2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 5

[Grew]

Every mock I've seen has Maluach as a top 10 pick, I'm not sure what you're talking about. Some mocks have him above Queen and Fears too, I don't get where this hate is coming from. I'd rather get a player with size and defence in this draft than a PG who will spend the next 2 years in the G-League (Fears) or a C who people are talking about being lazy on defence and out of shape.

Derik Queen is not Lazy on defence and he was out of shape going into college....He was 262 pounds and since going to the gym and working with coaching staff and trainers he slimmed down to 239.....Hes still working on his body and with NBA trainers he could completely transform his body which will help on the defensive end....

Hes not a bad defender he has 39 blocks and 39 steals in 36 games....That is far from "Bad" Numbers....Like i said he was out of shape but hes taking his body more serious and working on it which will help his foot speed, and quickness to defend at a higher level....He has great defensive instincts and great hand eye coordination....Just yes he needs to continue to work on his body so he can be quicker on his feet....He also is a better rebounder than all of the bigs in the top parts of this draft.

Definitely has some motor concerns, doesn't like boxing out either, it's in his scouting report

The scariest thing about Queen is probably the rebounding. Him and Reece had like 4 boards total in the conference tournament vs michigan, while wolf and goldin had like 24. Same problem in the game they got eliminated in. Definitely looks like Queen is saving that energy for offense and his conditioning needs to come way up in order to be able to play both ends for a full game. He's going to have to be able to do it for an entire NBA season.

He's a bench player on our team for now though. Playing with Scottie or Jak as the other big are good fits for him.

[wegotthabeet]

Would Harper start next year if we end up him?

[Clutch0z24]

At this point I hope Adam Silver blesses us with the first overall pick, if for nothing else than to move on from all this Maluach talk, Flagg who?

While that would be amazing moving up is actually a decent chance to happen....I have been doing a tankathon sim experiment....Run it over and over Move up, Stay the same, Move down.....First one to hit 10 wins....Every time i do it we move up pretty equally to us moving down....

Flagg/Harper would be the ultimate goal after a year of tanking.

UP
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
DOWN
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
SAME
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

This was my recent results ^

[mtcan]

Would Harper start next year if we end up him?

I don't think any player taken in this draft would immediately start at the start of the season. Whether it be Flagg, Harper or whoever. It's about earning it and outperforming the established vets on the team. Before acquiring Ingram...I didn't doubt for a second that Harper/Flagg/Bailey would step right into a starting role because the starting 5 was fluid and there was a spot to fill. Now it's different. Flagg/Harper/Bailey/etc. would still get plenty of minutes and may even finish games but likely won't overtake an established starter until trades are made later in the season.

So yes...Harper probably starts eventually but not on day 1. Maybe mid-way or after the trade deadline. And I think that is only fair. It wouldn't piss off the locker room and it allows the front office to see the collection of guys play. You need to see how IQ/RJ/Scottie/BI/Jak play to a) build up their value and b) evaluate what the roster will look like with various pieces.

I think this will be a very quiet offseason since our big move was made when trading for and then extending Ingram. It's then time to see what everything looks like together.

As for positional fit...Harper's a combo guard. He could start either next to IQ or RJ. And ya...by the time the decision will be made...one of those guys will likely be traded.

[ciueli]

Derik Queen is not Lazy on defence and he was out of shape going into college....He was 262 pounds and since going to the gym and working with coaching staff and trainers he slimmed down to 239.....Hes still working on his body and with NBA trainers he could completely transform his body which will help on the defensive end....

Hes not a bad defender he has 39 blocks and 39 steals in 36 games....That is far from "Bad" Numbers....Like i said he was out of shape but hes taking his body more serious and working on it which will help his foot speed, and quickness to defend at a higher level....He has great defensive instincts and great hand eye coordination....Just yes he needs to continue to work on his body so he can be quicker on his feet....He also is a better rebounder than all of the bigs in the top parts of this draft.

