NBA Draft Attracts Top Hoopers

As the 2024 NBA Season is coming to a close, we’re nearing the NBA Draft, where some of the best talents from all across the world will look to be selected in the 58 possible spots on June 26 and 27. Of course, everything will depend on the Draft Lottery on May 12. For these first ten picks, I’ll use this order provided by The Ringer. 

This draft comes to NBA fans with far more uncertainty than last year’s draft, as this one doesn’t have a generational talent like Victor Wembanyama. The second and third picks, as well as most of the rest of the lottery, aren’t set in stone either. Almost everyone has a different view on this, and here are my selections for the first round:

#1: Detroit Pistons - Alexander Sarr (NBL, France): The Detroit Pistons are primed to be one of the scariest teams in the league in a few years, as they’re teeming with young talent at almost every position. They already have Jalen Duren, a traditional big man focused on rebounds, but adding Alexander Sarr gives them a whole starting lineup younger than 22. Sarr’s calling card is his defense, as he’s a threat to block any shot, and on offense, he provides a dominating presence around the hoop.

#2: Washington Wizards - Zaccharie Risacher (LNB Pro A, France): The Wizards are in a difficult position here, as every spot on their roster is a weakness. They could use a good big man in this spot, but with Sarr being taken already, the next one up would be Donovan Clingan, but that’s too far of a reach. Risacher is a tall, international wing whose strength is shooting. Unfortunately, he reminds me too much of Deni Avdija, who the Wizards drafted a few years ago and never reached his potential. 

#3: San Antonio Spurs - Nikola Topic (Serbian KLS, Serbia): If Topic is available at 3 for the Spurs, they’ll be set for an insane season. With Victor Wembanyama needing a solid point guard, this alleviates the need to trade for one and allows the Spurs to use that trade capital elsewhere. Topic, truly the embodiment of a modern point guard, stands at 6’6” with elite passing and scoring skills. The shooting will need to be coached, but soon he’ll be leading a scary Spurs team to the top of the West. 

#4: Charlotte Hornets - Ron Holland (G League Ignite): The Hornets have an exceedingly young, explosive, and entertaining roster, and drafting Holland here truly rounds out that aura. This roster needs a guard to play next to a healthy LaMelo Ball, and the 6’8” defensive specialist will fit in between Ball and Brandon Miller perfectly. It remains to be seen how he’ll fit without Ball passing to him, but Holland will complete a very tall backcourt. 

#5: Portland Trail Blazers - Matas Buzelis (G League Ignite): With many trade rumors surrounding Jerami Grant’s limited time left with the Blazers, Buzelis fits in well with this young core. He seems to be a continuation of this generation of tall, lanky forwards. He is a spectacular shooter whose versatility will be a benefit for any team. The Blazers, right now, are very “attack the basket” prone instead of shooting from the outside - and Buzelis will provide a needed upgrade. 

#6: Toronto Raptors - Cody Williams (Colorado): Williams has been plummeting down draft boards over the past two months. His last two dozen college games do not scream “top-ten pick” to anyone. Williams is a fluid player on both ends of the floor and will provide any offense with a boost. Like his brother, Jalen Williams on the Oklahoma City Thunder, his three-point shot will take time to develop, but the Raptors will be willing to do so with his potential. 

#7: Memphis Grizzlies - Donovan Clingan (Connecticut): There’s a lot to like on this Memphis Grizzlies roster. Whether it’s franchise cornerstone Ja Morant, certified number two option Desmond Bane, defensive legend Jaren Jackson Jr., or youngest player in the NBA/budding star, GG Jackson, there’s talent everywhere. Their bench is filled with talent, and Donovan Clingan will be a perfect fit for them. Jackson Jr. is a power forward by trade, so with 7’2” Clingan sliding in at the 5 for them, they look to be a defensive powerhouse.

#8: Houston Rockets - Stephon Castle (Connecticut): Unfortunately, the Rockets gave 30-year-old Fred VanVleet, a decent point guard, $120 million ($80 million guaranteed) this offseason, which forces that position to be clogged up for the next two (maybe three) years. Rob Dillingham, a freshman guard from Kentucky would be a perfect fit on this team, both matching their vibes and playstyle. However, Castle, a do-it-all guard and a more realistic pick, is the best non-big-man defender in this class who can blossom into one of the best players to come out of this draft. 

#9: Utah Jazz - Dalton Knecht (Tennessee): Probably the hardest decision I had to make so far because the Jazz are in a truly difficult position. It seems futile to take a decently-sized guard and slap him at the 3 because that makes their starting five undersized. This region of the draft class is an onslaught of point guards and centers, and taking a forward feels like a reach, but here it is. Knecht is an elite scorer standing at 6’6” whose playmaking and defending skills are above average. He led Tennessee to the Elite Eight, going toe to toe with NCAA monster Zach Edey before being eliminated, but nonetheless, Tennessee had a great season with Knecht. 

