athletic and bring a bunch of Versatility and connective traits but if neither of them figure out the shot you’re like that’s not going to be a functional offense and we know that Detroit has had enough trouble as is being a functional offense so that’s a concern but at the same time the other guys who are available here Holland you mentioned I wouldn’t take him this High I just think there’s too many any offensive issues there connect I definitely would not take this high as a matter of ceiling kingan my favorite player on the board I just think Duren has shown you enough where I wouldn’t want to replace him at this point so I think the guy most people would point at is rashay and I actually think that there’s a strong case made for rashay here I know that Logan Camden would never take him but I do think that this is a clean fit for him and this is the range in which I am comfortable taking him I wouldn’t take him one anywhere though from like four through 10 I think you’re looking at now we can buy the defensive tools now we can buy the shooting skill that he’s shown and the athleticism and the flashes of connective passing I do like Reas I just don’t like him as a number one or top two kind of guy so that probably would have been my pick here and at six I’m really considering reace again I thought I was going to go Cody Williams here for the Hornets but he’s off the board and I do really like the idea of taking a wing for the Hornets but with Cody off the board with buellis off the board is that bigger Wing reace is pretty clearly the best option left out there to me I think I’m going to go with Donovan kingan though just because he is the best Prospect to me at this point Logan is absolutely Gob smacked here’s the thing Mark Williams you have the vertical spacing right you have a lot of the simple big man stuff that he does relatively well for you but he wasn’t actually a very effective rim protector this past year he’s just not the sort of guy who again I would be looking at and saying okay we need to prioritize fit over best player available because I think if you put together a core of lamelo Brandon Miller and kingan and lamelo can stay on the floor like that’s really something I am extremely confident in Donovan Kling and being a good NBA player to me the highest floors are probably him Reed Shepard he’s 72 265 lbs with a 77 wingspan his production per possession is absolutely ridiculous per 75 he gave you 2615 and three with five blocks on 63% true shooting he is a ridiculously massive Target around the rim he eats up fouls and he’s got pretty good body control and touch and he was a 97th percentile post score this year super efficient there and then he brings you some pretty good passing like he can make the reads when defenses Converge on him off of post-ups or off the short roll he can execute some of those handoffs from the top of the key then he can slip to the rim like offensively yes he is first and foremost a massive guy who is just a massive Target and there’s a lot of value in that alone but then he does the other complimentary things the playmaking the touch the post mismatch scoring that like really take you up a level and then defensively he’s just out of this world on post UPS opposing players average two five points per possession when they went at Donovan kingan last year as a drop Defender I mean he is an absurdly dominant rim protector he is a monstrous rebounder so he’s not going to guard very well in space but I just think that pure interior defense is so so impactful so you think about the dudes Logan who really impact the game Beyond maybe the level at which they were drafted or at which they’re paid he has a lot of those traits right if it’s the traits of aita zubot having that sort of pure Rim protection and enough offensive skill as a massive guy if it’s the rim protection and size of a walker kler like these are really good starting centers and I think that kingan has all the tools to be that and then just even like sort of a jumbo sized freak version of it so I just like him more than everybody else at six and I’m not going to prioritize Mark Williams over him and then yeah I really like that core I think Brandon Miller is going to be a star an all ba level guy probably in this league lamelo is still a really really good offensive player I’m not super confident in him staying healthy but you would sort of have your guy at each position group your guard your wing your big and you could significantly improve defensively with the Hornets desperately need man I was just shocked I one didn’t expect kingan to go this early I had him in my back pocket for not his talent I just thought Mark Williams in terms of you know teams with their centers in play yeah I like the pick I’m very high on kinging and I think in terms of immediate impact he’s just going to be a stud like he’s a winner and for a team like Charlotte that has been so bad defensively for so long like you talk about culture setting and like identity Clingan can help immediately there and so I I like it I was just kind of I was really hoping he was going to linger around for one of these later picks so I could pair him with somebody really I think this might be on the low end of where he goes I don’t know it’s interesting and that’s what’s so tough about this draft is like we’re talking about legitimately every pick there’s multiple ways you can go and like maybe if that guy doesn’t go at two or whatever I’m not going to consider him again until eight because of fit like that’s just the nature of this draft it’s really really unique well yeah and I mean kingan has been mocked I’ve seen in some to go one to Atlanta over like SAR um and and that’s something that I want to hammer home whoever comes away with SAR and kingan are going to be very happy like I think they immediately kingan is going to have I think more of an immediate impact than SAR I think sar’s probably got better upside but both of those guys I can see as defensive anchors for the future so fits a little clunky you probably move Mark to the bench right like he’s just going to be your backup big moving forward I think you go all in on that uh I also think Charlotte needs wings but when there’s so many questions around other guys like I don’t hate this I think clingan’s as close to a sure thing that is on the board right now is you’re going to get in this draft so