NBA Draft Preview: Most Overrated & Underrated Prospects, Best Sleepers, Edey to Lakers? | Nerd Sesh

NBA Draft Preview: Most Overrated & Underrated Prospects, Best Sleepers, Edey to Lakers? | Nerd Sesh

let’s talk draft now Logan we’ve got a bunch of sort of Rapid Fire questions that we’re going to cover today just to preview the class overall we did our mock on Wednesday you guys can go watch that we uh picked for every Lottery team as we would if we were GMS and we were not worried about the consensus in that process this was about our personal opinion so with that being said Logan who is the player you are highest on versus the consensus in this class I’ve talked about this gentleman a lot uh if you’ve been tuned into nerd s for some time now uh it’s definitely Isaiah CER point guard out of USC uh I’ve seen CER get mocked uh mid- teens the late 20s uh in a lot of mocks I think call your grades is a you know top 10 guy for me I think he has the potential to be the best point guard in this draft class uh I I love the makeup of what CER does um he’s a strong uh Stout point guard uh I love his process out of the pick and roll I love how he uses his physicality on drives against everybody um I think he’s got the makeup to be a really good two-way player he’s got you know great hustle and energy even his like a you know a helps side kind of guy on drives I think haer has the potential to be a really good Defender but I I I like his makeup is a potential lead ball handler man I like his touch he’s got a decent floater game and I’ve love the flashes of the off the dribble shooting that we’ve seen from him he’s got a ways to go there in terms of consistency but he’s had games where he’s knocking down uh shots from really deep from behind the arc where he’s you know hitting these off the dribble kind of moves and he’s very very young I think a lot of people are sleeping on it man I I really like Collier but the biggest thing to me that is going to translate in the league is how strong he is I just love how physical of a driver he is I think that’s going to translate really well to the league and go back and watch some tape on him man like he he’s good at finishing uh you know against like really big guys who are a lot bigger than him man I don’t think that’s going to be a problem at the next level so yeah I I would take him and we didn’t take him in the mock and that’s not uh an issue of talent for me it’s an issue of fit you know I want Coler to go someplace where he can actually get burn and get minutes immediately I don’t want him to get drafted and go to a team where he’s going to be buried on the bench for a couple of years I want the guy to get immediate experience and and play so him not going in our mock draft was not an issue of you know my evaluation of his talent it’s it’s more of a stylistical fit but for me it’s CER I I love the makeup of his game I’m not quite as high on Coler as you are I would not have him as a top 10 guy for example and I think really the key for him in a number of categories is just going to be consistency for those who don’t know this is Isaiah CER from USC he was a super super highly regarded High School Prospect top three guy in the class it’s going to be about the consistency of the shot it’s going to be about the consistency of his decision decision making which could be pretty reckless at times and I’m just not as sure that I’m as high on like some of the ceiling stuff with him like I don’t really see that a trait for Isaiah Coler I absolutely think the strength but when I look at the overall athleticism in terms of verticality like I think that he’s a solid athlete defensively I like how he competes I think his frame is good there but he’s like 62 and a half with the 65 wingspan like he’s not a really big guard so just doesn’t have a standout enough trait for me to sell him as a top 10 Prospect when there’s also some concerns some question marks in his game so for me a guy who’s very much on the flip side of that another pack 12 guy is Tristan D Silva out of Colorado 23 years old as Pro ready as anybody in this class just is in the exact archetype of the sort of player that any Contender should be looking to pick up in the mid first if you can OKC we were just talking about at 12 you want a big forward who can rebound who can playmake who can shoot who can put the ball on the floor who can defend multiple positions Tristan Silva is a really good option there especially if it’s like you get him and then you add an adilla and then you add a Larry Markin and then I think that their front Court would be looking amazing I’m just incredibly confident in him being a good basketball player the other guy who has definitely more of a range of outcomes is niik atopic who has been falling recently in this draft process and has gone from a guy who was viewed as a sort of top five Prospect to now maybe falling out of the lottery entirely because he tore his ACL that seems to be sort of the prevailing concern but I think there’s a strong case that he’s the best offensive player in this class he is a really effective driver very Shifty great change in Pace really good below the rim finisher great touch around the rim he’s the best passer in this class 67 bunch of angles there really Dynamic creative passer like awesome feel with the roller super efficient Creator out of both pick and roll and isolation the concern with him offensively is just what is he as an off the dribble shooter what is he in terms of his floater touch his intermediate game because he hasn’t been great there but I think that his touch I mean he’s an amazing free throw shooter like 87% there makes me relatively confident in that shot projecting and if it does I think he’s one of very few guys in this class with a sort of star ceiling offensively and defensively I think he’s always going to have issues he just not a particularly good athlete Logan you said last show that he was listed with a seven foot wingspan just want to clear up because that’s what his Camp had been pushing for a long time it’s actually not the case it was measured at like 66 why were they lying by so much I don’t know pretty silly a it didn’t look like a s foot wingspan on tape it wasn’t helping him defensively clearly and you knew that it was going to get measured at some point but I do worry about him defensively but I just think again if he’s maybe the best offensive player in this class and he’s going 15 and I think because of his size he at least won’t be like relentlessly targeted defensively I really like the guy and uh in a vacuum I would definitely take him in the top 10 on the flip side of this Logan who is the player who you are lowest on versus the consensus in this class projected number one overall pick in some mocks uh Zachary Ras uh is probably the guy I’m lowest on and not by much you know I think Ras is a lottery guy to Fringe top 10 uh we took