The Strickland’s 2024 NBA Draft Profiles Part 3: “Second rounders,” or are they?
This draft is chock full of late-round talent, and the Knicks might just benefit from it.
The final group. Most of these players are mocked in the second round, but in this class in particular there’s a decent chance some of these guys outperform players picked earlier. Maybe some players here lack buzz because of their team being in a weaker conference, or overseas, or their production lacking volume, or their age being off-putting. Somehow, some way, a combination of factors has resulted in much less hype for the players in this group, though (in my opinion) they are no less talented as prospects than the players in Group 2. Some of my favorite possible picks for the Knicks – most of them, actually – are from this very group.
As with the other parts of this series, you’ll find profiles here from Prez (@_prezidente), Drew Munley (@drew_munley14) and Adam (@deucemcbrLde).
Nikola Djurisic, KK Mega Basket
Position: SG/SF
Age on draft night: 20
Height: 6 ft 8 in
Wingspan: 6 ft 8 in
Weight: 215 lbs
By Prez
The Sales Pitch: Djurisic has long had all the aesthetics of a top pick – wing height, strong handle and decent athleticism, the ability to run a pick-and-roll, and a good looking jumper. However, the results have never been there — he’s always shot poorly and had minimal impact on the games at Mega. Until 2024. Something clicked and he started piling up threes, free throws, and assists in much higher volume over his last 15-20 games, begging the question: is he the big ball-handling, shooting, passing Euro wing we all thought he could be after all?
Questions about their projections: KK Mega Basket is a prospect factory, but their players tend to put up points in bunches in the Adriatic league. 18-year-old Nikola Topic put up a ton of points on 60% true shooting (TS%) despite not hitting threes at a high clip, for example. Even with Djurisic’s recent barrage, his efficiency is still middling, and there’s an open question of whether his scoring is good enough to deserve NBA pick-and-roll reps. He’s not a blow-by ball handler, nor is he strength-based, nor does he have high end athleticism or long arms so he really depends on threes and doesn’t have quite the track record of hitting those that you would hope. And while he has some standout flashy passes, him having more turnovers than assists in concerning.
Important Stats:
15/3/3 on 45/32/77 splits on the year
17/4/4 on 47/38/77 splits over his last 17 games where he was the top option
.48 free throw rate (FTR). A high number, free throw drawing is probably his best skill right now
43% on unguarded catch-and-shoot (C&S) threes, a great number
Ryan Dunn, Virginia
Position: F
Age on draft night: 21.5
Height: 6 ft 9 in
Wingspan: 7 ft 1.5 in
Weight: 215 lbs
By Prez
The Sales Pitch: The pitch for Ryan Dunn is bigger Herb Jones. He’s one of the greatest, most versatile defenders we’ve seen in the NCAA for some time, akin to OG Anunoby. He has the size to rack up stocks like a center, the explosive athleticism to cover whole swaths of the court as a help defender, and the agility to defend ball handlers. Even if his offense is a mess upon entering the NBA, all you have to do is turn him into a capable spot-up shooter and cutter to make this pick a hit.
Questions about their projection: You can’t be a zero on offense and get minutes on the Knicks right now, full stop. So picking Dunn would be a bet that you could develop his offense and offensive confidence from nonexistent to pro-level in practice and in Westchester, and there aren’t many examples of that kind of bet actually working.
Important Stats:
8/7/1/1.3/2.3 on 55/20/53 splits
9.6 offensive rebound percentage (OREB%), very high for a wing
5.5 average dBPM over two NCAA years. Completely insane numbers
2.8 steal percentage (STL%), 10.5 block percentage (BLK%) averaged over two NCAA years. Insane numbers
1.36 points per possession (PPP) on cuts, his most frequent play type
21% on C&S jumpers, a horribawful number
67% at the rim
Melvin Ajinca, Saint Quentin (France)
Position: SG/SF
Age on draft night: 20
Height: 6 ft 8 in
Wingspan: 6 ft 6 in (?)
Weight: 190 lbs
By Adam
The Sales Pitch: He burst onto the scene during last summer’s U19 World Cup, and followed that up by becoming a regular starter and key contributor in France’s top flight at 19 years old. He’s money shooting off the catch and is especially great off movement. His defensive motor and activity level is really impressive for someone 6-foot-8. He has the athletic tools – especially lateral agility – to become a true wing stopper and versatile defender. Players who are borderline elite at both three and D are rare, don’t overthink Ajinca!
Questions about their projection: His volume at the rim is low and he struggles to finish through contact, and his only tool to attack hard closeouts is a mid-range pull-up. His handle is a bit loose and he doesn’t make good decisions with the ball in his hands. He also has a negative wingspan which can limit him as a rebounder and off-ball defender.
