Since these threads are increasingly just... me, I'll do much shorter versions of scouting reports on everyone relevant up here. Starting with lottery type guys:

THE TOP THREE:

AJ Dybantsa: Freak scoring wing, elite tools. If you're drafting guys based on a combo of size/strength/athleticism/skill, he's the clear winner. Was basically unstoppable this year when he locked in. Didn't really try on D, but the tools are there. Easy All-Star upside, high floor as a High PPG Wing.

Darryn Peterson: Easily highest upside guard in the class. Elite shot making, elite catch-and-shoot this season. Terrific athlete, good size. Very good aggressive defender. Problem was... he had a weird year! Was he actually hurt? How bad was it? Seems he checked out of being a teammate early, which would explain the lack of passing (which was quite good in HS IIRC) and the forced shots... but that's not ideal if you're considering a guy at #1 overall! Hardest thing ever is to figure out if someone was just fucking around because it's college and is actually going to be super elite... or if that's just Who They Are. Time will tell!

Cam Boozer: The best player in college basketball last year, one of the great freshman seasons in the history of the sport. Great strength, great feel, elite IQ. Insane polish as a scorer and rebounder. Really good handles and passing for his size. Good defender due to IQ, though that's the biggest concern next level. Can't be a small ball 5 due to lack of size/explosiveness there, but not a true switch guy in the NBA. Really need to have a system in place around him due to defense. (I think he'd *kill* in Memphis in a front court with Coward and Edey, personally.) But imo the highest floor player in the class, multi-year All-Star upside.

REST OF THE POTENTIAL LOTTO:

Caleb Wilson: Probably belongs on his own tier after the top one due to upside. If it hits, he's an absolute All-Star monster. Elite athlete. High motor on offense, fights hard. Strong on the glass. Not a skill guy right now, but easy to see the potential. Same on defense, where he... wasn't very good this year despite the stocks because he was a big time ball watcher. Right now, can't shoot, not a great dribbler, so I'm not especially high on him coming in and being more than Hustle Transition Weapon/Lob Threat type guy as a freshman... but if he can learn to shoot, if the dribbling/passing improves, if the tools result in strong defense, there's an All-Star here. Would be stunned if he doesn't go fourth.

Darius Acuff: Elite on offense, piss poor on defense. Great scorer, shooter, handler, passer, has everything you need on that end... except size. We just saw Brunson destroy the NBA, so maybe that's not the end of the world... but it has to work really well in order to work at all, because the defense was a catastrophe this year. Saw someone bring this up and it bears repeating: Trae Young was notably better on offense than Acuff in college, and about the same defender, and people aren't exactly clamoring to have Trae Young on their team right now. Needs to prove the size won't stop the offense from being elite next level. The pitch is "next Brunson, next Maxey, etc." I'd take him ~top 6 and hope for such an outcome... but there's a floor here, as with all small guards.

Kingston Flemings: Oddly might be more in on Flemings than Acuff as a small guard, for a couple reasons. Very explosive athlete. High IQ, high motor. Very good passer, especially out of ball screens. I like the defense a lot, even though the strength wasn't there this year (and obviously needs to develop). Jumper's a little ugly, but it falls-- might change next level, but suffice it to say, you're not drafting Flemings if you're looking for a #1 scorer type. You draft him if you want a facilitator, high IQ player, good defender, all-around terrific team guy. All-Star upside obviously lower than someone like Acuff's... but if I'm a team looking to win, I like the odds in the top ~6, and if he falls out of that, he's a steal imo.

Keaton Wagler: Stud. Surprise one-and-done, because the feel and the scoring/passing were simply incredible. Good size for a combo-type point guard, though more of a crafty player than athlete. Very skinny, not strong. Defense probably a problem. Saw a Halliburton comp I think is pretty reasonable-- that's the upside. Wouldn't let him go lower than 7th.

Yaxel Lendeborg: One of the better role player/starter types in the draft. Isn't bad at anything, really. Good athlete, good (not great) shooter, good passer. Catch-and-shoot 3 threat, which is key for his size. Great measurable, great defense. Real switchability. Not a guy I'd want playing on-ball next level, but every winning team needs great offball pieces. Older, experienced at winning now. A team looking for instant playoff-ready minutes would do well to draft him.

Brayden Burries: Two-way guard. Three-level scorer, good off dribble or off catch. Strong defender. No elite size or great athleticism here, just a two-way guard who can ball. A scorer, not a passer, so if teams want him running point to leverage the size concerns, I'd... be worried based on AAU and last season. Not selfish or anything, just... not a PG imo. Maybe the size/athleticism pose problems as a scoring 2 guard, but he merits a top 10ish pick in this class. Very real starter potential.

