2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 7

[S.W.A.N]

Our offense was consistently bad all year. We can’t add defense first guys with shaky offense and continue trying to win off defense alone

Yep we badly need an offensive player i feel....But problem is Kon/Tre prolly the 2 best offensive guys you can get close to our range prolly off the board...I hope Fears is the one to fall to us at 9th....Because we have enough defenders on the team that have a really hard time scoring.......Noa/Bryant/Fleming < look like role players to me....None of them have an offensive bag.....

Top 5 players in our range with an offensive bag are Tre/Kon/Fears/Jaku/Queen outside of that 5 you have Jase/Traore/Will Riley/Walter Clayton Jr....Who all have offensive bags....But i think Masai may go for another bad offensive player with good defense and then wonder why we can't out score anyone

I think it's kind of difficult to assess the offensive capability of this team. Especially since the best offensive player on the team hasn't played one minute yet. Plus, you had a bunch of rookies playing big minutes this season, tons of injuries & blatant tanking moves. I would say our starting lineup lacks defense more than it lacks offense.

Quickley Offense > Defense
RJ Offense > Defense
Ingram Offense > Defense
Scottie Offense < Defense
Poeltl Defense = Offense

You have Shead, Walter, Gradey's offensive games evolving. Mogbo is probably a lost cause. Battle is better offensively than defensively. Ochai is better defensively than offensively.

The could use some scoring off the bench for sure. Maybe Gradey brings it? Maybe Walter improves his bag......I am still hoping he can turn into a Derrick White type player, or maybe Josh Hart.

I think there is a lot to be determined about this team in regards to need. We will know by allstar break for sure.

I still think this team lacks a competent veteran off the bench. Maybe it's something that can be addressed via trade.

Having said all of that, I guy like Tre Johnson would be pretty nice to have as a bench scorer until he earns a starting spot.

At 9 I think the answer is who's the best 2 way player available. You are right that we don't really know what we have, but one thing we've seen this playoffs is that you can't be horrible on one side of the court. Thats why I love the idea of guys like Carter/Noa/Fleming.

If Traore/Demin/Jak projected as positive defenders I'd move them to the top of my board.

[Duffman100]

Flagg and Harper have franchise potential, Ace, Edgecomb and Johnson all have all-star potential (remember Bradley Beal was an all-star) based on talent alone. I’ve been listening to a lot of draft content and I’ve never heard any serious person say any of the 3 have high bust potential.

If you look at the top 5, all of them have self creation ability and outside of the top 5 the only guys that have high self creation ability projected to go lottery are Queen, Kasparov, Fears, Denim and maybe Knueppel but they all also come with way more question marks than the projected top 5.

Isn't the knock on Bailey that he doesn't have self creation ability outside of tough jumpers.

From what I’ve read the main concern with Bailey is his decision making not his ability to create. Also remember that outside of Harper his teammates were just really bad.

From the mocks and scouting reports I've seen it's his decision making, ability to create for others and ability to break his guy down and get to the rim.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Start planting seeds

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[mtcan]

Isn't the knock on Bailey that he doesn't have self creation ability outside of tough jumpers.

From what I’ve read the main concern with Bailey is his decision making not his ability to create. Also remember that outside of Harper his teammates were just really bad.

From the mocks and scouting reports I've seen it's his decision making, ability to create for others and ability to break his guy down and get to the rim.

I'm getting a sense that Bailey is like a taller version of Jalen Green. Taken top 5 he might not live up to his standing...but he falls a bit in the lottery he'd be ok.

[NotMyKawhi]

Seems like a top 8 draft. Id trade back if one doesn't fall to me or trade for a star

[The Duke]

Flagg
Harper
Bailey
Edgecombe
Maluach
Queen
Knueppel
Fears
Johnson

We have the 9th pick in a 9 player draft.

