2024-2025 College Basketball / NBA Draft

[Negrodamus]

Read on Twitter

Wondering if Malauch is going to jump to 3.

There’s a chance

20 assists all year.

Only a 6.8 BLK%.

Only .403 FTr for a guy who is mainly at the rim?

I'm still out. He's imposter Embiid.

[ProcessDoctor]

I need to figure out this Kneuppel situation because he hits every statistical marker I'm looking for and he's 6'7, but I hate watching his game. I need to understand why I'm out on him when he's so obviously a green flag.

His game isn't very aesthetically pleasing. He seems slow, unexplosive, and plays smaller than his 6'7" frame.

This isn't to say he won't be good, but I feel like those factors make him look meh on tape.

[Negrodamus]

I need to figure out this Kneuppel situation because he hits every statistical marker I'm looking for and he's 6'7, but I hate watching his game. I need to understand why I'm out on him when he's so obviously a green flag.

His game isn't very aesthetically pleasing. He seems slow, unexplosive, and plays smaller than his 6'7" frame.

This isn't to say he won't be good, but I feel like those factors make him look meh on tape.

I feel like I'm between he's an excellent role player that you'd find on championship winning teams or he's Larry Bird and you missed him because he looks like a lumbering goof ball out there.

[Mik317]

Kon is/was an elite shooter so thats the calling card....just got to believe in if there is some creation juice and he won't die on the defensive end.

had Flagg and Maluach to cover him on the defensive end and didn't have to create as much either.

Not to pull the white guy from duke is just a white guy from duke...but yeah that is a fear as I think I said the same about everyone of them and also Nic "Sauce Castillo" Stauskas

HOWEVA this is the era in which craft and the afforementioned elite shooting makes up for a lot we don't think it does. My bitch ass was going to trade Biid for Scoot Henderson because dat athleticism doe...then said athleticism didn't translate and the jumper is just bad and he is looking like just a guy. Hell I was (and still am) lower on McCain after summer league because I just thought he was too small and too slow for the league....but his elite shot and relocation skill and being way more crafty than I expected had him shine.

Very fascinating

[Negrodamus]

Based on the type of players Morey's been drawn to in the past, I wouldn't be shocked if he has Tre Johnson #3 on his board. He usually saves the STOCKS emphasis for role players who can accumulate those. It'd be controversial in the public eye to take him over Bailey/VJ, but I don't think either of those guys is guaranteed to become an all-star.

I think Morey will trade down anywhere from 3-6. I think the team will be interested in pairing McCain and Maxey along with PG and Embiid since they are our 4 most talented players on the team. VJ, Fears, Tre, Kasparas are all pretty bad fits with the two guards for a variety of reasons: size, lack of defense/athleticism. Ace could be an option at 3, but I don't think he really passes the eye test with our FO. He sputtered off at the end of a year where he and another blue chip recruit couldn't win anything.

Guys who took off at the end of the year: Kon Kneuppel and Derik Queen. I personally think both would fit within the context of our offense (some might argue against Queen). Kon is still a bit unathletic and might be exposed on defense, but you can tell he's a high effort guy, likely a gym rat. Went absolutely nuclear on offense at the end of the year. I still am not sure I'd pair him with Maxey and McCain.

That leaves Queen who I truly believe would turn Maxey and McCain into insanely efficient scorers. Last 8 games of the season:

19.5ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.1apg, 1.5bpg, 1.4spg, 78%FT, 45% 3FG

As I've said all along, if he is 6'10 in shoes with a 7'+ wingspan, I'm all in at putting him at PF with Embiid and even using him as Embiid insurance.

PG- McCain
SG- Maxey
SF- George
PF- Queen
C- Embiid

And if Embiid is still out, the option of:

PG- McCain
SG- Maxey
SF- Justin Edwards
PF - George
C - Queen

That's 4 volume 3pt shooters with two of them being 3&D guys. Not saying they're going to win it all next year, but that's at minimum a fun lineup with someone who is actually capable of creating offense finally on the team. At the end of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if Morey wants to do Flagg, prong below Flagg in Derik Queen, or just trade out for future value/a win now player in a larger trade.

/end Queen glazing session

[ProcessDoctor]

Based on the type of players Morey's been drawn to in the past, I wouldn't be shocked if he has Tre Johnson #3 on his board. He usually saves the STOCKS emphasis for role players who can accumulate those. It'd be controversial in the public eye to take him over Bailey/VJ, but I don't think either of those guys is guaranteed to become an all-star.

