Post by autumn harold on May 21, 2023 11:19:40 GMT -8
1. Phoenix Suns - Micheal Ray Richardson SF 6'5'' 189 22 B C B+ A- B- A - *Can start at PG.
Elite steals and quickness. Solid handles, jumpshot, inside and perimeter defense.
I had Sikma #1, but MRR is a former BBS stud and has 10 RPG upside at PG, so I think he’s a solid top pick. Don’t love that so many important categories are just solid, but with 95-100 potential and camps, you can’t worry too much about that.
Grade: B+
2. Miami Heat - Jack Sikma C 6'11'' 230 22 B B- C+ C+ B+ A
Elite jumpshot and strength. Good inside scoring, handles and steals.
SFs in the Twyman/Connie/Bingo mold are as valuable as anything in the league, and Sikma looks destined for that role. I had him number 1 with Cooper #2.
Grade: A
3. Philadelphia 76ers - Maurice Cheeks PG 6'1'' 180 21 B- B- B- B+ C A
Elite quickness. Good jumpshot, handles, steals and perimeter defense.
I like Mo a lot. Has a great base for a PG, and he’s young with (probably) big potential. I don’t love taking a PG with a standard build this high because you can find good PGs later in most drafts, but PG is pretty thin right now and he’s a franchise player, so can’t quibble with this.
Grade: B+
4. New York Knicks - Michael Cooper SG 6'7'' 170 21 C+ B- C+ A- C A
Good steals, blocks, jumpshot, handles, post defense, perimeter defense.
Looks like Greg Smith 2.0 to me. My favorite player in the class. I was hoping he’d fly under the radar but that was a pipe dream. I love you Michael.
Grade: A
5. Toronto Raptors - Tree Rollins C 7'1'' 235 22 B- C- D A- C+ B
Elite strength, blocks and post defense. Good handles.
I get it. Blocks are the most valuable category in the game, and if Tree B+ had rebounding, he could go #1 overall. But his boards are camped out at low-to-mid B, so it’s not like he has A rebounding in his future. If he’s just a block specialist, that’s really valuable and Braz may not regret the pick, but it seems like , low-ceiling pick. Mostly, though, just dislike this pick for a team about to try to bottom out for Bird or Magic.
Grade: B
6. Atlanta Hawks - Mike Mitchell SF 6'7'' 215 21 B+ C+ C- C+ C+ A
Elite inside scoring, jumpshot and handling.
Best notes in the class? I soured on him a bit because that C+ outside grade was low, but I had him in play at #1. If TCs are friendly to his threes, he has a 30+/8, two-stock, 1-1.5 TO ceiling.
Grade: A
7. Sacramento Kings - Reggie Theus PG 6'7'' 190 20 B+ C+ B C+ C A
Elite inside scoring, jumpshot and quickness. Mediocre handles.
Like Mitchell, Theus had a low C+ outside grade. He also has low C rebounding and mediocre handles. I wouldn’t be thrilled to draft him, but I agree with the pick. You’re tanking, this guy won’t be good this year, but has elite inside and jumpshot and a high ceiling.
Grade: B+
8. Detroit Pistons - Wayne Cooper C 6'10'' 220 21 C+ C- C- A- C+ B
Elite strength. Good blocks, defensive rebounding and handling.
Came down to Cooper or Ballard here, and I had pretty much written off the idea of taking Ballard after seeing he had very poor perimeter defense. When I dealt for this pick, I was hoping guys like Ballard, Davis, and Birdsong would go earlier. Didn’t work out that way, but Cooper is cool. As far as I know, Spence rarely makes discrepancies between defensive and offensive rebounding grades, so I’m interested in seeing how Cooper’s good d-rebs and mediocre o-rebs shake out.
Grade: B
9. Denver Nuggets - Ray Williams PG 6'3'' 188 23 C B B B+ C B
Elite jumpshot and quickness. Good steals.
He looked great based on notes, but questions ruined him for me. Mediocre handles + very poor inside = tank piece.
Grade: C-
10. Los Angeles Clippers - Otis Birdsong SG 6'3'' 190 22 B- C+ B- C+ C A
Good inside scoring, handles and quickness. Solid 3 point shot and steals.
Hard to like a shooting guard with a mediocre jumpshot. This guy had a nice career IRL and should have good potential, but even if the shooting comes around, he just looks like a vanilla SG who won’t give elite stocks or rebounding.
Grade: B-
11. Philadelphia 76ers - Dave Corzine C 6'11'' 250 21 B C C- A- C+ B
Elite post defense. Good inside scoring, jumpshot, handling and strength.
I don’t mind this guy at all. Notes are nice. Spence said his blocks are solid, too. But we’ve seen a lot of these “good” inside, B/C scoring bigs, and typically their offense is bad. Give Corzine B- or B rebs and I’d like this pick, but as is, I can't justify him going before Ballard.
Grade: B-
12. New Orleans Hornets - Greg Ballard SF 6'7'' 215 22 B B- C+ C+ C+ A
Good inside scoring, jumpshot, handles and quickness.
If his potential is real, you could reasonably project A-/A- scoring and B- or even B rebounds. The perimeter defense note is awful so I get why he slid, but he’s great value at 12. He’ll be mediocre if JAH doesn’t camp him, though, and if I were JAH I’d be more interest in camping out JVBK’s outside shooting, so who knows how Ballard will develop.
Grade: A
13. Detroit Pistons - Eddie Jordan PG 6'1'' 170 22 B- C+ B- A- C B
Good jumpshot, quickness and steals.
I didn’t really want to take a PG here, but I think Eddie’s floor is as a top 15 PG. He came in borderline B inside with good steals, C rebs, and a good jumpshot. He’s at B- outside after one RC. I’ll +15 him outside, and with one good TC, he should get to A-.
