2026 NBA draft thread

[Scott41theMavs]

I understand your pushback and what the pundits are saying.

My cutoff line, which I didn't make clear, is getting a top starter on a very good team. A player you MUST have when he ends his rookie contract. A star is the goal although not the expectation. I think we are all expecting that you are almost sure to get that caliber of player in the top 10, and if we can get into the top 5, a real shot at a true star.

And yes I am questioning whether it being a "far better draft" will translate into some sort of assurance of an outcome like that.  

Example. The last "great" draft (per the pundits) was 2023. Yet, as it turned out, in the top 10 of that highly touted draft, there was only 1 player who has turned into an all-star (Wemby) and maybe 2-3 who you can see as a top-end starter for your team. The rest are guys who won't get a max extension, and are probably not seen as central to their team's future. Some are major busts. And that was prophesied as a "great" draft year (just like this one).

I would argue that most of the top 10 in '23 are very good players. Scoot is the glaring exception, which ought to give some pause given how highly touted he was pre-draft.

Edit: okay, I looked at minutes, scoring, and shooting percentages for those guys, and 7-9 are definitely meh. Wallace doesn't get to play enough due to the team he plays for, but I have a feeling he'd be showing out for a better team. Miller, the Thompsons, and Black are all very good players.