2025 Draft Thread

[J-Ves]

How about this: say the Nets offer us 26 & 27 for 18: do we take it or pass on it?

Pass. I’m hoping we stay pat at 18, 40, and wherever our lottery pick ends up

[doclinkin]

Question: do we have 1 R2 pick? Or do we have 2?

I seem to recollect that we had 3 originally but gave one in our trade at the deadline? Am I wrong about that? Note that https://nbadraftroom.com/2025-2nd-round/ shows us w/ a pair of picks in R2.

I’ve been trying to figure that out for awhile now. I’m still not sure but I think our 2nd round pick went to Boston, Wizards kept the PHX 2nd round pick, the Detroit 2nd round pick goes to the Bucks & the GSW 2nd round pick went to the Grizzlies.

But I’m just guessing to be honest.

Someone on the board, I forget who, seemed to do a bunch of research, and found it was clearly just the 1

No respect I tells ya. I have posted the links 7 times now. I don't plan to do it again. We have only one second round pick this year.

[The Consiglieri]

Hey, at least I posted that "someone" did the work. The moniker was a bridge too far for me to cross lol.

[doclinkin]

Maluach is on my radar but there are 5 guys I’d definitely take ahead of him.
Flagg
Harper
Bailey
Edgecombe
Johnson

Which player at the end of their career has HOF potential in the group? And why.

Here's my thing. I like all of these guys on feel for the game and potential. All are ballers. They love the game and understand their role. Each has a star quality that would sinter well with the guys we have on the team. I'd be happy to have them, nobody needs to teach them a damn thing for them to fit in and succeed.

What I can't ignore is the freak factor. When you have an anomaly, you have to respect it. If the numbers are to be believed, Maluach is at the outside limit of human size and athleticism. You cannot get much bigger & more athletic without the system breaking down. Past Maluach you are into veterinary medicine.

When players come along like Shaq or Dwight Howard you understand you are picking a guy not based on their current skillset but based on the fact that nobody will be strong enough or athletic enough to stop them even if they never grow their game. They are too big to fail.

Khaman Maluach should not move as nimbly as he does at that size. If his numbers are accurate, he is a bigger stronger and more mobile Gobert. If Rudy had the mobility to guard the perimeter and recover. A player of that size changes the geometry of the court. He eliminates angles that players are used to. This is a player with an inch of reach over Wembanyama. But not twig thin. Not shy of contact. Not trying to be Kevin Durant. This is a player who seeks impact in the front court, seems to enjoy the physical part of the game, ignores smaller players pounding him, just wades through them on offensive boards or on his way to a dunk.

I get that he doesn't look instinctive out there. His Duke footage is instructive to me in this way: he is clearly coachable. The Maluach we see playing next to Cooper Flagg has simplified his role to the bare minimum. He does not jump. Stays grounded. Guards willingly out to the perimeter, guards with angles and lateral movement and verticality, but does not leave his feet, does not foul. His offensive game is even more basic: catch ball, dunk ball.

But that is not the kid you see in Africa footage. Check out his footwork and body control and at age 16. 1 inch and 15 lbs ago.

Watch on YouTube

His coaches at the NBA Academy say he was miles better than Embiid at the same age. Which hints at another key factor. The player you are seeing today is not a finished product, but is one of the youngest players in the draft. He first touched a ball in 2019. The players listed above grew up with a ball in their hands. Literally in the case of Harper. Whatever flashes you see out of Maluach are simply a byproduct of innate athleticism and high level intelligence.

The question I ask at the top of the draft is: if this player developed to their peak potential, what would be their ultimate top end? There are players who have a head start on that top end. Cooper Flagg is precocious, smart, competitive, with good size for his position. Is he stronger or more athletic than his counterparts? Is he going to power through contact when facing true centers? He's not LeBron. Harper is an instant veteran with an advanced dribble-drive game that gets him to the paint and scores off any angle. Can he rise above defenders and shoot from outside if the interior isn't an option? Decent size, but not Antman type rockets in his jump. Their mismatch is smarts. They will add skills, but are pretty close to maxing out the intel part of the game. Unlikely to become physical mismatches as well. If you make a case for them as HOF players it will be because they are able to maintain the efficiency they have now and translate it to the league. Incrementally improve even.

