Every year NBA worshipers gather around for the most holy month: June. It is when the gods come down to bless us with determining the ultimate NBA fate, the winner of the finals. A process that often begins far before September, a process that for teams, our lovely houses of worship, begins decades ago. For the Boston Celtics, their worship for this championship in many ways began in the mid 2000s. If the Celtics had not bottomed out back then, collecting young talent, then they would not have had the pieces to assemble the KG-Pierce-Allen Big 3. If we don’t have the Big 3 then we don’t get the infamous Celtics-Nets trade and we never get Tatum and Brown in Boston.
Amidst this time of holy mana reigning down from the gods onto the Boston Celtics, we must be sure as fans to keep our eyes open, to be cautiously embraceful of the unknown elements that the gods will soon present to us. We must make sure to strengthen our hearts against the alluring Youtube highlight clips, the clickbait mock drafts and the salacious theoretical blow it up draft trades. We must find a guiding light, one that embraces the chaos, the uncertainty but also the rich history of the holy day known as the NBA draft.
I am no trained Shaman. Perhaps, one day, I will work myself into a monastery, into a house of worship and attempt to present the gods with the right offering in hopes of getting the holy mana in return. Until that day, or if it never happens, I am simply a worshiper of the spirits professing my thoughts onto the streets hoping to help guide my fellow wanderers and worshipers through this holy time. My act of worship comes within a longline of holy practice surrounding this day, the creation of a ‘Big Board’. This practice is created not to tempt fate of our gods, it is not to look into the magic orb and predict what will actually happen on the holy night, but rather to read what hints the gods have left us and to help the common man to interpret these signs and guide us forward into the future. These are my readings based on my years of worship, the anthropomorphic details left to us and the free film floating around on the internet.
Tier 1: Potential Stars
NUMBER 1: Reed Sheppard
NBA Comp: Kirk Hinrich
Ideal Team Fit: Spurs
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Rockets at 3
Givony and Woo Big Board: 4
The gods have looked down upon us and asked a simple question: what if the name “Reed” became the “Jalen” for white boys? What is not to love about a do it all combo guard from Kentucky that shot 52% from 3 on high volume and put up one of the best steals+blocks seasons in college basketball since Anthony Davis? Reed is a deadeye shooter, with active hands and a fantastic feel for the game. He projects to have a very high ceiling, much of the likes of Captain Kirk who was a quiet hooper. There also exists some chance that shooting ability opens up gravity plays for his teammates making him an offensive supernova. In a draft with players who either have low ceilings or low floors, Reed is one of the only guys who could have both. Don’t overthink it, he is a hooper and I cannot wait for the next gen of white hoopers to be named Reed.
NUMBER 2: Nikola Topic
NBA Comp: Ricky Rubio
Ideal Team Fit: Washington Wizards
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 10
Most religions have holy lands, sites that worshipers return to year after year, for in those locations we are the closest to the gods. At some point our great houses of worship must recognize that the Balkans are some of if not the most holy lands on the gods’ great earth. A pick and roll passing wizards with excellent positional size and an innate knack for getting to the basket and finishing is hard to find. Questions do remain open about the lack of outside shooting but Topic’s near 88% shooting from the free throw line bodes well as an indication for what the God’s have in store for Topic. His stock has fallen in recent weeks due to an ACL injury which I think should not factor into a team’s decisions on him at all, gives him time to adjust to America/NBA lifestyle and these picks are all long term plays anyways.
NUMBER 3: Matas Buzelis
NBA Comp: Franz Wagner, Jerami Grant on offense and Timelord on defense
Ideal Team Fit: Portland
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Detroit Pistons
Givony and Woo Big Board: 5
There is a strong argument for selecting Matas first overall. A super tall wing player with the ability to protect the rim on defense, finish at the rim and make high basketball IQ plays. Matas has a great feel for the game but does not really project as someone that can be a number 1 creator on a team. The essential question for him will be whether the jumper can come along to the point where he can really spread the floor. He has a ton of talent and is not really being talked about as a defensive prospect when I think he should.