I think Morey will trade down anywhere from 3-6. I think the team will be interested in pairing McCain and Maxey along with PG and Embiid since they are our 4 most talented players on the team. VJ, Fears, Tre, Kasparas are all pretty bad fits with the two guards for a variety of reasons: size, lack of defense/athleticism. Ace could be an option at 3, but I don't think he really passes the eye test with our FO. He sputtered off at the end of a year where he and another blue chip recruit couldn't win anything.

Guys who took off at the end of the year: Kon Kneuppel and Derik Queen. I personally think both would fit within the context of our offense (some might argue against Queen). Kon is still a bit unathletic and might be exposed on defense, but you can tell he's a high effort guy, likely a gym rat. Went absolutely nuclear on offense at the end of the year. I still am not sure I'd pair him with Maxey and McCain.

That leaves Queen who I truly believe would turn Maxey and McCain into insanely efficient scorers. Last 8 games of the season:

19.5ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.1apg, 1.5bpg, 1.4spg, 78%FT, 45% 3FG

As I've said all along, if he is 6'10 in shoes with a 7'+ wingspan, I'm all in at putting him at PF with Embiid and even using him as Embiid insurance.

PG- McCain
SG- Maxey
SF- George
PF- Queen
C- Embiid

And if Embiid is still out, the option of:

PG- McCain
SG- Maxey
SF- Justin Edwards
PF - George
C - Queen

That's 4 volume 3pt shooters with two of them being 3&D guys. Not saying they're going to win it all next year, but that's at minimum a fun lineup with someone who is actually capable of creating offense finally on the team. At the end of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if Morey wants to do Flagg, prong below Flagg in Derik Queen, or just trade out for future value/a win now player in a larger trade.

/end Queen glazing session

I don't get double-big lineup vibes from Morey OR Nurse. Nurse had his moments in Toronto of playing several forwards at a time, but I wouldn't say any of the lineups included 2 bigs. Morey has almost always favored smaller players, both in the draft and free agency. Remember when he traded Clint Capella for Robert Covington to play center?

Only telling you this so you don't get your heart broken man I wouldn't mind Queen and I'd be happy our team got your guy if it happened!

This is another reason I'm dying for us to get Flagg. It forces them to start two good rebounding, defensive forwards in Flagg and George alongside Embiid. Otherwise, I fear they'd continue to go with Paul at the 4 and not really address the chronic rebounding issue here.

[Negrodamus]

Based on the type of players Morey's been drawn to in the past, I wouldn't be shocked if he has Tre Johnson #3 on his board. He usually saves the STOCKS emphasis for role players who can accumulate those. It'd be controversial in the public eye to take him over Bailey/VJ, but I don't think either of those guys is guaranteed to become an all-star.

I think Morey will trade down anywhere from 3-6. I think the team will be interested in pairing McCain and Maxey along with PG and Embiid since they are our 4 most talented players on the team. VJ, Fears, Tre, Kasparas are all pretty bad fits with the two guards for a variety of reasons: size, lack of defense/athleticism. Ace could be an option at 3, but I don't think he really passes the eye test with our FO. He sputtered off at the end of a year where he and another blue chip recruit couldn't win anything.

Guys who took off at the end of the year: Kon Kneuppel and Derik Queen. I personally think both would fit within the context of our offense (some might argue against Queen). Kon is still a bit unathletic and might be exposed on defense, but you can tell he's a high effort guy, likely a gym rat. Went absolutely nuclear on offense at the end of the year. I still am not sure I'd pair him with Maxey and McCain.

That leaves Queen who I truly believe would turn Maxey and McCain into insanely efficient scorers. Last 8 games of the season:

19.5ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.1apg, 1.5bpg, 1.4spg, 78%FT, 45% 3FG

As I've said all along, if he is 6'10 in shoes with a 7'+ wingspan, I'm all in at putting him at PF with Embiid and even using him as Embiid insurance.

PG- McCain
SG- Maxey
SF- George
PF- Queen
C- Embiid

And if Embiid is still out, the option of:

PG- McCain
SG- Maxey
SF- Justin Edwards
PF - George
C - Queen

That's 4 volume 3pt shooters with two of them being 3&D guys. Not saying they're going to win it all next year, but that's at minimum a fun lineup with someone who is actually capable of creating offense finally on the team. At the end of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if Morey wants to do Flagg, prong below Flagg in Derik Queen, or just trade out for future value/a win now player in a larger trade.

/end Queen glazing session

I don't get double-big lineup vibes from Morey OR Nurse. Nurse had his moments in Toronto of playing several forwards at a time, but I wouldn't say any of the lineups included 2 bigs. Morey has almost always favored smaller players, both in the draft and free agency. Remember when he traded Clint Capella for Robert Covington to play center?

Only telling you this so you don't get your heart broken man I wouldn't mind Queen and I'd be happy our team got your guy if it happened!

