David Thorpe’s three-man draft

Plus: new concerns about Bronny James

BY DAVID THORPE

Is Bronny James’ camp doing him more harm than good? BRIAN ROTHMULLER/ICON SPORTSWIRE VIA GETTY IMAGES

While I was flying from Toronto to Tampa this week, my TrueHoop cohorts played a little draft game. That hurt my feelings, especially since Henry Abbott stole one of my favorite prospects in Duke guard Jared McCain!

But my colleagues failed to nab three key players in this draft: Zaccharie Risacher, Ron Holland, and Dalton Knecht. The first two are teenagers; Knecht is a grown man; all three are in totally different career stages. That means, for any team drafting Risacher or Holland, patience is a virtue, but “he’ll figure it out on his own” is a poor development strategy.

Sure, a major aspect of the draft is acquiring talent, but teams then help that talent reach its potential. That’s why the best fit for any draftee is the team that finds him ample playing time. Former eighth-overall pick Obi Toppin struggled with the Knicks because they failed to capitalize on his shooting and his speed. The Pacers found a way to plug him into a system that suited both. As a result, Toppin shot over 40 percent from 3 this season and helped the Pacers defeat his former team in the playoffs. Now a restricted free agent, Toppin is expected to command a significant raise this offseason.

As we say all the time at TrueHoop: “Playing time is oxygen.” 

And that brings my mind back to Bronny James. Six weeks ago, I wrote that teams should draft Bronny. Now I have concerns he’s being mismanaged—and that it could lead to catastrophe. 

But first: let’s do my three-man draft.

1. Zaccharie Risacher (6-8 wing/forward, 19 years old) — JL Bourg (France)

This pick is a no-brainer. A long, tall wing, Zaccharie Risacher competes on defense and shows potential as a playmaker. Oh, I also think he copied his shot mechanics from an American shooting guard named “Klay.”

Had Risacher played the season in the U.S. as a college freshman, he’d be a household name in this draft. As a teenager, Risacher led JL Bourg to a runner-up finish in the second-best international league: the EuroCup championship series. His league features veterans from Europe as well as guys who played at major Division-I programs—in other words, teams of grown-ass men that would smoke the UConn Huskies.