2024-2025 College Basketball / NBA Draft

[Negrodamus]

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What an anomaly. His handle for that size is just ridiculous. He has real 3 level off the dribble shot creation ability at 6'10.

Whether he has defensive range will ultimate cap whatever level he can eventually reach.

Showing off some midrange chops. Looked bad in the first half and then took over the game. He just has the highest BBIQ of the prospects. I can't even conceive of putting him outside of top 5 right now. Rare talent.

[ProcessDoctor]

Rich man’s Naz Reid?

[Negrodamus]

Rich man’s Naz Reid?

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Except he's a way better dribbler, more fluid, way better defender, way better passer, higher IQ. Both play hard, create offense, get rebs. Both thrived in faceup game.

[ProcessDoctor]

Rich man’s Naz Reid?

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Except he's a way better dribbler, more fluid, way better defender, way better passer, higher IQ. Both play hard, create offense, get rebs. Both thrived in faceup game.

He def seems built for the modern big man role. I could see him fitting to i.e. Zion if we went that route.

Maxey/(Vet)
Grimes/McCain
George/Oubre
Zion/Yabusele
Queen/Bona

Not sure if he's a "franchise" guy but in this scenario Maxey or Zion would have to fill that void.

[Kobblehead]

Shorting the Ace Bailey stock again. I’ll check back on him by season’s end, but my focus is on guys we can get at the 6th spot.

First round picks since 2008 to hit his abysmal benchmarks in passing (<8.5% assist) and scoring efficiency (<.555 TS):

— Damion James
— Kosta Koufos
— Anthony Randolph
— Larry Sanders
— JaVale McGee

(Freshman bolded)

He actually raised his passing and scoring numbers recently because the last time I checked he was company only shared by Andre Drummond.

He's a small ball five disguised as a wing. I'm not sure he provides anything at a high NBA level outside of rebounding.

I would take GG Jackson top 5 in a 2023 re-draft.

47% true shooting with 6.6% assist percentage as a freshman.

[stormi]

I would understand the thought process of selecting Ace, and GG Jackson is a fine comparable in terms of honing in on an extremely young and moldable athlete with dimensions that you can't always just readily find and improving his basketball skills
The Jaylen Brown method if you will. I'm all for a home run swing.

It still doesn't make him a good player today however and with the way he's been playing week in and week out I can't see him in a lense outside of a pure project draft prospect and for those reasons I just prefer other guys.

I have Flagg/Harper/Kasparas/Queen over him. Haven't looked into Knueppel yet, is he just Gradey Dick? Tre Johnson is Cam Thomas 2.0, I'm not even sure he's a better prospect than Thomas was and I'm not sure I believe that 6'6 measurement listed.

Edgecomb/Maluach/Bailey are the upside swings.

[Kobblehead]

Rich man’s Naz Reid?

Naz Reid / Isaiah Stewart / Jarace Walker type is what I see. I don't see a fit with us. And in terms of other teams looking to construct a roster, it's a tough sell to have a tweener like this as your C.

[76ciology]

Tre Johnson is Cam Thomas 2.0, I'm not even sure he's a better prospect than Thomas was and I'm not sure I believe that 6'6 measurement listed.

Tre Johnson has better AST% (8% vs 16%; checkout his passing highlights), STL%, and BLK%, is just as good a scorer, and is a significantly better 3pt shooter. When locked in, he can be a solid defender. His offensive style isn’t energy-intensive, and with his length, he can be effective on defense without exerting as much effort.

I like his 6’6” frame with a 7’0” wingspan as a wing.

Right now, I prefer scorers who draw help defense from the perimeter, creating openings in the paint, rather than those who collapse the defense inside and open up perimeter shots. That’s a valuable trait in today’s game, which is why I like Tre Johnson’s scoring over Queen’s.

Plus, Tre Johnson allows you to play defensive-minded 4s and 5s, making it easier to hide him if needed—though in the right system (surrounded by defensive players and can slide him into 2nd or 3rd option), I don’t think he’ll need to be hidden at all.

Im not drafting him higher than he is projected at which is at the 6th. I have 5 guys higher than him.

[76ciology]

I tried to tap into some Tre Johnson and I wasn't all that impressed, footwork and handles were hideous.

Watched some VJ Edgecombe as well and I'm not exactly sure I see high end ball dominant scoring upside with how he navigates the half court. Oladipo has been thrown around as a comparable which I could definitely see. Just a superior athlete that uses stop-start acceleration to win. Flashes the ability to make upper level reads off the dribble which is encouraging. Allegedly a freak on the defensive end as well. Seems like a target for pick 5 or 6.

Queen though has me blown away. His feel for the game is special.

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The commentator might say it in this video, he just makes the game look easy which is one of the simplest benchmarks of high IQ basketball players.

I’ve also been high on Queen. His upside largely depends on his ability to shoot from the perimeter and transition into a four, playing alongside a big who can anchor the defense. Otherwise, we’re looking at a scoring version of Donatas Sabonis.

He's fun to watch, I agree with you in that his projection to the next level will be an intriguing one. Bigs that provide sub-optimal rim protection are inherently net negatives in a playoff setting unless you're counterbalancing that with Jokic level impact on the other end of the floor.

And even Chokic as a true ~7' with a 7'3 wingspan, the proven ability to dominate the glass in high pressurized settings and at least wave his arms to deter drivers at the rim; we've seen teams notoriously hunt his lack of footspeed. Chris Paul specifically in 2021 pulled him into the P&R and violated him over and over again.

I could see that happening with Queen as well if you asked him to man the five constantly. He shoots the FT well for a freshman on notable attempts however so I see no reason why he couldn't eventually develop a three ball.

Turbocharged Naz Reid? LMA? Boogie? Bobby Portis?

