Moderators: Moonbeam, DeBlazerRiddem
Case2012 wrote:Bummed about Yaxel. kind of surprising given his age, but he'll be there be there next year.
Low Outcome: Yves Missi
Despite being raw, Missi started and impacted games on both ends by leveraging his physical tools and motor. Beringer likely won't be starting games as a rookie but should be able to add value in the same ways early in his career.
Median Outcome: Javale McGee
McGee’s outstanding physical traits translated to a clear NBA role, but it took a bit for him to settle in and become a consistent contributor. I wouldn't be surprised to see Beringer take a similar route if the team fit isn't right, particularly finding his way on his second contract or team.
Low Outcome: Trevion Williams with more offensive upside
The former Purdue star thrived as a playmaking offensive hub by leveraging his feel, vision, ball skills, and power. Sharing many of the same core skills, Queen offers a versatile skill set with more offensive creativity and versatility as a shot-creator and shot-maker.
Median Outcome: Mid-career Boris Diaw with more offensive upside
Diaw’s successful 14-year career was rooted in his ability to leverage his basketball IQ, ball skills, size, and shot-making ability to shine as a versatile offensive player without a consistent three-point shot. This is a model within Queen’s skill set, whether it’s as a primary or secondary offensive option.
Low Outcome: Gorgui Dieng
Dieng entered the NBA as a defensively tilted big with some scheme versatility and an underrated offensive skill set. Despite only making one three in college (1/3 3PA), he developed into a solid shooter across his ten NBA seasons (35.5% on 552 3PA) and was a serviceable role player for the majority of his career.
Median Outcome: Wendell Carter with more impactful defense
The Sorber-Carter offensive similarities are there. Both skilled bigs with similar physical tools that understand how to blend power and finesse offensively to effectively operate from the post areas and the perimeter. While Carter isn't a knockdown three-point shooter (31% career), he is a capable one. With Sorber, he projects to be a capable shooter as well due to his touch indicators and fluid mechanics.
Low Outcome: Christian Koloko
If Maluach’s shooting never hits, Koloko makes a ton of sense as a long and rangy play finishing big who blocks shots and has some defensive versatility. Koloko is still trying to find his footing after the promising start to his career with the Raptors was halted due to his medical situation, but he was looking like a long-term rotation piece.
Median Outcome: Mark Williams with real shooting touch
With comparable measurables to Maluach (7’2” with a 7’6” wingspan), Williams fits the same play-finishing shot-blocking role and has thrived early in his career (when healthy) despite some similar concerns to Maluach from the lack of explosive vertical pop, goaltending issues, and defensive positioning/technique troubles. There was some hope that Williams could explore shooting some open threes or strictly corner threes because of some touch indicators (soft touch flashes around the rim, 72% free-throw mark, and mechanics), but nothing has come to fruition.
oldfishermen wrote:My first impression of this draft class was, it is overhyped and overvalued. Trade pick #11.
Then a handfull of mid to late FRPs started to look promisng. Add more FRPs.
However, after a deeper look, most of them now look like role bench players. Too much hype and propaganda mudding the waters.
I have no idea what to do with this draft class. I do not see any sevious talent coming our way in this draft.
If we have a pick or two, which player(s) to draft? BPA regardless of their position in mock drafts. No such thing as reaching in this group.
Norm2953 wrote:https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1234651074689846&set=a.789339712554320
Pro Comparisons: John Collins
Workouts will give Asa Newell a chance to further sell teams on his shooting, which could unlock a coveted archetype and higher level of upside. He was the only player in the country with 50 dunks and 25 threes, and certain teams will surely be drawn to adding a springy finishing weapon that can stretch the floor and move defensively.
Team Fit: If Newell’s shooting perks up, he could complement Deandre Ayton and/or Donovan Clingan as a floor-spacing, switchable big off the bench. He also creates insurance if the Blazers wind up trading Jerami Grant.
Portland's backcourt is in dire need of a revamp and retool in some way. Jakucionis could help reset the position with a true lead guard who has tools to elevate talent around him.
The Portland Trail Blazers took their first big step forward in the rebuilding process last season, giving them the platform to start building around the existing group. Noa Essengue fits that mold well, offering depth with the same type of defensive value which sparked success.
Not only did we see the lowest number of early-entrant candidates (106) in a decade, but another dozen or so draftable prospects withdrew at the deadline, making this one of the shallowest second rounds we've seen in a few years.
NBA teams have expressed surprise and concerns about this development...most believe this is a temporary bottleneck (one caused by the abnormal amount of money) that will clear in the next year or two as the players who elected to return to school this year exhaust their NCAA eligibility.
NBA teams also understand they will need to adjust how they evaluate older prospects...Players staying in school perhaps can't be frowned upon for 22- and 23-year-olds as it was in the past, and analytics-oriented NBA executives are trying to determine whether -- and to what extent -- they should be tweaking their draft models to account for this new reality
With salaries for the final handful of picks in this year's first round clocking in at below $3 million per season for the next two seasons, per the rookie scale, players projected in that range can now make just as much money by opting to stay in college while theoretically improving their draft stock.
