02-23-2026, 08:28 PM
(02-23-2026, 05:34 PM)Mavs2021 Wrote: If you look at the last few drafts then teams have gotten really really good at finding the best players at the top of the draft.
2021:
Cunningham, Green, Mobley, Barnes, Suggs, Giddey, Kuminga, Wagner.
Better picks later: Sengun (and I had him top 5), Murphy III, Jalen Johnson
2022:
Banchero, Holmgren, Smith Jr., Murray, Ivey, Mathurin, Sharpe, Daniels.
Better picks later: Jalen Williams, Jalen Duren
2023: Wembanyama, Miller, Henderson, Thompson brothers, Black, Coulibaly, Walker
Better picks later: George, Lively (maybe)
What I´m saying is you better be damn sure you got ALL three players identified that turned out better than the the top 8 picks and that the other teams didn´t also see what you saw. The "busts" at the top end have been really minimized by teams recently.
2024 is too early too call, but it seems like Sarr and Castle will be the two best players from that weak class and nobody stands out as a huge missed opportunity later in the draft.
Sometimes I think we give a little too much credit to scouting. I think a lot of times when a team hits it big on a later pick, its not they guy they would have chosen if they had an earlier pick. Some teams have better scouting than others, but there is a lot of luck involved too. There are just too many variables to get it right every time.
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