If you're tuned into Heat Check with Trista Quick.
On this bonus episode of the Heat Check, We've got a special guest today, Jeff Goodman, basketball analyst at Stadium, noted college hoops specialist. He dropped by the show BETMGM tonight broke down his favorite picks in the upcoming draft. Really really good stuff. As always, Jeff killed it. So let's get right into it and let's drop that beat. We start off by asking Jeff his general thoughts about the draft. They are funny, and then to break down
the three, four, five, and six picks. Very fascinating to hear Jeff breakdown the players that he's been seeing since they were fourteen years old. What's up, Hub, It's time to talk to our favorite college basketball expert.
I appreciate that, Trista.
You know, if you're looking for rate info, Yeah, who's gonna take Like nobody knew.
I mean these mock drafts. I tweeted it the other day.
I'm like, I want to know because I've done them for years and I actually didn't do one this year because you can't, like, I know, I'm plugged in with all these NBA guys. They're still gonna gonna lie to you. They want certain things out there. Remember the Polo Jabari Smith thing last year on Wednesday and Thursday leading up to the draft, and what a mess that was for Betters. I mean that thing was out of control. I've never seen anything like it. I think we may get something
similar with the number two pick this year. If Charlotte's smart, that's what they're doing. Find the media person who is dumb enough to put out.
Whatever you tell them. That's what it's all about.
Yeah, no doubt. I'm curious outside of the number two and number three pick. I'm really curious about sort of four, five, six and how much disparity there really is, in your opinion between the Thompson twins and Acer versus Cam Whitmore. Because I could see Cam Whitmore going four. I could see Portland maybe doing something really crazy because they worked
him out. But like, in terms of what you see with your eyes and what you know about prospects and how they translate to the NBA, can you compare just the disparity between those three.
It's hard because again us are and a man are freak athletes. We know that who have played in overtime elite, which you know, again, that's all they're doing. All they're doing is working on their game all year, right, and they're shooting. They've been there for two years now, two years. They came there as sub par shooters and they're going to lead there as sub par shooters. So that scares the hell out of me, to be honest. Where Cam Whitmore,
he was hurt prior to the season at Villanova. He didn't shoot it great, but he had his moments where he shot it fairly well, I think. And the other part that scares me with the Thompsons wins, you know, I talked to Dave Lado, who coached him former college coach, and he said, these dudes, we have to like literally kick him out of the gym. They want to be in the gym all day, all night. That's all they
care about. So that scares me too. They're in the gym all the time working on their shot and it's not gotten significantly better. Again, great athletes, but in this day and age, in this NBA, if you can't shoot, you better do something at an elite level besides.
Run and jump up.
Next, I had ask Jeff about the number two pick as well, then follow up with a breakdown on two high risk, high reward picks, Kentucky's case and Wallace in Arkansas's Nick Smith.
Yeah, they're just completely different players, right. Scoot is kind of a Derrick Rose type of player. Big, strong, athletic, has a gear to him, can pass, can make people better within the G League last couple of years, Brandon Miller kind of the new Age, you know what everybody wants in the NBA, that multi dimensional, versatile forward who shot the hell out of it for the first two thirds of the season and then really struggled shooting the ball the last third of the year.
And I don't care about the off the court stuff. I really don't.
I don't think it's that I sat down with Brandon Miller for like an hour in Portland, Oregon, and spent an hour plus with his family. Seem like really really good, high character people. I know, you know, people are gonna push back on me for that with the incident, but I keep going back to, hey, listen, I'm not a gun owner, and if somebody said to me, you know what, I left my gun in the back seat.
Of the car, what would you do.
I get that gun the hell out of my back seat. However, whether it's throwing it in a ditch, whether it's getting it to the owner of the gun, but it's not staying in the back seat in my car. So again, I think we were quick to judge, or a lot of people were quick to judge Brandon Miller when I don't know if he got a fair shake and everything. Did he make a bad decision?
Absolutely? Can he really play? Absolutely?