#10: Atlanta Hawks - Reed Shepphard (Kentucky): There are no gaping holes on Atlanta’s roster, so Reed Shepphard is the best player available at this pick. However, this depends on whether or not the Hawks choose to trade Trae Young this offseason. Even if they do, Sheppard has good enough primary guard skills to where the Hawks’ offense can still play well, with a few small adjustments. Sheppard didn’t play well in Kentucky’s game against Oakland in the Round of 64, but during the regular season, Sheppard was a great passer and shooter to lead Kentucky to a 3 seed.

#11: Chicago Bulls - Tidjane Salaun (LNB Pro A, France): Even though drafting a guard would be more fitting for the Bulls, I think a young backcourt of Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu can hold them for one more year. DeMar DeRozan isn’t getting any younger, and it’s tough for anyone to discern whether Patrick Williams will ever blossom into being that guy for the Bulls. Salaun provides a tall frame and an improving three-point shot. Also, as the Bulls are figuring out their roster, his versatility will benefit them. 

#12: Oklahoma City Thunder - Zach Edey (Purdue): Imagine the vibes if OKC drafts Jared McCain. Endless TikToks. But, in my opinion, the Thunder need to clear up their guard spot as it is, so, adding another flamethrowing guard into the mix complicates rather than helps. Sliding Edey next to Holmgren in the paint would allow Holmgren to play outside more than he does already. And on defense, not a single shot would go up without a contest. The only problem with Edey is his mobility and stamina, which may cause the Thunder to take Indiana’s Kel’el Ware or Duke’s Kyle Filipowski instead. 

#13: Portland Trail Blazers - Ja’Kobe Walter (Baylor): There’s a very good chance that Portland trades this pick, as their whole team is full of promising young talent (reminder: the Blazers drafted Buzelis fifth overall). Unfortunately, this leaves the Blazers with only one true point guard in Scoot Henderson, and the rest being off-guards, although that can be developed. His offense, and more specifically, his three-point shot, is what will get him drafted here. 

#14: New Orleans Pelicans - Kyle Filipowski (Duke): I was debating between Filipowski, and his Duke teammate, Jared McCain for this, but McCain slips yet another pick. Jonas Valanciunas is not under contract next season, and he’s getting old, so the Pelicans would need to take a big man here. Many are saying that the Pelicans’ main priority should be a true point guard, as CJ McCollum is playing slightly out of position and getting older, but with Dyson Daniels not far behind and free agency still being an option, I think they should focus on the front court. 

Potential selections to finish the first round.

#15: Philadelphia 76ers - Jared McCain (Duke)

 

#16: Miami Heat - Rob Dillingham (Kentucky)

 

#17: Toronto Raptors - Tristan Da Silva (Colorado)

 

#18: Phoenix Suns - Isaiah Collier (USC)

 

#19: Orlando Magic - Devin Carter (Providence)

 

#20: Atlanta Hawks - Ryan Dunn (Virginia)

 

#21: New York Knicks - Kevin McCullar Jr. (Kansas)

 

#22: New York Knicks - Johnny Furphy (Kansas)

 

#23: Cleveland Cavaliers - Kel’el Ware (Indiana)

 

#24: Washington Wizards - Terrence Shannon Jr. (Illinois)

 

#25: New Orleans Pelicans - Tyler Smith (G League Ignite)

 

#26: Milwaukee Bucks - Oso Ighodaro (Marquette)

 

#27: Minnesota Timberwolves - Carlton Carrington (Pittsburgh)

 

#28: Utah Jazz - Yves Missi (Baylor)

 

#29: Denver Nuggets - Jalen Bridges (Baylor)

 

#30: Boston Celtics - Bobi Klintman (NBL)

Some Thoughts on a few Basketball Clubs

Will the Detroit Pistons ever win a game? Maybe next season. I’m not a hater for saying that. I like the direction Detroit is heading with all the young talent on their team. That’s also where I disagree with those who say they’re wasting Cade Cunningham and should trade him away. Even though they’ve lost 27 games in a row, Cade is averaging 22 and 7 in those games, even scoring 43 a few games ago. He’s just 22, and it’s not like he thought the Pistons were going to win a championship when he was drafted first overall two years ago. Inevitably, they’re going to end up with at least a top 4 pick in the 2024 Draft and after that, it’s just trusting the process until they’re good enough for a free agent to consider them. Just look at what Jalen Duren is doing – he’s just 19, and he’s grabbing 11 rebounds against fully-grown men who are bigger than him. I’m not an NBA coach, nor am I a general manager (yet), but the Pistons have to figure it out on the court – they have all the pieces. 

