2024-2025 College Basketball / NBA Draft

[76ciology]

Kasparas Jakucionis. His hype has faded, reportedly due to an injury that led to a drop in performance.

What I like about him is that his AST% is right up there with Dylan Harper and Cooper Flagg, showing his playmaking ability. As a scorer, he already looks NBA ready: 59 TS%, nearly 50% on both FTr and 3PTr, plus what appears to be a solid stepback game.

If his decline was truly injury related, that could mean great value for us at the 6th spot, he likely wouldn’t even be there if he had stayed healthy.

[76ciology]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-mock-draft-cooper-flagg-lands-with-jazz-with-his-duke-teammate-moving-into-top-5-185601345.html

Kevin O’ Connor has us landing Maluach with the 5th pick with his article that was released yesterday

Maluach is a towering rim protector with switchable mobility, erasing shots at the rim and shadowing quick guards on the perimeter. But beyond dunking lobs, he’s a work in progress on offense with a lack of seasoning as a screener, shooter and creator. Such a raw skill set should come as no surprise since the South Sudan native didn’t start playing basketball until he was 13. He’s making immense progress though this March for Duke and has played himself into the top-five conversation.

The Sixers selecting him would operate as both a hedge against the health of Joel Embiid, but also as a supporting piece alongside him since the Sixers need frontcourt depth and they could share the floor together.

[Negrodamus]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-mock-draft-cooper-flagg-lands-with-jazz-with-his-duke-teammate-moving-into-top-5-185601345.html

Kevin O’ Connor has us landing Maluach with the 5th pick with his article that was released yesterday

Maluach is a towering rim protector with switchable mobility, erasing shots at the rim and shadowing quick guards on the perimeter. But beyond dunking lobs, he’s a work in progress on offense with a lack of seasoning as a screener, shooter and creator. Such a raw skill set should come as no surprise since the South Sudan native didn’t start playing basketball until he was 13. He’s making immense progress though this March for Duke and has played himself into the top-five conversation.

The Sixers selecting him would operate as both a hedge against the health of Joel Embiid, but also as a supporting piece alongside him since the Sixers need frontcourt depth and they could share the floor together.

Gimme the Queen at 5.

[76ciology]

Tre Johnson. Let’s start with his defense. Kyrie and Luka made the Finals. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are leading the East. The point is, you can hide a weak defender as long as you have strong defenders at the 3-4-5 spots (Jalen Green?). Most guards are poor defenders, and even the ones who aren’t tend to struggle in crunch time when guys like Tatum, Jokic, Giannis, Luka, or SGA hunt mismatches. What’s important is, is his offense WORTH hiding on defense?

On offense, Tre Johnson is the best perimeter scorer in this draft. While he’s not great at getting to the line, he has the ability to create his own 3pt shot against tough defense and hit it efficiently, which is the craze with scorers this season (i.e Anthony Edwards and Tatum). That kind of shooting gravity forces defenses to help far beyond the paint, making him a nightmare to guard.

Factor in his 6’6” height with a 6’10” wingspan, and he has real upside to develop into a much better defender and possibly a better finisher and post scorer as he develops more on offense.

[sodmoraes]

Tre Johnson. Let’s start with his defense. Kyrie and Luka made the Finals. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are leading the East. The point is, you can hide a weak defender as long as you have strong defenders at the 3-4-5 spots (Jalen Green?). Most guards are poor defenders, and even the ones who aren’t tend to struggle in crunch time when guys like Tatum, Jokic, Giannis, Luka, or SGA hunt mismatches. What’s important is, is his offense WORTH hiding on defense?

On offense, Tre Johnson is the best perimeter scorer in this draft. While he’s not great at getting to the line, he has the ability to create his own 3pt shot against tough defense and hit it efficiently, which is the craze with scorers this season (i.e Anthony Edwards and Tatum). That kind of shooting gravity forces defenses to help far beyond the paint, making him a nightmare to guard.

Factor in his 6’6” height with a 6’10” wingspan, and he has real upside to develop into a much better defender and possibly a better finisher and post scorer as he develops more on offense.

Im pretty high on Tre. I gotta admit i only saw his highlights but his potential is pretty big. If he can be a neutral defender, i can see him being a top guard in the league. That man can shoot, and is a good passer too, way better than Maxey. Im higher on him than Edgecombe.

