Welcome to the daily thread!
This thread will automatically be posted in the morning, and again when games start. Followed by a post game player appreciation thread.
Please use this thread for all fantasy basketball related questions about your roster.

With the draft approaching quickly, I wanted to throw out my final personal big board. I will include notes for prospects I am especially high or low on and my lottery grades.
Disclaimer: This is going to be a lengthy post; notes for my solidified lottery grades are longer than those outside of it.
-Tier 1: Upper Echelon-
1- Victor Wembanyama

• At 7'4 with his level of skill, this is a prospect who can truly be whatever he wants to be if he can buy into the Spurs system and stay healthy. Has a mechanically sound stroke that has shown promise from distance, possesses strong touch around the basket, a budding handle, and obviously can throw down dunks whenever he gets position inside. Will likely struggle initially against more physical interior defense. Nimble enough to clear the lane for his teammates driving opportunities. Will be a nightmare in the dunkers spot.
• Defensive game breaker. Some unreal blocks, can switch 1-5 and while not the best lateral mover from a defensive stance, will stay in front of guards a good amount of the time due to the sheer amount of space he takes up. Solid on the glass but leaves something to be desired in this area- I believe he can and will gain weight (has a better frame than guys like Chet) and rapidly improve establishing position in the paint on both ends as he does.
• I don't think his ceiling will be reached as the number one option in an offense or a primary playmaker like Jokic, despite having the ability to create shots and handle the ball I think asking him to do it consistently would be a disservice to his strengths. Wembanyama will excel as a generational defender and off ball offensive player, able to stretch the floor, play in the post, function as an unreal lob threat, and crash the boards. The Spurs are perfect for him and I am so excited to see him go to an organization that is unlikely to ask him to do too much. High floor in the Kristaps Porzingis mold, ceiling is incomparable.

2- Scoot Henderson

• High level athlete at point who has excelled against some of the best competition available for a prospect since age 17. Solid mid range game and a plus handle; while the driving and finishing ability draws eyes, I think his ability to get to his spots consistently is what really separates him from a lot of the other guard prospects in this class. Good pace which I am a sucker for, excels at changing speeds and has the best first step in this class.
• Head is constantly up- makes crisp passes moving downhill, out of the pick and roll. Plus playmaker and the ball handling accentuates this.
• Has the tools to be a plus defender.
• Highest floor at guard available, I would be shocked if Scoot is never a quality NBA starter. Reaching his ceiling will depend on how his shot selection, decision making, and 3 point stroke progress.
• Comparison(s): Markelle Fultz, De'Aaron Fox

3- Brandon Miller

• Assassin from distance at 6'9 with a functional handle and shot creation skillset. Quick release off the catch and seems to always be in the right position on the perimeter. Plus rebounder and is a more physical player than he is given credit for.
• Strong defender who can guard 1-4, good length and displays strong recoveries. Decent shot blocker. Never saw him singled out in a great defensive unit for Alabama.
• Very loose handle, slow shot of the dribble, will limit his effectiveness in isolation early in his career. Think he will be better suited attacking 1on1 via the triple threat and face-ups than off the dribble. Has some difficulty finishing at the cup when attacking downhill- showed flashes of a guy who can glide to the rim and kiss it off the glass, but is easily bothered by contact and seems to toss the ball up and pray a lot more than I'd like to see.
• Will take him some time to become a number 1 option in an offense or even a volume scorer, but should be an excellent role player early. Can see a number of outcomes for Miller ranging from bench piece to primary offensive weapon, but think there is a place for a guy with this skillset in any rotation.
• Comparison(s): Paul Pierce, Khris Middleton

-Tier 2: Solid Lottery Grades-
4- Taylor Hendricks

• A tall 6'9 with serious length, Hendricks possesses the plus athleticism, natural shot-blocking ability and defensive versatility to anchor an NBA defense. Can guard 2-5 effectively and is an excellent interior presence- can handle drivers head on and avoid fouling or swallow a shot a the help defender. Would like to see him be in better position more consistently, but this will come with time. Can struggle to stay in front of quicker guards. High floor on the defensive end.
• Lob threat and floor spacer at UCF, I have questions about the inconsistent mechanics but honestly believe shooting 40% from deep without a consistent release says a lot more good than bad. 78% free throw shooter backs up projection as a strong floor spacer.
• Somewhat of a black hole on offense. Handle is loose and inconsistent, but there is potential there. Flashes of shooting off the dribble. Well rounded and versatile prospect with a ton of upside.
• Comparison(s): Robert Covington with bounce, Jaren Jackson Jr. (ceiling)

5- Keyonte George

• Natural shooter off the catch, on the move and off the dribble with near flawless mechanics. Possesses an NBA level bag at all three levels, excels at creating space in isolation. The premier tough shot-maker in this class.
• Linebacker frame makes him an intimidating man to man defender when tasked with other guards; strong and can press his man. Good point of attack defender, inconsistent throughout the season for Baylor but showed flashes of being a high level on-ball defender. Must be in better position off ball. Serious swing factor- can be an excellent two way guard in the right system.
• On offense, downhill shot making and shot selection are questionable. I buy the finishing at the rim and flashes of driving ability long term- he gets out of control going downhill and too often tries to bully his way through bigger, well-positioned defenders. Has the handle to avoid contact- must work on his pace and poise in this area in order to use that pairing of strength and quickness to his advantage. Would like to see him work on the floater- prefers mid range pullups where a runner would fit his game better and likely result in a more efficient game around the basket. Think poor shot selection (as well as the defensive inconsistencies) stem from being asked to do a ton at Baylor.
• Playmaking is far and away the biggest swing factor for George and is why I am so high on him. Threw some really high level passes at Baylor and has a casual feel to the way he throws some very difficult passes- signs of a player who has a great feel for the game and opposing defenses. Operates comfortably as a passer or scorer in the PnR, is a good downhill playmaker and excels at threading the needle to cutters. Needs to become a more consistent part of his game, will come as he is not relied upon as the offense's only plus shot creator.
• Comparison: Jamaal Murray

6- Jarace Walker

• Moving semi-truck of a basketball player who skies for some blocks that are just ridiculous. Can effectively guard 1-5, can struggle with foul trouble. Excellent man to man defender. Solid rebounder. Got pushed around off-ball a little more than I'd expect from someone his size. Extremely functional athlete on this end.
• Decent floor spacer who has made great strides as a shooter. Possesses good touch on put backs and set shots around the rim. Has a solid floater going downhill. Does not use his frame enough on offense and is not a very functional athlete. Very lethargic handle and does not create a lot of space- red flag for a guy who settles for mid range jumpers. Best as an off-ball player on offense. Until Walker is ale to get downhill in 1on1 or PnR situations more effectively he has a low ceiling on offense. Would like to see him work on his face up and back to the basket game.
• Believe everything he showcased at Houston will translate to the NBA, strengths and weaknesses alike. Also believe he is pretty close to his ceiling, but if that is very productive player who instantly upgrades any defense, is that such a bad thing?
• Fit is EVERYTHING here. One of the most difficult prospects for me to rank along with Whitmore and Vukcevic.
• Comparison: Paul Millsap

7- Dariq Whitehead

• Pure, rainbow jumpshot that is beautiful to watch. Hits the rim soft and rarely hits rim on a make- picturesque and at a 43% clip. Was fantastic for Duke this year as a catch and shoot guy, showed the ability to create space and shoot quickly off the dribble.
• The consensus is that Whitehead had his athleticism sapped by that foot injury and was never able to showcase it at Duke. When I watched Whitehead play this year, I saw multiple instances where he drove to the rim, elevated, took a strong foul, and put up a look that had a chance to go. These were plays where I said to myself 'Holy shit, look at that guy jump'. Has great body control in the air and didn't seem to be lacking the touch, strength or bounce to finish in the NBA.
• Flashed a smooth handle and stepback, would like to see him improve on using his handle to get going downhill towards the rim rather than step back beyond the arch.
• Just seemed out of sorts at Duke. In every game I watched Whitehead play, there were plays that highlighted just how smooth and special of a three level scorer he can be and other plays that highlighted how out of sync he was with the rest of the Duke team and his confidence. Seemed to not know 'when to do what' as a guy who did almost everything at Montverde.
• Am extremely high on Dariq Whitehead as a guy who showed the ability to score from all three levels and take over games at Montverde, and then once at Duke adapted himself to be a valuable and extremely effective role player despite being clearly out of sorts due to injuries. I buy his floor as a guy with the tools to contribute in a variety of ways, and think that he will only improve as he regains his confidence in his legs and gets more comfortable out there. There is a chance for a star here. A gamble I would 100% start considering at 7 or 8.
• Comparison(s): Gary Harris, Victor Oladipo

8- Kobe Bufkin

• Extremely well rounded game, good size/length.
• Crafty handle that he is able to maintain through contact, good pace to boot. Seems to always be doing something good with the ball at his own speed- I don't know how else to say it. Needs to add some counters, spins into/hops into some tough looks.
• Is a much better finishing guard than a lot of the other guard prospects in this draft; plays within his thin frame by consistently avoiding contact on the drive. Showcases great touch with either hand at full speed, love his layup package. Underrated athlete.
• Capable mid range scorer and a strong shooter from deep. Similar to Hood-Schfino- they are as smooth as it gets getting to their spots. Smooth mechanics and a high release as a lefty.
• Long frame with good hands on the defensive end; is a pest. Can guard 1-3, is a functional athlete on this end. High IQ defender who is in great position more often than not. Will be a plus on this end at the next level.
• Needs to gain some strength in order to fight over NBA screens, has the frame to do it. Will take time and is important for him to maximize his potential and skillset.
• Needs to become a more consistent playmaker. Seems to decide what he is doing with the ball early as opposed to reacting to the defense. This will come with experience. Has upside as a passer and is a solid playmaker in the PnR. Is not doing anything crazy as a passer, but moves the ball well and throws some nice skip passes.
• True combo guard
• Comparison: D'Angelo Russell