NUMBER 4: Alex Sarr
NBA Comp: Giannis Lite
Ideal Team Fit: Wizards
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Wizards
Givony and Woo Big Board: 3
We must remember that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A young 7 foot star blossoming into a rim protecting, 3 point shooting, transition star or is he a low BBIQ do-it-nothing athlete? Finding a place that has the time to truly believe in Sarr’s beauty will be essential for the prophecy.
NUMBER 5: Zacchaire Risacher
NBA Comp: Nicolas Batum and Michael Porter Jr.
Ideal Team Fit: Spurs
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Hawks
Givony and Woo Big Board: 1
The Researcher is being mocked at 1 in most places not because he is the clear best player in the draft but rather because he presents the hardest to find skill set in the NBA– proven 3 point shooting ability combined with a 6’10 frame and the speed/strength to switch 1 through 4. The gods don’t typically have someone who is more of a ‘play finisher’ at the top of the draft but even if he does just end up as a Batum type, that’s a player every team needs. I have him lower because if I’m a team at the top of this draft I want a guy with a higher ceiling or someone that can be a centerpiece on either side of the ball/
NUMBER 6: Ron Holland
NBA Comp: Gerald Wallace
Ideal Team Fit: Utah Jazz
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 13
Many of our greatest relics are covered with patches of dirt after the beholders have gotten impatient with their offerings to the gods. Just a short year ago, Holland was the consensus number 1 overall prospect. After a season with a total mess of the G-League Ignite and a battle through an injury, Holland has become an afterthought for lots of teams. Holland is maybe the best athlete in this draft and has amazing defensive instincts and the ability to bully his way to the basket. I will have more on this later but I do not understand why people have Stephon Castle so far over Holland, feels like an NCAA title hangover.
NUMBER 7: Zach Edey
NBA Comp: Shaq
Ideal Team Fit: Knicks
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 16
If you want to be sold on Zach Edey read this article, it’s a thing of true beauty. The Clingan vs Edey debate is going to happen here. Look, I really like Clingan but I don’t understand why he has number 1 overall buzz but Edey is being mocked around 15. The argument for Clingan is that he is an elite defender/rim protector and that he has 3 point shooting upside. The reality, however, is that if you have Clingan you will have to play a drop defense (think Brook Lopez on the Bucks) and the same is true if you have Edey. The reality is also that Edey is an elite rim protector. The upsell on Clingan is that he could have a 3 point shot but Edey is much closer to that reality than Clingan is, Edey was a 70% free throw shooter while Clingan was 55% . The argument for Clingan is that he is a winner and a great passer but those things are equally true of Edey! One of the biggest arguments for Clingan over Edey is that Edey is too slow and Clingan will be able to better hold up in switches. I do take this with a grain of salt but at the combine Edey performed better than Clingan in lane agility time, shuttle run and three quarter sprint (Clingan btw came in 2nd to last, 2nd to last and last amongst players at the combine in those areas). There is some serious madness going on here. I honestly think there could be an argument that Edey is the best player in the entire draft.
NUMBER 8: Donovan Clingan
NBA Comp: Walker Kessler
Ideal Team Fit: Memphis Grizzlies
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Blazers
Givony and Woo Big Board: 3
I do think he is a high floor player and that he can really operate out of the short role, finish at the rim and cause problems on defense, which makes for a good NBA player.
NUMBER 9: Cody Williams
NBA Comp: Brandon Ingram
Ideal Team Fit: Grizzlies
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Grizzlies
Givony and Woo Big Board: 11
Cody is a long and slinky player who curves his way around defenders, floating towards the basket and finishing at an elite rate. He shows hesitancy to let the ball fly from 3 but when left open he is able to knock down his shots at a high rate. The question for Cody is whether he can find ways to beat guys off the dribble and become a more confident volume shooter. There is some possibility that on the defensive end he could become a ‘too slow and too weak’ guy but I have a hard time imagining that, I think he will be a solid to plus defender. For him it feels important to find a spot where he can play alongside a star and be given the opportunity to execute a small role at a high level before he is relied on to be an offensive hub.
