2025 Draft Thread

[emunney]

Watching Duke and can't decide whether I'd rather have Proctor, James, or Mason Gillis. Gillis is definitely the forgotten man, but I think he's got as good a chance as the other two guys. Which maybe is not that great of a chance.

Also, Isaiah Evans is going to have a monster season.

fwiw: GF who watches every duke game says Sion should be a first round pick, proctor should have gone back to school, and was shocked that anyone's considering drafting Gillis

As far as I know, nobody is considering drafting Gillis. He's tough and competitive though, and has a reasonably quick shot release. I just don't think there's a lot separating those three guys as prospects.

I don't want to say Sion in the first would be a waste of a pick, he's a good culture guy who might not kill you if you had to play him. But man, there's no way I could justify that.

NBAdraft.net has us taking Luis in the 2nd now, which would be cool.

[Badgerlander]

We pretty desperately need a 3&D SF.

And a center, and a scorer, and a dribble penetration stopper, and someone that can create open looks for others, and a well a bench full of guys that can play smart basketball like the pacers have

[midranger]

Cedric Coward's 2 player comparisons at NBA Draft Room - Khris Middleton, Michael Redd. We kind of have to trade the '31 1st for him now.

In all seriousness, in the abstract he really fits what we might be looking for: 2-way big wing w/ some creation potential & has some experience. Wouldn't take long to contribute, if he hits. His film showed flashes, but inconsistency. Maybe a team w/out talent asking him to do too much.

But for real, we should have done a Middleton vs Redd poll years ago. I think I’m on Team Redd

Well if the world is just you would be the only person voting for Redd.

I’m 90% sure we win the championship in 2019 with Redd rather than Middleton.

I’m 90% sure we don’t win the championship in 2021 with Redd rather than Middleton.

They are very different players, but Redd was a bucket, and more importantly could draw fouls like crazy. Especially, with the current defensive rules and Giannis getting us into early bonus, I think Redd would average like 9-10 FTs per game. With the pace the game is played at, I could see prime Redd being a consistent 25-26 ppg scorer as the second option in this version of the nba. And he was a “decent” defensive player until he became the only offensive option.

I’d take Middleton, but I think that debate is closer than it appears at first blush.

Edit: Middleton never hit 21 ppg any year in his career. Was over 20 four years. Redd (in a much slower paced nba with lower scoring) averaged more than 21 ppg for 6 consecutive years. Topping out at 26.7 ppg. I’m pretty good efficiency. With pure trash around him. Very different players, but I think we forget how good Mike Redd was.

[Ron Swanson]

If you want us to take a wild swing on the big-wing version of AJ Johnson, than Pate feels like your guy:

Watch on YouTube

I'm kinda torn. There's some older prospects I like in the mid 2nd round but none of them I feel have the ceiling of anything other than situational NBA guys at best (Amari Williams, Koby Brea, Tonje, Broome, Jamir Watkins). Given how much this team needs an injection of talent, I think just taking a swing on a young international/high upside guy is probably the best bet (Hansen Yang, Pate, Avdalas). Whoever made the comment that this was one of the weakest 2nd round classes in recent memory was spot on. NIL has really gutted the depth in the last two draft classes.

[Frank Nova]

If you want us to take a wild swing on the big-wing version of AJ Johnson, than Pate feels like your guy:

Watch on YouTube

I'm kinda torn. There's some older prospects I like in the mid 2nd round but none of them I feel have the ceiling of anything other than situational NBA guys at best (Amari Williams, Koby Brea, Tonje, Broome, Jamir Watkins). Given how much this team needs an injection of talent, I think just taking a swing on a young international/high upside guy is probably the best bet (Hansen Yang, Pate, Avdalas). Whoever made the comment that this was one of the weakest 2nd round classes in recent memory was spot on. NIL has really gutted the depth in the last two draft classes.

A lot of draft “experts” are all saying the gap between the range of 25-50 is minuscule at best. That’s a huge range of prospects. Saying there are 25 interchangeable players that could go basically from late round 1 to essentially undrafted is something I’ve probably never seen before since I’ve been following the draft these last multiple decades. I don’t understand a want to move up this year and waste even a minor asset doing so. Unless you can get into the top 10, staying at 47 and picking your poison seems the most logical thing to do unless you’re able to pull off a total Hail Mary play and land someone like Tre Johnson, Egor Demin or Derick Queen. There’s not really anything else all that interesting to me past those dudes who I assume will be in that top 10ish range.

[emunney]

Watching Duke and can't decide whether I'd rather have Proctor, James, or Mason Gillis. Gillis is definitely the forgotten man, but I think he's got as good a chance as the other two guys. Which maybe is not that great of a chance.

Also, Isaiah Evans is going to have a monster season.

You were big on the Kentucky crew not that long ago if I’m remembering correctly, what are your thoughts on Koby Brea? I like his game a lot, I think he can be more than just a shooter. He’s also a terrific shooter which looks like his #1 translatable skill. Is there more to him?