9- Maxwell Lewis

• Extremely gifted shot creator and scorer at all three levels. Excels at using a strong handle to get downhill consistently and is able to avoid contact consistently. Plus athlete who throws down some big dunks. Can shoot the ball effectively off the dribble or the catch from three and the mid range. Is able to operate extremely well in tight spaces. Excels at freezing defenders more so than shifting them. Has a bad habit of shuffling his feet off the catch when getting ready to put the ball on the floor, results in glaring turnovers. Very complete offensive game. Looks more like what people think Brandon Miller is than Brandon Miller actually is.
• Average passer, does not hold the ball too long. Can throw some high level passes at times, at others turns the ball over trying to. Makes the easy pass well enough.
• Struggles on defense, gets beat off the dribble and swipes at the ball too much. Needs to work on positioning off the ball. Similar to Jett Howard on this end- has all the tools, just seems to struggle. These are seemingly coachable issues for Lewis, but it is big red flag that he is a high energy player on this end yet still gets beat consistently.
• Context for Lewis is important- playing in one of college basketball's less talented conferences on the worst team in it makes him a more difficult grade. I find myself scoffing at the empty stats argument, however- the shots he is making and the way in which he creates them will function against higher level competition. The guys is, simply put, a very talented scorer. Furthermore, he was the only talented on ball scorer on the Pepperdine roster and was keyed in on by every defense he saw to an almost absurd degree, yet was able to put together some of his best games of the year against the best opponents on their calendar.
• I realize I am about 15 slots over consensus here. The mid-major really doesn't concern me; I buy the jumper, ball handling, and driving ability playing at the next level enough to warrant a team having patience with him as a defender and with the turnover problems. The offensive skills will especially shine as Lewis is allowed to operate off the ball and is not the focal point of defense's game plans. Am partial to prospects who have an elite, bankable skill: Lewis is an elite off the dribble scorer on the wing.
• Find myself asking what the discussion surrounding him would look like if he shot 53% from 3 towards the end of the season instead of the beginning.
• Comparison: Otto Porter Jr., Devin Vassell

10- Jalen Hood-Schfino

• The best playmaker in the class by a wide margin for me. Lethal in the PNR, excellent handle in tight space, fantastic pace and poise, can throw any pass in the book effectively. Sometimes gets caught trying to do too much and is somewhat turnover prone as a passer, think this is normal weakness for a guard.
• Lethal mid range jumper on the move and off the dribble, should be a calling card. Essential for a modern point guard. Solid mechanics and can pull deep range. I buy the shot extending beyond the arch long term.
• Defense is not a weakness. Not very switchable, but will hold his own against other guards.
• Must be a more consistent shooter from deep and improve his finishing- easily bothered by contact and not very elusive in the air. Is able to rely on solid floater game to avoid contact, but he must be able to finish at the cup to be a starting caliber guard in the NBA. Just an average athlete, but crafty and intelligent enough on the floor that I think he will improve here. More a streaky shooter from distance than a bad one.
• Have never seen a player completely dictate the pace and flow of a game one night, then fail to make a tangible impact whatsoever the next night out. It was almost confusing this year. Have to remember he is just a freshman, and the flashes of brilliance as a lead guard are too enticing.
• Comparison: Lonzo Ball

11- Cam Whitmore

• Elite athlete, this plays at both ends. Despite a lackluster handle, seems to get downhill and all the way to the rim often- is dynamite when he arrives there. Ideal transition finisher. Can go through or over defenders in the air. Capable shooter, slow release. Don't expect him to be a volume shooter.
• Excellent rebounder for his size, high energy defender. Very strong player, should be able to handle opposing 2s and 3s, small ball 4s on this end.
• Black hole on offense and does not have the shot creation skill to warrant this; I question his court vision and feel for the game. Do not see him being a plus shot creator; poor lateral mover and very stiff motions. All-around poor body control.
• No chance in hell he is 6'7. Low on Whitmore but athleticism, strength, and energy ability give him a good chance to be a valuable part of a good rotation and/or starting lineup. Really don't see the upside here the same way I see the floor.
• Comparison: Isaac Okoro

-Tier 3: Fringe Lottery Grades-
12- Anthony Black

• Versatile and competent defender who consistently uses his size and athleticism to make an impact on that end. Rarely rattled as a ball handler, makes the right pass consistently. High IQ floor general. Plus athlete on offensive end as well.
• Must improve as a shooter, mechanics could use some work. Like the flashes of shot creation he has shown, just needs to be able to maintain some level of scoring gravity to open up his playmaking at the next level.

13- Jett Howard
14- Jordan Hawkins

• Versatile 3 point marksman who is a plus athlete and a junkyard dog on both ends. I don't know how versatile he is, but I would want him on my team. Modern skillset and a high character guy, flashes of shot creation in tight space. Good in the mid range.

15- Cason Wallace
16- Ausar Thompson

• Love his skillset- elite athlete with a growing mid range and perimeter game, is a plus defender. Cannot find anything he did in OTE that Julian Phillips could not do (besides get away with overdribbling). Still, there is potential here that I cannot ignore, and his perimeter scoring is much further along than his brothers. Better finisher as well. Will need time to be a meaningful contributor, more than I think people are willing to recognize.
• Comparison(s): Josh Jackson, Terrence Ross

17- Gradey Dick
18- Tristan Vukcevic

• 6'10 with a high basketball IQ. Quick, consistent stroke from three. Great touch around the rim. Moves very well with his size, can run the floor and handle in the open floor. Willing and able passer. Needs to gain strength. Serviceable rim protector off the bench, best as a 4 on defense until he bulks up. A ton of upside here and I think if he played in a more visible league folks would be higher on him, have cooled off of throwing a lottery grade on him but think he is a great prospect and is being underrated.

-Tier 4: Solid First Round Grades-
19- Amen Thompson

• I will not deny there is some allure here as a big guard with elite athleticism and solid court vision. Worth a gamble in the first. What I will never understand is how someone who was inefficient against poor competition as the oldest player in the league, struggles to score from all 3 levels, and overdribbles to create any space in a half court offense is a consensus top 7 pick. Amen struggles to make layups and realistically is going to have a steep learning curve as a passer and ball handler in the NBA. Easily the lowest floor of anyone in my first round.
• Comparison: Donte Exum

20- Bilal Coulibaby
21- Dereck Lively II
22- Bryce Sensabaugh

• Excellent marksman from distance who can put the ball on the floor. Was asked to do a lot in the Ohio State offense and performed admirably. Strong finisher, good athlete. Very slow and stiff dribbler, does not create a lot of separation outside of his step back. I do not buy the shot creation, he is just a poor lateral mover.
• Poor, borderline awful defender no matter how you slice it.
• Comparison: Dion Waiters

23- Nick Smith Jr.
24- GG Jackson
25- Julian Strawther

• Pure shooter with a quick release and a serviceable game going to the basket. Great rebounder for the position, holds his own on defense. Gets sped up putting the ball on the floor and can get out of control, over relies on floater.

26- Sidy Cissoko
-Tier 5: Fringe First/Early Second Round Grades-
27- Kris Murray
28- Colby Jones
29- Mo Gueye

• Am consistently amazed this guy is not higher on boards. Was staying up until midnight just to watch him play. Superb athlete, rebounder and shot blocker. Makes a consistent impact on defense and is a strong interior presence. Potential as a shooter, improved almost 30% from the stripe from freshman to sophomore year and hovered around 28% from three. Raw prospect but if he can space the floor consistently in the future he is going to be a steal and a quality rotation piece; shooting mechanics are not a lost cause whatsoever.

30- James Nnaji
31- Rayan Rupert
32- Leonard Miller
-Tier 6: Solid Second Round Grades-
33- Marcus Sasser
34- Noah Clowney
35- Amari Bailey
36- Andre Jackson
37- Mike Miles
38- Julian Phillips
39- Terquavion Smith
40- Trayce Jackson-Davis
41- Ben Sheppard
42- Bobi Klintman
43- Olivier Maxence Prosper
44- Brandin Podziemski
45- Ricky Council IV
46- Charles Bediako
47- Kobe Brown
48- Jalen Wilson
49- Jaylen Clark
50- Jordan Walsh

Heartbroken and mentally exhausted after a see-saw of emotions following the Celtics tumultuous 2023 postseason, Brad Stevens has decided to retire from basketball and set up a temple dedicated to teaching stoicism in Indiana.
With Wyc looking for a new POBO, your name has popped up on reading some of your more inciteful Reddit posts. He's interested in seeing what direction you would take the team if you were to take over operations and how you would get the Celtics over the hump.
To do so, he wants your thoughts on 3 main areas:
1). Philosophy/Culture What's your vision for how you would like this team to play? What reputation would you be looking for the Celtics to cement?
Alternatively, what kind of culture would you look to set?
2). Coach Direction He's aware that Mazzulla wasn't you're hire so gives you free reign.
Will you keep him on? If not, who would you be looking for?
3). Roster Direction How would you handle team building?
What kind of team would you look to build?
What's your pitch?
As an example, here's my plan:
Philosophy/Culture • 5 Star Offence - my plan is to build a philosophy where each player is fully developed and we tap into every part of their potential. I want every player on the court to be able to score or have the occasional set play run for them.
• Examples: more Smart post-play, Rob Williams' high post passing and midrange shot and Grant Williams'off the dribble game similar to Duncan Robinson
• I want to run more offence through Rob Williams in the high post similar to how the Heat use Adebayo
Coach Direction • Fire Joe Mazz - the team is too good to waste anymore time developing a young coach. The window could close very quickly depending on health or a key player asking out.
• I would see if I can get a vet coach with good tactical ability and the respect of his players. Ty Lue would be my prime candidate if we can pry him from the Clippers
Roster Direction • The team we have is already very good and has shown itself capable of getting to the Finals and ECF consistently. I would make moves around the edges such as strengthening an aging and injury-prone frontcourt. If we could somehow get Naz Reid for Pritchard that would be my number 1 move. Adding some more vets to the team would also be beneficial if possible to add some more steel to the team when they lose concentration/focus
• Re-sign Jaylen Brown - he's been a generally great playoff performer and is still young enough to keep improving. Plus, 2 way wings are the most important commodity in the league
• Re-sign Grant Williams - he's another valuable 2 way player who has shown the ability to check Giannis over a game whilst still hitting his 3's and showed a burgeoning off the dribble game earlier in the season which was promising

