2025 Draft: Love, Live With, or Hate?

[DuckIII]

I'm bored. I'm just trying to entertain myself. But this draft absolutely fascinates me. Its so hard to get a feel for where guys can go, and it also seems like even among the lottery guys its hard to get a really good sense of their ceilings and floors. Its also produced some wide and rangy discussion about lots of different prospects. So I thought an interesting way to see how people feel about the draft is with a little game.

THE RULES:

(a) You HAVE TO pick 12 players total.

(b) List 4 players you "love", 4 you can "live with" and 4 you "hate" for the 12th pick.

(c) You CANNOT include trades for veteran players or trade downs. Its only for how you feel about people conceivably available at 12.

(d) You CANNOT list Flagg, Harper, Tre, Ace, VJ, Kon, Maluach or Fears. They have already been drafted.

If you could list them by order of most loved or most hated fine, but not necessary. Mine:

LOVE (in order of preference):

KJ
Essenge
CMB
Demin

LIVE WITH: (in order of preference):

Coward
Bryant
Fleming
Riley

HATE (in order of most to least hated):
Newell
Jase
McNeeley
Queen (semi-hate only, I'd give it a chance)

[DuckIII]

If enough people do it to provide a sample size big enough to evaluate, I'll break it down to see what the board collective opinions look like. Might give us a more comprehensive of the board's view of our options.

[sco]

LOVE (in order of preference):

Coward
KJ
Fleming
Bryant

LIVE WITH: (in order of preference):

Essenge
CMB
Sorber
Demin


HATE (in order of most to least hated):
Queen
Wolf
Richardson
McNeeley

[Muzbar]

Love:

Carter Bryant
Thomas Sorber
Noa Essengue
Rasheer Fleming

Live with:

Kasparas Jakucionis
Jase Richardson
Cedric Coward
Will Riley

Hate:

Collin Murray-Boyles
Derik Queen
Liam McNeeley
Egor Demin (on the fence between 'Live with' and 'Hate')

[drosestruts]

Love
Kasparas Jakucionis
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Jase Richardson
Nique Clifford

Live With
Joan Beringer
Ben Saraf
Egor Denim
Carter Bryant

Hate
Derik Queen
Johni Broome
Liam McNeeley
Danny Wolf


Can you tell I really do not want a ground-bound non-defensive center??

[HomoSapien]

Love: Raynaud, Coward, Demin, and Murray Boyles

Live With: KJ, Essengue, Queen, Flemming

Hate: Richardson (hate's a strong word, but I don't want him at 12), Beringer, Traore, McNeely

Sorber used to be on the avoid list for me because of his foot surgery, but that stance is softening a bit. I recently watched a good amount of tape on Traore, and even though it'd be a good gamble to take a guy who most people had in the early half of the lottery at 12, I just have a lot of doubt about his game. If we had a sleepers section, I'd add Walter Clayton on it. 12 is too early for him, but if we had a pick in the 20s, he'd be high on the list.

[ThisGuyFawkes]

Love:
Essengue
Demin
KJ
Jase

Live With:
CMB
Bryant
Coward
Queen

Hate:
Traore
McNeely
Newell
Fleming

This was tough to choose 4 in each category. I couldn't nail the final "Love" guy, but I think it's Jase. I know he measured very short, but he has a 6'6" wingspan and does everything well. He also has NBA pedigree. 41% from 3pt and 84% at the FT. If I HAD to put someone in my "Love" category, I guess it would be Jase. Not super strong on that opinion though.

[MikeDC]

There's nobody in this draft I really love.

LIVE WITH

CMB 3/4, mostly 4 - Probably will be gone by the time we pick. He'll be a boom or bust guy, I guess. I don't like his prospects of being a shooter, Draymond at least showed a bit more aptitude there, but he's super productive a good enough athlete, and not as undersized as people think. I'd be happy with him.

Asa Newell 3/4, mostly 4- Nothing pops out as amazing, but everything, size, stats, athleticism is pretty good. Likely will be a somewhat switchable solid defender. I think I'd be happy with him too. Might have more upside than thought, just because he seems like a high-motor, high IQ player with all around decent skills. I think maybe Cam Johnson or Claxton.

Cedric Coward 2/3 mostly a 3 - Probably mostly a 3. great size and athleticism, good shooter, bad handles, but 3andD potential looks good. Unheralded guy who is rising in workouts. Get him with guys who can get him the ball, and get his handle right, and maybe he really breaks out. Higher risk pick, but this guy has real upside I think.

Noa Essengue 3/4 ? - I have no idea. Looks big and athletic and he's young. Typical European man of mystery. Played for Ulm, which isn't really high level competition. Killian Hayes was looking great there too, so I'm feeling burned on this sort of path once already. We don't even really know if he's big and athletic, or how he can shoot. I'm going with "live with" because if his measurables and skills are as advertised it's pretty rare. But I don't look at Bilal Coulibaly or O Max Prosper as success stories to replicate. Mostly he's here because there's lot of guys I feel less good about.