Yeah. I'm really curious to Jeff about case and Wallace. It feels like, you know, Kentucky players at the NBA level, they just deliver and they're constantly undervalued in said draft. What can caseon Wallace be to you?
No, I'm with you.
I'm with you one hundred percent on this one. Trist I think he's terrific. He's just he's a bulldog guard is what he is. Number one, He's an elite defender. He plays so hard, so tough. In fact, like that's why he was injured a lot of this year. It
was just he played, he went too hard. Where to me the other thing, not a great shooter came out of the gate, shot it better than we thought from three, But I thought he was a much better point guard in terms of running the team than I thought he was when I saw him in the AU Circut a couple of years ago. So I'm a big believer in Cason Wallace. You don't need listen, there aren't traditional point guards more anyway, we know that, like how many are there,
they just don't really exist. Lonzo Ball might be like the last of the Mohegans, Like, honestly, who else, who else is there that really makes people better consistently anymore in the NBA, Like it's Lonzo and now obviously he's hurting. Who knows what he'll be in the future. So I think to me, Cason Wallace can be a really really good point guard in the NBA and a guy who's a two way player.
Following back up on point guards, Nick Smith will be the first number one high school to college draft prospect to not be in the top five. He's now getting mocked around twenty twenty in the twenties, like, is there a possibility that you know, this is all smoking mirrors and maybe he'll move up in the draft because someone says, well, it was really his knee that blew up at Arkansas, or do you think he's like the fourth or fifth point guard taken, so I think.
He's more of a two.
First of all, we didn't really see him at Arkansas because he was hurt all year. Again, I saw him in AAU ball and I loved him. I thought he was a three level scorer, good size for the two. You know two garbegses six'. Five he just never showed any bursts this past year because he was hurt going into the. Year then he, remember he shut it, down went out To, california rehapped out. There arkansas didn't think he was ever going to come. Back he came, back
WHICH i, thought honestly showed a lot about his. Character most guys would have shut it, down and instead he came back and. Finished he didn't finish, strong but he finished With arkansas and tried to help him win. AGAIN i think you're buying so low With Nick smith if you're getting him at anywhere between fifteen and, TWENTY i, love, love love that.
Pick we then Asked jeff to break down three other fascinating Players Kobe, Buffkin Jordan, hawkins and one of them were polarizing high, end could be a top ten. Talent Grady. Dick once again The insight he's. Amazing jeff always blesses. Us so listen.
CAREFULLY i, do because, again he shot it really.
Well he didn't do anything in the first half of the, year really, struggled but second half of the year he was. Terrific he just fits what you want right, now and again in a wing, player right he can shoot, it he can get to the, basket he's, athletic got good size for his. Position SO i Think buffkins Wont and, honestly it's kind of what have you done for me? Lately, Right like people forget it doesn't matter what you did
early in the. Year it matters kind of how you, progressed and sometimes you want those like lower expectations early and then you exceed rather than obviously the flip, side.
What About Jordan hawkins so well in lack of ability to, Dribble, yeah he doesn't help.
Helpful, yeah, also but what he can, Do like you, SAID i think he's the second best shooter in the. DRAFT i Think Grady dick is the best. Shooter he shot forty percent from three as a. Freshman hawkins was really good this, year but AGAIN i Think hawkins is more limited. Offensively Grady dick to, me deceptive, athlete great, size six.' eight so those two guys we talked about, it, earlier Right The thompson twins can't, Really shoot scoot can't,
Really Shoot anthony black can't. Really shoot you got a lot of those guys that you were, talking about whitmore in that like four three to. Eight range can One Of grady Dick Or jordan hopkins move up because? Of, that right because of their ability to. SHOOT it i could see one of those guys being reaches and it
Might Be. GRADY dick, I mean i, JUST again i think his potential because he's more than Just A. Kyle korver he is a guy who could put him the Floor some he's not a. LIABILITY defensively i think he's one of those guys that you put him with the right group man.
And the other part. With him he can go over twelve, From three he's still gonna.
Shoot it like he's just, like this like doesn't show, any emotion doesn't.
Get.
