2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 4

[Got Nuffin]

Yeah, I'm probably misinterpreting 2 years away from 2 years away. My interpretation of that line is it being more of a slander and a guy who never develops....like our very own Bruno the OG 2 years away....

Yeah, no development would be the same, just that there are certain risks in players reaching the full potential.
The average case of Maluach for me is a bigger longer Boucher.

Scouting report:

Watch on YouTube

Sign me up for a bigger Boucher all day long

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

Maluach completely shuts down the paint, deters so many shots at the rim (even without the actual blocks), and switches all over the court in a way that Boucher could never dream of.

I have no issue with a low assist rate because he's not put in a position to even get assists and that will never be his role anyway. He does have soft hands and will catch and finish at the rim at ridiculously efficient %, and unlike a lot of smaller prospects this will translate to the NBA right away.

Now if Maluach can develop Boucher's range, which may be possible considering he's 70% or so from ft with ok form at just 18yrs age, we're talking not just a starter but a huge cornerstone of your winning team.

Ofc it's a risk, but with our development team I am on board after watching him closely in the tourney.

[Dalek]

He didn't shoot that well from 3.

I would say that de Larrea is like Nikola Topic but can shoot the 3.

Watch on YouTube

The three ball is vitally important, but so is event creation. To me that ability to turn the ball over and gain possession especially ones in transition is how we thrive.

I do think about how the Pistons drafted Ron Holland last year and many people questioned whether he was going to go high lottery. It turned out his defense and transition scoring were valued by the Pistons and he has played an important role, not to mention Ausar Thompson from the previous draft.

If you believe in Hugo's defense and athleticism then he might separate himself from the crowd a bit.

I haven't watch him a ton, but I think de Larrea is likely stuck in the big guard hole that plagues every NBA prospect. If you are a lead guard can you get by your man off the dribble. It is good that he shoots it, but if you can't get deep paint touches its hard to be successful in the NBA.

[Dr. Nick]

Honestly Maluach will not go out of the top 6 so we’re not even going to have the chance to to draft him anyway unless we win the third pick overall

[Clutch0z24]

If its Maluach vs Fears....Im picking Fears....He reminds me of a young Lillard.....Maluach will take a few years to make an impact in the NBA and idk if we can wait that long....I won't be mad if we pick Maluach since we do need what he can do i just don't think you can expect much from him for a few years at least....And he also is the biggest boom/bust pick in the area we are drafting...

I am praying we move up though so we can get a true impact player this year.....We need Flagg bad if we want to have a higher ceiling with this core because if im being honest the ceiling as of now is a play in/First round exit type of team....Need a home run hit this draft...

[Grew]

This draft reminds me of 2009 on the surface.
Cooper = Blake
Harper = Harden
VJ = Tyreke
Maluach = Thabeet

Alot of guards throughout the first round. Jrue, Ty lawson, Jeff teague went 17,18,19. After Rubio, Curry, Flynn and Brandon Jennings went lotto. Here we got Fears, Traore, Demin, Kasp, Jase, Walter Clayton Jr, Philon and maybe Fland in the first round of this draft.

Obviously I'm not saying these guys will mirror the careers of the comparison, just that it feels similar. Blake was really good and it was impossible to pass on him at 1, much like how you can't pass on Cooper.

I don't really see a Curry, but he did go 7th, and that's where we will most likely be slotted to pick pre lotto. We also grabbed Demar 9th in that draft and he became a cornerstone of our franchise, and here we are needing another cornerstone.

I think this draft is way way better than last years. I could see Queen or Fears going first last year. Any one of the top 4 of this draft would have gone first last year IMO. I think it's the most interesting top 4 since Scotties year, while having more prospects I really like in the 7 range. This draft has the potential to be very very deep.

[Yallbecrazy]

Yeah, no development would be the same, just that there are certain risks in players reaching the full potential.
The average case of Maluach for me is a bigger longer Boucher.

Scouting report:

Watch on YouTube

Sign me up for a bigger Boucher all day long

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

Maluach completely shuts down the paint, deters so many shots at the rim (even without the actual blocks), and switches all over the court in a way that Boucher could never dream of.