Meh

Carter Bryant - Think he's got a significantly better shot and size than Dalen Terry, but it's hard not to look at him and get worst of Dalen Terry (low usage and scoring, bad FT%)/Pat Williams (doesn't play big minutes or even start) vibes. I'd really want to dig into this guys and find out why he's got seeming all world abilities but doesn't perform like it.

Kasparas - barely adequate athleticism, I question whether his game translates to the pros. Not super strong or quick, and not a great shooter. Collects assists but TOs a lot. Seems like a poor-man's DeMar.


Hate
Liam McNeely - good athlete, but really underproductive across the board and not super young.

Egor Demin - below average at pretty much everything. Well below average athlete for his position. Not a good free-throw shooter and turned it over a ton. I looked hard for similarly skinny, unathletic guys who have become good and didn't really find much

Khaman Maluach - poor man's Mark Williams. Doesn't seem like an actually good defender, just the idea of one. I don't think he rates out well compared to most of the better centers drafted in the last few years. Seems really slow. Defense requires instincts and learning and he doesn't seem to have much of either. Not good enough to draft regardless of fit and not a good fit to boot

Derik Queen - slow, undersized, below the rim non-defending center. A poor man's Vuc.

[nomorezorro]

love:
essengue
jakucionis
bryant
fleming

live with:
cmb
coward
sorber
raynaud

hate:
mcneely
demin
clifford
wolf

filling that last spot on the "live with" tier was really really hard for me. thought about going with queen, because i get the swing on upside there, but truthfully i just don't believe in him. originally had asa newell in my "hate" tier, but then i thought about bumping him up to "live with" because he's at least enough of a ball of clay that i can conceive of him becoming something useful eventually. considered joan beringer for similar reasons, but i don't really know anything about him. ultimately went with raynaud because, even though intellectually i know 12 is way too high for him, for some reason i have positive vibes about him as a prospect. can't explain it!

[nomorezorro]

does anyone like liam mcneely lol

[othawhitemeat]

Love:
KJ
Clayton Jr.
Coward
Clifford

Live w/
Fleming
Murray-Boyles
Essengue
Raynaud

Hate:
1a) Wolf
1b) Queen
1c) McNeeley
1d) Traore

[Senor Chang]

LOVE (in order of preference):

Coward
KJ
Fleming
Essenge

LIVE WITH: (in order of preference):

Queen
CMB
Bryant
Demin

(Honorable mention “LIVE WITH” players are Newell and Richardson.)


HATE (in order of most to least hated):

Wolf
Powell (12 is way too high for him)
Mcneeley
Sorber


I would still hate if we ended up drafting guys on my “LIVE WITH” list but i guess i can live with them more than the guys on my “HATE” list.


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[ThisGuyFawkes]

I’ve seen a lot of people with Fleming high on their list. I strongly believe that there’s no chance he is our pick. He can’t pass. At all. AKME will not select him, even if he falls to the 5th round.

Just my observation.

[HomoSapien]

I’ve seen a lot of people with Fleming high on their list. I strongly believe that there’s no chance he is our pick. He can’t pass. At all. AKME will not select him, even if he falls to the 5th round.

Just my observation.

Although PWill has some "PG" skills I don't particularly consider him a passer/creator either.

[Senor Chang]

I’ve seen a lot of people with Fleming high on their list. I strongly believe that there’s no chance he is our pick. He can’t pass. At all. AKME will not select him, even if he falls to the 5th round.

Just my observation.

What he’s got going for him is he seems like the ideal small ball undersized bulls center (DJJ) in spurts.


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[MGB8]

Love: KJ

Live With +: Coward, Bryant (but not based on video watching, just scouting reports)

live with: pretty much everyone else, crap shoot time - e.g., CMB videos have me thinking CMB more comparable to Liddell than some high quality nba player, but who knows.. Demin looks like a great euro player who will be a likely NBA bust, meanwhile a Saraf might our-do expectations and be a huge hit, or the tall center that had a down year, or Clayton, too.

[CobysHairpick]

I'm bored. I'm just trying to entertain myself. But this draft absolutely fascinates me. Its so hard to get a feel for where guys can go, and it also seems like even among the lottery guys its hard to get a really good sense of their ceilings and floors. Its also produced some wide and rangy discussion about lots of different prospects. So I thought an interesting way to see how people feel about the draft is with a little game.

THE RULES:

(a) You HAVE TO pick 12 players total.

(b) List 4 players you "love", 4 you can "live with" and 4 you "hate" for the 12th pick.

(c) You CANNOT include trades for veteran players or trade downs. Its only for how you feel about people conceivably available at 12.