I'd say between the Kentucky shooters, the guy I would bet on there being more to is Robinson. If Brea makes it, it has to be as a shooting specialist. To be good, he's going to have to transform his body and figure out how to stay in front of NBA talent (the AJ Green path). Robinson can do more things and has a much quicker release. But Amari Williams' weirdness is more attractive to me than either of them.

[emunney]

If you want us to take a wild swing on the big-wing version of AJ Johnson, than Pate feels like your guy:

Watch on YouTube

I'm kinda torn. There's some older prospects I like in the mid 2nd round but none of them I feel have the ceiling of anything other than situational NBA guys at best (Amari Williams, Koby Brea, Tonje, Broome, Jamir Watkins). Given how much this team needs an injection of talent, I think just taking a swing on a young international/high upside guy is probably the best bet (Hansen Yang, Pate, Avdalas). Whoever made the comment that this was one of the weakest 2nd round classes in recent memory was spot on. NIL has really gutted the depth in the last two draft classes.

A lot of draft “experts” are all saying the gap between the range of 25-50 is minuscule at best. That’s a huge range of prospects. Saying there are 25 interchangeable players that could go basically from late round 1 to essentially undrafted is something I’ve probably never seen before since I’ve been following the draft these last multiple decades. I don’t understand a want to move up this year and waste even a minor asset doing so. Unless you can get into the top 10, staying at 47 and picking your poison seems the most logical thing to do unless you’re able to pull off a total Hail Mary play and land someone like Tre Johnson, Egor Demin or Derick Queen. There’s not really anything else all that interesting to me past those dudes who I assume will be in that top 10ish range.

They say that, but if you ask them specifics, like whether they would rather have Thiero or Eric Dixon, if they don't answer very quickly I'd question their expertise.

[Frank Nova]

Watching Duke and can't decide whether I'd rather have Proctor, James, or Mason Gillis. Gillis is definitely the forgotten man, but I think he's got as good a chance as the other two guys. Which maybe is not that great of a chance.

Also, Isaiah Evans is going to have a monster season.

You were big on the Kentucky crew not that long ago if I’m remembering correctly, what are your thoughts on Koby Brea? I like his game a lot, I think he can be more than just a shooter. He’s also a terrific shooter which looks like his #1 translatable skill. Is there more to him?

I'd say between the Kentucky shooters, the guy I would bet on there being more to is Robinson. If Brea makes it, it has to be as a shooting specialist. To be good, he's going to have to transform his body and figure out how to stay in front of NBA talent (the AJ Green path). Robinson can do more things and has a much quicker release. But Amari Williams' weirdness is more attractive to me than either of them.

Interesting. I get Greg Monroe vibes from Williams, maybe it’s the left hand but that’s kind of where I’m at with him. If he rim runs and rebounds like he looks like he can, I wouldn’t object taking a shot on him. I like all 3 of them. Robinson is definitely another one I’d have zero problem taking a flier on. I do like Brea a lot tho, he can turn the lights out.

[Badgerlander]

Read on Twitter

Joan and Traore are my two fav developmental prospects in the draft (not for us, for a team thats actually good at developing players).

[Badgerlander]

I'd say between the Kentucky shooters, the guy I would bet on there being more to is Robinson. If Brea makes it, it has to be as a shooting specialist. To be good, he's going to have to transform his body and figure out how to stay in front of NBA talent (the AJ Green path). Robinson can do more things and has a much quicker release. But Amari Williams' weirdness is more attractive to me than either of them.

Amari is exactly the type of guy that we should be looking at, can come in and play right away and fills a huge hole in our roster

[emunney]

You were big on the Kentucky crew not that long ago if I’m remembering correctly, what are your thoughts on Koby Brea? I like his game a lot, I think he can be more than just a shooter. He’s also a terrific shooter which looks like his #1 translatable skill. Is there more to him?

I'd say between the Kentucky shooters, the guy I would bet on there being more to is Robinson. If Brea makes it, it has to be as a shooting specialist. To be good, he's going to have to transform his body and figure out how to stay in front of NBA talent (the AJ Green path). Robinson can do more things and has a much quicker release. But Amari Williams' weirdness is more attractive to me than either of them.

Interesting. I get Greg Monroe vibes from Williams, maybe it’s the left hand but that’s kind of where I’m at with him. If he rim runs and rebounds like he looks like he can, I wouldn’t object taking a shot on him. I like all 3 of them. Robinson is definitely another one I’d have zero problem taking a flier on. I do like Brea a lot tho, he can turn the lights out.

I don't think he's as good a passer as Monroe, but he's a pretty good passer. And one of the things I think of with Monroe is post footwork, and Williams is very unpolished there. I think he's probably more similar to Mogbo, or if you're feeling really optimistic, a switchable Hartenstein.

[Badgerlander]

if you're feeling really optimistic, a switchable Hartenstein.

Ooo I like that….

[Badgerlander]

Lets buy us some seconds and get us Amari, Nembhard, and hell lets get us Neo…

[Matches Malone]

Watch on YouTube

[ShootingtheJ]

Lets buy us some seconds and get us Amari, Nembhard, and hell lets get us Neo…

Damn, Neo just pulled out of the draft. That sucks.