2025 Draft Thread

[Frank Nova]

Queen was a lot of fun to watch this year, but I'm not sure his game translates all that well to the NBA.

I’d take my chances. He’s a bully with great footwork and movement skills for a kid his size and he’s got that Baltimore swag and I like that. He’s insanely talented, his biggest issue will be what team he ends up with. I like the Demarcus Cousins comparisons.

[chonestown]

Anyone who says the draft isnt fu... rigged needs to put down the crack pipe.Absolutely disgusting lose luka get flagg .On X theres already some owners questioning this whole process

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[Matches Malone]

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[ReasonablySober]

Queen was a lot of fun to watch this year, but I'm not sure his game translates all that well to the NBA.

I’d take my chances. He’s a bully with great footwork and movement skills for a kid his size and he’s got that Baltimore swag and I like that. He’s insanely talented, his biggest issue will be what team he ends up with. I like the Demarcus Cousins comparisons.

I think that's a pretty good one. But Boogie came along at the tail end of when non-stretch, non-defending guys were playable in the modern game. That was years ago. If you believe in Queen you have to also believe he's going to become a high volume stretch big to make up for what he gives away on defense.

[Frank Nova]

Queen was a lot of fun to watch this year, but I'm not sure his game translates all that well to the NBA.

I’d take my chances. He’s a bully with great footwork and movement skills for a kid his size and he’s got that Baltimore swag and I like that. He’s insanely talented, his biggest issue will be what team he ends up with. I like the Demarcus Cousins comparisons.

I think that's a pretty good one. But Boogie came along at the tail end of when non-stretch, non-defending guys were playable in the modern game. That was years ago. If you believe in Queen you have to also believe he's going to become a high volume stretch big to make up for what he gives away on defense.

I honestly think he’s skilled enough offensively that he just needs to be serviceable on defense to be a difference maker in the league. He already shows elite footwork for his size on offense, he needs to hone in on that and learn how to apply that as a defender. I don’t think he’ll have any type of issue stepping behind the 3pt line and knocking shots down either. What you said is valid tho and if he doesn’t evolve into more than an old school big you’re right, that won’t translate well. I’m not seeing any dudes in this draft with an actual higher ceiling tho if he does end up evolving. It’s Flagg and Harper with the 2 highest ceilings, after that pick your poison I guess right?

[emunney]

I don't think Queen has half the physical gifts Boogie had, personally. Boogie was a mountain with insane length and was absolutely ferocious inside.

Queen is an interesting player for sure. Physically, I think he's closer to Sabonis than Boogie. Probably on that level as a passer, too. Really a good ball handler for a big with creative footwork coming downhill. It's just rough sledding in the league right now for bigs who can't shoot 3s or play above the rim. Second half of the lotto seems right for him, see if he can figure out his jumper and do stuff to get him the ball on the move.

He kind of reminds me of Okafor, too.

[Badgerlander]

Queen was a lot of fun to watch this year, but I'm not sure his game translates all that well to the NBA.

He will kill teams from the high post with his passing and quickness. Unfortunately his lack of effort on defense also translates, but he’s young. Probably a KAT-ish level type of player.

KAT's the greatest shooting big man of all-time and a legitimately awesome athlete. I see Queen as more of a Diaw type if he reaches his ceiling.

And yet KAT has only really stepped up and been dominant in one playoff series, for all of his athleticism and skill he barely uses it. I think they will have similar level of impact, good offense and poor defense. If a team runs their offense thru Queen he could have an even bigger impact than KAT with his passing and ability to draw fouls with his quickness. The similarities in their college stats are interesting but the contrasts might point to Queen possibly being the better team player.

[machu46]

Queen was a lot of fun to watch this year, but I'm not sure his game translates all that well to the NBA.

I'm not confident it'll translate either, but I'll take my chances on a guy that you don't have to squint super hard to see as a potential offensive hub. The margin for error with players of his mold is pretty small, but it's not that hard IMO to see a Sengun/Domantas type of path for him.

He's got good hands defensively too (but obviously a lot of questions about who he'll be able to guard and those questions are very fair).

