2025 Draft Thread - Part 2

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Maluach, Queen, and Newell

Maluach, Sorber, and Powell

Good to very good defensive versatility at the frontcourt is what I would suggest we go for. With Sarr, that would make for a formidable defensive lineup at the 5 and 4, capable of playing big or small, bruising or finesse. The rebounding rate, blocks, altered shots would be quite good.

Of course, if we can somehow trade up to get Harper, then we should do that instead.

This is a rock solid approach.

Imagine drafting Robert Parrish and Al Horford in the same class.

Sarr could focus on becoming a taller, better shot-blocking Rasheed Wallace.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I love tankathon!

Here's the list of Duke draft prospects the last few seasons:

https://www.tankathon.com/colleges/duke

I have to shout out to doclinkin. He was very correct about a player who slipped to #15 in the 2022 draft:

https://www.tankathon.com/players/mark-williams

I am sure doclinkin is on target again, but how does tankathon project Maluach?

https://www.tankathon.com/players/khaman-maluach

If you look at the two, Mark Williams looks to be/have been the BETTER prospect.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Cooper Flagg has zero weaknesses per tankathon.

https://www.tankathon.com/players/cooper-flagg

[closg00]

Cooper Flagg has zero weaknesses per tankathon.

https://www.tankathon.com/players/cooper-flagg

Who is your pick for player that will have a greater impact for draft position 5 years from now? It would be fair to wait until the end of the next season, but if you really want to be Nostradamus

[payitforward]

...Maluach really intrigues me, because he's so damn huge and he's very fluid at that size... I don't think it's really understood how talented he already is....

This expresses my pov exactly. I couldn't pass on the upside.

[Northwest Roddy]

I love tankathon!

Here's the list of Duke draft prospects the last few seasons:

https://www.tankathon.com/colleges/duke

I have to shout out to doclinkin. He was very correct about a player who slipped to #15 in the 2022 draft:

https://www.tankathon.com/colleges/duke

I am sure doclinkin is on target again, but how does tankathon project Maluach?

https://www.tankathon.com/players/khaman-maluach

If you look at the two, Mark Williams looks to be/have been the BETTER prospect.

But wasn't Mark Williams two years older than Maluach when he came out?

[pcbothwel]

...Maluach really intrigues me, because he's so damn huge and he's very fluid at that size... I don't think it's really understood how talented he already is....

This expresses my pov exactly. I couldn't pass on the upside.

Maluach is intriguing enough that I trust the FO if they love him.
My prediction come draft night... The 76ers take Tre and Hornets take VJ... That puts Utah on the board with Fears, Ace, and Maluach.

[Northwest Roddy]

When I was a kid, I rooted Baltimore >> DC

O's, Colts, Bullets.

Jim, those were my teams as well.

My father was a Redskins fan. I liked the Colts. Bert Jones and Lydell Mitchell were great.

I got into football in 1965. Colts lost both Unitas and
Cuozo to injuries that year. Still had a good team QB'd
by Tom Matte.

I'm a Redskins fan all the way, but my Dad switched to the Ravens when Snyder bought the team. He had twenty plus years of happy football watching while I suffered and mourned. He was right! But Adam Peters and JD5 means we back up!!!

[NatP4]

Read on Twitter

[DCZards]

Everyone talking about what Maluach can’t do. Let’s not forget that he’s probably the rawest prospect in the draft. Khaman is a baby when it comes to bball experience.

[nate33]

I love tankathon!

Here's the list of Duke draft prospects the last few seasons:

https://www.tankathon.com/colleges/duke

I have to shout out to doclinkin. He was very correct about a player who slipped to #15 in the 2022 draft:

https://www.tankathon.com/colleges/duke

I am sure doclinkin is on target again, but how does tankathon project Maluach?

https://www.tankathon.com/players/khaman-maluach

If you look at the two, Mark Williams looks to be/have been the BETTER prospect.

Mark Williams is probably a reasonably fair comparison for Maluach, if we're not giving Maluach any extra credit for being unusually young and inexperienced.