him seventh in the mock I think that’s about right for I just don’t understand the number one pick hype there’s a lot of concerns for me in terms of just how well-rounded he’s going to be uh one my primary concern is if this is a guy that you’re going to put the ball in his hands a lot doesn’t create a lot of downhill pressure right isn’t the greatest ball handler passer you know his one standout trait is that he shoots really well so you know great that’s a really valuable skill to have but what else does he do for you offensively is what I question you know he chot 44% of his looks from behind the ark overwhelmingly his shot pallet is just threes and then defensively I worry about him he has slight of frame he’s not the greatest athlete yeah I just worry about how he impacts the game really outside of his shooting you know I I’d much rather take a guy who has a better athletic profile who can create more downhill pressure uh you know who’s maybe shot as a project but does a lot of other great things uh I trust his shot I I really do and I think he brings that immediately but I just I worry about reash and all the other areas other than his shot and again this isn’t a criticism of him as as a prospect it’s just I don’t really understand where the the number one pick hype is coming from obviously this is a weak class and so you look at it differently it’s especially weak in terms of the top but I do think there’s a much clear-cut path to start him for like an alexar even though he has his offensive limitations because if you’re a dominant defensive big and then you do enough things offensively good finisher off the roll he’s shown flashes of floor spacing flashes of connective passing there’s just a much clearer path there if you’re just a straight up three in D Wing you can be a really good NBA player but there’s really no path to stardom when you have the sort of limitations as an off the dribble Creator and finisher around the rim that reash does in my opinion so he would definitely be on my short list here as well and not to be anti French because I’m not I’m going to learn French you guys okay I’ve got Spanish and Italian in my bag French is up next my father’s name is Pierre so don’t accuse me of any sort of anti-french bias cuz I can see all you guys I can see your head’s working already it might be ton Salon who has just like been shooting up draft boards and I was with the initial rise like this guy is one of the most special athletes in this class I think he has the potential to be one of the best defenders in this class absolutely and uh I think he’s very good at weaponizing his athleticism ISM super high motor really good cutter his three-point shot has improved like I really like that sort of profile for salon and what he can grow into but now I’m seeing him as like a top six top eight guy on a lot of people’s boards and a lot of people’s mocks and I would probably be more inclined to take him somewhere in that 10 to 14 range I definitely see the ceiling and it’s a higher ceiling than you get with some of these guys who maybe I would take in the top 10 but in this class I am leaning more on Whose floor am I confident in who do I think can really be a contributor to winning especially because so many teams Logan are just closer than they’ve ever been like so many teams have a building block or two and those winning players if you’re confident you’re going to land one are really really valuable and I just think it’s a couple years before Salon is doing anything meaningful in the league so I just think the questions about creation off the dribble are very real the handle is not polished and three-point shot is still a question mark so this is what I said last time the Spectrum for a guy like this is sort of like the seku nboa to jannis Spectrum and I can see the Intrigue of The Upside I can also see the concerns with the downside and that makes me maybe a little less high on him than some of these people who he’s rocketed up the board are okay Logan who is your favorite sleeper talent in this draft and by sleeper we’re not talking like deep second round just because we’ve mostly been focused on lottery we’re talking late first early second round kind of guys who you just love oh no I actually did write two late second round guys down um these guys I’m really surprised that they’re not mocked I’ve seen so many spots uh not mocked to get taken until either like late second round in the 50s or undrafted completely one of these guys that I’ve seen uh that has been undrafted in a lot of mocks is Quinton post out of Boston College now I understand a little bit why he’s not getting mocked he’s 24 years old he’s one of the oldest prospects in this class but you talk about drafting guys with really high floors and I think this guy can play immediately um he’s a really big set not really big Center but he’s a big guy 7 foot 244 PBS 7 foot2 and a half wingspan he’s just really skilled for a guy this size like uh he shot 43% on three threes a game he’s a guy who can attack close outs he can really put the rock on the floor and I love his touch man he’s got a floater game he’s got post hooks he’s got post Fades he’s got great touch on layups now on the flip side like he’s a limited athlete and I question maybe his defensive ceiling uh but he racked up nearly two blocks per game Boston College was 22 points worse per honor possessions with him off the floor than on like he’s just a really skilled stretch five and I think in the modern NBA you know this is just a really rare archetype that you wouldn’t see 10 years ago that you wouldn’t see uh 20 years ago now as it is with all of these kind of limited athletes uh you know skilled guys where does he fall on the like Frank Kaminsky to you know Luke Cornett Spectrum like where does he fall on that that’s the whole Spectrum I’m not no no these are the guys on the low end these are guys on the low end I was going to say bro I’ll just pass um what’s the highend man like Brad Miller what’s what’s the highend SK oh my gosh Cal bear Ryan Anderson know what are you talking about there’s a bunch of skilled stretch bigs well I don’t know are you just talking offensively I yeah I put on the high end is like a Nico lavich right that’s the kind of high-end like uh stretch five I guess like limited athlete but I I say limited athlete I still don’t think he’s going to be like a negative I think the guy can legitimately protect the rim I think he’s a good Defender you know he’s not like a complete bum there I think he can actually do it and he’s really experienced um but just how skilled he is like I think this guy has legitimate touch I think he can attack Closeouts I think he’s deceptive um he’s got a great pump fake in getting into the lane he’s just too damn big and too damn skilled for me to not see this guy like at least getting a crack at the league and it really surprises me that he’s