NUMBER 10: Devin Carter
NBA Comp: Alex Caruso and Jrue Holiday
Ideal Team Fit: Bulls
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Bulls
Givony and Woo Big Board: 12
A defensive dawg who uses his long wingspan and strong build to help his team’s defense on pretty much every level. He has serious Derrick White guard rim protection potential, combined with the overall size and strength to guard and switch onto wings. The potential on that side of the ball is high. On the offensive end, he struggled in his first 2 years of college but was able to make major strides last season. He got his 3 pointers up to almost 38% on nearly 7 attempts and the shot is not that pretty but it went in. He also vastly improved as a finisher at the basket and said in an interview with KOC that studying Jalen Brunson’s ‘off two feet’ style of play at the basket was what unlocked his finishing around the hoop. For my fellow worshipers who have not reached Leviticus Off Two Feet yet, the idea is that when driving to the basket rather than just jumping the second you have a step on your man and trying to finish around someone on one foot you can arrive on both feet, with the ability to pivot off of either foot, the make a step through or to fake in any direction. Jimmy Butler is also excellent off two feet.
Tier 2: Solid Dudes
NUMBER 11: Stephon Castle
NBA Comp: Andre Iguodala
Ideal Team Fit: Charlotte Hornets
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Spurs
Castle is a bull dog on defense that has the true size, strength and speed to defend wings at a high level. He showed during his time at UCONN that he can fit into a system and thrive in that kind of role. The catch is that he is a dreadful shooter, making only 27% of his 3s on 2.2 attempts per game. Jonathan Givony, the ultimate draft Guru writer, recently said on the Lowe Post that he showed up early to a game to get a clip of Castle knocking down 3s in warmups and it took him about a half hour to get a clip of Castle hitting 2 in a row. Then there is the next level issue that Castle’s team has been telling people that he wants to be a point guard in the NBA and have the ball in his hands to playmake, something he did a lot in high school and rarely in college. I recently dropped Castle lower, I used to have him ranked neck and neck with Holland but this comes down to a gut sense. I think a lot of teams saw Castle win a lot at UCONN and Holland lose a lot in a season cut short by injury with Ignite and are coming out mixed up on these two prospects. I feel fairly confident that if these two guys had switched positions last year that Holland would be across the board ranked higher than Castle. That said, Castle still has a lot of tantalizing skills and I would want him on my team.
NUMBER 12: Dalton Knecht
NBA Comp: Khris Middelton
Ideal Team Fit: Would fit well most places
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 7
Man he is just like a 24 year old white dude shooter bucket getter, he will help you but bro is old. He is good if you are trying to get an adult in the room or trying to win now. Looks like Buzelis-Pistons is pretty locked in but they were looking at Knecht for ‘can shoot and do stuff’ reasons when the pistons had a shocking lack of that last season.
NUMBER 13: DaRon Holmes
NBA Comp: PJ Washington
Ideal Team Fit: Any Contender
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Denver Nuggets (at 28)
Givony and Woo Big Board: 38
Holmes is the biggest ‘im higher on him than consensus’ guy in this draft. It is widely believed that the Nuggets have promised Homles at 28 and he has shut down all workouts and interviews with other teams. Holmes is a 3rd year college player who flashed that he can do everything you want from a forward. He can knock down 3s, post up smaller guys, pick and pop, create a bit for himself, protect the rim a bit and switch onto smaller guys. The worry about him is that he is a 3rd year player and was only able to really knock down 3s this last season but I just think he is a high IQ player and that he will figure it out. PJ Washington was a very similar lengthy prospect who I thought the Hornets signed to a steal, the Mavs impressively got for so little and then really flashed what he can be in the playoffs. I’m in.
NUMBER 14: Bub Carrington
NBA Comp: Dejounte Murray
Ideal Team Fit: Orlando Magic
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Cavs at 20
Givony and Woo Big Board: 20
Bub is the biggest hooper in this draft and it is not really even close. Well, actually, Rob Dillingham is the biggest hooper. Okay, Bub is the second biggest hooper in the draft. The kid has a deep bag of tricks and a nasty middy pullup that he was able to hit at about 50% (that’s impressive). He is not lightning quick out there but he has enough to be able to get past guys. In college he struggled with his strength to finish through guys which on first pass sounds concerning but the bigger picture tells a different story. Bub grew four inches between the end of high school and the beginning of college and has grown 8 inches since his sophomore year of high school. He is one of the youngest players in the draft and I would bet that he is still growing. At the combine he measured in at 6 ‘4 with a 6’ 8 wingspan which already projects him well in terms of size. Regardless of whether this growth continues, it is very hard to fill your body out to build muscle when your body is growing like his was. Bub has all the fun little guy parts to his game to be a bucket getter and now has to grow into his new body and adapt his game to it, really high potential with this guy and seems like his bottom is a fun bencher scorer type. Invest.