Important Stats:
38% C&S 3PT%
47% open C&S 3PT%
38% 3PT% off screens
81.4% FT%
Forces turnovers on 17% of possessions, per Synergy
3.4 fouls per 36
1 A/TO
Tristan Da Silva, Colorado
Position: SF/PF
Age on draft night: 23
Height: 6 ft 9 in
Wingspan: 7 ft 1 in
Weight: 230 lbs
By Prez
The Sales Pitch: Da Silva profiles as a big plug-and-play role player wing who can shoot, attack closeouts, defend with size and length and strength, and play a connector role from Day 1. He can pretty much score from everywhere so long as it’s not more than one or two dribbles. He’s much older, which arguably lowers his ceiling but increases his appeal to teams that need bench wings on low salaries. Like, I dunno, the New York Knicks.
Questions about their projection: Da Silva barely had to create offense outside of post-ups and duck-ins he won’t have in the NBA. He’s also painfully unphysical, with point-guard-like rebounding numbers. Is his shooting and defense good enough to justify taking a 23-year-old that is severely limited as a creator and a 3/4 who is a bit contact-averse?
Important Stats:
16/5/2.4 on 49/40/84 splits. Super efficient
BPM of 7.1, a solid number
8.2 threes/100 possessions, a solid number for a bigger wing
42% on C&S threes
48% on unguarded C&S threes, an elite number
56% on runners, an elite number
54% on 2-point jumpers, an elite number
Jaylon Tyson, California
Position: SF
Age on draft night: 21.5
Height: 6 ft 7 in
Wingspan: 6 ft 8 in
Weight: 215 lbs
By Prez
The Sales Pitch: Jaylon Tyson’s appeal begins with his ball-handling, which is very advanced for a wing. He uses craft and footwork to dispense of defenders and break ankles regularly. He uses that and his size to get to the rim with frequency (finishing with both hands, floaters, and dunks), and to create space for his jumper both from three and midrange. Defenders in the NCAA had to throw multiple defenders at him to slow him down, rarely succeeding.
Questions about their projection: His defense was not impactful, and he was especially weak at pick-and-roll defense. Was that a result of him carrying a high offensive load, or does he simply have heavy feet? Additionally, because his usage burden was so high, he got a pass on things like efficiency and shot selection… but what if he just had bad shot selection, and is inefficient?
Important stats:
20/7/3.5 on 47/36/80 splits. He scored lotsa buckets
7.5 3PA/100 possessions
23.6 AST%, a very high number for a wing
30 USG%, very high number
37% C&S 3P% – good but not great
136 attempted pull-up jumpers, compared to only 58 C&S jumpers. He had a very tough shot diet
40% on runners
48% on shots as PnR ball handler on 224 possessions, a very high number
Tristen Newton, UConn
Position: G
Age on draft night: 23
Height: 6 ft 5 in
Wingspan: 6 ft 5 in
Weight: 195 lbs
By Drew
The Sales Pitch: Newton is a twitchy and athletic guard that can play both the traditional point and combo guard positions. Newton shot 50/32/80 while also being UConn’s leading rebounder and assist man. He is a crafty ball handler that can create shots for himself at all three levels, with his driving prowess allowing him to feed outside shooters and rolling bigs. Newton was a good point of attack defender at UConn, with his heieight and length combined with his fast feet made him a tough matchup for college guards. The Knicks will be drafting a smart, polished winner that can fill the Alec Burks role for years to come and has the potential to be a Donte DiVincenzo-esque player.
Questions about their projection: His 3-point shooting numbers dropped this season due to increased ball handling and increased defensive focus, with his on-ball shooting metrics taking most of the hit. If the Knicks take Newton to be a long-term backup point, will he be able to create looks for himself against longer perimeter defenders?
Important Stats:
15/6.6/6 on 42/32/81 splits. Good counting stats, poor efficiency
BPM: 10.4, a VERY high number
C&S threes: 28% guarded, 44% unguarded. Noisy splits that make it harder to interpret how good a shooter he is
Off the dribble: 27% twos, 25% threes. Not great, but he was willing to take them
Off screens: 38% 3P%, a very good number
44% on runners, a great number
17 DREB%, extremely good for a guard
.47 FTR, extremely good for a guard
Isaiah Crawford, Louisiana Tech
Position: Wing
Age on draft night: 22.4
Height: 6 ft 6 in
Wingspan: 7 ft
Weight: 225 lbs
By Prez
The Sales Pitch: Zay Crawford is a do-it-all wing who was both the offense and the defense for Louisiana Tech. He gets to the rim regularly, he has an incredibly smooth jumper off the catch and off the bounce, and he draws fouls. His wingspan is over seven feet, and he can use that and his strength to envelop both smaller and larger ball handlers. Lastly, he’s a super senior but not even 23-years-old, so he may be able to contribute to a rotation immediately.
