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What does Jay Bilas think is going to happen at the NBA Draft?

What does Jay Bilas think is going to happen at the NBA Draft?

DraftKings Network Podcasts

Updated:

By: Andy Silva

The NBA Finals are in the books. The Stanley Cup Final is in the books. Mike Golic Jr. has taken off for Japan.

Thankfully, the NBA Draft begins tonight at 8 p.m. to soothe our sports-loving hearts.

ESPN basketball analyst Jay Bilas joined Mike Golic Sr. and Charlotte Wilder, filling in for GoJo, to share his thoughts on what we could see tonight.

After a little talk about the trade of Mikal Bridgers to the Nets, Senior, Charlotte and Jay get down to some Draft talk. For all the talk about this not being a historically great draft, Senior points out that these are guys who have worked their entire lives to get to this point. So he hopes they enjoy their night. Zaccharie Risacher is currently a -400 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, but Jay says there is still a lot undetermined as well as a lot of uncertainty heading into Night 1. He says you have to be honest — there aren’t any no-brainers here. And for all the positives the players might have, there are also some question marks.

Jay’s first NBA Draft was the famous LeBron James draft in 2003. Now, we have LeBron’s son Bronny as something of a lightning rod in this draft. Charlotte feels like the noise around Bronny has quieted down a bit recently. Does Jay think it’s a forgone conclusion that the Lakers will take Bronny to fulfill LeBron’s dream of getting to play with his son in the NBA? Bronny James might be the most talked about second-round pick in history but Jay isn’t sure that he’ll wind up in Purple and Gold. Jay says he didn’t necessarily see Bronny as a one-and-done player, but he does have talent and athleticism. Jay says the hype surrounding him has come from his last name, which isn’t his fault. So, Jay likes Bronny as a prospect but he just doesn’t see him as a first-round talent.

Given all the uncertainty Jay talked about earlier, Senior wants to know whose talents he thinks will translate to the NBA. Jay says Risacher translates well because of his size and versatility, he’s got what the modern NBA needs. Jay also likes Reed Sheppard despite his size because he can shoot, as can Dalton Knecht of Tennessee. Jay also says he thinks Stephon Castle of the National Champion UConn Huskies could be the best prospect in the entire draft, although he hasn’t figured out perimeter shooting yet. He’s not saying he would take Castle No. 1 overall, but he actually likes him best as a prospect out of everybody. But, this is a “need” draft.

Watch or listen to the full show below and make sure to tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.

AUDIO

VIDEO

Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.

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Andy Silva
Andy Silva has been with DraftKings since 2018. A 2006 graduate of the University of Connecticut, Andy worked as a copy editor for North of Boston Media Group and then the Boston Herald prior to joining DraftKings. He is a lifelong sneakerhead going back to the heyday of Michael Jordan in the 1990s. His all-time favorites are the Air Jordan 11 and the Air Max Penny 1. Follow him on Twitter at @ByAndySilva and on BlueSky at @byandysilva.bsky.social.
Disclaimer

All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.