The case for a player like Maluach is that he is playing the position that takes the longest to develop, but he already shows signs of learning remarkably quickly, with significantly untapped skillsets and limitless potential. But that with some very basic improvements he can be a game changer. Khaman lacks a jumper, a reliable hook shot, some defensive fundamentals on footwork and positioning, boxing out on defense. Some 8th grade coaching level stuff. Add core strength on top of his innate athleticism. His frame can add strength without needing to add much weight. Now picture Khaman with 8 years in the league at the end of his 2nd contract. What bets do you want to lay that that Khaman is a more influential player than guys drafted ahead of him?

To me the measurables will change the question. The same way when Edgecombe measures at 6'3" with meh standing reach he will be reshuffled on the draft boards. Rightly or wrongly. His athleticism will make up the difference if he stays healthy. But If Khaman actually posts a 9'8" standing reach, and a decent shuttle run, he will be the biggest playable two-way Center in the game. When it comes to post season play, that is a more impactful role even than a flashy and reliable scorer. Especially in the Wemby era when teams keep getting bigger and bigger.

[AFM]

CCJ and I are waging a war of attrition against Dairy Queen doubters. Gonna have this entire board trying to draft him second come June.

There's no such thing as a Queen doubter on this board. There are a giant pile of, "Queen's ability to defend" doubters. I've yet to find anyone on the board that doubt's he'd be a genuine weapon on the offensive side of things for us, but the general consensus that he's a huge to consistent liability as a defender as a prospect now, and most scouts and GM's quoted on him appear to agree with that concern which is why a guy with his skill set on the offensive side is so damn low in a 3-4 blue chip draft. If he had the defensive side of the game down, he'd be consistently projected 3rd-6th, instead, the huge general skepticism, has him 6th-12th everywhere I look.

We all get it AFM, if all we had was the ball, Queen would dominate and he'd be an absolute steal. But we have to defend, and right now, based on what I've read, he's a huge negative in that arena, which makes him a non-starter for me as a pick, period, w/our first overall. Trading up from 18? Now that I'd consider (though I think I'd probably prefer Sorber, particularly considering cost in draft capital to acquire).

All of these guys have holes in their game, they're teenagers. Queen reminds me of Sengun. They have a top 5 defense in the league this year. I think you can absolutely play Sarr and Queen together especially if we're projecting Sarr to be a beast on D (pause).

I also don't buy that he's some sort of terrible defender. He's just not a shot blocker. Here's an NBA scout:

An NBA scout on Derik Queen: “In the NBA, he’ll likely be a small center – undersized but effective. He’s around 6-foot-10 with a big frame, probably 260 pounds already, so he’s built to hold his own physically. As for his game, he’s a monster rebounder, a great screener, and a solid rim-runner. He’s not much of a shot-blocker, though. Sure, he’s had a couple of games with blocks, for a big guy in college, you’d expect more in that department. Do I buy the shot? I’m not sure yet. His defensive numbers actually grade out better than I’d expect. He’s a decent defender, especially in the pick-and-roll, but he doesn’t block a lot of shots, which can make it harder for a big man to stand out defensively. That said, he’s not going to get picked apart defensively. He holds his own well enough, and I wouldn’t worry about him getting cooked out there. He’s solid – just not elite on that end.”

[9 and 20]

Maluach is on my radar but there are 5 guys I’d definitely take ahead of him.
Flagg
Harper
Bailey
Edgecombe
Johnson

Which player at the end of their career has HOF potential in the group? And why.

Here's my thing. I like all of these guys on feel for the game and potential. All are ballers. They love the game and understand their role. Each has a star quality that would sinter well with the guys we have on the team. I'd be happy to have them, nobody needs to teach them a damn thing for them to fit in and succeed.

What I can't ignore is the freak factor. When you have an anomaly, you have to respect it. If the numbers are to be believed, Maluach is at the outside limit of human size and athleticism. You cannot get much bigger & more athletic without the system breaking down. Past Maluach you are into veterinary medicine.

When players come along like Shaq or Dwight Howard you understand you are picking a guy not based on their current skillset but based on the fact that nobody will be strong enough or athletic enough to stop them even if they never grow their game. They are too big to fail.

Khaman Maluach should not move as nimbly as he does at that size. If his numbers are accurate, he is a bigger stronger and more mobile Gobert. If Rudy had the mobility to guard the perimeter and recover. A player of that size changes the geometry of the court. He eliminates angles that players are used to. This is a player with an inch of reach over Wembanyama. But not twig thin. Not shy of contact. Not trying to be Kevin Durant. This is a player who seeks impact in the front court, seems to enjoy the physical part of the game, ignores smaller players pounding him, just wades through them on offensive boards or on his way to a dunk.

