So another user on here had a big board/mock draft, and it was one of few that had Nikola Topic ranked closer to the middle-first round, rather than top 5 like a lot of other people have. If you wrote that, shout out to you, I agree. I wanted to talk about why I'm less excited about him, and I'm gonna discuss a theory about playmaking that I have had ever since the 2020 NBA draft.

Playmaking isn't one-to-one, isn't on the same development curve as scoring or defending

There have been a handful of prospects over the years that promised excellent playmaking, especially internationally.

Think about the league's most elite, most game-changing playmakers. You can count all of them on your fingers. Now take those elite playmakers, and take away their passing. What is left?

Nikola Jokic is still good at damn near everything else. Luka Doncic is Luka Doncic. Tyrese Haliburton is on track to be one of the best, most efficient shooters in history. Draymond Green is a multiple time DPOY and All-Defensive player. Lebron James is Lebron James.

Are there any other truly elite NBA playmakers who are not extremely good at some other aspect of the game? If there are, there aren't many, and they aren't the most secure players job-wise, nor are they viewed as true top-3 draft type talents.

So, there's been this mindset about playmaking prospects that I have always really disagreed with. Deni Avdija was that way as a prospect (recent success has come from improvements in shooting and defense, not playmaking). Killian Hayes was that way (bust). Josh Giddey was that way (improved his scoring and rebounding and is still questioned as a pick), Nikola Jovic was that way (yet to be seen, and I actually loved Jovic as a prospect), and now Topic is the same way.

I'm not denying Topic has talent and potential. But we aren't just discussing if he can become a game-changing playmaker, which is ridiculous, because that's an INSANE expectation to have- we're talking about if he can still have some other redeeming part of his game the way that Jokic, Luka, Hali, Draymond, LeBron all do. And I don't see anything else in Topic. At least, not enough to take him in the top 5, or even top 3 over several other players as some people have hyped him up to be. Topic hasn't shown advanced scoring or shooting and isn't a plus defender. Again, I'm NOT saying he sucks or anything. But I do not see the value in taking him over other guards who are better in one, sometimes two, sometimes three faces of scoring, shooting, defending, athleticism, anything, than Topic is in playmaking.

And you might be thinking that overall, I'm comparing Topic to an impossible standard. But that's the point- what are we saying he is going to be? If it isn't fair to hold him to that really high standard, then what are we admitting about his play? Are we saying he's gonna be a solid point guard who is a good playmaker and okay at other things? Because that isn't top 3 value to me. That's not what I think deserves top 3, top 5 consideration.

In context, people really like mocking him to San Antonio with the 3rd pick. And apart from the issues I have with that fit (I do not feel at all that is what the team needs), these are the questions I think need to be asked. If it's not fair to say that your vision for him has to be stardom level playmaking- what is it fair to say? He's a top 3 pick that projects to be a limited role player?

Now, it's different if you believe he can be a star. I respect you if you do think that. That is a fundamentally different argument. I will stand proudly on my opinion that I do not see it in him. If I'm wrong, I will not be afraid to admit that at all. This is what we do as fans, as amateurs, as scouts. But yeah, I think everything else I said stands.

Don't get in my comments hating. Fr. It is all love around these parts.