RealGM

The 2025 NBA draft class is expected to be significantly better than the 2024 edition and the 2026 class could be even better. At the top of the 2026 draft will be AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson. 

Dybantsa recently committed to BYU and some consider him to be a better prospect than Cooper Flagg, who is projected to go No. 1 in 2025.

Boozer will attend Duke, while Peterson is a Kansas commit. 

With the 2025 and 2026 classes entering the NBA, the United States will be playing catch up against the recent run of strong international talent.

Via Jeremy Woo, Bobby Marks/ESPN

How many times has a team drafted a "can't miss" "generational talent" only to have it not work?

objectivefan wrote:How many times has a team drafted a "can't miss" "generational talent" only to have it not work?

First, not very many, unless you're mostly listening to dumb creators whose job is literally to hype thing up without any regard for their credibility or reality. Legit 'generational' prospects aren't very common and most have been at least very good NBA players.

Second, yeah the draft is very unpredictable and lots of good prospects don't work out (and meh ones sometimes do), but that doesn't mean that it's all random and no prospects are better than others. Both things are true--the best prospects are more likely to be great than the lesser ones, but everything is still partially unpredictable until these guys are actually out there playing for a couple years. No point in jumping straight from 'draft is unpredictable' to 'all drafts (and prospects) are the same.'

objectivefan wrote:How many times has a team drafted a "can't miss" "generational talent" only to have it not work?

The only true generational prospects of the past 30 years have been Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama. So I would say it's always worked.

BigGargamel wrote:

objectivefan wrote:How many times has a team drafted a "can't miss" "generational talent" only to have it not work?

The only true generational prospects of the past 30 years have been Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama. So I would say it's always worked.

Tim Duncan worked out pretty well. Iverson.

BigGargamel wrote:

objectivefan wrote:How many times has a team drafted a "can't miss" "generational talent" only to have it not work?

The only true generational prospects of the past 30 years have been Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama. So I would say it's always worked.

People were saying Zion was a generational prospect. Low rizz to pretend like they weren't!!

RM519 wrote:

BigGargamel wrote:

objectivefan wrote:How many times has a team drafted a "can't miss" "generational talent" only to have it not work?

The only true generational prospects of the past 30 years have been Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama. So I would say it's always worked.

Tim Duncan worked out pretty well. Iverson.

There are about 20 really good #1 overall picks in almost 80 years of nba. thats a 25 percent chance. some of the rest are in terrible drafts and some people were shouting from the rooftops not to take the guy #1. picking #1 doesnt guarantee you lebron

Clay Davis wrote:

BigGargamel wrote:

objectivefan wrote:How many times has a team drafted a "can't miss" "generational talent" only to have it not work?

The only true generational prospects of the past 30 years have been Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama. So I would say it's always worked.

People were saying Zion was a generational prospect. Low rizz to pretend like they weren't!!

Did you say “low rizz” in that context

mowcrowbar wrote:

Clay Davis wrote:

BigGargamel wrote:
The only true generational prospects of the past 30 years have been Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama. So I would say it's always worked.

People were saying Zion was a generational prospect. Low rizz to pretend like they weren't!!

Did you say “low rizz” in that context

I did brother. This is part of the path I've been led down. I've nary an utterance bereft of the mention of "rizz". I can't help it... it is the Destiny that I have. Would any but a fool forsake their Destiny?!

BigGargamel wrote:

objectivefan wrote:How many times has a team drafted a "can't miss" "generational talent" only to have it not work?

The only true generational prospects of the past 30 years have been Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Victor Wembanyama. So I would say it's always worked.

Shaq wasn't in the last 30 years, which just makes me feel older.

I agree, Tim Duncan is in that group.

I think if Zion is (I don't think he is, there was enough concern about his durability even then), then Oden was too, but I think they both had similar concerns. But you don't draft someone over Durant (even back then) unless they are knocking on the door of generational.

LeBron, Shaq, Duncan, Wemby - Generational.
Iverson, Webber, Rose, Anthony Davis - Undisputed #1st pick prizes.
Oden, Zion, Yao - Somewhere between the two groups above, but durability concerns known always, meant they were not quite the prize they could be.

Funnily enough Jason Kidd and Grant Hill seemed to be talked about a bit like that (next great rivalry like Magic and Bird) but Big Dog got drafted before them. Same for Luka.