2025 Draft Thread

[closg00]

Yup, Detroit being Exhibit A.

[tontoz]

Gotta admit that the NBA changing the lottery rules effective five years ago, just in time for our Wall/Beal team to totally implode was and is infuriating. To know we could easily drop to the 5 slot, even with the worst record in the league, and to have such piddling odds to grab the #1 or a top 3 pick is just mind blowingly frustrating. I cannot understand why the league agreed to this other than that the powers tricked the idiot owners in crap cities players never want to move too. It's utterly asinine, and knowing there's basically a coin toss chance we get the #5 pick, even if we are just unbelievably bad is beyond frustrating.

This might not be the worst year to fall the 5 spot. My guess is that we would still get someone really good.

[closg00]

The lottery gods gave us #2 last time, my gut tells me that we will get 3-5 this next time.

[AFM]

Gotta admit that the NBA changing the lottery rules effective five years ago, just in time for our Wall/Beal team to totally implode was and is infuriating. To know we could easily drop to the 5 slot, even with the worst record in the league, and to have such piddling odds to grab the #1 or a top 3 pick is just mind blowingly frustrating. I cannot understand why the league agreed to this other than that the powers tricked the idiot owners in crap cities players never want to move too. It's utterly asinine, and knowing there's basically a coin toss chance we get the #5 pick, even if we are just unbelievably bad is beyond frustrating.

Yeah I agree. It was supposed to reduce tanking but I don't think it's even done that.

[nate33]

Gotta admit that the NBA changing the lottery rules effective five years ago, just in time for our Wall/Beal team to totally implode was and is infuriating. To know we could easily drop to the 5 slot, even with the worst record in the league, and to have such piddling odds to grab the #1 or a top 3 pick is just mind blowingly frustrating. I cannot understand why the league agreed to this other than that the powers tricked the idiot owners in crap cities players never want to move too. It's utterly asinine, and knowing there's basically a coin toss chance we get the #5 pick, even if we are just unbelievably bad is beyond frustrating.

Yeah I agree. It was supposed to reduce tanking but I don't think it's even done that.

I don't think it's reduced season-long tank-as-a-strategy like what the Wizards are doing right now. But I do think it reduced the late-March/early-April intentional losing in order to jockey for position in the draft. The flat odds and the lack of distinction between any of the bottom 3 seeds eliminates the incentive. The Play-In helps in that regard too.

[The Consiglieri]

Gotta admit that the NBA changing the lottery rules effective five years ago, just in time for our Wall/Beal team to totally implode was and is infuriating. To know we could easily drop to the 5 slot, even with the worst record in the league, and to have such piddling odds to grab the #1 or a top 3 pick is just mind blowingly frustrating. I cannot understand why the league agreed to this other than that the powers tricked the idiot owners in crap cities players never want to move too. It's utterly asinine, and knowing there's basically a coin toss chance we get the #5 pick, even if we are just unbelievably bad is beyond frustrating.

Yeah I agree. It was supposed to reduce tanking but I don't think it's even done that.

But even that argument was ridiculous. What do you expect Milwaukee to do when Giannis leaves? What do you expect "nobody cares" cities like Charlotte, and Orlando to do when they lose their best guys? There are a handful of cities and organizations here with enough reputation and attractiveness to pull FA's, and everyone else is perpetually screwed unless they get lucky in the draft. FA's in the NBA tend to be very specific in the cities they are interested in. Nobody wants to live in Indiana, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Orlando etc. Their hope is landing their mega star in the draft. Either a player slipping, like Giannis, or Jokic, or winning the lottery is literally the only way for these cities to reliably compete. Spitting on "tanking" is what "have lot" d bags like Bill Simmons constantly whine about, but he's a fan of a team that has contended literally every single decade going back to the Beatles, and so his team never has to worry about attracting FA's, even with their racist, dog ---- fans. Same goes for LA fans, Chicago, NY etc. But fans elsewhere only have the lottery and blind luck in the draft to pray for, otherwise, they are as likely to win a title as Sunderland or AFC Wimbledon is to win the EPL. It's beyond ridiculous. They should actively ENCOURAGE tanking because its the only way to make these franchises viable. This isn't the NFL where any city can work, and FA's could go anywhere, any time, this is the NBA, where they play with their friends in cities they enjoy living in AND NOWHERE ELSE. Why on earth they'd choose this of all leagues, to ban tanking is utterly beyond me. It's insanely stupid.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Gotta admit that the NBA changing the lottery rules effective five years ago, just in time for our Wall/Beal team to totally implode was and is infuriating. To know we could easily drop to the 5 slot, even with the worst record in the league, and to have such piddling odds to grab the #1 or a top 3 pick is just mind blowingly frustrating. I cannot understand why the league agreed to this other than that the powers tricked the idiot owners in crap cities players never want to move too. It's utterly asinine, and knowing there's basically a coin toss chance we get the #5 pick, even if we are just unbelievably bad is beyond frustrating.