I get that he doesn't look instinctive out there. His Duke footage is instructive to me in this way: he is clearly coachable. The Maluach we see playing next to Cooper Flagg has simplified his role to the bare minimum. He does not jump. Stays grounded. Guards willingly out to the perimeter, guards with angles and lateral movement and verticality, but does not leave his feet, does not foul. His offensive game is even more basic: catch ball, dunk ball.

But that is not the kid you see in Africa footage. Check out his footwork and body control and at age 16. 1 inch and 15 lbs ago.

Watch on YouTube

His coaches at the NBA Academy say he was miles better than Embiid at the same age. Which hints at another key factor. The player you are seeing today is not a finished product, but is one of the youngest players in the draft. He first touched a ball in 2019. The players listed above grew up with a ball in their hands. Literally in the case of Harper. Whatever flashes you see out of Maluach are simply a byproduct of innate athleticism and high level intelligence.

The question I ask at the top of the draft is: if this player developed to their peak potential, what would be their ultimate top end? There are players who have a head start on that top end. Cooper Flagg is precocious, smart, competitive, with good size for his position. Is he stronger or more athletic than his counterparts? Is he going to power through contact when facing true centers? He's not LeBron. Harper is an instant veteran with an advanced dribble-drive game that gets him to the paint and scores off any angle. Can he rise above defenders and shoot from outside if the interior isn't an option? Decent size, but not Antman type rockets in his jump. Their mismatch is smarts. They will add skills, but are pretty close to maxing out the intel part of the game. Unlikely to become physical mismatches as well. If you make a case for them as HOF players it will be because they are able to maintain the efficiency they have now and translate it to the league. Incrementally improve even.

The case for a player like Maluach is that he is playing the position that takes the longest to develop, but he already shows signs of learning remarkably quickly, with significantly untapped skillsets and limitless potential. But that with some very basic improvements he can be a game changer. Khaman lacks a jumper, a reliable hook shot, some defensive fundamentals on footwork and positioning, boxing out on defense. Some 8th grade coaching level stuff. Add core strength on top of his innate athleticism. His frame can add strength without needing to add much weight. Now picture Khaman with 8 years in the league at the end of his 2nd contract. What bets do you want to lay that that Khaman is a more influential player than guys drafted ahead of him?

To me the measurables will change the question. The same way when Edgecombe measures at 6'3" with meh standing reach he will be reshuffled on the draft boards. Rightly or wrongly. His athleticism will make up the difference if he stays healthy. But If Khaman actually posts a 9'8" standing reach, and a decent shuttle run, he will be the biggest playable two-way Center in the game. When it comes to post season play, that is a more impactful role even than a flashy and reliable scorer. Especially in the Wemby era when teams keep getting bigger and bigger.

I'm sold on Maluach! Also, I'd hire you to write my annual performance review.

Outside of the top two, I also don't mind the idea of getting a no-nonsense guy like Edgecomb and then adding Sorber later. Also thought about the possibility of getting both Queen and Sorber, which would be fun.

Carter Bryant, even with a limited track record, seems like a Dawkins-type pick.

[dckingsfan]

CCJ and I are waging a war of attrition against Dairy Queen doubters. Gonna have this entire board trying to draft him second come June.

Some have Queen going as late as 10. If we have 4 or 5 then trading for 8 & 14 from SA?

Nobody is giving both 8 & 14 for either 4 or 5! Wish they would tho....

Of course they will.... There is the Queen factor.

SA, has to have player X! They just have to have them. We get Queen and someone at 14

[tontoz]

I am definitely in on Yaxel. Short interview talking about how he got into the game. Late start.

Watch on YouTube

[dckingsfan]

I feel strongly about my top 3. I don't think it will change unless Edgecombe's measurements are terribly disappointing.

1. F Cooper Flagg
2. G Dylan Harper
3. G V.J. Edgecombe

I'm with DcZards on Tre Johnson. I like his feel for the game, his high level shooting and his ability to find the open man. He's 6-6 with a 6-10 wingspan so I don't see defense being a huge concern here. I trust Tre more than Ace at the moment.

4. G Tre Johnson
5. F Ace Bailey

At 6 is where my struggles really begin but I've solidly had 8-9 guys in this group for a while and I have recently added Carter Bryant & Kasparas Jakucionis after doing deep dive on them. I dropped CMB out of this group after losing confidence in him becoming a passable shooter in the near future.

6. G Jeremiah Fears
7. G Jase Richardson
8. C Derik Queen
9. C Khaman Malauch
10. F Noa Esssengue
11. C Thomas Sorber
12. F Carter Bryant
13. F Kon Knueppel
14. G Kasparas Jakucionis

Now here's where it's a mess as the draft appears to drop a notch where it's hard to differentiate mid 1sts from early 2nd rounders.