in terms of value I think it’s a great pick uh at number seven the Portland Trailblazers are up and you look at their Foundation scoot Henderson ant Simon Shaden sharp DeAndre Aiden it’s clear to me that they need guys with upside and they need a solid Wing So the two guys that I have earmarked for this pick on the board Ron Holland and Zachary rease reash I think makes a lot of sense here in terms of floor spacing in terms of Youth like we’re talking about timelines scoot is a very young guy who I think is probably two to three years away from being what he’s going to be right same goes for re Shaden sharp I think is probably a year or two away from really being what he’s going to be I’m not a huge fan of race for a few reasons and I want to emphasize why I drafted Buell over him I think buellis just has more well-rounded impact I think he’s a better passer and playmaker I think he’s a better decision maker um I think he’s a better Defender right and what he brings is a helps side rim protector defending in space I think he’s a really good Defender the only Edge I think rashay has him is floor spacing and rash concerns me in a lot of ways uh 34% of his shots came from behind the arc this year he doesn’t create a ton of downhill Rim press pressure uh I worry about his motor at times but just in terms of fit and like timeline I am going to go with reace here it’s the right pick it’s the right pick Logan and I’m proud of you for taking him it’s yeah like and I’m not saying that like I think he’s going to be a complete bum or anything but the one thing I want to hammer home about Holland is Holland I think has another level to tap into as a ball handler and as a self-c Creator and I think he needs s like to go somewhere where he can have the ball in his hands a little bit I’m not talking about as like a lead Creator or even as the second guy but maybe as like the Sixth Man immediately or as the third guy um I don’t really see that opportunity for Ron in Portland right he’s gonna be playing alongside scoot he’s gonna be playing alongside Shaden sharp he’s gonna be playing alongside ant Simons so while I prefer Holland toes a it’s marginal uh I just I think Holland needs to go somewhere where he can spread his wings a little more and and grow his game I think he’s going to be better long term um but reash fits in here like a glove to me where he doesn’t have to be a on ball Creator he can be a floor spacer he can be a Defender and again I think the timeline just works here uh Portland has hit rebuild mode full rebuild mode and uh Ras is one of the youngest guys in this class with uh some really high upsides so you know I I may not like race as much as some of these other guys but I think he’s just a better fit here in Portland I really like the fit I do think that it’s cleaner than Holland and I do think that this is an appropriate spot to take reace like I am pretty confident in him being a solid 3 and D Wing at the next level there’s not a huge sample size with his shooting Beyond this year but like this is a dooo shooting close to 40% on high volume at his size that is valuable only 70% from the line or so so you can question is he an elite shooting Prospect I wouldn’t necessarily say that he is but he’s a good one yes and then you look at the size the length the mobility in space his defensive IQ was pretty good like he’s just going to be a a good three and D Wing in my opinion which I would not take number one overall because of his issues as a rim finisher that’s the biggest thing like you mentioned his three-point frequency that’s only a problem if you’re expecting him to be like the guy if you just need a really good spot up shooter that’s great you want dudes who are taking high volume 3es like you can make a living as an off ball play player just being really good there in fact it’s a great way to make a living it’s something every NBA team needs so it’s just that lack of Rim finishing and ball handling that concerns me with rash as like a top top guy but at number seven I really like it and the back Court’s already a little bit crowded in Portland with ant Simons and Scoot and maybe they move off of Simons adding a really good Wing to me is just a very safe Play shanon Sharp of course in that back court as well so I think he made the right choice yeah I sorry I just wanted to correct myself I said 34% 44% of his shots came from behind the ark which is just emphasize the downhill Rim pressure stuff like that but again I think in a situation like Portland with the surrounding athleticism where they desperately need floor spacing I I think it just works a little bit better here than other spots it’s a good fit and I think he would have been a very good fit at number eight as well if we were assembling a little bomb squad of good Wings around wemi getting both Cody Williams and re would have been an interesting outcome but I really like this outcome Logan because as I mentioned earlier I think that the Spurs are basically going to build their backcourt from scratch I mean shout out to Trey Jones but like he’s not going to be an important piece of this team’s future he’s like going to be an awesome backup point guard I think you want one offensively oriented guy one defensively oriented guy and Cody Williams maybe can even start in the league as a two but that offensively oriented guy who you do have an opportunity to take here at number eight is niik atopic Logan who I really like I think he’s too good to pass on here with the remaining available options and this man is falling for those who don’t know he’s been viewed as like a consensus top five sort of guy for the most part as close to consensus as you can get in this draft but now Torres ACL and you’re starting to see him fall into the mid teams I think it would be a mistake to let topic fall that far I think that he’s the best offensive guard in this class so if you’re not going to go out there and get a Trey young get yourself a niik atopic this is a guy who does a lot of awesome things offensively he is a Shifty downhill driver very efficient below the rim finisher Embraces physicality good body control eats up a good amount of free throws and then is an amazing free throw shooter 87% there but it’s that changeing pace that shiftiness that really makes him effective as a scorer like he’s pretty tough to stay in front of and then the passing is really the