Green Room Invites

In this episode, James Barlowe and Leif Thulin discuss the players invited to the Green Room for the 2024 NBA Draft.

NBA Draft analyst Rafael Barlowe from NBA Draft Junkies and current author of the NBA Big Board newsletter is joined by Richard Stayman (@MavsDraft), Sam Ferris (NBA Draft Dummies), and Leif Thulin to breakdown the NBA Draft. Rafael & Team gives passionate NBA Draft fans a deep look into the NBA Draft with great guests, Mock Draft, player rankings, and of course BIG BOARDs. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

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all right welcome to locked on NBA Big Board podcast I am your host today James Barlo got my friend out here in Utah Leaf toine we are gonna get to this and we’re going to talk to you about the Green Room invites that came out on Tuesday night stay tuned [Music] all right big big shout out to our first time listeners hey without further Ado let’s get right to it so the uh NBA release their Green Room Green Room invites uh usually how it goes it is based on uh general managers I believe they get a list of 25 guys and who do they think is going to be drafted in the top 20 uh a green room invite does not necessarily mean that you are going to be a lottery pick or even a first round pick but this is just kind of you know getting a gauge on who uh has gotten good feedback who they think is going to go in the first round and potentially the lottery uh so if you’re invited great if you’re not you still may be a lottery pick we still do not know um somebody is like L going to be dropping just because this is a wide open draft but let’s just get right to it and we’ll share our thoughts um first off no surprise here the first two names we have on to the right if you’re watching on YouTube Alex SAR Zachary ree first round picks likely top five picks uh Green Room invites I have really nothing to add there everybody knew that they were going to be there they knew they were going to be there it’s just a matter of where these two Frenchmen will be drafted I’ve seen a lot of what’s the what’s the word the smart people say Scuttle butt ret could end up going number one to Atlanta um I didn’t realize Atlanta does not have a draft pick next year so I guess it would make sense for them not to go full uh blow up I guess you could say so uh the Reet number one is real real istic because then you can just build I know they do have some trouble on the wing I believe DeAndre Hunter is a free agent if not he is kind of at the end of his deal uh my man bdon he gotta be about 31 32 he’s banged up so I think it’s a realistic spot for him maybe at one I personally wouldn’t do it but if you feel like the Hawks can’t uh reload or you’re kind of hesitant to go full reload especially with your draft picks being gone maybe this is what you do what are your thoughts on SAR and re Green Room invites we knew was going to happen yeah neither neither move me a ton like especially if you’re saying hey that’s the number one pick uh re is growing on me just because while while others I kind of watch more and I I think oh like there’s a flaw that I don’t pick up on while watching just like a normal basketball game but like if you’re looking for issues uh you look for Reet and they’re apparent but they’re they’re less problematic whereas S I saw him in person and he was big and he was fluid but he wasn’t particularly athletic and like he was build as this amazing Defender like his comparisons are jiren Jackson Jonathan Isaac Evan Mobley and I I didn’t see that type of athleticism from him so that scared me a little bit because you’re not really picking him to be your core of your offense either and so as I’ve been reading like the the reports of oh Reas won like you know some Outlets have had them won for a long long time and maybe they were on to something maybe they heard something sooner than the rest of us I think it’s becoming more and more likely that Clinton capella stays Ona a kongu is already there and I and even if he’s not even if capella doesn’t go aong Wu does like I I don’t see SAR going there as much as it was labeled right away like oh now he’s Trey Young’s lob partner and that like was an appealing fit but it was not necessarily a fit because of their roster and you never take a fit at number one like I understand that but I think in a draft that’s not particularly star studded at least to our eyes uh maybe you do go with a fit if you’re not going to rebuild like you said and and the point about not having a draft pick makes it more believable that rashay is the hopefully this guy excels in his role type of number one pick do you think that two two-part question is there someone you think that could go number one not name s or and part two if you are just sold on this is not the draft to have the number one pick do you trade it if you’re the Atlanta Hawks maybe trade back for I don’t know four or eight I don’t think trading back’s a bad idea for Atlanta because the board could fall conduci to to success for them like if if SAR goes one if that if someone trades up for him Reas Falls and it pushes back either a position of like you could take your pick get the wings whoever you desire most of the r Wings you could maybe take a a guy like um castle if and maybe move on from dejonte if that if there’s this Rift between he and Trey young or you know there’s a lot of things they can do because they do have good players but they’re stuck in no man’s land so I think it really depends the