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[Iverson Armband]

Tre Johnson. Let’s start with his defense. Kyrie and Luka made the Finals. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are leading the East. The point is, you can hide a weak defender as long as you have strong defenders at the 3-4-5 spots (Jalen Green?). Most guards are poor defenders, and even the ones who aren’t tend to struggle in crunch time when guys like Tatum, Jokic, Giannis, Luka, or SGA hunt mismatches. What’s important is, is his offense WORTH hiding on defense?

On offense, Tre Johnson is the best perimeter scorer in this draft. While he’s not great at getting to the line, he has the ability to create his own 3pt shot against tough defense and hit it efficiently, which is the craze with scorers this season (i.e Anthony Edwards and Tatum). That kind of shooting gravity forces defenses to help far beyond the paint, making him a nightmare to guard.

Factor in his 6’6” height with a 6’10” wingspan, and he has real upside to develop into a much better defender and possibly a better finisher and post scorer as he develops more on offense.

Im pretty high on Tre. I gotta admit i only saw his highlights but his potential is pretty big. If he can be a neutral defender, i can see him being a top guard in the league. That man can shoot, and is a good passer too, way better than Maxey. Im higher on him than Edgecombe.

Sent from my SM-G780G using RealGM mobile app

Tre Johnson gives me Devin Booker vibes.

Agreed on Edgecomb. Somebody is about to be fired over him if he goes top 5. You’re drafting the next Issac Okoro.

[mjkvol]

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/nba-mock-draft-cooper-flagg-lands-with-jazz-with-his-duke-teammate-moving-into-top-5-185601345.html

Kevin O’ Connor has us landing Maluach with the 5th pick with his article that was released yesterday

Maluach is a towering rim protector with switchable mobility, erasing shots at the rim and shadowing quick guards on the perimeter. But beyond dunking lobs, he’s a work in progress on offense with a lack of seasoning as a screener, shooter and creator. Such a raw skill set should come as no surprise since the South Sudan native didn’t start playing basketball until he was 13. He’s making immense progress though this March for Duke and has played himself into the top-five conversation.

The Sixers selecting him would operate as both a hedge against the health of Joel Embiid, but also as a supporting piece alongside him since the Sixers need frontcourt depth and they could share the floor together.

Maluach is a difference maker anytime he's on the floor. If this kid has only played ball for five years and already has these kinds of skills, he might end up being the steal of the draft.

[76ciology]

Notable players with around same measurement with Edgecombe

Ja Morant
Malik Monk
Coby White
Jalen Suggs
Donte Divicenzo

[76ciology]

Tre Johnson gives me Devin Booker vibes.

Aesthetically reminds me of Nick Young.

Nick Young with better IQ and motor would have been a very different player.

[76ciology]

Derik Queen. He gets compared to Sengun a lot, but to me, a closer comp is Pascal Siakam.

He’s not as long, Siakam has a 7’3” wingspan, but Queen’s body type, mobility, athleticism, and overall play style and skillset are strikingly similar.

Defensively, I don’t think he has the length or athleticism to anchor a defense as a full time 5. He’s better suited as a 4 next to a stretch 5 who can protect the rim. If you do play him at the 5, you’d need elite perimeter and help defenders around him, guys like Tari Eason and Amen Thompson on the Rockets, to cover up for his limitations. And given that his offensive role will be primary scoring, I expect him to conserve energy on defense the way Siakam often does.

Offensively, he won’t be a score at will guy due to his size, so I think his ceiling is around 20 PPG, similar to Siakam, Sabonis, and Sengun, who’ve hovering around 19–20 PPG this season. But like them, he’ll be versatile and surgical, smart enough to pick apart mismatches. I think eventually he’ll try to add a jumper like Siakam. Against smaller, quicker defenders, he’ll use his strength. Against bigger, slower ones, he’ll use his mobility and skillset.

Maybe our coaching staff, with their history coaching Siakam, will push for us to draft him.

The biggest question for me about Queen is whether his offensive style and defensive limitations align with the way teams are pushing the boundaries on offense, or if he would be a step in the opposite direction.

[76ciology]

Collin Murray-Boyles. I’m probably higher on him than most (except for Stormi). His scoring per 40 & FTrare actually better than Derik Queen’s. What makes him stand out is his versatility and mismatch potential. There just aren’t many guys with his unique combination of size (6’7” height, 7’2” wingspan), elite strength, mobility, athleticism, and advanced dribbling and passing ability at the PF spot, all wrapped up with a nonstop motor.

I’m not sure how high his ceiling is as a scorer. I don’t see him thriving as a top 3 offensive option. Ideally, he scores within the flow of the offense, cutting, rolling, backdoor actions, DHO sequences, and so on. But even without elite scoring or shooting, he impacts the game in so many other ways, which is why his advanced metrics are so strong.

