2023 SLN draft — breaking down every first-round pick
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jwoo
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2023 SLN draft — breaking down every first-round pick
Greetings friends — at long last I've found a pocket of time to make some content this week.
Going to dive into my favorite thing — the draft. Not going to grade picks because I think draft grades are stupid. But this was a cool draft and it's fun to dig in a little more on these players! Here's how the first round shook out with some thoughts on each pick.
1. Toronto Raptors — Victor Wembanyama
I was driving to Michigan and pulled over to pee on Thursday and saw Victor's stupid combine line of 43 and 9 with 15-of-17 free throws and almost fainted. I scouted him and pulled his stip which ended up being pretty helpful to know in advance (it will be revealed but basically I have to take a giant dead cap hit and kill my cap space). I am excited to see some box scores.
2. Sacramento Kings (via UTA) — Zach Edey
I had a feeling that the father of Boban would select a player who was derogatorily referred to on the internet as "Boban Jr" by his detractors for much of last season. Just like IRL, Edey is a tiny bit situational, but he's landing on a team that will know how to use him and it looks like his SLN defense is more passable than it can be at times in reality. In a league where rebounding has been nerfed pretty hard, Edey has a super high floor and a great ceiling if he turns into an efficient scorer, which seems like a good bet. This lottery was somewhat eye of the beholder to me, but Edey's unique skillset I think makes him a pretty justifiable investment at 2.
3. New Jersey Nets — Dereck Lively
The dearth of really good bigs in the league right now definitely enhanced Lively's value in the draft, in my eyes. He feels like a really strong bet to get to A/A- ratings over time. Curious to see how much he shoots and how much his handling will be an issue, but I think this made total sense for Steven since center was a key long-term need and he's collected a lot of talent at the forward spots. Lively being 19 offers a lot more upside than your typical elite Butt prospect. Hard to find guys like this and hard to knock it!
4. Houston Rockets — Zaccharie Risacher
In a vacuum I thought Risacher being 18 with strong notes and base ratings was really attractive at No. 2 - but no drafts occur in a vacuum. He feels Otto Porter-ish to me in a great way considering Otto Porter is a 30 PPG scorer in our league. I think his floor is really high as a solid starter and the ceiling is there if he gets good camps and TCs to become more of a go-to scorer, but he just wasn't as readymade as Brandon Miller or Gradey Dong. Nolan is still in the throes of his rebuild but Risacher and Paolo could be a really solid pairing.
5. Philadelphia 76ers - Brandon Miller
Miller has great starting ratings on offense and also seems to have a pretty solid floor, depending on how much his turnovers become a concern. DMo was drafting BPA here clearly, and will be able to pair him with Jalen Suggs, which is a nice foundation for the post-LeBron Sixers, which still somehow hasn't even happened yet. Bronny where you at?
6. San Antonio Spurs (SAC to SA) — Anthony Black
Thought Black had really nice upside and profiles somewhat similarly to Dyson Daniels, but with worse shooting, higher potential and PG TCs coming. Jordo paid a pretty steep price to move up here, but it's a valid long-term grab to try and find a star PG to lead the team long-term. Black won't have to play immediately and could be a core piece, but he needs to learn to shoot unless Jordo is committing to running balanced or inside — giving him a bit of downside if the offense never pops. I loved him IRL, though.
7. Miami Heat — Gradey Dick
Another guy who looks like he has an awesome base and strong ceiling. Pretty great notes, jokes aside. Fits a big need for the Heat on the wing. Made a lot of sense to go this route over Scoot with Bonga already in place here long-term. Think he should be able to play a role out of the box, curious what his volume will be, but guys with B+ shooting, A potential and good base ratings rarely suck (see Tyler Herro if I recall).
8. Orlando Magic (via LAL) — Scoot Henderson
Bit of a fall for Scoot likely due to trepidation around his turnovers. I think as a 19 year old A potential PG, the upside is pretty excellent no matter what. Merv cut a deal for a Sorry Kid and was able to send him to the NDL, too — massive upside now! With good TCs and targeted development I feel like Scoot is for sure a solid starter at minimum, which is a great thing to get at No. 8, and room for more than that.