direction of the franchise with the players they already have and so if you trade it would be if they’ve decided hey we’re either going to blow it up or we’re trying to compete and you think you can get something that helps you compete with the trade along with Mo the pick that you get presumably with that uh package for number one so I’m torn I mean I don’t think anyone’s gonna go other than s s um I mean maybe kinging if someone really loves him but I I wouldn’t do that um but that’s that’s basically my opinion is is if the Atlanta Hawks have decided this is the direction we’re going to go either bad or good that’s the only way in which the trade makes sense to me understood speaking of clinging he got a green room invite to nobody’s surprise also his teammate running partner from Connecticut Stefan Castle got a green room invite um I recently I don’t know if You’ been you’ve been out of the country so I definitely hope you weren’t looking at any draft stuff but I’ve moved Castle to my number two pick to Washington uh I just I’m sold on his playmaking being a big Wing that’s going to be able to handle the ball and in the draft where there is uncertainty I feel like I’m going to roll the dice on his upside with him being uh very good in pick and roll and obviously the jump shot is GNA have to improve but I’m just buying him get to getting to his spots uh I know we can’t put too much stock into the uh combine shooting because it’s difference it’s not a real setting but he did shoot the ball well but I’m buying castle at number two uh I’ve seen kingan at number two as well um really quick leave your thoughts on King kingan and Castle I’m moving CL Castle up as well kingan seems to be getting all this love of hey like this guy is is the guy but what has he done to impress are they rewatching Yukon film of where he’s blocking shots and kind of Roy Hibert verticality like that defense is is good like we knew it was good um so I don’t know why he’s getting all this Fanfare of oh my gosh he’s moving up it’s not like like he’s knocking people’s socks off shooting threes because that’s even if he does well people are going to live with that on the other end like great you’re shooting 35 from three wonderful like take that one so I don’t know why he’s the buzz but I think Castle uh between you me I’ve talked to a few other guys that maybe aren’t as big on the platform but really care about the draft and watch a lot of college basketball um his prototype there’s just different methods for him to succeed and I think in a draft where there’s a lot of kind of Specialists that you’re hoping can become great at their craft to become good I think his versatility is actually something that I value more and I’ve realized that the more I’ve watched these other guys where I see glaring deficiencies and his deficiencies don’t necessarily impact his or mitigate his impact on the game and so I’m I’m moving him up as well I agree 100% when we get a we’re GNA take a quick break we’re GNA talk about a couple of the G leag guys but first let me tell you about better help so better help is well let me let me tell you about better help obviously they are our sponsor but better help is here for us because we all carry around different stressers excuse me big and small all right when we keep them bottled up it can start to affect us negatively therapy is a safe SP space to get things off your chest and to figure out how to work through whatever is when you down uh if you’re thinking of starting therapy give better help a try it’s entirely online designed to be convenient flexible and suited to your schedule just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched up with a license therapist and switch therapist at any time for no additional charge get it off your chest with betterhelp visit betterhelp.com lockon NBA today to get 10% off your first month that’s better help hp.com locked on NBA are you watching Fox Sports or ESPN on your TV all day have to turn down the volume with all that shouting make the switch to locked on sports today a free 247 sports streaming Channel program for your every day to bring you the biggest stories without all screaming locked on sports today brings you can’t miss analysis opinions and news streaming 247 on YouTube or the free Amazon Fire TV channels app part of the locked on Sports sport locked on podcast Network your team every day so before we took a break we had teased uh we talked about Green Green Room invites to in particular the gleue guys so a no surprise here but at the same time we can talk about it a little later some guys that may be still in the Green Room a little later than what they thought Maas balis Ron Holland so uh Twitter whatever you want to call it X I’m always call it Twitter they say Ron Holland’s stock is sliding he may fall to 11 he worked out for I believe the heat he worked out for the Lakers at 17 uh what are your thoughts on Ron sliding and where do you have him at I I think he’s going to slide but 17 seems Seems like a deep dip uh I was pretty high on Ron to start this cycle like he he was in my opinion as we entered October November that he was going to be the number one pick in my mind and I didn’t think it was a strong class but I figured you know he’s got these traits that can influence influence the game and and he’ll improve the jump shot well I I The more I’ve watched and the g League I watched less than college basketball so I feel like I’ve been playing a little catchup uh I I watch and I see more of that Josh oogi