I used to sports bet super heavy. It started out as a joke, something to do every Sunday. I used the money I made from work to make some really reckless parlays that would hit from time to time. As a dumbass 21 year old, I stopped working and focused on sports gambling/poker full time.
Fast toward two years later and I lost everything, because gambling sucks and the house always wins. I figured out most “professional gamblers” you see on social media etc. are either paid off or simply have rich parents. I couldn’t keep up with them like I thought I could, as a poor man from Miami. (Poor minority from Miami thinks he can be baller, shocking I know) started to hate that scene as a whole, realize a lot of people around me were crazy and I had to get away from them. It was a huge blow to my psyche and sent me into a depression. That + quarantine were really hard times for me. I’m sure most of you could relate. Just losing my life savings in the house all day. I actually ended up betting on two Russian dudes playing 2k22 on stream because a certain website put up a line for it. The entire shit was so obviously rigged and I legitimately wondered what was I doing with my life.
Once I ran out of money, I could barley stomach to even watch any kind of sports. It was like the game I grew up playing and had so much love for had become fucked up and bastardized cuz I let Vegas get me. I suddenly did not care to watch NFL on Sunday or if my NBA team was even good this season.
But maaaaaaaan has this heat run been incredible. I knew how close we were last time and how Boston is due for a choke. I knew Jimmy thought about missing that 3 everyday from that point on. I knew he was hungry but I didn’t know how he was gonna do it with that roster. Holy shit.
Watching this Post season has made me so happy. The old me would have looked at all these spreads and be mad that I didn’t take heat +300 ML every game. Because had I done that, I would just find some dumbass way to blow it again on prop bets or cards. That shit doesn’t even phase me anymore. I tune in every game like I was when Shaq/Wade/Big 3 were out here. I don’t give a shit about some Halo Reach parlay I made at 6 am, I’m genuinely loving the game of basketball now.
I’m incredibly happy that the team from my city never let any of that shit get to them. Florida is a wild place to grow up and it makes perfect sense to me we have a basketball team that doesn’t take no for an answer. Anyone who’s from here knows what I’m talking about. That culture is real and it doesn’t matter what ESPN or some Celtics fan say. If you know you know.
But anyways, I now have an entirely new career and I’m planning on buying a house and a car later this year. No longer living with my parents as a gambling addict. I stuck through the hard times in life and bounced back. I have a much more stable life and I’ve learned a lot of lessons for someone my age. There are a lot of negative things I can focus on but I rather learn a lesson from my mistakes than doom about them all day.
The Heat family has been so much fun to be a part of. No matter what happens in life I absolutely love being a fan of this team. My brother is a Knicks fan and when I look at that mess of an organization, I’m reminded how good ours is. They just refuse to go down no matter what happens. Circle jerking about Pat Riley and Spo is like, my favorite thing to do as of late. Just absolute dawgs no matter what life throws at them. Love y’all, let’s fuck up Denver tonight.

Welcome to the daily thread!
This thread will automatically be posted in the morning, and again when games start. Followed by a post game player appreciation thread.
Please use this thread for all fantasy basketball related questions about your roster.

I'm looking for advice on my brother's current college basketball journey. He's a small forward, 20 years old.
After playing competitively in Canada through his teenage years, he wasn't able to find success as athletic scholarships for university as those opportunities are limited in Canada.
We hired an agent and he put us in contact with a few Junior College coaches in the US, he got offers from all of them, but the schools couldn't justify a full scholarship for him yet. He accepted an offer and trained with the team without playing for eligibility reasons, while they put together some mixtapes and his coaches asked around if anyone wanted him.
Within 3 months of training with the team, he was getting calls from NCAA Division 2 coaches and even a Division 1 team.
The D1 team could only offer a partial scholarship and later lost interest. The D2 teams also filled their rosters with other players and similarly lost interest.
He ended up having two full ride offers from smaller schools in the National Christian College Athletic Association circuit. He accepted one of their offers and transferred mid year. He finished the year and wanted out because of abysmal coaching staff, not much playing time, and new interest from NCAA D2 coaches. Again the D2 coaches lost interest(I can't get into detail really, I only know what he tells me)it's possible he's just not at that level yet, just not sure why the coaches are stringing him along repeatedly.
Anyway, he's told his current school he's not returning and has two offers from NJCAA schools (partial scholarships) and plans on accepting one. We both figure that he can get more opportunities this way.
My questions are these:

• Is going back to the Junior College circuit a mistake? Should he have stayed in the NCCAA even with little playing time and coaching staff that doesn't care(his coach from his first juco school is still reaching out to coaches on his behalf)
• what was making high-profile schools lose interest?

Link to tweet
Link to story

After a wild day of basketball yesterday with six Top 25 teams losing, there's only two conference games between Top 25 teams today. Both are in the Big Ten, and while one involves Michigan trying to win back-to-back Top 10 games, the other features a team on the rise and a team looking to stay afloat. Let's see how it goes.
*****
#13 Maryland Terrapins at #12 Ohio State Buckeyes.
Maryland doesn't want to start Big Ten play 0-2. A tough opening game against Minnesota, in which their chances of victory were stuffed at the last second, now leads to a second, perhaps more difficult opponent: the Ohio State Buckeyes, led by do-everything swingman John Havlicek.
"No one said Big Ten play would be easy," coach Gary Williams said. "We're ready to fight every day of the schedule in order to get into the Big Dance. We're prepared, and we'll be ready to win this one."
Ohio State is coming in off of a 78-57 victory over the Wisconsin Badgers. They're determined to show they have more than Hondo, though: Mike Conley and Jerry Lucas contributed to the win as well.
"We're the best of the Big Ten," coach Freddy Taylor said. "Let's prove it."
ROSTER
​

Maryland Terrapins (9-4, 0-1)	#	Ohio State Buckeyes (10-3, 1-0)
Len BIAS	0	Derek ANDERSON
Steve BLAKE	1	Gary BRADDS
Brad DAVIS	2	Tony CAMPBELL
Bison DELE	3	Mike CONLEY
Juan DIXON	4	John HAVLICEK
Steve FRANCIS	5	Jim JACKSON
Albert KING	6	Neil JOHNSTON
Alex LEN	7	Clark KELLOGG
John LUCAS II	8	Jerry LUCAS
Tom MCMILLEN	9	Michael REDD
Gene SHUE	10	Arnie RISEN
Joe SMITH	11	D'Angelo RUSSELL
Chris WILCOX	12	Larry SIEGFRIED
Buck WILLIAMS	13	Evan TURNER
Walt WILLIAMS	14	Herb WILLIAMS

LINE: Ohio State by 4 1/2
*****
TOP 25 ACTION
Florida State (7-5, 0-0) at #5 Duke (10-2, 0-0)
Georgia Tech (8-4, 0-0) at #3 North Carolina (10-2, 0-0)
Pittsburgh (7-5, 0-0) at #14 Syracuse (8-4, 0-0)
Virginia (8-4, 0-0) at #24 N.C. State (9-3, 0-0)
#15 Connecticut (10-3, 1-0) at Xavier (7-5, 0-0)
Marquette (10-3, 1-0) at #18 DePaul (8-5, 0-1)
#8 Indiana (11-2, 1-0) at #7 Michigan (10-3, 1-0)
#13 Maryland (9-4, 0-1) at #12 Ohio State (10-3, 1-0)
Rutgers (7-6, 0-1) at #19 Illinois (8-5, 0-1)
Wisconsin (8-5, 0-1) at #6 Michigan State (9-4, 0-1)
California (9-4, 0-1) at #1 UCLA (13-0, 1-0)
Oregon State (9-4, 1-0) at #10 Arizona (10-3, 1-0)
Stanford (8-5, 0-1) at #11 Southern Cal (10-3, 1-0)
#23 Arkansas (10-3, 1-0) at Missouri (9-4, 0-1)
#25 Auburn (8-5, 0-1) at Mississippi State (7-6, 0-1)
Florida (9-4, 1-0) at #22 Alabama (10-3, 1-0)
Georgia (8-5, 0-1) at #2 Kentucky (12-1, 1-0)
South Carolina (9-4, 1-0) at #20 LSU (10-3, 1-0)