Yaxel is my slight fav out of this group. Saraf has played better lately and has two-way with good size. Rasheer seems like a safe bet to be at least a decent role player. Alex Condon I think is a little underrated but needs to get stronger. Not high on Nolan Traore at all.

15. F Yaxel Lendeborg
16. G Ben Saraf
17. F Rasheer Fleming
18. C Alex Condon
19. G Sergio de Larrea
20. F Noah Penda
21. G Labaron Philon
22. F Bogoljub Markovic
23. C Danny Wolf
24. F Collin Murray-Boyles
25. F Will Riley
26. F Asa Newell

I think that Bailey should be one tier lower. But yeah, to me that middle late first round is going to have some really fine players.

I think Queen, Malauch and Sorber - it depends on the team they land on. Queen would be great on Miami.

[closg00]

Wizards youngsters are all light in the cakes. I’m with CCJ on this. If we get the sixth pick, i say Queen and Sorber. Let’s bring back the beef brothers.

If we get the 5-6th pick I want Khaman. Nobody is bigger than him. But otherwise yeah I'm team Beef this year. Sorber, DQ, CMB, I'd trade up from 18 if one fell within reach.

Watch on YouTube

If our talent evaluators are positive on Khaman, i’d be all in. Mobley has Jarret. Greek Freak has Lopez. Sarr would have Khaman. Could you imagine the defense with Bilal, Kyshawn, Sarr and Maluach?

Also, he’s so young. Lots of time to improve. Sarr (and JD5) are ectomorphs and will never put on weight. Khaman is different and could be quite big and strong in a few years.

My concern is that watching him, he doesn’t have that innate timing for shot blocking. I believe one is born with it. He looks reactive to me. Not sure if that is right.

Also, he’s good for the 25-26 tank because he’s still so raw. Look at how few minutes Duke gave him.

OKC has Chet and Hartenstein, skilled Twin Towers all around the NBA. We have potential with Sarr/Vuk, but we did a defensive anchor and rim protector.

[Dat2U]

Maluach is on my radar but there are 5 guys I’d definitely take ahead of him.
Flagg
Harper
Bailey
Edgecombe
Johnson

Which player at the end of their career has HOF potential in the group? And why.

Here's my thing. I like all of these guys on feel for the game and potential. All are ballers. They love the game and understand their role. Each has a star quality that would sinter well with the guys we have on the team. I'd be happy to have them, nobody needs to teach them a damn thing for them to fit in and succeed.

What I can't ignore is the freak factor. When you have an anomaly, you have to respect it. If the numbers are to be believed, Maluach is at the outside limit of human size and athleticism. You cannot get much bigger & more athletic without the system breaking down. Past Maluach you are into veterinary medicine.

When players come along like Shaq or Dwight Howard you understand you are picking a guy not based on their current skillset but based on the fact that nobody will be strong enough or athletic enough to stop them even if they never grow their game. They are too big to fail.

Khaman Maluach should not move as nimbly as he does at that size. If his numbers are accurate, he is a bigger stronger and more mobile Gobert. If Rudy had the mobility to guard the perimeter and recover. A player of that size changes the geometry of the court. He eliminates angles that players are used to. This is a player with an inch of reach over Wembanyama. But not twig thin. Not shy of contact. Not trying to be Kevin Durant. This is a player who seeks impact in the front court, seems to enjoy the physical part of the game, ignores smaller players pounding him, just wades through them on offensive boards or on his way to a dunk.

I get that he doesn't look instinctive out there. His Duke footage is instructive to me in this way: he is clearly coachable. The Maluach we see playing next to Cooper Flagg has simplified his role to the bare minimum. He does not jump. Stays grounded. Guards willingly out to the perimeter, guards with angles and lateral movement and verticality, but does not leave his feet, does not foul. His offensive game is even more basic: catch ball, dunk ball.

But that is not the kid you see in Africa footage. Check out his footwork and body control and at age 16. 1 inch and 15 lbs ago.

Watch on YouTube

His coaches at the NBA Academy say he was miles better than Embiid at the same age. Which hints at another key factor. The player you are seeing today is not a finished product, but is one of the youngest players in the draft. He first touched a ball in 2019. The players listed above grew up with a ball in their hands. Literally in the case of Harper. Whatever flashes you see out of Maluach are simply a byproduct of innate athleticism and high level intelligence.

