So let's quickly shift backward to the Wizards, because we didn't get to it. Obviously, a rebuilding team, new GM, new completely new front office, same exact owner. They have the eighth pick, Like, they definitely need a guard, and we talked about this via text. They need a scoring guard. But I know that I'm seeing Oscar Thompson get mocked there too because of his upside. Would that be a mistake to you? Would that surprise you? And like, what do you think they actually do versus should do?
I don't think it's a mistake because also Thompson is still a really good player. Like at this point where they're at in the draft at eight, like, there's not many mistakes that you can be made, and it's just more of wait and see because all these guys look really really good right now. But guess what, that's what everybody in every NBA draft looks. Everybody looks really really good right now. It just depends on when you get to the league, how you trained that player, how you
developed that player. And so a guy that I had as a long shot was Nick Smith, Nick Smith Junior from Arkansas. This guy was number one overall recruited talent number one overall recruited talent last year, and then he comes had to flare up with his knee in the offseason, missed like six games early on, came in, had some really good outings, and then his knee flared up again, and that kind of took away as explosiveness last year, and people were saying his tank dropped now, like he
should have just never played. He would have just had the college hype and he still would have been a top pick. Now there's some mocks that have him sliding, yeah, to the twenties, and it's like, this guy is still the first over Like in a year time, you can't go from number one overall in your class to now sliding into the twenties of the draft. So that's why I just think he's an interesting person. That he had a really good workout with Washington, he had a really
good workout with Toronto. And look, just listen to the last few number one overall recruits in the draft class, starting with Anthony Davis in twenty eleven, he went number one overall, Narlans Noel, number six, Andrew Wiggins number one, Emmanuel Moode Lord I hate the Knicks. He went seven to the next to the Knicks terrible, and then I think they trade him to actually Denver, so I think he was at Denver sometime there. But he goes to Denver.
Then you have Ben Simmons number one overall, Josh Jackson number four, Marvin Bagley number two, R. J. Barrett number three, Edwards number one, Kate Cunningham number one, Check Holgram number two, and then you have Nick sniff here for twenty twenty two. Everybody here is the top ten pick like regardless. And so while I get it, but if you just if you're telling me that it's just a physical, if he just has to pass a physical, and the team doc says, oh,
this guy is clear cut good to go. Everybody thinks he's like one of the best scorers in this draft, and so you just traded away an all world scorer in Bradley Beal. It makes so much sense to just say, all right, we're gonna play scoring and scoring. Doner said, Nick Smith is healthy. This was just a one year thing that me is going to be good going forward. Why are we not going to take somebody who is
explosive that can score on all three levels? So Nick Smith finding his way into the top ten after literally almost every single mount draft has him not even in the top fifteen. I think Nick Smith is somebody to watch out for, especially with Washington, because it sounds like they liked him from his workout.
Do you like Nick Smith more than Anthony Black who is also his teammate at Arkansas? Because I really like Anthony Black's playmaking. He kind of feels like a Josh Giddy to me. Obviously not a great shooter, but plays incredible defense and get steals deflections, big body. I think he's what six' six sixty. Seven do you Like Nick smith more?
For it depends WHAT i? Need, yeah what DO i? Need DO i need a playmaker or DO i need a? Scorer because SOMETIMES i just need a scorer that'll go out there and get a. Bucket AND i mean you Have kyle khu'sm over. There they do.
Needs trying to get rid of them, though Right, YEAH i think at some, POINT, kuzi.
At some point you probably should just to. Reload you didn't get a first round pick For Bradley. Beal you gotta start. Reloading and if you're gonna commit to, That that's the issue THAT i have with some seams is they don't want to commit to the. Rebuilt they kind of want to be one, in one foot, in one foot Out. Portland the definition of one, foot one foot out to the. Rebuild are we in a? Rebuild? No because we Have Dame. Lillard should we be in a?
Rebuilt.