[Badgerlander]

I don't think Queen has half the physical gifts Boogie had, personally. Boogie was a mountain with insane length and was absolutely ferocious inside.

Queen is an interesting player for sure. Physically, I think he's closer to Sabonis than Boogie. Probably on that level as a passer, too. Really a good ball handler for a big with creative footwork coming downhill. It's just rough sledding in the league right now for bigs who can't shoot 3s or play above the rim. Second half of the lotto seems right for him, see if he can figure out his jumper and do stuff to get him the ball on the move.

He kind of reminds me of Okafor, too.

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I think he’s got a better wingspan and standing reach than Sabonis along with better quickness and handles. He may struggle to finish at the rim against shot blocking if he doesn’t get the foul call when he blows by his man on the perimeter.

[smuckersbrah]

Simmons said it was 0.014% chance for the top 3 to go how it did.

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[RiotPunch]

Simmons said it was 0.014% chance for the top 3 to go how it did.

Sent from my SM-S928U using RealGM mobile app

[Frank Nova]

I don't think Queen has half the physical gifts Boogie had, personally. Boogie was a mountain with insane length and was absolutely ferocious inside.

Queen is an interesting player for sure. Physically, I think he's closer to Sabonis than Boogie. Probably on that level as a passer, too. Really a good ball handler for a big with creative footwork coming downhill. It's just rough sledding in the league right now for bigs who can't shoot 3s or play above the rim. Second half of the lotto seems right for him, see if he can figure out his jumper and do stuff to get him the ball on the move.

He kind of reminds me of Okafor, too.

Yeah I definitely agree with your assessment here. It’s a good one. Okafor is actually a really good comparison, I hadn’t thought about him. I know 7-35 looks ugly from an overall percentage aspect but he only attempted more than 2 3s in a single game 1 time and he hit 2/5. A silver lining, I know, but just saying it’s there if nitpicking is acceptable. He’s got an insanely smooth and natural feel for the game. He was so good in that round 32 game vs Colorado State hitting 3s and blocking shots, the 2 biggest knocks on him and was consistently good all year long. 15 double doubles, 39 blocks and 39 steals in 36 games. For comparison, Flagg had 7 double doubles, 52 steals and 50 blocks in 37 games and we’re talking the difference between someone being called a generational talent vs a back end lotto pick. Flagg is awesome and I’m not debating Queen should be considered for 1st pick because that’s crazy but what I don’t find crazy is Queen ending up being the 2nd or 3rd best player in this draft class. He’s a top 5 pick for me.

[chonestown]

Queen was a lot of fun to watch this year, but I'm not sure his game translates all that well to the NBA.

He will kill teams from the high post with his passing and quickness. Unfortunately his lack of effort on defense also translates, but he’s young. Probably a KAT-ish level type of player.

KAT's the greatest shooting big man of all-time and a legitimately awesome athlete. I see Queen as more of a Diaw type if he reaches his ceiling.

Actually, I think KAT is pedestrian from an athletic perspective. He can't bend and every time he goes to the ground - and it's plenty of times - it looks like a potential catastrophe. Unreal touch for sure.

If it's draft time and we're talking Boris Diaw, I'm obligated to once again post his vertical test story.

"Boris walks into the gym one day wearing flip-flops and holding his customary cappuccino, which was a staple for him every morning," former Suns assistant general manager David Griffin recalled. "It was during pre-draft workouts, so he sees the Vertec (machine) and asks what it is.

"We tell him it measures your vertical leap by determining how many of the bars you can touch. He asks what's the highest anyone has ever gone, and we tell him Amar'e (Stoudemire) cleared the entire rack.

"Boris puts down the cappuccino, takes off his flip-flops, and clears the entire rack on the first try. Then he calmly puts his flip-flops back on, picks up his cappuccino, and walks away, saying, 'That was not difficult.'"

https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/1115037

[mke_design]

The lottery needs to go

[emunney]

I don't think Queen has half the physical gifts Boogie had, personally. Boogie was a mountain with insane length and was absolutely ferocious inside.