Let’s talk about the Indiana Pacers. From only winning 25 games two seasons ago to being the best offense in the NBA right now, the leap they’ve made is insane. Everyone online is saying it’s Tyrese Haliburton and how he’s the best guard in the NBA right now. Although I wouldn’t say he’s the best guard in the NBA, he’s the best passer for sure. I’d say it’s what Rick Carlisle did with Haliburton that puts the Pacers ahead of everyone this season. There are tons of videos analyzing what they're doing, and the answer is that they never stop running. Fastbreaks exist on every possession for them. However, as we saw in the In-Season Tournament Championship game against the Lakers, it’s easier than one would think to stop. If they’re always running, put guys in front of their point guard and the result is a 20 and 11 game from Haliburton, a relatively off night. He’s become so good that teams are giving him the Jokic treatment – whenever he comes out of the game, throw up as many shots as possible praying to cut the lead down. I don’t know what will happen throughout the season if we see more teams catching on like the Lakers did. 

The Kings are a pretty good basketball team. The only problem is that they are SO top-heavy. When De’Aaron Fox, their superstar guard from Kentucky is on point, nobody can stop them. Unless you are the 8-win Portland Trail Blazers on December 26 who won by 17 with Fox scoring 43. But when he has an off night, they almost always get blown out and can’t even reach 100 points. Luckily, their other fist, Domantas Sabonis, hasn’t missed a game this season and is consistently getting 10 in either points, rebounds, or assists. Sure, the Kings do have Keegan Murray, a budding superstar from Iowa, as a potential third star, but take the game on the 26th: Murray went 2/11 from the field and 1/7 from three. Ten days before, however, Murray had 47 points on 70% shooting. I love Keegan, and I hope he helps Sacramento push for a higher seed, especially because of his growing defensive presence. I know all players have ups and downs, but I’m just worried about the longevity and depth that this Kings roster doesn’t have. 

What’s in Store for the NBA?

The 2023-24 NBA season is underway, and there are already a lot of surprises and many takeaways to be made.

In the East, a lot has stayed the same. Although, the Pacers did move up a lot; record-wise, they are the third-best team in the East. This is mostly because of a massive step up by Tyrese Haliburton, who will probably lead the NBA in assists with no problem at the end of this season. Speaking of the top three teams, the Celtics are looking extremely dangerous. They won their first five games of the year, proving to everyone that a top-heavy NBA team without a strong bench can actually win games. The Magic being as high as the team is right now is interesting to me, especially considering how young they are. Are they legitimately going to make the playoffs this year? I think it really matters how they square up against the good teams. The two Star Players in New York on opposing teams, Julius Randle and Cam Thomas, have taken different paths. Julius Randle has started to pick it up after a very rough first week of the season (even though he’s still shooting 31.6%), and I see that he’s been rebounding the ball like a center, and not touching it in scoring opportunities as he’s done in years past. Meanwhile, Cam Thomas of the Nets is having an amazing stretch so far in the season, proving to everyone that he still doesn’t need to pass the ball. Even though his team is 4-5 and not poised to have a great season, some are wondering if he can take the scoring title. Two young centers in the East are also playing better than anyone expected them to. Mark Williams of the Hornets and Jalen Duren of the Pistons are both rebounding out of their minds and can become two of the most dominant big men in the NBA soon. Finally, what is going on with the Cavaliers? They have easily one of the best starting lineups in the NBA and they have been producing way below expectations. Although, I see them picking it back up.

Contrary to the East – in the West, a lot has changed. Which Slavic Superstar will win the MVP at the end of the year? One week into the season and I see the race being narrowed down to Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic. The offense in Golden State has become more Steph Curry-centric than ever before. He’s averaging 30 points (almost twice as much as the next guy) and his team is 6-4. Klay Thompson probably will never have another 40+ point game in his career, and Chris Paul is just passing at this point. The only question now is how sustainable is giving the ball to Curry and praying? The Houston Rockets rebuild will be studied in a lab a decade from now. At 5-3 right now, they have the perfect mix of veterans and young players. They seem to have no problem without Kevin Porter Jr. and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. What’s wrong with the Suns? They have such a star-studded, win-now lineup that has been losing so far. They must have a successful season, or else the next few years will be tough sledding. There’s a similar situation with the Clippers. With three aging superstars in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and James Harden, it’s tough to ignore the fact that they have the oldest roster in the NBA, and to make matters worse – they’re 3-5. It may be time for the super teams in the Western Conference of my childhood to slip below stardom and start anew. A team that’s just now on the rise is the San Antonio Spurs with Victor Wembanyama, who I have no clue what to make of right now. Sure, he scored 38 points against Kevin Durant a week ago, but he hasn’t exploded like everyone expected the 19-year-old to. Give him a month or two and he’ll be scoring 25 every night. So far, we’re seeing how pivotal Ja Morant was for the Grizzlies, who are 1-8 without him and still won’t have him for an additional 16 games.

There are so many ongoing storylines in the NBA that we can’t wait to see play out, and there will definitely be many more to come. 

There’s always next season!

