Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Cardboard Review:2021-2022 Chronicles Draft Basketball

One of the first looks we get at the upcoming rookie class in the NBA, always starts with a Draft Picks product. Whether that's Prizm, Contenders or today's product, Chronicles.

Chronicles is a product built up of other products all wrapped into one. I think it's a fun concept, but it's not for everyone.

Since I like to get a start on the upcoming rookie class for my rookie card album, I always try to get my hands on new product. I don't always know who the best ones are quite yet, so they usually all stay in one spot until I do. When someone asks me "who should I be looking for?" I always tell them, just look at the cover of the box.

So that's what I did today. Here is a box break of 2021-2022 Chronicles Draft basketball for your viewing pleasure,
In each hobby box of Chronicles basketball, there are 2 packs of 24 cards each. It's much different of a layout than usual. Each box promises 4 autograph or memorabilia cards and you can find boxes currently for $165.

BASE:
The base set has 16-25 card offerings from Donruss Rated Rookies, Chronicles (has its own base set), Hoops Retro, Luminance, Flux, Gala, XR, Essentials and many others. I believe there are 19 in all.

Here are a few examples of the base using the players featured on the box in Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs.

PARALLELS:
You can find the following parallels in Chronicles all across the 19 or so "base sets",
Black, Bronze, Green, Orange, Pink, Pulsar, Red /149, Blue /99, Purple /49, Gold /10, Cracked Ice /6, and Platinum 1/1.
My only parallel was this Red Hoops Retro of Evan Mobley numbered to 149.

Without inserts, let's move onto the good stuff.

HITS:
First hit, Tools Of The Trade relic of Scottie Barnes.

Panini Threads Rookie Threads of Sharife Cooper

Score Autograph of Nojel Eastern

 
And finally, Origins autograph of Romello White.

I don't know any of these names, so you guys will have to tell me in comments if I scored anything big here.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
Well, from looking some of the hits up, it appears to be a tough break value wise currently. But, as with any rookies, you just never know who will rise above the occasion. So maybe check back in a couple of years on this break.

As for the product itself, I still like Chronicles, though I prefer the pro sports version more with NBA teams. I like the mix of product designs and selection. You get some basic ones like Score to some artsy ones like Origins to the shiny stuff like Elements. It's a great mix.

One more tweak I would make, I would build this as one big base set with levels of rarity.

In comments below, tell me your thoughts on my break or on the product as a whole.

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