I have no issue with a low assist rate because he's not put in a position to even get assists and that will never be his role anyway. He does have soft hands and will catch and finish at the rim at ridiculously efficient %, and unlike a lot of smaller prospects this will translate to the NBA right away.

Now if Maluach can develop Boucher's range, which may be possible considering he's 70% or so from ft with ok form at just 18yrs age, we're talking not just a starter but a huge cornerstone of your winning team.

Ofc it's a risk, but with our development team I am on board after watching him closely in the tourney.

The reason people talk about his assist rate is not because they envision him being a facilitator at the NBA level, but because it's actually one of the most predictive stats for NBA success. BBIQ on the defensive end is probably the number one skill for a centre as well as being more important for centres than other positions as they have to rotate and see the play developing.
Compare Condon and Maluch, both have been playing basketball for only 5 years and Condon has elite bbiq, and one of the best assist rates I've seen in college for a big. Malauch completely lacks feel for the game and that's why I think he busts a high percentage of the the time. The best coaching and development staff in the world can't really teach feel/ natural bbiq and that's why I would stay away from him completely with any lottery picks. Raptors can't really afford to whiff on this draft and Malauch won't really see the floor in the NBA on a non tanking team next year which can hinder his development and he needs all the experience he can get to even have a chance of success in the NBA in my opinion.

Look at Precious Achiuwa, he was also insanely physically gifted and could guard 1 through 5. Unlike Malauch he also was a great rebounder, but he rotated on defense about as well as Bargnani did and also had no idea how to play within the offense on the other end. This type of player also completely goes against Darko's vision for the offense where you want all 5 guys working in sync, it only tends to work in an offense like the ones Harden used to run or the old Raptors offense where Kyle and Demar took turns.

[Got Nuffin]

Sign me up for a bigger Boucher all day long

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

Maluach completely shuts down the paint, deters so many shots at the rim (even without the actual blocks), and switches all over the court in a way that Boucher could never dream of.

I have no issue with a low assist rate because he's not put in a position to even get assists and that will never be his role anyway. He does have soft hands and will catch and finish at the rim at ridiculously efficient %, and unlike a lot of smaller prospects this will translate to the NBA right away.

Now if Maluach can develop Boucher's range, which may be possible considering he's 70% or so from ft with ok form at just 18yrs age, we're talking not just a starter but a huge cornerstone of your winning team.

Ofc it's a risk, but with our development team I am on board after watching him closely in the tourney.

The reason people talk about his assist rate is not because they envision him being a facilitator at the NBA level, but because it's actually one of the most predictive stats for NBA success. BBIQ on the defensive end is probably the number one skill for a centre as well as being more important for centres than other positions as they have to rotate and see the play developing.
Compare Condon and Maluch, both have been playing basketball for only 5 years and Condon has elite bbiq, and one of the best assist rates I've seen in college for a big. Malauch completely lacks feel for the game and that's why I think he busts a high percentage of the the time. The best coaching and development staff in the world can't really teach feel/ natural bbiq and that's why I would stay away from him completely with any lottery picks. Raptors can't really afford to whiff on this draft and Malauch won't really see the floor in the NBA on a non tanking team next year which can hinder his development and he needs all the experience he can get to even have a chance of success in the NBA in my opinion.

Look at Precious Achiuwa, he was also insanely physically gifted and could guard 1 through 5. Unlike Malauch he also was a great rebounder, but he rotated on defense about as well as Bargnani did and also had no idea how to play within the offense on the other end. This type of player also completely goes against Darko's vision for the offense where you want all 5 guys working in sync, it only tends to work in an offense like the ones Harden used to run or the old Raptors offense where Kyle and Demar took turns.

I tend to disagree because from what I have seen in the tournament, Maluach's defensive bbiq is tremendous for an 18 year old. It's not just that he is deterring shots at the rim, it's not just that he can easily switch onto smaller guards (at the college level at least) - he is actively blowing plays up out there because he knows where to be and where to rotate and of course he is long and fast as hell.

