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The NBA Finals kicked off with the Boston Celtics making a resounding statement in the opening game on Thursday night, throttling the Dallas Mavericks from end to end with punctual rotations, astounding on-ball defense, and tremendous communication. Though we love tapping into basketball of all varieties at The Vic-and-Roll, this series is no substitute for seeing the Silver and Black step onto the hardwood.

So, with San Antonio Spurs fans itching to reach the offseason festivities and the 2024 NBA Draft less than three weeks away, we invited our favorite team experts and media members from around the league to participate in our first-ever mock lottery to get an idea of how the evening might unfold on when commissioner Adam Silver takes to the podium at Barclays Center to announce the first 14 picks on June 26th.

Atlanta selects Zaccharie Risacher. It’s a tough call with Alex Sarr still available, but looking at the part of the Hawks roster that performed most poorly last season makes it clear how critical it is for them to add size and two-way potential in their frontcourt.

The Hawks have some encouraging development at the center and power forward positions with the likes of Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson, and Mouhamed Gueye. However, they have nothing behind their veteran forwards, who each present notable limitations.

Risacher shows the potential to develop as an impactful defender while offensively flashing the tools desired by head coach Quin Snyder. The ability to make shots and play ‘off the catch’ is prescriptively what Snyder prioritizes in players to place around Trae Young.

The Wizards are in year two of a rebuild and need all the talent they can acquire. They would be best served by drafting the best available player. Fortunately for their front office, Alex Sarr is not only the best available prospect, but he also fills a direct need. Washington needs more athleticism, defenders, and frontcourt depth. Sarr checks all of those boxes for them. 

His ability to cover a lot of ground for someone his size sets him apart from other bigs in this class, and it’s something the Wizards have been sorely lacking. Daniel Gafford was their best interior defender in recent memory, and he was mostly utilized in drop coverage. Sarr, however, has the mobility to cover a lot of ground as a help defender and switch on the perimeter. His flashes of offensive potential give him a high ceiling, and Washington can afford to give him the time to develop on that end of the court.

The Rockets don’t need a center with Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams manning the middle. However, Adams is only under contract for one season, and Donovan Clingan would be a good fit to eventually fulfill this role. His size will be a massive boost for a Houston team that will compete against many of the top bigs in the NBA that occupy the Western Conference.

With each contender rostering someone with immense talent at seven feet tall, having someone like Clingan available to contain them will make a rising Rockets roster that much stronger. Reed Sheppard would be another option here, given his three-point prowess, but his size is a slight concern, and Houston doesn’t need another guard in their already-crowded rotation.

With the fourth overall pick, San Antonio selects Rob Dillingham. The Spurs are in desperate need of a positional upgrade in their starting lineup, and Dillingham has the shot creation, range, and three-level scoring that could eventually transform this bottom-of-the-barrel offense into a juggernaut as he builds chemistry with Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell. 

The 19-year-old is the shiftiest player in this class, with the handle and burst to beat his man off the dribble, force help, and send defenses into rotation. While he isn’t a world-class playmaker, Dillingham can deliver pocket passes to bigs in the pick-and-roll, connect with teammates on corner skips, and keep the ball moving around the horn in a half-court setting. 

Are there areas where he can improve? Of course. His questionable shot selection, shoddy finishing, and lackluster defense are concerning. Rob is already at a massive disadvantage defensively with his 6-foot-2 and 164-pound frame, and his flocculating engagement and suspect screen navigation could make him a liability that opposing coaches target on the scouting report.

Despite his shortcomings, the Spurs should be eager to bet on the upside Dillingham offers as a dynamic ball-handler who creates clean looks for others. After all, having a generational rim-protector in Wembanyama affords them more leeway to compromise elsewhere. Having a second lottery pick to plug other needs helps make this decision a little easier.

Detroit will be in a fascinating position on draft night regardless of who goes inside the top four. I believe the organization should hold out hope that Risacher falls, but that doesn't happen in this scenario. Buzelis and Knecht are strong considerations, and so are Holland and Castle, but ultimately, the Pistons will take the elite-level floor spacing that Sheppard provides.

It would be nice to pair a better point-of-attack defender with Cade (i.e. Castle or Holland), but Sheppard has some of the best defensive playmaking numbers on the perimeter in this class. The Pistons can't pass up on getting more room for Cade to operate on the offensive end. Depending on what Detroit does with Jaden Ivey, Sheppard could also operate as the primary ball-handler in second-unit rotations.

Charlotte will have options with the No. 6 selection. As a new front office starts to build around LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams, Ron Holland provides athleticism and defensive upside for a franchise that needs more pop on the wing.

Holland is impressive in the air and quick laterally. He offers not only some punch guarding the ball, but his team defense can be very impactful. He’s reactive, capable of covering a lot of ground, and he communicates. There are legit defensive playmaker flashes, including moments of weakside rim protection.

The jump shot needs work, but Holland can produce with the basketball in his hands. He showed improved patience as a live-ball playmaker throughout the 2023-24 season, and he has the body control to finish at the hoop. In general, the Hornets could stand to benefit from another source of rim pressure.

Assuming better health, Charlotte should look to run, and Holland is a special talent in transition, which would pair nicely with the go-go passing and court-mapping of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, another aerial finisher and a sneaky-good transition passer.