Aday Mara: Reeeeeally like Mara as a drop-coverage weapon. Truly elite shot blocking, knows how to use the size and hands and timing. Uses his height beautifully on offense too, great finishing, very efficient on the O-glass. Elite passing for a center too, which at his size is kinda wild-- might immediately be one of the best passing centers in the league? Not an athlete, not a guy who proved he could play, like, 25 MPG even in college, much less in the faster paced NBA, so could be some issues if you draft him to be an every-down starter type right out of the gate... but I'd be tantalized by the intersection of size, skill, and rim protection. I'd draft him top 10.

Mikel Brown Jr: I get the vision. Very real shooting threat, infinite range, and he's a very good passer. However, I... don't love the decision making, both in terms of turnovers and shot selection. This was also true of his game in HS, from what I understand. He'll win you games, he'll cost you games. We saw that this year at Louisville. (And the defense is definitely bad.) Think he's gonna go top 10, and maybe that works out quite well-- it will if the consistency in his offense improves-- but I don't know, feels to me like a guy I'd rather swing on at the end of the lottery than a guy I'd want in this range. High ceiling, low floor.

Morez Johnson: You draft a guy like Morez for his defensive versatility, his nose on the glass, and his high motor. These are things you can't really teach. One of the best switchable athletes in the draft, I'd imagine. His offense is raw-- though he made a decent percent of 3s and FTs this year, and if that continues, he could end up a steal. Not sold on him playing any small ball 5 (would defer to the Michigan fans here on their feeling there), but just feels like a winning rotational player.

Hannes Steinbach: Great size, great strength, great rebounder. Very good touch and footwork inside. Decent athlete, not a stiff-- not a negative defender. Like Morez, showed some potential to shoot some 3s with time. Not really a 5 on defense, though, which makes you wonder how he fits into a defensive scheme, because I.... definitely don't think he's guarding 4s. Might just be in no man's land on that end? Still, definitely a lottery guy imo, because if he ends up a decent defender at the 5 (or he starts sticking more 3s), that's a really really good pick.

Nate Ament: ... boy oh boy, this one's tough. On one hand, the upside's unreal. Insane wing size/length, moves like a guard, really good positional passing, decent positional handles. Was a terrific shooter in HS. The defensive potential is there with the size/fluidity. On the other hand... he frequently sucked this year. Asked to carry high usage, but was wildly inefficient. Also just so, so skinny-- if you're gonna live up to the "Next KD" type hype, the handles and pull-up shot both have to be a lot better than they were this year. Also isn't gonna finish inside or stop guys defensively right away, because, again, skinny. I'm really tempted to say "just draft him top ~10-12 and force feed him creatine," because guys with his tools and skills (between his HS play and college) just don't come along. Could become a very high level starter, has the highest upside of... maybe anyone outside the top 5? Could also just flat out not play. Range of outcomes varies from, like, Brandon Ingram to Patrick Baldwin Jr. Genuinely no idea what happens... but I'd take him lotto for the tools.

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Christian Anderson: honestly closer to Darius Acuff on offense than people might think on the surface. Absolutely elite scorer, very good creator. Also tries harder on defense than Acuff, which is a plus. However, he’s even shorter than Acuff— and he’s notably skinnier. Short and weak is just such a brutal combo. Again, unless you’re Trae Young, hard to make that work. Gotta take the flier, but won’t be more than a bench guy unless he can build muscle and avoid getting bullied.

Labaron Philon: similar concerns— size a little better than Anderson or Acuff, but very skinny. Was terrific this year, but isn’t the shooter or passer Anderson and Acuff are. Very good at both, but when youi’re 175-180 lbs, margin for error is next to zero. Love the handle, love the feel, was a good defender for his size generally… but you need either Morant level explosiveness or Young level offense to be that skinny and relatively small and make it work. Still a clear first round bench PG for me.

Ebuka Okorie: huge surprise this year. Awesome speed/athleticism. Short but strong and with killer wingspan. Really good at getting to the rim— wasn’t a great finisher but was a surprise OAD, so not too put off by that. Passing is good not great, shooting is okay… but when you have a guard his size who was so elite in iso despite being #1 on opposing defense’s scouting report as an unheralded freshman, I love the potential. Saw a Dennis Schroeder comp I liked. Not a star, could def be an effective starter type if the shooting comes along and the defense is net neutral.

