As of the end of May, whom do you believe will be gone by pick #7?

Clingan - Woj reported Top 3

Sarr - A general Top 3 consensus

Sheppard - Too much shooting and playmaking potential to slip past Top 5. Perfect fit for Rockets or Spurs

Risacher - Top 5 consensus, fits with Detroit/Washington/Atlanta/San Antonio

Topic - If healthy, also a Top 5 consensus that fits with any team except maybe Houston. Castle may go here if Topic is not healthy. Givony reports Topic at #7 but fit is questionable due to logjam.

Holland - Fits with Charlotte as a cheaper Bridges replacement if he leaves. Hornets don't need a Buzelis or Williams point forward type due to Miller and Melo.

 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

Mind you, the past two drafts we've convinced ourselves that there would be NO WAY that Shaedon would drop to 7 or Scoot drop to 3...

(Be careful what you wish for.)

 

Possibly as a guard next to LaMelo and Miller, but IMO Holland is not an ideal replacement for Bridges at PF. My guess is Charlotte goes with whoever slips between Castle. Topic, and Sheppard

 

according to HCP...everybody

 

Also:

 

Sarr > Risacher > Clingan > Topic > Shepperd > Holland

Cody Williams will not fall below #12 (IMHO) and OKC. Blazer should take him at 7.
Hard to see nobody taking the shot with Salaun prior to 14. The Blazers getting another lottery pick (looking at Chicago at 11 and Utah at 10) to take the Big Salaun Swing — this the Schmitz move.

 

Just listened to the NBA Big Board podcast….. has the Dillingham kid going #1 now. Above has him at #7? Anybody have a guess why there is the biggest discrepancy in mock drafts in the history of mock drafts this year?

 

Yes, absolutely do know why. Because this draft does not have a Lebron, Kyrie, Wemby or any other sure fire number one pick. But the funny thing is, the Blazers are not giving Cronin, Schmitz or the scouting team the summer off since there is no sure fire number one pick. They are currently being paid to find the next Booker, Giannis or Joker. The player that has been overlooked because they do not fit a certain profile, measurement or jump high enough. They are tasked to do their jobs and find the player that nobody else has uncovered. I am sure there is a good amount of luck involved. But there is also a lot of homework to be done that can make one convicted in one player over another and that is the job. Nobody is currently calling it a day because the know it alls can't identify a can't miss player in this draft. The league is still conducting the 2024 draft and ESPN and NBA TV will be broadcasting despite who is or is not in this draft. Money will be made by all; the league, the networks, the players and the people putting together the player profile packages to be shown. It is a business and even in a weak draft, business is good. Whoever gets drafted number one will make the same amount as Wemby, or a little more due to inflation. As the song says, "The Beat Goes On." With all that said, I personally find this draft more interesting because there are not any foregone conclusions as to a lock at one, two or three. Just speculation and conjecture.

 

Bro, you act like you know so much about this draft and then you ask this rudimentary question that all of us figured out centuries ago? Smh...

 

It doesn’t matter if he drops to seven because he’s made it clear he only wants to play the point. So he won’t be happy here.

 

What you listened to isn’t a mock draft. They were giving their big board. They think Dillingham is the best player in this draft. That doesn’t mean they think he will go number one. A big board is very different from a mock.

 

Some Blazers/Clingan chatter

 

I’ll be so disappointed if we trade up to get Clingan.

 

Is Ayton the rim protector and face up defender that can guard Wemby, Chet, Joker?

 

If DPOY Gobert can't, I'll venture no. Same for Clingan.

No to lumbering stiff centers. We need a team of dynamic two way players to counter those guys.

Ayton is fine but himself, Gobert, Naz Reid, Hartenstein, Clingan, Lively, etc all are interchangeable and not the critical component to overcome an opponent with an MVP center. It's the other positions that matter.

Obviously Clingan is not at those other players level, but even if he hits 100% of his potential there's not much upside. Compared to guards/forwards that have MVP upside.

 

no...and very likely, neither is Clingan

Ware might have that upside and he might be there at 14