Bajaden's real 2024 Mock Draft: Part one

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#61
I highly doubt he'll fall anywhere near #45. Let me put it this way: there's an argument we should consider him at #13.
Yeah, it wouldnt surprise me if some team in the lottery took a flyer on him. I left him undrafted because of his legal affairs. But if I were to re-do the mock, I would find a place for him in the 1st round.
 

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#62
OK, the three players I have at the top of my board for the Kings at 13, and that's unless someone that I like drops down to us, are: Tristan Da Silva, DaRon Holmes, and Jalen Tyson. I like all three for entirely different reasons. I wouldn't be surprised to see them trade the pick for a veteran player, or trade up or down. In the 2nd rd, I still like Freeman. but I also like Jalen Bridges, Ulrich Chomche, Antonio Reeves, P J Hall, and if you want a pure hustle player, Adem Bona.

A few players that I think will surprise people by getting picked much higher than expected are Nikola Durisic, Bub Carrington, and Tyler Kolek. A couple of trades I would like the Kings to pursue would be for Jalen Smith and, or, Obi Topin from the Pacers. To a lesser degree I like Cam Johnson from the Nets, especially if you can acquire him without losing Barnes in the deal.
 
#63
As you probably know by now, I don't adhere to the reach thing. If you like a player, and he's your guy, you draft him and go home happy. Most people might not know, or remember, but Kobe Bryant was considered a reach by many. Peja was considered a reach. I could go on and on with this reach nonsense. Who decides someone is a reach? A bunch of pundits who sit around and try and put the players in order in an egg basket.!
^^IDK how I missed this before, but I just read it now and it resonates with me.

I’ve been frequenting a particular NFL related fan site for well over 20 years now. And there’s a draft forum that is quite popular there, especially from the end of the season through the April draft. Lots of smart, educated people participate, even some really good evaluators.

One of my biggest peeves is the use (overuse) of the term “reach” as you call out here. I’m 100% in alignment with your view on this. Nobody is qualified to make that determination, no matter how much of an “expert” they may be. It’s as subjective as what is good music and what isn’t.

But if these so called “experts” and “pundits“ really wanna go there, then they can be accused of “reaching” as much or more than anyone by consistently overrating players due to their measurables. In the NFL you see it all the time with players like JaMarcus Russell and Ryan Leaf. In the NBA it used to be athletic 7-footers. And they get it wrong a lot.

I’m with you. If an org values a player, who cares what others think or what the consensus is. Take your guy in the round you think you need to and don’t apologize for it.
 
#64
. A couple of trades I would like the Kings to pursue would be for Jalen Smith and, or, Obi Topin from the Pacers. To a lesser degree I like Cam Johnson from the Nets, especially if you can acquire him without losing Barnes in the deal.
I like Cam Johnson too, but due to salary I think it would take HB going out. Not sure there would be a way to avoid it.