This might not be the worst year to fall the 5 spot. My guess is that we would still get someone really good.

If we drop to 5 and pick Derik Queen, I will be satisfied. He is fun to watch.

[AFM]

Gotta admit that the NBA changing the lottery rules effective five years ago, just in time for our Wall/Beal team to totally implode was and is infuriating. To know we could easily drop to the 5 slot, even with the worst record in the league, and to have such piddling odds to grab the #1 or a top 3 pick is just mind blowingly frustrating. I cannot understand why the league agreed to this other than that the powers tricked the idiot owners in crap cities players never want to move too. It's utterly asinine, and knowing there's basically a coin toss chance we get the #5 pick, even if we are just unbelievably bad is beyond frustrating.

Yeah I agree. It was supposed to reduce tanking but I don't think it's even done that.

But even that argument was ridiculous. What do you expect Milwaukee to do when Giannis leaves? What do you expect "nobody cares" cities like Charlotte, and Orlando to do when they lose their best guys? There are a handful of cities and organizations here with enough reputation and attractiveness to pull FA's, and everyone else is perpetually screwed unless they get lucky in the draft. FA's in the NBA tend to be very specific in the cities they are interested in. Nobody wants to live in Indiana, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Orlando etc. Their hope is landing their mega star in the draft. Either a player slipping, like Giannis, or Jokic, or winning the lottery is literally the only way for these cities to reliably compete. Spitting on "tanking" is what "have lot" d bags like Bill Simmons constantly whine about, but he's a fan of a team that has contended literally every single decade going back to the Beatles, and so his team never has to worry about attracting FA's, even with their racist, dog ---- fans. Same goes for LA fans, Chicago, NY etc. But fans elsewhere only have the lottery and blind luck in the draft to pray for, otherwise, they are as likely to win a title as Sunderland or AFC Wimbledon is to win the EPL. It's beyond ridiculous. They should actively ENCOURAGE tanking because its the only way to make these franchises viable. This isn't the NFL where any city can work, and FA's could go anywhere, any time, this is the NBA, where they play with their friends in cities they enjoy living in AND NOWHERE ELSE. Why on earth they'd choose this of all leagues, to ban tanking is utterly beyond me. It's insanely stupid.

Honestly DC shouldn't even be a part of this discussion, we're a tier below NYC/LA/MIA but still a tier 2 city IMO--we've just been ass for so long, we're literally the sorriest franchise in the NBA over the past 50 years no debate. Then again I'm pretty sure no one except me actually lives in DC on this board so I might as well be speaking Chaiwanese right now. Half you posers live in Ohio for some reason.

[The Consiglieri]

I don't think it's possible to be a poser fan of a team this historically god awful lol, but I do fit the rest of the description, born and raised in the bay area. It was my idiot older brother, born and partially raised in Northern Virginia that hooked me on DC sports before I knew better (3 or 4 years old).

[SUPERBALLMAN]

Well, at least for now, I can hope for Flagg. We legit actually have as good a chance as anyone to get him. Flagg instantly changes the entire outlook and perception of this franchise.

Would I also be happy with Harper? Yes. I would fully be on board with a Bub & Dylan backcourt.

But Flagg is the prize of this draft.

Watch on YouTube

[TGW]

I played with tankathon's draft simulator and got the #5 pick 7 out of 10 times. That would be a hilarious fail.

[doclinkin]

Yeah I agree. It was supposed to reduce tanking but I don't think it's even done that.

