u/CarmeloDramatic

this will make more sense if I just do it, then give a big preamble trying to explain what I mean here’s a popular one on this sub:

1. if you believe LaBaron will put on weight, why not pick him as the second Guard off the board? 🤔

the people who are high on this guy are through the roof, there Is real gushing about his skills. you can find people putting him in the top 4. The film people seem to love him. Why not take him as the second guard off the board?

2. If Cam Carr has essentially a perfect nba wingspan and height for the nba, essentially aced the combine, why not pick him top 10/top 8? 🤔

Will I do the emoji every time? Will this list exclusively be sophomores? Find out next time on-I’m tired of this joke, anyway, Cam Carr. yes not A shot creator, but his role is so instantly defined and beneficial to winning in the nba. has Pretty good offensive anticipation and is one Of the best catch and shoot guys in the draft.

3. If Brayden Burries could play lead guard, but only played off ball to help his team actually win, why is it so crazy to take him at 5?

I saw a couple mocks have this and this sub would always mention how ridiculous it was to pick him that high. but if you think he can eat uo a lot of possessions as a lead guard/playmaker role, projects to be a positive defender. If you really buy the playmaking, then…why not?

4. if you think Caleb Wilson has the highest ceiling of the big four, why not pick him before 4?

this will not be popular with this sub, But Caleb was earning like KG ceiling talks recently. his analytics aren’t boozer level but theyre still very good. if you think hes got the most potential, not that i do but reasonable people can, why not take that bet?

and that’s all for now

hey, make sure the team trading future firsts, you know, has them, that’s cool, but getting specific just leads to the entire discussion being “we wouldn’t take less than three future picks/We’d never give up three second rounders to get to first? Why should we?” as the only discussion anyone has about your mock Draft.

No matter what the trade is, fans of one involved team will think it’s absurd to even think about. and then that same team will make an even stupider looking trade on draft night.

we‘re all idiots who are just dudes on reddit. It’s ok. Trades will always happen on draft night. teams will always trade future draft picks, and anyone who guesses correct on the amount of draft capital necessary will be doing just that, guessing.

thank you for coming to my TED talk

I heard someone make the case that the Thunder have been clearly eying boozer for a while and they mentioned they could use their assets and ajay mitchell to get up and take him, it was a passing comment but it did worry me. I think if there was a draft where the Thunder could drop a stack of picks to get up there it’s this one.

i think you need more picks than 12 and 17 but ajay mitchell on that second round contract looking like a star is appealing I imagine

hi there. thanks for being here. I’m every thing I make fun of Bill Simmons for being. I hope you enjoy this kevin. I stopped at 10 instead of finishing the lottery because I think 14 is a weird number to stop lists at. I put a bandana on my dog but it was too big for him and confused him

1. cam boozer

if you play like the best player in college by every metric and were considered a top prospect before that, and you’re even young for the current draft class…maybe you‘re just the best player in the class?

2. AJ Dybantsa

even though i have Cam first, this dude AJ is 6’9 and can create his own shot…arguably that’s about as much as you can possibly ask for from a lottery pick and he can get a lot better. If he becomes a good defender at the next level.

3. Darryn Peterson

Ill be for real, guy who already goes by cool initials shorthand earns a lot of points with me. he will be called DP and we’ll all talk about him like we’re buds at the next level. he often said to have the highest upside in the draft and I get it. He also had injury stuff and I get that too and also a really weird season at Kansas.

I think the upside as best player in the draft is real. I also think he has actual red flags. I see The vision of him as a top 15 player in the league, I also see a world where he scares front offices enough to go 4th. I’d say the red flags for the other prospects are less apparent at least

4. Caleb Wilson

guy who‘s highlights are so good that this sub lowkey turned on him because so many people hyping him up were just watching highlights. I will say I also see the world where he is the best in this class. I think what team he goes to will matter in the long run whether he reaches top player in the league status or all star or anythibg, but he’ll be maybe the most fun rookie next year.

5. Keaton Wagler

already a good player but still has a bit of mystery box about him. defense concerns me more than athleticism but he has the size and can grow as well as how much nba trainers can really help with athleticism and how much coaches can help coach him up on defense. It’ll be interesting to see how his body develops at the next level. i will take the guy who was able to win by making the smart play everyday. Idk why anyone cares whether he dunks or not.

but random thought, when I first got big into the nba drafts in the Andrew wiggins year, I used to take player comps really seriously, but I’ve since learned they basically just do a disservice to everyone. they Barely ever accurately give you any idea as to a player or how they will translate.