https://www.bebasket.fles-metropolitans-92-en-finale-des-playoffs-et-apres/
Translation :
This Sunday, the Metropolitans 92 entered the final stage by qualifying for the Betclic ELITE playoffs finals. Vincent Collet's team defeated defending champions ASVEL in a breathtaking Game 4. The Boulogne-Levallois team will now finish off their dream season in the finals against AS Monaco, the big favourite for the 2022-2023 season. A fitting end to a year that has been exceptional in every way... even though the future looks uncertain.
Lahaou Konaté, the only survivor in 2023-2024?
Four of the team's players are under contract. Among them are two players expected to play in the NBA next season: Victor Wembanyana and Bilal Coulibaly. What wasn't so certain for many months for the second is becoming more and more certain, considering his remarkable playoffs. The other two are Lahaou Konaté and Armel Traoré. However, Armel Traoré has been approached by ADA Blois and would like to take on the role offered by ADA Blois coach, Mickaël Hay. For the time being, the Metropolitans 92 management haven't agreed to release him.
Finally, what about the 2023-2024 staff? Alain Weisz, Director of Sports Operations, will be leaving at the end of the season. The coach of the French men's team, Vincent Collet, is no longer under contract and can't extend his contract before an Olympic year. According to our information, no other sporting director, general manager or coach has been asked to take over. This obviously raises questions about the club's future in the French basketball world. For the answer, we have to turn to the political world, and in particular the mayor of Boulogne-Billancourt - the municipality which owns the club - Pierre-Christophe Baguet. For him, there is no question of the Metropolitans 92 ceasing operations at the end of the season, although the possibility of suspension of payments is shared internally. "On Thursday June 1, I had the City Council vote to renew the club's subvention of 1,150,000 euros", explained the elected official, who insists that "the City Council voted this subvention for next season almost unanimously". Including the opposition side.
Regarding the Metropolitans' future staff and roster, the member of the Republicans (French political party) is patient. "It's not the first time in a club's history that the team has to be renewed. Some teams are 100% renewed from one season to the next. That's often the case in basketball". He even thinks that Vincent Collet and Alain Weisz will still be around to help out. "We've got a really good relationship," he assures us, even though various sources claim that contact has been broken and that the club's employees have only very limited information about the future of the club. Some of them are simply afraid of the suspension of payments mentioned above. Most of the files are now in the hands of the lawyer Didier Domat, who is well known in the French basketball world, a fact not hidden by the mayor, who has even mentioned his name.
The search for investors... or buyers?
The future of the Metropolitans 92 is thus not in jeopardy, according to the municipal magistrate. The club will continue to evolve in the Levallois arena, following a partnership signed until 2029. "We have a five-year guarantee in Levallois, which changes things compared to last year." At the same time, he still hopes to make progress on the Palais des Sports de Boulogne, the future arena in Boulogne-Billancourt, although he would like to receive the support of the French Basketball Federation (FFBB), the National Basketball League (LNB), the Minister of Sports and the Minister of Urban Planning. "I've written to the president of the French Mayors' Association, I've written to the Minister of Sports...and I haven't received a reply from the Minister." This project is supposed to attract investors for the Mets 92, with a view to taking over part or even the majority of the club's shares. Pierre-Christophe Baguet says he is open to the idea, following the financial withdrawal of the city of Levallois. He describes "a considerable shortfall" offset by the 950,000 euros subvention from Grand Paris Seine Ouest (GPSO). "But if we want to go further, see things bigger, even if for the moment, we need to find a partner and we're still looking for one. We've received several proposals. At the moment, we have two that are very solid and are Americans," he announces, explaining that Didier Domat is handling this file like others, not always to the knowledge of the club's employees. "We've resubmitted a EuroCup application, submitted a projected budget to the DNCCGCP (management control for professional clubs) and to the LNB... Everything is proceeding quite normally", he affirms. According to him, the Metropolitans 92 still have a bright future ahead of them. But to successfully make the transition, a new dynamic will have to be set in place quickly. Because the day after Victor Wembanyama departure is likely to be a very difficult one...

Welcome to the daily thread!
This thread will automatically be posted in the morning, and again when games start. Followed by a post game player appreciation thread.
Please use this thread for all fantasy basketball related questions about your roster.

Let's address this upfront: the Celtics are not considering trading Jaylen Brown. While he may have his flaws, there is no realistic scenario where the team improves by parting ways with him while maintaining a championship-contending window for the next three or more years. Brown will likely be offered the super max contract, and attempting to negotiate it down would be futile since the Celtics are already operating beyond the second tax apron. It's best to avoid upsetting him and creating unnecessary drama.
Regardless of whether Grant Williams is in their long-term plans or not, the Celtics can comfortably afford to retain him. If they can re-sign him for a contract spanning three years, valued between $40 million and $45 million, it would be an ideal arrangement, offering both flexibility and the potential for a tradeable contract if required.
Furthermore, I propose bringing over Madar and Begarin now to assess their skills and potential. Perhaps they could be signed on two-way contracts, allowing them to develop in Maine while being part of the organization.
Overall, I believe there is no need for significant, drastic changes to the team's core, such as trading Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, or Robert Williams, who have been frequently mentioned in trade rumors. Instead, minor adjustments can be made to the bench unit while preserving the integrity of the main core.
EXTENTIONS:

• Jaylen Brown, 5 years, $290 million
  
• Grant Williams, 3 years, $42 million ($14 million/yr)
  

TRADE:

• Malcolm Brogdon, JD Davison & Justin Champagnie to DET for Bojan Bogdanovic & Alec Burks

DRAFT:

• 35th, Julian Strawther, F Gonzaga

SIGN:

• Javonte Green, G
  
• Yam Madar, G (Two-way)
  
• Juhann Begarin. G/F (Two-way)
  

DEPTH:
G Marcus Smart / Alec Burks / Payton Pritchard / Yam Madar
G Derrick White / Sam Hauser / Javonte Green / Juhann Begarin
F Jaylen Brown / Bojan Bogdanovic / Julian Strawther
F Jayson Tatum / Grant Williams / Danilo Gallinari
C Robert Williams / Al Horford / Mike Muscala
Why does Detroit engage in this strategy? Well, they have already announced their intention to exercise Burks' team option for the purpose of trading him this offseason. With the arrival of Monty, they may be seeking to acquire an experienced point guard who can lead the team alongside the younger players.
As for Boston, they are essentially exchanging high-caliber bench players, aiming to address specific team needs. A desired wing player who can contribute more than 18 points coming off the bench, while also adding Burks as a secondary ball handler. It's worth noting that Burks shares a close relationship with Tatum.
A draft pick might need to be included to facilitate the deal, but regardless, this trade would be highly advantageous for the Celtics. Thus, by acquiring Bogdanovic and Burks, the Celtics would significantly bolster their team's versatility. However, if they wish to further enhance the center position, which is also a need, I believe there is another move Brad and the F.O. should consider.
TRADE:

• Payton Pritchard, Mike Muscala, Luke Kornet & 2024 second-round pick (via SAS) to MEM for Steven Adams

SIGN:

• Patrick Beverley, G

DEPTH:
G Marcus Smart / Alec Burks / Patrick Beverley / Yam Madar
G Derrick White / Sam Hauser / Javonte Green / Juhann Begarin
F Jaylen Brown / Bojan Bogdanovic / Julian Strawther
F Jayson Tatum / Grant Williams / Danilo Gallinari
C Robert Williams / Steven Adams / Al Horford
Why would Memphis consider this trade? There's speculation surrounding Ja Morant's availability for the first half of the season. If that turns out to be accurate, Memphis might opt for a minor rebuild during his absence. They'll likely be competing for a play-in spot next season. Additionally, Memphis boasts a talented frontcourt with young players like Jaren Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman, and Brandon Clarke.
In this scenario, Boston could offer Payton Pritchard to Memphis. Pritchard could step in as a valuable scoring option off the bench while Ja is out (assuming Tyus Jones starts), and we've seen his ability to light up the scoreboard given the opportunity. This trade would also provide Pritchard with a chance to showcase his skills.
For Boston, the trade addresses their need for help at the center position. They could start either Steven Adams or Robert Williams, with veteran leadership from Al Horford coming off the bench as needed. It's reasonable to expect Horford to focus on staying healthy for the playoffs, possibly playing around 65-70% of regular-season games while providing veteran guidance to the team in their quest for Banner 18.
Furthermore, adding Pat Beverley to the roster would inject some attitude into the team, something that has been lacking since the days when Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics.
Overall, the core of Tatum, Brown, Smart, White, and Williams remains intact. The team maintains a deep and valuable bench featuring players like Alec Burks, Bojan Bogdanovic, Grant Williams, Steven Adams, and Sam Hauser. Moreover, Danilo Gallinari and Al Horford serve as extra insurance. This roster would provide tremendous lineup flexibility and depth.

This is a long post. I included a summary at the end
How much does strength of schedule matter to winning the national championship? This has been a big topic when it comes to LSU. I imagine a lot of coaches are the thinking the same thing: Is it better to have a weak strength of schedule so the players are more rested? What if teams are taking too hard of schedules causing them to be too fatigued by tournament start? This is to see if there's any merit to the claim.

Methodology

I will look at the past 2 tournaments, post covid era. I will use Warren Nolan rankings as basis of SOS. Ideally several years should be used, but there's no record before 2021. I'm not using 2021's dataset because teams had to schedule completely different than they normally would because of covid. The teams who made the final four will be used. If the team is in the bold, that means they had a top strength of schedule going into the tournament. I believe top 10 is a reasonable assumption as a difficult schedule.
​
2022 Tournament Final Four:

• South Carolina (#1 SOS)
• Stanford (#2 SOS)
• Uconn (#5 SOS)
• Louisville (#17 SOS)

2023 Tournament Final Four

• South Carolina (#4 SOS)
• LSU (#55 SOS)
• Virginia Tech (#18 SOS)
• Iowa (#6 SOS)

Results

In 2022, 3/4 final four teams had a top 10 Strength of Schedule. One of them won the national championship. In 2023 2/4 teams had a top 10 strength of schedule, but they did not win the national championship game. It should be noted in the past 2 years, LSU is the only team to make the final four with a below top 20 strength of schedule. Did they crack some secret formula? More on that later.

Teams that were hurt by high strength of schedule

• Maryland: There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that a high strength of schedule screwed Maryland over. It caused them to be over seeded and underseeded at the same time. They gave them a 2 seed because their wins against their tough schedule, but their losses made them be the lowest #2 seed, forcing them to play South Carolina. Considering how much problems they gave scar before getting into foul trouble, they definitely would’ve been a problem in the other divisions.
• Indiana: They looked completely exhausted in the Big 10 tournament, and ultimately underperformed. Then they lose to Miami at home in the round of 32. There's a strong possibility weaker schedule would've helped them out.

Of course, there a lot of teams with high strength of schedule that didn't do anything. But that had more to do with roster strength than schedule strength. For example, Iowa State had the 4th strength of schedule, but by no metric are they top 10 team in 2023.

Teams helped by a strength of schedule

• Uconn - They historically have the some of toughest schedules - I think the results speak for themselves
• Stanford - yes they choked in the R32. But their SOS allowed them to steal a #1 seed, they just didn't take advantage. It also doesn't erase the fact they won in 2021 and made the final 4 final in 2022
• South Carolina - 3 straight final 4 appearances and one NC in the last 3 years. Mind you their final four losses were decided in the final 4 seconds in the game.
• Iowa - I would very hard to argue that Iowa beats South Carolina without getting battle tested in several prior games leading up to the final 4 matchup.
• Virginia Tech - the toughness of the ACC definitely got them ready.