9. Detroit Pistons — Bilal Coulibaly
SLN Bilal isn't quite as cool as IRL Bilal, but he feels like a classic TC Jesus dice roll guy who has room to become really good. For sure had the best upside on the board here by my estimation and also plays a position of need for Detroit. He's going to take a few seasons and need good camps and TCs, but he's 19 and feels a bit like Aaron Gordon did when he came out in terms of draft notes and vibes. Would have loved to take a shot on him, but also understand why the guys in front of him (who felt safer) went where they did.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves — Nick Smith Jr
This was a bit of a surprise pick to me, but I can understand the appeal with Smith's B+ shooting and being 19. I wish he rebounded and defended better, which prob makes him best suited as a backup 1/2 long-term — if he could start at PG I'd be more enthused. Worried about what looks to be a low inside scoring rating for a guy who can only really play the 2 positionally. But with good camps feels like a good bet to be a playable rotation guy, most likely. Unsure about the fit in Minnesota versus a guy like Whitmore.
11. Miami Heat (via LAC) — Cam Whitmore
Liked Whitmore's notes and he's on the Rockets IRL. Pretty good pathway to being an SLN starter with those boards, being 19, and decent base ratings across the board. My guess is probably some jumping in the B- inside scoring ratings. He was 11th on my board and goes 11th, makes a lot of sense to me. Might take a little time for him to emerge, but good blueprint here.
12. Sacramento Kings (via CLE) (SA to SAC) — Taylor Hendricks
Hendricks had great notes and was a high pick IRL. Main issue is his rebounding and strength. Could see him being in the Poor Man's Robert Horry mold long-term. Curious to see how Jesse camps him. If he can get to like, B- rebounding in this era of the league, it feels like the rest of his kit is going to be pretty passable across the board. But not without some risk if the boards don't get better.
13. Indiana Pacers (via ORL) (NJ to IND) Brandin Podziemski
Tong paid Steven a bunch of RP to grab Air Podz. I think Tong has multiple Sorry Kids so I assume he's gonna use one here. Pretty fun stash player if so but needs a lot of offensive growth. Love a guard who can rebound really well, and this feels like the right range, will benefit from getting camps and NDL bonii. Think this works out well
14. Vancouver Grizzlies (via DAL) — Cason Wallace
Loved Cason IRL. No PG eligibility means he probably ain't gonna be much of a scorer, but strong base ratings and a good IRL stat profile for SLN (low TOs, good defense, some shooting). Won't be able to go to the NDL with two B's, but gonna guess he becomes a nice piece for the Grizz. Would have taken him 10th personally.
15. Portland Trail Blazers (via SEA) (ORL to POR) — Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Also was a huge fan of Jaime. Wanted to try and get in for him, good snag by Portland to get this pick. Generally think wings who take care of the ball well and can give you 15-20 PPG are really valuable, would guess he ends up doing something like that and can go to the NDL. My question is just how much inside scoring he has relative to jumping (since he was in the dunk contest, lol), but I'm a fan and think he had a really high floor.
16. San Antonio Spurs — Ben Sheppard
Sheppard had great notes and will probably be good in the NDL. Will need some help with volume probably, but has a really good SLN profile for a depth wing. Feels like a good stash pick and I had him in this range on my board too. Spurs have a ton of wings but it's a good problem to have.
17. Sacramento Kings (via NYK) — GG Jackson
Another upside swing by Sacramento. Another guy who needs rebounding help at PF but a pretty good overall profile otherwise. Wonder if this pick duplicates Hendricks a little bit, but GG will probably be really good in the NDL based on his notes and get help with his boards to become passable. Good offense is good offense.
18. Toronto Raptors (via BOS) — Keyonte George
George has been fairly good IRL relative to expectations early in his career. Was surprised he fell to me since he had the highest B scouted potential in the file and can play PG. I'm hoping he turns out Jordan Clarkson-y in the long run, and I don't have a player in that combo scorer mold on my roster, so was happy to take a flier on him and see if he pans out into a rotation guy even though he can't go to the NDL due to that stip.