Grade: B+
Elite steals and quickness. Solid handles, jumpshot, inside and perimeter defense.
I had Sikma #1, but MRR is a former BBS stud and has 10 RPG upside at PG, so I think he’s a solid top pick. Don’t love that so many important categories are just solid, but with 95-100 potential and camps, you can’t worry too much about that.
Grade: B+
2. Miami Heat - Jack Sikma C 6'11'' 230 22 B B- C+ C+ B+ A
Elite jumpshot and strength. Good inside scoring, handles and steals.
SFs in the Twyman/Connie/Bingo mold are as valuable as anything in the league, and Sikma looks destined for that role. I had him number 1 with Cooper #2.
Grade: A
3. Philadelphia 76ers - Maurice Cheeks PG 6'1'' 180 21 B- B- B- B+ C A
Elite quickness. Good jumpshot, handles, steals and perimeter defense.
I like Mo a lot. Has a great base for a PG, and he’s young with (probably) big potential. I don’t love taking a PG with a standard build this high because you can find good PGs later in most drafts, but PG is pretty thin right now and he’s a franchise player, so can’t quibble with this.
Grade: B+
4. New York Knicks - Michael Cooper SG 6'7'' 170 21 C+ B- C+ A- C A
Good steals, blocks, jumpshot, handles, post defense, perimeter defense.
Looks like Greg Smith 2.0 to me. My favorite player in the class. I was hoping he’d fly under the radar but that was a pipe dream. I love you Michael.
Grade: A
5. Toronto Raptors - Tree Rollins C 7'1'' 235 22 B- C- D A- C+ B
Elite strength, blocks and post defense. Good handles.
I get it. Blocks are the most valuable category in the game, and if Tree B+ had rebounding, he could go #1 overall. But his boards are camped out at low-to-mid B, so it’s not like he has A rebounding in his future. If he’s just a block specialist, that’s really valuable and Braz may not regret the pick, but it seems like , low-ceiling pick. Mostly, though, just dislike this pick for a team about to try to bottom out for Bird or Magic.
Grade: B
6. Atlanta Hawks - Mike Mitchell SF 6'7'' 215 21 B+ C+ C- C+ C+ A
Elite inside scoring, jumpshot and handling.
Best notes in the class? I soured on him a bit because that C+ outside grade was low, but I had him in play at #1. If TCs are friendly to his threes, he has a 30+/8, two-stock, 1-1.5 TO ceiling.
Grade: A
7. Sacramento Kings - Reggie Theus PG 6'7'' 190 20 B+ C+ B C+ C A
Elite inside scoring, jumpshot and quickness. Mediocre handles.
Like Mitchell, Theus had a low C+ outside grade. He also has low C rebounding and mediocre handles. I wouldn’t be thrilled to draft him, but I agree with the pick. You’re tanking, this guy won’t be good this year, but has elite inside and jumpshot and a high ceiling.
Grade: B+
8. Detroit Pistons - Wayne Cooper C 6'10'' 220 21 C+ C- C- A- C+ B
Elite strength. Good blocks, defensive rebounding and handling.
Came down to Cooper or Ballard here, and I had pretty much written off the idea of taking Ballard after seeing he had very poor perimeter defense. When I dealt for this pick, I was hoping guys like Ballard, Davis, and Birdsong would go earlier. Didn’t work out that way, but Cooper is cool. As far as I know, Spence rarely makes discrepancies between defensive and offensive rebounding grades, so I’m interested in seeing how Cooper’s good d-rebs and mediocre o-rebs shake out.
Grade: B
9. Denver Nuggets - Ray Williams PG 6'3'' 188 23 C B B B+ C B
Elite jumpshot and quickness. Good steals.
He looked great based on notes, but questions ruined him for me. Mediocre handles + very poor inside = tank piece.
Grade: C-
10. Los Angeles Clippers - Otis Birdsong SG 6'3'' 190 22 B- C+ B- C+ C A
Good inside scoring, handles and quickness. Solid 3 point shot and steals.
Hard to like a shooting guard with a mediocre jumpshot. This guy had a nice career IRL and should have good potential, but even if the shooting comes around, he just looks like a vanilla SG who won’t give elite stocks or rebounding.
Grade: B-
11. Philadelphia 76ers - Dave Corzine C 6'11'' 250 21 B C C- A- C+ B
Elite post defense. Good inside scoring, jumpshot, handling and strength.
I don’t mind this guy at all. Notes are nice. Spence said his blocks are solid, too. But we’ve seen a lot of these “good” inside, B/C scoring bigs, and typically their offense is bad. Give Corzine B- or B rebs and I’d like this pick, but as is, I can't justify him going before Ballard.
Grade: B-
12. New Orleans Hornets - Greg Ballard SF 6'7'' 215 22 B B- C+ C+ C+ A
Good inside scoring, jumpshot, handles and quickness.
If his potential is real, you could reasonably project A-/A- scoring and B- or even B rebounds. The perimeter defense note is awful so I get why he slid, but he’s great value at 12. He’ll be mediocre if JAH doesn’t camp him, though, and if I were JAH I’d be more interest in camping out JVBK’s outside shooting, so who knows how Ballard will develop.
Grade: A
13. Detroit Pistons - Eddie Jordan PG 6'1'' 170 22 B- C+ B- A- C B
Good jumpshot, quickness and steals.
I didn’t really want to take a PG here, but I think Eddie’s floor is as a top 15 PG. He came in borderline B inside with good steals, C rebs, and a good jumpshot. He’s at B- outside after one RC. I’ll +15 him outside, and with one good TC, he should get to A-.
Grade: B+