The MLB season wrapped up just a few days ago, and the season is in the midst of the Divisional Series. Surprisingly, the Orioles actually made it to the playoffs by winning their division. Even finishing higher than fourth in the AL East is cause enough for Maryland to explode for a week of partying. But the Texas Rangers have already swept the Orioles 3-0, so I guess not too much has really changed. 

 

For me, it wasn’t too weird to see the Yankees out of the playoffs, as they didn’t really play well for this season. You can’t even blame it on injuries, and although they did have some, they had 24 position players bat at least once during the season, which is about the average for an MLB team this year. Simply put, their roster wasn’t too strong at the beginning of the year, and those who were on it didn’t play well. I think that both the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays had very similar seasons, although, the Rays finished 10 games above the Blue Jays. It was interesting to see the Rays dominate again without too many overly flashy players, but both teams fell in the Wild Card round. 

 

The AL Central was a disgusting division for the whole season, producing two teams with 100+ losses, only the fourth time that’s happened in the past eleven years, with the other three times being the AL Central in 2018 (again) and 2019 (again??) and the NL Central in 2022. The first-place Twins are hanging in there against the mighty Astros at 2-1 in the divisional after somehow surviving the Wild Card round. Everyone expected the Cleveland Guardians to have a good season, but they finished 10 games below .500. Somewhat understandably, longtime manager Terry Francona stepped away from the team at the end of 162. He was the Guardians’ winningest manager over their 123 seasons. Francona led them to the World Series in 2016 and on a 22-game win streak the next season: the longest streak in American League history. The replacement will definitely take some getting used to for all baseball fans. 

 

The AL West was very top-heavy again, which is not too hard to do when you have the Angels and the Athletics together in a division. The A’s finished as by far the worst team in baseball with 112 losses (they were a whopping 12-46 at the end of May after winning on Opening Day against the Angels). The Texas Rangers gave the Houston Astros a run for their money for the division title after the ‘Stros calmly swept the AL East for a while before the Rangers came storming through. The Astros did end up finishing first in the division, though. I think the Rangers can go pretty far in these playoffs. They’ll have to face the Astros or the Twins next round if they hold their lead against the Orioles. 

 

The New York Mets held last place in the NL East for a few games this season, which marked their season low; but they ended up finishing in fourth, 29 games behind the Braves. My blog about my offseason hopes for the Mets will be coming soon. The Braves have constructed a dynasty with a core that will continue to win them games until they’re all 40 years old, I’m not too happy about this as a Mets fan, especially when I know how they’ve struggled to build anything over the past 20 years. The Phillies will continue to be explosive, as they’ve shown over the games in the playoffs as of right now. As a Mets fan, after seeing some of these highlights, Citizens Bank Park might be the stadium with the best atmosphere in baseball. Disagree? Just watch Bryson Stott's grand slam in the sixth inning a few days ago – he couldn’t even keep his composure. 

 

The NL Central always represents the pinnacle of mediocrity, or they host the most vicious dogfight seen in the past century for the last playoff spot (it varies from year to year). This year, there were no crazy outliers, although the Cardinals finished last for the first time this century. I guess that’s what happens when your star catcher, Yadier Molina, retires and former ace Adam Wainwright has a serious off year. Only one team made it to the playoffs, the Brewers, but both the Cubs and Reds were very close. Cincinnati called up a lot of their prospects which drove them to have a midseason surge, but they barely missed the end result. 

 

In the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers dominated once again. They simply have everything figured out for success. If one of their players gets old or starts playing badly, a rookie steps up. This season, it was Jason Outman whose Rookie of the Year odds would be far lower if he had just hit for average consistently. Their pitching was not particularly dominant, although 4 out of their 5 starters had a win percentage of above .500. The Diamondbacks were a very sneaky team this season (they lead the Dodgers 2-0 in their NLDS matchup), with the definite 2023 NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll leading the team. Both the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres had underwhelming seasons, as they both have above-average rosters, but both failed to make the playoffs. 

 

The postseason will be incredibly fun this year, as it always is. I hope we get to see more late-inning drama as well as a lot of high-scoring games, instead of low-scoring pitching duels. Those are meant for the regular season – I’m pushing homework back to watch a 2-1 nightmare. 

Lifetime Allegiance – Amazin!

Here I am, sitting before my computer for a few minutes, thinking about how to start this blog. Usually, it comes to me quickly, as I already know where the blog is going and how to get it there.

I started the last one by talking about the insane payroll, and how the Mets just keep losing. Well, not much changed, except for the six guys the Mets traded at the deadline. The Mets are 0-6 since the deadline, to put them at 11 games under .500. But the Nationals are so bad that the Mets have some space between them and Washington, right? Just 1.5 games.

Things have gotten so bad that a few days ago the Mets had Jonathan Arauz playing second base for them. I’ve been an avid Mets fan for 16 years now, and I know just about everyone that has stepped onto the field for the Mets over the last ten years, but I have never heard of Arauz, not in the Mets organization, not for another team, not even in the World Baseball Classic. But hey, he’s played 70 games across four years in the MLB, I haven’t. 