that I fear and that’s not a slight to Josh oogi like he has a valuable role in the NBA when he plays like he’s not he’s not the type of guy that you can play enormous minutes because he’s limited on one side of the basketball and that’s offensive but he’s excellent defensively but you don’t want a lottery pick to end be in terms of this as a defensive specialist who really struggles on the opposite side of the basketball and so I I watch him and I say well he scored 20 a game yet somehow I see I liken him to a a one one side of the floor player and so I have to drop him I I’m working on uh amending my my latest big board because I as you mentioned I was I was gone so I’m catching up even further I’m hoping to do the next big board and then one more right before the the draft actually happens and I think Holland will be a little further down because his safety of a pick isn’t that great and his ceiling is a little lower than I initially perceived I have him in my latest going I believe 10th to your Utah Jazz I think okay I’d be okay with the shot there I’d be I’d be okay but it does scare me a bit and considering I had him at three at one point in this process uh being scared of taking that guy at 10 is indicative of the slide is seems to be real I feel like with Utah it’s a good spot for him to land and develop I think if he goes earlier to like a Charlotte or Detroit I don’t think you’re going to get the best out of him uh at least on both sides of the ball you’re going to ask him to defend obviously and make plays but uh I I if he’s in Charlotte he’s playing off the ball full time right and that’s his biggest weakness which is shooting basketball now he’ll be able to slash and run with lamelo but U you’re almost turning him into a stand in the corner guy because they still have a miles and Brandon Miller is there so I don’t think that’s a good fit uh Detroit is is similar in a sense that he’s not a strong shooter and that’s the last thing they need is another guy who might not be able to shoot so I think in Utah he would get the opportunity to develop U play with another Dallas kid in keante but um we’ll see if he falls that far uh but speaking of his his running mate madas that’s another guy do I that I have sliding I had him mocked at 11 to Chicago um the more I watch him I don’t want to say the less that I like him it’s just I’m not seeing enough of the the traits that uh you know I wanted to see from him going into the season uh I do buy him being a good athlete but a shot creator for himself I feel like he’s going to struggle and in Chicago I think with when Chicago should clear the decks he that would be a good opportunity for him to develop but if you’re asking him uh to play for the Bulls and they still bring back LaVine they bring back the Rosen he has to stand in the corner and shoot I’m just really not buying him as a shooter I believe it was you that told me that he really wasn’t a shooter and that his best shooting season was his last year at Sunrise and that’s scary because I I I was not impressed with with the shot man like he like yeah and you bring up a really important Point like most of his high school season where people probably like oh well that’s a that’s a beast like he’s 6’10 he’s a guard like let’s let’s play off because we’re scared of like what he can do as a slasher he still shot badly which is alarming he rarely see these prospects shoot badly in high school and I understand Sunrise actually plays good competition but but still the method applies there and his shot it to me is like this it’s not it’s not like broken in terms of fluidity but it’s not smooth either yeah it’s it starts like off to the side of his right like the right side of his face which you know is pretty normal but then it moves up and out like further to the right in front of his face too and it just looks like it’s like a push shot almost no matter how he shoots it but it’s slow getting up there whereas a push shot typically is just like this quick quick like under duress shot like you have to avoid it a player so it’s not good that his actual set shot resembles something of an improvisation yeah I I think he’s GNA go higher than what I have mocked but I I’m just I’m I’m I’m cool on M I had it at 1.5 but the more I dig into it the more that I’m I’m questioning what does he do well at the next level all right so the next set of guys we’ll talk about and I think this one is really a surprise Devin Carter got a green room invite I know his name has been buzzing a lot and then also Cody Williams he got a green I’m not surprised about Cody but Devin Carter definitely is a surprise to me what are your thoughts I’m not shocked because the Green Room is the top 20 like if this were like a top 10 exclusive thing and I understand he’s in the first first 12 like I understand that’s why it’s a big thing but I feel like there’s a safety net with him whereas a few people they’re sliding and or they already kind of know they’re going in thep top five and so he’s one of those guys that okay if you’re projecting a top 20 guy you just shoe in the money he’s going to be he’s going to be a lottery pick probably probably the eight through 14 in my opinion so it doesn’t stun me he’s in the top 12 but I think I think the fact that his name’s buzzing like you said his workouts appear to be going well obviously it’s kind of been at least I I haven’t been doing doing too much research uh of how each person’s workouts are going and you know but but there haven’t been that many leaks of oh