Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
The Buffs should see three players drafted in 2024.
It’s been thirteen years since the Colorado Buffaloes had a player selected in the NBA Draft lottery. That will change in 2024, as not one but two Buffs might hear their names in the first fourteen picks of the draft.
Now that the NBA Draft Lottery is finalized, we can better project where each of Cody Williams, Tristan da Silva and KJ Simpson might be selected. The teams interested remain the same, but the order of things will be a bit messy after some teams moved drastically up and down, most notably the Hawks rising from #13 to #1 and the Pistons dropping (again) from #1 to #5.
Williams has long been projected as a potential top-10 or even top-5 pick. That could still happen, although NBA teams aren’t sure what to think of him. On the one hand, he has immense physical tools, a great work ethic and has shown steady growth since his junior year of high school. On the other, he’s an inconsistent shooter, lacks aggression and might not be as good of a defender as he should be. Another year of college ball would have been great for him to be the main man, but it’s a weak draft where he’s almost guaranteed to go in the lottery.
Mock drafts have him somewhere in the 7-12 range. That’s probably the sweet spot, since teams in that range — Blazers, Spurs, Grizzlies, Jazz, Thunder — will ease him into things without giving him too much pressure to be someone he’s not. It’s easy to see him as a support player in Portland or San Antonio, playing within the flow of the offense, doing the little things to keep things moving along. That’s what he needs if he’s going to ever reach his tantalizing potential — somewhere stable where he can put all the pieces together over the next few years. And if he doesn’t reach his potential, he’s still a good, solid player who should contribute to winning basketball.
While Williams will take time to develop, Tristan da Silva will be drafted to be an immediate contributor on a winning team. He’s a quintessential glue guy who can play as a 3 or 4 in the NBA. He excels as an off-ball shooter, makes smart reads as a passer and driver, will play solid team defense, and has just enough one-on-one scoring juice to make something happen if need be. The main question is his so-so athleticism and older age, but late bloomers like him tend to get better well into their careers.
After the success of Jaime Jaquez and Brandin Podziemski, teams are figuring out that smart, polished players provide a ton of value on their rookie contracts. Da Silva’s draft range probably starts at with the Thunder (12) or Kings (13), both competitive teams who could use another forward in their rotation. He would also fit in with the Sixers (16), Magic (18) and Cavs (20), making it hard to see him drop any further. Each of them plays a different style of basketball, but the beauty of da Silva is that he’s a versatile, 6’9 shooter who can fit pretty much anywhere.
(Side note: We should celebrate TDS’s growth more than we do. He was a complete unknown out of Germany and everyone made fun of Tad Boyle for playing him so much as a freshman. But he developed his shot, mastered his footwork and over the years gained the confidence to take over when he had to.)
KJ Simpson probably won’t be selected in the first round, but he’s a near lock to go in the early-to-mid second round. He was a star on the Buffs, where he weaponized his deadly combination of pull-up shots, physical drives and just enough playmaking to keep the defense honest. That won’t be his role in the NBA, but he will provide spot-up shooting, strong one-on-one defense and can step in as PG if needed. There are real questions about his size at 6’2 and his ability to play off-ball after a ball-dominant three years in Boulder.
He’s probably in the 40-50 range, where competitive teams will look for someone who can fight for a rotation spot. Somewhere like Philadelphia (41), Miami (43) or Sacramento (45) could work. Teams will value him for both his current skill set and his competitiveness that will have him fighting every day for playing time. The Heat could be the best landing spot for him, not only as a cultural fit but because his shooting ability could be further unlocked by their top-tier coaching staff.
Also of note, Nique Clifford, the former (and forever) Buff, has momentum to be a second round pick. He looked fantastic at Colorado State, where all his talent finally shone after years of not knowing what kind of player to be at CU. He’s a 6’6 guard with legit athleticism, solid three-point shooting and a good head on his shoulders. Teams will value that profile if they buy into his shot, which was up-and-down in both Boulder and Ft. Collins.
Bobi Klintman will also be a first round pick, most likely. If you don’t remember him, he’s a Swedish forward who was committed to CU but went to Wake Forest instead after he failed to qualify academically. He would have been exciting but frustrating for Buffs fans. The athletic, 6’10 forward has all the tools to be great, yet he lacks the consistency and focus to put it all together for more than five minutes at a time. Teams will give him a few chances to figure it out because he has all kinds of potential.
by Sam Metivier
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