Individual Daily Draft Prospect Discussion/Index

[Chi town]

THT was a good prospect. Didn't develop though.

And yet he's still a better basketball player than most of AK's draft picks.

Hahahaha.

So. True.

[Guru]

14 P-Rasheer Fleming-St Joseph's 4/26/2025

This one is through Yahoo because the Ringer doesn't have him in the top 30

Kevin O'ConnorNBA Senior Analyst
Wed, Mar 26, 2025
·
2 min read


Summary: Fleming is a hustler who drains spot-up jumpers and brings energy on defense, swatting shots and snagging boards. But he has some real warts as a ball-handler with a lack of experience against high-level competition, so teams will have to feel real confident his role player skill-set will translate.

Comparisons: Larry Nance Jr., Brandon Bass

Strengths
Spot-up shooting: Fleming shot 41% on catch-and-shoot 3s that Synergy classifies as unguarded over his three college seasons. He has a quick, high release. While that number plummets to 31.3% when guarded, in the right system he should benefit from plenty of open chances spotting up in the corners or the wings.

Role-player skills: He constantly moves without the ball, sets focused and fundamental screens, runs the floor hard, looks for chances to crash the board. And when he gets to the rim, he finishes with power. He does what his team needs on offense, and brings it on defense as a rebounder who hustles and has a nose for the ball.

Defense: Unbelievably active defender who logged 1.6 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, constantly flying around with his 7-foot-5 wingspan to cause chaos for the opponent.

Concerns
Shot creation: He lacks any semblance of a midrange game, whether it’s pull-ups, floaters, or post-ups. His handle is loose, especially with his left hand. And he’s not much of a passer off the dribble either. As a junior he shot only 36.8% on drives to the basket, a porous number considering his mid-major competition.

Touch: How real is his 3-point shooting really? He struggles when more heavily contested, which showed up in the A-10 conference tournament when he missed 11 of his 14 attempts. He also doesn’t have great touch near the rim, and made only 67.8% of free throws.

t can be tough to watch Fleming without lamenting a future that was once promised but never delivered. He’s a rumbling athlete with a wingspan longer than humanity’s list of sins, whose arms dig low on steals and rise high on thunderous blocks. He’s a strong, two-footed leaper who happens to hit 39 percent of his 3s at an attempt rate that would have been deemed excessive not 10 years ago. Fleming is a defense-oriented stretch 4, a term hardly used anymore. Turns out the future is way weirder than we could have predicted. Fleming is almost quaint in that context: still extremely cool in theory, but maybe not the game changer he would’ve been considered in a different time.

At minimum, Fleming projects as a versatile 4 or 5 who can chip in steals and blocks, pop or roll hard in the two-man game, and be an active presence on the offensive glass. What potentially pushes him into lottery range is that 3-pointer and whether it can be trusted at the next level. Fleming’s attempts and percentages from deep spiked in his junior season after he shot just 31.3 percent from 3 across his first two seasons. If the accuracy is real, Fleming has a place on just about any roster in the league. If it isn’t, well, he wouldn’t be the first player to rocket up boards because of rosy optimism based on a small sample size.

Another potential worry is his complete and utter lack of self-creation when playing against a lower standard of competition in the Atlantic 10. Fleming had scarcely any reps in isolation or as a ball handler this past season. For a player with his build, coordination, and first step, it’s fair to wonder why there weren’t more flashes of that in what was otherwise a breakout year. Of course, there’s an easy retort there: You dress for the job you want. Fleming will be a finisher in the pros, so that’s exactly what he was in college. If the rest of his game translates seamlessly to the NBA—if he’s a legitimate floor spacer shooting league average from deep and offering serious weakside rim protection—the return on a team’s investment could be massive. Fleming presents a rare archetype that promises teams that what they see is what they’ll get. But it’s fair to wonder whether there’s something hidden in what Fleming’s game doesn’t show.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[sco]

I like him.

[Guru]

I like him.

Loved the highlights, watched two of his last games on espn+ and didn't look as good as I expected.

[Andi Obst]

Didn't you like Hayes?

Yes.

Ulm is dead to me.

As somone who also loved Hayes (had him top 3...), the main thing I try to keep in mind when I evaluate prospects playing in Germany is how bad of an athlte the average Bundesliga player is compared the average NBA player. The athleticism concerns have always been there with Hayes, but the Bundesliga context made it look like he can survive based on pure talent. In the NBA, he couldn't.

