What type of player to target with 2024 Nets pick?

I'm gonna say it depends on what you mean by "better". I think Knecht's ceiling is higher than your average 23 y.o, but obviously lower than Salaun's.

As far as who is the better basketball player today and able to play minutes on a playoff team, I think it's Knecht. He's a more refined, consistent, and versatile player with on-ball ability.

Salaun flashes impressive shooting with hints of ball handling, but he needs to put it all together with consistency. Early on, I don't expect his role to do be much besides spot up and score in transition.

 

Best Player Available
Hopefully a shooter or a BIG BIG

Rocket River

 

I do not think they are as much sleeping on Salaun as those Euro Scouts are being either discreet or just over careful....

• At some point if the Rockets are adding, keeping all their young players, they have to give up one or two.... to just keep them happy.
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• Facial features like a certain Jabari.
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• Also Thunder are pretty aware of Salaun having French speaker Dort, French Sarr and Dieng......

 

Since most of the elite players gained experience outside the NCAA system for this draft cycle, this will be one of the hardest drafts to prepare for in years. It also doesn't have hardly any obvious tier-1 guys you can build a franchise around (Wemby, Banchero, Cunningham[?], Anthony Edwards, etc.).

However, if you look back at years like 2019, '20, and '21, the drop-off after a couple of guys is pretty steep.

For the next month, I expect many '24 draft boards will overestimate college players, question other leagues, and make strange predictions. It won't be until we can see one one-on-zero shooting from Sarr, Buzelis, Risacher, Topic, Holland, and Salaun that we'll understand how these guys might do in the Association. And there are plenty of unknowns with more well-known commodities like Williams, Castle, Sheppard, Dillingham, and Knecht. Their one-on-one visits will fill in the knowledge gaps.

I'm also curious how the draft order works out in a month. The league wants everyone to believe it's random. We'll see.

• Will Toronto hand its pick to SA (top 6 protected)?
• Does SA end up with a top 3 and #7? (probably, if you believe in conspiracies)
• Does Utah beat the odds and move up to the top 3? (probably)
• Will Houston catch a break and get in the top spots? (I doubt it)
• Will Houston get pushed further down the draft board as multiple franchises from the #10—14 move up?

 

So we package those 2 together and get the 5th pick. Gemmatrica, baby!

 

A few Jay Dub Williamses would suffice.....how to track....

 

He flew under the radar for most of the college season, mocked in the late 1st-2nd round.

When combine season came around his athletic testing, measurements, and performance in scrimmages raised some eyebrows.

That being said combine "winners" are a mixed bag. If you google "NBA Combine Winners 202x" you'll see names like Brandin Podziemski, Quentin Grimes, and Immanuel Quickley. On the other hand you'll also see Dereon Seabron, Joe Wieskamp, and Seth Lundy.

 

Combine if I am not mistaken is measuring physical attributes....but how to track 'Mental aptitude' and Skillz.....

 

I am struggling to find much to get excited about.

Gun to my head, Reed reminds me a lot of Tari/Alperen when they were drafted.

 

I feel like Cody Williams is a big project and I’d rather have someone more developed, but one interesting ancillary benefit to drafting him is the possibility that J-Dub might want to eventually come here to play with him. Obviously not a significant consideration; you draft a guy on his own merits. But I think J-Dub is the best sophomore in the league and will be a super star. If we pick at #9, Cody is probably on a short list for BPA at that spot. Again, I can probably think of 8 players I’d draft ahead of him but it’s an interesting possibility.

 

Kel'el Ware is an intriguing prospect I hope the Rockets take a good look at. Legit 7 footer with skills on both ends of the court.

 

If Cody works on his body and gain strength as expected, he'll be better than J-Dub.

 

In what way?

 

I played tankathon tonight and nailed the number one pick on the second click. That gives us a 50 percent chance, unless it's rigged.

 

Analytics titan, to the point where it feels like picking him is super obvious.

 

42% from 3? You gotta be shi*tt*ng me.