In think we’ll nab a cat not on this above list

[Badonkadonk]

Flagg
Harper
Bailey
Edgecombe
Maluach
Queen
Knueppel
Fears
Johnson

We have the 9th pick in a 9 player draft.

In think we’ll nab a cat not on this above list

Agreed, in fact outside of the obvious top 4 I hope all of those guys except Maluach are taken. I think the run on potentially high-ceiling wings happens just outside of those names (CMB, Essengue, Fleming, Bryant) and that's where I hope the Raptors focus if they can't get Khaman.

[Mark_83]

I suspect we're going big with one pick and wing with the other, unless someone unexpected drops to either pick.

Now that Coward is unlikely to make it to the second, like a lot of my favorites I'm looking at the next tier with a guy like Penda. A 6'6" tank at 225lbs, with a 7-foot wingspan. Kind of reminds me of Dillon Brooks, minus the attitude, but with longer arms.

Watch on YouTube

;pp=ygUKbm9haCBwZW5kYQ%3D%3D

[Duffman100]

From what I’ve read the main concern with Bailey is his decision making not his ability to create. Also remember that outside of Harper his teammates were just really bad.

From the mocks and scouting reports I've seen it's his decision making, ability to create for others and ability to break his guy down and get to the rim.

I'm getting a sense that Bailey is like a taller version of Jalen Green. Taken top 5 he might not live up to his standing...but he falls a bit in the lottery he'd be ok.

I like the Rashard Lewis comp. And hell, I'd take that at 3 for sure if I could.

[XTC]

From the mocks and scouting reports I've seen it's his decision making, ability to create for others and ability to break his guy down and get to the rim.

I'm getting a sense that Bailey is like a taller version of Jalen Green. Taken top 5 he might not live up to his standing...but he falls a bit in the lottery he'd be ok.

I like the Rashard Lewis comp. And hell, I'd take that at 3 for sure if I could.

Rashard Lewis was a great shooter, who could post up smaller players, blow by bigger guys, and he had a legit face up game. He was also a good athlete.

Seattle Rashard was a legit match up problem. I don't see the same offensively versatility from Bailey.

[Duffman100]

I'm getting a sense that Bailey is like a taller version of Jalen Green. Taken top 5 he might not live up to his standing...but he falls a bit in the lottery he'd be ok.

I like the Rashard Lewis comp. And hell, I'd take that at 3 for sure if I could.

Rashard Lewis was a great shooter, who could post up smaller players, blow by bigger guys, and he had a legit face up game. He was also a good athlete.

Seattle Rashard was a legit match up problem. I don't see the same offensively versatility from Bailey.

Fair. Shard was hella underrated.

[grant101]

I suspect we're going big with one pick and wing with the other, unless someone unexpected drops to either pick.

Now that Coward is unlikely to make it to the second, like a lot of my favorites I'm looking at the next tier with a guy like Penda. A 6'6" tank at 225lbs, with a 7-foot wingspan. Kind of reminds me of Dillon Brooks, minus the attitude, but with longer arms.

Watch on YouTube

;pp=ygUKbm9haCBwZW5kYQ%3D%3D

Penda is really interesting. don’t think he makes it to our second round pick though

[Psubs]

I suspect we're going big with one pick and wing with the other, unless someone unexpected drops to either pick.

Now that Coward is unlikely to make it to the second, like a lot of my favorites I'm looking at the next tier with a guy like Penda. A 6'6" tank at 225lbs, with a 7-foot wingspan. Kind of reminds me of Dillon Brooks, minus the attitude, but with longer arms.

Watch on YouTube

;pp=ygUKbm9haCBwZW5kYQ%3D%3D

Penda is really interesting. don’t think he makes it to our second round pick though

Spurs have #38 pick. Ooooh la la, Penda.

[mademan]

I suspect we're going big with one pick and wing with the other, unless someone unexpected drops to either pick.

Now that Coward is unlikely to make it to the second, like a lot of my favorites I'm looking at the next tier with a guy like Penda. A 6'6" tank at 225lbs, with a 7-foot wingspan. Kind of reminds me of Dillon Brooks, minus the attitude, but with longer arms.

