Washington Wizards shouldn't gamble with No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft: Take Donovan Clingan — The Athletic
In a weak draft such as this, the Wizards' task at hand doesn't change: add talent. At No. 2, that pick should be the big UConn center.apple.news
Clingan is an utterly uninspired choice. If ever there was a player to suffer from "the curse of heavy feet", its him. The Wizards could do better.
Is Sheppard really projected this high? Curious as I live in the very small town he's from and just didn't realize he was that good.NBA Draft 2024: John Hollinger's Top 20 prospects — who's No. 1?
The prize for winning this year's lottery is uncertain, at best, with no consensus top pick as draft season kicks into high gear.www.nytimes.com
Top 5:
1) Ron Holland
2) Stephon Castle
3) Donovan Clingan
4) Reed Sheppard
5) Alex Sarr
I think they have to analyze the potential buyers, and with a stronger 2025 draft, maybe there aren’t as many willing trade partners for next year?Wouldn’t we rather try and trade Kuzma during the season so they get a first in next year’s draft? What’s the rush to acquire three first round picks for this year’s draft?
100% agreed. This draft sucks, and you already have two first rounders. There are already three guys from next year's clash that'd each go before anyone in the 2024 class, and it's very early in the process.Wouldn’t we rather try and trade Kuzma during the season so they get a first in next year’s draft? What’s the rush to acquire three first round picks for this year’s draft?
Someone will trade a first for him given his production and contract value, especially if they know they have no shot at the lottery.I think they have to analyze the potential buyers, and with a stronger 2025 draft, maybe there aren’t as many willing trade partners for next year?
He also just had a career year, so will his value ever be higher?
Rather large assumption…..of course nobody wants one of a few bad scenarios….Someone will trade a first for him given his production and contract value, especially if they know they have no shot at the lottery.
And honestly, I’d rather just hold onto him for the beginning of the season than jettison him for a late first rounder who probably won’t turn out to be as good as he is. If that tanks his value a bit so be it but it seems rash to trade him now unless it’s part of other moves. This rebuild is going to take a while and they shouldn’t try to accelerate it by trading away their best trade chip for less than they can get.
On HollandIf you’re looking for physicality on top of that package, you have perhaps come to the wrong place. Sarr will undoubtedly improve in this phase as his body fills out, and the extreme physicality of the NBL may have highlighted this weakness a bit more than other environments. However, a 13.3 percent rebound rate from a 7-1 center is sad-trombone stuff and a good indication of his deficits here. (By comparison, Ariel Hukporti, a meh 7-footer who will likely be picked late in the second round, had a 21.6 percent rebound rate in the same league.)
Sarr’s lack of physicality arrives over the offensive end, where he has no post game to speak of. He tries to make up for it with 3-point shooting and play from the elbows, but he’s still not NBA-caliber in these realms. He tends to dribble himself into trouble when he puts it on the floor more than once, and his 3-point shot has a sidespin on it that makes it difficult to trust. (He shot 27.6 percent from 3 and 70.7 percent from the line in Australia.)
I think Holland is only going to measure 6-6 at the NBA Draft Combine, he shot a ghastly 24 percent from 3 in the G League, and his avert-your-eyes start to the G League season — including an 11-turnover game — had scouts shuddering.
Now, for the good news: He came into the year as the top-rated player on most boards, had better numbers with G League Ignite than any other one-and-done in its history … and somehow went careening down draft boards anyway, even in a draft year where absolutely nobody came in and claimed the top spot for themselves.
I don’t really get it. The biggest complaint with Holland is his lack of efficiency, but that was baked in the second Ignite built this roster. Virtually any teenager put in a situation where he has to carry a 30 percent usage rate is going to struggle; we saw it with LaMelo Ball in Australia and Scoot Henderson in Portland. Holland was no different, especially since he’s not a natural point guard in the first place. Playing on a team with no real creator, he often had to call his own number against loaded-up defenses.
Did he get tunnel vision once he put it on the floor? Absolutely. Was it so tragic to rule him out versus other non-overwhelming options? I don’t think so, especially as the season wore on.
10. Washington Nationals: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Jackson Prep (Flowood, Miss.)
Thank god a new scouting group.Griffin is playing the role of the super-toolsy high school position player this year, a group with which the Nats have had some success (James Wood, acquired in trade) and some not-success (Elijah Green, No. 5 pick in 2022). That said, they’ve got a new amateur scouting group led by Danny Haas and we could see a new approach in the draft this year.
lol. What a self absorbed jackass.
Ok, I will do the “yeah, but….” portion of this commentary.Statement from Scheffler’s attorney just released said something to the effect of he drove by holding out his credentials as they were instructed to do.
Also apparently the officer who arrested him was not part of the event detail.