Edrees wrote:JRoy wrote:Monta Ellis have it all
I was hoping and expecting this to be one of the first replies. You did not disappoint. Jroy have it all.
JRoy wrote:I hate the idea of drafting that dumpling at 11.
BlazersBroncos wrote:JRoy wrote:I hate the idea of drafting that dumpling at 11.
Its a big board, not a mock draft. This draft isnt as top heavy as we hoped heading into 24/25 IMO.
Kon has Bane upside IMO, but more than likely ends up a sort of Wally Z caliber guy IMO w/ a lower end outcome of Kennard.
Dumpling is hilarious though.
Edrees wrote:JRoy wrote:Monta Ellis have it all
I was hoping and expecting this to be one of the first replies. You did not disappoint. Jroy have it all.
Norm2953 wrote:You have Noa up to 4???
There is a discussion on the Wizards board centered on a potential knee issue with Bryant.
Ran the numbers on Nolan Traore today:
First Half of the Season Splits (22 games played)
Per36: 17.7 points 7.8 assists 3.7 turnovers 1.1 steals 3.2 rebounds
FGM: 4.18
FGA: 10.82
FG%: 39.0%
3PM: 1.18
3PA: 4.41
3P%: 26.8%
FTA: 3.23
TS%: 44.4%
Second Half of the Season Splits (22 games played)
Per36: 21.7 points 6.8 assists 3.9 turnovers 1.0 steals 2.8 rebounds
FGM: 4.86
FGA: 10.23
FG%: 47.5%
3PM: 1.36
3PA: 3.55
3P%: 38.3%
FTA: 3.55
TS%: 57.8%
Pretty confident the public mock drafts are way off on this guy, should be in play at 6th overall. It's worth repeating: playing as a high usage lead guard on a bad team in the top tier French pro league at 18 years old.
The Trail Blazers could be targeting a shooter with this pick after ranking 24th in 3-point percentage and in the middle of the pack in attempts last season. McNeeley is a sharpshooting wing with superb instincts moving without the ball, and the touch to splash from deep ranges. Though he doesn’t project as a primary shot creator, his feel as a connective passer gives him the skill to fit into any type of offense.
The Wizards have some talent in the backcourt, but no one has emerged as a true primary playmaker. That’s why they’re seemingly focusing on Fears, Tre Johnson, and Egor Demin.
...the 6-foot-9 forward has clear upside across the board, and that’s why he’s rising up draft boards. Brooklyn has a clean slate of a future, so it’d only make sense to take a big swing.
Many executives around the NBA expect the Raptors to lean toward selecting a player that can help the team win games in the short-term with this pick, rather than a raw project...Coward, who will be 22 years old as a rookie and has the maturity of a grown man, in part due to his fascinating journey...
Powell worked out for the Bulls this week, as I reported Monday on my podcast. And he seems to be dramatically rising throughout this draft process, as he began to remind teams (and me) at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago why he was ranked as a lottery prospect entering his season at North Carolina...Powell posted arguably the best athletic testing numbers, and shot well. That shooting success has continued on through pre-draft workouts. He’s a switch-everything defender who plays with a high motor, and if his spot-up jumper translates, he checks all the boxes to be a 3-and-D role player at a minimum.
It wouldn’t be the biggest shocker if Maluach ends up slipping to the back half of the lottery with wings on the rise. And the Spurs could be a good landing spot for him since he could play both next to Victor Wembanyama and behind him as a much-needed backup center.
If Jakučionis falls this far, he’d make perfect sense since he’s a slick shot creator with a creative passing gene and a fearless scoring ability. He carves up defenses with crafty finishes, step-back jumpers, and jaw-dropping passes. As a freshman he’d follow up those highlights with turnover brain-farts that derail the hype train. But the Timberwolves would put him in a ball-sharing situation, which could put him in a better position to succeed.
Queen’s draft stock got dinged in Chicago with some executives expressing concern over his conditioning and his lack of progress as a shooter. And with wings rising up draft boards, he could be one of the casualties who falls out of the lottery. Maybe it’d end up a blessing in disguise for him landing with the Wizards, his hometown team as a native of Maryland.
Demin has one of the widest ranges in this draft class with people around the league seeing him as an option from anywhere in the mid-lottery to the late teens...Even though he struggled to shoot and create his own shot against lengthy defenders, he did perform well at the draft combine and is said to be excelling in pre-draft workouts with his tweaked shooting mechanics.
The Frenchman oozes upside with his size, blazing speed, and shiftiness off the bounce. Inefficient scoring and erratic decision-making are the big concerns with him, but he’s played his best basketball in recent months by shooting nearly 40% from 3 and 80% from the line.
Murray-Boyles could (and should) go much higher on draft night, but this is the way the board fell in this mock...Improving his jumper would move him out of tweener territory and into All-Star status.
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