19. Toronto Raptors (via POR) — Jarace Walker
I had Walker ahead of Hendricks and GG Jackson on my board, so while it makes me nervous that Jesse passed on him twice to take the other two PFs-who-don't-board-but-have-cool-notes, I'm pumped to send him to the NDL and see what happens and try to round out his ratings. Not totally sure what he's going to be in the end, but he was another guy with really high B potential and was an early pick in the draft IRL, so feels like a great swing at 19 even if he's kind of a tweener and comes with risk. According to basketball reference his nickname is "The Manchild", I guess.
20. Boston Celtics (via VAN) (NJ to BOS) — James Nnaji
Joe paid a bunch of RP to get a safe depth big in Nnaji, who I assume will go to the NDL. He sucks IRL but seems like he has good stuff out of the box and low potential. At this stage of the draft, why not, considering how tricky it is to find bigs right now.
21. New York Knicks (via MIL) — Jordan Walsh
Walsh feels like he could be the next Julian Wright — not sure how that fits with what the Knicks are doing long-term, but like his general notes. Will probably take work to become a useful offensive player, but a good guy to send to the NDL and see what happens. Might have lower potential than some, but also could be a legitimate rotation guy if the defense gets really strong.
22. Atlanta Hawks (via WAS) (NJ to ATL) — Jett Howard
Not really sure what to make of Howard's ratings. Would be funny if he just had the same ones as Juwan Howard did, which is possible based on the shape of his build. Heimer has had success with NBA Son Gary Payton II, so it makes sense he'd try to do it again. SPEAKING OF WHICH.
23. Atlanta Hawks (via GSW) (NJ to ATL) — Trayce Jackson-Davis
ANOTHER NBA SON goes to the three-time champs. TJD, son of former Raptors head coach Dale Davis, grew up in our building here in Toronto. LaDon Gola is his godfather. He was a child when we won the title in 2008 and tasted Molson for the first time, poured out of a diamond studded chalice upon his forehead by Tony Allen and Lamar Odom. Ahh, good times. TJD is gonna get boards, not sure what else, but probably useful.
24. New Jersey Nets (via PHX) — Liam Robbins
This pick is getting traded to Seattle after TC. Robbins feels like another pretty safe, lower-upside depth big. The lack of blocks is one thing, but B- boards as a rookie will play these days. Great job by Steven to successfully sell five first-round picks and a second round pick and preserve his cap space and get a ton of RP — great off-season for the Nets so far.
25. Indiana Pacers — Marcus Sasser
Think this pick also got traded to Seattle. I was a fan of Sasser in college, he's from Houston, maybe an Ashes bump for that reason? Has a good game manager base, probably an NDL stash, overall a nice grab who could be useful. Curious about his TOs/passing distribution with C+ handles. Probably a guy who sticks around in a backup role worst case, camps would help.
26. New York Knicks (via DEN) — Ricky Council IV
When I wrote the other that Ricky Council's two brothers are named Ricky Council II and Ricky Council III, well, surprise bitch, that's actually a fact, google it and get back to me.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (via CHA) — Yuki Kawamura
All I know is Ashes seems to make Japanese players good and that I was half-asleep (maybe fully asleep) in France with Merv watching this man single-handedly almost take down Wemby and the French national team. Love him this late in the first as a fun stash.
28. Miami Heat — Tristian Vukcevic
This man had a reputation for partying too hard in Serbia.
29. Golden State Warriors (via ATL) (PHI to TOR to GSW) — Jordan Hawkins
This was who Clint said he wanted when he bought this pick off of me. Good luck Mr Hawkins. Hopefully there is some inside scoring packed into those ratings, but there also could be jumping. Not sure how much upside he has unless he ends up like Luke Kennard-esque.
Lastly, I also scouted Taylor Funk and was surprised nobody took a shot until Pick 30 — he might be the new Malik Allen and I might regret not taking him.
Going to dive into my favorite thing — the draft. Not going to grade picks because I think draft grades are stupid. But this was a cool draft and it's fun to dig in a little more on these players! Here's how the first round shook out with some thoughts on each pick.