What about LSU?

LSU had one of the weakest ranked schedules out of any team in the tournament, and won the championship. How can you possibly say having a high SOS is good? The answer is simple. The SEC was much stronger than most of the community and the committee thought. The SEC's tournament success if proof of that. It's not a simple as play bad teams = win. Kims 2019 national title run included battles against several ranked teams in the regular season Kim had a bad schedule this year because she had a bunch of new players and they needed time to chemistry build. If you look at the past champions for the past several years, they all played tough teams prior to the tournament.

FINAL CONCLUSION

Having a tougher strength of schedule generally helps, but a tough OOS isn't important if your conference is strong. However, there's a caveat: the team needs to actually be good enough to play those tough teams. A team like Oregon isn't going to benefit as much from a hard schedule as much as Uconn for example. It's easy to say LSU won because of weak schedule but in hindsight a lot of SEC teams can be argued as top 25.

I love the upside of Jaden Ivey as a slashing two guard, but I haven’t been playing dynasty basketball very long so im not sure if it’s a good strategy to get two guards on the same team. I could get him for the 1.06+ a little extra and am strongly considering it. Love to hear what the forum thinks.
Current Guards on my Roster:
Cade Cunningham Darius Garland SGA Tyrese Maxey

Lebron James - The easy joke here is that you are somebody who doesn’t really know anything about basketball and just picked the guy you recognised from Space Jam or adverts, but the truth runs a little bit deeper than that. If Lebron James is your favourite player you don’t even like basketball, you like arguing online. The sad truth is, you desperately crave the facade of friendship that comes with the tribalism inherent to picking a side in a popular argument. You exist only to say Lebron is better than Jordan or Curry or Dwyane Wade or whoever it is you and your gang are arguing about that week. Any game of basketball that doesn’t have Lebron in it is completely worthless to you unless it can be used as evidence about a player that Lebron played with/against. Any game with Lebron in it is a nightmare, because you know if he plays badly MJ fans will make fun of you on Twitter, and to you that’s all that matters.
Steph Curry - To be a Curry fan means that, intrinsically, you are spoiled. Your hands are soft and unworked, your mummy still pays for your groceries and you have a manservant to wipe your ass when you’ve finished shitting. You were raised on state-funded winning and excuses for failure. You would never survive even a day in the wild, you shrink from adversity like a child fleeing the hand of an abusive father and you speak like a ten-year old. You have no place in the dirtier arguments of the NBA, you consider yourself above them. Steph and his superteam have coddled you, made you feeble with his asterisk rings. The thought of supporting a REAL player, somebody you have to FIGHT for scares you too much. You are, and forever will be, bitchmade.
Kawhi Leonard - You will never understand why the rest of us are so jealous of you. Kawhi has his rings, he has his fan love and he has an excuse to retire early and not embarrass you with the sight of having to watch him average 7 points a game for the Grizzlies at the age of 36. You support a basketball player who isn’t. Kawhi is now little more than a myth, a legend of the rings of yesteryear that echoes throughout the barren planes of San Antonio and Toronto. All you, as his trusted liege can do is keep the flame alive for as long as you can. The winds may howl and call him a pussy for his load management but as long as you shelter the flame, and Kawhi keeps conveniently getting injured when the Clippers need him, you will be safe. They will always remember the Philly shot. That’s all you need.
Joel Embiid - He can’t keep getting away with this, right? I mean, you put in WORK to get him that MVP, more work than he did, and this is how he repays you? You remember a time when you laughed at the fans of ringless players. AI, Melo, Lillard, Chris Paul, Harden until he saw the light, all bums. Embiid would get you a ring, he was designed to get you a ring, he had to get you a ring. You deserve a ring. You sat through the rebuild, all those injury problems, Ben fucking Simmons, all because you were promised a ring. And every year you would say ‘we lost because of this thing that isn’t Embiid’s fault, we’ll be back next year!’. And for a while, the public believed you. They bought your tales and your lies. Not anymore. They know the truth now, and they hate him for it. Deep down, you do too.
Kevin Durant - How many times will KD ‘seek a new challenge’ or ‘make the move right for him’ before you come to terms with what he is? He’s a nasty ring chaser, and that’s okay. Everyone would respect you more if you just admitted it. You can cope all you want and justify all his moves by claiming ‘toxic environment!’ or ‘the front office hated him!’ but even you don’t believe that, you just say it to save face. The worst part is, you haven’t heard the worst of it yet. KD has gone remarkably unscrutinized by NBA media as a whole, but when people start to question whether the most remarkable unicorn the NBA had seen since Wemby should have more than two state-funded rings, you might have some explaining to do. Maybe he should have stayed loyal to Oakland. Not OKC though, fuck that place.
James Harden - I want you to find a coin right now and flip it, catch it in your hand and turn it over. Take note of what side it lands on and keep flipping it until it lands on the other side. If you can flip this coin 56 times and have it land on the same side every time, congratulations! You have matched the statistical probability of the 2018 Rockets missing 27 consecutive threes. What this exercise should show you is that God is real and for whatever reason, he hates James Harden. Spare your soul and support a real player instead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo - Nobody has ever enjoyed a Giannis performance without already being a fan of Giannis in the first place. He is perhaps the most consistently boring superstar to watch. He never takes threes unless they’re wide open, he has never had a super interesting or acrobatic dunk, he loves free throws and he makes about 14 barely contested layups per game. He has no dribbling bag and his defence relies on simply being large. He is a boring player, and you know this, because that’s why you like him. Your idea of ‘good basketball’ is simply the person who can score the most points with the highest efficiency. You live and die by the box score because you genuinely think that’s the objective way of saying who had the best game. You could be sat in front of an Excel spreadsheet instead of a Bucks game and have essentially the same amount of fun, because your brain has been programmed to release dopamine whenever it sees three numbers over 10 next to each other. You are boring, we all think you’re dull, and when the rest of us are discussing real basketball we don’t want you anywhere near us because your idea of humour is just saying the jokes that Giannis said again. An Allen Iverson comp would kill you on the spot.
Russell Westbrook - It would be easy to make a joke about how much you miss 2017 and how you pretended it still is to try and stop the pain from setting in, but to be honest I honestly think you do still genuinely believe it to be 2017. For you, time hasn’t progressed at all. You’ve been known to play Despacito and Ed Sheeran when you get the aux and you can’t stop talking about how excited you are for Infinity War to come out. And yes, you do still somehow believe Russell Westbrook is a good player. Despite all your friends and family pleading with you to move on and showing you Youtube videos of that time he hit the side of the backboard, you firmly believe that Russ is still cooking on the Thunder. I can promise you, it doesn’t get better. Wake up now before we lose you forever.
Nikola Jokic. You are a 35 year old white guy with a beard and glasses who would, if asked to, happily pay to get advanced basketball statistics. Your life is filled with words like ‘True Shooting’ and ‘Player Impact Estimate’ that the rest of us couldn’t give a single shit about. You are who KD was talking about when he said people watch basketball through a graph. If I showed you a powerpoint saying that Mike Conley is the piece missing from the Suns to make them chip favourites you would believe me as long as I added in enough bar graphs. You have a poster of Ernie on your wall. You have never discussed basketball without double checking a fact on your phone. When you go to a bar in a city you don’t know you make a big deal about ordering local beers, and if the guy next to you didn’t hear you order it you order it again but louder. You have strong opinions on pirating that nobody agrees with. You are probably a centrist. You have no idea how much I pity you.
Luka Doncic - There are two types of Luka fans, the hollow, soulless Mavs fan who physically cannot talk about his team without saying the phrase ‘We just need to get Luka some help’, and the 16 year old jerker who’s brain instinctively goes ‘Luka Doncic is Devin Booker father’ the second they see his name. Both are equally hard to talk to, but at least the Mavs fan has an excuse for their suicidal demeanour. The jerker is barely even a human at this point, a bag of flesh that surrounds an endless stream of catchphrases and recycled memes. Luka Doncic is Devin Booker father. If you laughed at that for the second time, seek therapy or employment.
Jayson Tatum - Bro I am NOT GAY, I promise but IF I was, IF bro, IF I was then of course I would have sweaty man sex with Jayson Tatum, he’s just cute bro it’s not gay to say that bro it isn’t I swear. What? Tatum’s game isn’t good enough to justify the lengths I’ll go to defend him? He’s not really all that and I only love him so much because I think he’s sexually attractive. Nah bro you’re crazy for that one I won’t lie, just because Tatum’s lips are soft like pillows and I like the way his ass jiggles and I wish the NBA would let him play without a shirt on doesn’t make me gay bro you’re crazy for that one.
Zion Williamson - The Great Zion Debate revolves around a single word; ‘if’. IF Zion was to play regularly, he’d probably be top 3 bigs in the league, but guess what? He doesn’t, so he isn't. That should be a very simple thing to understand, but Zion fans love nothing more than to drag everyone into a world full of hypotheticals and make-believe, where anything is possible except Zion’s shitty conditioning being his own fault. Eventually you’ll be spat out of their portal wearing nothing but a lobster bib and a Jose Alvarado jersey, fully believing that it’s AD’s fault that Zion loves food more than he loves his own mother. After all, you can’t say he plays bad if he simply never plays.
Damian Lillard - Oh fuck you’re so cool man, you’re so cool because the player you support is so loyal man, that just makes you so much cooler than everyone else man. Ignore all the times you’ve screamed for him to be traded because the Trail Blazers are a complete poverty franchise, that doesn’t matter because Dame is so loyal and cool man, Dame time baby let’s go! Let’s fucking go! Who cares that the current state of the NBA would be exactly the same if Dame was never drafted and spent his entire life delivering DnD equipment to Portland’s extensive collective of people who couldn’t care less about basketball, he’s so clutch! Ignore all the red flags and hope the Lakers come through with a trade request. You’ll need post-season success more than you think in the years to come.
Chris Paul - When Chris Paul retires without a ring, which is a near guarantee unless Phoenix fix their shit or he begs Denver to take his dog ass for a season, what will you do? You probably gave up on your hopes of a ring around the same time Harden fans did, but man 2021 gave you hope didn’t it? Just for a second you felt what it was like to support a real player, a real man. Not the banana boat enthusiast who choked leads like they were Bart Simpson, but a player who could maybe win something someday. It must have been nice while it lasted. Then, reality set in. To be honest, I don’t really know who I’m talking to with this one. Chris Paul surely doesn’t have any fans left. He barely even has his own family on his side. Ah well, you’ll always have Lob City. And Kim K.
Jimmy Butler - It’s always someone else’s fault isn’t it. Ever since Jimmy realised he could just blame KAT for all the T’wolves failings you’ve carried on that legacy for as long as you can remember. Maybe if Bam plays better against Denver your beloved Jordan surrogate won’t have to be directly outscored by UDFA’s every night. It’s okay though, Jimmy has ‘fundamentals’. You love fundamentals don’t you, they’re that thing you use when you don’t have any actual arguments to say why Jimmy’s better than the perennial MVP candidate you’ve set him up against for no reason. You can whine and cope and say ‘he makes his teammates better’ but if that were true, wouldn’t he have achieved something in Chicago, or with that very promising Minnesota roster? Surely it must be someone else’s fault. Maybe it’s the leagues for hiring referees. Or maybe it’s KAT’s fault again. Who knows.
Kyrie Irving - Kyrie fans are the rare breed of basketball fan that actually play basketball, the problem is that they think they’re him with the handles and the ankle breakers and the and-ones, but in reality they are complete fucking garbage. I will never choose you to play pickup with unless you are the last option and I will never pass you the ball because I don’t want to watch you bounce it off your own thigh for 20 minutes. And dude, can you please stop talking about the Zionist New World Order or whatever the fuck you saw on Twitter last night? I fucking doubt the guy with the MAGA Pepe pfp has links deep in the US government, so forgive me for not believing that they put aphrodisiacs in the tap water so that we spend all our money on babies, just help me guard their sharpshooter or fuck off. And wear some deodorant fucking hell.
Devin Booker - You know, if a player needs All-Star candidates at every other position on the court just to progress to the Conference Finals, chances are that player isn’t very good. This thought does not register in the mind of the Booker fan, who genuinely believes that KD, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton isn’t enough help. Your greed knows no bounds and will swallow you whole one day, yet in your lust for power you fail to turn inwards. Where was Booker vs the Mavs that one time? Why did he only score 12 points vs the Nuggets this year? Is he stupid? Does he not know he can play well in big games? No, no, clearly the Suns just need to trade Cam Payne and Ayton for Sabonis or AD or some other top 5 big, surely that’s where the problem lies right? Wait, what do you mean salary cap?
Ja Morant - Oh man I feel bad for you. You’re probably a guy who just enjoys basketball as a spectacle, who doesn’t particularly care about winning or losing as long as you get to watch the most entertaining players in the league pull off the most ridiculously flashy plays. Isn’t that what we all want, deep down? Maybe you were raised on a healthy diet of Vince Carter or D Rose, maybe you just think a guy who can jump over another guy for a bucket is neat, whatever the answer is you’re trapped with this fucking idiot who can’t keep himself out of trouble. Now the team you touted as the most exciting in the league is the most hated in the league, and through no fault of your own you look like a fucking idiot. Worse still, the sheen has come off the Grizzlies young core and now people actually expect them to start winning, probably without Ja. Consider suing Instagram before Adam Silver demands Ja be burned at the stake for his transgressions against his fellow players.
Trae Young - Yes, we all remember that New York series. Yes, we all thought Ice Trae was hot shit at the time. But guess what? That was 2 years ago and Trae has shown no signs of progressions since. Still a liability on defence, still a massive ball hog and still ugly as fuck. Just face the facts and admit that without these rivalries you create, be it with New York or Luka or whoever, Trae would be the most forgettable player in the league. Three point specialists are a dime a dozen in the post-Steph era, and there’s nothing to really separate your fave from Dame or Paul George or De’Aaron Fox or any other number of downtown dwellers. Also like dude, come on, he’s so ugly. Have some self respect.