greatest strength of his game offensively he is dynamic he is creative there he is the best passer in this class he can fire those hook passes over to the roller he can make those skip passes he can make those lay downs and wraparounds and he’s very selfless and he’s getting trapped he’s getting blitzed pretty consistently off pick and rolles and just dissecting teams 87th percentile pick and roll Creator 86 percentile isolation Creator the one concern with him offensively that I know you’ve raised before Logan and I think makes you a little bit lower on topit than I am is uh the viability of his pull-up shooting and his intermediate scoring game because at the very least you need to be able as a pick and roll ball handler in League to consistently beat teams with that floater and it sure would be nice and it’s borderline essential to be at least a capable pull-up shooter and topic is only 30% in terms of his off the dribble shooting this year but I think he’s going to get better there he’s an 87% uh free throw shooter like that’s reflective of really good touch and then if he puts that together he is maybe like the guard outside of Castle because of his athleticism who has like legitimate star upside offensively and I do think that he’s just a more polished better offensive player than Castle in every way Castle it’s like if he figures out the shot and then you pair that with the defense that’s an awesome basketball player topic is not going to be a plus to Defender but if there’s a star perimeter Creator in this class to me it’s him and I don’t really understand people freaking out over a torn ACL with an 18-year-old that’s another thing this guy is one of the youngest players in this class who just had an outstanding season playing against grown men I see a lot of mature offensive traits from him that make me think even if it’s not as a lead Creator like he’s gonna fit anywhere offensively and bring value on that side of the ball and in San Antonio I think he could have a wonderful pick and roll Dynamic with wemi I think this is exactly the sort of lead ball handler who can make all the reads that a Tre Jones can but can also threaten you as a scorer with his driving ability which is what you need to be a legit high-end offensive player topic has that going and uh if he improves the shot like I love this guy and I would love getting him at eight for San Antonio yeah I I I actually really like this pick for for San Antonio Carson uh I am a little concerned with some things about topic uh the scoring for sure is like a lead ball handler but I like it in terms of you know he’s a young guy who I think is there’s just a lot of opportunity in San Antonio that’s why I kind of like San Antonio as a destination for a lot of guys because there’s just the only building block in place is wemi like there’s a lot of you know opportunity there to to grow and I I may be critical Topic’s scoring game but he does a lot of uh impressive things right he’s a big ball handler he’s a pretty physical driver too I like how he uses his body um good finisher at The Rim like I think his ceiling is going to be determined ultimately by like how good he is as a three-point shooter as a pull-up jump shooter but I think he’s got a really high floor you know as a playmaker and with his size too I think that immediately him and wemi are going to be uh a force in the pick and roll and it’s it’s a spot they need so I probably wasn’t going to take topic um they’re aren’t a lot of other spots in the lottery where I really think he fits but San Antonio is one of them so uh I like the pick I probably prefer Collier just a little more because I think he’s got a higher scoring ceiling but both of those guys are pretty close I pretty strongly prefer topic to CER I think he’s a a significantly better offensive player and I think the playmaking is probably the biggest Gap but also I do think that his shiftiness makes him a better score than maybe you’re painting him to be like just to note his production for those who don’t know for uh Mega basket he averaged 18 and a half points per game and seven assists tonight on better than 52% from the field like his a finish his finishing inside of course it’s not against NBA R protection but is legitimately super impressive he’s got awesome touch and body control and physicality down there and he’s Shifty so I really like him I do think he’s one of absolutely the best offensive players in this class if not the best offensive player so getting him at eight to me is a win okay nine the Grizzlies and by the way the combination of Cody Williams and topic I’m very happy with for the Spurs those are two guys who I really like at positions where I think not only do they need to upgrade because they need to upgrade in a lot of spots but I think they’re very intuitive fits we are this close to crowning an NBA champ and with the action heating up on the court it’s even hotter at draftking Sportsbook an official sports betting partner of the NBA and draftking Sportsbook has you covered every step of the way with same game parlays live betting odds boosts and so much more don’t miss out as the NBA postseason winds down it’s super easy to get started with DraftKings if you’re a first timer try betting on something like a team to win go to the DraftKings Sportsbook app select your team and place your bet it’s that simple and if you’re new to DraftKings you got to check this out new customers bet five bucks to get 150 in bonus bets instantly download the DraftKings Sportsbook app now and use code nerds that’s code nerds for new customers to get 150 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings the crown is yours Memphis who you taking Logan sizewise too just one final thing on topic I 66 200 lb 7 foot wingspan like he brings uh that Dimension to which which I like about topit you’re running a big ass lineup out there which is you know where the game’s headed Memphis is in a very interesting spot and I have boiled this down to two players I’ve thought about Dalton connect here at nine for Memphis in terms of what I think he does for this half court offense uh the best way to amplify johnar is to give him shooting and I think the combination of Desmond Bane with Dalton connect on the wing would just be deadly like John Morant getting downhill swinging it out to those guys the actions you can run off of them so connect is