The Trail Blazers' front office in the Joe Cronin-Mike Schmitz era has a "type" when it comes to the draft. Outside of Scoot Henderson, they've tended to prioritize length, size, and athleticism and leaned towards raw, high-upside prospects over "safer" choices. 

The last time they were picking in this spot, No. 7 overall, in 2022, the decision came down to Shaedon Sharpe, who had off-the-charts physical tools but not much of a public track record, having not played at Kentucky his freshman season, and Dyson Daniels, who was seen as a more plug-and-play prospect after playing for the G League Ignite.

If they're choosing between Colorado's Cody Williams and someone like Dalton Knecht this year with the seventh pick, they'd likely go the same way, banking that Williams' length and defensive potential are worth the tradeoff of taking longer to develop. They're planning to be in the lottery again next season anyway, so they can afford to go that route.

The Spurs invested in a point guard with their first lottery selection, and while we flirted with the idea of adding Nikola Topic to their young core, doubling down on that position would complicate the roster construction process. Thankfully, one of our favorite prospects was still available here, so we snatched Stephon Castle off the board without a second thought.

Unlike the undersized Dillingham, Castle is undoubtedly among the best defenders in this class. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 210 pounds, the 19-year-old has the size, length, and footspeed to switch one through three from the moment he arrives in the NBA. His relentless motor should also make him a problem at the point of attack for opposing playmakers.

While the one-and-done freshman failed to demonstrate the three-point range and self-creation to fully convince talent evaluators he deserves a chance to be a lead ball-handler at the next level, his plasticity to adjust to any role asked of him for a national champion bodes well for his long-term outlook as a wing who meshes with countless lineup configurations.

Castle has a safe floor as a versatile perimeter stopper with timely cutting instincts, invaluable connective passing chops, and powerful straight-line drives. With that said, tightening his handle and shoring up his jumper are the swing skills that could unlock an All-Star ceiling. San Antonio could walk away with the steal of this draft when we look back in a few years.

The board didn't shake out how we wanted it for the Memphis Grizzlies, but it did present an opportunity to shore up a glaring weakness. The 23-year-old Dalton Knecht should step in on day one to immediately contribute as an outside shooter for the 29th-ranked shooting team in the league last season, especially with Luke Kennard's team option with the Grizzlies flirting with the luxury tax. 

There's also intrigue with Knecht because he showed he's more than a stationary shooter. He can let it fly off movement -- relocation, shake actions, or pindowns. He's a functional athlete who can put the ball on the floor when run off the line. Defense will be a question for him, but the Grizzlies have the infrastructure and talent to minimize that weakness. If Clingan, Sheppard, or Castle aren't on the board, Memphis can find a day-one contributor in Dalton Knecht.

The Utah Jazz select Matas Buzelis. Buzelis was part of a disastrous season for a G-League Ignite program the NBA recently disbanded. With the struggles of Scoot Henderson and the uncertainty that came with such an ugly Ignite finish, it's not much of a surprise that Buzelis has fallen to the Jazz.

It wasn't long ago that Buzelis was at the top, which makes this a high-upside pick. Buzelis didn't wow anyone with his G-League numbers, especially from three, but he has shown an intriguing handle combined with a 6-foot-10 frame. Getting Buzelis here could pay off for Utah in a big way if he improves his shooting and feel.

Whether the Bulls start a rebuild or continue their march for mediocrity, perimeter shot creation is their biggest area of need. With his size, vision, playmaking, and rim-pressuring abilities, Nikola Topic should be able to provide those things, even in a scaled-down role. But if his shooting works out, he represents an upside swing who has a chance to become the best offensive initiator in his draft class.

Chicago faces critical decisions this offseason. Betting on a talent like Topic, if he falls to 11, would be a no-brainer as a contributor that could help in their attempt to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference while also setting themselves up with a prospect who could become a potential franchise cornerstone.

Jared McCain makes sense for the Oklahoma City Thunder as a pro-ready prospect who can shoot the lights out of the gym and play on and off the ball. A movement shooter who can play off the catch will help the Thunder’s offense, especially playing off of Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. 

As seen in the playoffs, the Thunder could still use a table setter, which McCain can do as a playmaker for the second unit. The cast surrounding him in Oklahoma City on the defensive end puts a pin in some of those questions, as his motor and effort will allow him to play at a passable level when accompanied by superior talent.

Given Domantas Sabonis' vertical limitations, if the Sacramento Kings want to build a strong defense, they need to surround him with as much secondary rim protection as possible. Last season, Tristan Da Silva was in the 61st percentile among all Pac-12 players in block rate.

At 6-foot-8, he gives the Kings some of that secondary rim protection. On top of that, Sacramento won't need to sacrifice any spacing when they play him (career 38.6% 3-point shooter in college). Da Silva serves as the perfect compliment to Sabonis and a great replacement for an aging Harrison Barnes.

If Tidjane Salaun makes it to the Blazers' second lottery pick, he makes sense to take as the biggest upside swing in the 2024 NBA Draft. There's no guarantee he hits, but again, this front office tends to prioritize prospects with high ceilings over high floors when drafting.

Thank you so much for being patient with my hectic offseason schedule! Your support means the world to me, especially as I navigate uncharted territory! Let me know what you think of our draft selections for the San Antonio Spurs and whether you enjoy this type of content!

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