The only capable pitcher in the rotation is Kodai Senga, as they traded away Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the rest of the rotation will give up five runs each start. Everyone’s saying that the Mets are tanking, or should tank for the rest of the season, and I’ve written about tanking in past blogs, and how it doesn’t make too much sense to me, especially in baseball. In football and basketball, you can tank because you get a lower draft pick, who comes out of college, or another league overseas, immediately ready to play, usually as a starter. But in baseball, you tank for a lower pick and draft an 18-year-old that has a slim chance of ever making it to the major leagues, and being that superstar that he was projected to be.

It also doesn’t make sense for the players, why would Pete Alonso, in the prime of his career, want to tank? Take Jeff McNeil for example, he’s going to be 32 next year, and having a fairly off year this year, but a consistently solid player. The Mets also just acquired Luisangel Acuna from the Rangers, a middle infielder, whose best attribute is his bat. Jeff McNeil won’t be tanking, because he’s playing for his next contract, wherever that is, and there’s a good chance the Mets don’t resign him as Acuna inevitably takes his spot.

The casual Mets fan can’t name more than a couple of Mets pitchers now. The rotation is lacking, and the bullpen is more than lacking, except Billy Eppler only traded for three pitchers, one of whom isn’t even in the top 30 prospects for the Brewers, Justin Jarvis, and another, Phil Bickford, already gave up six runs in three outings out of the bullpen.

The Mets do have a plethora of position players, though, eight of the first nine best prospects in the farm system are hitters. We may see Ronny Mauricio this season, although he has not only come back down to earth, he nose-dived and face-planted back down to earth from his insane tear at the beginning of the season.

We might see Acuna next season, but everyone else has an ETA of 2025 and beyond. Which makes me wonder what the new and improved direction of the team is. Take all of the prospects and dump them for a superstar and make one final push? This would inevitably lead to dropping down and hanging out with Basement Bertha for two decades.

Or, do they keep their prospects, wait a couple of years and pray that all of them pan out? But what should the Mets do about pitching? Realistically? Eppler will ignore the glaring need for another offseason and trade for yet another shortstop. 

What on earth was I thinking sixteen years ago when I followed my father’s footsteps and signed the contract in my heart that swore allegiance to this team for the rest of my life? 

Say It Isn’t so, Mets!

If I have to sum up the Mets’ season so far in one word, it has to be “F.” The Mets set the record with the highest payroll in MLB history this offseason, so everyone was expecting them to play like the Avengers because their payroll ($344,875,664) is higher than the GDP of the Czech Republic.

But no, not only are they below .500 by a few games, they’re blowing significant leads and can’t hold on to a game to save themselves. And the worst part is the Miami Marlins are ahead of them in the NL East, not wallowing in last place like they usually do. 

It seems as though the Mets should be tearing the cover off of the ball with the massive payroll they have, but that’s obviously not the case, as offense remains their biggest struggle.

Pete Alonso leads the league in home runs, except now he’s injured for a couple of weeks, and rookie Mark Vientos has to fill in, out of position, and he can’t find himself at the plate. Francisco Lindor cannot hit anything right now; he has the most at-bats on the team, with the lowest batting average among qualified players (3.1 plate appearances per team game). He leads the team in strikeouts, but Buck Showalter can’t take him out of the lineup because he’s getting paid so much, so it would be a waste of money.

The two stars of the team this season, Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo, have played great, but two guys can’t carry a team to being good (just look at Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the Angels).

I’ve also been very impressed with Starling Marte, who, after starting out terribly, has been great. He has the second-most stolen bases in the NL and hitting well. But the problem which has persisted for as long as I can remember is hitting in clutch situations, and the Mets just cannot do it, their rallies are built on walks and hit-by-pitches. I can’t even suggest a solution because nothing seems to work. 

The Mets' pitching, a great strong suit of years past, has not been great. The Mets signed Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander for about $40 million apiece, and they both have a 4.40 ERA so far this season, not great at all. The Mets’ potential NL Rookie of the Year Kodai Senga has been playing alright, getting a lot of outs, primarily through strikeouts but he’s been walking a TON of hitters, some days allowing more walks than hits. But, I’ll take what I can get from him.

The rest of the starters cannot be trusted at all, Tylor Megill, David Peterson, and Carlos Carrasco will either throw a very average game or completely blow the game wide open in the third inning. Even if one of the starters was to throw an above-average game, the bullpen would then lose it.

