2025 Draft Thread - Part 3

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Maxime Raynaud is available and French lol just saying lol.

But will likely be gone by 43. Broome is an option some other big boys left too.

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Eric Dixon is not a C, but he is a starter at PF, IMO.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

i don't think tre lasts til 6 is the problem.

Hi

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Yep.

[The Consiglieri]

One thing to keep in mind is that some of these guys are playing college ball because they have to, not because they want to. Sometimes I got the feeling (even with Harper) that they were just killing time until the real games begin in the NBA.

Not everyone was completely invested in the college experience like Cooper.

Great point, it's one of the many reasons I decided to dig into high school recruiting rankings. If we are exclusively targeting 18/19 year olds with first rounders and only the occasional 20 year, we should probably be acquainted with how highly rated these guys were as high school recruits, even if a ton of top end high school recruits either bust, or we're just guys I never heard of after 1 year in college (about 50-65% of the top 30 are like that).


Let me add:

Will Riley:
rivals: 12th ranked in class (Newell, Queen, McNeely, Carter Bryant, Fears etc ranked below him)
247sports: 20th ranked in class
espn150: 12th ranked in class

So from that perspective, kind of exciting, Riley was ranked ahead of bunch of guys just 18 months ago in the battle for the best of a pretty loaded '24 group.

Already mentioned that Tre was a consensus top 4-6 guy in class by everyone.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Tre had 4 games that destroyed his stats

0-14
2-13
3-15
4-18

9-60

Without those 4 gamez …his shooting percentage is 46 percent



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That's why I know he's going to be at least a sixth man, but Riley will be even better. Both guys tore it up as freshmen, but Johnson did that carrying a team.

[The Consiglieri]

Read on Twitter

Lakers moved up 10 spots by trading 55 and cash.

That's basically the template if the Wizards want to move up.

I don't know why we wouldn't, I believe we have 4 freaking 2nd rounders next year.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Dawkins has draft 2 big guards in Bub and Tre and traded for another big (ish - definitely not small) guard in AJ Johnson.

Also several big-ish wings - Bilal, Riley, George.

Looks a lot like both Indiana and OKC, tbh. Plus each one has a guy who Sarr might one day approach - Myles Turner and Chet.

We better win the damn number one pick next year though. This year, I think Marcus Smart might be the heaviest guy on the roster. Champagnie is going to lead the team in rebounds.

Glad we traded Bey. Need to trade Kispert for something now too. Likely going to get a handful of second rounders but it is what it is at this point. Can't have both him and Middleton gumming things up.

Will Riley patterns his game after Manu Ginobili.

He seems himself as a Forward.

https://www.zagsblog.com/2024/05/20/five-star-small-forward-will-riley-planning-june-visits-to-kentucky-alabama/

[dckingsfan]

The Williams thing is remarkably coherent and incoherent by turns. Yes, trading for and then drafting two enormous pure centers is arguably an odd choice, but then centers inherently need more relief and understudy to Mark Williams is often a temporary position.

Trading Williams for that return is as close to seeing two organizations put their medical staff in the thunderdome as it gets.

I’m thrilled we didn’t:

1. Draft Egor Demin at #8 (and everything else BKN did)
2. Trade a 1st for Mark Williams&draft Maluach
3. Trade #16 +2028 1st and multiple 2nds to move up to #11 and take Coward
4. Draft Yang at #16 (with Clingan and Ayton already on the roster)
5. Trade #21 and three 2nds for Walter Clayton
6. Trade #23 and an unprotected 2026 1st for Derik Queen

I wanted no part of every player drafted after Will Riley, with the exception of maybe Jase Richardson, but the Wizards need to swing on upside. The pick makes sense. He fits better than Traore/Jakucionis.

Really wanted no part of Ace Bailey. He’s more likely to fully bust than not IMO. No interest in Fears, Demin, Maluach, Coward. Id say we are pretty fortunate to land Tre Johnson with his upside, over the other options.

This. In multi-player game theory, sometimes it is solid to just be solid. I think that is where we are at with this draft - we didn't hurt ourselves like several other teams you noted.

Side note: Brooklyn probably comes out fine but only given they had so many picks. But my guess is that Demin would have made it down to 19 (IMO).

Yang! WTF! Portland could have nabbed him with a late 1st - they should have traded down twice. That and the stupid trade with Boston... interesting.

But also in multi-player game theory, a team or two did really well. San Antonio jumps to mind. The didn't do something stupid in the Durant sweepstakes, they picked up Harper and Carter Bryant.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I got to say, you guys are as miserable and pessimistic as we are except you're 7 deep and counting with 19-21 y/o kids with starter potential. I don't know if so many of you are horrible talent evaluators or conditioned to disappointment so crap on the young guys as a form of self preservation or defense mechanism but snap out of it. You have needed to do this for decades and it's finally happening. Let the cream rise to the top. One more tank year and with how strong next year's class is you're almost guaranteed to get that "engine" you feel you need

I think you're just reading a couple of very prolific Eeyore types. Not everyone is thrilled with every move, but it's nearly universal that this is the right overall approach. Bunch of young guys and a ton of cap space next year. Next year on the court might be hilariously nasty with no real bigs on the roster outside lightweight Alex Sarr, but it looks like that might be the core of the strategy to ensure the tank again.

Nasty, for sure.


The problem I foresee will be losing with young guys who can't get playing time. There are 18 or 20 swing men on the team, or there might as well be that many.