I’ll simply put, his efficiency will drop once he starts facing NBA-sized bigs, and a Derik Queen-generated offense won’t match the efficiency of a CJ McCollum or Jared McCain offense, where they can just jack up 10 threes a game and make 3-4 of them, command help defense and free up shots in the paint, shoot lightly contested mid range against a big who’s playing drop, or simply attack the paint. And if you consider that his overall value would make a big drop because he doesnt offer much on the other end.

I’d like Queen more if he had elite size—similar to how I liked Edey or Clingan last year. That kind of size translates because so few players can match it.

Im not saying he’s a bad player. I’d take him at the 6th or 7th spot, which is higher than most project him to be.

[Negrodamus]

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Just a disgustingly good player.

[76ciology]

Where would you put Jared McCain in this upcoming draft?

[Negrodamus]

Where would you put Jared McCain in this upcoming draft?

Flagg
Queen
Edgecombe
Harper

McCain

Fears
Jakucionis
Bailey

After the statistically great prospects, but before the theoretically great prospects. McCain was statistically great, but just undersized. So right in the middle feels right for him.

[76ciology]

If Daryl Morey would ask Nick Nurse and Rico Hines on who they wants to us to draft

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I wouldn’t mind taking a shot on him with the 6th pick. But he needs a lot of work.

6’11 wingspan but has a 9’3” standing reach

[76ciology]

Where would you put Jared McCain in this upcoming draft?

Flagg
Queen
Edgecombe
Harper

McCain

Fears
Jakucionis
Bailey

After the statistically great prospects, but before the theoretically great prospects. McCain was statistically great, but just undersized. So right in the middle feels right for him.

Kon Knueppel reminds me of Jared McCain in this draft—highly skilled but lacks shot creation and lacking length and athleticism, which makes their game feel a bit boring. A good prospect, just not an exciting one.

[Negrodamus]

If Daryl Morey would ask Nick Nurse and Rico Hines on who they wants to us to draft

Spoiler:

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I wouldn’t mind taking a shot on him with the 6th pick. But he needs a lot of work.

6’11 wingspan but has a 9’3” standing reach

He’s omitted from my big board but he prob should be in there. Stats are remarkable and he’s absurdly big/long.

[Negrodamus]

Based purely on need, there's an argument to be made that Jakuciuonis should be the pick. Of all the things we have, an all-in-one creator (passing and scoring) is really not one of them. McCain has shown flashes, but we really don't know what he is yet. Maxey is clearly a scorer who is needed to pass more.

Kasparas is currently at .496 FTr and, strangely enough .496 3PAr. Averages 5 apg. Is a nice fit next to Maxey at the 2 sharing ballhandling duties. The defense is the thing that continues to scare me.

[76ciology]

Based purely on need, there's an argument to be made that Jakuciuonis should be the pick. Of all the things we have, an all-in-one creator (passing and scoring) is really not one of them. McCain has shown flashes, but we really don't know what he is yet. Maxey is clearly a scorer who is needed to pass more.

Kasparas is currently at .496 FTr and, strangely enough .496 3PAr. Averages 5 apg. Is a nice fit next to Maxey at the 2 sharing ballhandling duties. The defense is the thing that continues to scare me.

I wonder how big the gap between Kasparas and McCain will be after 2–3 seasons. If McCain maintains the level he showed in limited games this season, I don’t think the gap will be that significant.

[76ciology]

If Daryl Morey would ask Nick Nurse and Rico Hines on who they wants to us to draft

Spoiler:

Watch on YouTube

Read on Twitter

I wouldn’t mind taking a shot on him with the 6th pick. But he needs a lot of work.

6’11 wingspan but has a 9’3” standing reach

He’s omitted from my big board but he prob should be in there. Stats are remarkable and he’s absurdly big/long.

If he weren’t so raw, he’d be the ideal PF for this team—a great fit alongside Yabu or Embiid at the 5 and a perfect piece for Nurse’s system.

[mjkvol]

Based purely on need, there's an argument to be made that Jakuciuonis should be the pick. Of all the things we have, an all-in-one creator (passing and scoring) is really not one of them. McCain has shown flashes, but we really don't know what he is yet. Maxey is clearly a scorer who is needed to pass more.

Kasparas is currently at .496 FTr and, strangely enough .496 3PAr. Averages 5 apg. Is a nice fit next to Maxey at the 2 sharing ballhandling duties. The defense is the thing that continues to scare me.

I wonder how big the gap between Kasparas and McCain will be after 2–3 seasons. If McCain maintains the level he showed in limited games this season, I don’t think the gap will be that significant.

They are completely different players. Kasparis is 6'5" and has the potential to be a generational type of player with his elite vision and BB IQ. McCain looks like he's going to be a really good player, but is primarily a shooter. To me, he is going to be the steal of the draft.

[Negrodamus]

Based purely on need, there's an argument to be made that Jakuciuonis should be the pick. Of all the things we have, an all-in-one creator (passing and scoring) is really not one of them. McCain has shown flashes, but we really don't know what he is yet. Maxey is clearly a scorer who is needed to pass more.

Kasparas is currently at .496 FTr and, strangely enough .496 3PAr. Averages 5 apg. Is a nice fit next to Maxey at the 2 sharing ballhandling duties. The defense is the thing that continues to scare me.

I wonder how big the gap between Kasparas and McCain will be after 2–3 seasons. If McCain maintains the level he showed in limited games this season, I don’t think the gap will be that significant.

I think they’ll be similar players. Which is why I’m a big Queen stan: would allow a Maxey, McCain, PG, Queen, Embiid lineup and serves as a connective passer, hunts for boards, but can also finish on the o-rebs.

Go with Flagg if we get the first pick, but go with Queen at any other pick if he’s there.