interesting I think this is probably about the range that I would take him in his immediate winning skill set the other guy and he’s risen up my draft board pretty significantly I had him into the lottery you know down to 20 and he’s climbed to 12 for me um connecting this guy or side by side I’m really thinking about taking khle we out of Indiana here um whoa big switch from you Logan yeah I I hate watching we shoot free throws every Indiana game I turned on this season dude we was clanging free throws which is so always say yeah but where’s a great defender man he is a great defender like I think it’s in my opinion it’s kind of a a stylistical choice for Memphis right do you want to potentially take your offensive and half court ceiling up a little more or do you want to raise your defensive ceiling right I think Triple J and wear on the inside could be really potent really really intimidating like the rim protection there is is great I I think I’m going to take connect here though um just because I think that’s what Memphis needs a little more I think they need that raise in offense now the the one thing that I’m also debating here is I don’t know how much do you buy into GG Jackson and like Vince Williams ceiling long term too because those guys look really good last year and maybe you’re saying Center is a more important need for them so the guys I would debate between Edy we and connect Ed and Triple J are just a little too clunky to me we I think is a little more mobile makes a little more sense but you know like borderline like connect’s going to be a really good rotation player immediately you know he doesn’t have a super high ceiling so like even if you like Gigi or Vince Williams more I think K’s going to give you a a really solid 20 to 25 minutes a night and uh can start or can come off the bench for you so I think I think he brings you some lineup versatility I think he need brings you some much needed floor spacing and if they do choose to start connect I just think that half court offense gets a lot better with having Bane having connect alongside jaah um they’re just going to amplify ja’s skill set a little more so maybe it’s a little early in terms of long-term upside but uh I think connect just is is a winner immediately and and brings a another dimension that memphis’s offense desperately needs I don’t think it’s early for connect I was actually thinking about taking him with the next pick he is absolutely one of the best offensive players in this class just an absolute knack for scoring can do it in really every way off ball relocating cutting curling off screens and then on ball he’s a pretty solid finisher he’s wellb built and a dynamic shooter of the basketball eats up fouls solid playmaker like he’s just going to fit anywhere offensively and bring you a pretty high floor so I don’t think it’s a reach it would definitely be more of a reach in terms of just their caliber as a prospect to take any of the centers if it’s Kell wear if it’s evees Mei but that is definitely the biggest need for Memphis to me and that’s a reason that I’m not as high on them as a lot of people are going forward it feels like a lot of people are like look at what they found with Vince Williams and gii Jackson they’re going to pick in the top 10 again this year they’re going to get everybody back healthy like why can’t Memphis win the West I’m seeing a lot of people say the concern to me is always going to be their ability to straddle the line between prioritizing their offensive skill and prioritizing what they can do defensively because their foundation in all the years that they’ve been a really good regular season basketball team with jaw has been that dominant defensive front court with Triple J and Steven Adams but the issue has been a lack of halfcourt skill and creation alongside jaw and over all inconsistent shooting if it was Dylan Brooks now even shifting that to a Marcus Smart like that remains a concern but Triple J to me just is not a five he’s not nearly good enough a rebounder as a five he’s not able to do the sort of roaming that he likes to do where he’s most effective is that sort of helps side rim protector that he can do at the four when there’s a big like stevenh Adams holding it down so from that perspective I can definitely see the case for A5 but I do think the is a better Prospect than wear and so I’m good with that pick so at number 10 I’m going to take Ron Holland for the Utah Jazz I think that the Jazz Logan is again gagged he’s hurt I know I thought you were probably going to take Holland before this I’m just in best player available mode if I’m the Jazz like they have young players who I like I think that keonte George right you saw the playmaking this year you saw some of the pull-up shooting the finishing inside the ark was a big question as a prospect it remains that in the league but okay he showed you a little something I really liked Taylor Hendrick as a prospect he didn’t play all that much this year but like those are kind of your eyes and then Walker kastler so you have some young dudes who you’ve invested something in but no really foundational pieces at this point so I do think that Holland is just the best prospect on the board and I think he’s oozing with upside he is absolutely one of the best athletes in this class probably the best athlete in this class and defensively is a big time playmaker incredible recovery ability he’s got a 611 wingspan super long and his motor doesn’t stop and he can really play numerous roles defensively on the perimeter on ball as the low man moves super well laterally so you’re getting a dog on that side of the ball and then offensively he’s a very inconsistent shooter and so the question of what sort of ball handling Ro can he take on is a real one but he’s shown playmaking potential and he finds ways to impact the game offensively without the ball in his hands cutting screening the sort of stuff that you don’t always see from a wing of his size he is willing to do and that’s a great way to weaponize his athleticism at 66 so to me he fits in multiple situations and we’ll see how good of an offensive player he can become but at 10 I’m just going to take those athletic tools I’m I’m going to take that defensive floor and uh Utah’s kind of got a blank slate here so they to me can kind of just take the best guy on the board and that’s Holland