The question I ask at the top of the draft is: if this player developed to their peak potential, what would be their ultimate top end? There are players who have a head start on that top end. Cooper Flagg is precocious, smart, competitive, with good size for his position. Is he stronger or more athletic than his counterparts? Is he going to power through contact when facing true centers? He's not LeBron. Harper is an instant veteran with an advanced dribble-drive game that gets him to the paint and scores off any angle. Can he rise above defenders and shoot from outside if the interior isn't an option? Decent size, but not Antman type rockets in his jump. Their mismatch is smarts. They will add skills, but are pretty close to maxing out the intel part of the game. Unlikely to become physical mismatches as well. If you make a case for them as HOF players it will be because they are able to maintain the efficiency they have now and translate it to the league. Incrementally improve even.

The case for a player like Maluach is that he is playing the position that takes the longest to develop, but he already shows signs of learning remarkably quickly, with significantly untapped skillsets and limitless potential. But that with some very basic improvements he can be a game changer. Khaman lacks a jumper, a reliable hook shot, some defensive fundamentals on footwork and positioning, boxing out on defense. Some 8th grade coaching level stuff. Add core strength on top of his innate athleticism. His frame can add strength without needing to add much weight. Now picture Khaman with 8 years in the league at the end of his 2nd contract. What bets do you want to lay that that Khaman is a more influential player than guys drafted ahead of him?

To me the measurables will change the question. The same way when Edgecombe measures at 6'3" with meh standing reach he will be reshuffled on the draft boards. Rightly or wrongly. His athleticism will make up the difference if he stays healthy. But If Khaman actually posts a 9'8" standing reach, and a decent shuttle run, he will be the biggest playable two-way Center in the game. When it comes to post season play, that is a more impactful role even than a flashy and reliable scorer. Especially in the Wemby era when teams keep getting bigger and bigger.

I don't hate Maluach, he's intriguing. He seems to listen to coaching. I think he'll be at worst playable unlike some past high picks at the C position. I just worry he's not going to be a huge defensive rebounder or stocks guy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, he may be a +/- darling but I don't trust his offense outside of put backs, setting screens, seals or as a roller in the pick & roll. Everything else is in his infancy stage in terms of NBA ready skills.

I guess I'm not supposed to care about fit, but I don't love Maluach with Sarr & Coulibaly in the front court. Too much skill development has to occur for it to work. The defensive upside is high but I worry if there's enough rebounding and certainly it would be ugly offensively for the foreseeable future unless one or more makes a significant jump.

Outlier height is great but skill & processing is the great equalizer

[payitforward]

I’ve been trying to figure that out for awhile now. I’m still not sure but I think our 2nd round pick went to Boston, Wizards kept the PHX 2nd round pick, the Detroit 2nd round pick goes to the Bucks & the GSW 2nd round pick went to the Grizzlies.

But I’m just guessing to be honest.

Someone on the board, I forget who, seemed to do a bunch of research, and found it was clearly just the 1

No respect I tells ya. I have posted the links 7 times now. I don't plan to do it again. We have only one second round pick this year.

What links?
Link to those links.

[dckingsfan]

Maluach is on my radar but there are 5 guys I’d definitely take ahead of him.
Flagg
Harper
Bailey
Edgecombe
Johnson

Which player at the end of their career has HOF potential in the group? And why.

Here's my thing. I like all of these guys on feel for the game and potential. All are ballers. They love the game and understand their role. Each has a star quality that would sinter well with the guys we have on the team. I'd be happy to have them, nobody needs to teach them a damn thing for them to fit in and succeed.

What I can't ignore is the freak factor. When you have an anomaly, you have to respect it. If the numbers are to be believed, Maluach is at the outside limit of human size and athleticism. You cannot get much bigger & more athletic without the system breaking down. Past Maluach you are into veterinary medicine.

When players come along like Shaq or Dwight Howard you understand you are picking a guy not based on their current skillset but based on the fact that nobody will be strong enough or athletic enough to stop them even if they never grow their game. They are too big to fail.

Khaman Maluach should not move as nimbly as he does at that size. If his numbers are accurate, he is a bigger stronger and more mobile Gobert. If Rudy had the mobility to guard the perimeter and recover. A player of that size changes the geometry of the court. He eliminates angles that players are used to. This is a player with an inch of reach over Wembanyama. But not twig thin. Not shy of contact. Not trying to be Kevin Durant. This is a player who seeks impact in the front court, seems to enjoy the physical part of the game, ignores smaller players pounding him, just wades through them on offensive boards or on his way to a dunk.