Queen is an interesting player for sure. Physically, I think he's closer to Sabonis than Boogie. Probably on that level as a passer, too. Really a good ball handler for a big with creative footwork coming downhill. It's just rough sledding in the league right now for bigs who can't shoot 3s or play above the rim. Second half of the lotto seems right for him, see if he can figure out his jumper and do stuff to get him the ball on the move.

He kind of reminds me of Okafor, too.

Yeah I definitely agree with your assessment here. It’s a good one. Okafor is actually a really good comparison, I hadn’t thought about him. I know 7-35 looks ugly from an overall percentage aspect but he only attempted more than 2 3s in a single game 1 time and he hit 2/5. A silver lining, I know, but just saying it’s there if nitpicking is acceptable. He’s got an insanely smooth and natural feel for the game. He was so good in that round 32 game vs Colorado State hitting 3s and blocking shots, the 2 biggest knocks on him and was consistently good all year long. 15 double doubles, 39 blocks and 39 steals in 36 games. For comparison, Flagg had 7 double doubles, 52 steals and 50 blocks in 37 games and we’re talking the difference between someone being called a generational talent vs a back end lotto pick. Flagg is awesome and I’m not debating Queen should be considered for 1st pick because that’s crazy but what I don’t find crazy is Queen ending up being the 2nd or 3rd best player in this draft class. He’s a top 5 pick for me.

I've overall been surprised by how much I don't love this draft class. Very light on star power. I certainly think he's got a shot.

[emunney]

Simmons said it was 0.014% chance for the top 3 to go how it did.

Sent from my SM-S928U using RealGM mobile app

Worth pointing out that any given combination/order of those 14 teams isn't going to be particularly likely.

[ReasonablySober]

I've overall been surprised by how much I don't love this draft class. Very light on star power. I certainly think he's got a shot.

This is the first draft in years that I've paid some attention to and I was also surprised how quickly it fell off. Like, I wouldn't want to be the team that gambles on Ace Bailey. And the new Ringer mock has Knueppel at #5, which is wild. I think he's a solid player, but not someone I'd normally take in the lottery. Jakucionis disappeared in every game I watched. Wolf never struck me as an NBA guy. Coward actually seems like a better bet than any of those dudes.

[drone3]

Just saw Ace comparison to Kuz. Low IQ, long athletic but hot and cold

[Istanbullus]

The lottery needs to go

I've proposed this before: tournament during the playoffs with all the 'lottery' teams. Take out the play in games, put those teams in the draft tournament. Not sure what the algorithm would be. Here's an idea:

Worst 9 teams host the opening round and must lose twice before they're out.
Best 9 teams are one and done.
In addition to receiving higher picks, winning teams make good money so players are motivated.
Choose an MVP or an all-lottery team so some players have something for the free agent resume.

[Licensed to Il]

He will kill teams from the high post with his passing and quickness. Unfortunately his lack of effort on defense also translates, but he’s young. Probably a KAT-ish level type of player.

KAT's the greatest shooting big man of all-time and a legitimately awesome athlete. I see Queen as more of a Diaw type if he reaches his ceiling.

Actually, I think KAT is pedestrian from an athletic perspective. He can't bend and every time he goes to the ground - and it's plenty of times - it looks like a potential catastrophe. Unreal touch for sure.

If it's draft time and we're talking Boris Diaw, I'm obligated to once again post his vertical test story.

"Boris walks into the gym one day wearing flip-flops and holding his customary cappuccino, which was a staple for him every morning," former Suns assistant general manager David Griffin recalled. "It was during pre-draft workouts, so he sees the Vertec (machine) and asks what it is.

"We tell him it measures your vertical leap by determining how many of the bars you can touch. He asks what's the highest anyone has ever gone, and we tell him Amar'e (Stoudemire) cleared the entire rack.

"Boris puts down the cappuccino, takes off his flip-flops, and clears the entire rack on the first try. Then he calmly puts his flip-flops back on, picks up his cappuccino, and walks away, saying, 'That was not difficult.'"

https://www.thescore.com/nba/news/1115037

Diaw was a really unique player, a tweener in the best sense… strong enough to guard 4s, skilled enough to play the 3, fantastic passer, sneaky athletic.