fitwise I love it I think there’s a lot of opportunity for Holland in Utah and uh I’m not surprised I was just hoping he would stick around I wanted him at number 11 I thought he fit a little bit better uh with Chicago but I I I like the pick I think it works in Utah I think there’s a lot of opportunity for him to play immediately and get a lot of burn so I think it’s a great pick the thing with Chicago is I think they just need long-term building blocks and they should be taking probably the best player available um I know that a lot of people are conflicted on what they should do considering the fact that like Chicago has like been the epitome of like straddling time lines holding on to LaVine holding on to Dear holding on to vuvi right yeah guys we had a couple of months and a couple of good weeks when Lonzo ball was healthy and this thing looked like it was going to take off and work it didn’t I think we are long past the time for Chicago to move off of those guys so I just want to be clear about this Demar LaVine Vu they have no bearing on this pick like whatsoever to me I I those guys are almost completely irrelevant in terms of like long-term and future outlook I I’m I’m BR was not trying to build a contender around Zack LaVine and the boys sad it’s just not happening I so I’m thinking Twitter mentality classic jenz participation trophy loser crap maybe I mean I didn’t even think the the playoffs next year dude no I’m kidding of course it’s ridiculous that they’re still sticking with this core my full focus is on Iota sununu and uh you know Kobe white is like my long-term like those are my best assets right now um Patrick Williams is likely to get moved to this off season is what we’re hearing so I those guys have nothing now I say best player available the best players available to me on my board at least are probably Isaiah Coler and Rob Dillingham I I don’t really think either of those guys work because again Chicago’s two best young assets are guards and dunu and Kobe white so maybe this is a little bit of a Reach This is actually one pick ahead where he’s on my big board I am going to take kle wear and I would debate him and Edy here at 11 for Chicago uh one this has part to do with my Vendetta against nicoa vuvi I uh think he stinks frankly uh I think vuvi is a loser um he is a floor spacing five who can’t shoot he is limited as a Defender and quite frankly I think the Bulls were better with Andre Drummond on the court when Andre Drummond is your best center we have problems so uh I think weer uh can immediately come in here and be their best defensive big I think he should start immediately I think there’s just a different level of defensive impact than than that comes with vuvi vuvi is a bum to me man like an actual like I I would not pay him I would not have him on my team I think he does very little where maybe this is a little bit of a reach at 11 in terms of like Prospect value but I think they need a center I think they need a center that can defend at a high level and I probably prefer Edy just terms of like as prospects but Ed’s concern is just getting up and down the floor that to me is not a concern with weer I think weer is going to be able to get up and down the floor pretty easily Ed’s like lumbering this is a is a big man kind of scares me a little bit so I’m going to take wear here and uh I’m pretty happy with it I like it kware checks off a lot of the boxes for what you’re looking for from a modern NBA big the floor spacing had a good shooting year not on the highest volume and he’s not a great free throw shooter as you mentioned but apparently had a good prod day there I like the look of his shot then brings you that vertical spacing brings you the rim protection I agree the Bulls to me absolutely need a big and we is a good pick from that perspective so at number 12 Logan the Oklahoma City Thunder one of the most interesting picks in this draft because of how great the thunder already are and the opportunity to add another win now guy in a vacuum maybe people would view this as a reach but on the Carson breber Big Board it is not I’m going to take Tristan da Silva here out of Colorado so the second Colorado Wing who I have taken in the first 12 picks the Thunder have a couple routes that they could go here they could try to add another big alongside Chet because we all know that in some way or another they have to improve their size and their rebounding on the interior they just have to get beefier and More Physical there one route to do that is to add a legitimate Center kle we is off the board now but you could take an Edy you could uh maybe reach for Don Holmes or somebody like that or you could take more of a big forward and to be clear I don’t think that this has to happen just through the draft for OKC because I think that they absolutely have an opportunity to trade for Denny of diaa easily or even the splashier version is trading for Lowry Markin and there’s multiple avenues for them to get a big four but starting at least on the right path to me would be adding Tristan to Silva who like isn’t some super big for some Elite rebounding for but he does add size there 68 200 pretty good positional rebounder and just does a lot of awesome stuff and to me the best outcome for OKC is you add size in the front Court while maintaining what makes you great which is your five out offense your drive and kick ability everybody being able to put the ball on the floor and make decisions and make reads and knock down open jumpers and that is Tristan D Silva like this is an extremely versatile basketball player can defend multiple positions and offensively is a very solid playmaker a 40% three-point shooter a good driver just a very very compete complete player who is ready to contribute now which to me if I’m the Thunder I don’t mind taking a 23y old who I just know is going to be a good basketball player and that to me is a Silva and like really the offensive versatility like this is a guy who you can have make decisions as a short roller I could see him being used as a screener a good bit in OKC or who can be running pick and roll who can make the reads in transition who’s a good finisher around the rim I think that this is a really good basketball player and uh Fitz OKC again this isn’t the move for them but it is absolutely a move in the right direction and I prefer it to going the Center