(d) You CANNOT list Flagg, Harper, Tre, Ace, VJ, Kon, Maluach or Fears. They have already been drafted.

If you could list them by order of most loved or most hated fine, but not necessary. Mine:

LOVE (in order of preference):

KJ
Essenge
CMB
Demin

LIVE WITH: (in order of preference):

Coward
Bryant
Fleming
Riley

HATE (in order of most to least hated):
Newell
Jase
McNeeley
Queen (semi-hate only, I'd give it a chance)

I'm operating under the sense that Giddey, Coby, and Matas are the core moving forward, which I'm fairly confident about after rewatching AK's end of season presser. That being said, I'd love to hear y'all's thoughts on my list:
LOVE:
Derik Queen (19) - His game may not be the best fit on a surface level, but the more I thought about it the more I think that he can replace Vuc. Vuc isn't fleet-footed by any means yet he's able to be a crucial part of the Bulls up tempo offense. This pick relies entirely on Queen developing a 3pt shot, but his games against Colorado State and Florida during March Madness gives me hope that he can develop it. He also shot 10-10 from the FT line against Florida.

Egor Demin - The fit may be curious beside Giddey, but the passing and shooting form is enticing. Some highlights of his include playing off ball and making some C&S 3s and he reportedly shot well at the Combine which impressed executives. That would obviously need to become more prevalent in his game, but watching a Giddey, Demin, Coby, and Matas fastbreak for 82 games may feed families for generations.

Carter Bryant - Fit if nothing else. He's exactly what is needed on the wing beside Matas and provides some much needed defense for a lineup that includes Giddey and Coby. He may never become a do-it-all star, but he can easily be the "star role player" that all contending teams have and covet. Could possibly have an Aaron Gordon-like effect for contending teams (not so much in terms of scoring outbursts, but rather key 3s and athletic/defensive plays).

Maxime Raynaud - I think he's the perfect fit for this core at center. His advanced metrics don't paint a pretty picture defensively, but he showed improved rim protection during the Combine scrimmages and has multiple games of 4+ blocks. 12 may seem like a reach at this point in time, but I wouldn't be surprised if we look back in a few years and see Raynaud be underdrafted.

Live with:
Drake Powell - I think he's a raw Mikal Bridges and the hope is that he becomes Bridges obviously. Powell and his peers swear by his game being much more expansive than what he was able to show at UNC. While he's definitely raw and rough around the edges in terms of scoring, I see the potential for much, much more. 3&D at the very least regardless.

Asa Newell - Interesting versatile player that would bring the hustle, energy, and defense that this core needs. His 3pt potential is worth the pick to me if he is indeed drafted.

Noa Essengue - So similar to Matas that I wouldn't prefer it, but would understand. Can't really blame AK if he wanted to double up on tall, athletic wings.

Cedric Coward - Don't like how he shot 3-10 against Iowa when he should be shooting much better if he were as good of a scorer as he's billed to be. That said, he looks solid all around and there's no real concern about his game besides his scoring translating and his age. Maybe a healthy Otto Porter type player?

HATE:
Jase Richardson - Too small for me. I get Rob Dillingham vibes who doesn't really fit on this current roster.

Collin Murray-Boyles - Just too short and no 3pt shot. Pass.

Kasparas Jakucionis - Thought about keeping him in "Live with", but would simply rather not draft him. I like his tough shot making ability but he has way too many turnovers for my liking. Too many careless passes that didn't need to be flashy. Seems like a worse version of Herro (who I love) or Dragic but wouldn't necessarily be guaranteed to be as good as them, although he could!

[League Circles]

LOVE (in order of preference):

Zikarsky
CMB
Bryant
Sorber

LIVE WITH: (in order of preference):

Essengue
Fleming
Beringer
KJ

HATE (in order of most to least hated):
Newell
Jase
Demin
Queen

[Hangtime84]

I want a jumbo lineup where Matas is most likely at 3 or someone with defensive instincts. I do value passing a lot tho.

Love:
Essengue - Motor tools worth a risk for a pick imo
Rasheer Fleming - Similar to Essengue imo but has soon shooting improvement each year
Coward - Jalen Williams vibes
Carter Bryant Jr - Probably can see floor better than advertise and moves decently off the ball. Most likely everything that Patrick Williams was claimed to be.

Live With:
Demin - Free flowing offense and drop off with certain on ball creators drop off.
Kasparas Jakucionis - Should be a top 5 pick potential to me.
Wolf - Biggest boom bust potential outside of queen. But can actually shoot
Sober - Mark Williams vibes.

Hate:
Newell - WCS vibes
Jase - More guards especially short ones.
CMB - Can he really shoot?
Powell - Not at 12th

[MGB8]

I thought I saw one of the (free) draft profile sites that consistently included links to YouTube videos on the prospects. Does anyone know which one I might be thinking of? I see that tankathon does but don’t think it was that one…