2024-2025 College Basketball / NBA Draft - Volume III

[Wilfried]

Read on Twitter

Doesn't go to a high school that refines his deficiencies.
Doesn't go to a college with a good coach that will help him flourish in his abilities (or win)
Doesn't hire a good agent.

I'm suspecting that he has poor judgment...

I’ve been telling you, the biggest concerns with him are between the ears.

If it's an character issue, just leave him for another team

We have enough prove that talent alone isn't leading you anywhere (Simmons, Fultz, even Joel gives me vibes he doesn't have what it takes to ever win something ...).

The NBA finals are showing high character guys are the ones you can rely on.

If VJ or someone else is that guy, take him.

[Arsenal]

[x]

Read on Twitter

?s=46[/x]

Hey everyone, we LOOOOOVVVEEE VJ Melton with the 3rd pick!

Oh and please make sure to send trade offers... we're listening right until the deadline!!!

[Arsenal]

This guy is a huge character risk with low basketball IQ. He'd rather be playing a different damn sport! Drafting him would be a massive mistake!!!

However, just hours before potentially becoming the cornerstone of an NBA franchise, Edwards made some interesting comments regarding his love -- or lack thereof -- for the game of basketball.

During an interview with ESPN's Alex Scarborough, Edwards revealed that he is "not really into" the sport.

"I'm still not really into it," Edwards said. "I love basketball, yeah ... basketball is my heart, but football is where I started, so I'll never forget about that. But don't get me wrong, basketball is my No. 1 because I feel like it's going to get me through a lot of the stuff I need to get through."

Edwards elaborated, saying that he feels as though basketball is more of an occupation than a love.

"It's what I do. It's a job," Edwards added.

Edwards' trainer, Justin Holland, tried to clarify what Edwards meant by saying he isn't a fan of watching basketball games like he is with football. And when it comes to football, Edwards believes that it gives athletes more of a freedom to celebrate on opponents.

"You can do anything on the field," Edwards said of his love of football. "You can spike the ball. You can dance. You can do all type of disrespectful stuff."

In the NBA, he said, "you can't do any of that. You'll get fined."

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2020-nba-draft-anthony-edwards-potential-top-pick-says-hes-still-not-really-into-basketball/

[M2J]

Read on Twitter

Doesn't go to a high school that refines his deficiencies.
Doesn't go to a college with a good coach that will help him flourish in his abilities (or win)
Doesn't hire a good agent.

I'm suspecting that he has poor judgment...

I’ve been telling you, the biggest concerns with him are between the ears.

If it's an character issue, just leave him for another team

We have enough prove that talent alone isn't leading you anywhere (Simmons, Fultz, even Joel gives me vibes he doesn't have what it takes to ever win something ...).

The NBA finals are showing high character guys are the ones you can rely on.

If VJ or someone else is that guy, take him.

Well he comes from a basketball family. Both parents played in college. Aunt I think was in WNBA. So I assume they are guiding him. But honestly, an adult criticizing where a child "chose" to go to HIGH SCHOOL is foul. .

Also as confirmed by the Rutgers coach yesterday... Him choosing to go there because they were the first to show interest when he was a freshman doesn't appear to be a character flaw.... Maybe a loyalty "issue". But also doesn't hurt to get the must NIL for your non wealthy family that's likely guiding him

[Arsenal]

Great reddit thread on this low iq future bust. I agree most with this quote in the comments:

This guy just screams bust from a mile away to me.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NBA_Draft/comments/jvz0d8/the_pain_and_promise_of_top_nba_draft_prospect/

[Arsenal]

I’ve been telling you, the biggest concerns with him are between the ears.

If it's an character issue, just leave him for another team

We have enough prove that talent alone isn't leading you anywhere (Simmons, Fultz, even Joel gives me vibes he doesn't have what it takes to ever win something ...).

The NBA finals are showing high character guys are the ones you can rely on.

If VJ or someone else is that guy, take him.