6. Brayden Burries

think this is probably the surprise-ish? I like a guy who shoots and plays good defense. Think floor to ceiling this is probably a guy who any team would take and could add value anywhere? I get people think other prospects might be more of a home run if they turn out to be stars, but this Is the type of player who still has a pretty high ceiling. Probably won’t be the best player on a championship team, but you can see a player like him not having to hit his ceiling which is still *pretty* high

7. Mikel Brown Jr

im a big fan of a guy I see shooting with confidence even when their shot isn’t dropping. Mikel Brown is just such a player, and he’s got the size you want in a guard. think Mikel is probably the most *intriguing* of the guards. think the kind of guy who can shoot it confidently eventually sinks all those shots and sometimes they just don’t stop.

8. a tie Yaxel Linderborg and Kingston Flemings

this one is a personal pick but he just ticks a lot of boxes that get me excited. I do like that he won, I do like what I saw when he figured his game out, I don’t really care too much about age. I like that he’s a flexible player and i buy his ability to contribute anywhere.

honestly, i think you just gotta watch him. He’s someone you’d just like on your team and like, Desmond Bane has baby t rex arms out there and he’s good.

edit: cards on the table I originally wrote two number 8 sections. so now rheres a tie… but now there’s also a second tie coming right after.

9 a tie Darius Acuff and LeBaron

Let me say this for Darius Acuff. Because I get that I’m low on him. I think he is probably the absolute tier of his own best guard in the class for *some* teams. personally, I don’t want Acuff as a running mate to cooper flagg. I want the plan for the future to be playing him exactly like he played in college. I essentially want someone to treat him like the hawks treated Trae and just treat him like he’s the franchise right out the gate. i think Acuff does have a chance to be an absolute insane home run of a pick. or an absolute grand slam of a pick He becomes James harden 2 except he’ll have a giant mustache instead of a beard(I’m projecting out a bit).

if he’s not a home run and just a good double or a single? he has to be very good to be a long term answer. Cam Thomas was a solid hit and a single. Anfernee Simons id say as a draft pick was a double (I think I stole this baseball metaphor from someone but idk who). and like, those guys are kinda available. its not fair to him because hes a different level as a prospect then those guys. But it’s just hard to shake that. but he’d need to be a triple

LeBaron just trust him more to improve as a defender. That’s it. Trust him to fit anywhere.

10 Nate Ament

I think Nate Ament is the poster child for a subtype of prospect. the prospect who falls to the Thunder and then magically end up being this player who lives up to all his high school hype and plays bigger. But then if the Nets draft that exact same player they end up a bust.

guess I’m differing on consensus here, but I think if you’re Utah, and you have the second pick. I think you actually kinda need to pick Cam. hes the som of a guy who was an all star for the franchise who still works with you, he had one of the best college seasons you could ever expect from a prospect. Walker Kessler and Lauri aren’t long term solutions and are movable players anyway.

to me it’s just one of those picks where you will look really stupid because it’s an obvious pick just handed out on a silver platter. I get the ceiling with DP is insane and I can understand having him as number 1 in the class, but I think with Utah, if I am a and wanted to make sure my job was safe, I’d pick cam.

one thing Ive seen a lot is “oh Acuff/wagler is a perfect fit next to cooper Flagg” which is why you see a lot of mocks having them trade up and grabbing one of them. but…isn’t any good guard a good fit next to cooper Flagg?

Like literally just…whoever is the best guard?

It’s not about fit then it’s just about getting the best player.If they draft Acuff and Mikel Brown ends up the better player, are we just going to talk about how good a fit he was next to Cooper?

some fit talk I understand. I get why the clippers taking Acuff with Garland is a bad fit. Cooper Flagg does not have the weaknesses Darius Garland has though.

I’m really mostly talking about the top 4 picks but hey if you think Aday or Acuff or maybs even Lopez has the highest ceiling, I think thats super cool and I like hearing weird opinions if they’re thought out.