[closg00]

The Ringers draft grades.
https://nbadraft.theringer.com/draft-grades

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

The strongest part of Tre's game is off ball but he was forced to be the primary ball handler a lot. He is fine as a secondary ball handler but the Texas offense really took away his biggest strength to a large degree.

As I mentioned before I watched Illinois several times to scout Kasparas who was mocked top 5 early in the season. Time and again I came away impressed with Riley and mentioned months ago that I would definitely consider him with our 2nd first rounder.

Like Ace his stats don't look impressive because he had some rough games early but his ball skills are advanced. He is really a 2/3. He isn't a 4 at all, not even part time. He definitely gets to the rim plenty.

Dude is potentially a George Gervin 2 in five years.

[doclinkin]

So what would make sense at 40 then? I went through what was left and was uninspired. There are a few last guys I like: Theiro, Fleming, Penda, then some guys that I could deal with like Yanic, Raynaud, Zikarsky, that Lachlan Obirsch guy.....but I also know they only have drafted or traded for young prospects that were quite young in their draft years (18, 19 or 20 and one 21 year old) when not acquiring contracts to trade, so in a 2nd round stuffed to the gills with 22, 23 and 24 year olds, does that mean we should only be paying attention to 19-21 year olds? Not sure.

I'm looking at a player at 43 that doesn't fit this front office's mold because of his age--23 yr old Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton. He's a tremendous shotblocker who knows his role as a defender and screener. Also has very good hands...catches and finishes everything at or near the basket.

I’m guessing Toohey or Zikarsky at 43. Unless they trade up for Penda.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I was definitely Tre's biggest fan during the season. I would post about his games and the board's response was typically *crickets*. I had him at 4.

I was sure we had no chance to get him at 6. I am still shocked Kon went at 4.

Michael Jordan's wife must like white guys. Charlotte drafted Cam McNeely, too.

No, I am not shocked. Tankathon loves Kon Knueppel. I liked every game I saw him play. He was solid in their NCAA play. LaMelo will find him open and he will knock down NBA threes at over 40%.

Kon is built for that PG and that team.

[tontoz]

AFM,

Michael Jordan picked a Dukie! Kon Knueppel #4.

Then he doubled down on white dudes with Liam McNeely! I love it.

MJ's Cuban wife must have changed him. Then again, he played with John Paxson and Steve Kerr.

I love it because LaMelo will be LaLethal with knockdown shooters.

MJ isn't there any more.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Orlando added Jase Richardson to Desmond Bane.

The Magic might be the Eastern Conference favorites now.

[Rafael122]

ESPN's NBA draft coverage was so bad. Why is Perk up there? Bilas? They use Jay's best available, but they got Givony in the corner and he does all the work. It should be Marks and Givony up there. Why is Stephen A there? Has he watched more than 2 minutes of college ball.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I was definitely Tre's biggest fan during the season. I would post about his games and the board's response was typically *crickets*. I had him at 4.

I was sure we had no chance to get him at 6. I am still shocked Kon went at 4.

Kon was at 4 on almost every major mock draft out there. The major curveball was Utah/Ace. After that, Tre is a fine pick IMO.

Atleast we didn’t pick Demin at 8. Tre is a much better pick than Fears or Maluach. I probably would’ve taken CMB but this team is clearly swinging for high upside offensive shot creation, can’t fault the approach.

Hopefully Tre really can lock in more on the defensive end when asked to carry a lower usage rate/reduced offensive role. He’s an easy player to root for with major offensive upside. This team is loaded with length.

Smart and Middleton can demonstrate defense. Bilal and Kyshawn will be competitive. Will Riley will defend. Bub is going to play old man game against Tre.

Johnson will get exposure to defense, for sure.

[nate33]

Will Riley patterns his game after Manu Ginobili.

Gotta love that! Manu is one of my favorite all time players. He's combination of statistical effectiveness with dramatic flair was elite.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Same process with the Will Riley pick. They clearly don’t have interest in the ball dominant types like Jakicionis/Traore, or the players that don’t have good size like Richardson. Also stayed away from any upperclassman types like Fleming/Clifford/Wolf. I had ZERO interest in McNeeley or Asa Newell.

They once again roll with youth, shot creation/offensive upside, and positional size. Love the overall process even if Will Riley wasn’t on my radar personally. +Ast%, +A/TO, and 90th percentile in isolation scoring.

Would love to see them go after Toohey/Penda on day 2.

He was on mine.

I said the morning of the draft that Will Riley wouldnt be a bad pick at #6.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I got to say, you guys are as miserable and pessimistic as we are except you're 7 deep and counting with 19-21 y/o kids with starter potential. I don't know if so many of you are horrible talent evaluators or conditioned to disappointment so crap on the young guys as a form of self preservation or defense mechanism but snap out of it. You have needed to do this for decades and it's finally happening. Let the cream rise to the top. One more tank year and with how strong next year's class is you're almost guaranteed to get that "engine" you feel you need

The Wiz haven’t drafted a player in the first round that has gone on to make the All Star game since 2012 with Beal. Please excuse me if I have a hard time believing in this front office, new or old.

There's a good chance Riley will be an All-Star in 5 years. I should say Johnson will, but i see him more as a super sub.

[nate33]

I'm trying to figure out a way to trade for Danny Wolf, but there's nothing Brooklyn wants from us. They don't need a boatload of SRP's and they don't need cap relief.