Bennett Stirtz: classic white guy PG scouting report. Elite IQ, elite passer, elite off the catch (and good at pull ups too). Ball screen wizard, late shot clock clutch wizard. While he’s not a total dud athletically, he’d be sub-average at speed/athleticism at the most important position in the game. Can he separate? Can he be as effective in the NBA as he indisputably was in college? Can he be something other than a negative defender? A winning team should absolutely draft him as a bench PG flier, because the guy’s a winner… but there’s floor if he simply can’t defend/separate.

Meleek Thomas: kinda the 2 guard equivalent of Mikel Brown. Absurd range, zero fucks given, when he’s hitting, he can crush opponents. Terrible on defense, terrible shot selection, terrible decision making with the ball. Wins you games, loses you games. Would love to see a team with great player dev draft him, that’d get the best out of him. If he can play under control, has the sort of upside where he could outperform draft position. Could also easily be High Scoring Bench Guard On Terrible Team.

Emanuel Sharp: winning player, but a 2 guard in a PG body. Pure shooter, doesn’t getto the rim, doesn’t pass, but knocks down 3s especially off the catch beautifully. Terrific defender, uses strength and hands really well, though his size and wingspan might make this tough in the NBA. Not sure he’s a first rounder in terms of a big board, but so easy to see a playoff team fall in love with having a win-now 3-and-D bowling ball off the bench.

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Philon has all the tools for a very good modern PG imo. prior to Daniss Jenkins blossoming i was interested in him as a Piston. hes not gonna get drafted in a spot with starters minutes off the bat, and will probably be one of those guys who flies a lil under the radar with 15 really good mpg (in the team context) or so.

Thomas is nothing but offense, but its good offense lol. good sign that he can get his playing with someone so ball dominant.

most of those other guys are meh to me but i didnt see Okorie at all. the Pistons being linked to Stirtz isnt really stirring my loins. if there is an NBA player in there I dont think hes going to add much to a team with legit title aspirations.

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Cameron Carr: like the potential here. Had a really good season. Prototypical NBA wing size and athleticism. Tremendous shooter/scorer this year. The comparisons statwise basically all line up with good NBA players. A surprisingly good finisher inside for someone so skinny. Has to get stronger— which would also help the defense— but I like the odds. NBA starter upside if he becomes even a net neutral NBA defender.

Dailyn Swain: all about the tools. Size, strength, athleticism. Good slasher. Not a great shooter or defender. Not a prospect I’m in love with unless the right development crew gets a hold of him. The sort of guy who probably becomes someone if drafted to a good team or never becomes someone if drafted to a bad one.

Richie Saunders: elite shooter, high IQ, good wing size, decent defender. Not an athlete, not a creator— he’s out there to do exactly what he does, and he’s very good at it. He’s old, and he’s coming off injury, so certainly could just not work out… but if you’re looking to take bets on the next Max Strus/Sam Merrill/etc, here you go.

Isaiah Evans: big time bias, as he’s one of my favorite Duke players in years… but the sales pitch is obvious. Elite, fearless shooter. Duke runs a lot of NBA style actions, shooting off screens, pick and pop, etc, and Evans was terrific at all of it. Also really good this year at using the threat of the shot to generate straight line drives and/or quick back door cuts. Just a savvy, savvy shooter. Still skinny, though the strength is growing— but his frame seems skinny, so may never be strong enough to be better than a net neutral defender in the NBA. Isn’t quite shifty enough with the handle to project him as a top notch iso scorer right away, though he showed flashes. Also just… doesn’t pass, lol. The man is a pure shooter, simple and plain. So yeah, I’d love him late first, maybe even mid 20s, as bench microwave shooter with some long term starter upside.

Alex Karaban: obviously a winning player… but I don’t really love him as a prospect, given (a) he’s purely an off-the-catch shooter, not really off-the-bounce, and (b) his defense would never really be described as anything better than okay next level due to lack of foot speed. Strikes me as a guy who either is annoyingly good off the bench for a winning team or, if the defense can’t keep him out there, just disappears.

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Jayden Quaintance: the sales pitch is Robert Williams III. smallish 5, huge wingspan, wildly disruptive on defense, great on the glass, little more on offense than a rim running putback type of guy. Don’t see him as a 4, the shot isn’t there, the handle/passing is better for a 5 than a 4, etc. Will need to convince a team the ACL tear hasn’t zapped some of his bounce/mobility. If healthy, upside is honestly pretty high with the right fit. Starter, maybe All-Defense. If not, then I don’t know, he’s probably Just A Guy.