1. Toronto Raptors — Victor Wembanyama
I was driving to Michigan and pulled over to pee on Thursday and saw Victor's stupid combine line of 43 and 9 with 15-of-17 free throws and almost fainted. I scouted him and pulled his stip which ended up being pretty helpful to know in advance (it will be revealed but basically I have to take a giant dead cap hit and kill my cap space). I am excited to see some box scores.
2. Sacramento Kings (via UTA) — Zach Edey
I had a feeling that the father of Boban would select a player who was derogatorily referred to on the internet as "Boban Jr" by his detractors for much of last season. Just like IRL, Edey is a tiny bit situational, but he's landing on a team that will know how to use him and it looks like his SLN defense is more passable than it can be at times in reality. In a league where rebounding has been nerfed pretty hard, Edey has a super high floor and a great ceiling if he turns into an efficient scorer, which seems like a good bet. This lottery was somewhat eye of the beholder to me, but Edey's unique skillset I think makes him a pretty justifiable investment at 2.
3. New Jersey Nets — Dereck Lively
The dearth of really good bigs in the league right now definitely enhanced Lively's value in the draft, in my eyes. He feels like a really strong bet to get to A/A- ratings over time. Curious to see how much he shoots and how much his handling will be an issue, but I think this made total sense for Steven since center was a key long-term need and he's collected a lot of talent at the forward spots. Lively being 19 offers a lot more upside than your typical elite Butt prospect. Hard to find guys like this and hard to knock it!
4. Houston Rockets — Zaccharie Risacher
In a vacuum I thought Risacher being 18 with strong notes and base ratings was really attractive at No. 2 - but no drafts occur in a vacuum. He feels Otto Porter-ish to me in a great way considering Otto Porter is a 30 PPG scorer in our league. I think his floor is really high as a solid starter and the ceiling is there if he gets good camps and TCs to become more of a go-to scorer, but he just wasn't as readymade as Brandon Miller or Gradey Dong. Nolan is still in the throes of his rebuild but Risacher and Paolo could be a really solid pairing.
5. Philadelphia 76ers - Brandon Miller
Miller has great starting ratings on offense and also seems to have a pretty solid floor, depending on how much his turnovers become a concern. DMo was drafting BPA here clearly, and will be able to pair him with Jalen Suggs, which is a nice foundation for the post-LeBron Sixers, which still somehow hasn't even happened yet. Bronny where you at?
6. San Antonio Spurs (SAC to SA) — Anthony Black
Thought Black had really nice upside and profiles somewhat similarly to Dyson Daniels, but with worse shooting, higher potential and PG TCs coming. Jordo paid a pretty steep price to move up here, but it's a valid long-term grab to try and find a star PG to lead the team long-term. Black won't have to play immediately and could be a core piece, but he needs to learn to shoot unless Jordo is committing to running balanced or inside — giving him a bit of downside if the offense never pops. I loved him IRL, though.
7. Miami Heat — Gradey Dick
Another guy who looks like he has an awesome base and strong ceiling. Pretty great notes, jokes aside. Fits a big need for the Heat on the wing. Made a lot of sense to go this route over Scoot with Bonga already in place here long-term. Think he should be able to play a role out of the box, curious what his volume will be, but guys with B+ shooting, A potential and good base ratings rarely suck (see Tyler Herro if I recall).
8. Orlando Magic (via LAL) — Scoot Henderson
Bit of a fall for Scoot likely due to trepidation around his turnovers. I think as a 19 year old A potential PG, the upside is pretty excellent no matter what. Merv cut a deal for a Sorry Kid and was able to send him to the NDL, too — massive upside now! With good TCs and targeted development I feel like Scoot is for sure a solid starter at minimum, which is a great thing to get at No. 8, and room for more than that.
9. Detroit Pistons — Bilal Coulibaly
SLN Bilal isn't quite as cool as IRL Bilal, but he feels like a classic TC Jesus dice roll guy who has room to become really good. For sure had the best upside on the board here by my estimation and also plays a position of need for Detroit. He's going to take a few seasons and need good camps and TCs, but he's 19 and feels a bit like Aaron Gordon did when he came out in terms of draft notes and vibes. Would have loved to take a shot on him, but also understand why the guys in front of him (who felt safer) went where they did.