RATTLED yeah i was just about to ask you about THAT because i think in the beginning of the college basketball season, you said for sure. Lottery pick now do you think he's a top ten guy because his numbers ten and a Half and i've Even seen orlando may be reaching for him at six if they don't think that they can get him. At eleven and, then also what do you think his player comp upside?
Would, BE yeah i could see. Him GOING like i said in the, FIRST ten i. Really could.
You, KNOW again i just think teams value shooting so heavily, right now and they should when. You watch, you Know the nuggets win at all and They Got jamal murray who can.
Shoot it And My.
Keel porter's spacing the court even though he didn't make shouts for the first few games in. The series HIS comp i, MEAN again i think his Floor Is kyle KORP but i think he's better.
Than that he's, YOU know jj.
Reddick ish but again he's six.', eight guys yeah that's the.
Thing about him, he's six. Eight two guards his.
Ceiling is his Ceiling A Healthy. Michael, PORTER jr.
Yeah i mean i'm Trying to think i've seen both. For, SO long, YEAH i mean i Actually. SHE liked, PORTER i Mean. I like grady the One thing with porter that always scares me every year. Is the injuries like he's just he made it. Through this year but the injuries always are going to. Be A Factor, with michael porter if he can get through you, know a Year you're like and, again they're similar and they.
Can both be like. YOUR third guy. I don't think I Don't think grady dick can be. More than that but if you have two, Dudes Around him grady dick can be, that third guy and he just SPACES it and i actually think he might be able to put it on the Floor Better than.
Michael porter junior who is the best BIG in. This nba draft It's Not. Named victor wanbiyama you will be. Stunned his answer. He Nailed.
It, Derek LIVELY wow See I.
Like.
Derek lively again you GOT to remember i saw a lot of these GUYS in the au circuit where they're allowed to do more than they, were IN college And I saw derek.
Lively making THREES.
Guess so i Also Saw the duke carolina game at camera when he blocked. Like Every shot every baycot. Was swallowed Up everybody on carolina couldn't get. Their shot off he had like four points and ten blocks and altered about fifteen others and. Dominated the, game BUT again what I Saw of derek lively was somebody that can, make you know thirty three thirty five percent from three if he.
Works AT it So i think lively he runs, like a deer he blocks, an altered, Shots long athletic he'll be able to put on some weight and again better offensively than people have.
Seen, so far Yeah We saw walker kessler really light things up offensively in a way that. We didn't see Do You think derek lively could sneak into? The top ten it's plus two twenty, five for him and all the buzz is about him rising up. THE draft.
BOARDS i. Do i do but again, we say that, and it's, like all right? Who's, gonna fall right that's.
The, big thing right who you know are One of the? Thompson's gonna fall is the? Sarre gonna?
Fall? That far?
IS you know i, mean To Me like jaris walker is one. Of those guys maybe he falls a little bit because he doesn't do any. One thing spectacular he's a, very good athlete but not. An elite athlete he's, a good shooter not, a great shooter, very good, defender good passer he, does everything, well but like could he be that guy that kind of slips a little bit because you know some of these, other guys again like They Do want brady dick does one thing elite and the.
Shoot the basketball you just don't find guys. At That size derek lively is kind of your your prototypical big that you, want, these days, right super athletics super long can.
Run the court you know you, can play him you. Know you can.
Honestly he can he can guard so many different positions and switch on so. Many, DIFFERENT players yeah i, Think, YOU.
Know yeah i. COULD see it i. Could.
See it guys that's all the time that we have for this bonus Episode Of. The heat check Many Thanks, to jeff goodman who is always great Follow him on Twitter And. At goodman hoops the interview as always CONDUCTED on. Bet mgm tonight many thanks to My Co host ryan horvalt you can hear throughout, the bonus episodes And My. Producer scott linn do not, forget, to, download subscribe like tell, all your friends rate review every single, one of them and follow us on social At this heat check And
atris to, Crick on TikTok. Instagram and twitter we'll see, you next time and make sure. You stick around for more bonus, episodes to come the entire draft week