Offensively, he can screen, serve as a passing hub, bully mismatches, and operate as a roll man with the IQ and skill to either finish or make the right pass.

Defensively, he might have the foot speed to guard all five positions. He can switch onto guards, and he has the strength, athleticism, and length to battle bigs. Quarterback the defense and protec the rim. And with his relentless motor on both ends, he’s just everywhere.

He’s very reminiscent of Draymond Green, almost a xerox copy. And a lot of people forget just how good Draymond was at his peak. That 2015–16 season, he put up 15-10-6 with 3–4 stocks per game. Murray-Boyles has that kind of all-around impact potential.

[mjkvol]

Collin Murray-Boyles. I’m probably higher on him than most (except for Stormi). His scoring per 40 & FTrare actually better than Derik Queen’s. What makes him stand out is his versatility and mismatch potential. There just aren’t many guys with his unique combination of size (6’7” height, 7’2” wingspan), elite strength, mobility, athleticism, and advanced dribbling and passing ability at the PF spot, all wrapped up with a nonstop motor.

I’m not sure how high his ceiling is as a scorer. I don’t see him thriving as a top 3 offensive option. Ideally, he scores within the flow of the offense, cutting, rolling, backdoor actions, DHO sequences, and so on. But even without elite scoring or shooting, he impacts the game in so many other ways, which is why his advanced metrics are so strong.

Offensively, he can screen, serve as a passing hub, bully mismatches, and operate as a roll man with the IQ and skill to either finish or make the right pass.

Defensively, he might have the foot speed to guard all five positions. He can switch onto guards, and he has the strength, athleticism, and length to battle bigs. Quarterback the defense and protec the rim. And with his relentless motor on both ends, he’s just everywhere.

He’s very reminiscent of Draymond Green, almost a xerox copy. And a lot of people forget just how good Draymond was at his peak. That 2015–16 season, he put up 15-10-6 with 3–4 stocks per game. Murray-Boyles has that kind of all-around impact potential.

Having seen Queen and CMB each a few times, I would take CMB in a heartbeat between the two for a couple of reasons you named - his relentless motor and his defensive IQ and the ability to guard multiple positions. I never thought of the Draymond comp, but it makes a lot of sense, except CMB looks like he will be a better scorer.

He seems like a kid who would thrive on a good, well coached team and possibly be lost on a directionless, losing team.

[76ciology]

Collin Murray-Boyles. I’m probably higher on him than most (except for Stormi). His scoring per 40 & FTrare actually better than Derik Queen’s. What makes him stand out is his versatility and mismatch potential. There just aren’t many guys with his unique combination of size (6’7” height, 7’2” wingspan), elite strength, mobility, athleticism, and advanced dribbling and passing ability at the PF spot, all wrapped up with a nonstop motor.

I’m not sure how high his ceiling is as a scorer. I don’t see him thriving as a top 3 offensive option. Ideally, he scores within the flow of the offense, cutting, rolling, backdoor actions, DHO sequences, and so on. But even without elite scoring or shooting, he impacts the game in so many other ways, which is why his advanced metrics are so strong.

Offensively, he can screen, serve as a passing hub, bully mismatches, and operate as a roll man with the IQ and skill to either finish or make the right pass.

Defensively, he might have the foot speed to guard all five positions. He can switch onto guards, and he has the strength, athleticism, and length to battle bigs. Quarterback the defense and protec the rim. And with his relentless motor on both ends, he’s just everywhere.

He’s very reminiscent of Draymond Green, almost a xerox copy. And a lot of people forget just how good Draymond was at his peak. That 2015–16 season, he put up 15-10-6 with 3–4 stocks per game. Murray-Boyles has that kind of all-around impact potential.

Having seen Queen and CMB each a few times, I would take CMB in a heartbeat between the two for a couple of reasons you named - his relentless motor and his defensive IQ and the ability to guard multiple positions. I never thought of the Draymond comp, but it makes a lot of sense, except CMB looks like he will be a better scorer.

He seems like a kid who would thrive on a good, well coached team and possibly be lost on a directionless, losing team.

The elephant in the room is his size. At 6’7”, he doesn’t project as a reliable interior scoring option at the NBA level. His shots often get blocked or heavily contested, and that’s likely to be an even bigger issue against pro level rim protectors. While some compare him to Julius Randle, Randle is noticeably taller at 6’8”–6’9”. I actually think his pure scoring+physical profile is closer to Dajuan Blair, undersized, physical, but limited as a go to scorer.