Watch on YouTube

;pp=ygUKbm9haCBwZW5kYQ%3D%3D

Penda is really interesting. don’t think he makes it to our second round pick though

I think that too, but i say that about a lot of prospects. Like a guy like Hugo Gonzalez is an absolute steal in the 2nd round, but how does he make it there? Some guys will slip for sure

[MEDIC]

Yep we badly need an offensive player i feel....But problem is Kon/Tre prolly the 2 best offensive guys you can get close to our range prolly off the board...I hope Fears is the one to fall to us at 9th....Because we have enough defenders on the team that have a really hard time scoring.......Noa/Bryant/Fleming < look like role players to me....None of them have an offensive bag.....

Top 5 players in our range with an offensive bag are Tre/Kon/Fears/Jaku/Queen outside of that 5 you have Jase/Traore/Will Riley/Walter Clayton Jr....Who all have offensive bags....But i think Masai may go for another bad offensive player with good defense and then wonder why we can't out score anyone

I think it's kind of difficult to assess the offensive capability of this team. Especially since the best offensive player on the team hasn't played one minute yet. Plus, you had a bunch of rookies playing big minutes this season, tons of injuries & blatant tanking moves. I would say our starting lineup lacks defense more than it lacks offense.

Quickley Offense > Defense
RJ Offense > Defense
Ingram Offense > Defense
Scottie Offense < Defense
Poeltl Defense = Offense

You have Shead, Walter, Gradey's offensive games evolving. Mogbo is probably a lost cause. Battle is better offensively than defensively. Ochai is better defensively than offensively.

The could use some scoring off the bench for sure. Maybe Gradey brings it? Maybe Walter improves his bag......I am still hoping he can turn into a Derrick White type player, or maybe Josh Hart.

I think there is a lot to be determined about this team in regards to need. We will know by allstar break for sure.

I still think this team lacks a competent veteran off the bench. Maybe it's something that can be addressed via trade.

Having said all of that, I guy like Tre Johnson would be pretty nice to have as a bench scorer until he earns a starting spot.

At 9 I think the answer is who's the best 2 way player available. You are right that we don't really know what we have, but one thing we've seen this playoffs is that you can't be horrible on one side of the court. Thats why I love the idea of guys like Carter/Noa/Fleming.

If Traore/Demin/Jak projected as positive defenders I'd move them to the top of my board.

Yeah, the way I look at it is if there is no allstar level talent available, then you always go for the best 2 way talent available. Players like that are always going to help improve your team and they are always going to have trade value.

They took OG, hoping they could teach him to shoot & look at the trade package they got for him just as he was entering his prime.

[WuTang_CMB]

39 will be nice. The draft has good depth again like last year

[Got Nuffin]

How much of Jakuconis' form slipping is correlated to his injury? Because he was not the same player after that, and he was a top 5-6 pick before that.

I am really intrigued by this guy as a dynamic playmaker who may be around at our pick, and if the pre-injury form is real he could be a steal at his position.

Still on board with us developing Maluach into Myles Turner on roids, but keen to see what Masai and Bobby think of Jaku when he comes in for a workout.

[Psubs]

If we don't get Rasheer Fleming, I think Yaxel Lendeborg would be an okay 2nd choice, or go with a real C?

[BoyzNTheHood]

If we don't get Rasheer Fleming, I think Yaxel Lendeborg would be an okay 2nd choice, or go with a real C?

He has modern C size, but the issue is his age. Everything else checks out, but do we take a guy who will be 23 before the season starts?

[WuTang_CMB]

If we don't get Rasheer Fleming, I think Yaxel Lendeborg would be an okay 2nd choice, or go with a real C?

He has modern C size, but the issue is his age. Everything else checks out, but do we take a guy who will be 23 before the season starts?

Not at 9.