Welcome to the daily thread!
This thread will automatically be posted in the morning, and again when games start. Followed by a post game player appreciation thread.
Please use this thread for all fantasy basketball related questions about your roster.

warriors 2023 Dubs Draft Primer

This will be the primer for warriors on everything draft related. Once the draft is done, another version focusing more on the offseason will come out. Until then, here is the aggregated version of a mostly draft-focused primer (with a few other stuff added).

2023 NBA Draft Date: Thursday June 22, 2023

Confirmed Draft Workouts (Last Updated: 6/5)

Reminder: These workouts aren't just for the 19th pick. It's for the possible undrafted players to recruit for the Summer League, Training Camp, Two-way spots, and/or Santa Cruz Warriors (Warriors' G-league). In case you forget and came to complain about working out guards or the fact they are working out prospects at all.

Prospect	Age	Height - Position	School/Team/Org	Date of Source
Leaky Black	23	6'9 - Forward	UNC	5/3 - Jeremiah Holloway
Tristen Newton	22	6'5 - Guard	UConn	5/4 - Colin Deaver
Coleman Hawkins*	21	6'10 - Big,F/C	Illinois	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Trayce Jackson-Davis	23	6'9 - Big,C	Indiana	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Craig Porter Jr	23	6'0 - Guard	Wichita State	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Julian Strawther	21	6'7 - Wing	Gonzaga	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Kendric Davis	24	6'0 - Guard	Memphis	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Caleb Daniels	24	6'4 - Guard	Villanova	5/26 - Anthony Slater
Khalil Shabazz	24	6'0 - Guard	University of San Francisco	5/30 - Jason Dumas
Brandin Podziemski	20	Guard/Wing	Santa Clara	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Colby Jones	21	6'6 - Wing	Xavier	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Terquavion Smith	20	6'4 - Guard	NC State	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Jake Stephens	23	6'11 - Big	Chattanooga	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Patrick Gardner	23	6'11 - Big	Marist	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Omari Moore	22	6'5 - Wing	SJSU	5/30 - CJ Holmes
Jamie Jaquez Jr	22	6'7 - Guard	UCLA	5/31 - Anthony Slater
Dereck Lively II**	19	7'1 - Big	Duke	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Jalen Wilson	22	6'8 - Wing	Kansas	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Colin Castleton	23	6'11 - Big	Florida	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Keyontae Johnson	23	6'6 - Wing	Kansas State	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Arthur Kaluma	21	6'7 - Wing	Creighton	6/2 - Anthony Slater
Gabe Kalscheur	23	6'4 - Guard	TCU	6/2 - Darren Wolfson
Ben Sheppard	21	6'6 - Wing	Belmont	6/3 - Jonathan Wasserman
Mojave King	20	6'5 - Guard	G League Ignite	6/5 - Dalton Johnson
Kamaka Hepa	23	6'10 - Forward	Hawaii	6/5 - Dalton Johnson
Damion Baugh	22	6'4 - Guard	TCU	6/5 - Jason Dumas
Javan Johnson	24	6'6 - Wing	DePaul	6/5 - Jason Dumas
Adam Kunkel	23	6'4 - Guard	Xavier	6/5 - Jason Dumas
Jaylen Martin	19	6'6 - Guard	Overtime Elite	6/5 - Jason Dumas
Justice Sueing	24	6'6 - Wing	Ohio State	6/5 - Jason Dumas

*Dropped out of the draft/Returned to School/Team/Org
**Workout cancelled

Mock Drafts for 19th (Last Updated: 6/3)

Publication/Individual Source	Date of Mock Draft		Age	Height - Position	School/Team/Org	Brief Summary of Reason	Add'l Notes
The Athletic (Sam Vecenie) [PAYWALL]	5/16	Jalen Hood-Schifino	20	6'6 - Wing	Indiana	1. Warriors like well-rounded propsects 2. Team tends to draft younger recently 3. Ballhandling depth (esp if Poole is traded)	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced. Due to paywall here is the 3 picks ahead + 3 picks behind 19th: 16)Kris Murray; 17)Jordan Hawkins; 18)Keyonte George; 20)Dariq Whitehead; 21)Brice Sensabaugh; 22)Jett Howard
ESPN/Draft Express (Jonathan Givony & Jeremy Woo) [PAYWALL]	5/31	Rayan Rupert	19	6'7 - Wing	New Zeland Breakers	Rupert targeting playoff contenders > draft positions. Defensive-minded prospect w 7'2 wingspan+high intensity could help the Warriors who needed stops during the playoffs	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced. Due to paywall here is the 3 picks ahead + 3 picks behind 19th: 16)Kobe Bufkin; 17)Cason Wallace; 18)Jett Howard; 20)Noah Clownley; 21)Bilal Coulibaly; 22)Leonard Miller
The Ringer (Kevin O'Connor)	5/16	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	2nd try at drafting a young big * Defense, Rebounding shown * Steph could unlock the offensive side	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Bleacher Report (Jonathan Wasserman)	6/2	Jett Howard	19	6'8 - Wing	Michigan	Wing depth w shooting versatility + occasional self-creation. Questions about athleticism + defense	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Yahoo! Sports (Krysten Peek)	5/16	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	Nothing Dubs specific - Shot blocker + Rebounder that can contribute right away	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
SB Nation (Ricky O'Donnell)	5/16	Leonard Miller	19	6'10 - Forward	G League Ignite	Nothing Dubs specific - Upside. Good touch around basket. Defensive versatility (when locked in).	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Sports Illustrated (Matt Babcock)	5/23	Kris Murray	22	6'8 - Wing	Iowa	Nothing Dubs specific - Scorer. Offensive board getter. Stretch 4. Solid and safe.	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
NBC Sports( Chas Hughes & Tyler Byrum)	5/27	Jalen Hood-Schifino	20	6'6 - Wing	Indiana	Nothing Warriors specific - Big guard that penetrate paint and facilitate.	Post-combine/pro days + Pre-NCAA returners announced.
CBS Sports (Gary Parrish)	5/22	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	Nothing Dubs specific - Rim protecting big	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
CBS Sports (Kyle Boone)	5/26	Trey Alexander*	20	6'3 - Guard/Wing	Creighton	Nothing Dubs specific - Improved stock after combine. Evolved from athletic wing => playmaking guard. Two-way potential	*Has returned to college since
Fox Sports (John Fanta)	5/18	Kobe Bufkin	19	6'4 - Guard	Michigan	Adds depth and athleticism. 2-way talent. Describes a better Jordan Poole.	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
USA Today (Lindsay Schnel, Cydney Henderson, Jeff Zillgitt)	5/17	Rayan Rupert	19	6'7 - Wing	New Zeland Breakers	Nothing Dubs specific - Solid year in the pro league + 7'3 wingspan	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
USA Today FTW (Bryan Kalbrosky)	5/16	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	Nothing Dubs specific	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Rookie Wire FTW (Cody Taylor)	6/2	Jett Howard	19	6'8 - Wing	Michigan	Warriors could use more shooting + shown he can do more than just shoot	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Yardbarker (Pat Heery)	5/31	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	2nd try at drafting a young big. Trade asset.	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
The Sporting News (Kyle Irving)	5/17	Brice Sensabaugh	19	6'6 - Wing	Ohio State	More perimeter shooting around Steph & Klay. Excel as a floor spacer. Might not be an immediate contributor, but can be a scoring depth for the 2nd unit	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Box and One (Adam Spinella/Coach Spins)	6/2	Dariq Whitehead	18	6'6 - Wing	Duke	Warriors need more wings who can play offball. Notes Whitehead has high school pedigree which is something Warriors have valued (Nico Mannion, PBJ, etc)	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
No Ceilings	5/17	Gradey Dick	19	6'8 - Wing	Kansas	Really good system fit + Adds another theoretically reliable shooter. Also only mock draft that has Gradey Dick falling down this far so doubt this one.	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
@MavsDraft (Richard Stayman)	5/19	Brice Sensabaugh	19	6'6 - Wing	Ohio State	-	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
Tankathon	6/1	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	-	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
NBAdraft.net	5/31	Dereck Lively II	19	7'1- Big	Duke	-	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
NBA Draft Room	6/3	Brice Sensabaugh	19	6'6 - Wing	Ohio State	Nothing Dubs specific - Powerful wing with an advanced offensive game	Post-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.
u/nghbrhd_slackr87's Optimistic Pick	5/18	Jaime Jaquez Jr	22	6'7 - Guard	UCLA	Read it Here	Pre-combine/pro days + NCAA returners announced.

