2025 NBA Draft Thread

Post #41 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Sep 3, 2024 8:04 pm

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Post #42 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Sep 5, 2024 6:18 pm

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Post #43 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Sep 12, 2024 4:20 pm

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Post #44 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Sep 12, 2024 4:22 pm

Some great opportunities to get young 7 footers outside of the top-10 in this upcoming draft class.

Limited upside on a few, but the size should bode well in a backup role behind Okongwu into the future..

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Post #45 » by **Jamaaliver** » Thu Sep 12, 2024 4:29 pm

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Post #46 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Sep 13, 2024 3:52 pm

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Post #47 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Sep 13, 2024 4:43 pm

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Post #48 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Sep 13, 2024 7:01 pm

We're going FULL EURO, baby!!!

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Post #49 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Sep 17, 2024 2:28 pm

For a mediocre (bad?) NBA team with an undersized frontcourt, Rocco might be the true crow(n) jewel of this draft class.

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Post #50 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Sep 20, 2024 1:21 pm

A couple of young big men who should be available outside the lottery next summer.

NBA Draft Prospects Already Boosting Their Stock

Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm, PF, 2006)
Spoiler:

Draft eligible: 2025

U18 European Championships: 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals, 57.5 percent FG

One of the youngest draft-eligible prospects for 2025, Noa Essengue still managed 17.6 points on 57.5 percent at the U18 European Championships just by optimizing every inch of his 6'10" frame and wingspan.

Right now, the 17-year-old is a 4, but with combo-forward potential depending on how his handle and shot progress. He's visibly raw when trying to create for himself, and he has a long way to go with his shooting range. Even with those key areas for improvement, he finds ways to score using his long strides in transition and attacking closeouts or finishing plays around the key with his long reach and scoring instincts.

Despite receiving few opportunities to make plays himself, Essengue was consistently productive this summer for France.

Between his 6'10" size and foot speed, special defensive potential is also evident. He had a number of highly impressive possessions suffocating guards or using his length to make plays on the ball.

Essengue played mostly in Germany's second division last season, where he averaged 19.2 points and 9.7 boards, making an encouraging 31 threes in 26 games. Scouts will be monitoring him closely in G-BBL during his first draft-eligible season back with Ratiopharm Ulm.

Zacharie Perrin (Antibes, PF/C, 2004)
Spoiler:

Draft eligible: 2025

U20 European Championships: 15.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 48.7 percent FG, 23.8 percent 3PT

Zacharie Perrin put his strong 6'11" frame and motor to use for an MVP showing at the U20 European Championships.

He consistently put himself in position to pick up an easy basket by running the floor, diving to the hoop and crashing the glass. His feet rarely stopped moving. His activity level was constant.

Still, from a development and NBA perspective, the 3.4 assists and 3.0 three-point attempts popped the most. Perrin made some no-look passes and short-roll reads that highlighted vision and quick-processing. He found teammates off the dribble. And despite only making 5-of-21 threes, more confidence and attempts continue to be encouraging, particularly after he shot 37.3 percent from deep last season.

The flashes of pick-and-pop shooting have been exciting to see, given how effective he already is screening and rolling into finishes and passes.

Perrin's defensive fit is somewhat of a question mark. His shot-blocking rates have always been unusually low, and limited quickness and off-ball lapses aren't ideal for guarding the perimeter.

Still, it's becoming easier to picture a future NBA energizer thanks to his physical profile, reliable production and expanding offensive skill set.

Bleacher Report

Post #51 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Sep 20, 2024 1:30 pm

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Post #52 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Sep 20, 2024 1:43 pm

Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm, PF/C, 2006)

Noa Essengue bounced back from a rough Adidas Next Generation Tournament to average 17.6 points on 57.5 percent shooting at the U18 European Championships last week.

He'll be one of the youngest prospects in the 2025 draft, not turning 18 until late December. Scouts will look past the expected shooting woes and ball-handling limitations. Even without polish, his natural talent pops—he manages to produce and make plays just by optimizing every inch of his 6'9" frame and length on drives, finishes and defense.

Any improvement to his jump shot would be a significant development, but NBA teams figure to remain patient given the unteachable, functional tools he brings to the table at 17 years old.

Bleacher Report

Post #53 » by **Jamaaliver** » Fri Sep 20, 2024 4:33 pm

Growing pains for projected first-rounders in Europe

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The FIBA U18 Eurobasket tournament, held in July, typically showcases numerous future first-round picks, and this year's edition in Finland was no different.

As for Spain's Hugo Gonzalez, the 6-7 wing might have been one of the few bright spots for a Spain squad that finished in 13th place. The Real Madrid youngster (No. 7 in ESPN's mock draft) was on another level athletically, finishing fourth in scoring with 20.7 points. At 18, he showed explosiveness as he flew down the lane for putback dunks, chasing down blocks in transition and completing several long-stride above-the-rim finishes with a head of steam.

Few prospects play harder defensively than Gonzalez, who finished third in both steals and blocks. He covers the entire court, fighting over screens and busting up handoffs. When rotating to protect the rim, he flips his hips while sliding his feet on the perimeter, containing guards off the dribble with multiple effort plays. He puts a body on big men inside, and dives on the court for loose balls.

But his showing in Finland was somewhat of a mixed bag due to his shot selection, decision-making and efficiency. He was at his best attacking in a straight line -- getting out in transition, posting up smaller opponents and making simple passes -- but was at times overly aggressive.

Gonzalez also converted just 21% of his 3-point attempts (10 of 48) and 69% of his free throws, partially due to his outsized role on this squad. His struggles were discouraging, considering he has a career average of 29% on 3s through 175 games and made 79% of his free throws last season. But his quantity of makes and diversity of attempts (pulling up off the dribble, running off screens) bode well for his long-term outlook as a shooter.

Gonzalez will still be a projected lottery pick but has work to do. He'll probably play a much more narrowly confined 3-and-D role for Real Madrid this season, if he's able to play much at all for one of the deepest and most expensive rosters in European basketball. Improving his ballhandling and playmaking will be priorities, but he won't have as long a leash as he did this summer.