That's part of why I'm so sceptical about the Didi hype. I think he could be a good player, but people pencilling him in as a lock for the next 5+ years are going a bit far imo. Good but not gamechanging defender, didn't jump off the page offensively in Australia, didn't shoot lights out, will be 21 when he joins us so he's not super super young either.
Lots. That's actually where I think this draft is strongest; while there's nobody I look at and thing ''wow, that guy is destined to be a star'', there are plenty of guys where I say ''that guy definitely can play a role on an NBA team''.
Just to throw out some names:
Tyrell Terry: 19/6/4 per 40 minutes. 45/40/90 splits (5 3PAs per game). Decent passer, okay defender for his height, but small; only 6'1.
Patrick Williams: 16/7/2 per 40. 46/33/87 splits. Really promising defender with good size and IQ. 6'8, 225lbs ish.
Tyler Bey: 19/13/2 per 40, 52/50/75 splits (super low 3PT volume tho, 1 per game). Really good defender, individual and team. 6'7, 220lbs.
Saddiq Bey: 18/6/3 per 40, 47/45/78 splits (5+ 3PAs per game). 6'8, 220lbs, okay-ish team defender, legit shooter though with size.
Paul Reed: 19/13/2 per 40, 52/29/76 splits. 6'9, 210lbs. High level defensive feel and IQ, prodigious STL+BLK% combo, has grown as a passer.
Aaron Nesmith: 26/5/1 per 40, 51/52/83 splits (shoots 8 3PA per game, high volume!). Just a brilliant projected shooter. Can't playmake. Okay defender with his size; 6'6, 213lbs.
Killian Tillie: One of my favourite players in the draft in terms of Pelicans fit. 22/8/3 per 40, 51/40/73 splits on 4 3PAs per game. Has shot over 40% for 4 straight years in college on at least 2 per game each year, with it increasing over the seasons. Great passer for a big, fantastic defender on a team level. 6'10, 220lbs. Only problem is slightly injury prone; nothing huge but a lot of minor ones.
Desmond Bane: 18/7/4 per 40, 48/43/78 splits. Has shot at least 42% from 3 for the last 3 years, on 3.9, then 4.8, then 6.4 attempts per game. Very mediocre defensively, nothing special there at all. Has shown flashes of high level passing but is a bit inconsistent. 6'5, 215lbs.
Xavier Tillman: 17/13/4 per 40, 53/29/68 splits. Legitimately special defender, very capable shot blocker, solid big passer, high IQ player. 6'8, 245lbs.
This is just a couple of names of guys who are very popular in draft circles, and for good reason. I think all of them have the potential to be actual NBA rotation players, and some of them have starter upside as well. There are clear roles for them, even if they don't have STAR written on them. Pick a name and hit the YouTube highlights
Despite being a weak draft in terms of high level talent, I do think that this will be one of those drafts that refreshes the roleplayer pool a little bit.