2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 6

[MessiahUjiri]

Yeah makes no sense. If we were thinking about trading IQ we would have kept Davion.

And did Shead retire?

Yeah I didn’t bother putting Shead / Mogbo / Chomche etc in the depth chart, because I focused on the main guys.

You have to think that someone like Nolan Traore will be ahead of Shead for development opportunities, although Shead might get more opportunities earlier in the season.

I just don't see us moving IQ unless it's in a deal for a better PG. We need his outside shooting.

I think the shooting concerns are overblown.

- Dick
- Ingram
- RJ
- Ochai
- Jakobe
- KCP

are all threats from downtown. You would have 2-3 of them on the floor at all times.

Then guys like Scottie & Black are more like 15 foot shooters. It’s not like they’re negatives. And they are super smart.

Even Poeltl, although he doesn’t shoot himself, he creates a lot of space by boxing out on offense via screen assists that don’t show up on the box score. One of the analysts wrote about his screen assists creating spacing this year.

Again- this is MASAI’s version of a roster build - prioritizing size, defense, playmaking, and intelligence. Then you add on shooting after (see Norm, Siakam, Fred, OG, Scottie)

[LoveMyRaps]

Traore makes RJ expendable. Hence, why I see us drafting him.

The playmaking + slashing + rim attacks - all can be replaced by Traore.

In his rookie year though? Maybe in 3-5 years?

If you want RJ's usage to hover around the 28-30% mark like last season, then no Traore can't replace that production.

However, that's not the point I was making.

RJ's responsibilities next year should be limited to his strengths - i.e., cutting to the rim and creating for others. Those also happen to be Traore's greatest strengths and he'll be able to contribute in those ways from day 1.
Leave the self creation to Ingram, IQ, and Scottie (in the post).
I love RJ but he's very much replaceable. It'd be wise to move him by the trade deadline to create some cap breathing room and address our other needs.

[PushDaRock]

Traore makes RJ expendable. Hence, why I see us drafting him.

The playmaking + slashing + rim attacks - all can be replaced by Traore.

In his rookie year though? Maybe in 3-5 years?

If you want RJ's usage to hover around the 28-30% mark like last season, then no Traore can't replace that production.

However, that's not the point I was making.

RJ's responsibilities next year should be limited to his strengths - i.e., cutting to the rim and creating for others. Those also happen to be Traore's greatest strengths and he'll be able to contribute in those ways from day 1.
Leave the self creation to Ingram, IQ, and Scottie (in the post).
I love RJ but he's very much replaceable. It'd be wise to move him by the trade deadline to create some cap breathing room and address our other needs.

Outside of generational and elite talents where you can sometimes make an exception, you draft the replacement and have them actually replace the other player only when they have proven themselves capable of doing so. You don't just assume they make the other player expendable without playing a single minute in the NBA. The vast majority of rookies suck or at the very least need to be sheltered, so that wouldn't be happening for a couple years in most cases anyways.

[Tripod]

Yeah I didn’t bother putting Shead / Mogbo / Chomche etc in the depth chart, because I focused on the main guys.

You have to think that someone like Nolan Traore will be ahead of Shead for development opportunities, although Shead might get more opportunities earlier in the season.

I just don't see us moving IQ unless it's in a deal for a better PG. We need his outside shooting.

I think the shooting concerns are overblown.

- Dick
- Ingram
- RJ
- Ochai
- Jakobe
- KCP

are all threats from downtown. You would have 2-3 of them on the floor at all times.

Then guys like Scottie & Black are more like 15 foot shooters. It’s not like they’re negatives. And they are super smart.

Even Poeltl, although he doesn’t shoot himself, he creates a lot of space by boxing out on offense via screen assists that don’t show up on the box score. One of the analysts wrote about his screen assists creating spacing this year.

Again- this is MASAI’s version of a roster build - prioritizing size, defense, playmaking, and intelligence. Then you add on shooting after (see Norm, Siakam, Fred, OG, Scottie)

Don't put this on Masai...lol. This is your vision.



Black is not a shooting guard or a PG. We will never start next year with a 2 year, 1 year and rookie PG as our PG depth.

And removing our 3rd best 3pt shooter and only deep 3 shooter absolutely is going to hurt our outside shooting.

But you believe what you want.

[Mark_83]

Watch on YouTube

[Walid]

Traore makes RJ expendable. Hence, why I see us drafting him.

The playmaking + slashing + rim attacks - all can be replaced by Traore.

Needs to learn to go left

[WuTang_CMB]

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/mock-draft

SCOUTING REPORT BY Danny Chau
The counting stats won’t make a very compelling case for Bryant as a first-round talent. He has one of the lowest usage rates of any player projected to go in the top 30, comparable to those of fellow freshman Khaman Maluach, who started playing basketball only five years ago. But Bryant would pass even the most rudimentary of eye tests: His Vitruvian frame, agility, and explosiveness would stand out in just about any game he’s in. The clincher? He’s only a freshman.