Absolutely all these teams that are now trying to commit to the rebuild after the greatest prospect that everybody says Since Lebron james is now gone is really really crazy to. Me BUT i think that it depends on What i'm looking for between those. Two If i'm looking for somebody that's a pure scorer AND i just NEED i don't need you to do all these other aspects of the. GAME i don't really need you for. DEFENSE i feel like THAT i can coach up defense OR i have
a good defensive. Team, OVERALL i just need somebody that in the last minute of the game THAT i can go to to get a. Bucket i'm gonna go With Nick smith BECAUSE i think he if he develops right with the right, staff he could be one of those guys that can lead the league in scoring one.
Day, yeah Like Bradley beal did a couple of Years. AGO i think they were Paying.
Tea, hey you know the wizardship actually try to get a guy Like Brady. Bual they should see if he's on the.
Market speaking Of, guards a guy who may not make it to, ELEVEN i think he's. Fascinating he's really not discussed, much AND i think it's, because Like, kentucky guys just always fly under the. Radar it's. Crazy calipari really does sell these like these players, short all of a, sudden you had a couple of twins AND i forget their twins, Names And Devin booker was just sitting sitting, there, yeah Both wiggins and Like Devin booker's just sitting there as a fourth.
Option.
Right you Had Karl Anthony. Towns you had he like barely shot any threes With. Kentucky you Had Emmanuel quickly, who, like all of a, sudden now he's a scoring. Machine Tyrese maxie fell in the, draft Bam adebayo slightly fell in the. Draft all these guys are very very GOOD nba. Players So casey And, Wallace i'm fascinated to get your take on because a team Like utah could really use. Him a team Like detroit who needs a, guard even though the fifth probably that would be a reach team
like The rockets team like the Rock raptors as. Well mocked eight to FIFTEEN yep top ten not top ten best Fit Dallas.
Dallas it TELLS Hm dallas BECAUSE i don't Think kyrie's, staying AND i think they, know really If Kyrie, lee even If kyrie doesn't, leave they still need to backup guard. Death BUT i THINK i think there's a more than not chance That kyrie decides not to stay With. Dallas and if you, don't then How jason kids run that offense With Jalen brunson And luca With Kyrie jry Like Jaye hardy Don't they don't trust. Them they clearly don't trust.
Them and maybe it's because the defensive side of, all but it you remember When kyrie first got, there and there was this stretch where it was Either kyrie playing Or luca, playing and Then Josh green was stepping, Up Jaydon hardy was stepping. Up but as soon As luca And kyrie were back in the, Lineup josh Hart Josh green's minutes went, Down Jaydon hardy didn't even see the.
Floor so defense, now, yeah and so that's WHAT i think that as something really good for A Jason kidd if you sit here and, say all, right we're not going to be able to Retain Tyrie. Akyrie it was very good. Experiment we tried to make it, work it didn't. Work, Fine we're moving. On Cason wallace is a guy THAT i would love to have next To luca that can also handle the. Ball, like there's so much importance of
having two capable ball handlers in TODAY'S. Nba and you saw it with The mavericks run to The Western conference finals the year prior With Jaylen, brusson and now look At jaylen bruss and he went and got a bag and went To New york and played really really. Well it's because there's so much stock and having two point, guards two capable ball handlers that'll be able to keep the offense flowing and not getting the trap, situation stuck situations kind of get stagnant with the. Ball SO i
think that a sleeper pick for me Is. Dallas BUT i can absolutely see A utah saying, no we're not letting this guy go go, pass especially with The Collin sexton experiment scene like it didn't.
Work, yeah and they say they're still committed To Collin sexton because he was working through some injury. Issues But i'm not so.
Convincing sometimes it's just a bad taste in, himself and the best form of ability is, availability and sometimes some people aren't.
There he just never is another fascinating player That i've seen go as high in mocks as four and as low in mocks as like. Eight AND i love this. Kid he's a kid who started off injured but ended up being a real difference maker For Villanova Cam. WHITMORE i think he's, BOUNCY i think he's. BIG i think he'd be a phenomenal fit for The. ROCKETS i think he'd be really good For. Detroit like do you think he makes it out of the top? Five do you think he is a top five?