It reminds me of watching Andrew Bogut in his GSW days - he is becoming a defensive terror and sometimes opponents can't even get a decent shot up while he is on. Watching him is nothing like watching Precious or Boucher or any of those guys who just run around jumping at everything.

On offence I just don't see how he would ever get assists when he is not a post threat, not a handling threat or even a high post conduit - look at Queen if you want that kind of player, who often SEEMS like he doesn't really play much defence at all. Queen is also 1.5-2 years older which can be a considerable gap at this stage of development.

What i do see offensively from Maluach is that teams are terrified when he is put in a pick n roll with Kon or Flagg because they know that any hard collapse on the drive is going to be a high % Maluach finish because he can seemingly catch anything, and puts himself in a position to catch anything, around the rim. Again, it's a different kind of bball iq.

I do agree that Maluach is likely a boom or bust pick and pre-tournament I was favouring Queen but watching him I think I'm a convert because that potential could be tantalizing.

For me at this stage it's Maluach or Fears if we are dropping out of the top 5.

[GLF]

Maluach completely shuts down the paint, deters so many shots at the rim (even without the actual blocks), and switches all over the court in a way that Boucher could never dream of.

I have no issue with a low assist rate because he's not put in a position to even get assists and that will never be his role anyway. He does have soft hands and will catch and finish at the rim at ridiculously efficient %, and unlike a lot of smaller prospects this will translate to the NBA right away.

Now if Maluach can develop Boucher's range, which may be possible considering he's 70% or so from ft with ok form at just 18yrs age, we're talking not just a starter but a huge cornerstone of your winning team.

Ofc it's a risk, but with our development team I am on board after watching him closely in the tourney.

The reason people talk about his assist rate is not because they envision him being a facilitator at the NBA level, but because it's actually one of the most predictive stats for NBA success. BBIQ on the defensive end is probably the number one skill for a centre as well as being more important for centres than other positions as they have to rotate and see the play developing.
Compare Condon and Maluch, both have been playing basketball for only 5 years and Condon has elite bbiq, and one of the best assist rates I've seen in college for a big. Malauch completely lacks feel for the game and that's why I think he busts a high percentage of the the time. The best coaching and development staff in the world can't really teach feel/ natural bbiq and that's why I would stay away from him completely with any lottery picks. Raptors can't really afford to whiff on this draft and Malauch won't really see the floor in the NBA on a non tanking team next year which can hinder his development and he needs all the experience he can get to even have a chance of success in the NBA in my opinion.

Look at Precious Achiuwa, he was also insanely physically gifted and could guard 1 through 5. Unlike Malauch he also was a great rebounder, but he rotated on defense about as well as Bargnani did and also had no idea how to play within the offense on the other end. This type of player also completely goes against Darko's vision for the offense where you want all 5 guys working in sync, it only tends to work in an offense like the ones Harden used to run or the old Raptors offense where Kyle and Demar took turns.

I tend to disagree because from what I have seen in the tournament, Maluach's defensive bbiq is tremendous for an 18 year old. It's not just that he is deterring shots at the rim, it's not just that he can easily switch onto smaller guards (at the college level at least) - he is actively blowing plays up out there because he knows where to be and where to rotate and of course he is long and fast as hell.

It reminds me of watching Andrew Bogut in his GSW days - he is becoming a defensive terror and sometimes opponents can't even get a decent shot up while he is on. Watching him is nothing like watching Precious or Boucher or any of those guys who just run around jumping at everything.

On offence I just don't see how he would ever get assists when he is not a post threat, not a handling threat or even a high post conduit - look at Queen if you want that kind of player, who often SEEMS like he doesn't really play much defence at all. Queen is also 1.5-2 years older which can be a considerable gap at this stage of development.

What i do see offensively from Maluach is that teams are terrified when he is put in a pick n roll with Kon or Flagg because they know that any hard collapse on the drive is going to be a high % Maluach finish because he can seemingly catch anything, and puts himself in a position to catch anything, around the rim. Again, it's a different kind of bball iq.

