2024 NBA Big Board(s) 2.0 The December version

I havent watched any basketball this year on any level aside from a few NBA games. What can you tell me about this years class?

The NCAA first-year eligible class is underwhelming. Some are in lesser roles (Stephon Castle, Caleb Foster, Aday Mara, Garwey Dual, Elmarko Jackson, Elliot Cadeau, and Mackenzie Mgbako). Some are either on the fringe of or outside the rotation (Omaha Beliew and Xavier Booker). The Kentucky team seems to live off the reputation that their guys are all NBA bound, but Justin Edwards gives off huge Cam Reddish vibes. He looks the part, but most nights is not helpful. Zvonimir Ivisic has not seen the court due to eligibility questions. Aaron Bradshaw has played four games. He had a nice game against Penn. The returnees to Duke, Proctor and Filipowski, didn’t take the developmental step one would have hoped. Their freshmen don’t play meaningful roles. Oh, and the team has been underwhelming.

Ja’Kobe Walter of Baylor has not had an especially difficult slate of opponents so far, but has had a nice season. He is a two-way 6’5″ wing who can shoot. Would he be a nice player to have? Yes. If you are a Piston, Blazer, Wizard, or Spur fan, is he the kind of guy you think can help turn their franchise around? No. His teammate Yves Missi looks the part, but is really raw. I think a team would take him if he enters, but they wouldn’t be able to use him because of how raw he is. He is the kind of lottery pick where the Wizards present him with a Go-Go jersey on draft night. Isaiah Collier is playing a lot, and for the most part well, for a really underachieving USC team. He feels like a throwback to the kind of point guards who played when there was handchecking. He is a big power point guard who plays below the rim. It makes me wonder about him. It does not feel ideal in a league where teams might just put a wing on him and make him deal with the length. I watched Bill Walton’s broadcast of the Oregon-USC game, and kind of agreed with the sentiment of Walton that Jackson Shelstad was the freshman stealing the show. The only problem there is Shelstad is 6’0″ and that is a limiting factor when thinking about the draft. Kwame Evans has been able to get more minutes with N’Faly Dante and Nate Bittle out, but even in a game where he was feeling it offensively, he was giving up a ton on defense. USC could have won that game had they just attacked the basket, but fell behind big early on because they thought they could outshoot them. On offense and the glass, he reminds you of Jaren Jackson Jr, but not on the defensive end, which is probably not what you wanted.

I also think the breakout of PJ Hall is flying so far under the radar it hurts my head. Everything people think Kyle Filipowski can be as an NBA prospect PJ Hall is. He is 6’10” and can score from all three levels. I think Clemson is the best team in the ACC, and he is a big reason why. In the past, he hasn’t always been healthy. If he stays healthy, and the doctors give the thumbs up in the predraft process, he is lottery talent for this draft. I have really started to believe that there is a chance the majority of the lottery comes from outside of college basketball, but I think he is a name that should emerge in the coming months. Also, if I am right about Hall and Clemson in total, then the other guy on their team who could gather draft steam would be sophomore Chauncey Wiggins (and the NBA has gone without a Chauncey for too long). He is long 6’10” wing, athletic, and has really emerged as a major player for the Tigers over the past five games. In those games, he is playing 28 minutes per, 13 PPG, 40% from three on 5 attempts per. It is definitely too early on him, but I am bullish on that team this year so I might as well be early.

I think there are a number of older 3-and-D wing candidates who should be able to be players to watch. David Jones of Memphis is probably a first team All-American player if there wasn’t a bias towards the big conference players. Memphis has He is a 6’6″ wing who really shoot it, sets the tone for the best team Penny Hardaway has had at Memphis. The Tigers have wins at Missouri and Texas A&M, Michigan, Arkansas, VCU, Virginia, and Vanderbilt. The American might not be a big league without Houston and Cincy, but Memphis has beaten good teams. College basketball does not have ten teams with their body of work or quality of roster. Blake Hinson of Pitt had a health issue that kept him out of two years, so he is an older prospect. He is, however, 6’7″ with good athleticism and can stroke it from deep. If he doesn’t get drafted, I expect that he will walk away from draft night with a two-way, though I would take him. Harrison Ingram seems much more at ease in his role at UNC than he was at Stanford. Kevin McCullar is shooting 40% from three, but it still feels as though opponents are completely comfortable with him shooting them. Maybe that changes over the course of the season, but it gives me pause to get too high on him.

I think your board levels are spot on as always Norrin and great points as always from BTPH.

I’ve always been a big Aday Mara fan but he isn’t doing much at UCLA. Clingan is now out injured but he’ll still always have his size when he declares. So could one of these be next year’s Dereck Lively who didn’t do much in college but has already become an NBA starter.

At the moment I’d have to have Sarr and Topic as my top two choices with Matas Buzelis next.

A lot of teams who will be drafting high already have had recent high picks but when teams can count their wins on one hand I do think it has to be BPA. But for the likes of Detroit there is no clear cut franchise changer, the Spurs are also struggling but they do have Wemby already so have the key cornerstone in place.