not getting mocked to get draft I think he’s really skilled and then the other guy I want to give a shout to is uh Antonio Reeves out of Kentucky same kind of thing as Quinton post he’s an older guy in this class he’s 23 years old but Reeves has had a lot of experience uh he’s 6’5 190 lbs 6’8 wingspan uh and he’s a Kentucky guard man he reminds me a lot of a manual quickly in some ways guards good shooter I think you can run actions for him if it’s spot up colel like around screens great at attack and Closeouts he’s a really good pull-up shooter great floater game uh good at running in transition I think you’re looking at a really skilled bench scorer and maybe that’s not the most intriguing thing to teams but again in a draft like this I want guys who can just play and I think Antonio Reeves can step into the league immediately and I think he can play and give you a solid 20 minutes a night again I don’t think you’re looking at superstars in either of these guys but I think they can both ball and they’re really really skilled talents again I don’t know if it’s the age thing but I think these two guys are much too skilled to not get drafted so I am looking in a different range for this question now you are talking about truer sleepers good for you I’m just talking about guys who I really like in that late first early second range first one Logan I I’m so thrilled that I get to shout out a California Golden Bear and truly believe it I love Jaylen Tyson man transfer from Texas Tech who just absolutely popped this past year to me one of the most versatile players in this class and the sort of wing who I am just incred incredibly confident in succeeding because of that a lot of that versatility is on the offensive end like this is a guy who is very effective with the ball in his hands he was super efficient as a pick and roll Creator 77th percentile 71st percentile isolation Creator and that is a combination of scoring skill and his passing ability like he is a pretty athletic and really strong downhill driver and he’s Shifty he’s a little bit tough to stay in front of as well but then he also has pretty legit passing touch and anticipation he can see various angles at his height he also has quite a nice postgame 74th percentile postup player and he’s got again the physicality solid touch on turnarounds and he can pass out of all of these actions but then it’s a lot of the complimentary stuff that he does as well he’s an excellent cutter he is a willing screener at his size super valuable in the league to be able to do this many things he’s a solid three-point shooter I think you want to see him more consistent there but 36% from Deep 80% from the line like he’s pretty much good at everything offensively not necessarily great at anything but good at everything and then he’s an elite positional rebounder average like seven boards a game and a really versatile Defender so the production was outstanding he gave you 27 and three and a half on 56% true shooting and because he has so many positive traits so many things that he has at least slightly above average at I think there’s clearly a role for him at the next level kind of regardless of where you put him the other guy also a very productive college player who just has a lot of traits that I think translates another guy who is really good at a number of things that’s Kyle filipowski who college basketball fans will be much more familiar with because he’s one of the best players in the country at Duke I really love this guy’s offensive versatility as well here we’re talking about a big but a big who has like some Wing traits like really comfortable handling really comfortable putting the ball on the floor small sample size but he averaged 1.2 points per off the dribble jumper this year now his jump shot is something of a question because he’s like 32% from Deep over two seasons and about 72% from the line but I like his shot I’m confident in him being at least an average three-point shooter and then you have this guy who has good touch as a finisher it’s sort of inconsistent with him in terms of how much he embrac is the physicality down there but I wouldn’t say that he’s consistently overwhelmed and then has a really nice polished post game he’s got turnarounds he’s got spins he’s got hooks he can just do everything that you want from a big or even a wing he can post up he can roll he can isolate and attack mismatches there he can spot up he’s a good cutter like he was above average efficiency through every single one of those play types that I just mentioned and then he does a lot of connective stuff as a passer he’s very capable there he even ran just eight pick and rolls but he averaged 1.25 points per possession there so like I do think he has some ability to create off the dribble and do some of that creative inverted pick and roll stuff at the next level but really whatever role you put him in offensively he’s going to bring you value and then defensively I think again he’s versatile he can play multiple pick and roll coverages I think that he’s a guy you’re comfortable switching he guards well in space he doesn’t have the sort of like Elite Rim protection the sort of elite athleticism to like really really hold it down at the five for you but I think if he’s mostly playing the four some minutes at the five you’re getting good value on both sides of the ball and again it’s that versatility I’m just very confident in him being a quality NBA player and so that’s the selling point to me with both those guys it’s just floor versatility that I really buy into okay Logan I’m gonna ask you a specific question about two of the top prospects in this draft because we talk about Philip palski being one of the most prominent college guys two of the absolute most prominent college guys who just won a title together are very close on a lot of draft boards and very well may both be top five picks that being Stefan castle and Donovan kingan from Yukon which of those two do you prefer as a prospect I think it depends really on coward what you want I’m going to say castle because of positional value uh I just think a guard with his skill set is just a little harder to find and I don’t mean that in any disrespect to kingan kingan’s a special rim protector and I think both I think kingan’s probably going to be better as a rookie like I think he’s just going to be more impactful um in terms of how he can change the game completely defensively so I think I like kingan’s floor a little more I like Castle’s ceiling a little more uh and again I think it’s harder to find these doit all really athletic guards than it is to find a good rim protector uh and so that’s why I I would take Castle I think his ceiling is is way higher who am I more confident in being a winning and immediate impact guy it’s clinging for sure but I really really like Castle ceiling man so I totally agree with everything you