Allen Graves: reeeeally wanted him in a Duke uniform this year. Incredibly high IQ. Great passing, very good pick-and-pop distance shooter, Maliq Brown level hands on defense. Problem is he’s just… really slow for the NBA. Not an athlete at all. Can’t play the 5 with his height and those deficiencies, but he’ll be slow at the 4 on defense. Has to find the right system. Given the offensive tools and his status among the analytics fanboys, I have to think he’ll find it… but there’s definitely a world in which the wrong team picks him and it just flat doesn’t work.

Koa Peat: like taking a flier on a proven winner like Peat, someone who’s so strong inside with good touch, footwork, etc. He’s just slow for the NBA. Which might mean he has to shoot. And he can’t shoot. So I don’t know. I’d take him as a bench guy and try to work on the shot.

Joshua Jefferson: LOVE this player. No clue in the NBA how it works, but we’re talking an insanely smart player, knack for the right play, elite passer, smart defender, good handlers for his size, decent shooter for his size. Just a pure winner. He’s just slow and relatively unathletic for the NBA. Maybe he’s, like, power foward Kyle Anderson? In a league where we’re seeing more and more slow-footed high-IQ guys find their place, I’d absolutely gamble on Jefferson. There’s a chance he’s just too slow, or the shot doesn’t work, or whatever… but I like betting on this type of dude more than Tools No Feel guys. (Feels like a Celtic?)

Chris Cenac: hard to tell, honestly. Played really young. Lots of freshman problems (shot selection, turnovers, defensive rotations/ball watching, etc). Still, a really strong rebounder, the tools for a really good defender, some shooting and passing potential. Feels like a project. Would like him more in the right development system, but late first, I’d imagine those teams are contenders who would prefer someone who can contribute. Wide range.

Tarris Reed: just a classic bench big man. Really good rebounder, really good touch/finishing/footwork, good defense (although very foul-prone, which could be a problem). Not a shooter, not a creator. More of a below-the-rim guy than a throw-it-down guy, which might be a problem. But if you need a right-today 12-15 MPG backup big, really easy pick imo.

Zuby Ejiofor: another bench big man I’d like. Def undersized, but elite strength and length (the Isaiah Stewart comp here tracks imo). Elite, elite motor. Excellent defender, maybe some sneaky switchability. Surprisingly good passer, and the shot looks pretty good. Still, a couple of surprising things: he’s not a good finisher inside (probably average-to-below in terms of NBA athleticism), not a good defensive rebounder (though could be scheme, as he’s very good on the offensive glass). If he’s not cleaning up the D glass and isn’t effective at pick-and-roll and/or finishing on offense, might be hard to stay on court. Still, the motor and defense and overall skill would have me take a flier on him early second (New York and Brooklyn make a lot of sense).

Henri Veesaar: really liked him at Arizona, was up and down at UNC. The offense is there— he’s really good in PnR as a roller or pick and pop guy. Has some skill as a passer and handler for his size. Not really an athlete, though— moves okay, but the current skinniness and lack of burst make for likely defensive problems early on, and if he can’t defend, is he an effective enough shooter and offensive weapon to hit the court? Another decent second round guy.

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Boozer is a lock to at worst be solid. And I’m going with him being like a Sabonis level player. Makes a bunch of all star teams and a few 3rd team All NBA seasons.

Evans - he’ll have a run of 15 ppg seasons with microwave type 3 point shooting - occasional game changer when he gets hot. He’s one that I wonder if staying in college at Duke who can pay, would be better than being a late first rounder? Though maybe he got feedback that his stock isn’t likely to go higher next year?

Wilson - I’m in on Wilson. I think his skill set continues to grow annd develop and his athleticism and motor gives him that extra gear that makes him special. He’d be the guy I’d be most excited to draft, if I had a top 5 pick.

I hope William Kyle makes the league, and I’m tired of Cuse being more concerned with making Jim Boeheim happy by hiring all his favorites rather than actually trying to win. Should’ve hired Hodgson. When Buddy Boeheim inevitably joins the staff in 3 years, I’m all the way out.

Like, you're getting a guy who can do it all, but might be kinda weird and could not be very likeable.

Now, Kawhi has rings so there's that...he also has a lot of injuries and the whole scandal thing w/ the Clippers. not saying Peterson would have a scandal but he just seems weird and could do something else stupid that hurts your franchise because of it.

that's just me going of vibes i could be totally wrong.

Always more likely than not that a second rounder just doesn't stick... but here are some guys I'd take because they either have the tools or some specific set of skills to potentially make it:

Tyler Bilodeau: terrific shooter and floor spacer, but can't really play the 5, probably too slow to be the 4. You draft him in hopes the jumper and IQ land him in a rotation.

