Rookie Watch - C/O 2025

[Iverson Armband]

Since there were some good (and not so good) conversations this summer and a lot of us were invested in the draft because of our high pick, figured this would be a nice place to track all the rookies this year. Feel free to post any stats, vids, thoughts of the 2025 class as the season takes shape.

[Iverson Armband]

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[Iverson Armband]

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[Sixteen]

Bailey looked bouncy and Flagg looks as good as advertised. I like VJ a lot but it's hard to ignore what Ace Bailey could have brought to this team. We need lanky good young forwards in the worst way

[M2J]

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Never heard of him.... He's good though

[Negrodamus]

Bailey looked bouncy and Flagg looks as good as advertised. I like VJ a lot but it's hard to ignore what Ace Bailey could have brought to this team. We need lanky good young forwards in the worst way

Rob Dillingham also nuked the Lakers in his first preseason game, so I'd say there's a lot more basketball to be played before we feel any way about any of these guys.

[M2J]

Bailey looked bouncy and Flagg looks as good as advertised. I like VJ a lot but it's hard to ignore what Ace Bailey could have brought to this team. We need lanky good young forwards in the worst way

Rob Dillingham also nuked the Lakers in his first preseason game, so I'd say there's a lot more basketball to be played before we feel any way about any of these guys.

Plus it's not like they don't have Emoni Bates floating around here

[Sixteen]

Bailey looked bouncy and Flagg looks as good as advertised. I like VJ a lot but it's hard to ignore what Ace Bailey could have brought to this team. We need lanky good young forwards in the worst way

Rob Dillingham also nuked the Lakers in his first preseason game, so I'd say there's a lot more basketball to be played before we feel any way about any of these guys.

100% agree. I am not basing that off these highlights for what it's worth. I think both will be fine players but Ace would have more value on this team and has a higher ceiling based on his build. I'm very happy with VJ either way

[Jailblazers7]

Way too early to tell but I still disagree that Ace inherently has a higher ceiling because of his archetype. The VJ upside case as a true lead guard with elite point of attack defense is the archetype every team is dying to have right now.

[Iverson Armband]

Way too early to tell but I still disagree that Ace inherently has a higher ceiling because of his archetype. The VJ upside case as a true lead guard with elite point of attack defense is the archetype every team is dying to have right now.

Disagree. Long, two-way wings that can shoot are still the crown jewel IMO. VJ is neither at present time.

[Negrodamus]

Way too early to tell but I still disagree that Ace inherently has a higher ceiling because of his archetype. The VJ upside case as a true lead guard with elite point of attack defense is the archetype every team is dying to have right now.

Disagree. Long, two-way wings that can shoot are still the crown jewel IMO. VJ is neither at present time.

Who are the long, two-way off-ball wings in the NBA that are crown jewels? Tatum? If you can ball, you're valuable.

[Iverson Armband]

Way too early to tell but I still disagree that Ace inherently has a higher ceiling because of his archetype. The VJ upside case as a true lead guard with elite point of attack defense is the archetype every team is dying to have right now.

Disagree. Long, two-way wings that can shoot are still the crown jewel IMO. VJ is neither at present time.

Who are the long, two-way off-ball wings in the NBA that are crown jewels? Tatum? If you can ball, you're valuable.

I didn’t say no other archetype can be good. Tatum, Brown, LeBron, Kawhi, PG, KD. One also went #1 in the draft this year, Flagg. The people who are high on Bailey feel he could be in that conversation. But there aren’t many of them, which is why they’re the crown jewel and most valuable archetype.

[Negrodamus]

Disagree. Long, two-way wings that can shoot are still the crown jewel IMO. VJ is neither at present time.

Who are the long, two-way off-ball wings in the NBA that are crown jewels? Tatum? If you can ball, you're valuable.

I didn’t say no other archetype can be good. Tatum, Brown, LeBron, Kawhi, PG, KD. One also went #1 in the draft this year, Flagg. The people who are high on Bailey feel he could be in that conversation. But there aren’t many of them, which is why they’re the crown jewel and most valuable archetype.

Not to re-litigate this and I'll be happy to be wrong, but the guys you mentioned were/are obvious distributors and were the engines of the offense in college. Ace largely got his baskets. That's why if someone like Brandon Ingram enters the draft, I'm deeply interested because of how well rounded he is coming out of Duke.

We've been discussing Emoni Bates, who is a similar frame and type of offensive player as Ace, but not taken seriously as a force offensively. So that archetype definitely has had it's misses. I think Ace will decidedly be better than Bates, but I don't really see his archetype being any more important than a 6'5 on ball 2-way player. If it hits, then it's definitely great obviously.