Route yeah I I like this pick a lot I think the sil if it’s like a glove in Oklahoma City and in a lot of ways it’s similar to them taking kesan Wallace to me you know like Kon immediate impact high IQ gonna make the right play gonna fit GNA do the little things the Silva uh does all that I also think he brings you know um some size next to chat in terms of strength like weight like you have a big body kind of four now next to him yeah I I think this is a great fit and I don’t think this is a reach by any means at all top five highest floor in this class very clearly maybe like a top three highest floor yeah yeah I think he’s going to be a winner and just make winning impact plays immediately from day one I’m very happy that I drew uh odd picks in this one because at 13 I get the draft for my Sacramento Kings and hooray there’s a few big needs that Sacramento has I think uh a bench big uh behind domas I think Ed could be interesting in terms of you know maybe 20 minutes a night giving you some energy uh Missy I think they need some Wing depth but considering this guy is still hanging around in the impending free agency of Malik monk um that could have some bearing on this pick for Sacramento I think Sacramento is likely going to lose Malik monk uh they can reportedly offer him a fouryear 78 million deal I’m throwing whatever money he asks but as a contingency plan I think they should take Rob Dillingham and uh I think it works in terms of you know he’s not going to a lead ball handler immediately but I think that’s kind of the beauty in it man you can have him as your six-man immediately come in and fill it up uh is he going to be as impactful as Malik monk no but not by any means man it took Malik years to get to this level but uh just in terms of being worried that uh Malik might leave in free agency and probably get a really fat bag somewhere else I like this and I like it as a role immediately for Rob too so I think Center or six-man is is where the King should go or if there was a wing that they really like where we could stop playing Harrison Barnes that would also be beautiful um unfortunately I don’t know if that Wings in this draft the other guy I would consider and uh who I think maybe is a better fit immediately I really like Antonio Reeds the other Kentucky guard I think uh I think he’s probably a little underrated I wouldn’t take him over Dillingham just because of dillingham’s upside but I think Reeves is a a mediate impact kind of winner now too uh but I like dillingham’s outside a little more be crazy at 13 yeah so I’m going to I’m going to take Dillingham here Dillingham is interesting Let Me Pitch you an option that you hadn’t mentioned what about Devin Carter here who I think a lot of people might be surprised that neither of us have taken and to me if I’m looking at the sort of guy who could compliment uh dearen Fox and when I think about what the king really want to me adding a versatile really good perimeter Defender and a guy who offensively is also versatile right is going to be more of a connective piece than he is the sort of guy who conflicts with dearon fox in terms of how much they’re going to handle the ball who is pro ready 22 years old brings a lot of those winning traits to a team that is trying to take that leap from decent playoff team to really good playoff team maybe somehow work their way up to contender thoughts on that option I don’t hate it I just think it’s a little bit of a reach I have Carter at like 20 uh on my board so I ideally I’d like the Kings to trade down if we were to get Devin and why do you have him so low I mean it’s just one it’s it’s fit two it’s I like other guys more um Carter’s offensive game I could have figured that out I meant what about his game Carter’s offensive game a little bit I’m scared of just translating like he scores 20 points per game this last season but I don’t think his offensive game is as smooth as that suggests like he does a lot of connective things I would just rather have the score um Okay and like herder to me is kind of stamped is like the like two guard like he’s gonna start alongside Fox you know what I mean and then Off the Bench we kind of already have Davon Mitchell so I think Carter’s a good guard like I I I do like Devin Carter in the extra things that he does but I’m just I’m I’m concerned about us losing Malik and I’d rather just have somebody ready to go in that role and I mean dillingham’s probably not going to be super efficient as rookie year he’s probably not going to be like I said no nearly as effective as as Malik monk Malik’s a freak man he’s grown so much since his uh rookie year but yeah if if we are going to lose him I’d like somebody to fill into that role immediately and I think Dillingham uh has a ton of upside too so uh I also think it’s just it’s it’s getting late man we got got to dillingham’s got to go somewhere in the lottery right there’s I don’t know he’s a really interesting Prospect because this class as we’ve talked about is basically devoid of star talents but it is pretty rich with relatively High floor guys who you think project is good role players good starters Dillingham is one of the few dudes who you can see the path to actual offensive startom like he’s just a hell of a shot maker and with the ball in his hands he’s twitch he’s he’s Twitchy he’s jittery he’s a really good ball handler he’s got really good floater touch he’s a really good pull-up shooter he’s a really good catch and shooter he’s got that Dynamic creation off the dribble getting to his step backs and whatnot like if you’re just looking for a tough scoring guard with a deep bag who’s fun to watch like that’s Rob Dillingham he’s that guy but then there is the question of okay does that mean that he’s going to end up being a sixth man for us because uh he’s a mediocre finisher around the rim and he’s slight there and he’s small and he’s not a great vertical athlete he is I would say a good playmaker but not a great one and I don’t know that you’re super confident in him being like your lead guy and then he’s going to really struggle defensively like this dude is small he’s 6-1 with a 6-2 Wings span slight and not very smart defensively not very committed to that end and so there’s no question like he’ll be able to produce enough offensiv he can be a sixth man and that’s sort of like the default thing that we say about these