Well he comes from a basketball family. Both parents played in college. Aunt I think was in WNBA. So I assume they are guiding him. But honestly, an adult criticizing where a child "chose" to go to HIGH SCHOOL is pathetic. Referring to the tweet

Also as confirmed by the Rutgers coach yesterday... Him choosing to go there because they were the first to show interest when he was a freshman doesn't appear to be a character flaw.... Maybe a loyalty "issue". But also doesn't hurt to get the must NIL for your non wealthy family that's likely guiding him

Character flaw? Only in this selfish "stack the deck" LeBron/Durant era.

Loyalty used to be a character trait, not a character flaw.

[SixersSince82]

I believe in always taking upside in drafts. A lot of people think that if the Sixers stay at 3 and pick VJ and he ends up being a solid NBA player, that it wouldn't be a waste of a pick. I disagree. To me, drafting a solid player with a top 3 pick is just as bad as picking a total bust. Top 3 picks in the NBA are supposed to be needle movers. Me personally, I'd take a 10% chance at that over a 0% chance at that but with an 80% chance at being a 10 year pro who never is an all star. Not saying that describes Ace and VJ, just speaking generally.

I personally don't really want either. As I've said before I want them to go up for Harper or move down for Tre. But if we're talking Ace for VJ, then I'm team Ace because I believe his upside is higher even if I feel his risk of being a bust is also higher.

I disagree with you eval of VJ vs. Ace but setting that aside - how does the bolded sentence make any sense? Turning a valuable asset (#3 pick) into absolutely nothing is equivalent to recouping some value via a rotation level NBA player? Obviously the ideal outcome is that we draft a superstar but other potential outcomes can’t be completely ignored.

In a 2020 redraft, don’t you think the Warriors would rather have someone like Devin Vassell (good but not great player) at #2 vs. swinging for a grand slam and missing with Wiseman?

Just my 2 cents but I don't think that's at all how most NBA GMs think.

Most teams/GMs don't view the draft as a way to get immediate help, anyway. If they want good role players they'll just go get more proven one's in free agency or via trade. The point of the draft is largely to have an eye toward the future. While sure, every team needs role players in the future, a potential star is much more valuable, certainly when you are drafting top 5 or top 10 and the likelihood you can draft a kid with some level of real star potential is greater.

Of course, the specific circumstances of any 1 individual team or the quality of any one specific draft can have an effect on how GMs plan but if we are talking general thought processes they are more often than not going star power, if there's some reasonable chance at it. It's the lifeblood of the NBA. Stars are what make franchises relevant.

[FireMorey]

I believe in always taking upside in drafts. A lot of people think that if the Sixers stay at 3 and pick VJ and he ends up being a solid NBA player, that it wouldn't be a waste of a pick. I disagree. To me, drafting a solid player with a top 3 pick is just as bad as picking a total bust. Top 3 picks in the NBA are supposed to be needle movers. Me personally, I'd take a 10% chance at that over a 0% chance at that but with an 80% chance at being a 10 year pro who never is an all star. Not saying that describes Ace and VJ, just speaking generally.

I personally don't really want either. As I've said before I want them to go up for Harper or move down for Tre. But if we're talking Ace for VJ, then I'm team Ace because I believe his upside is higher even if I feel his risk of being a bust is also higher.

I disagree with you eval of VJ vs. Ace but setting that aside - how does the bolded sentence make any sense? Turning a valuable asset (#3 pick) into absolutely nothing is equivalent to recouping some value via a rotation level NBA player? Obviously the ideal outcome is that we draft a superstar but other potential outcomes can’t be completely ignored.

In a 2020 redraft, don’t you think the Warriors would rather have someone like Devin Vassell (good but not great player) at #2 vs. swinging for a grand slam and missing with Wiseman?

Just my 2 cents but I don't think that's at all how most NBA GMs think.

Most teams/GMs don't view the draft as a way to get immediate help, anyway. If they want good role players they'll just go get more proven one's in free agency or via trade. The point of the draft is largely to have an eye toward the future. While sure, every team needs role players in the future, a potential star is much more valuable, certainly when you are drafting top 5 or top 10 and the likelihood you can draft a kid with some level of real star potential is greater.