I find it funny how only two relievers can be trusted consistently: David Robertson and Brooks Raley. The only pitchers you’ll find on the whole team with a sub-2.80 ERA. Robertson has been elite in the closer role and I’ve been impressed with Raley as the Mets have struggled to find a solid lefty reliever for the longest time. It is really difficult for Buck not to blow a game in the later innings when John Curtiss, Jeff Brigham, and Dominic Leone are three relievers that need to be trusted to get quality outs (potentially against the heart of teams’ orders). Adam Ottavino and Drew Smith have been really solid compared to the rest of the bullpen, but they have their occasional moments where they will go a couple of outings in a row giving up a few runs. It’s almost like I say this in every single blog I write about the Mets, but especially now: they have to shell out for a reliever before the trade deadline because if by some miracle they make the playoffs, they are going to get embarrassed after some random reliever blows a five-run lead in the eighth inning. 

I’m not sure increasing the payroll to half a billion will help the Mets, and it might even hurt them. But here’s an idea: blow the team up and start fresh! Maybe in 200 years Mets fans will be celebrating a World Series, instead of 300. 

NBA Mock Draft 2.0

The NBA Draft is coming up on June 22, and this might be the year where the fight for the #1 pick is the most chaotic, and the race is always much more exciting when a lottery decides the team who gets the #1 pick. 

1.      San Antonio Spurs - Victor Wembanyama - France. After winning the lottery, the San Antonio Spurs will certainly take the 7’4 prodigy with guard skills. There will be some crazy trade offers thrown at the Spurs, but they won’t trade him. Wembanyama is the most highly coveted prospect since LeBron.

2.      Charlotte Hornets - Scoot Henderson - G League Ignite. These two are the established #1 and #2 overall picks. Henderson is a point guard that’s built like a linebacker, and him being a potential second coming of Derrick Rose makes him the right fit for the Hornets, who aim to stack up on their backcourt. 

3.      Portland Trailblazers- Amen Thompson - Overtime Elite. Thompson is a very well-rounded guard that has been thriving in the OT Elite league. He’s developed a very reliable three-point shot but the only concern with him is that he’s not playing against tough competition and with heckling fans, like in the NCAA, but the Blazers can’t pass up on this guy. Also, the Blazers are trying to find themselves over this next offseason, and whichever way they go, Thompson seems like a good choice. 

4.      Houston Rockets - Brandon Miller - Alabama. Many expected Brandon Miller to go as early as 3, but I think that he’s going to drop. Throughout the SEC season, Miller’s been the undisputed star of Bama’s team, leading them to the 1 seed, but he didn’t have a dominant March Madness and eventually, his team lost in Sweet Sixteen. Also, since the Rockets have a lot of guard play, Miller will be that decently-sized forward that can project them forward. 

5.      Detroit Pistons - Ausar Thompson - Overtime Elite. The second Thompson twin is next, and Ausar’s skillset is similar to Amen’s, although Amen seems a little more NBA-ready. The Pistons are on the come-up and trying to stack up on young talent. I think Ausar would be a great fit. 

6.      Orlando Magic - Jarace Walker - Houston. The Magic are a couple of years away from being scary. Like the Pistons, they are looking to stack up on talent, and what better way to do that than by drafting a big power forward? Walker has been dominating the interior the whole college basketball season, and he likely won't stop in the NBA. 

7.      Indiana Pacers - Nick Smith Jr. - Arkansas. The Pacers are in a confusing spot. They just missed out on the play-in this year, so which way do they go? Drafting Smith will help as he’ll come into the NBA as one of the best pure scorers of this draft. He’s 6’5 and only 19, with so much time to improve. Pair him with Tyrese Haliburton and the rest of the established Pacers, and it’s looking good. 

8.      Washington Wizards - Cam Whitmore - Villanova. Any position for the Wizards would be an upgrade for them, as they barely have any potable young talent with their top 3 are being 27+. So having Whitmore slide in and take a back seat for a year or so would be great for him and the team. With the remaining good players being guards in a guard-heavy draft, I think it would make sense for Whitmore to be drafted here. 

9.      Utah Jazz - Gradey Dick - Kansas. There’s a lot to like about Dick for any team as he doesn’t really interrupt a team’s play style. Dick is a tall guard/forward who shines in any part of the offense. This pick also makes a lot of sense for the Jazz, as having Dick on the bench and continuing to stack young talent on a roster that barely missed the playoffs this year. 

10.   Dallas Mavericks - Taylor Hendricks - UCF. The Mavericks are in an interesting position, as they traded away a lot to get Kyrie Irving, but now the 31-year-old’s contract is up and I don’t think it would be very wise to resign him for what would definitely be $30+ million. So, any young talent they can pair with Doncic will help their team so much. Hendricks is a tall forward that won’t interrupt Doncic, who touches the ball every possession. He can shoot the ball and rebound well, and whichever way the Mavericks go from here, Hendricks will be there to stay. 

What to Expect in the NBA Draft

The NBA Draft is coming up soon, and this might be the year when the fight for the #1 pick is the craziest, and I think the race is made 20 times more exciting when a lottery decides the team who gets the #1 pick. 