Caleb Wilson kinda feels like he could be the guy you look insane for Not picking in a few years if he really develops, but of course AJ is also very likely

as in instead of zigging you’re zagging. but also make it something that there is a certain amount of logic Behind and isn’t complete rage bait

I was gonna do the “oops! all zags” mock draft but then I remembered that I’m stupid and dumb and dont have the knowledge to pull that off nor do I know much beyond the top 10 guys in this draft

here’s what i got(none of this is actual prediction this is just a fun exercise):

wizards: targeting boozer over AJ. I think there’s a vocal minority of people on here(myself included) who has cam number 1 in the class

jazz: somewhat related, the Jazz zag move is trading up for AJ.

grizzlies: this ones tough but I wonder if they could get a king’s ransom to trade down with one of the teams in the top 10. like move down 3 or 4 spots but Brooklyn/sac give up a huge Kings ransom to get in the top 4. maybe off load a bad contract too.

bulls: I got nothing here. they pick the 4th guy of the top 4. the bulls‘ gm could also try and trade it, I guess. barring some injury thing coming out I don’t see another move here. If they secretly think one of the guards is the best player in the class they’ll definitely have buyers to trade down.

Clippers: to be honest based on predictions just staying put and not trading back would be a zag here. i Think the clippers want Yexel. I feel like all the guys they draft are 23 or older anyway. i Think they stay and draft Acuff And just let their garland Acuff backcourt be bad if they can’t trade garland.

nets: I think you just draft Ada And dare whatever office wants him to trade up with you. Think he has more buyers in that 8-14 range. Or you give up a ransom to get in the top 4.

kings: the Kings don’t draft Acuff or target him. This is one of those picks that I see a lot and I think it’s just cuz people think the Kings make bad decisions and they don’t like Acuff. Think the Kings do the disciplined thing and just draft the big responsible guard in Wagler or the defensive combo guard in Burries

atlanta: trade back with the thunder. I dont think anyone at 8 is as Appealing as 12 and 17. Thunder I imagine donf want to pick twice anyway.

Mavericks: don’t target Wagz or Acuff. This seems to be the two guys everyone is assigning to the mavs but I’m unconvinced they’re perfect enough fits to be the target. Think they would be very happy with Flemings or brown here.

bucks: trade down…twice. i think the bucks should trade down from 10 with one of the teams that hace two picks in the first and then trade those picks as well so they have something to control until 2031. I saw a mock say that this is their last chance at a bite of a potential star player to develop but I think they’d rather just not be desperate for pick flexibility when it’s time to deal Giannis.

anyway, I just tried. Not great admittedly

hi there, I suck at mock drafts, so I will not write one. but here are some things I think will happen

1. IF the Wizards trade spots with the Jazz, they draft cam boozer

im apparently just a cam boozer Stan but I think if the wizards trade back they make the safest pick they can.

2. clippers trade back….twice, probably draft one of the older prospects

I think that with the run on guards after the top 4 that the team that gets to pick 5 And get their guy they think fills out that top 5. Would not be surprised to see them trade back with the hawks or mavs and then trade back again. Given that they’ve been drafting old players for a while now, I’m sure they’re licking their lips at Yaxel.

3. on a related note, there will be some callers for Acuff

look, Acuff is the guard that I think people are most likely to be excited to give a chance to see as their star. Think hes a lot of scouts favorite prospect

4. also somewhat related, the Thunder either package their picks and move up or trade out of 12.

I can see the Thunder being glad to move up and take the top rated center who just won the tournament.

5. The nets make a big push to trade up To the top 4.

idk just a gut feeling. I thought I’d write better than this

Maybe this is a personal take but whenever you hear about how good a guy’s technique is as a *negative* like it lowers his ceiling, I just don’t buy it. I can see people harping on him not being quite as athletic as the other guys in the top 4, but idk it’s not like he‘s slow or cant dunk. He’s still athletic.

im a laymen here though, to me this sounds pretty similar to what people were saying when they were putting Josh Jackson over Tatum that year. Cam seems to do great as a distributor who can back dudes down in the post and shoot the three. Idk why people are using “safe“ as a bad thing here. He just has obvious value At the nba level

Tyler Shough obviously has that job in New Orleans, but the twist here is really Rattler’s age, he is the same age as my chargers first round pick, and the same age as Tyler was when he was drafted(like almost to the exact day).

how many journeymen qbs do you think get the start over Him? Like Justin fields was a starter in New York for instance.