Of course, the specific circumstances of any 1 individual team or the quality of any one specific draft can have an effect on how GMs plan but if we are talking general thought processes they are more often than not going star power, if there's some reasonable chance at it. It's the lifeblood of the NBA. Stars are what make franchises relevant.

I agree, most GMs want stars. Now maybe the Sixers view VJ as a more likely star than Ace. That's entirely possible. They may just evaluate them that way. But I can guarantee you whatever the Sixers do on draft night--whether it's trade up for Harper, whether it's take Ace or take VJ or take Tre, they will be taking the player they think has the best chance to be a star. Even if some more risk comes associated with it. And I think if you put Morey on truth serum and asked him if he'd be satisfied getting a role player with this pick, he'd say no. Especially if Embiid is totally washed, it makes getting that star to begin the next era of Sixers basketball even more important.

[Negrodamus]

I’ve been telling you, the biggest concerns with him are between the ears.

If it's an character issue, just leave him for another team

We have enough prove that talent alone isn't leading you anywhere (Simmons, Fultz, even Joel gives me vibes he doesn't have what it takes to ever win something ...).

The NBA finals are showing high character guys are the ones you can rely on.

If VJ or someone else is that guy, take him.

Well he comes from a basketball family. Both parents played in college. Aunt I think was in WNBA. So I assume they are guiding him. But honestly, an adult criticizing where a child "chose" to go to HIGH SCHOOL is foul. .

Also as confirmed by the Rutgers coach yesterday... Him choosing to go there because they were the first to show interest when he was a freshman doesn't appear to be a character flaw.... Maybe a loyalty "issue". But also doesn't hurt to get the must NIL for your non wealthy family that's likely guiding him

Love the sanctimonious musings. Can you elaborate more on his family’s presumed tax bracket some more?

[M2J]

If it's an character issue, just leave him for another team

We have enough prove that talent alone isn't leading you anywhere (Simmons, Fultz, even Joel gives me vibes he doesn't have what it takes to ever win something ...).

The NBA finals are showing high character guys are the ones you can rely on.

If VJ or someone else is that guy, take him.

Well he comes from a basketball family. Both parents played in college. Aunt I think was in WNBA. So I assume they are guiding him. But honestly, an adult criticizing where a child "chose" to go to HIGH SCHOOL is foul. .

Also as confirmed by the Rutgers coach yesterday... Him choosing to go there because they were the first to show interest when he was a freshman doesn't appear to be a character flaw.... Maybe a loyalty "issue". But also doesn't hurt to get the must NIL for your non wealthy family that's likely guiding him

Love the sanctimonious musings. Can you elaborate more on his family’s presumed tax bracket some more?

Poor!

Sorry, didn't mean to call you pathetic Negrodamus.... Thought that was from the tweet.

You're a great strong amazing person who has mattered the art of eyeing talent based on these weird numbers that go over my head. Your abilities are only behind 76 and Bum Adebayo

[the_process]

This guy is a huge character risk with low basketball IQ. He'd rather be playing a different damn sport! Drafting him would be a massive mistake!!!

However, just hours before potentially becoming the cornerstone of an NBA franchise, Edwards made some interesting comments regarding his love -- or lack thereof -- for the game of basketball.

During an interview with ESPN's Alex Scarborough, Edwards revealed that he is "not really into" the sport.

"I'm still not really into it," Edwards said. "I love basketball, yeah ... basketball is my heart, but football is where I started, so I'll never forget about that. But don't get me wrong, basketball is my No. 1 because I feel like it's going to get me through a lot of the stuff I need to get through."

Edwards elaborated, saying that he feels as though basketball is more of an occupation than a love.

"It's what I do. It's a job," Edwards added.

Edwards' trainer, Justin Holland, tried to clarify what Edwards meant by saying he isn't a fan of watching basketball games like he is with football. And when it comes to football, Edwards believes that it gives athletes more of a freedom to celebrate on opponents.