Bryant’s standout trait at this stage is his defensive playmaking. He lifts off the ground quickly and hangs in the air for as long as necessary. His leaping ability, coupled with his quick reaction speed, makes his blocks seem like acts of precognition. He can swat away shots before the apex of the shooter’s jump because he arrives earlier than you’d expect. That mind-body sync grants him complete shot-blocking versatility: He’s equally adept at chase-downs, weakside help, blocking 3-pointers from a standstill, and getting an angle on a shot when defending on the low block. Of course, there’s a thin line between reading a situation more quickly than your opponent and getting caught in a compromising position. Bryant’s foul rate is staggeringly high for his position, more akin to a true center’s numbers than a roving, switchable combo forward’s. Teams will have to weigh their desire for ceiling-raising defensive playmaking against their appetite for foul trouble.

The rest of Bryant’s game is far less volatile. He’s mostly a play finisher on offense, spotting up from 3 or scoring at the rim. The shooting indicators are legitimate: Bryant shot nearly 40 percent from 3 in Big 12 conference play and has shown promise from deep dating back to his high school stats. While flashes of self-creation have been practically nonexistent, Bryant finds ways to impact the offense. He’s a shrewd off-ball mover with a deep understanding of when to cut into daylight; he’s a smart passer, trusted to make the right read when the ball finds him. At this stage in his offensive development, he’s mostly a human fiber supplement (that’s a compliment).

It will be hard for teams to pass up Bryant’s baseline skill set. He offers the full vision of a versatile role player without major compromises in size, shooting ability, or defensive acumen. The lack of meaningful on-ball reps could cap Bryant’s ceiling at the next level, but honest-to-goodness 3-and-D starters are hard to come by. Carter has all the tools to be next in line.

[WuTang_CMB]

Watch on YouTube

;t=10s

[Brinbe]

when it comes to a lot of the more mainstream media, like the ringer, I really don't think those draft guys/guides are following this any closer than we are, so it's just the cart following the horse in terms of guys like Bryant, who this board jumped on as a prospect way before hand. to put it more bluntly, they're not gonna be telling us anything we don't already know if you've watched any amount of Arizona games this season. And their former head guy in KOC was the biggest Killian Hayes jockrider you'd ever seen which pretty much ensured he had zero cred.

the obvious exceptions being guys like Givony/Vecenie who do get granted access to in-person workouts and actually talk to execs/FOs, but I feel that sort of also clouds their analysis too as they'll favor the guys they've been able to see and I don't think they're amazing judges of talent either, though Givony has at least put that time in and has roots on this site.

of course you're not gonna be right on every prospect, just like GMs/FOs will be wrong, but it's also not exactly rocket science.

[Indeed]

when it comes to a lot of the more mainstream media, like the ringer, I really don't think those draft guys/guides are following this any closer than we are, so it's just the cart following the horse in terms of guys like Bryant, who this board jumped on as a prospect way before hand. to put it more bluntly, they're not gonna be telling us anything we don't already know if you've watched any amount of Arizona games this season. And their former head guy in KOC was the biggest Killian Hayes jockrider you'd ever seen which pretty much ensured he had zero cred.

the obvious exceptions being guys like Givony/Vecenie who do get granted access to in-person workouts and actually talk to execs/FOs, but I feel that sort of also clouds their analysis too as they'll favor the guys they've been able to see and I don't think they're amazing judges of talent either, though Givony has at least put that time in and has roots on this site.

of course you're not gonna be right on every prospect, just like GMs/FOs will be wrong, but it's also not exactly rocket science.

Indeed, the main thing they offer is the feedback from team executives, which can also be smoke screen.

We saw the scouting from our board in previous years pointed out better prospects that we like, eg. Mogbo, Shead last year. It is more reliable to read from our own discussion here, pacticularly 2nd round fits.

[MEDIC]

At the 19:05 mark, Leo talks about the draft & who the Raps could pick. He seems to see the same things in Kon that a buch of us do:

https://youtu.be/vPtO2WZWpu0?si=wKRlD29-TE3p22FX

I love the way the kid plays & would be happy if the Raps selected him. He processes the game at such a high speed, has a high motor & is super skilled.

We have seen other players like this (High IQ, processing speed & skill, but lack athleticism) go under the radar & have excellent NBA careers (Jokic is one that comes to mind).

[Indeed]

At the 19:05 mark, Leo talks about the draft & who the Raps could pick. He seems to see the same things in Kon that a buch of us do:

https://youtu.be/vPtO2WZWpu0?si=wKRlD29-TE3p22FX

I love the way the kid plays & would be happy if the Raps selected him. He processes the game at such a high speed, has a high motor & is super skilled.