Definitely has some motor concerns, doesn't like boxing out either, it's in his scouting report

He has 323 rebounds in 36 games....You have to box out to average 9 rebounds a game lol....Hes getting more rebounds than a 7'2 C ....What does that say about Maluach not boxing out?

Maluach is the better rebounder per minute played. Keep in mind you're comparing an 18 year old to a 20 year old, Queen is almost 2 years older in spite of the fact that they are both freshmen.

[mtcan]

Definitely has some motor concerns, doesn't like boxing out either, it's in his scouting report

He has 323 rebounds in 36 games....You have to box out to average 9 rebounds a game lol....Hes getting more rebounds than a 7'2 C ....What does that say about Maluach not boxing out?

Maluach is the better rebounder per minute played. Keep in mind you're comparing an 18 year old to a 20 year old, Queen is almost 2 years older in spite of the fact that they are both freshmen.

Queen played more minutes than Maluach. We talking 30 minutes vs 20 minutes.

[Clutch0z24]

Would Harper start next year if we end up him?

I don't think any player taken in this draft would immediately start at the start of the season. Whether it be Flagg, Harper or whoever. It's about earning it and outperforming the established vets on the team. Before acquiring Ingram...I didn't doubt for a second that Harper/Flagg/Bailey would step right into a starting role because the starting 5 was fluid and there was a spot to fill. Now it's different. Flagg/Harper/Bailey/etc. would still get plenty of minutes and may even finish games but likely won't overtake an established starter until trades are made later in the season.

So yes...Harper probably starts eventually but not on day 1. Maybe mid-way or after the trade deadline. And I think that is only fair. It wouldn't piss off the locker room and it allows the front office to see the collection of guys play. You need to see how IQ/RJ/Scottie/BI/Jak play to a) build up their value and b) evaluate what the roster will look like with various pieces.

I think this will be a very quiet offseason since our big move was made when trading for and then extending Ingram. It's then time to see what everything looks like together.

As for positional fit...Harper's a combo guard. He could start either next to IQ or RJ. And ya...by the time the decision will be made...one of those guys will likely be traded.

Lol Flagg is your franchise player and will start day 1....You don't draft a guy number 1 and bench him....He instantly will become your guy....Just like Barnes started day 1 as a 4th pick....

[ciueli]

He has 323 rebounds in 36 games....You have to box out to average 9 rebounds a game lol....Hes getting more rebounds than a 7'2 C ....What does that say about Maluach not boxing out?

Maluach is the better rebounder per minute played. Keep in mind you're comparing an 18 year old to a 20 year old, Queen is almost 2 years older in spite of the fact that they are both freshmen.

Queen played more minutes than Maluach. We talking 30 minutes vs 20 minutes.

That's the point, if you want to compare two players you can't just point at one who has more counting stats and say they are better. Look at per 36 or per 40 numbers to see who is really putting up better numbers.

Another thing I'll point out is Maluach is a much better offensive rebounder than Queen, a lot of Queen's rebounds are on the defensive end, offensive rebounds are harder to get and usually a better indicator of who the better rebounder is.

[Clutch0z24]

Maluach is the better rebounder per minute played. Keep in mind you're comparing an 18 year old to a 20 year old, Queen is almost 2 years older in spite of the fact that they are both freshmen.

Queen played more minutes than Maluach. We talking 30 minutes vs 20 minutes.

That's the point, if you want to compare two players you can't just point at one who has more counting stats and say they are better. Look at per 36 or per 40 numbers to see who is really putting up better numbers.

I still like Queens numbers more if you go per 36.

[mtcan]

Would Harper start next year if we end up him?

I don't think any player taken in this draft would immediately start at the start of the season. Whether it be Flagg, Harper or whoever. It's about earning it and outperforming the established vets on the team. Before acquiring Ingram...I didn't doubt for a second that Harper/Flagg/Bailey would step right into a starting role because the starting 5 was fluid and there was a spot to fill. Now it's different. Flagg/Harper/Bailey/etc. would still get plenty of minutes and may even finish games but likely won't overtake an established starter until trades are made later in the season.