I get that he doesn't look instinctive out there. His Duke footage is instructive to me in this way: he is clearly coachable. The Maluach we see playing next to Cooper Flagg has simplified his role to the bare minimum. He does not jump. Stays grounded. Guards willingly out to the perimeter, guards with angles and lateral movement and verticality, but does not leave his feet, does not foul. His offensive game is even more basic: catch ball, dunk ball.

But that is not the kid you see in Africa footage. Check out his footwork and body control and at age 16. 1 inch and 15 lbs ago.

Watch on YouTube

His coaches at the NBA Academy say he was miles better than Embiid at the same age. Which hints at another key factor. The player you are seeing today is not a finished product, but is one of the youngest players in the draft. He first touched a ball in 2019. The players listed above grew up with a ball in their hands. Literally in the case of Harper. Whatever flashes you see out of Maluach are simply a byproduct of innate athleticism and high level intelligence.

The question I ask at the top of the draft is: if this player developed to their peak potential, what would be their ultimate top end? There are players who have a head start on that top end. Cooper Flagg is precocious, smart, competitive, with good size for his position. Is he stronger or more athletic than his counterparts? Is he going to power through contact when facing true centers? He's not LeBron. Harper is an instant veteran with an advanced dribble-drive game that gets him to the paint and scores off any angle. Can he rise above defenders and shoot from outside if the interior isn't an option? Decent size, but not Antman type rockets in his jump. Their mismatch is smarts. They will add skills, but are pretty close to maxing out the intel part of the game. Unlikely to become physical mismatches as well. If you make a case for them as HOF players it will be because they are able to maintain the efficiency they have now and translate it to the league. Incrementally improve even.

The case for a player like Maluach is that he is playing the position that takes the longest to develop, but he already shows signs of learning remarkably quickly, with significantly untapped skillsets and limitless potential. But that with some very basic improvements he can be a game changer. Khaman lacks a jumper, a reliable hook shot, some defensive fundamentals on footwork and positioning, boxing out on defense. Some 8th grade coaching level stuff. Add core strength on top of his innate athleticism. His frame can add strength without needing to add much weight. Now picture Khaman with 8 years in the league at the end of his 2nd contract. What bets do you want to lay that that Khaman is a more influential player than guys drafted ahead of him?

To me the measurables will change the question. The same way when Edgecombe measures at 6'3" with meh standing reach he will be reshuffled on the draft boards. Rightly or wrongly. His athleticism will make up the difference if he stays healthy. But If Khaman actually posts a 9'8" standing reach, and a decent shuttle run, he will be the biggest playable two-way Center in the game. When it comes to post season play, that is a more impactful role even than a flashy and reliable scorer. Especially in the Wemby era when teams keep getting bigger and bigger.

I don't hate Maluach, he's intriguing. He seems to listen to coaching. I think he'll be at worst playable unlike some past high picks at the C position. I just worry he's not going to be a huge defensive rebounder or stocks guy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, he may be a +/- darling but I don't trust his offense outside of put backs, setting screens, seals or as a roller in the pick & roll. Everything else is in his infancy stage in terms of NBA ready skills.

I guess I'm not supposed to care about fit, but I don't love Maluach with Sarr & Coulibaly in the front court. Too much skill development has to occur for it to work. The defensive upside is high but I worry if there's enough rebounding and certainly it would be ugly offensively for the foreseeable future unless one or more makes a significant jump.

Outlier height is great but skill & processing is the great equalizer

Not sure Sarr/Bilal is a good fit period. I guess if you were going to add someone to the mix it would be a defensive rebounding machine.

[dckingsfan]

Someone on the board, I forget who, seemed to do a bunch of research, and found it was clearly just the 1

No respect I tells ya. I have posted the links 7 times now. I don't plan to do it again. We have only one second round pick this year.

What links?
Link to those links.

Ya like links, how 'bout dem links...

[doclinkin]

I don't hate Maluach, he's intriguing. He seems to listen to coaching. I think he'll be at worst playable unlike some past high picks at the C position. I just worry he's not going to be a huge defensive rebounder or stocks guy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, he may be a +/- darling but I don't trust his offense outside of put backs, setting screens, seals or as a roller in the pick & roll. Everything else is in his infancy stage in terms of NBA ready skills.

I guess I'm not supposed to care about fit, but I don't love Maluach with Sarr & Coulibaly in the front court. Too much skill development has to occur for it to work. The defensive upside is high but I worry if there's enough rebounding and certainly it would be ugly offensively for the foreseeable future unless one or more makes a significant jump.