guys who it’s like yeah they’re a tough bucket but I’m not super confident in them being more than that but like really how valuable is that sixth man you know how many teams are knocking on the door to get a Jordan Clarkson like that’s where I do wonder if he could slip or if he would slip if I were the GM for all 30 teams but 13 is an okay spot because like he does have the sort of offensive skill and upside that justifies that I just wonder if the Kings would be better served by having instead of Davon Off the Bench like a bigger stronger longer more offensively skilled complete sort of Davon mold in Devin Carter as your starter bringing you those complimentary things alongside dearen Fox but hey man not my pick so we’re going to wrap this thing up with the Blazers at 14 and uh I’m going to take T Salo here the Frenchman the very raw Frenchman yet another Frenchman goes in our Lottery here Logan Sal to me is just a guy who is oozing with athleticism and is very raw and is going to take time but like if anybody can take on a project to me it’s the Portland Trailblazers they’re not in any rush and they’ve already had a pick earlier in this top 10 we mentioned some of the high picks they’ve had in recent years with shayon sharp and with scoot Henderson so I like salong I like his potential as being a sort of ceiling raising Wing here cuz he’s a freak athlete one of the best athletes in this class and really understands how to weaponize that similarly to like a Ron Holland but maybe even more so I love his instincts as a cutter his three-point shot is improved and I think it looks solid mechanically but it’s still a question he was hovering around 30% this year and sometimes he has these bad misses so like that’s not whatsoever a proven thing for him and I think to some extent his success is going to hinge on that if he becomes a good three-point shooter then I love the guy if his shot is worse than the numbers have indicated up to this point well then that’s a problem because that means he’s probably an offensive liability but there are still ways that he can make up for that with his with his athleticism and really the biggest selling point is what he’s going to bring you defensively I just think he’s pretty destructive as both an on and off ball Defender so you always have the dichotomy of these dudes you can call it the seu deboa to jannis scale right of like these super athletic Wings who are raw as hell do I think that Salon is going to be Giannis no of course not but I do think he’s better than seku nboa so I’m GNA bet on the athleticism I’m going to bet on the defense I’m going to bet on him finding enough ways to produce offensively to where he’s worth taking as a sort of relatively High upside option for Portland there’s nobody else in this range who I’m really losing sleep over them passing up on is there anybody who you look at at 14 who you would like strongly prefer Carter I guess is a guy who I could definitely argue but again that backourt is already crowded yeah that’s what I was going to say is the one guy that um I I thought I would have taken or you would have taken is definitely caller at this point but again I think he needs to go to a spot that needs a guard right you’re not going to go to a spot with a crowded back court and then what just not play all year right that doesn’t make sense I love this pick I love this pick for Portland I think it is is an awesome one I think this is the pick I would have made I love his court awareness engagement like he has one of the best Motors I’ve ever seen from a prospect he does not stop I mentioned this in a pod we did with uh Thunder Chets those guys uh for a Draft preview I compared him to the Energizer Bunny man you stra you strap a battery on his back and he’s ready to go like he just he doesn’t stop if there’s a rebound he’s going to get it if there’s a spot he needs to be in he’s going to be there uh I just think I think he’s a a really impactful rebounder and Defender immediately and then like you said if his shot comes along bam he’s like a dream three iny wing and Portland and I again I love the fit too with Portland Portland is in no rush to compete immediately right they got a lot of young assets they got a very young team and like thinking about another guy they drafted last year like if Ryan ruper like pops too dude that’s a special uh defensive front court that you got to really uh yeah The French Connection man uh you know that that’s a great Duo of wings there that have a really high defensive ceiling if both of those guys pop so I love that I was thinking about taking him earlier too for even like uh the Kings man I I think that guy um I just love his motor man I I love the energy that he brings to the court and uh he’s got a really he’s got a high upside too man uh 7 foot one wingspan 6’9 200 lb and he’s just 18 years old uh I like a lot of the stuff he does yeah crazy athlete and the biggest thing with those guys is do you know how to weaponize that and just with his effort with his motor with his movement I think that Salon does all right Logan we’re done here with the lottery who is the guy and you sort of touched on this who you’re most surprised didn’t go yeah I I know you weren’t as high as I am on caller I think relative to uh most draft places too I think I’m I’m higher on Collier I I just love his his strength his physicality as a driver man I think he’s got really good touch and body control on drives I like him out of the pick and roll and I think he’s got uh legitimate upside um is an off the dribble like shot Creator there’s multiple games this year where he’s hitting you know two plus threes off the dribble with range I just think coler’s got a really high offensive ceiling and again I just want want him to go to a spot where he can get a lot of touches uh I think Utah is an interesting landing spot if they don’t want to go with Ron Holland I would take Holland over caller if he is available I just think he’s the better Prospect but I want him to go to a team with a relatively shallow backcourt where he can play and get real minutes and then the other guy is probably Zack Edy and I know again Ed is a very polarizing player uh whatever you think about about him man I think Edie is going to be a guy give you 20 to 25 solid minutes a night is that worth using a pick in the lottery I don’t know that’s for teams to decide and I