Guy so that's What i've been struggling, With and that's WHAT i was looking up today and trying to figure out WHAT i liked today Was i'm pretty Sure Amen thompson goes before. Him is he better than the Other thompson. Brothers that's my problem, Player and that's really the question that betters of the drafter looking. For that just fans of the. Sport how many? Players what is the gap Between Amon thompson AND. Asr? Thompson what is the gap?
There is it just A Cam? Whitmore is it that these brothers are so good that they're going back to? BACK i think That Cam whittmore might be the gap player in between them that keeps them from going back to. Four Six, yeah, yeah then, Five and that's what it feels like to. Me maybe he falls a little bit less than. Six maybe it just wasn't the right. Fit BUT i Think Cam whitmore is definitely in contention for, four But amon is gonna win out and THEN i Think Cam whitmore goes To detroit.
Five how much better Is Cam whitmore Than Sidik?
BAY i think substantially, better just than the fact of, Explosiveness, yeah explosiveness and spam and just maybe it's not really more of the fault Of Sidek, bay but just how he was. Coached he was just coached to be a one track, pony Like i'm gonna try to hit a bunch of. Threes but if you look at, him especially when he got to The, hawks he was slashing more to the rim cuts look amazing Like Sidek bay got digs do more in The hawks offense Under Quinn. Snyder
got to do a lot more With Quinn. Snyder so NOW i Think cam. Whitmore is it FIT moni? System, yeah and possibly. DOES i think That mani's gonna have a really really good time with, this just the young talent and having all these options to go to instead of having to pigeonhole it through A Devin, booker, who, YES i would love to have the problem OF i gotta find a way to Make Devin booker work in. Offense but now you don't have that. Star but that's
so much more free because everybody can touch the. Ball everybody can and you can go around all five players and as long as j, yeah, Yeah Jay knivey's not, passing but it can touch four out of the five, guys and then in With ivy on a good percentage. Look and that's WHAT i like about The pistols this year THAT i, think no matter what they go at, five they're gonna pass the ball so, much And he's gonna get them playing together that they're gonna get the best look. Possible you Think.
Auscer is a bad fit because he can't shoot that shot.
Is no, buts but he does so much. Else he's a, playmaker he's a he can, defend he can do all these other THINGS i think you want. TO i don't know if point guard is the. Term you, know the Shot phillips and he has this. POSITION i don't think if point guard is the right term for.
Him is it like but point?
Forward maybe like a, hybrid kind of like a hybrid. Combo and of, course like not having a shot right now is probably the best thing for you in TODAY'S nba because so many players are working on their. Shot outside Of Ben, simmons everybody else is working on their shot and making their shot a better. Shot like even the Great Lebron james didn't have a good shot at, first and even in about halfway of his career still didn't have a good. Shot now his shot feels a lot.
Better he's found something and even though it's probably one of the ugliest three Pointers i've ever, seen it works for. Him, yea and so. Now and that was the same thing with The Dylan brooks. Situation everybody wasself On Dylan. Brooks, well if shooting is your only, issue you can work on. That so many players worked on That Jimmy butler shoots
the ball a lot better than when he. Started so we're with A i feel like you just got to be committed to him because if you look at, him you're, like, hey if we get this guy a, shot he can surpass his. Brother that's the only thing that he could surpass his. Brother so AND i think that's probably the reason why he didn't work on a shot as, much because, hey If i'm playing with a men every single, TEAM i just get the ball to him and he go
ahead and does. It and that's WHY i Like asar in The drift so much because looking of what he, played how he played with his brother for so. Long he's so. Unselfish, yeah such an unselfish. Player and so if you put a bunch of guys that can score around, him and that's Why i'm really, Like i'm torn at five between him And cam because insert him into that lineup With detroit and you put A Kate cunningham who's going to have fun playing off the ball with, him
A jay And ivy who's always looking to. Score you have the bigs down low that he can get the ball to really. Good, YES i don't, know, Man i'm really, TORN i don't know WHERE i want to go at. Five IF i Was cam way more TO. Asr BUT i think both of them fit that system, really really. Well