NUMBER 15: Jared McCain
NBA Comp: Mike Conely
Ideal Team Fit: Timberwolves
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Sixers
Givony and Woo Big Board: 15
Yeah, the painted nails titkoker is a hooper, its 2024. He is a bucket and a dawg, I love this kid and I think he will be in the league for a long time. His combination of IQ, shooting ability and feel are great. He lacks size and his defense will always be a question, I like him next to a bigger guard like Anthony Edwards or a hound like Jalen Suggs. At the very least he will be a trustworthy bench guard but has Kyle Lowry, Mike Conely, Fred Van Vleet potential.
NUMBER 16: Rob Dillingham
NBA Comp: Lou Williams, Bones Hyland
Ideal Team Fit: Magic
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 8
Many people think that Dillingham has the greatest superstar potential of any player in the draft and it’s not hard to see why. The kid is shifty as can be, hit 45% of his 3s and is just generally electric to watch him when he is hot. My issue with Dillingham comes down to a larger team building philosophy that I have about size and defense. Dillingham came in at 6‘1 with a 6‘4 wingspan and weighed 164 pounds, making him the lightest guy in the draft. That is the exact size that Trae Young is listed at. I personally don’t think that you can build a championship team around Trae Young and the only guys in NBA history to be the best player on a championship team at that size are IT and Curry, IT was amazing on the defensive end and Curry is both bigger and the best shooter ever. Now saying that a guy has to be the best dude on a championship team is nuts so lets recontextualize. Small guys that are bucket getters are the easiest thing to find in the NBA and you need to show me that you can provide something more for your team by way of rebounding, transition game, defense or playmaking. The other part of it to me is that if Dillingham is really good then he is going to demand a massive contract later in his career and I just don’t see how he will be playable on defense in the playoffs and now your roster is built around a flawed player. So like yeah, if he is Lou Will then 16 is a good spot and then if he is Trae Young with less passing and you gotta back up the truck for him you’re in a bad spot. That said, the dude is fucking electric and I am really excited to watch him do insane stuff in the league.
NUMBER 17: Tristan Da Silva
NBA Comp: Kyle Kuzma
Ideal Team Fit: Lakers
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Lakers
Givony and Woo Big Board: 17
4 year college player, 6 ‘9, played for a ski town team, near 40% 3 point shooter, athletic questions. Kyle Kuzma. Kyle Kuzma is a useful NBA player and was a key part of a championship team.
NUMBER 18: Tyler Smith
NBA Comp: Ryan Anderson
Ideal Team Fit: Clippers
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 34
Tall guy who can protect the rim a bit, excellent in pick and pop shooting situations but might not have enough basketball IQ to survive in the league. I think that he was in a shitty system with the Ignite and that a smart NBA team could really unlock something with him. A guy that I am low on is Tidjane Salaun who many people have mocked at the end of the lottery. The two guys have very similar shooting numbers and Tyler Smith did better at every event in the combine. I like Smith’s game more and I am slotting him into where most have Salaun.
Tier 3: Time for Flyers!
NUMBER 19: Kel’el Ware
NBA Comp: Christian Wood, Mylesr Turner, Brook Lopez
Ideal Team Fit: Knicks
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 24
Ware is a high risk, high reward type of player. At his best, he is a rim protector on the defensive end with the ability to switch out onto wings (not guards) and on offense he is a lob threat and a floor spacer. Ware finished at the 100% percentile in terms of athleticism at the combine and is a freak. So then what’s the issue? Why is a guy who is a freak athlete and maybe a shooter not a surefire lottery guy in a ‘weak draft’? He is a low IQ guy who had a hard time understanding team concepts, often looked checked out, played with little to no motor at times and was lazy or had serious conditioning issues. He is a guy where I would really value his interviews, it’s unclear if he gets ‘it’ or not.