1. San Antonio Spurs - Victor Wembanyama - France. It doesn’t matter which team wins the lottery, because they will take the 7’4” prodigy with guard skills. I’m assuming there will be some crazy trade offers thrown at the team with the #1 overall pick, but they won’t trade it. Wembanyama is the most highly coveted prospect since LeBron.

2. Houston Rockets - Scoot Henderson - G Lea
gue Ignite. Unless someone absolutely pops off in March Madness, these two are the consensus #1 and 2 overall picks, but I doubt it’ll happen. Henderson is a point guard that’s built like a linebacker that seems like the right fit for the Rockets, stacking up on their backcourt. 

3. Detroit Pistons - Amen Thompson - Overtime Elite. Thompson is a very well-rounded guard that has been thriving in the OT Elite league. He’s developed a very reliable three-point shot but my only concern with him is that he’s not playing against a lot of competition, like the NCAA, but the Pistons can’t pass up on this guy. 

4. Charlotte Hornets - Ausar Thompson - Overtime Elite. The second Thompson twin is next, and Ausar’s skillset is very similar to Amen’s, although Amen seems a little more NBA-ready. The Hornets already have a decent roster with young guys waiting to flourish, and Thompson will add an explosive wing to their roster. 

5. Orlando Magic - Brandon Miller - Alabama. Many expected Brandon Miller to go as early as 3, but I think that he’s going to drop by the end of March Madness. Throughout the SEC season, Miller’s been the undisputed star of Bama’s team, leading them to the 1 seed, but after the game against one of the worst teams in the tournament, Miller didn’t show up and I’m fairly certain this will continue throughout the tournament and an early exit. 

6. Indiana Pacers - Jarace Walker - Houston. The Pacers need help. Especially down low, and if they didn’t already have Tyrese Haliburton, I would say Nick Smith Jr. goes here, but since they’ve been experimenting with many 4’s over the past season and a half, I think Walker is the guy they need. Walker’s been dominating the interior the whole season, and I don’t think he’ll stop in the NBA. 

7. Washington Wizards - Nick Smith Jr. - Arkansas. The Wizards aren’t getting any younger, and with their three best players being above 27, none of them being an actual point guard. Smith will come into the NBA as one of the best pure scorers of this draft. He’s 6’5 and only 19, with so much time to improve. And having Smith and Bradley Beal together for a few seasons will provide a lot of points.

8. Portland Trail Blazers - Cam Whitmore - Villanova. Damian Lillard is showing no signs of stopping at the age of 32, scoring 35+ with ease almost every night, and with Anfernee Simons at the other guard position, I figured that they need help in other positions. So, with the remaining good players being guards in a guard-heavy draft, I think it would make sense for Whitmore to be drafted here. 

9. Orlando Magic (via Bulls) - Carson Wallace - Kentucky. I think there’s a lot to like about Carson Wallace, especially if you’ve been watching the SEC. Wallace is a hard-nosed defender that can also shoot the ball at a decent clip. This pick also makes a lot of sense for Orlando, as Paolo Banchero and the rest of the young players will get better, and having Wallace will only make them better. 

10. Toronto Raptors - Gradey Dick - Kansas. The Raptors front court is set, and the only position they need to go from good to great is a wing. The Raptors could draft a lot of players with this pick, including Keyontae George, Taylor Hendrix, and GG Jackson, but I think Dick is the explosive player they need. Dick can score on all three levels, but he loves the three-ball. He’s not going to come in and be a primary dribbler, as basically, anyone in the starting lineup for the Raptors can do that, he’ll be called in to score the ball. His draft stock might go up even more once March Madness is over. 

NBA – What’s to Expect in the 2^nd Half

The first half of the NBA season has brought a lot of excitement for the fans, and all of us are getting ready for a close finish, in both the standings and the Awards Race. The season was just made crazier because of the Trade Deadline and a historic amount of monumental moves that made teams deeper as well as star-studded.

WEST

In the West, the Nuggets are running away with it and the closest team is the Memphis Grizzlies, but as we see with every loss they take, they’re not “fine in the West.” Going farther down in the West, we see a lot more parity, as the 4 and 12 seeds are separated by just 3.5 games. You know it’s crazy when the Thunder are the 10-seed when they were 40 games back of first place just last season. Then you have teams like the Lakers, who are the 13 seed, but they just got a lot better after the trade deadline. They traded for Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and others, to go along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis who seems to be passed his constantly injured days. I’ll go as far as to say I really like the Warriors this season, and it’s definitely possible that they make the playoffs as the 6-seed or above, but with one pre-requisite, Steph Curry has to be on the court consistently, and basically can’t get injured once he comes back from his injury right now. Obviously, the race near the top will get a lot tighter, once the Suns and Mavericks start figuring out to play with their new teams. I believe the Mavericks have the advantage right now, as Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are figuring each other out right now, as well as the rest of the team. The Suns are practically playing from behind, as the learning process will only start once Kevin Durant comes back, and the timetable for his return hasn’t been set up yet. Finally, the Kings having the best offense in the NBA right now is wild to me with a pretty top-heavy team. They’re just going to be confusing everything in the West.