just said there’s no question kingan has the higher floor there’s no question that castle has the higher ceiling so to some extent I guess it comes down to how big do you think the Gap in ceiling is and how confident are you in Castle reaching his ceiling I’m going to lean him even though I don’t have like resounding answers to those questions like I do worry about his shot and I worry about him not really having an A+ trait offensively although he’s a really good athlete and he’s quite a good passer like I don’t think that you’re giving him A+ grades there and then I uh worry about the shot and if you struggle as a shooter you struggle as a touch shot maker like you’re not going to be a lead ball handler in this league if he gets to be okay there if he’s average then I think you’re looking at a stud because even though most of the time when you look at a guard who shot you’re worried about it’s kind of like hey I’m probably going to stay away from that guy he does so many other things because of his athleticism and his length defensively he’s just an insane competitor there because he’s one of the best offensive rebounding and just an excellent overall rebounding guard there is still a floor there he’s going to be able to impact the game without scoring not like Clint cuz kingan is going to be an elite rim protector he’s going to be an elite rebounder he’s a super efficient post scorer really good finisher coordinated soft touch and he’s massive and he’s a good passer this one’s tough for me this one is really really tough I honestly hadn’t decided when I started answering this question but I do feel like you kind of know what best case scenario for kingan is and it’s just a good starter and Castle can be more than that but my confidence quotient in kingan being a good starter is like crazy crazy high like this dude will not fail I guarantee you he will be a good NBA player and he will be a pretty damn good NBA player as a rookie you think about what Walker Kesler could do imagine if that guy was bigger and uh just better offensively in every way right even more physical even more skilled better passer that’s kind of what you’re getting with Donovan kingan all right speaking of high floors Logan if you were to put together a starting five of the highest floor guys in this this class because that’s a theme that we’ve talked about betting on floors with these dudes maybe as opposed to ceilings in other classes who’d be in that starting five for you uh I would start Castle actually I think his floor with what he brings in the aggregate you know you question his shot I I still have him here um with his defensive ceiling or excuse me with his defensive floor with his athletic floor I think he does so many other great things I think he’s still going to be a really good player uh I’d say Reed Shepard with his shoot I think just brings you a yeah he’s going to be great like and I think he’s going to be around for a long time like I think that’s just going to keep him around and he does other great things too um I think he’s got legitimate point guard chops handling out of the pick and roll I think he’s a good decision maker I like his handle I like a lot of what Reed Shepard brings connect with his experience I think that dude is just wired to get Buckets I think he’s immediately going to come in and probably give a team 10 to 15 efficiently maybe more um good spot up player good in the mid-range good everywhere I just think this is a guy that you’re going to be able to run actions for and he’s going to get Buckets buellis is also here for me at the four spot and while I question his offensive game you know I really wonder where buus is going to get consistent offense from from the perimeter like I I wonder about his shot I wonder about his off the dribble game but good cutter um he’s a good shooter from the corners too I think buellis at the bare minimum is going to be a good corner Corner shooter if you need him to be you know if you just need him to go sit over there I think he can do that but what he does uh playmaking he’s a good decision maker can handle a little bit it’s really about what he brings defensively as a helps side guy uh and a rim protector it just positioning I always trust buzel to be in the right spot at the right time he’s great in transition so I like that about his game and then I think kingan has to be the pick here at the five that guy he might be the highest floor guy in this class kingan is you said it well man I’m I’m so conf that guy is just going to be great immediately uh so I think he’s a no-brainer there yeah it’s clinging or Shephard for the highest floor and a Silva so those are a pretty easy three in my starting five in my backourt I’m going to go with a guy who we really haven’t talked about maybe he doesn’t literally have one of the five highest floors I don’t care he’s a super high floor guy and I really like his game and I think he probably does that’s Tyler KCK out of Marquette another guy who was a great college basketball player 23 years old but like this is just an incredibly mature offensive player when you’re thinking about what you want from either a Awesome backup point guard or like a really solid starting point guard along a more Dynamic scoring too because you need to have a dynamic scoring guard in the league today but like you can bring value just as being an awesome playmaker who is a solid scorer like that’s coak and I do think that he’s legit a good scorer as well like he’s quick he’s Shifty he’s just incredibly crafty as awesome touch as a finisher and he’s a really really awesome shooter up close to 40% from deep but then as a passer like just very very selfless makes all the reads so his limitations are kind of the same of any small guard who’s not a great athlete because this guy is small he’s 6-1 with a 63 wingspan defensively although I think that he competes that means he is going to be targeted offensively that presents some issues in terms of finishing against NBA rim protection but man he tends to Chisel his way to his spot and get up a pretty good look I just am very confident in him being a good offensive player and he’s going to get attacked defensively but he has the right mentality and he’s just a a dog dude and a leader just a guy who I would want on my basketball team my last spot here I’m gonna go with Devin Carter out of Providence and he’s not my favorite Prospect overall but the reason that he’s so high on draft boards right now is unequivocally the floor there’s a theme with a lot of these guys they tend to be older Carter 22 years old and uh is just going to do a lot of things that help winning basketball offensively he’s versatile there’s really nothing that he can’t do at at least a decent level this is a guy who will screen for you this is a guy who will cut away from the ball pretty good shooter physical driver solid playmaker and then defensively