NUMBER 20: Isaiah Collier
NBA Comp: Raymond Felton, Jarrett Jack, Jameer Nelson
Ideal Team Fit: Nuggets, Knicks, Wizards
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 23
Before the college season, Collier was considered to be the number 2 player in this class behind Ron Holland. After about 20 games he was still being mocked in the top 10, then he got injured, came back and played decently once he was fully healthy and began sliding down peoples boards. It didn’t help that at the combine, he measured in a couple of inches shorter than his alleged 6’5. Collier is an incredible athlete who reminds me of Maxey in his ability to get from end to end on the court. He has a lot of strength at his size and can finish through contact. I like his ability to change his pace and wedge his way down the lane. However, his handle often looks sloppy, his assist to turnover ratio leaves a lot to be desired and his shooting is iffy (34% from 3 on 3 attempts and 67% from the line). See my earlier discussion on Dillingham for my ‘do I really want a small guard even if he is good?’. I think that Collier could become a really solid guard for a team and has some NBA ready skills in terms of transition and attacking the basket. The question to me will be whether he can both improve his shooting and clean up his turnovers. He needs to find a team that is willing to take a long term view on him and that’s why the selection of teams I have is kind of odd. I like Collier and think there could really be something special here, ala Maxey, but there is too much risk associated with that bet for me.
NUMBER 21: Ryan Dunn
NBA Comp: Matisse Thybulle
Ideal Team Fit: Knicks
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: Knicks
Givony and Woo Big Board: 28
Big wing who is one of the best defenders in the entire draft. Major questions around his shooting and general offensive game but feels like if he can figure out how to hit a corner 3 and offer a threat of a pump and go to the basket that he will have a long and meaningful NBA career. I honestly wanted to put him higher on my board but just couldn’t stomach it. Don’t be surprised if some team loves him and takes him earlier.
NUMBER 22: Ja’Kobe Walter
NBA Comp:
Ideal Team Fit:
Most Likely Team to Draft Him:
I keep trying to learn about bro and just get bored man.
NUMBER 23: Tidjane Salaun
NBA Comp: Dragan Bender
Ideal Team Fit: Blazers?
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 9
Salaun is a big French wing who can shoot the 3 ball at a decent rate and occasionally has some nice cuts to the basket. I just don’t understand why so many people have him mocked so much higher than Tyler Smith, who played in a more competitive league, has the same physical measurements, did better at the agility/speed drills, shot the same on 3s and FTs pretty much and showed more rim protecting potential. This dude is 6’9 with a 7’1 wingspan and had 10 blocks in like 40 games this past season. He did now show me much by way of playmaking or feel for the game. People just like him because he is young, tall, can shoot and has the Euro aura. I don’t see it with this kid but hey I could be wrong.
NUMBER 24: Johnny Furphy
NBA Comp: Cam Johnson, Trey Murphy
Ideal Team Fit: Cavs
Most Likely Team to Draft Him: N/A
Givony and Woo Big Board: 18
Long wing player who can knock down 3s, is aggressive on the boards and shows a decent feel for the game. His 3 point shooting form was quite good but he only really took them when he was wide open, didn’t show much movement shooting and still hit just a decent rate of them. I am not sure that he has the speed or strength to hang with guys in the NBA but his combination of size, feel and shooting potential makes him a worthwhile bet in the later half of the first round.
Other guys that interest me:
Pacome Dadiet– French hooper with good size
Nikola Djurisic– Serbian hooper and Topic teammate
Kevin McCullar– 23 year old dude from Kansas and the team fell off a cliff once he got hurt
Juan Nunez– 20 year old passing god who is the starting PG for the Spanish national team
AJ Johnson– Freak athlete kid, hooper, top high school recruit who then spent a year just riding the bench in Australia but is intriguing
Tyler Kolek– TJ McConnell
KJ Simpson– My boy Theo says this guy can ball
The Reedbound 