So yes...Harper probably starts eventually but not on day 1. Maybe mid-way or after the trade deadline. And I think that is only fair. It wouldn't piss off the locker room and it allows the front office to see the collection of guys play. You need to see how IQ/RJ/Scottie/BI/Jak play to a) build up their value and b) evaluate what the roster will look like with various pieces.

I think this will be a very quiet offseason since our big move was made when trading for and then extending Ingram. It's then time to see what everything looks like together.

As for positional fit...Harper's a combo guard. He could start either next to IQ or RJ. And ya...by the time the decision will be made...one of those guys will likely be traded.

Lol Flagg is your franchise player and will start day 1....You don't draft a guy number 1 and bench him....He instantly will become your guy....Just like Barnes started day 1 as a 4th pick....

We've been through this man.

Whether you start on day 1 or day 100...it doesn't matter. If it's Flagg or Harper...I'm sure they will start before the season is over but not day 1. Masai and Darko don't care about where a guy's taken. Masai will take his time to determine who stays and who goes. Darko will take his time to manage the development and the egos. I don't care if Flagg or Harper starts on day 1...I'm just happy to have them under team control for years to come. I'm 100% sure they will start eventually but not on day 1. And as of now...NONE of these guys DESERVE to start over our current starting 5. That will change as the season goes along more than likely.

But what's clear is that moves need to be made and the roster needs to be shaped. They will need to watch the guys play and decide who stays and who goes but it won't be before the team has played meaningful games.

Masai's timetable is not the same as yours...but I trust Masai's more.

[ciueli]

Queen played more minutes than Maluach. We talking 30 minutes vs 20 minutes.

That's the point, if you want to compare two players you can't just point at one who has more counting stats and say they are better. Look at per 36 or per 40 numbers to see who is really putting up better numbers.

I still like Queens numbers more if you go per 36.

I'll just mention this again, Queen is 20, Maluach is 18. And Maluach is the better offensive rebounder than Queen, that's usually a good sign he's the better rebounder overall as offensive rebounds are harder to get.

[Clutch0z24]

I don't think any player taken in this draft would immediately start at the start of the season. Whether it be Flagg, Harper or whoever. It's about earning it and outperforming the established vets on the team. Before acquiring Ingram...I didn't doubt for a second that Harper/Flagg/Bailey would step right into a starting role because the starting 5 was fluid and there was a spot to fill. Now it's different. Flagg/Harper/Bailey/etc. would still get plenty of minutes and may even finish games but likely won't overtake an established starter until trades are made later in the season.

So yes...Harper probably starts eventually but not on day 1. Maybe mid-way or after the trade deadline. And I think that is only fair. It wouldn't piss off the locker room and it allows the front office to see the collection of guys play. You need to see how IQ/RJ/Scottie/BI/Jak play to a) build up their value and b) evaluate what the roster will look like with various pieces.

I think this will be a very quiet offseason since our big move was made when trading for and then extending Ingram. It's then time to see what everything looks like together.

As for positional fit...Harper's a combo guard. He could start either next to IQ or RJ. And ya...by the time the decision will be made...one of those guys will likely be traded.

Lol Flagg is your franchise player and will start day 1....You don't draft a guy number 1 and bench him....He instantly will become your guy....Just like Barnes started day 1 as a 4th pick....

We've been through this man.

Whether you start on day 1 or day 100...it doesn't matter. If it's Flagg or Harper...I'm sure they will start before the season is over but not day 1. Masai and Darko don't care about where a guy's taken. I don't care if Flagg or Harper starts on day 1...I'm just happy to have them under team control for years to come. I'm 100% sure they will start eventually but not on day 1.

But what's clear is that moves need to be made and the roster needs to be shaped. They will need to watch the guys play and decide who stays and who goes but it won't be before the team has played meaningful games.

Masai's timetable is not the same as yours...but I trust Masai's more.

Lol you have your head in the clouds if you think Flagg won't be handed the keys to the franchise day 1....He will instantly be our best prospect we had since Vince Carter.