Draft Picks (Source)

Year	Round	Owns	Owed
2023	1	✔	-
2023	2	❌	CLE
2024	1	❔ (If Top 4)	MEM (If 5-30)
2024	2	❌	HOU or CLE
2025	1	❔ (If 2024 conveys OR keeps 2024 + Top 1)	MEM (If 2024 is Top 4 AND 2-30)
2025	2	❌	DET or WAS
2025	2	❔ (From CHA If 56-60)	-
2026	1	❔ (If 2025 conveys)	MEM (If 2024 ends up Top 4 AND 2025 ends up Top 1)
2026	2	✔	ATL
2027	1	✔	-
2027	2	✔	-
2028	1	✔	-
2028	2	❌	POR
2029	1	✔	-
2029	2	✔	-
2030	1	✔	-
2030	2	✔	-

Stepien Rule

Teams are required to have at least 1 future FRP in every other draft.
Warriors used their 2022 FRP on Patrick Baldwin Jr. Warriors own their 2023 FRP. Warriors will either keep their 2024 FRP or owe it to Memphis if it falls anywhere between 5-30. Due to the high likelihood of the pick conveying to Memphis in 2024, the Warriors will likely be required to use their 2023 FRP, obtain another 2023 FRP(s), or obtain a 2024 FRP(s).
Ways around the Stepien Rule:

• Trade prior to the draft, but pick for the other team having the trade only be officially completed after the draft
• Trade the rookie in a deal after the draft

News Reporting

Changing of the GM:

• Wojnarowski - 5/30: "Golden State's GM Bob Myers is stepping down as the franchise's president and general manager. With Myers' departure, Warriors owner Joe Lacob is expected to seek more prominent roles for his son, Kirk, an executive vice president of basketball operations, and VP of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr."
• Slater - 5/31: "Warriors actually had a pre-draft workout while Myers and Lacob were doing their Tuesday afternoon press conference. It included Jaime Jaquez Jr., the UCLA wing who is an option for them with the 19th pick. Larry Harris, their long-time leader of college scouting, and Mike Dunleavy Jr., the presumed successor to Myers, ran it."
• Steinmetz - 6/2: "According to my sources, Mike Dunleavy Jr. is going to be the next General Manager of the Golden State Warriors. If the money is right, Dunleavy is going to be the guy."

Kenny Atkinson:

• Stein - 6/3: "Kenny Atkinson recently interviewed in Toronto for the Raptors' coaching vacancy, league sources say."

Draymond Green & Klay Thompson Extensions:

• Slater&Charania - 5/12: "Warriors intend to discuss a new multi-year contract with Green, either via an opt in and extend or an entirely new deal after an opt out, sources briefed on the matter tell The Athletic. Green has leverage: He is expected to have multiple playoff-contending teams in pursuit if he enters the open market"
• Wojnarowski - 4/16: "[Klay] Thompson, I'm told, has an expectation that he would be rewarded with a new, max-level contract extension this offseason"
• Slater&Charania - 5/12: "Thompson is extension eligible this summer. He’s making $43.2 million on the final year of his deal next season. If he’s to extend with the Warriors this summer, the expectation is he’d have to accept a paycut, as Andrew Wiggins did last summer"

Jonathan Kuminga's Future:

• Slater&Charania - 5/12: "The Warriors and Kuminga’s representatives are expected to discuss his future this offseason, league sources say. Golden State will need to decide whether Kuminga will receive a full-time role moving forward, and, if not, league sources say the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft will want to be somewhere he can play more."
• Dumas - 5/13: "I’m told Jonathan Kuminga aims to split his off-season time in Miami, NYC, and LA. He wants to participate in alot of NBA open runs and showcase to people around the league what he can do on the court."

Players

Guaranteed to be on Next Year's Roster & Salary (Source):

Player	2023-24 Salary	Notes	Contract End Date(s)
Steph Curry	$51.9 mil	Vet Ext (Supermax)/Bird	2026 (UFA)
Klay Thompson	$43.2 mil	FA (Max)/Bird	2024 (UFA)
Jordan Poole	$27.4 mil	Rookie Ext/Bird	2027 (UFA)
Andrew Wiggins	$24.3 mil	Vet Ext/Bird	2026 (PO) / 2027 (UFA)
Gary Payton II	$8.7 mil	Acquired via Trade	2025(PO) / 2025(UFA)
Kevon Looney	$7.5 mil	FA/Bird	2024(Part-Gtd) / 2025(UFA)
Jonathan Kuminga	$6 mil	Drafted/Rookie Scale	2024(TO) / 2025(RFA)
Moses Moody	$3.9 mil	Drafted/Rookie Scale	2024(TO) / 2025(RFA)
Patrick Baldwin Jr	$2.3 mil	Drafted/Rookie Scale	2025(TO) / 2026(TO) / 2027(RFA)
Ryan Rollins	$1.7 mil	Drafted/TPMLE	2025(Part-Gtd) / 2025(RFA)
19th Pick	$2.75 mil (est)	Drafted/Rookie Scale	2027(RFA)

Player Options:

• Draymond Green: $27.5 mil PO
• Donte DiVincenzo: $4.725 mil PO

Upcoming Free Agents:

• Andre Igoudala (UFA - Retirement Eligible)
• JaMychal Green (UFA)
• Anthony Lamb (RFA/Non-Bird - 2-Way Eligible)
• Ty Jerome (UFA - Not 2-Way Eligible)
• Lester Quinones (RFA - 2-Way)

CBA Stuff (Source)

Salary Cap (League's 2023-24 est.): $134 million
Luxury Tax (League's 2023-24 est.): $162 million
Second Apron (League's 2023-24 est.): $179.5+ million ($17.5+ mil above the luxry tax)

• Affected Teams (But harder to go under): Warriors, Clippers
• Affected Teams (But easier to go under): Bucks, Celtics, Mavericks, Lakers, Suns

2nd Apron Punishments Confirmed to Start 2023-24 Season:

• No more TPMLE
  • 2022-23 TPMLE Usage: Signed Donte DiVicenzo + Signed Ryan Rollins to a 3rd partial-gtd year
  • 2021-22 TPMLE Usage: Didn't use TPMLE
  • 2020-21 TPMLE Usage: Signed Brad Wanamaker, Signed Juan Toscano-Anderson (2-way conversion)
• Limits on signing buyout candidates: No one making over Non-Taxpayer MLE of the season (2023-24: >$12.2 mil)

Only paths to add talent now is through:

• Minimum/Vet minimum contracts
• Draft picks
• Trades

Other 2nd Apron Punishments (likely to kick in starting 2024-25 and so on):

• Cannot use cash considerations in trades
• Cannot trade for more money than is sent out
• Pay tax at a higher rate: $2-for$1 additional tax
• Cannot aggregate contracts in trades
  • Also no "aggregating down" ex 2 $20 mil contracts ($40 mil in total) cannot be traded for $30 mil contract + 1 minimum contract
• Cannot trade a FRP 7 years in advance
• Team's FRP will get pushed to the end of the 1st Round regardless of how they finish (if they stay above the tax apron in more than 1 of the next 4 years) aka Our pick is likely to end up 28-30 regardless of our regular season results

Welcome to the daily thread!
This thread will automatically be posted in the morning, and again when games start. Followed by a post game player appreciation thread.
Please use this thread for all fantasy basketball related questions about your roster.