Outlier height is great but skill & processing is the great equalizer

I'd agree on the infancy part. With the understanding that babies grow. The 77% FT shooting is suggestive he can add a jumper. His hands are great, and he has good midair control and adjustments. My feel is with experience his reads will come quicker. (And I'd wish we had a Giant whisperer though who could teach tips and tricks of low post play. Hire Brook Lopez on the last years of his contract to teach positional defense. Speed up the learning process for him).

Yes we'd struggle for a minute still. Though so would teams facing that size and defense. We would force misses, but someone has to collect them afterwards. If we struggle it suits the need to lose if we want to keep our 2026 pick.

We still would lack an omega level scorer. A game finisher. Which is what most folks hope to get with a top 6 pick. So yeah I'm comfortable if the team goes in that direction instead. All of the others will be fun to watch. Me I'd be looking for that guy in Dybantsa, Peterson, Ament, Arenas...

My sole question on Khaman is whether I believe the anthropometrics. His height is in his legs, which gives him a high center of gravity, except that he does take a wide base on his defensive crouch. And potentially on defensive board work once he knows how. That long stride is why he is able to recover even when beat on the dribble, but it does mean his length looks shorter than purported. Contrast with a guy like Rasheer Fleming who is 6'9" with a 7'5" wingspan and looks it, he barely has to jump to dunk, which it means his steals and block numbers are excellent despite not looking like a run and jump standout.

That said Malauch's legs are a source of power though. He doesn't get knocked off balance and he can launch to finish above the rim. I'm not too worried about his rudimentary offense here, or his chemistry. I see opportunities to mimic the Cavs if we can add shooting elsewhere. Or improve from within. Sarr is most comfortable as a face-up perimeter guy. I envision Sarr working hard to improve his skillset as a giant forward, to the point where teams are forced to guard his jumper with whatever tall guy they've got. His above average handle for a big and decent passing make the Big to Big pass really hard to stop. Sarr's questionable hands on the catch won't matter if he's flipping it to Maluach to do this:

Watch on YouTube

With a 74% True Shooting percentage, you don't really have to worry too much about the offensive skills he lacks. Give him the ball and let him score over absolutely anybody.

[doclinkin]

What links?
Link to those links.

LOL No.

Literally 7 times I tracked down and posted the NBA.com press releases of the Trade Deadline deals we made. They clearly stated we shipped a net loss of 2 second rounders from 2025, even if they didn't delineate which was which. Then David Aldridge wrote in the Athletic an article indicating all the picks we have in future years. In that article he stated we had the PHX 2nd rounder this year. Mentioning nothing else. Subsequently almost every website has adjusted their mocks to show that to be the case.

Here, I will post the definitive 'graph from the DA article, stating what picks we now have or can swap, and this is the last time I'm doing this.

After the trades, the Wizards now control, either directly or through pick swaps, eight first-round picks between 2025 and 2031. And they have two more firsts coming their way — one in 2026; the other in 2029 — that they don’t control. The ’26 pick will be the least favorable between Oklahoma City, Houston and the Clippers; the ’29 pick will be the second-most favorable among Portland, Milwaukee and Boston. That’s 10 firsts total in the next seven drafts. (A highly protected 2030 first that Washington is scheduled to get from Golden State as part of the Chris Paul trade in 2023 is not likely to convey to the Wizards and would instead turn into a 2030 second-rounder from the Warriors.)

And, the Wizards have 16 second-round picks between 2025 and 2030, including free and clear second-rounders from Phoenix (each draft between 2025 and 2027, and in 2030), Chicago (2026), Golden State (2027 and 2028), Sacramento (2028, via Denver) the Lakers and Sacramento (both in 2029) and Portland (2030). The Wizards will also get the more favorable of the 2027 second-round pick of the Mavericks or Nets. Given the current trajectory of many of those teams, at least a few of those picks are likely to be very high in the second round — and could potentially be used by Washington to try and move up into the back end of first rounds between 2025 and 2030.

That's it. Trust the Hall of Famer and hometown reporter DA to get the info correct.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

CCJ and I are waging a war of attrition against Dairy Queen doubters. Gonna have this entire board trying to draft him second come June.

Nah. They're not switching. They'll have to see him on another team.

I remember what people said about Portis. Now, he's better than Kuzma. Then he was, too. People on this board didn't think he was good enough to be a Wizard.

Nate still insists Javale McGee is terrible. I've heard Steve Kerr interviewed, saying otherwise, praising Javale. The dude has championship rings

Guys like Boozer, Millsap, Blair fail the body archetype test. Yet, a casual look at their overwhelming stats should erase doubts.

