Upsyde Blog

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: DRAFT DAY DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH: For the Mavericks, they lack depth. What was already evident became even more evident after the Kyrie Irving trade, when they essentially punted defense for elite offense. Players like Theo Pinson and McKinley Wright IV became household names in the rotation. For Mavs fans, they did see more playing time from lightning rod rookie, Jaden Hardy, but not the minutes they hoped for. Hardy, and long with guys like Jalen Brunson were Diamond in the Rough Players for this team... players that either due to age or question marks slid way past where they should have been drafted. We see a handful of guys like that every season, and this list is a collection of guys that have that potential. 1. TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS - He has been a guy I've been closely following for the Mavs. He has the Draymond Green skillset - elite defense, elite passing from the big man position, can rebound in bunches, and has the grit to be a vocal leader on this...

UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS: Way Too Early NBA Mock Draft: 1. DETROIT PISTONS - Victor Wembanyama - There might be someone that goes super bold and says one of the other top prospects goes ahead of him, but they'd be mistaken. Detroit has a plethora of big men, but none are as versatile or have the ceiling of big Vic. The Pistons with Vic might be in a position to where they can consolidate some of their talent and bring in some veterans to take advantage of him during his rookie contract. He has All-Star upside his rookie year and is projected to be the best two-way big man prospect since Anthony Davis. Many are comparing to Kareem and Wilt Chamberlain and it's not difficult to see why. 2. SAN ANTONIO SPURS - Amen Thompson - I'm predicting Scoot to fall slightly. He is going to be an elite guard, but his lack of elite size, elite defense, spotty shooting, and inconsistent scoring make him a project. Amen Thompson can play and guard multiple positions and will give the Spurs mor...