is really really going to compete the reason that I’m not as high on him as some is I do think that his ceiling is pretty darn low if you’re talking about taking him top 10 but I think that that floor is still really high and I’ll give an honorable mention here to Zach EDI because I’m just pretty darn confident in his combination of overwhelming size and physicality and pretty good touch out of the post and then his size and all those same traits as a rle man and the pure Rim protect ction Zack Ed is going to get 18 minutes a night in the NBA for quite some time I’m pretty confident about that another guy though where the ceiling maybe isn’t as high and the fit isn’t intuitive in every spot because a lot of teams aren’t dying to add a a lumbering five as like their starting guy and their only real option at the five because he’s going to struggle to guard in space but he’s going to produce he’s going to produce in his minutes on the floor I can tell you that much all right Logan last question and then we’re going to get into some very specific teams how we think they should approach the draft who we didn’t touch on in our Lottery mock who do you think is most likely to trade up into the top five in this class this draft is interesting because you know there are so many there’s not a lot of high ceiling guys in this class is is you know previous years so I think you really have to you know have full confidence in a guy if you’re trading up to to make the deal the only team that really makes sense to me is Memphis moving up from nine because they have such a major positional need at the Five Spot and the one guy who I think is a concrete home run like the guy is going to be great is Donovan kingan and so I think it addresses probably their biggest need uh which is at the five spot and I think him and Jen Jackson Jr immediately would be a really potent uh interior you know combination so again I think you have to be really confident that the guy you’re getting is gonna work is gonna fit is going to be great and Memphis has one of the biggest needs there at the Five Spot in the draft and so I again also I think they have an asset that makes it intriguing right uh for a team later in the draft if you were picking it in the late 20s you’d have to attach a bunch of assets to move up for Memphis it’s actually attainable because you give the team the ninth pick you give them one player bang boom you know both sides are happy and uh they get their guy so uh I would say Memphis trading up to get kinging is probably the most likely outcome yeah it’s very very feasible and it’s been rumored that Memphis wants to do this so I don’t know exactly what that package would look like maybe it’s the ninth pick in a future first maybe it is the ninth pick and I don’t think that they would want to trade a Vince Williams or anybody like that they don’t want to trade Marcus Smart it’s been reported but even if it’s another second on top of that future first that’s fine to me the Gap in terms of security that you’re getting between Donovan kingan and whoever you’d be picking at nine and crucially the positional need because I just don’t think think that Memphis can proceed with Triple J at the five I think that their defense falls off a cliff I think that his inadequacies as a rebounder what you lose when he’s not allowed to roam as the four like Stephen Adams was really important to this team’s success and I understand that you’re limiting your ceiling offensively when you have a non-floor spacing five but I think that it offsets uh the value with what you’re gaining defensively because it’s just crucial Memphis kind of has to be a great team defense to really succeed I think that requires putting a five alongside Triple J kingan is the perfect kind of dude so I would say it’s probably Houston who you target at three because Houston really has no reason to sit there and pick trading with the division rival but I think it’s very possible and I think it could end up being a real win-win all right Logan so we mocked the full Lottery on Wednesday but I want to talk about some of the more specific teams who are contending who are maybe bigname franchises who’s plans we didn’t get to touch on at all we’re going to work our way chronologically through after the lottery starting with the Miami Heat at pick 15 where would you like them to go and to be clear too uh for logical continuity purposes I’m going to go based off of our Lottery the guys that are already gone are not going to be available here oh interesting I’m not going to do that okay uh but but I don’t play by the rules so keep that in mind Miami I think uh if Devin Carter is available at 15 would be a real uh good get and I just think he I don’t know man he seems like a Miami Heat kind of player like doing all the little things being a good Defender rebounding little stuff like that and I think it’s a big need for them right they’ve got hakz they’ve got yovic they’ve got their young wings that they’re going to bank on so I think uh they should go ahead and get a guard I think it’s probably the biggest need for them and uh again I think Carter’s just a real winner man he seems like a real gritty kind of Miami Heat basketball player the one thing that I’m concerned about is shooting right around Jimmy Butler you want legitimate floor spacers so maybe you would prefer a Jared McCain maybe here but uh I really like Devin Carter and all of his winning traits and he just seems like he would fit uh with Miami’s culture so I’m going with him at 15 to Miami like it I think that’d be great I think that Carter is probably not GNA be there this guy might not be there either but Tristan dilva to me would be the dream and by the way this will not be the last time that I mentioned Tristan to Silva because I think he’s the dream for a lot of teams that are in the position where you’re already proven as a playoff team who do you want a pro ready big Wing who can defend multiple positions playmake everything that I already talked about I would just love that and especially in Miami because although they’ve added size they are still quite small I think that that would be a really meaningful upgrade for them uh and if niika topic Falls that far also just to give an alternate I think that having that sort of offensive injection would be really nice for them because we know that that sort of lack of all-around skill is an issue I would probably prioritize having a real quality forward but they need more offensive skill topich could bring that maybe it conflicts with hero and rir but I just think that’d be a really good value pick plus then you have niika toich and niika yic and that’s sick okay how about the Sixers Logan just one pick after them at 16 uh I would take Terence Shannon junr here uh if I’m Philly uh I with Kelly UB potentially maybe getting priced out for Philadelphia I think he’d be a good replacement