Explaining the 2024 NBA draft in SLN terms

[jwoo]

I have come up for air after the 2024 draft and a week of vacation and I'm here to drop some subtle IRL draft opinions and attempt to speak Ashes.

Instead of reading 10,000 word draft guides online about these guys, allow me to write scouting reports in a way we can all understand. Will Ashes adapt this article for the 2024 class? Who can say.

This was a notoriously weird and kinda bad draft but think we will see some interesting players come out of it. Here's the entire first round with scouting reports based on SLN terminology.

1. Hawks - Zaccharie Risacher - SF - 19 - C+ B C B C A

Developing shooter with a good base. Volume could probably use a nudge. Decent strength and good quickness. Takes care of the ball. Good defender at multiple positions. Should get a steal and maybe a block. Average rebounder for his position. Scouts like his upside.

2. Wizards - Alex Sarr - PF - 19 - B- C+ C- B C+ A

Decent finisher at the rim. Some range. Good strength and quickness for his position. Good shot blocker who should help right away defensively. Rebounding leaves something to be desired. Good athleticism. Some feel his upside is the highest in the draft.

3. Rockets - Reed Sheppard - PG - 20 - C+ B+ C+ C+ C A

Very good shooter with range. Decent strength and good quickness. Decent vision with good handles. Sneaky good at jumping. Will get steals but isn't the best positional defender. Pretty good rebounder for his position. Could be a good game manager type, could be more of a scorer depending on his development.

4. Spurs - Stephon Castle - SG - 19 - C+ C+ C+ B+ C A

Good athlete with good strength and quickness for a wing. Volume could use a nudge. OK jump shot with developing range. Decent vision and handles. Very good perimeter defender. Decent stock potential. Average rebounder for his position. Should be a great defensive option, but can he score?

5. Pistons - Ron Holland II - SF - 19 - B C C+ B- C+ B

Good finisher at the rim with good strength. Decent jump shot but range is a questionmark. Handles are a major concern. Very good steals. Might get a block. Decent rebounder for a wing. Scouts were high on him a year ago. Will his offense translate to winning? Cannot go back to the NDL.

6. Hornets - Tidjane Salaun - PF - 19 - C+ C+ C C+ C+ A

One of the biggest mystery boxes in the draft. Decent finisher with good athleticism and strength but he's multiple years away. Potential to stretch the floor. Unproven defensively but has an ok base. Scouts think his upside is among the best in the draft, but will he reach it?

7. Trail Blazers - Donovan Clingan - C - 20 - C+ C+ C B+ B- A

Very good positional defender, rare for this era. Will get blocks. Reminds some scouts of Brook Lopez, others think he can be Rudy Gobert, the upside is there. Takes care of the ball. Some concerns about his ability to play big minutes. Potential to stretch the floor, but free throws need work. Decent strength and quickness for a center.

8. Wolves - Rob Dillingham - SG - 19 - C+ B B- C- D A

Good finisher at the rim with a bag of moves you can't teach. Good shooter with very good quickness. Decent vision but handles need work. Needs to hit the weights. Abysmal defender. Won't rebound. Can play PG.

9. Grizzlies - Zach Edey - C - 22 - B+ C C C+ B B

Scouts are divided on his upside, but he will score right away. Excellent strength. Slow. Very good finisher at the rim with an above-average jump shot. Handles are okay. Very good offensive rebounder. Should get a block. Some are comparing him to Boban Marjanovic. Offensive scheme might impact his career. Where will he get drafted?

10. Jazz - Cody Williams - SF - 19 - C+ C+ C+ B- C B

Scouts like his potential, but he needs development. Decent finishing at the rim. Decent jump shot with OK range. Handles need work. Good quickness but needs to hit the weights. Good defensive base with nice stock potential. Below-average rebounder. Good upside.

11. Bulls - Matas Buzelis - SF - 19 - B- C+ C B- C+ B

Good athlete who can finish at the rim. OK jump shot. Three point shooting needs work. Should get a steal and a block. Decent rebounder. Might lack the quickness to play the wing long-term, but might not be strong enough to play the four. Will need a good development plan to succeed. Cannot go back to the NDL.

12. Thunder - Nikola Topic - PG - 19 - C+ C+ B+ C C A

Crafty finisher with a good jump shot. Needs the ball in his hands. Very good vision. Handles need work. Decent rebounder for his position. Not a good defender. Decent strength but on the slower side for a PG. Will miss his entire rookie season due to injury. Scouts are high on him long-term.

13. Kings - Devin Carter - SG - 22 - C+ B- C+ B C+ B

One of the most SLN-ready players in the draft. Good inside with decent shooting. Strong. Decent vision. Handles might be a concern if he's playing on the ball. Good perimeter defender who will get steals and maybe a block. Very good rebounder in the backcourt. Can play PG.

14. Wizards - Bub Carrington - PG - 19 - C B- B- C C B

Raw prospect with flashes of scoring and playmaking. Developing shooter. Decent handles. Defense isn't great. Good rebounder for a PG. Scouts feel he's a couple years away. Good upside.

15. Heat - Kel’el Ware - C - 20 - C+ C+ C- B- C+ B

Athletic finisher around the basket. Decent shooter for a center. OK strength. Decision-making is questionable. Will block shots. Decent rebounder. Should add value defensively but the rest of his game is a work in progress.