Questions about their projections: Despite stellar stats, the competition was not high level for Louisiana Tech, so we have to weigh that when considering his exceptional stats. Additionally, he’s not exactly a stellar ball handler and pick-and-roll guy, so his upside may be capped at role playing undersized wing from a bad conference, who shoots well but doesn’t take a high volume of threes, which – when you put it like that – may be a questionable use of a first round pick.
Important Stats:
Two: the number of games played vs. top 100 quality teams in 2024, an extremely low number
16/6.0/2.4/2.1/1.7 on 49/41/73 splits. Good volume and great efficiency
BPM: 8.3, a very good number
STL% of 3.8% and a BLK% of 5.8, both insanely high numbers
FTR of .432, very good number
5.8 threes/100 at 39% over five years and 321 3PA – he has a long track record of being a plus shooter, though the volume per game could be higher
C&S 3P% of 41%, a very good number
43% on pull-up 2-point Jumpers, a very good number
39% on pull-up 3-point Jumpers , a very good number
Pacome Dadiet, Ratiopharm Ulm
Position: SF
Age on draft night: 18.9
Height: 6 ft 8 in
Wingspan: ?
Weight: 210 lbs
By Adam
The Sales Pitch: A high energy wing with plus athleticism, a textbook shot and a projectable frame, Dadiet is one of the more intriguing 3-and-D bets in the class. He’s a smooth mover despite his long levers, is an active relocator/cutter and runs hard in his limited transition opportunities. He’s shown flashes of three-level off-ball scoring. He’s a classic “if he can put it all together” type prospect, but might be worth a shot to develop into a prototypical NBA wing, with a picturesque jumper.
Questions about their projection: He is lethargic, lackadaisical, and sometimes seems uninterested on defense. Although he does a good job of being physical and aggressive on the ball and can use his length as an event creator, he might be the most ball-watching prone player in this draft. He also can force up rushed shots on offense and is very contact-averse on his drives. He’s improved as the season went on, but anyone picking him would have to develop not only his skills but his habits.
Important Stats:
38% C&S 3PT%
73% at the rim, elite
1.7 STL+BLK/36
0.7 A/TO, a bit concerning but not unheard of for prospects as young as Dadiet
Justin Edwards, Kentucky
Position: SG/SF
Age on Draft Night: 20.5
Height: 6 ft 7 in
Wingspan: 6 ft 10 in
Weight: 209 lbs
By Prez
The Sales Pitch: Unimpressive numbers hiding a prospect better in reality than on paper is the story of many a Kentucky player, and could be the case with Edwards, who was a highly-rated high school player who underwhelmed as a freshman. His role under Coach Calipari was to defend the opposition’s best perimeter threat, and to hit spot up threes and attack closeouts and not do much else, and he did those things well. He has size, bounce and a very smooth and extremely quick jumper, as well as good instincts as a cutter and rebounder. The outlines of a high-upside wing flier were especially evident in the last 15 or so games of Kentucky’s season.
Questions about their projection: The definition of mid. Not exactly a productive player, even for a freshman, and he is not even a young freshman since he is already 20. While he’s a solid catch-and-shoot guy, he is nowhere near good enough at that to make up for his lack of other stand out skills: he’s an OK defender, a non-passer, not a great rebounder, nor a crazy athlete or a big wing. He’s the quadruple A baseball player of wings.
Important stats:
MPG: only 21, a tiny number for a top incoming freshman
49/37/78 splits for his eight points per game. Good efficiency, low volume
6.7 threes per 100 possessions. A decent number, but if shooting is his best skill he should be taking threes more often
STL%: 2.2 — an OK number
BLK%: 1.1 — an OK number
BPM: 2.5 — a low number
67, 50: his TS% and 3P% in 17 SEC conference games. He seemed to play better later in the year, so this could either be a hint at his latent talent coming out or it could be noise
Jamal Shead, Houston
Position: G
Age on draft night: 21.9
Height: 6 ft
Wingspan: 6 ft 3 in
Weight: 200 lbs
By Adam
The Sales Pitch: Shead is a short and stout, but quick and athletic guard. When you look up “dawg” in the dictionary, his picture shows up. He’s capable of running a smooth pick-and-roll, has a tight handle, isn’t afraid to pull from deep, and is arguably the best guard defender in the class, and not just on the ball, either. He’s great at getting vertical to contest shots, is very quick and smart with his rotations, is a tremendous passer, and he will truly do anything to win. He’ll be in the league for a long time.