think that’s likely why Ed is going to slip uh but I think that guy’s a winner and is going to provide a winning impact immediately so uh for sure the two guys highest on my board that we didn’t take uh Collier and Edy I do like Edy again I think that there’s a lot of animosity directed towards him because of how dominant he was in college and people often don’t like the play style of that guy is so big and nobody can stop him but guess what when you are the sort of massive human being that Zach is when you’re 74300 lbs and you’re actually coordinated and you’re actually pretty fluid and you actually have good touch in the paint like turns out that’s incredibly difficult to stop he posted up more in his college season than I believe every NBA team did in a season that’s more than twice the length with you know 15 players on their team versus just one guy that’s going to be a problem in terms of mismatch attacking the thing for him is really just who are the teams out there who uh would justify that draft pick in terms of positional need and I think that you could have gone with him at 11 for the Bulls you could have gone with him maybe at 13 for the Kings outside of that though 12 again some people will sell for the Thunder but I just think plotting Zach Yi in this team that is so much about playing fast and playing Five out it’s not really as good of a fit as it may seem on paper because they’re adding a center but I think there’s going to be someone in the late teens who takes him if he got all the way to New Orleans at 21 like that would be a a really good pick for them and it’s still applauding big like yonas valent chunis but it’s a dude who can actually really defend on the interior which I think would make that an improvement alone and you’d probably want to add another versatile big but you could sort of have two looks that you can go at it with but Ed will go somewhere I think in that mid first round by the early 20s Jared McCain another guy who just a really good pure shooter one of the best in the class and competes defensively a solid playmaker who I could see going in the lottery but I do think Devin Carter is probably the guy who’s most likely to go Lottery who we didn’t take today because I’ve seen him shooting up draft boards and I do think he brings a lot of safe winning traits that you’re going to be able to bet on what was your favorite pick of the mock Logan either by you or by me I think my favorite pick actually might be Ron Holland to to Utah man I think that’s a really good fit like again I want Holland to go to a spot where there’s not like a a really well- defined hierarchy where it’s a team that’s figuring things out iea Portland Utah right there very much in progress uh where he can you know play freely to make mistakes right that’s a lot of things with these like young prospects man they just need to play right you need to they need to get better they they need time where they can mess stuff up and and grow from those mistakes and uh you know like scoot wasn’t great in Portland but that’s experience right and and I I look at a guy like Ron Holland and I just think he needs he just needs more playing time and Utah is in no way like pressed to win games right now they’re on a deep timeline so yeah just I love Holland I think he’s going to be a great player and uh I think the opportunity that he would be be presented in uh in Utah really works um so yeah I really like Holland to uh to Utah at 10 thanks man here are my favorite picks you taking SAR at one I wish that the Atlanta Hawks would do that I hope that they will reash at seven to Portland I thought was a very good fit and then I really like what I did with the Spurs I thought them Landing both Cody Williams and topich at 4 and8 would be a pretty good outcome so I’m excited man we still got a week left until the draft and we’re going to be coming with more coverage so stay tuned for that we are also going to be bringing in some trivia content soon we’re going to have a bunch of guests throughout the summer and that will be starting by the beginning of next week so stay tuned for all of that also I do still have a YouTube video coming on an aspect of the Celtics Championship success I won’t say exactly what but I’ll be giving a little bit of love to a couple of key guys in that title run so stay tuned for that as well and with that as always appreciate you guys you can find us really uh everywhere you can watch all the full shows on YouTube you can listen to shows across audio platforms you can check us out across social Tik Tok Instagram at nerd SES Twitter nerd cores you can check out our merch atthe volume. comom and you can join our Discord the link to that is at the link tree across our social media bios and you know what Logan this is the summer of greatness I don’t know if you guys have heard I proclaimed it to be so and this is going to be a great offseason I made a Tik Tok yesterday I don’t know if you saw this in which the whole premise was okay let’s do impressions of these NBA players but it doesn’t sound anything like them okay and I posted that and everybody just said oh Carson’s losing his mind oh this is going to be a long offseason dude we’re not even 24 hours into the off season first of all it was a great idea and you guys should have all loved it and second of all we got plenty of stuff cooking for you guys in the offseason we started off with a bang The Impressions video which everybody should have loved and if you didn’t you were wrong and it’s just going to be bang after bang after bang we’re going to be banging for the next two months straight so with that as always I’ve been Carson braber what you heard me brother I’ve been Logan Camden and this was nerd SES

The nerds do an NBA Mock Draft, discussing whether the Atlanta Hawks should take Alex Sarr or Zaccharie Risacher to pair with Trae Young, how the San Antonio Spurs can build around Victor Wembanyama by adding Cody Williams and Nikola Topic, and how the OKC Thunder can improve their title chances by adding Tristan Da Silva.

Timeline:
0:00 Hawks at #1
6:12 Wizards at #2
11:20 Rockets at #3
15:40 Spurs at #4
21:01 Pistons at #5
26:20 Hornets at #6
31:38 Blazers at #7
36:13 Spurs at #8
43:40 Grizzlies at #9
49:00 Jazz at #10
51:25 Bulls at #11
55:00 Thunder at #12
58:38 Kings at #13
1:05:15 Blazers at #14

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