I do agree that Maluach is likely a boom or bust pick and pre-tournament I was favouring Queen but watching him I think I'm a convert because that potential could be tantalizing.

For me at this stage it's Maluach or Fears if we are dropping out of the top 5.

If we stay 7th I don’t think Fears will be there. And he definitely won’t be there if we drop further. But I’m sold on both Fears and Maluach myself, Fears more so. I pray he’s still there when we pick

[djsunyc]

if we take fears, then what happens with shead?

[ishoy123]

if we take fears, then what happens with shead?

Nothing. He'll be backup pg.

[MEDIC]

if we take fears, then what happens with shead?

It definitely causes a logjam at the guard spot. A player or two would have to be moved.......... but it management thinks he has allstar potential, they have to take him & figure things out later.

Personally.....I keep Shead no matter what. I keep Walter no matter what. Move others.

[Indeed]

The reason people talk about his assist rate is not because they envision him being a facilitator at the NBA level, but because it's actually one of the most predictive stats for NBA success. BBIQ on the defensive end is probably the number one skill for a centre as well as being more important for centres than other positions as they have to rotate and see the play developing.
Compare Condon and Maluch, both have been playing basketball for only 5 years and Condon has elite bbiq, and one of the best assist rates I've seen in college for a big. Malauch completely lacks feel for the game and that's why I think he busts a high percentage of the the time. The best coaching and development staff in the world can't really teach feel/ natural bbiq and that's why I would stay away from him completely with any lottery picks. Raptors can't really afford to whiff on this draft and Malauch won't really see the floor in the NBA on a non tanking team next year which can hinder his development and he needs all the experience he can get to even have a chance of success in the NBA in my opinion.

Look at Precious Achiuwa, he was also insanely physically gifted and could guard 1 through 5. Unlike Malauch he also was a great rebounder, but he rotated on defense about as well as Bargnani did and also had no idea how to play within the offense on the other end. This type of player also completely goes against Darko's vision for the offense where you want all 5 guys working in sync, it only tends to work in an offense like the ones Harden used to run or the old Raptors offense where Kyle and Demar took turns.

I tend to disagree because from what I have seen in the tournament, Maluach's defensive bbiq is tremendous for an 18 year old. It's not just that he is deterring shots at the rim, it's not just that he can easily switch onto smaller guards (at the college level at least) - he is actively blowing plays up out there because he knows where to be and where to rotate and of course he is long and fast as hell.

It reminds me of watching Andrew Bogut in his GSW days - he is becoming a defensive terror and sometimes opponents can't even get a decent shot up while he is on. Watching him is nothing like watching Precious or Boucher or any of those guys who just run around jumping at everything.

On offence I just don't see how he would ever get assists when he is not a post threat, not a handling threat or even a high post conduit - look at Queen if you want that kind of player, who often SEEMS like he doesn't really play much defence at all. Queen is also 1.5-2 years older which can be a considerable gap at this stage of development.

What i do see offensively from Maluach is that teams are terrified when he is put in a pick n roll with Kon or Flagg because they know that any hard collapse on the drive is going to be a high % Maluach finish because he can seemingly catch anything, and puts himself in a position to catch anything, around the rim. Again, it's a different kind of bball iq.

I do agree that Maluach is likely a boom or bust pick and pre-tournament I was favouring Queen but watching him I think I'm a convert because that potential could be tantalizing.

For me at this stage it's Maluach or Fears if we are dropping out of the top 5.

If we stay 7th I don’t think Fears will be there. And he definitely won’t be there if we drop further. But I’m sold on both Fears and Maluach myself, Fears more so. I pray he’s still there when we pick

There are also Carter Bryant and Essengue with high upside as well.
Meanwhile, it is hard to believe Tre Johnson will drop past 7, who has a position on both end and already shown enough skills to get to the next level. I still have Johnson at 5.

After Flagg / Harper / Bailey / Edgecombe / Johnson
There would be 4 of Fears / Malauch / Queen / CMB / Bryant / Essengue / Richardson available. I still feel these players would be top 5 picks from a regular draft.

[Clutch0z24]

if we take fears, then what happens with shead?