Questions about their projection: His track record as a 3-point shooter and a scorer in general is a major red flag. The efficiency simply has not been there, and I can count on one hand the amount of undersized guards have succeeded in the NBA without a reliable 3-pointer. The chances of him being a good starter are close to zero.
Important Stats:
BPM: 11.6, he was super impactful
BLK%: 2%, crazy for someone of his height
DREB%: 10.5%, same story
Rim FG%: 59.4%
STL%: 4.3%, a nutty number
3.2 A/TO, borderline elite
TS%: 49.5%, pretty bad
Career 3PT%: 29.7%, also pretty bad
78 FT%
7.5 3PA/100: a decent number. At least he’s not shy?
61.3% of his jumpers were pull-ups: a very high amount
36 3PT% on unguarded catch-and-shoot; there is some tangible hope for him as a shooter
Baylor Scheierman, Creighton
Position: SF
Age on draft night: 23.7
Height: 6 ft 7 in
Wingspan: 6 ft 8 in
Weight: 202 lbs
By Prez
The Sales Pitch: He’s the oldest player in the draft, but he’s also one of the most ready for the NBA. Him showing out at the combine scrimmage should have been no surprise as he is a true wing, a top notch shooter (off the catch, the dribble, and movement), a pick-and-roll manipulator, a great rebounder, and has no qualms about chucking from three. He’s a pretty versatile offensive weapon, and he’d immediately fill a Bogey-shaped hole in the Knicks’ roster. Finally, he’s not a tools-y defender, but does have a knack for often getting in the way of ball handlers despite the shaky tools.
Questions about their projection: He’s the oldest player in the draft, so he should be cooking college kids. He’ll be 24 on opening day, a rarity amongst rookies unseen since Chris Duarte. There’s probably not much in the way of upside, what you see is what you get, and while he can shoot he’s also not quite a Sam Hauser/Corey Kispert/Cam Johnson level nuclear tall shooting talent. Nor does his defense really project to be a positive at the NBA level unless he discovers something he hasn’t shown yet on that end. The idea of Baylor might be a bit better than the reality.
Important stats:
18.5/9/4: his impressive per game stat line as a super-senior
39%: his 3P% on an impressive 900-plus 3-point attempts over five years
88%: his FT% as a senior
13.3: his 3PA/100 possessions, a very high number
23.3: his DRB%, a really high number for a wing
0.3%: his STL%, a really low number for a wing
9.8: his BPM
1.33: his PPP on PnR plays including passes, putting him in the 98th percentile in the NCAA
35%: his FG% on drives, a terrible number
41%: His 3P% off screens on over 100 possessions
42%, 38%: his FG% on 2-point pull-up jumpers and 3-point pull-up jumpers. Solid numbers
44%: his 3P% in transition
Adem Bona, UCLA
Position: C
Age on draft night: 21.3
Height: 6 ft 10 in
Wingspan: 7 ft 4 in
Weight: 235 lbs
By Prez
The Sales Pitch: Sure, run and jump rim roller bigs who don’t space the floor or pass aren’t en vogue in 2024. Yet. What if I told you there was 6-foot-10 big who was flexible enough to slide with smaller players, but long and athletic enough to anchor a defense near the rim? What if I told you he was forced into a zillion post ups, because his college team lacked point guards? What if his team had another center who they played him next to, at the 4, for most of the year? And what if I told you he had a serious motor, and improved his FT% by almost 15% from his freshman year to his sophomore year? And that he is likely available in the second round?
Questions about their projection: He has a long wingspan (7-foot-4), but because he is “only” 6-foot-10 in shoes with wide shoulders, his standing reach is only nine feet, shorter than Isaiah Hartenstein’s. Despite his athletic gifts, he is still a shorter center who cannot space the floor, hardly passes, doesn’t have a ton of touch, and is very far from having ball handling skills. You have to be a Mitch Robinson-level anchor and rim roller to make this archetype work, and the smaller Bona might fall short of that — he was far from an elite rim runner in college.
Important stats:
40 inches: his max vert at the combine. He’s an elite vertical athlete
4.8: his average DBPM over two years at UCLA
2.6%: his STL%
8.8%: his BLK%
69%: his FT%, up from 57% the year prior
25: His USG%, pretty high for someone who should probably be a low usage rim running specialist
19.5%: his TOV%, which is high and also indicates he was probably relied on to create too much
45%: the percentage of his play types which were post ups. UCLA relied on him WAY too much, despite him shooting 56% on those
10%: the percentage of his play types which were roll-man possessions. He didn’t have real point guards, which will likely change in the NBA
10%: his OREB% over two years at UCLA