(As I typed I'm wondering about Carey, Sweetney, and Swanigan)

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

CCJ and I are waging a war of attrition against Dairy Queen doubters. Gonna have this entire board trying to draft him second come June.

There's no such thing as a Queen doubter on this board. There are a giant pile of, "Queen's ability to defend" doubters. I've yet to find anyone on the board that doubt's he'd be a genuine weapon on the offensive side of things for us, but the general consensus that he's a huge to consistent liability as a defender as a prospect now, and most scouts and GM's quoted on him appear to agree with that concern which is why a guy with his skill set on the offensive side is so damn low in a 3-4 blue chip draft. If he had the defensive side of the game down, he'd be consistently projected 3rd-6th, instead, the huge general skepticism, has him 6th-12th everywhere I look.

We all get it AFM, if all we had was the ball, Queen would dominate and he'd be an absolute steal. But we have to defend, and right now, based on what I've read, he's a huge negative in that arena, which makes him a non-starter for me as a pick, period, w/our first overall. Trading up from 18? Now that I'd consider (though I think I'd probably prefer Sorber, particularly considering cost in draft capital to acquire).

All of these guys have holes in their game, they're teenagers. Queen reminds me of Sengun. They have a top 5 defense in the league this year. I think you can absolutely play Sarr and Queen together especially if we're projecting Sarr to be a beast on D (pause).

I also don't buy that he's some sort of terrible defender. He's just not a shot blocker. Here's an NBA scout:

An NBA scout on Derik Queen: “In the NBA, he’ll likely be a small center – undersized but effective. He’s around 6-foot-10 with a big frame, probably 260 pounds already, so he’s built to hold his own physically. As for his game, he’s a monster rebounder, a great screener, and a solid rim-runner. He’s not much of a shot-blocker, though. Sure, he’s had a couple of games with blocks, for a big guy in college, you’d expect more in that department. Do I buy the shot? I’m not sure yet. His defensive numbers actually grade out better than I’d expect. He’s a decent defender, especially in the pick-and-roll, but he doesn’t block a lot of shots, which can make it harder for a big man to stand out defensively. That said, he’s not going to get picked apart defensively. He holds his own well enough, and I wouldn’t worry about him getting cooked out there. He’s solid – just not elite on that end.”

DQ reminds me of Sengun, also.

Alperen Sengun had his way in his first playoff game, which was against the Golden State Warriors. He rebounded well. He scored near the basket. His teammates ruined what would have been several DHO assists.

Sengun protected the rim as well.

I hope Queen is that good.

[doclinkin]

Just a reminder of who Malauch was before Duke. The smart play at Duke was to defer to Flagg and Knueppel for anything outside the paint. But prior to the NCAA he showed a bit more creativity in his game:

Watch on YouTube

Jumper, fadey, hookshot, left hand off glass, left hand finger roll, 3pt from the top of the key, high-low passing from just inside the three, 3pt shot over a center with hand in his face from 4 ft behind the line, right hand skyhook from 8 feet out, shoving for offensive rebounds highly physical in the scrum when facing the basket, showing a handle to drive past the big from the arc to the paint and finish with a dunk, corner 3 with ease (same shot he hit over Unibrow in the Olympics), jab-step and rip through move on his jumper from both left and right side, two dribble drive then soft off the glass with touch after contact, etc.

Notice him jumping high for blocks in these clips hand above the square of the backboard (check at 5:10 for example). Something he wasn't doing at Duke.

Check him baiting the foul at 3:58 in this video here:

Watch on YouTube

And contrast with how radically different his game was at Duke. Why? Coaching and teammates. He played his role next to the clear cut #1 player in College and one of the smartest players in the game. He's bright enough to defer, willing to play the role his team needed. But check his aggression in the Africa clips, he clearly loves to compete. Loves to star. He has shown that his toolkit has far more in it than we saw in his freshman year stateside.

Then recognize he was a 17 year old kid in these clips.
Watch again and ask yourself, in the NBA you think none of those skills ^^^ would translate?

Now picture that 17 year old kid 4 years later, the age that Queen is now.

I'm saying it may be the best thing for this team if we slip in the lotto. We may accidentally luck into the best player in the draft.

[doclinkin]

(And counter argument: I might have said the same thing about Thon Maker, Makur Maker, Bol Bol, JT Thor. That region grows them huge but I can't understand why none of these cats managed to do a thing in the sport. Shrug. I do think Maluach is more mobile and physical though than this bunch.)