But even that argument was ridiculous. What do you expect Milwaukee to do when Giannis leaves? What do you expect "nobody cares" cities like Charlotte, and Orlando to do when they lose their best guys? There are a handful of cities and organizations here with enough reputation and attractiveness to pull FA's, and everyone else is perpetually screwed unless they get lucky in the draft. FA's in the NBA tend to be very specific in the cities they are interested in. Nobody wants to live in Indiana, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Orlando etc. Their hope is landing their mega star in the draft. Either a player slipping, like Giannis, or Jokic, or winning the lottery is literally the only way for these cities to reliably compete. Spitting on "tanking" is what "have lot" d bags like Bill Simmons constantly whine about, but he's a fan of a team that has contended literally every single decade going back to the Beatles, and so his team never has to worry about attracting FA's, even with their racist, dog ---- fans. Same goes for LA fans, Chicago, NY etc. But fans elsewhere only have the lottery and blind luck in the draft to pray for, otherwise, they are as likely to win a title as Sunderland or AFC Wimbledon is to win the EPL. It's beyond ridiculous. They should actively ENCOURAGE tanking because its the only way to make these franchises viable. This isn't the NFL where any city can work, and FA's could go anywhere, any time, this is the NBA, where they play with their friends in cities they enjoy living in AND NOWHERE ELSE. Why on earth they'd choose this of all leagues, to ban tanking is utterly beyond me. It's insanely stupid.

Honestly DC shouldn't even be a part of this discussion, we're a tier below NYC/LA/MIA but still a tier 2 city IMO--we've just been ass for so long, we're literally the sorriest franchise in the NBA over the past 50 years no debate. Then again I'm pretty sure no one except me actually lives in DC on this board so I might as well be speaking Chaiwanese right now. Half you posers live in Ohio for some reason.

I don't think it's possible to be a poser fan of a team this historically god awful lol, but I do fit the rest of the description, born and raised in the bay area. It was my idiot older brother, born and partially raised in Northern Virginia that hooked me on DC sports before I knew better (3 or 4 years old).

I'm literally across the street from DC. But agree with the argument that you really can't be called a poser fan of a franchise that so reliably sucks so bad. If we do luck out in the lottery we can aspire to have poser fans some day. What we can truly hope for is the cred that long time Warriors fans earned by waiting it out until the fates smiled on them. Whatever the opposite of frontrunners is, is us. Bottomdwellers? Things that live under the subbasement stairs? What's that. Trolls? If the team ever gets good we get bragging rights, they'll be well earned.

But still I'm not too mad. We suck today but even with the losses and frustrations we have some talent that is figuring it out. These are kids. Teenagers struggling against career professionals. But the talent is there. The FO has shown some savvy in actually picking the best guy available, looks like. Shoot, maybe they even do better with the later picks.

Odds suggest we pick 4th. I mean yeah you wish we had the karma of a San Antonio. To suck the right way in the right year. But wherever we pick we just have to hope the basketball gods get tired of kicking the team around and the better guy falls to us. And if not, we have at least another year or 2 of lottery hope coming around. But I mean, at least it is intentional. It's a plan. Far better than hapless mediocrity. Better to suck with purpose. And if there is a star in this draft, you wouldn't take even a 14% chance of a franchise changing player?

[dckingsfan]

I mean if you look to 2030 and assume a few more years of suck... with this year possibly being historic suckiness.

Bub, Sarr, Bilal & George

2025 First, 2026 First, 2027 First, 2028 First and most of them should be good picks.

So by they we could have 8+ picks. If just one hits to be an all-star (or on the way), I would be happy. Two and there you have it.

2029 we have two picks, I am expecting to start to cross that hurdle around then.

So, as long as we are willing to hold out hope... it is just a few short years away.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

I was watching a big board vid that referred to Fears as this year's Bub.

Watch on YouTube

Love this kid.

He's going to climb, I could see him getting into top 5 territory.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[tontoz]

Watch on YouTube

[Rafael122]

Flagg looked really good vs. Auburn. I watched most of that game and the only thing that I got out of that is that the Wizards should lose more games.

[nate33]

Flagg is awesome despite not even being that good of a shooter yet. He is top tier in nearly every other skillset. The sky is the limit for him if he ever becomes a reliable shooter.

[penbeast0]

Flagg looked really good vs. Auburn. I watched most of that game and the only thing that I got out of that is that the Wizards should lose more games.

And apparently they are listening to you.

[Rafael122]

Flagg looked really good vs. Auburn. I watched most of that game and the only thing that I got out of that is that the Wizards should lose more games.

And apparently they are listening to you.

There's a lot of chatter on social media about how bad it is, which confirms to me that most fans are absolutely fine with a 40-45 win season and a 1st round exit. Ted had it right. That's why Ernie stayed around so long, he had no reason to change things b/c fans were content with the kind of team we had. This is what a true tank and rebuild looks like.

[Benjammin]

I realize highlights are supposed to make someone look good, but I hope Tre Johnson takes the step forward to be the 4th guy in this draft. Or Edgecombe.