16. 76ers - Jared McCain - SG- 20 - C+ B C+ C C B

Good shooter who profiles as a nice bench combo guard. Makes good decisions. Decent strength and quickness. Ok positional defender. Might get a steal. Very good rebounder for his size.

17. Lakers - Dalton Knecht - SF - 23 - B- B+ C C C C

SLN-ready wing scorer. Can get a bucket at all three levels. Decent strength and quickness. Not a good defender or rebounder.

18. Magic - Tristan da Silva - PF - 23 - C+ B C+ B- C+ C

Should be able to play both forward spots. Good shooter with solid range but not a high volume guy. Can defend the perimeter and the post at a useful level. Not a big stock guy. Not a great rebounder at the four.

19. Raptors - Ja’Kobe Walter - SG - 20 - C+ B- C C C B

Scouts have likened him to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and think he'll shoot it better at the next level. 3-and-D type. Decent strength and quickness. Will space the floor. Not a good defender yet but has good positional instincts. OK rebounder. Good upside.

20. Cavaliers - Jaylon Tyson - SF - 21 - B- B- C+ C+ C+ C

Utility guy who can play both wing spots. Good finishing at the rim. Decent shooter. Handles are a concern. Makes plays for teammates but scouts felt he was overstretched as a top option in college. Good rebounder for a wing. Could provide scoring punch off the bench.

21. Pelicans - Yves Missi - C - 20 C+ C- D+ B- B- B

Raw big butt type who needs development. Good athlete. Good strength and quickness. Offense isn't good. Developing defender who should block a shot. Good offensive rebounder.

22. Nuggets - DaRon Holmes II - C - 22 - B- C+ C- C+ C+ C

Good finisher around the rim. Decent shooter with stretch potential. On the slower side if he plays PF. Decision-making isn't great. Blocked shots in college but scouts question whether it will translate. Decent rebounding.

23. Bucks - AJ Johnson - SG - 19 - C+ C+ C C C- B

Good athlete who can finish at the rim. Shooting could be better. Needs to hit the weights. Very good quickness. Should get a steal. A work in progress in almost every skill area.

24. Wizards - Kyshawn George - SF - 20 - C B B- C C B

Has the Nic Batum long-term blueprint but volume is a concern. Good shooter. Weak. Decent vision and handles. Not the best defender. Decent rebounder. Some scouts like his upside, others worry whether he'll ever impact the game.

25. Knicks - Pacome Dadiet - SF - 19 - C+ C+ C C C B

Decent scoring base but all-around game is a work in progress. OK jump shot with developing range. Average strength, quickness and athleticism. Average defender. His agent won't allow him to stash overseas. Cannot go to the NDL.

26. Wizards - Dillon Jones - SF - 23 - C+ B- B+ C B- C

Unique player who can do a lot of things. Decent finisher. Pretty good jump shot but range needs work. Good vision and decent handles. On the slower side. Defense is a concern. Very good rebounder for a wing.

27. Timberwolves - Terrence Shannon Jr. - SF - 24 - B B- C- B C C

Excellent athlete who can finish decently at the rim. Solid shooter. Takes care of the ball. Good perimeter defender who might get a steal and a block. Rebounding is just OK. Plug and play type.

28. Suns - Ryan Dunn - SF - 21 - C C- C A- C+ B

Unique defensive prospect. Very good stock potential out of the box no matter what position he's playing. Offense is a massive questionmark. Good athlete. Decent strength and good quickness. Pretty good rebounder. Might never shoot it.

29. Jazz - Isaiah Collier - PG - 20 - C+ C+ B C+ C B

Scouts were high on him a year ago but he just wasn't very good this season. Good inside but shooting isn't great. Decision-making is a big concern. Strong and quick. Should get steals. Rebounds well for his size. Good upside but turnovers may not be salvageable.

30. Celtics - Baylor Scheierman - SF - 24 - C B C+ C C+ C

SLN-ready specialist. Good shooter. Makes good decisions. Good rebounder for a wing. Slow and not good defensively.

BONUS: Bronny James - SG - 19 - C B- C C+ C C

Some role player upside. Decent shooting potential. Takes care of the ball. Good athlete. Average strength and quickness. Acceptable defense and rebounding. Some say he's only in the league because of his father.

Stip: If Bronny is selected by the team that has LeBron James, he will receive +20 potential. If he is selected by a team that does not have LeBron James and LeBron is a free agent this off-season, LeBron will offer to sign a one year contract with that team for the max allowable number of that team's cap space, as long as that team has at least $10m in cap space.

[SWAMP STEVEN]

Such a fun stip

[SoNicks]

Love the article! Also hilarious you think it would take +20 potential to save Bronny. Kid needs +50

[SoNicks]

I’m excited for these drafts cause we’re starting to get into fictional players territory

[Merv]

lol these are really good. Dillon Jones needs better ratings!

[Clinton]

Reed should be a SG who "can play PG"

[Clinton]

Fun article

[mantypas/CavsCzar]

I feel like Jared McCain should have a stip about his weird TikTok habits. If half the team is past their rookie deal, team chemistry goes down 15% but McCain potential goes up by 5-10, if half the team is on their rookie deals, players are more likely to resign, but his pot drops by 5-10

[Matt]

Lold at Matas going back to the NDL

[ashes]

lol