What's new

2024 NBA Draft Mega Thread

Regarding Buzelis, there's some good news and some bad news. The good news is that he's about the same height as Tyler Smith. The bad news is that he looks like a ginger.

Looks fairly fluid here. Unfortunately, however, Buzelis looks like he's on track to be the softest big in the league. He's got a ways to go before he'll be able to assert himself physically.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yeTd-cO4k8
 
Last edited:
I think there could be a few nice players sprinkled throughout this draft. It just lacks clear All Star-level guys at the top.

These guys all look rotational, for example:
- Garwey Dual -- some Dejounte Murray potential; he can beat people, get to the rim and pass pretty well
- Tyler Smith -- mildly comparable to Jabari Smith a couple years back
- Cody Williams -- Tough, versatile, two-way player; not a star per se, but a solid player like an Aaron Afflalo
- Jakobe Walter -- I'm okay with the KCP comps
- Reed Sheppard -- Might be comparable to a CJ McCollum; would like to see him show more playmaking and rim finishing
- Kyle Filipowski -- Seems like a 3rd big; I haven't watched his defense
- Ryan Dunn -- Defensive energy player at the wing who can score a bit
- Donovan Clingan -- Full-sized drop big with some touch
- Rob Dillingham -- Probably your 3rd guard, sparkplug scorer
Don't see how Reed and McCollum are at all comparable
 
Top 10 in order of how I like them (as of today and subject to change)

Nikola Topic
Alex Sarr
Zach Risacher
Ja'Kobe Walter
Stephon Castle
Ryan Dunn
Reed Sheppard
Cody Williams
Tyler Smith
Matas Buzelis

Honorable Mention -

Isaiah Collier
Dalton Knecht
Ron Holland
Carlton Carrington
Rob Dillingham
Terrance Shannon
AJ Mitchell
Baba Miller
 
I just checked Risacher's stats in France. OK...that's better than I expected after the complete disappointmen he was last summer.

I guess he's another one I will have to watch...
 
I'm watching a bit of Buzelis with Gleague Ignite. His defensive awareness is pretty poor, he doesn't move well laterally, and he's pretty soft in general. Just not much of a defensive presence to speak of. Offensively, he floats around the perimeter waiting for someone to hand him the ball. He's not very involved. He doesn't look like he's fully adjusted to NBA speed.

This guy has a ways to go.
 
One thing I have noticed about players that are tall young. They develop a bad habit of letting people past because they use to be able to block them. They rely way to much on this instead of playing good positional defense.
 
One thing I have noticed about players that are tall young. They develop a bad habit of letting people past because they use to be able to block them. They rely way to much on this instead of playing good positional defense.
Or being tall just makes it harder to move latteraly
 
Back
Top