Apologies for the pun in the title, but the fruit was hanging too low to pass up. And apologies as well to the folks here that think the word “trade” is an affront to their Spurs fandom, but until the draft gets here in a few more weeks, there’s going to continue to be discussion around making a move for another first-round pick, presumably to address the long-term-PG-shaped hole in the roster right now.
Based on a few polls that have popped up on this sub lately, it seems like most people here (including u/paxusromanus811, whose opinions as a draft evaluator and Spurs fan are some that I greatly respect) like Anthony Black the best of our presumed options, but everyone seems to recognize that it might be hard to find a trade partner in his projected range. Amen Thompson is a fun pipe dream, but I’m incredibly wary of the fact that he and his twin were overagers in the mess that is OTE, and I don’t know if I’m a believer in his shot ever being fixed, either. Then you’ve got Kobe Bufkin, who’s been a bit of a late riser as a jack-of-all-trades sophomore but isn’t quite as polished as a defender or playmaker.
I like all three of those guys quite a bit, and if the Spurs end up with any of them on the 22nd I’ll be very pleased. But I wanted to take a little time to focus on Cason Wallace, because I think if you told me we had our pick between any of the guard prospects in the first round outside of Scoot, I’d want him. That’s not to say I’d bet on him being the “best” player of the four in 10 years (though I don’t think that’s impossible), but I think he fits in the best with what the San Antonio identity is going to be now and in the future. I think the advantages that the other guys have over him are of less consequence to the Spurs than vice versa.
OVERVIEW
The Spurs have a lot of player development to focus on this year. Wemby is going to command a lot of usage for obvious reasons. Sochan’s second season is going to be big as far as his potential progression as a shooter and playmaker while also likely getting some run as an actual point forward / lead ball handler. Branham probably isn’t suited to be a PG, and running him in that position too much carries a risk of hampering his growth as the smooth scoring SG he’s meant to be.
Enter Cason Wallace, who could bring some really valuable versatility. He spent the first half of the season with Kentucky as a movement C&S guy, then took over as the starting PG in a very ball-dominant role after Sahvir Wheeler went down. He had success in both roles, and combined with his overall high level of understanding of the game, he’d be the perfect complement for the roster now and in the future - he can be a high-level kickout option and floor spacer for possessions where we want Victor or Jeremy or Vassell to mostly run the show, but he can also competently run the offense as the lead at any given time as well.
SHOOTING
Wallace shot 34.6% from 3-point range this season, which is good but not amazing. That number needs a little context, though. In the fifteen games before January 10, he shot 41.9% from 3 on 4.9 attempts/game. I’m using that as the boundary point because he started to suffer back spasms on that date and pretty much just played through them for the rest of the season, where he shot 24.5% on 3.3 attempts/game. Back injuries are, generally speaking, the toughest injuries to shoot through - those muscles are involved in so much of your body movement that it’s basically impossible to maintain the same mechanics, and Wallace’s form is visibly more rigid and square in the second half of the season. His natural form is very smooth and free-flowing, but there were some games post-spasms that he was barely even getting off the ground. That Jan 10 date is also, interestingly, when he took over lead guard responsibilities, so as you can see from his 3PA/game, his catch-and-shoot opportunities went way down. Still, his 3P% ended within 1% of Bufkin’s for the full season on higher volume, so I’m comfortable calling him the most projectable spot-up shooter of the popular Spurs options.
Really, the bottom line here is that we already have Sochan, who may never be much of a shooter, and Wemby, whose shot I think will develop but isn’t guaranteed to turn into something that other teams have to gameplan for in a significant way. Without Chip Engelland still in the fold, I’d be a little concerned about adding another guy to our long-term core that needs a lot of work in that area.
Other notes:

• Shot 48.4% on corner 3s on the season on good volume, one of the most important shots in basketball and one that we know Pop appreciates. Bufkin shot 36.8%, Black 31.8%. NBA average is about 35%, and success from that spot in college has generally carried over well to the next level even for guys that have otherwise struggled adapting to NBA 3s.
• Shot 41% on transition 3s on the season. Can very easily envision Sochan or Wemby getting a defensive board, pushing the ball upcourt, and finding Wallace on the kickout when the defense is forced to collapse, because those guys will definitely run transition a lot in future years.
• Small sample size because it’s not a huge part of the Calipari system, but Wallace shot 9/17 on attempts where he relocated and immediately received a return pass after making one (i.e. entry passes to bigs, drive-and-kicks, as the inbounder), which is a window into how smart and comfortable he is in getting open as a movement shooter.
• This is not meant as a disparagement, because I don’t think the shot is unfixable, but Black shot 21% on unguarded catch-and-shoot attempts this year. That sounds bad because it is bad - there’s a big gulf between the two right now and even if Black improves I have a hard time seeing him getting to Wallace’s level.

PLAYMAKING AND CREATION
Kentucky’s adjusted offensive rating with Wheeler as the starting point guard was 109.3. After Wallace took over, that number jumped to 115.7 - top 20 in the country over that period - in what was easily the tougher half of their schedule. Much has been made about concerns over whether Wallace can truly be a lead guard, but the kid can run an offense. He put up more AST/game than Black and Bufkin on a significantly better AST/TOV ratio (over 2 to 1). Here’s the stat I don’t think is getting nearly enough attention, though: of the 86 two-pointers Wallace made this year, only 9 were assisted (9.5%). By comparison, 28.9% of Black’s and 25.4% of Bufkin’s were assisted. Marks under 10% for that stat are generally very, very good indicators that we’re looking at a skilled primary creator. It’s also probably worth noting that Black’s numbers at the rim were considerably worse than Wallace’s despite his size and the fact that he had twice as many dunks.
Other notes:

• Wallace didn’t draw a lot of shooting fouls this year, which is something he definitely needs to improve. When he did, though? He converted the and-1 53.6% of the time. That’s an absurd number - the highest in college in at least the last three years by far. For reference, Black and Wallace both drew 15 total and-1s, but Black drew a total of 50 more shooting fouls to do it (Black’s rate of drawing free throws in general is equally absurd). And Bufkin, considered an elite finisher, only completed them at a 31.3% rate.
• Close to 50% of Black’s assists came at the rim, but he and Wallace put up roughly the same rate there per 40 minutes and Wallace’s rate was better in almost every other zone on the floor.
• Great PnR operator with room to grow. Makes deceptive passes in the pocket and around big men, and he’s great at finding open teammates on the shake action, which I imagine is a look we could see Devin get a lot due to the attention Victor is going to command.

DEFENSE
This is Wallace’s calling card as far as being the skill that gives him such a high floor as a pick, and yet I still think it’s being a little underrated comparatively. Black has 3 inches of height and 15lbs on him, and is seen as a guy who’ll be able to comfortably defend 1-3 and maybe even 4s at the next level. But Wallace actually has the longer wingspan of the two (6’85” vs 6’75”) and I think he’s the more polished defender as far as fundamentals and disruptiveness. He’s deceptively strong, too. I think he’s equally capable of guarding up to 3s as well and even some small ball 4s in the vein of Andrew Wiggins or our very own Keldon Johnson - those sorts of lineups are still steadily gaining popularity. The fact that Black averaged effectively the same amount of blocks as Wallace and Bufkin despite his advantages in height and bounce is either a slightly worrying sign for Black or a big credit to the other two. Either way, the guy we’re theoretically drafting here gets to play alongside Sochan and Wemby, so even if Black does have a slight switchability advantage, I’m not convinced it’ll be all that impactful in the long run. Give me that small extra bit of refinement any day.
CONCLUSION
Wallace has some detractors for being a bit of a “safe” guard that doesn’t get too creative with his passing and playmaking, or at least he hasn’t yet. And look, some of the things Anthony Black pulls off make my jaw drop the same as everyone else’s does. But we’re Spurs fans - we saw the Beautiful Game in real time. For the most part, that wasn’t a system that relied on crazy passes but on the right passes, and on guys making smart movements to be in the right place at the right time. Even as one of the worst teams in the league last year, the Spurs were still top 3 in the NBA in assists/game and bottom 5 in TOs/game - this isn’t a system that is in desperate need of a guard to shake things up.
Wallace excels at those things, and he just comes off as a Spurs-y player in a lot of other ways too. He hustles like a madman - you couldn’t watch a Kentucky game without seeing him dive on the floor for a loose ball and running like hell to get back in transition - and is more than willing to play whatever role he has to to help his team win. And while he certainly gets fired up after some big plays, he’s a guy that mostly just goes about his business on the court. I can’t remember a time where I saw him do anything that could possibly be construed as taunting.
The Kentucky Guard Effect is something that can’t be ignored at this point, either. He isn’t the same style of player as a Tyrese Maxey or SGA, but when you go back and look at the scouting reports for those guys compared to Wallace’s, you see a lot of similarities - questions over whether they can really be a lead guard or if they have talents outside of the singular role they played as Wildcats. I’m not saying Wallace can be the next SGA, but I think a Maxey-like breakout is well within the realm of possibility. He accelerates well on drives, and even though he struggled to create significant separation at times, he’s such a good finisher that all he needs is a half step - he hardly ever got blocked. Kentucky’s spacing was supremely terrible last year, too, so Wallace should really benefit from the extra room on an NBA court. I actually think his passing creativity has also become a little underrated at this point simply by virtue of being compared to Black - he showed off some impressive reads on lobs in particular, and if he’s going to spend his career throwing alley-oops to Wembanyama he doesn’t need to get especially fancy anyway.
All in all, what you have in Wallace is someone who’s going to bottom out as a high-level role player and who could very, very easily have more to his game than that. We got to see him play two different roles as a Wildcat, which should give him plenty of priceless versatility immediately when coming into a rebuilding team with a lot of high-ceiling players to develop. But Calipari’s system never allowed him to play both roles at once, and if the Spurs are truly going to commit to this positionless basketball ideology (which they’ll have the personnel to do), that flexibility could fit in perfectly. I’m not saying Anthony Black can’t eventually develop a shot, and he’s such a smart cutter and strong finisher off the pass that he has some value off-ball already too. I just think Cason offers more to this team in that potential role right now as far as what it could mean for continued player development, and that there’s more than enough upside still there that we wouldn’t be limiting ourselves.
So, yeah, there's some draft crush propaganda for y'all today.