10. Minnesota Timberwolves — Nick Smith Jr
This was a bit of a surprise pick to me, but I can understand the appeal with Smith's B+ shooting and being 19. I wish he rebounded and defended better, which prob makes him best suited as a backup 1/2 long-term — if he could start at PG I'd be more enthused. Worried about what looks to be a low inside scoring rating for a guy who can only really play the 2 positionally. But with good camps feels like a good bet to be a playable rotation guy, most likely. Unsure about the fit in Minnesota versus a guy like Whitmore.
11. Miami Heat (via LAC) — Cam Whitmore
Liked Whitmore's notes and he's on the Rockets IRL. Pretty good pathway to being an SLN starter with those boards, being 19, and decent base ratings across the board. My guess is probably some jumping in the B- inside scoring ratings. He was 11th on my board and goes 11th, makes a lot of sense to me. Might take a little time for him to emerge, but good blueprint here.
12. Sacramento Kings (via CLE) (SA to SAC) — Taylor Hendricks
Hendricks had great notes and was a high pick IRL. Main issue is his rebounding and strength. Could see him being in the Poor Man's Robert Horry mold long-term. Curious to see how Jesse camps him. If he can get to like, B- rebounding in this era of the league, it feels like the rest of his kit is going to be pretty passable across the board. But not without some risk if the boards don't get better.
13. Indiana Pacers (via ORL) (NJ to IND) Brandin Podziemski
Tong paid Steven a bunch of RP to grab Air Podz. I think Tong has multiple Sorry Kids so I assume he's gonna use one here. Pretty fun stash player if so but needs a lot of offensive growth. Love a guard who can rebound really well, and this feels like the right range, will benefit from getting camps and NDL bonii. Think this works out well
14. Vancouver Grizzlies (via DAL) — Cason Wallace
Loved Cason IRL. No PG eligibility means he probably ain't gonna be much of a scorer, but strong base ratings and a good IRL stat profile for SLN (low TOs, good defense, some shooting). Won't be able to go to the NDL with two B's, but gonna guess he becomes a nice piece for the Grizz. Would have taken him 10th personally.
15. Portland Trail Blazers (via SEA) (ORL to POR) — Jaime Jaquez Jr.
Also was a huge fan of Jaime. Wanted to try and get in for him, good snag by Portland to get this pick. Generally think wings who take care of the ball well and can give you 15-20 PPG are really valuable, would guess he ends up doing something like that and can go to the NDL. My question is just how much inside scoring he has relative to jumping (since he was in the dunk contest, lol), but I'm a fan and think he had a really high floor.
16. San Antonio Spurs — Ben Sheppard
Sheppard had great notes and will probably be good in the NDL. Will need some help with volume probably, but has a really good SLN profile for a depth wing. Feels like a good stash pick and I had him in this range on my board too. Spurs have a ton of wings but it's a good problem to have.
17. Sacramento Kings (via NYK) — GG Jackson
Another upside swing by Sacramento. Another guy who needs rebounding help at PF but a pretty good overall profile otherwise. Wonder if this pick duplicates Hendricks a little bit, but GG will probably be really good in the NDL based on his notes and get help with his boards to become passable. Good offense is good offense.
18. Toronto Raptors (via BOS) — Keyonte George
George has been fairly good IRL relative to expectations early in his career. Was surprised he fell to me since he had the highest B scouted potential in the file and can play PG. I'm hoping he turns out Jordan Clarkson-y in the long run, and I don't have a player in that combo scorer mold on my roster, so was happy to take a flier on him and see if he pans out into a rotation guy even though he can't go to the NDL due to that stip.
19. Toronto Raptors (via POR) — Jarace Walker
I had Walker ahead of Hendricks and GG Jackson on my board, so while it makes me nervous that Jesse passed on him twice to take the other two PFs-who-don't-board-but-have-cool-notes, I'm pumped to send him to the NDL and see what happens and try to round out his ratings. Not totally sure what he's going to be in the end, but he was another guy with really high B potential and was an early pick in the draft IRL, so feels like a great swing at 19 even if he's kind of a tweener and comes with risk. According to basketball reference his nickname is "The Manchild", I guess.