this guy killed it and so I wonder if he’s like he’s kind of the most uh or I guess the least subtle of the hey this guy killed it by him getting that nod from the general manager so not stunned but happy for him because he’s a guy that I thought was excellent at Providence in a role that he developed into like being a star when he’s like a grit and grind type of guy like he he everyone says Reed Shepard’s Derek white and all these comps but if anyone’s Derek white it’s Devin Carter I agree I uh I need to get back into his film I still have him in the 20s I mean just cuz he’s older and it’s it’s one year of him being a very good shooter uh but yeah the uh he’s like the only one and I it is a good point that like normally you hear about oh man so so he killed the workout he killed the workout and like he’s the only one that we’ve heard that’s had like a really good workout uh Cody Williams your thoughts on him getting the Green Room invite I mean it’s probably not a surprise most people have him as a top 12 guy I believe I have him 16 right now on my latest uh mock to Philadelphia but you know him getting a green room invite doesn’t surprise me uh I still think that there are concerns with just what he does well at the next level and him being you know on the Slender side with okay ball skills just kind of like scares me but what are your thoughts on Cody Williams yeah he he’s a guy that I’ve had the most trouble pinpointing where I think he he needs to work the most and why it’s not working like sometimes it’s obvious like this guy can’t shoot and here’s the issue well his shot was good but I don’t think his shots actually good like like he shot 42% from three but I think he’s a uh reluctant shooter and that speaks volumes to me I think Cody Williams has a skill set at six foot eight point guard that should be really good but at the same time he doesn’t quite have the the twitchiness or or even that you’d expect from someone who is better going downhill and so I’m puzzled by him and he’s a guy that if the Jazz take I’d be happy because I think there’s a lot of tools to work with but I’d be a little scared that he’s probably better on defense for in year one than he is on offense and he’s not necessarily a great defender and that’s like and I’m not saying the Jazz want to win right away but it’s a it’s a intriguing thing to have more faith in the side of the ball that most people would say in college he was less good at um just because probably effort then like his archetype is have the ball in his hands and be six foot eight and that that concerns me a little bit Yeah like have the ball in his hands and he’s 6′ eight but I think he had a negative assist to turnover ratio and like you said he’s just not like he’s not Shifty it’s get to your right hand get to your right hand and he won’t have the strength Advantage he didn’t have it in Colorado but he definitely won’t have it at the next level so it’s like it’s going to take him some time to like develop but also will he be able to like develop those ball skills all right we got a few more guys to talk about but first let me tell you about fanuel so it’s summertime I mean it’s baseball the NBA finals and more and you can bet it all on FanDuel right now new customers get $200 and bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 200 bucks you can use to bet everything from the finals MVP to who’s going to hit one out of the one out of the par visit fanduel.com locked on and add a big win to your summer bucket list FanDuel America’s number one sports book all right so last seg we talked about m m melis and Ron Holland we also talked about Devin Carter and Cody Williams and this time to close it out this third segment we’re going to speak about again guys who aren’t surprisingly getting Green Room advice but dton connect tjan Salon thoughts on dton connect and where do you have tjan probably in your latest mock that you’re going to do uh I I’m definitely not shocked by either of these guys I think both go within the top 10 uh tjon is rising up my board I had him I won’t say like early in the process but W around the combine I started I’ve had him 12 or 13 the entire year since November I I just was intrigued with his upside and then I watched a few games at the end of his regular season then his playoff game in which he was the best player on the floor in the fourth quarter of that game and I moved him up to eight and in what I published I want to say 10 day maybe five seven days after that game I think he’ll likely end up for May six uh I’m working through the board the r is I’m an upside guy let me let me just clarify that for people listening if you’re going to tell me that there’s players that if they pan out at the best likelihood um and of what their their role can be at the NBA in a in a class devoid of like clearcut stars you might as well say salon’s a top five pick in terms of that type of upside now I think he’ll probably be a three and D that’s not a great shooter to begin with but he’s got energy and I know he’s a raw Defender but he’s got the tools he’s got the tools to me to become a good Defender and he wasn’t scared to take big shots in the playoffs and he was knocking down threes and he is he a great shooter no is he an improving one who I think is GNA become more fluid and he’s enormous he’s not he’s not just like a 680 hey like look at that guy he’s huge he’s big and he’s are and he’s young um those type of players don’t grow on trees and in a class that I don’t have that much faith in a lot of