Nathan Grubel

NEW WORDS FROM ME @NoCeilingsNBA My annual tradition of publishing the "My Guys" column of the 2026 NBA Draft cycle!! Read below on the 6 guys that I would bet it all on to bring into my building from this draft class! Honorable Mention: Bruce Thornton noceilingsnba.com/p/draft-deeper…

So I'm not disagreeing with your premise of development within structure. What I would say though, is your last line is the most important. Good-Great players can reach their developmental apex regardless of context. Caleb, and any young player, would benefit from a floor general, shooters, and defensive help. Absolutely. But what might be best for Caleb is actually having the runway to continue developing more of those on-ball qualities rather than having him purely focus as a trannsition threat, rim runner, and spot-up player. Putting him in a position to operate from the top of the floor/wings with the ball in his hands is much more beneficial right now for a player with his athleticism/tools/skill set than having him slot in alongside one or two other higher usage players who would take some or all of those opportunities away from him. Yes, you of course run the risk of poor habits developing without a guiding hand. But I don't think it's fair for us to put that criticism on a brand new FO/coaching staff just yet, which is part of that blank slate. I'm not trying to argue with you, can't make that clear enough Latif.

Fitting into a winning culture or a team well-positioned to win early games can be a strong positive for player development. Showing scalability and role malleability are positives, and the stress test of playing higher-leverage games earlier in your career can be beneficial (CMB, Kon, Harper last season). Not that it’s guaranteed to happen with Caleb, but being given free rein to experiment can build bad habits or lead to positive development. I don’t know if we have enough to say that handing rookies a ton of usage/responsibility/little structure is more beneficial than the opposite. Ultimately, I think the good-great players figure it out regardless of their context.

@DraftDeeper What about the Bulls situation would make you higher on Caleb? They still have a ton of work do in comparison to where the other top three players landed

Outside of Cam Boozer, who I still feel excellent about as a versatile offensive hub, I'm not sure there's another player I would want out of the 2026 NBA Draft class more than Caleb Wilson after adjusting for where these players were drafted to.

For anyone wanting more on Bruce Thornton after his NBA Summer League run over the last few days, I did a podcast with @CoreyTulaba and @albertoeghim back in December where I bought some Thornton penny stocks, and outlined his game as a senior prospect! youtube.com/live/N1RHD8cdE…

@BiasedHouston He’s been working to play a role in the NBA the last 4 years at Ohio State. Been one of my favorite guards in college basketball for everything you wrote in those tweets. Decisive, confident, strong, efficient.

Y’all be so thirsty to get a banger on my name it’s ridiculous. I was talking about Bruce in that Tweet. This was literally the Tweet I followed that one up with. If you actually watch Bruce Thornton (which I’m assuming you don’t), you would see exactly what I mean.

@JoeMullinax I think Coward has gotten enough on-ball reps at this point. There’s enough film there, and he was already good at the other elements as far as playing a role in his rookie year. Cam, one more game can’t hurt. But I would’ve shut Coward down.

Coward has been impressive in other ways. I’d like to give Boozer another chance to be the offensive hub. And Coward just for confidence in his shot

Warriors have done a great job attacking Cam Boozer. Taking angles that go directly at him, and not just pummeling into his frame OR try to avoid him, is exactly how you put him in a poor position.

So far so good during Summer League, including HM Bruce Thornton I’d say this list is off to a great start…

@LoganPAdams @outletpassing One of if not the top point guard I’ve scouted in 15 (going on 16) years. Fultz the prospect was absolutely lethal on the court, as effortless a player as Darryn Peterson at his best. With passing chops comparable to the best OTD playmakers not named Luka.

Markelle Fultz has become a folk legend among fans of the NBA Draft. Does his profile stack up? Spoiler Alert: Yes. Link below ⬇️

One of the things I plan on doing at some point is taking a page from @StephenGHoops and doing a post 2026 NBA Draft Big Board that’s environment-adjusted. Fit means as much for a player as anything, and we’ve already learned a lot just from Summer League on a lot of these guys.

🚨CONTENT DROP🚨 Over at @NoCeilingsNBA, I dropped Part One of a multi-part series chronicling my FIRST EVER NBA Summer League experience‼️ Pretty vulnerable here, highlighting some first-time experiences for me (please forgive my sheltered existence 😂), as well as some "behind the curtain" excerpts from my time hanging out with the No Ceilings family. OH! And there is some basketball in here, too. Would love for you to check it out! (Link Below)

@tonyparker32 It really is amazing what 10,000 steps can do for the rest of your body even if you gotta spend time stretching out those legs!

Walking more and more has helped me a lot anything under 1.5 miles I walk man it takes a lot especially on leg days but it helps with everything

@DukeNBA @DukeMBB Well spoken young man. To me as a scout, it may not matter to others but it matters to me. Part of leading at a high level is communication. How do you connect with not just your teammates and coaches, but those outside of your program?

“I feel like I would’ve been missing out on Duke if I went to UNC. For Duke, I didn’t feel that way for the other schools” Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje on why he chose Duke 🔥🔥 @DukeMBB

Traveling back today, then I get to catch up on all of the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League hoops I didn’t see in person! There’s a lot of Bucks, Suns, Raptors film in particular I need to watch for some standout rookies/sophomores 👀

I don’t usually do the *taps sign* BS, but I said for months I could have him 4th on the board and I’d feel terrible not drafting Caleb Wilson at or near the top. He can just do things that other players in this class can’t do at his size with his athleticism.

Sergio De Larrea looks more and more like the real deal. A 6’7” creative point guard with real vision and off-ball instincts? If he continues to get better defensively, look out. He’s already one of the smartest rookies in the class.

I can’t wait for Cam Boozer to get on the court with more higher feel players like Ty Jerome, Scotty Pippen Jr, Cam Spencer, etc. That ball is going to zip around in Memphis, and they’re all going to make each other better.

@izzyknowshoops Gotta see more growth from Noa Essengue. Needs to prove what his NBA skill is. Shows some flashes of getting to the line, playing on the move. But what will this coaching staff get from him on a nightly basis? What does he hang his hat on? Let’s figure that out in Vegas.

Bulls fans... besides a win, what are you hoping the Bulls can achieve/showcase in their game tonight against the Utah Jazz? Is it for Caleb Wilson to surpass his 35 points he scored Friday? Maybe it's seeing more from Noa Essengue? Let me know ⬇️

The Family. Vegas Summer League 2026.

If you’re a basketball fan, the @NoCeilingsNBA team is a must-follow