[Iverson Armband]

Who are the long, two-way off-ball wings in the NBA that are crown jewels? Tatum? If you can ball, you're valuable.

I didn’t say no other archetype can be good. Tatum, Brown, LeBron, Kawhi, PG, KD. One also went #1 in the draft this year, Flagg. The people who are high on Bailey feel he could be in that conversation. But there aren’t many of them, which is why they’re the crown jewel and most valuable archetype.

Not to re-litigate this and I'll be happy to be wrong, but the guys you mentioned were/are obvious distributors and were the engines of the offense in college. Ace largely got his baskets. That's why if someone like Brandon Ingram enters the draft, I'm deeply interested because of how well rounded he is coming out of Duke.

We've been discussing Emoni Bates, who is a similar frame and type of offensive player as Ace, but not taken seriously as a force offensively. So that archetype definitely has had it's misses. I think Ace will decidedly be better than Bates, but I don't really see his archetype being any more important than a 6'5 on ball 2-way player. If it hits, then it's definitely great obviously.

And I don’t see VJ as becoming an on-ball anything offensively. Not with the way he shoots off the dribble and with uncreative ball handling.

[Negrodamus]

I didn’t say no other archetype can be good. Tatum, Brown, LeBron, Kawhi, PG, KD. One also went #1 in the draft this year, Flagg. The people who are high on Bailey feel he could be in that conversation. But there aren’t many of them, which is why they’re the crown jewel and most valuable archetype.

Not to re-litigate this and I'll be happy to be wrong, but the guys you mentioned were/are obvious distributors and were the engines of the offense in college. Ace largely got his baskets. That's why if someone like Brandon Ingram enters the draft, I'm deeply interested because of how well rounded he is coming out of Duke.

We've been discussing Emoni Bates, who is a similar frame and type of offensive player as Ace, but not taken seriously as a force offensively. So that archetype definitely has had it's misses. I think Ace will decidedly be better than Bates, but I don't really see his archetype being any more important than a 6'5 on ball 2-way player. If it hits, then it's definitely great obviously.

And I don’t see VJ as becoming an on-ball anything offensively. Not with the way he shoots off the dribble and with uncreative ball handling.

That fair, it's possible they both sucks. More likely than not, from a probability standpoint.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

Neither Bailey or Edgecombe will bust in this league. Barring injury, both should have solid NBA careers. Bailey has the most upside, Edgecombe has the work ethic. It's always going to be the debate but you can't go wrong with either player. Charlotte will always look stupid for drafting Nipples over Bailey (thank God we didn't take him). In the end, one of Edgecombe or Bailey will end up the better player, but we may be debating Carmelo vrs Dwayne Wade if that's the case and I don't even want to partake in that conversation.

[Iverson Armband]

Not to re-litigate this and I'll be happy to be wrong, but the guys you mentioned were/are obvious distributors and were the engines of the offense in college. Ace largely got his baskets. That's why if someone like Brandon Ingram enters the draft, I'm deeply interested because of how well rounded he is coming out of Duke.

We've been discussing Emoni Bates, who is a similar frame and type of offensive player as Ace, but not taken seriously as a force offensively. So that archetype definitely has had it's misses. I think Ace will decidedly be better than Bates, but I don't really see his archetype being any more important than a 6'5 on ball 2-way player. If it hits, then it's definitely great obviously.

And I don’t see VJ as becoming an on-ball anything offensively. Not with the way he shoots off the dribble and with uncreative ball handling.

That fair, it's possible they both sucks. More likely than not, from a probability standpoint.

That’s very true. And believe me, I would love to be wrong on VJ because that’s what’s best for the Sixers. And I hope Bailey does indeed suck because it would make me feel a lot better about the pick, but when I watch both I’m not very confident, understanding that it is still early. When I watch VJ I just see too many hurdles for him to have to overcome to stardom.

[Black Mage]

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Never heard of him.... He's good though

I backed off him because of the mental/intangible; but Utah is using him EXACTLY as I said he should be used. That curl one step to the elbow quick pull up. So frustrating that people couldn't see the obvious way to use him and that goes for Bodner and Kyle.

[Black Mage]

Another 20 pointer on good shooting with 7 boards and 2 steals for Ace.

[Jailblazers7]

Ace has looked really good - I think I underestimated the benefit he’d get from playing within a structured NBA offense under a good coach.

I’m also annoyed that the Wizards haven’t played yet. I want to see Tre and see if Bub has taken any leaps.