[BoyzNTheHood]

We have more options, and depends if we prefer NBA athlete, instead of a freshman.

We might use our 2nd round pick for a senior who showed enough skills and with much better athleticism. Our success has been looking for these players who reads the game well and developed enough skills. Such as Kalkbrenner being defensive player of the year (Shead was last year) maybe considered by us.

I don’t think Kalkbrenner he has the same upside as Yang given Yang’s age, touch, footwork and passing. He also gets bullied when playing decent comp way more than you would expect for someone his size and age. That said, I don’t mind Kalkbrenner, and wouldn’t be upset if he was the choice. Not as safe a bet to be a contributor as someone like Broome, but not a bad one either. Replacement level big IMO.

I think the swing on Yang is an upside play. If he hits, he’s a super valuable archetype.

If he doesnt have enough quickness, I am unsure he has that big of potential. And as a Chinese myself, I do not believe to be enough to be a NBA player. Watanabe was a surprised to me already being Asian who makes to the league

Just because you’re Chinese you know he won’t translate? I hate when people do that. Every time I see a YT or X comment talking about “as a Raps fan I’d take Quentin Grimes over Scottie Barnes”, like FOH with that. And then you got all the people upvoting the comment because it must be true since he’s a Raps fan! Now you wanna act like because you’re Chinese and your people haven’t had historical success in basketball Hansen has no hope. I’m not going to be that closed minded. He has a lot of Jokic in his game. He knows all of that tricky stuff. Guys will be holding and pulling him and he’ll just toss some BS up that goes in. Of course,
It remains to be seen versus NBA guys, but I have no issue taking him in the 2nd and seeing what he can do in the G-League.

As for Kalkbrenner, you’re preaching to the choir. I know he’s good and have said many times in these threads that I like him as a second rounder and can see him having a Brook Lopez career arc in the NBA.

[mtcan]

Lol Flagg is your franchise player and will start day 1....You don't draft a guy number 1 and bench him....He instantly will become your guy....Just like Barnes started day 1 as a 4th pick....

We've been through this man.

Whether you start on day 1 or day 100...it doesn't matter. If it's Flagg or Harper...I'm sure they will start before the season is over but not day 1. Masai and Darko don't care about where a guy's taken. I don't care if Flagg or Harper starts on day 1...I'm just happy to have them under team control for years to come. I'm 100% sure they will start eventually but not on day 1.

But what's clear is that moves need to be made and the roster needs to be shaped. They will need to watch the guys play and decide who stays and who goes but it won't be before the team has played meaningful games.

Masai's timetable is not the same as yours...but I trust Masai's more.

Lol you have your head in the clouds if you think Flagg won't be handed the keys to the franchise day 1....He will instantly be our best prospect we had since Vince Carter.

PROSPECT.

He's a prospect.

Chill with the impatience.

[Clutch0z24]

That's the point, if you want to compare two players you can't just point at one who has more counting stats and say they are better. Look at per 36 or per 40 numbers to see who is really putting up better numbers.

I still like Queens numbers more if you go per 36.

I'll just mention this again, Queen is 20, Maluach is 18. And Maluach is the better offensive rebounder than Queen, that's usually a good sign he's the better rebounder overall as offensive rebounds are harder to get.

Even if he is a slight better rebounder by lets say 1 rebound a game....The offensive game is not close and Queen smokes him by a mile....Thats the difference....Maluach defense is not worlds amazing to make up for his offensive deficiencies for me....And you don't draft by age...If one is more skilled thats more valuable than age....Age is just another "Potential" Thing ....High chance when Maluach is 20 he doesn't have half the offensive bag Queen has.

[Indeed]

We've been through this man.

Whether you start on day 1 or day 100...it doesn't matter. If it's Flagg or Harper...I'm sure they will start before the season is over but not day 1. Masai and Darko don't care about where a guy's taken. I don't care if Flagg or Harper starts on day 1...I'm just happy to have them under team control for years to come. I'm 100% sure they will start eventually but not on day 1.