When you watch Essengue playing in Germany, he definitely looks like a very good athlete. At the BBL level, he looks just fine defensively and like an absolute threat in transition. Will that still be true at the NBA level, though? I doubt it. Plus, at any level, Essengue is not much of a shooter (percentage and volume are...not good) and he doesn't really create for himself or others. I'm sure his measurements will look good and he's obviously super young, but I'm pretty confident that you'll be able to find a player who's less of a raw upside bet than Essengue.

[Andi Obst]

He's not the topic of discussion right now, but the Ulm/BBL context is also why I think it's insane that some people see main creator upside in Ben Saraf.

[TheSuzerain]

He's not the topic of discussion right now, but the Ulm/BBL context is also why I think it's insane that some people see main creator upside in Ben Saraf.

Yeah how I think of BBL is indeed the main takeaway from the Hayes experience.

And same reaction to Saraf tbh when people mention "Manu vibes".

[Andi Obst]

He's not the topic of discussion right now, but the Ulm/BBL context is also why I think it's insane that some people see main creator upside in Ben Saraf.

Yeah how I think of BBL is indeed the main takeaway from the Hayes experience.

And same reaction to Saraf tbh when people mention "Manu vibes".

That's hilarious.

[Chi town]

Didn't you like Hayes?

Yes.

Ulm is dead to me.

As somone who also loved Hayes (had him top 3...), the main thing I try to keep in mind when I evaluate prospects playing in Germany is how bad of an athlte the average Bundesliga player is compared the average NBA player. The athleticism concerns have always been there with Hayes, but the Bundesliga context made it look like he can survive based on pure talent. In the NBA, he couldn't.

When you watch Essengue playing in Germany, he definitely looks like a very good athlete. At the BBL level, he looks just fine defensively and like an absolute threat in transition. Will that still be true at the NBA level, though? I doubt it. Plus, at any level, Essengue is not much of a shooter (percentage and volume are...not good) and he doesn't really create for himself or others. I'm sure his measurements will look good and he's obviously super young, but I'm pretty confident that you'll be able to find a player who's less of a raw upside bet than Essengue.

He has a top 5 ceiling for sure.

His D is so good with that length that I think his floor is defender off the bench. His cutting, finishing and FT rate are so high I expect him to have a good floor. Even higher than CMB. He can make his 3s and he’s a winning starter. If he can do anything with the ball he’s a top 3 core player.

I think he’s ahead of Buz at the same age. I think those two with Giddey would be elite in the open court and cause big problems on D with all that length and stocks for dunks.

[Chi town]

He's not the topic of discussion right now, but the Ulm/BBL context is also why I think it's insane that some people see main creator upside in Ben Saraf.

Yeah how I think of BBL is indeed the main takeaway from the Hayes experience.

And same reaction to Saraf tbh when people mention "Manu vibes".

I think Saraf is a bench creator or secondary starter creator. His 3 ball gets to avg and it opens a bunch up for him. He’s already a better defender than Hayes ever was.

[Guru]

15 F-Carter Bryant-Arizona 4/27/2025

The counting stats won’t make a very compelling case for Bryant as a first-round talent. He has one of the lowest usage rates of any player projected to go in the top 30, comparable to those of fellow freshman Khaman Maluach, who started playing basketball only five years ago. But Bryant would pass even the most rudimentary of eye tests: His Vitruvian frame, agility, and explosiveness would stand out in just about any game he’s in. The clincher? He’s only a freshman.

Bryant’s standout trait at this stage is his defensive playmaking. He lifts off the ground quickly and hangs in the air for as long as necessary. His leaping ability, coupled with his quick reaction speed, makes his blocks seem like acts of precognition. He can swat away shots before the apex of the shooter’s jump because he arrives earlier than you’d expect. That mind-body sync grants him complete shot-blocking versatility: He’s equally adept at chase-downs, weakside help, blocking 3-pointers from a standstill, and getting an angle on a shot when defending on the low block. Of course, there’s a thin line between reading a situation more quickly than your opponent and getting caught in a compromising position. Bryant’s foul rate is staggeringly high for his position, more akin to a true center’s numbers than a roving, switchable combo forward’s. Teams will have to weigh their desire for ceiling-raising defensive playmaking against their appetite for foul trouble.

The rest of Bryant’s game is far less volatile. He’s mostly a play finisher on offense, spotting up from 3 or scoring at the rim. The shooting indicators are legitimate: Bryant shot nearly 40 percent from 3 in Big 12 conference play and has shown promise from deep dating back to his high school stats. While flashes of self-creation have been practically nonexistent, Bryant finds ways to impact the offense. He’s a shrewd off-ball mover with a deep understanding of when to cut into daylight; he’s a smart passer, trusted to make the right read when the ball finds him. At this stage in his offensive development, he’s mostly a human fiber supplement (that’s a compliment).