We have seen other players like this (High IQ, processing speed & skill, but lack athleticism) go under the radar & have excellent NBA careers (Jokic is one that comes to mind).

The biggest question I have is how muc of an upgrade he is to Dick. Personally he isnt an upgrade, not even on the defensive end.

[LoveMyRaps]

In his rookie year though? Maybe in 3-5 years?

If you want RJ's usage to hover around the 28-30% mark like last season, then no Traore can't replace that production.

However, that's not the point I was making.

RJ's responsibilities next year should be limited to his strengths - i.e., cutting to the rim and creating for others. Those also happen to be Traore's greatest strengths and he'll be able to contribute in those ways from day 1.
Leave the self creation to Ingram, IQ, and Scottie (in the post).
I love RJ but he's very much replaceable. It'd be wise to move him by the trade deadline to create some cap breathing room and address our other needs.

Outside of generational and elite talents where you can sometimes make an exception, you draft the replacement and have them actually replace the other player only when they have proven themselves capable of doing so. You don't just assume they make the other player expendable without playing a single minute in the NBA. The vast majority of rookies suck or at the very least need to be sheltered, so that wouldn't be happening for a couple years in most cases anyways.

You're absolutely right but also misinterpreted my use of the term "expendable".

I foresee RJ taking on a more limited role on the offensive end next season - w/ his usage in the low 20s as opposed to being closer to 30%.
He'll mostly be utilized as a off-ball cutter w/ the starting unit and a primary playmaker w/ the second unit.
These also happen to be Traore's greatest strengths - his ability to attack the rim and create for others is what makes him an intriguing prospect.

Now, am I suggesting that Traore will be able to do as good of a job in those departments as RJ? Absolutely not. However, the plays we run for RJ, we'll be able to replicate to some effectiveness w/ Traore.

But as you suggested, there's no guarantee Traore (or any rookie for that matter) pans out. Hence, why I said to move him by the deadline and not this off-season. Otherwise, we can hang onto RJ past the deadline and then he'll be an expiring contract the following season, which would diminish his value.

TLDR: Not suggesting Nolan can replace RJ's production, but we already have several guards/wings on this team, so it'd be wise to sell high on RJ by the deadline once we see what Nolan is capable of. We can trade RJ to bolster our front-court and potentially create some cap flexibility.

[mademan]

If it's not Queen, i really do think a trade back is on the board. Give me one of Traore/Bryant + another prospect (maybe both of them) over anyone else at 7

[WuTang_CMB]

Bryant is going lotto and could easily go 8-10 if a team falls in love cuz his workouts will be solid. Doubt toronto moves back now to take that chance

[mademan]

Bryant is going lotto and could easily go 8-10 if a team falls in love cuz his workouts will be solid. Doubt toronto moves back now to take that chance

Ya. I really do see his floor as a Herb Jones that can shoot, which is extremely valuable in the NBA. He has a real clear cut NBA starter level talent on the defensive end, and there's no reason to think he wont be a good spot up shooter. Does he have OG upside? I think so. How does that not go in the top 10?

[Duffman100]

If it's not Queen, i really do think a trade back is on the board. Give me one of Traore/Bryant + another prospect (maybe both of them) over anyone else at 7

Curious who we then shed off our roster. We'll start running out of room no?

(I think I've asked you this before on the trade down scenario)

[mademan]

If it's not Queen, i really do think a trade back is on the board. Give me one of Traore/Bryant + another prospect (maybe both of them) over anyone else at 7

Curious who we then shed off our roster. We'll start running out of room no?

(I think I've asked you this before on the trade down scenario)

We only have 11 under contract next year, no? 12 with Chomche (if he's not 2-way). I dont think Lawson or Castleton are anything but 2-way guys.

[WuTang_CMB]

Bryant is going lotto and could easily go 8-10 if a team falls in love cuz his workouts will be solid. Doubt toronto moves back now to take that chance

Ya. I really do see his floor as a Herb Jones that can shoot, which is extremely valuable in the NBA. He has a real clear cut NBA starter level talent on the defensive end, and there's no reason to think he wont be a good spot up shooter. Does he have OG upside? I think so. How does that not go in the top 10?

I really do see a lot of OG more than anyone in the league for comparison. What type of player is that? I think we can all agree OG was a 3 and D guy but on steroids. They both have the height and length and move extremely well to cover ground and deter shots. Tough to do on the wing that's why OG was so high in demand across the league. Bryant also had a higher DBPM than OG did in freshman seasons. Both had low usage 16-17%

When you look at the type of players we like, what wins in the playoffs, 2 way players with great length and athletism - I don't see how Bryant isn't top 3 on our board at 7 or 8.

[WuTang_CMB]

Read on Twitter