Williams has actually been quite good as a pro, except he can't stay healthy. Over the last 2 seasons combined (his 2nd and 3rd) he is averaging 19.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks per 36 of a .654 TS%. He had an incredible on/off differential two years ago at +11.3. This year, his on/off numbers are tainted because he played a lot of the final half of the season while Lamelo and Miller were out and the team was actively tanking. But in the 500 minutes he shared with Lamelo, the team has just a -1.9 point differential, meaning they played like a 38-win team. (They played like a 15-win team in the remaining minutes this season.)

If Maluach turned out to be exactly like Williams, only healthy, that would be a pretty good pick at #6.

[badinage]

How do we know Maluach isn’t Mo Bamba Redux?

[tontoz]

Mark Williams averaged 5.2 stocks per 40 as a freshman compared to 2.9 for Maluach.

[closg00]

...Maluach really intrigues me, because he's so damn huge and he's very fluid at that size... I don't think it's really understood how talented he already is....

This expresses my pov exactly. I couldn't pass on the upside.

Maluach is intriguing enough that I trust the FO if they love him.
My prediction come draft night... The 76ers take Tre and Hornets take VJ... That puts Utah on the board with Fears, Ace, and Maluach.

Why do the Sixers take Tre when they have Jared? I don’t think they take Ace though, they are rumored to be considering Maluach. Utah will of-course consider Kon too.

[nate33]

Mark Williams averaged 5.2 stocks per 40 as a freshman compared to 2.9 for Maluach.

True, but Maluach was still a massive rim deterrent even without the blocks. Dudes were doing the Abe Simpson at the bar when they saw him.

[tontoz]

Mark Williams averaged 5.2 stocks per 40 as a freshman compared to 2.9 for Maluach.

True, but Maluach was still a massive rim deterrent even without the blocks. Dudes were doing the Abe Simpson at the bar when they saw him.

I don't think the scarecrow defense will translate to the NBA.

[The Consiglieri]

What are the chances Ace falls to 6? I could see it. Philly drafts Tre Johnson - more ready to contribute now and still has star potential. Charlotte drafts Edgecomb. Utah could draft Ace. They might also do something like draft Maluach and trade Walker Kessler.

What would we trade to move up one spot with Utah?

I get the feeling Ace will fall to 6. Aurelius seems to lack awareness. He could be like the guy on Houston with all the athleticism in the world who is a non-factor in games.

Could be, that's the feeling I got back in April/May, that his stock was precipitously dropping.

But I can't help thinking he'd be a high risk, well worth it steal in such a scenario (with an admittedly risky floor). Guy was the consensus #2 in that recruiting class, and something was clearly wrong with the team/coach/mix there as they had a ---- season despite having 2 of the top 3 recruiting prospects who are still considered the 2nd and 3rd overall most likely draftees.

I'd rather bet on that being an outlier season in a bad situation than that Ace is fundamentally flawed. All that being said, it was definitely a disappointing season with some real erratic whipsaw stretches month to month. It would not shock me at all if he's a perennial all star and if he played out as a bust. But I think he's definitely worth the swing.

[NatP4]

Mark Williams averaged 5.2 stocks per 40 as a freshman compared to 2.9 for Maluach.

Ayton, Poeltl, Williams, Lively, Kessler, and Bamba seem like the closest comps.

Ayton&Poeltl posted similar stock numbers, but were high usage first option scorers in college.

Stocks per36 as freshman:
Williams: 4.7
Bamba: 5.3
Lively: 5.1
Kessler: 6.3

Maluach: 2.6

Maluach was about a year younger than all of them.

[Hibachi_0]

[tweet]

Read on Twitter

?t=WW61uaiw92MQ3XlosXF9Nw&s=19/tweet]

[Hibachi_0]

Read on Twitter

?t=f8Y2Qgl6k1LkffHwJzWK9w&s=19

Those are some nice measurements. That 6-12 range will be interesting to see how ends up with the french rising in the mocks again. And who'll be available at 18...