But what's clear is that moves need to be made and the roster needs to be shaped. They will need to watch the guys play and decide who stays and who goes but it won't be before the team has played meaningful games.

Masai's timetable is not the same as yours...but I trust Masai's more.

Lol you have your head in the clouds if you think Flagg won't be handed the keys to the franchise day 1....He will instantly be our best prospect we had since Vince Carter.

PROSPECT.

He's a prospect.

Chill with the impatience.

Agents and media are likely questioning on not starting them.
Then rookie of the year awards are unlikely for someone coming from the bench, then near max contract are mostly for those with awards.

There are a lot of things impact the decision of not starting your rookie, which is one reason Barnes started even he is not even Flagg level.

And believe or not, your next top 3 pick may not want to work out with you. They may not want you to pick them.

[Clutch0z24]

We've been through this man.

Whether you start on day 1 or day 100...it doesn't matter. If it's Flagg or Harper...I'm sure they will start before the season is over but not day 1. Masai and Darko don't care about where a guy's taken. I don't care if Flagg or Harper starts on day 1...I'm just happy to have them under team control for years to come. I'm 100% sure they will start eventually but not on day 1.

But what's clear is that moves need to be made and the roster needs to be shaped. They will need to watch the guys play and decide who stays and who goes but it won't be before the team has played meaningful games.

Masai's timetable is not the same as yours...but I trust Masai's more.

Lol you have your head in the clouds if you think Flagg won't be handed the keys to the franchise day 1....He will instantly be our best prospect we had since Vince Carter.

PROSPECT.

He's a prospect.

Chill with the impatience.

Yeah but if your drafting someone that high hes going to start....This is also a business at the end of the day...Flagg is someone that is going to get shoe deals, Sponserships etc...The NBA make money off hyping up the top draft picks....They get thrown into the fire day 1....They don't take the wait and see approach with top picks that are hyped up.....Sometimes the pick doesn't work out as planned but they are not bench players opening night....Flagg is also too skilled to be benched....He would also be arguably our best player day 1 he gets drafted.

[Indeed]

I still like Queens numbers more if you go per 36.

I'll just mention this again, Queen is 20, Maluach is 18. And Maluach is the better offensive rebounder than Queen, that's usually a good sign he's the better rebounder overall as offensive rebounds are harder to get.

Even if he is a slight better rebounder by lets say 1 rebound a game....The offensive game is not close and Queen smokes him by a mile....Thats the difference....Maluach defense is not worlds amazing to make up for his offensive deficiencies for me....And you don't draft by age...If one is more skilled thats more valuable than age....Age is just another "Potential" Thing ....High chance when Maluach is 20 he doesn't have half the offensive bag Queen has.

I won't say Queen will have an average defense, which is the reason why some has Maluach over Queen, and I can understand some rating would be different if they are around the same tier.

I just don't like people hyping on raw prospects and claim they can reach their ceiling, which most of the time not. I think both players should base on their average case.

[mtcan]

Lol you have your head in the clouds if you think Flagg won't be handed the keys to the franchise day 1....He will instantly be our best prospect we had since Vince Carter.

PROSPECT.

He's a prospect.

Chill with the impatience.

Yeah but if your drafting someone that high hes going to start....This is also a business at the end of the day...Flagg is someone that is going to get shoe deals, Sponserships etc...The NBA make money off hyping up the top draft picks....They get thrown into the fire day 1....They don't take the wait and see approach with top picks that are hyped up.....Sometimes the pick doesn't work out as planned but they are not bench players opening night....Flagg is also too skilled to be benched....He would also be arguably our best player day 1 he gets drafted.

I never said that would NEVER start.

I just said that won't on day 1. I don't think that is controversial at all. Especially on a team that is trying to win.

[NinjaBro]

I’m just not sure how anyone can watch the playoffs today and look at our roster and think, yeah. We need to add more static offensive players.
.

Does anyone actually think that ?

Said no one ever lol. He's making up a phrase that's never been once uttered in the entire history of realgm, possibly the entire history of mankind.