"You can do anything on the field," Edwards said of his love of football. "You can spike the ball. You can dance. You can do all type of disrespectful stuff."

In the NBA, he said, "you can't do any of that. You'll get fined."

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2020-nba-draft-anthony-edwards-potential-top-pick-says-hes-still-not-really-into-basketball/

Apples and oranges. Best case scenario Ace is a tank commander extraordinaire. He doesn't want to fit in to a system, he wants to be the system.

[Jailblazers7]

I believe in always taking upside in drafts. A lot of people think that if the Sixers stay at 3 and pick VJ and he ends up being a solid NBA player, that it wouldn't be a waste of a pick. I disagree. To me, drafting a solid player with a top 3 pick is just as bad as picking a total bust. Top 3 picks in the NBA are supposed to be needle movers. Me personally, I'd take a 10% chance at that over a 0% chance at that but with an 80% chance at being a 10 year pro who never is an all star. Not saying that describes Ace and VJ, just speaking generally.

I personally don't really want either. As I've said before I want them to go up for Harper or move down for Tre. But if we're talking Ace for VJ, then I'm team Ace because I believe his upside is higher even if I feel his risk of being a bust is also higher.

I disagree with you eval of VJ vs. Ace but setting that aside - how does the bolded sentence make any sense? Turning a valuable asset (#3 pick) into absolutely nothing is equivalent to recouping some value via a rotation level NBA player? Obviously the ideal outcome is that we draft a superstar but other potential outcomes can’t be completely ignored.

In a 2020 redraft, don’t you think the Warriors would rather have someone like Devin Vassell (good but not great player) at #2 vs. swinging for a grand slam and missing with Wiseman?

Just my 2 cents but I don't think that's at all how most NBA GMs think.

Most teams/GMs don't view the draft as a way to get immediate help, anyway. If they want good role players they'll just go get more proven one's in free agency or via trade. The point of the draft is largely to have an eye toward the future. While sure, every team needs role players in the future, a potential star is much more valuable, certainly when you are drafting top 5 or top 10 and the likelihood you can draft a kid with some level of real star potential is greater.

Of course, the specific circumstances of any 1 individual team or the quality of any one specific draft can have an effect on how GMs plan but if we are talking general thought processes they are more often than not going star power, if there's some reasonable chance at it. It's the lifeblood of the NBA. Stars are what make franchises relevant.

I have never and will never disagree with the point that any GM is looking to draft a star player at 3. I think the goal for any GM is to maximize their draft slot by picking the best player available. I feel like I’m going a little crazy here - I’m not advocating that we target a role player in this draft lmao.

The point I was taking issue with is that all misses are essentially the same. Drafting a straight up bust is a hugely negative outcome and I guarantee that GM’s take that risk into consideration when evaluating players. If you have two prospects that you determine have similar upside, which is not an unreasonable perspective for Ace & VJ, then a logical next question to ask is…who has the bigger downside?

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

All this Ace drama. I'm officially out on him. We don't need the problems this is going to create.

[LeonJordanJr24]

Vj and Tre aint it lol

[Iverson Armband]

Vj and Tre aint it lol

Looks like it ain’t AB either

[zaz102]

Smoke screen to build Ace and VJ stock. Trade back and take Tre.


Givony is blowing up our spot. Expecting to see very positive feedback from Ace's workout this week to get the plan back on track.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

Yeah, I do think this depends on how well the workout with Bailey goes this week. There's not telling what we'll hear and there's no telling what the truth is to all of this.

[76ciology]

Interesting that the Pelicans just got 23 from Indy and returned Indy's pick to them next year.

Now they have 7, 23, and Herb Jones to offer (for 3). That's certainly better. Even though I would still really like Trey Murphy.

That is what KOC had in his mock

[76ciology]

If we like Ace Bailey, then I’d rather trade for his premium version, which is Jabari Smith Jr.

[Mik317]

I don't like the character attacks part of the process

always feels scummy