It definitely causes a logjam at the guard spot. A player or two would have to be moved.......... but it management thinks he has allstar potential, they have to take him & figure things out later.

Personally.....I keep Shead no matter what. I keep Walter no matter what. Move others.

I think its possible if Fears shows Lillard type potential during his Rookie year...Which i believe he can because he seems like a kid that will get better and better as time goes on....I think you might have to look to move one of Quickly/Dick/Barrett for an all star big man to balance the roster a little more....Or maybe combine some players to get 1 legit big man....Personally i don't like the fit with Barrett/Barnes/Yak....Ugly spacing on the court with them 3 in your starting lineup....Ingram + Fears would add spacing and 3 pt shooting....If we could move Barrett + W/e else + Picks for a Sabonis who maybe available next year it would add balance to the team.

[arbsn]

I’d probably take Fears 3rd in this draft

If he develops a jump shot he has first team all NBA potential.

Right now my board for the Raps is

Flagg
Harper
Fears
Bailey
Edgecombe
Queen
Tre
J Rich
Kon

Draft falls of significantly after that… still some interesting players… KJ, Fleming, Maluach, Traore, Fland, Demin, Newell, Essengue

[Psubs]

I thought up a comp for Kon. Beefy Chris Mullin.

[S.W.A.N]

It is interesting. I don't know if my draft philosophy has shifted or I'm just really a big fan of this draft but there is no one in Tankathon's top 13 that I hate.

There's usually one or two guys that I wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. But this year...

I have the most concerns/questions about
Tre, Kon and Jak...

But I wouldn't hate it if we picked any of them. Sure makes watching us win too many games easier when I realize no matter what we are likely drafting someone who I think will be an impact player.

I'm still team tank and really want to lock down that 7th spot. But zero stress about quality of the draft

[DreamTeam09]

Everyone last yr we drafted was a defender of some sort and I think we continue that trend. For that reason I'm a little sour on Queen, doesn't really box out and he's not really active enough for someone who

My raps board would be

Cooper
Harper
ACE(player I want outside of Cooper)
VJ
Khaman(Player I want the most outside of #4)
Noa E
Queen(still gotta take the upside+ fits a need)
Flemming.
Newell(would be my #2 pick if he was 6'11/7ft)

[Basketball_Jones]

Honestly Maluach will not go out of the top 6 so we’re not even going to have the chance to to draft him anyway unless we win the third pick overall

I don’t know, I think he’ll be available up to 8. His numbers just don’t pop and skill wise not much star potential to look at. For tanking teams they want a marketable offensive star. Brooklyn and Philly and Utah will pass. Charlotte might just stick with Williams. New Orleans maybe but they need a guard. Washington will be drafting very high and need a big star, Mal just isn’t it imo. Probably if we didn’t do the Ingram trade I’d rather we go with someone else also, but now he fits really well.

[bonjovi0308]

it seems most of the ppl wanted Maluach. I'm ready for Masai sucks threads after he picked others, and I told you so after the rookie start playing

[PhilBlackson]

Honestly Maluach will not go out of the top 6 so we’re not even going to have the chance to to draft him anyway unless we win the third pick overall

I don’t know, I think he’ll be available up to 8. His numbers just don’t pop and skill wise not much star potential to look at. For tanking teams they want a marketable offensive star. Brooklyn and Philly and Utah will pass. Charlotte might just stick with Williams. New Orleans maybe but they need a guard. Washington will be drafting very high and need a big star, Mal just isn’t it imo. Probably if we didn’t do the Ingram trade I’d rather we go with someone else also, but now he fits really well.

Who knows when he’ll be drafted?!

I don’t see him falling past us and he certainly could be taken before especially if we very likely finish 8th. There could be a chance a team or two behind us jumps into the top 4 then we’re at 9-10.

But when teams start bringing Maluach to work out you can bet his shooting touch and some footwork etc he works on (ie/ that highlight of him doing a step back 3 in warmups)…it’s not hard to imagine teams starting to think/droll at the possibilities of his upside. Not saying it will happen with certainty but it’s definitely a real possibility.