OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - 2023-2024 NBA Season Thread

rudel.dietrich · 06-22-2023, 08:36 AM

No time to get this started like now.

I consider the draft the start of the new NBA year even though the official start date is not until July 1st.

The NBA draft is today and is one of my favorite days of the year and is also close to my birthday, so I always feel like it a gift to myself.

I have done more draft research this year than in previous years.

I have been falling on Brandon Miller the more I look into him.
And none of it has to do with off the court matters.
He has his upsides for sure as a shooter and scorer. But I question his athleticism and ability to finish around the rim.
He does not have the tightest handle, I also worry about him as a playmaker and his passing vision.
Finally I worry about his on ball defense.

All of these things should improve at the NBA level, but I am ready to die on the hill of Scoot Henderson being a better prospect than Miller.
Scoot for sure also has downsides.
He needs a lot of time in the gym working on his jumper.
His mid range shooting was actually pretty okay and he hit 76% of hit FTs
Usually FT shooting pre NBA shows shows that a player can improve their shot and the average to above average mid range game shows they can at least become a league average 3 point shooter.

Henderson already has a tight handle and good playmaking.
He does not have elite court vision like a Jokic, Harden or Lamelo Ball.
But he is a willing passer and his persistent penetration to the basket opens up kick outs or even wrap around passes to big men and cutters.

I could see him cutting down on the turn overs and reaching 7-8 APG one day.

And then we come to his athleticism, something that cannot really be taught. It can for sure be worked on at the NBA level and players can make offseason incremental improvements. But Henderson already has jaw dropping athleticism.
He is the most athletic guard in this class and perhaps the entire draft.
Wembanyama has some freaky athleticism for a person his size, but it translates in a different way.

So my top 2 draft picks would be Wembanyama and Henderson.
I hope Charlotte does the right thing.
I don’t think there is a 25 year old 5th year senior white guy they can take, so maybe they will.

I still have Miller at 3, but I would not take issue with other players over him.
I like the Thompson twins. Again, both are incredible athletes who have basketball skills that just need to be worked on and refined.
I would not take issue with either of them at 3.

Beyond that, I really like Taylor Hendricks and Anthony Black.
Hendricks is a bit versatile. His size is more of a wing, but in small lineups he play at the four or even center. He has some interior defense and shot rim protections chops.
He also has the footwork to where he is not totally lost on the perimeter.
His offensive game seems to involve around the pick and roll, which works fine since the NBA offensive is based around the pick and roll.
He can either do a pick or pop or he has the athleticism to roll to the basket and finish.
We have not seen him as the ball handler in the pick and roll very much at UCF or high school, but I am sure NBA teams at some point will want to try him at it.
He had a good all around freshmen year at UCF. Bit UCF played a pretty weak schedule.
This does always mean it does not project to the NBA level.
We have seen players like Curry, Lillard and McCollum play and recently Jalen Willams play at the mid major level and succeed at the NBA level.

I hope Hendricks falls to the Wizards.

Anthony Black may be the best pure PG in this draft. He is the classic floor general who makes his teammates better.
He is also a plus defender.
His scoring is for sure a question. He did not have a lot of shooting around him at Arkansas so he had to create off the dribble a lot.
He is an okay catch and shoot scorer.
His FT % was also an issue which may mean that he never develops much as a shooter.
But his low 60s in HS was 70% 5.3 attempts per game at Arkansas. So maybe he is already improving his shooting touch.

Does anyone else have any draft thoughts before tonight?
Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I am by no means a professional scout and and I have been so wrong on so many players.

But it is fun to try and put yourself into the head of a front office role and see how players pan out.

06-22-2023, 08:36 AM	#1
rudel.dietrich Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Zürich, Switzerland Posts: 8,608	2023-2024 NBA Season Thread No time to get this started like now. I consider the draft the start of the new NBA year even though the official start date is not until July 1st. The NBA draft is today and is one of my favorite days of the year and is also close to my birthday, so I always feel like it a gift to myself. I have done more draft research this year than in previous years. I have been falling on Brandon Miller the more I look into him. And none of it has to do with off the court matters. He has his upsides for sure as a shooter and scorer. But I question his athleticism and ability to finish around the rim. He does not have the tightest handle, I also worry about him as a playmaker and his passing vision. Finally I worry about his on ball defense. All of these things should improve at the NBA level, but I am ready to die on the hill of Scoot Henderson being a better prospect than Miller. Scoot for sure also has downsides. He needs a lot of time in the gym working on his jumper. His mid range shooting was actually pretty okay and he hit 76% of hit FTs Usually FT shooting pre NBA shows shows that a player can improve their shot and the average to above average mid range game shows they can at least become a league average 3 point shooter. Henderson already has a tight handle and good playmaking. He does not have elite court vision like a Jokic, Harden or Lamelo Ball. But he is a willing passer and his persistent penetration to the basket opens up kick outs or even wrap around passes to big men and cutters. I could see him cutting down on the turn overs and reaching 7-8 APG one day. And then we come to his athleticism, something that cannot really be taught. It can for sure be worked on at the NBA level and players can make offseason incremental improvements. But Henderson already has jaw dropping athleticism. He is the most athletic guard in this class and perhaps the entire draft. Wembanyama has some freaky athleticism for a person his size, but it translates in a different way. So my top 2 draft picks would be Wembanyama and Henderson. I hope Charlotte does the right thing. I don’t think there is a 25 year old 5th year senior white guy they can take, so maybe they will. I still have Miller at 3, but I would not take issue with other players over him. I like the Thompson twins. Again, both are incredible athletes who have basketball skills that just need to be worked on and refined. I would not take issue with either of them at 3. Beyond that, I really like Taylor Hendricks and Anthony Black. Hendricks is a bit versatile. His size is more of a wing, but in small lineups he play at the four or even center. He has some interior defense and shot rim protections chops. He also has the footwork to where he is not totally lost on the perimeter. His offensive game seems to involve around the pick and roll, which works fine since the NBA offensive is based around the pick and roll. He can either do a pick or pop or he has the athleticism to roll to the basket and finish. We have not seen him as the ball handler in the pick and roll very much at UCF or high school, but I am sure NBA teams at some point will want to try him at it. He had a good all around freshmen year at UCF. Bit UCF played a pretty weak schedule. This does always mean it does not project to the NBA level. We have seen players like Curry, Lillard and McCollum play and recently Jalen Willams play at the mid major level and succeed at the NBA level. I hope Hendricks falls to the Wizards. Anthony Black may be the best pure PG in this draft. He is the classic floor general who makes his teammates better. He is also a plus defender. His scoring is for sure a question. He did not have a lot of shooting around him at Arkansas so he had to create off the dribble a lot. He is an okay catch and shoot scorer. His FT % was also an issue which may mean that he never develops much as a shooter. But his low 60s in HS was 70% 5.3 attempts per game at Arkansas. So maybe he is already improving his shooting touch. Does anyone else have any draft thoughts before tonight? Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I am by no means a professional scout and and I have been so wrong on so many players. But it is fun to try and put yourself into the head of a front office role and see how players pan out.