these people’s strength of the skill sets his curiosity for me of like what he could become because his not well-rounded strengths are close to that of people who are more polished and have these such quote unquote strengths uh that that’s why I’m pushing him up the board and then connect I think’s probably gonna end up nine or 10 on my board yeah again I’m not surprised with either uh I’ve been up and down on Salon I do have connect at 13 I just right now feel like um Jaylen Tyson’s a better basketball player than him um I’m I don’t think Tyson is gonna go ahead of him but if I’m in charge I’m taking Jaylen Tyson I believe he’s two years younger I think he does everything just as well as connecta does but that’s just me uh next up jacobe Walter Reed shepher uh I will say jacobe again this is a top 20 but he of the guys that we have mentioned he is the one that I do have I believe the lowest um Reed obviously is a no brand he was going to get a he is going to get a Green Room invite that was yeah but yeah Jobe jacobe shocked me a little bit because if you to look at talent and like this guy can shoot out coming into this year he’s definitely a top a lottery pick but if you watch Baylor it’s the numbers of his shot don’t bother me at all because I think he’s actually one of the better Shooters in this class like upper echelon what shocks me is he didn’t have any wiggle he’s not a point guard so if if he’s just a pin down shooter who shot 32% and I understand I have faith in his shot that’s kind of a a limiting factor and is he a good athlete I think he’s all right but then why is there no speed or tenacity to his game and so I’m lower I’m dropping him as well I think I have him 18 or something like that on my board I it’s uh it’s an interesting one I understand why he’s in the top 20 but but he’s definitely the Shocker of the 12 yeah uh it’s funny because he’s a pin down shooter who didn’t shoot the ball well not a great athlete but somehow shot like five free throws a game somehow so like it was weird watching him because you be like man this dude doesn’t get to the basket but you look up and he’s getting to the foul line somehow I think Baylor just plays a lot of possessions like I i’ I thought of that myself like they they play a little quicker and at the end of games he shoots them like and that has to inflate it because you watch him he doesn’t get to the basket to draw fouls like it’s a it’s a two dribbles yeah it’s a horizontal two dribbles and maybe a floater maybe a jump stop and I don’t know I I I personally if you were to pick him you’d be you’d basically be saying you want a 64 652 guard who’s a adequate shooter I’d say above average in the draft class but adequate to the NBA level based on the resume obviously that can improve and I I think it will I think he’ll be an above average NBA shooter that’s a slightly below average NBA Defender and he’s not huge so that is uh it’s a concerning thing if you’re picking him high but if you get him at 171 18 that’s a good pick to me I have him going to Cleveland if they decide to move on from Garland I think he it works in Cleveland um so we mentioned before actually let me put you on the spot of the guys that we mentioned here who do you think would slide out of the top 20 if possible I I’d say Walter’s the most likely to fall out of the top 20 um he he didn’t impress me a ton and I don’t think at the combine his measurements wowed anyone like I know they weren’t bad but you typically have to wow to improve your stock by being at the combine whether you you either shoot the ball crazy well or you or you test insanely well and so he’d be the guy uh the one that would be interesting to see is if Holland starts to slide and then you have the spell of teams that want kind of win now players that are they believe they’re on the cusp or like the Sacramento Kings who were just recently a third seed in the playoffs and and this year they want to run it back and figure out what can help them if those type of teams pass on Holland should he make it out of the top 12 uh I think he’s got a chance but I just can’t imagine he goes past 15 I agree with that yeah Ron and Sacramento yeah that doesn’t fit their timeline and they need a wing but I just don’t think that he fits their timeline um before we go rob Dillingham for and uh nicoa topage were not invited only because they haven’t passed their uh physical testing yet I believe Ron not ronc robs is on Friday uh I don’t know when is and if he will even receive a green room because he’s obviously hurt but he may you know do his from his couch in Serbia so I mean it’s all right I I imagine he’ll receive an invite I don’t know if he’s gonna show up topage because I I don’t think there’s a way he falls out of the top 12 and and they typically want to represent it properly so even if he’s not able to do a running portion of a of his workout I’m pretty sure he’ll get some sort of exemption enabling him to be in the Green Room yeah I agree well hey that is it for our show but before we go let me tell you that lockon has launched the first ever National Sports 247 streaming Channel on YouTube and now it’s also available on Amazon Fire TV in the free Fire TV channels app locked on sports today is here for you 247 covering the top sports stories of the day with local Experts of locked on plus are National shows covering every League find locked on sports today now available on the free Fire TV channels app well hey that concludes our show I’m James Barlo this is my guy leaf and we are out