I like a lot of the things Shannon brings uh playing with physicality getting downhill uh quickness athleticism and I like his shot it’s a little janky but it’s also just really hard to evaluate lefties shooting the basketball even as a even as a left-hander myself man I just can’t it just looks a little not aesthetic it just looks a little funky man uh yeah man the way lefties shoot the ball but I I like Shannon’s fit here uh you know I think he bring some perimeter defense to uh again you’re looking for pieces that just fit and Philadelphia has got a lot of question marks I think they only have like two guys under contract for next season Paul Reed and embiid uh but again potentially G League MVP Paul Reed don’t forget that if UB leaves I think Teran Shannon Jr would be a good replacement also I’m considering jacobe Walter here but I’m a little more confident uh in tan shanon Jr and and what he brings uh elsewhere than jacobe yeah I think most people would definitely say that this is a reach for Shannon but also it’s like you’re fine taking a 24 year old he’s basically 24 if you’re Philly you just want dudes who can impact winning now but I had again written down Tristan to Silva as the dream but I think that he probably goes before this and then I had jacobe Walter as the other guy I just think that upgrading on the wings is going to be the priority for them and maybe that’s going out and getting a big star like Paul George but I think it’s just overall maintaining your versatility there and uh Walter I think you have some questions about his finishing around the rim he wasn’t great there he’s a guy who there have been questions about like how much of a non-ball Creator is he because there’s been flashes of playmaking he’s definitely got some wiggle but like not a super Advanced shot Creator but I just don’t think matters all that much in Philly I think you can just take whatever little bits of juice as a passer and creater off the bounce that you get from him mostly it’s going to be about him knocking down his triples and it’s going to be about him defending and he rebounds well for a guard he moves pretty well laterally he got a 610 wingspan he’s a little bit slight but I still think he would be overall a positive contributor at least as much as you could expect from a guy of his age basically 20 in that sort of three andd role I just like to see Philly go Wing I think that’s definitely what makes the most sense okay how about the Lakers Logan one pick behind them at number 17 the Lakers pick is interesting here because last year if you remember they took Jaylen Hood chafino over like HZ they took him oversky y yeah and I’m just talking about like immediate impact guy so it really depends on what the front office wants to do if they want to punt and like move on a different timeline I would probably take a young guy I don’t think that makes sense I think you take a winning asset that helps Leon James Anthony Davis right now uh so I would probably take a guard I would either take Devin Carter if he’s here or I would take J McCain I don’t think Devon Carter is gonna be available so I think I would take Jared McCain just in terms of shot making he brings you another guard that can actually hit shots you need that uh with D’s inconsistency I’m not the highest on McCain just because of his like well-rounded impact smaller guard right I worry about him defensively but he brings me some Poise he brings me a little bit of playmaking and he brings me shooting which the Lakers desperately desperately need in that back court and they need help there so I’m not the biggest uh fan of McCain’s game but I think he works here in La that’s interesting I think it is a good choice because I do think that McCain at least competes defensively and that’s what you ideally would like you want a guard who can bring you the combination of some defensive grit and some offensive skill so it’s not either Reeves and DLo two very offensively oriented guards or one and then V or Cam reddish right athlete to defend but a real offensive limitations Gabe Vincent was sort of supposed to be the best balance of the two McCain would be a good pick in that sense I also think though the other spot that you’re looking at is uh adding a second quality big so you don’t ever have to worry about Jackson Hayes minutes that’s sort of where I’m leaning I’ve seen a lot of people talking about Edy to the Lakers and I can actually really see that now I would not want to see ad and Ed out on the floor together much because I think that LA’s offense thrived last year because of how much skill they had out there because of the fact that they really embraced five out and it made them one of the best offenses in the league down the stretch but when it comes to the non 80 minutes like he’s going to be a problem for teams to guard he’s especially going to be a problem for second units to guard and he’s going to maintain at least that Rim protection and that rebounding on the inside the other alternative to have a guy who is more palatable playing alongside 80 would be kware because you’re bringing floor spacing you’re bringing a bit mobility and athleticism compared to Ed and I will say One Last Time Tristan D Silva would be sick here dude I didn’t even I love the Ed pick actually think about this too I know you’re not talking about them playing together in a hypothetical matchup in the playoffs against Denver or Minnesota Minnesota you can actually match their size with ad and Ed and LeBron and again it’s not going to be pretty but you match them physically and then I’m not saying you have a yic stopper you at least finally have someone that is physically big enough to match up with joic so I think they need a guard desperately Off the Bench but I actually think I like Ed more and he is going to Feast on second units like you mentioned I’m going to flip my pick I actually love Ed of the Lakers I think that would be a dream fit you make a great point about at least the option to go with the two big looks which like can be legitimately pivotal I think that we’ve seen them attempt to use the RoR strategy with ad when you’re talking about the hotch being asked to stay in front of yic if it was Zach Edy talking about 74 300 lb that’s a completely different Dynamic and then if you’re not doing that look as you wouldn’t in most matchups then you just play him quality 15 minutes a game off the bench and like he’s going to be super productive in those minutes I think it’s good value for Edie again the fit is probably clunky enough with a lot of these Lottery teams that they won’t want to take him this is a spot where I do think the fit makes sense and he’s a very high floor player for a team that is trying to win now okay how about about New Orleans at pick 21 I think New Orleans should take a five uh yep you saw in the playoffs you know valent chunis sometimes couldn’t get burn