Pretty clear GMs around the league think Weaver is going to do something dumb to acquire somebody he shouldn’t at this point in the rebuild.
I like Murray quite a bit but I wouldn’t do that trade.
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Surprisingly enough (or not), Grant would be a good fit. He’s still an above-average defender, can get to the rim, and has become very good from 3. The only major ding on him is that he rebounds like a 2-guard.
I used to really enjoy browsing the Ringer.com for basketball coverage. I haven’t visited as much lately but stopped by last night and wanted to see who they had the Pistons taking in their initial mock draft. Wow was this mock a doozy.
My observations:
- 10 of the 30 picks were foreign or G-League guys I didn’t know
- More freshmen than other classes as you’d expect, but six upper classmen is a bit high
- The top 3 picks are from other countries
- The 4th pick is Reed Sheppard from UK…who I don’t know much about but doesn’t scream “NBA top five pick” given that he’s an off-ball shooter who’s 6-3.
- Of the 20 college picks on this list, 7 come from one of the blue bloods (UK, KU, Duke).
- They have Zack Edey going 17th…which…uh…seems odd considering he came back to school when no one wanted to draft him. I love Edey in college, but he could barely get on the court during that international tournament. Just not sure what he is in the NBA beyond a bench big.
- They have the Pistons taking Risarcher from France, a 6-8 shooter I guess?
Draftniks love Sheppard. he’s a guy that statistical models LOVE, and with such a weak draft why not just draft the skilled kid with ridiculous peripherals. I’ll be curious to hear how nba teams view him. And he’s not an off ball guy, just has lower usage. Most of his shots are unassisted. He’s shooting over 70% at the rim and under 10% of those are assisted which is insane
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Yeah, he’s a good fit. Probably the gettable player I want the most. His rebounding shouldn’t be too much of a problem next to Duran.
Think this wildly undersells Reed Sheppard.
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PG is his path of having a long career. He needs more rep there because his body isn’t a SG but I guess he can play off ball alongside a bigger guard. I like him but the fit has to be perfect for him to have a chance.
Being a nasty point of attack defender with plus shooting and high IQ is a really obvious fit in the NBA.
Edey going 17th speaks more about how bad this draft will be this year. I would not mind if the Pistons doesn’t win the lottery or get top 3. It’s baaaaad.
I don’t see it with Sarr. I can see defensive potential, but he’s an undersized big who can’t shoot. Some compared him to JJJ, but JJJ can at least shoot.
Risarcher might be the best option for the Pistons in terms of fit. He showed flashes of being able to shoot, but it’s not there yet.
Teams will be tanking hard for '25 draft to get a top 2 pick for either Flagg or Bailey.
Yup, I worry about NBA viewing him as a off-ball. They have to let him being the lead guard and give him reps there. It’s a waste if they don’t do it.
I think most lottery picks that aren’t 5’s should be given a big chunk of on ball time. The regular season being as long as it is, I’m not particularly worried that he will lack for opportunity. But simply being a dynamite on ball defender who can shoot is an excellent floor and is an archetype we’ve talked about plenty on this board.
The usage thing does worry me somewhat if only bc that means he’s got extra juice to use on D and that’s inflating his numbers prob at least a smidge compared to many other guards w greater offensive responsibilities.
But whatever, guy is just good. Would love to have him on a team I root for.
Also, I think the general read on this draft class is that it’s pretty weak at the top, but ok in terms in depth.
The two top picks from what I can tell are non-college guys (Buzelis, Risacher), but Buzelis seems to be fallings. Peripherally - I wonder if the G-League Ignite program is helping these guys in terms of career - seems like it tanks way more prospects than it boosts.
Who will have a better NBA career?
- Zach Edey
- Donovan Clingan
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voters
Ausar and Cade are plus rebounders for their position. Ausar’s probably too old to have a Giannis/Durant/KG-like growth spurt between his rookie and second year but I still like to kid myself into thinking it’s possible. If he were 6’9" instead of 6’6.5", he could be scary (at least from 15 feet in). Or, since he’s younger, Duren going from around 6’10" to 7 feet.
Ausar is kind of a 4 anyway
You block shots with your arms not your head
Taller usually comes with a longer wingspan.
I picked Clingan but I wouldn’t bet against Edey. He’s only been playing basketball for 7 years. Hard to just pick up the game of basketball and suddenly become a 2x national player of the year (i think he wins it again).
Edey seems like a more-mobile Boban. There’s a place for him in the NBA but I wouldn’t use a first round pick on him.