EAST

Even with how crazy the West is, I think the East is more competitive. Obviously, the Celtics and the Bucks are the best teams. The Celtics are just unstoppable, mostly because of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but also because their supporting cast all produce scoring. I think that Bucks great play was aided with the emergence of Jrue Holiday being a scorer when Giannis was out a couple of weeks ago has been crucial to their success. He’s also been carrying this on in the games when Giannis has been playing, even out scoring him by dropping a 40 pointer in an OT game a few days ago. The Cavaliers are one of my favorite teams to watch this year. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell highlight one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA. Except, even after having one of the best all-around starting 5’s in the NBA, I don’t see them going far in the playoffs. The Nets and the Knicks are at the 5 and 6 spots in the standings, and I predict that both of the teams will fall at least somewhat by the end of the season, for one of them, because they traded their whole team, and for the other, it’s because they’re the Knicks. I don’t understand why the Hawks are the 8 seed, as throughout the season, they’ve consistently been playing below where they should be. John Collins has been underwhelming to the say the least and Trae Young has been very inconsistent. Although, I do see a world where they step it up. I believe that the Bulls and the Pacers are two teams that are very similar. They both have pretty good rosters, but they are playing below where they should. The Pacers have a lot of young guards that seem as though they rotate between themselves who will have a good game, and Tyrese Haliburton will always have 9+ assists. The Bulls have a really, really good starting lineup, but I believe their problem is Demar Derozan getting injured a lot and they’ve been playing inconsistently as a whole. Only one of these teams will rise in the standings, and it’s really hard to differentiate which one.

Final Standings Predictions:

West:

Nuggets

Kings

Suns

Grizzlies

Mavericks

Clippers

Warriors

Timberwolves

Pelicans

 Jazz

 Thunder

 Lakers

 Trail Blazers

 Spurs

 Rockets

 

East:

Bucks

Celtics

76ers

Cavaliers

Heat

Knicks

Hawks

Nets

Raptors

 Bulls

 Wizards

 Pacers

 Magic

 Pistons

 Hornets

Knicks’ Options for this Season

Last season, the Knicks had a very disappointing season, missing the playoffs after making it the year before. The team was not very good last year, and improvements needed to be made. So, during the offseason, the front office went out and made those moves. The only major signing they made was bringing in Jalen Brunson to play point guard, who now seems like he’s the player that pushed the Knicks passed .500 again. The other moves they made were to not re-sign the old players on the team and focus on the youth. 

So, what’s working so well this year? Well, first off, they have a pretty competitive big three of Brunson, Julius Randle, and RJ Barrett. All three of them are capable ball handlers which have shown they can lead the Knicks offense. Finally, Barrett blossomed into a really good option for the Knicks, he’s shown that he can score this season and last season, even like a few games ago, where he dropped 44 and averaging 20+. Although, even though he’s been doing so well, he’s only the third-leading scorer for the Knicks. The Knicks haven’t had a competent point guard since 2017 when Derrick Rose ran the one and averaged 18 and 4. Well, Brunson is alr
eady averaging 21 and 6.5 and dropped 38 two games ago. Finally, the unlikely #1 option, Julius Randle, who is really succeeding in New York is getting a lot of hate from most fans. Randle led the team to the playoffs in 2021 and played great last year too. He’s averaging a double-double right now and has six of them in a row. Now I know that six double-doubles in a row aren’t amazing when Luka Doncic is getting five triple-doubles in a row but for the player, Randle is, it’s impressive. The shooting numbers have been really good so far. Eleven players are shooting above 40% from the field this season, including Jericho Sims and Mitchell Robinson above 70%. The rebounding has been amazing as well this season, as the Knicks as a whole are top 3 in total rebounding and offensive rebounding. 

Would the Knicks need to make a move at the deadline? Well, first let’s see the missing pieces on the team. Well, Mitchell Robinson, in my opinion, is an indispensable option for the Knicks at the center, so I don’t see a hole at center for the Knicks. Obviously, I would prefer Nikola Jokic instead of Robinson, but realistically, the Knicks aren’t trading for Jokic. I would even prefer someone like Clint Capela, but looking at the past, the Knicks haven’t been too aggressive at the deadline so realistically, Capela isn’t even an option. Now, the small forward position is currently filled by a smaller guard, Quentin Grimes, so upgrading at small forward is most definitely an option. Luckily, the Knicks have options: Harrison Barnes, Gary Trent Jr, Caris LeVert, Malik Beasley and Kelly Oubre Jr. just to name a few. Once the Knicks would trade for one of these guys, then Grimes would be moved to the bench, adding to an already decent bench unit. 

Will the Knicks continue this performance? I think they will and could possibly go deep into the playoffs this year.