you’re running Larry Nance five minutes so I’m not saying this is going to put you know valent chunis out of a job or anything but you at least give well I think valent chunis is out of a job in New Orleans well I’m saying if it gives you another option right if you want to bring it back you can you have a second unit guy uh if not you let him walk sadly I I think Missy is probably the guy maybe Philip palski I say maybe filipowski because you get a little bit of that yeah floor spacing alongside Zion where you know if you give him the rock like that’s just a weapon man having a guy that can hit from out there you I mean you saw it right uh and lineup to Larry Nance like Nan can stretch the floor so I would take Missy if you want the rim protection I would say take Missy if you want want the shooting and the skill and one thing you didn’t mention with Philip palski dude some of the post Fades that he shoots like Philip palski really looks like a guard like he has got guard skill and I mean it just really like his fade away is beautiful like it looks GH it’s it’s a work of art uh it’s it’s like it’s so pretty it’s disgusting um I would say Missy or Philip palski I definitely think they need a five at this uh at pick 21 unequivocally they need a five and even though I said Larry n better I think he was legitimately better than balunis at least for a lot of stretches of that Series against OKC it’s also like Larry an can’t be your five he’s too small you can’t do that that’s untenable going forward so I think that miss is my favorite here as well this is evees Missy out of Baylor for those who don’t know Philip Al I really do like and it’s difficult because like you don’t want a five who is limited offensively but to me it’s more important that you get a guy who can really really anchor that defense and then who can also bring you like some real vertical spacing and I think that miss is a guy who can guard on the perimeter relatively well too which is really big maintaining that switchability because like the best version of the Pelicans to me is Zion a lead guard and then two awesome defensively oriented Wings who can knock down shots which they already have with herb and Trey and then like an athletic defensive vertical spacing big I think that that’s Missy and so that to me would be the best pick also though if Edie is still on the board and if Miss’s off then I would definitely consider him I just think it’s kind of got to be five or bust for New Orleans okay how about the bucks at pick 23 Logan I’ve got two guys highlighted uh the first is Kevin M mull out of Kansas uh I think mcculler is going to be a really good Defender immediately I’ve got questions about his offensive game but he’s got flashes there of playmaking of shooting of scoring it’s a little raw but he’s a really good Defender and the Bucks desperately need perimeter defense uh so I think mcculler is the better defender of these two guys with who’s a little bit more limited offensively if you want the more offensively inclined guy with a little bit more questions defensively I would take jacobe Walter but I think a defensive oriented Wing is probably where the Bucks need to go and uh I think I’m leaning mcculler just because I think mcculler is the better Defender so I think that definitely a versatile defensively oriented Wing would be a very good pickup but also somebody who brings you some offensive punch so we’re not talking about like an Andre Jackson junior level of offense mcculler I think this would probably be a reach I’m going to shout out my boy Jaylen Tyson here I think that again you’re getting a dude who’s going to defend well then but is going to rebound uh even better than his size would indicate and is going to bring you just a lot of offensive versatility I could see the alternate route of we want a younger more athletic five who doesn’t limit us defensively like Brook Lopez just in terms of his inability to guarden space and that’s where if Missy was still on the board he’d be interesting I would say Kell we because then you also get the floor spacing but I really think there’s no chance that Kell we Falls all the way to 23 so my favorite route would probably be get equality Wing Jaylen Tyson to me is probably the best guy the guy who I’m most comfortable picking who will still be available in this range okay how about the Knicks Logan who pick backto back at 24 and 25 the Knicks don’t have a ton of needs to me man so I’m I’m conflicted like do you just go with a couple of young guys maybe projects like do you just go with some like scores I think I think kaon George could work here in New York a guy with a little bit of a scoring punch I also like the overseas guy nicolea jurisich um I’ve also heard he’s second round so maybe you’re reaching a little bit here George I like I think you go for a little bit of more some scoring or playmaking punch um and maybe Reeves again I think Antonio Reeves may be a little bit of a reach here he’s consensus second round but I like what he can do off ball and I think he could compliment aduce McBride Off the Bench I think he could compliment Jaylen Brunson within the flow of the offense and then identity wise he’s limited offensively but I think he works with the defensive culture I think Kevin mcculler could work here um just in terms of what he brings defensively with what the Knicks want to do so the Knicks are a big question mark man I don’t know what you do cuz the majority of their rosters filled out um OG anobi is a free agent I think the Knicks desperately need to bring him back but the Knicks don’t really scream like they have a bunch of needs to me so they’re two very intriguing picks at the late first round yeah they are obviously this is a really good basketball team and part of what makes them so great is their depth so there’s a couple of archetypes that I’m kind of looking at I think adding a big Wing would be good for them because even though all of these dudes who play for New York play bigger than their size like especially Josh Hart right the fact that you can throw out a 6’4 65 guy as your three and he’s like going to be an awesome rebounder like that’s a special weapon and also I think that some of their size Stuff felt different in the playoffs because they didn’t have Julius Randle and then they didn’t have Mitchell Robinson but I just think generally that’s an archetype that’s pretty valuable for any team and makes you less dependent on like playing deuce and Dante all these guys like just a lot of guards big minutes so I’ll shout out Jaylen Tyson again because he is bigger and he brings that two-way value and that versatility I also think they are in a position where like they do have so many quality basketball players maybe you take a flyer on like Ryan Dunn who is just an insane insane Defender like arguably the best defensive player in this class out of UVA Logan as you know