20. Boston Celtics (via VAN) (NJ to BOS) — James Nnaji
Joe paid a bunch of RP to get a safe depth big in Nnaji, who I assume will go to the NDL. He sucks IRL but seems like he has good stuff out of the box and low potential. At this stage of the draft, why not, considering how tricky it is to find bigs right now.
21. New York Knicks (via MIL) — Jordan Walsh
Walsh feels like he could be the next Julian Wright — not sure how that fits with what the Knicks are doing long-term, but like his general notes. Will probably take work to become a useful offensive player, but a good guy to send to the NDL and see what happens. Might have lower potential than some, but also could be a legitimate rotation guy if the defense gets really strong.
22. Atlanta Hawks (via WAS) (NJ to ATL) — Jett Howard
Not really sure what to make of Howard's ratings. Would be funny if he just had the same ones as Juwan Howard did, which is possible based on the shape of his build. Heimer has had success with NBA Son Gary Payton II, so it makes sense he'd try to do it again. SPEAKING OF WHICH.
23. Atlanta Hawks (via GSW) (NJ to ATL) — Trayce Jackson-Davis
ANOTHER NBA SON goes to the three-time champs. TJD, son of former Raptors head coach Dale Davis, grew up in our building here in Toronto. LaDon Gola is his godfather. He was a child when we won the title in 2008 and tasted Molson for the first time, poured out of a diamond studded chalice upon his forehead by Tony Allen and Lamar Odom. Ahh, good times. TJD is gonna get boards, not sure what else, but probably useful.
24. New Jersey Nets (via PHX) — Liam Robbins
This pick is getting traded to Seattle after TC. Robbins feels like another pretty safe, lower-upside depth big. The lack of blocks is one thing, but B- boards as a rookie will play these days. Great job by Steven to successfully sell five first-round picks and a second round pick and preserve his cap space and get a ton of RP — great off-season for the Nets so far.
25. Indiana Pacers — Marcus Sasser
Think this pick also got traded to Seattle. I was a fan of Sasser in college, he's from Houston, maybe an Ashes bump for that reason? Has a good game manager base, probably an NDL stash, overall a nice grab who could be useful. Curious about his TOs/passing distribution with C+ handles. Probably a guy who sticks around in a backup role worst case, camps would help.
26. New York Knicks (via DEN) — Ricky Council IV
When I wrote the other that Ricky Council's two brothers are named Ricky Council II and Ricky Council III, well, surprise bitch, that's actually a fact, google it and get back to me.
27. Portland Trail Blazers (via CHA) — Yuki Kawamura
All I know is Ashes seems to make Japanese players good and that I was half-asleep (maybe fully asleep) in France with Merv watching this man single-handedly almost take down Wemby and the French national team. Love him this late in the first as a fun stash.
28. Miami Heat — Tristian Vukcevic
This man had a reputation for partying too hard in Serbia.
29. Golden State Warriors (via ATL) (PHI to TOR to GSW) — Jordan Hawkins
This was who Clint said he wanted when he bought this pick off of me. Good luck Mr Hawkins. Hopefully there is some inside scoring packed into those ratings, but there also could be jumping. Not sure how much upside he has unless he ends up like Luke Kennard-esque.
Lastly, I also scouted Taylor Funk and was surprised nobody took a shot until Pick 30 — he might be the new Malik Allen and I might regret not taking him.
free healthcare has never been more important
2023 SLN draft — breaking down every first-round pick
the sons of atlanta
Welcome to Atlanta where the playas play
And we ride on dem thangs like ev-ery day
Big beats, hit streets, see gangstahs roamin'
And parties don't stop 'til eight in the Monin
And we ride on dem thangs like ev-ery day
Big beats, hit streets, see gangstahs roamin'
And parties don't stop 'til eight in the Monin
2023 SLN draft — breaking down every first-round pick
He was def asleep. But for Brazil not for Yuki
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