It will be hard for teams to pass up Bryant’s baseline skill set. He offers the full vision of a versatile role player without major compromises in size, shooting ability, or defensive acumen. The lack of meaningful on-ball reps could cap Bryant’s ceiling at the next level, but honest-to-goodness 3-and-D starters are hard to come by. Carter has all the tools to be next in line.

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

Watch on YouTube

[Chi town]

I think Bryant is what AK hoped Pat would be. 3D wing. Don’t think he has any on ball juice.

Don’t like his upside enough to take him at 12.

[sco]

I'm on the Bryant train. He's likely available in the mid-teens if someone wanted us to trade down or if we can cobble our extra bits into a first.

[Guru]

If Pwill never existed I would love Bryant. As it is it seems too risky for me. Every time I watch him I like him though and can't help to think if his video was grainy and from Slovenia he'd be top 5

[Andi Obst]

He's not the topic of discussion right now, but the Ulm/BBL context is also why I think it's insane that some people see main creator upside in Ben Saraf.

Yeah how I think of BBL is indeed the main takeaway from the Hayes experience.

And same reaction to Saraf tbh when people mention "Manu vibes".

I think Saraf is a bench creator or secondary starter creator. His 3 ball gets to avg and it opens a bunch up for him. He’s already a better defender than Hayes ever was.

I strongly disagree. Defense is the one thing Hayes is actually good at.

[Guru]

Bryant would seemingly be a great fit with our current core. Defense, length and rim running. He has a lot of similarities in terms of strengths to Noa although a different style.

[Andi Obst]

As someone who doesn't watch college basketball: Why didn't Bryant play more and why wasn't his usage higher in college? Was his team that good? I haven't see him play yet, but on the surface it looks absolutely insane to rank him top 10 (which the Ringer did, for example).

[sco]

As someone who doesn't watch college basketball: Why didn't Bryant play more and why wasn't his usage higher in college? Was his team that good? I haven't see him play yet, but on the surface it looks absolutely insane to rank him top 10 (which the Ringer did, for example).

IIRC he wasn't that good to start the season and came on late as he developed.

[Guru]

16 G-Labaron Philon-Alabama 4/28/2025

SCOUTING REPORT BY Danny Chau
The first thing you notice about Philon is just how damn hard he plays. It’s uncommon for a player as slight as he is to consistently put himself in the line of fire. He hounds the point of attack, over and around screens, with splayed-out strides. He’ll beat everyone to the punch on an offensive rebound. He’ll take bumps if it means getting a stop at the end of the play. Real small-dog energy.

The Alabama guard has the type of game that could serve as a case study in a college lecture on classical mechanics. It’s predicated on speed, but not in the ways one might expect. It’s not necessarily his maximum end-to-end velocity that is exceptional, but how quickly he starts, stops, and bends. His curvilinear acceleration—the speed with which he can turn a corner—creates advantages for him on both sides of the screen, as an initiator on offense and a navigator on defense. He knows how to create advantages for himself and has the vision and timing to pass his teammates open.

Philon’s vertical pop is a bit underwhelming, but he combats that lack of explosiveness by adjusting his time signatures: His drives to the rim are less run-jump and more skip-hop-lunge. There aren’t many players in the class better at downshifting their speed in the paint: His jail dribble is arresting; his floater is one of the very best in college basketball.

Teams will wonder about Philon’s true shooting potential. Long-range consistency has eluded him in Tuscaloosa, after he hit 41 percent of his 3-point attempts in his final year of high school. And as much as Philon relishes in physical play, his frame may always present some limitations—as poised and fluid as he is as a mover, he can get rattled on screens. Philon has a rare motor and a hunger that allows him to play far bigger than his size at the college level. But without outlier athletic traits, some of the more unconventional positives in Philon’s game could be neutralized in the NBA. Still, players with this level of competitive fire have a decent track record of being better than the sum of their parts—and there is a clear outline of a two-way guard with dribble-pass-shoot capability. Such players rarely make it past the top half of the first round.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=RARcYyo6xYw

Watch on YouTube

[Chi town]

Yeah how I think of BBL is indeed the main takeaway from the Hayes experience.

And same reaction to Saraf tbh when people mention "Manu vibes".

I think Saraf is a bench creator or secondary starter creator. His 3 ball gets to avg and it opens a bunch up for him. He’s already a better defender than Hayes ever was.

I strongly disagree. Defense is the one thing Hayes is actually good at.

Hayes was G League at everything IMO