Nate Bittle: huge center, some potential as a pick-and-pop guy, but really can't keep up athletically. Ryan Kalkbrenner was a bench big last year, but Bittle wasn't the defender Kalk was in college, and Bittle has injury history. Kinda think you have to take a flier mid-second, as he could be a backup big man if all goes well. Has to stay healthy though, and 3s would help a lot.

Jaden Bradley: would be interested toward end of second based on pedigree and composure as winning player in college, but not sure what he does well next level. His biggest skill in college was midrange jumpers, which... he won't do next level nearly as much. Defense was good, but probably too small in the NBA for that? 3 ball percentages good, but volume low? Not a bad passer, but not a PG? I don't know. Worth a crapshoot in the 50s in case the jumper lands and/or the intangibles are just that good.

Trevon Brazile: great size and athleticism. Has games where you go "holy shit, first rounder." But not a good defender despite tools, inconsistent shooter, doesn't pass, etc. Screams "a good team can maybe get something out of him, a bad team relegates him to Europe in the near future."

Maliq Brown: terrific multi-positional defender. Good passer, doesn't try anything on offense other than dunks and the occasional standstill 3. Not good enough on offense to be a starter, but you put him in the rotation on a contender, and there's clear value imo.

Zach Cleveland: not sure he'll get drafted, but he was one of my favorite players to watch last year. Good size wing, tremendous passer, good athlete, racked up some triple double lines at Liberty. Can't shoot. Not as bad as Dillon Mitchell's, he just doesn't really shoot. If he can shoot, he could be a really sneaky late second or UDFA, because the offensive skill is just next level, and he's got the size/body/talent to stick beyond the shot.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie: will talk about this with Braden Smith later, but just so hard for a guy this small to play next level due to defense (though Gillespie a better defender than Smith). Still, really good offense, really good handle. If the defense isn't a total bust and/or the 3s fall, he could def play third PG minutes.

Jaden Henley: good athlete, good wing size, good slashing, good passing, good defense. Can't shoot. Another "if he shoots, he can definitely stick" guys. I'd take a flier mid-to-late second.

Nick Martinelli: look, probably just a stud overseas, but given how awesome he was on offense on the wing for a team where he was options 1, 2, and 3, and given he's not a poor defender, I'd give him a shot in case the high IQ play and scoring translates.

Baba Miller: he's huge, has the tools that occasionally make your eyes go wide and go "whoa, here's an NBA player." But he's never been consistently good, on either end, really-- so you're taking him hoping he's better in a small role than being The Guy. However, one of his strengths at his size would be his handles/passing... so is he even an off-ball guy? Still, he's 6'11 with a 9'3 standing reach. He's worth a second round pick.

Dillon Mitchell: a classic "does everything but shoot" guy. If he was even an average shooter, pretty clearly a first rounder. He's a bad shooter, though. Bad off catch, bad off bounce, bad at FT line. If you have a great shooting coach, you could do worse than drafting him and praying. He's great on defense, rebound, passing, athleticism, etc. Just can't shoot.

Izaiyah Nelson: high motor, switchable defender, good athleticism, good rim running. Is he a center? Does he have high enough feel for the game? If he can play center and/or make 3s, could be something here.

Felix Okpara: easiest sales pitch ever. Great size, great athleticism, great defense, great on the glass, great rim runner and putback guy. Does literally nothing else. Maybe the nothing else causes problems, but would absolutely take him early second, especially if I'm a contender who needs backup big minutes. There's value here, potentially.

Ugonna Onyenso: terrific size, athleticism, rim protection-- maybe the best rim protection in the class. Not as strong as someone like Okpara, so I worry not quite as effective a rim runner/putback guy. If he can do that, the shot blocking is good enough to make him stick. Mid-to-low second.

Braden Smith: I'm... not sure I'm a believer. Really small, won't be able to defend. Elite, elite passer, and really good standstill shooter. However, I'm reminded of Kendall Marshall, who was bigger but slower and not as good a catch-and-shoot guy... and he just flat out couldn't stick. Smith's entering the league older, so maybe as a third PG on a roster, he can make enough shots and do enough passing damage to thrive even as a backup... but I'd go back half of second round with him.

Bruce Thornton: basically a Diet Coke version of someone like Acuff or Anderson. Too small to be good on defense in the NBA (though he tries), not as good a passer as the first round guys. But I could see a world in which he scores efficiently enough to get some bench burn. Worth a flier.

Lamar Wilkerson: elite shooter with good 2 guard size. Not a defender next level. Very fit dependent, but this type of shooting bears a pick.

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