and then you’re getting size you’re getting length like you’re getting everything from this dude Elite perimeter defense insane secondary Rim protection for a wing I just really really worry about his offense like this dude is a a terrible three-point shooter a terrible free throw shooter we’re talking about like a you don’t guard him kind of guy so this is probably too high I probably wouldn’t take him in the first round because of that because I’m not really optimistic about him improving there but if there’s a spot for him New York could make sense I’m going to say I prefer Jaylen Tyson even though I also like him for the bucks whatever nobody’s actually picking these guys yet and then the pick that I really like for them because they do have these two back toback is filipowski because if hardenstein walks which he very likely may just because can’t pay everybody and I think that guy’s gon to get a bag to me Philip palsky allows you to maintain size at the five which is really important having both him and and Mitchell Robinson you can play and versatility as well because again I don’t think that filipowski is necessarily best at a five I’d like to see him as a four but I think that he can play to five and then you’re getting a more offensively oriented look with him out there they’re going to have to fill that Gap in one way or another and I think some of the more conventional straightup athletic fives who we’ve been talking about Kell Weare Missy will probably be off the board by this point and I really really like filipowski game offensively I think that’d be a good pi pick up for them I think he’s very ready to contribute now as well okay how about the nuggets at pick 28 Logan the Nuggets to me have two clear needs that they should address and that’s bench point guard and then bench [Music] Center I’m stuck between a few prospects I like your boy Kik here to Denver I like yukon’s cam Spencer a little bit I also like Philip palsky here too like in non minutes and how skilled he is I think I prefer point guard I think I’m going to go with your boy Kik here man I don’t I I just think he brings a really high floor he’s probably a little more consistent I’m just wondering like do you think he can be better than like a Reggie Jackson immediately yeah I think so he’s much steadier you trust the process much more that’s one of the most frustrating things about Reggie just taking bad shots I think K’s a much smarter much more complete consistent offensive player cuz I think he’s more I I think he may be more skilled more athletic right but it’s like you know would I rather have that or a steadying presence that Denver Nuggets have not really had anything steady about their bench over the last couple years so those are the two primary positions yeah I think I’m going to go with your boy KCK here it’s a good pick I like it a lot I don’t know if kic will still be on the board but I don’t think it’s totally out of the question it seems that it’s very likely that the Nuggets take donon Holmes here and that is feeling in the other archetype that you mentioned that to me is probably even more important just like having any five who you trust to play in non yokich minutes and donon Holmes is a good athlete he had a legitimately awesome three-point shooting season this past year and there’s some questions about how sustainable that is because he wasn’t a great free throw shooter and he hadn’t really shown that floor spacing before this year but I’m pretty confident in it and this is a guy who can like attack mismatches out of the post even has some ball handling playmaking chops then is a really good shot blocker so he’s a bit undersized for a five but like if he’s your backup five I think you’re getting a lot of good stuff out of him that Denver has desperately needed because the non yic minutes have been a disaster for a long time and that is largely about the offensive side of the ball not having anybody who can come close to replicating his value it’s also largely about the defensive ineptitude of a lot of the options that they’ve Trot it out there I think that Holmes would be an improvement okay and finally Logan the Celtics at pick 30 who’s your favorite choice for that I’m gonna shout the guy you just did I think they should go with a big man I would either take Duron Holmes or Kyle Philip Kyle filipowski if he’s still available the main reason I is just depth concerns right um I like Luke cornette as much as the next guy but you know is the guy playable in playoff settings not many he can eat against the Cavs in stretches sure but Al Horford’s getting older Xavier tilman’s a little undersized a little limited right I think Philip palsky brings a little more skill and then Holmes brings again a little undersized but he’s athletic um has some skill to him as well it’s really just that he’s under sized but he’s pretty versatile I just think you need depth there man you know you don’t know if the fall off is coming for Horford I hope it doesn’t uh porzingis with his injury concerns I just think there’s a lot of questions there with the big man spot and I think they should address it here by getting a young guy totally agreed I would take filipowski if he were still here but I think that big man is the position to address cuz obviously there’s not much that Boston needs but if there is anything it’s a legit third big especially one who could play both the four and the five so if it’s okay we want to go filipowski and Horford look great that’s viable we want to go filipowski and KP great that’s viable we’re down one of them probably KP okay this guy can be our backup five I think that’s the best option and I think he’s also just a good basketball player who if he were to last until 30 would be in my opinion undervalued and pro ready for a team who’s really only interested I would think in Pro ready guys

The nerds preview the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft in full, discussing why Zaccharie Risacher is among the most overrated prospects, Nikola Topic is among the most underrated, Kyle Filipowski is one of the best sleepers and the Memphis Grizzlies should trade up to take Donovan Clingan. Then, they discuss what numerous contenders should do with their picks, explaining why the Los Angeles Lakers should take Zach Edey, how the Denver Nuggets can improve around Nikola Jokic and what the New York Knicks can do with two first round picks.

Timeline:
0:00 Favorite draft prospect?
6:09 Least favorite prospect?
10:23 Favorite draft sleeper?
18:50 Which UCONN prospect is better?
22:20 Starting five of highest floor prospects
27:54 Most likely to trade up?
30:30 Best picks for contenders
30:45 Miami Heat
33:20 Philadelphia 76ers
36:01 Los Angeles Lakers
40:26 New Orleans Pelicans
43:19 Milwaukee Bucks
45:13 New York Knicks
49:31 Denver Nuggets
51:54 Boston Celtics

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