Most of his scoring that I see translating to the NBA comes from opportunistic plays, using his high IQ to read defenses, exploit gaps, and keep defenders guessing because of his passing threat. He fits best in a system with multiple shooters and constant movement, where defenses can’t load up on him and don’t know whether he’s going to attack, set a screen, or operate as a passing hub. In that sense, there’s a bit of prime Ben Simmons in his offensive role, more about unpredictability and decision-making than pure scoring.

[Negrodamus]

Yaxel is the guy you all want CMB to be.

[Arsenal]

Yaxel is the guy you all want CMB to be.

CMB is 3 years younger than Yaxel putting up similar stats. If CMB can learn to hit open catch and shoot 3's that's an extremely valuable player considering everything else he does. I'd also take him before Queen with a high pick.

Yaxel looks great too. Unfortunately, he won't be available at our 2nd round pick anymore.

[Sixerfever216]

Derik Queen. He gets compared to Sengun a lot, but to me, a closer comp is Pascal Siakam.

He’s not as long, Siakam has a 7’3” wingspan, but Queen’s body type, mobility, athleticism, and overall play style and skillset are strikingly similar.

Defensively, I don’t think he has the length or athleticism to anchor a defense as a full time 5. He’s better suited as a 4 next to a stretch 5 who can protect the rim. If you do play him at the 5, you’d need elite perimeter and help defenders around him, guys like Tari Eason and Amen Thompson on the Rockets, to cover up for his limitations. And given that his offensive role will be primary scoring, I expect him to conserve energy on defense the way Siakam often does.

Offensively, he won’t be a score at will guy due to his size, so I think his ceiling is around 20 PPG, similar to Siakam, Sabonis, and Sengun, who’ve hovering around 19–20 PPG this season. But like them, he’ll be versatile and surgical, smart enough to pick apart mismatches. I think eventually he’ll try to add a jumper like Siakam. Against smaller, quicker defenders, he’ll use his strength. Against bigger, slower ones, he’ll use his mobility and skillset.

Maybe our coaching staff, with their history coaching Siakam, will push for us to draft him.

The biggest question for me about Queen is whether his offensive style and defensive limitations align with the way teams are pushing the boundaries on offense, or if he would be a step in the opposite direction.

That's a very good comparison really spot on. You can't try to make queen a pure Center. He has more of a finesse type game he can do a little but of everything. Siakam might be a better overall athlete just more fluid. Which helps him out defensively

[MVP1992]

I'm feeling less stressed about losing this year's pick to OKC.

If so, we'll be a lottery team next year anyway, and can draft one of the plethora of ~6'9" forwards, or Dash Daniels (Dyson's young brother)

[76ciology]

It might be irrational, especially with the stats favoring CMB and no data to back up Maluach’s upside, but like I said a few days ago, I’d still take Maluach over him. To me, he’s a more seamless plug and play piece and offers higher long-term upside.

For me, the regret would be greater if Maluach reaches his full potential and we pass on him, compared to if CMB reaches his and we pass on him.

I just think CMB is more of a solid 7.5, while Maluach might start as a 6.5 but has the potential to become a 9.

[Negrodamus]

Yaxel is the guy you all want CMB to be.

CMB is 3 years younger than Yaxel putting up similar stats. If CMB can learn to hit open catch and shoot 3's that's an extremely valuable player considering everything else he does. I'd also take him before Queen with a high pick.

Yaxel looks great too. Unfortunately, he won't be available at our 2nd round pick anymore.

Right, and there were like 8 PFs that went before 4 year Draymond Green in 2012. I think Yaxel moves better with a better shooting upside, but I get your point since CMB put up massive numbers.

[Arsenal]

Yaxel is the guy you all want CMB to be.

CMB is 3 years younger than Yaxel putting up similar stats. If CMB can learn to hit open catch and shoot 3's that's an extremely valuable player considering everything else he does. I'd also take him before Queen with a high pick.

Yaxel looks great too. Unfortunately, he won't be available at our 2nd round pick anymore.

Right, and there were like 8 PFs that went before 4 year Draymond Green in 2012. I think Yaxel moves better with a better shooting upside, but I get your point since CMB put up massive numbers.

I'm all about Yaxel if we trade into the late 1st. He looks like a prototype big man for the modern game.

The real dream would be to get Flagg and also Yaxel in the 2nd, but apparently Yaxel is more likely to go late 1st at this point.