This is another reason I'm dying for us to get Flagg. It forces them to start two good rebounding, defensive forwards in Flagg and George alongside Embiid. Otherwise, I fear they'd continue to go with Paul at the 4 and not really address the chronic rebounding issue here.

Buddy, I have my heart broken almost every draft. McCain was probably one of the few times we grabbed a guy I was pumping predraft.

Also, I can’t imagine Morey is looking at the current NBA landscape and is content with going smaller like he used to in the past. Every team seems to have two guys 6’10 or taller that play inside and out.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

Wondering if Malauch is going to jump to 3.

There’s a chance

20 assists all year.

Only a 6.8 BLK%.

Only .403 FTr for a guy who is mainly at the rim?

I'm still out. He's imposter Embiid.

It’s largely due to the role Duke asked him to play and the system they run.

His time at Duke highlighted his high floor as a mobile big who can step out, rebound, protect the paint, and rim run effectively on offense. In contrast, his pre Duke performances and workout showings revealed greater upside, suggesting he’s capable of more than what Duke’s scheme allowed.

His willingness to embrace a limited role for the sake of the team also reflects his maturity.

[ProcessDoctor]

I think Morey will trade down anywhere from 3-6. I think the team will be interested in pairing McCain and Maxey along with PG and Embiid since they are our 4 most talented players on the team. VJ, Fears, Tre, Kasparas are all pretty bad fits with the two guards for a variety of reasons: size, lack of defense/athleticism. Ace could be an option at 3, but I don't think he really passes the eye test with our FO. He sputtered off at the end of a year where he and another blue chip recruit couldn't win anything.

Guys who took off at the end of the year: Kon Kneuppel and Derik Queen. I personally think both would fit within the context of our offense (some might argue against Queen). Kon is still a bit unathletic and might be exposed on defense, but you can tell he's a high effort guy, likely a gym rat. Went absolutely nuclear on offense at the end of the year. I still am not sure I'd pair him with Maxey and McCain.

That leaves Queen who I truly believe would turn Maxey and McCain into insanely efficient scorers. Last 8 games of the season:

19.5ppg, 8.4rpg, 1.1apg, 1.5bpg, 1.4spg, 78%FT, 45% 3FG

As I've said all along, if he is 6'10 in shoes with a 7'+ wingspan, I'm all in at putting him at PF with Embiid and even using him as Embiid insurance.

PG- McCain
SG- Maxey
SF- George
PF- Queen
C- Embiid

And if Embiid is still out, the option of:

PG- McCain
SG- Maxey
SF- Justin Edwards
PF - George
C - Queen

That's 4 volume 3pt shooters with two of them being 3&D guys. Not saying they're going to win it all next year, but that's at minimum a fun lineup with someone who is actually capable of creating offense finally on the team. At the end of the day, I wouldn't be surprised if Morey wants to do Flagg, prong below Flagg in Derik Queen, or just trade out for future value/a win now player in a larger trade.

/end Queen glazing session

I don't get double-big lineup vibes from Morey OR Nurse. Nurse had his moments in Toronto of playing several forwards at a time, but I wouldn't say any of the lineups included 2 bigs. Morey has almost always favored smaller players, both in the draft and free agency. Remember when he traded Clint Capella for Robert Covington to play center?

Only telling you this so you don't get your heart broken man I wouldn't mind Queen and I'd be happy our team got your guy if it happened!

This is another reason I'm dying for us to get Flagg. It forces them to start two good rebounding, defensive forwards in Flagg and George alongside Embiid. Otherwise, I fear they'd continue to go with Paul at the 4 and not really address the chronic rebounding issue here.

Buddy, I have my heart broken almost every draft. McCain was probably one of the few times we grabbed a guy I was pumping predraft.

Also, I can’t imagine Morey is looking at the current NBA landscape and is content with going smaller like he used to in the past. Every team seems to have two guys 6’10 or taller that play inside and out.

I really hope so. If he's out there this summer focusing on signing Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon tier players, then we'll know he's officially cooked. He's so good at drafting and maximizing assets, it's just a shame he lacks vision when it comes to roster construction.

[Negrodamus]

There’s a chance

20 assists all year.

Only a 6.8 BLK%.

Only .403 FTr for a guy who is mainly at the rim?

I'm still out. He's imposter Embiid.

It’s largely due to the role Duke asked him to play and the system they run.

His time at Duke highlighted his high floor as a mobile big who can step out, rebound, protect the paint, and rim run effectively on offense. In contrast, his pre Duke performances and workout showings revealed greater upside, suggesting he’s capable of more than what Duke’s scheme allowed.

His willingness to embrace a limited role for the sake of the team also reflects his maturity.

Dereck Lively had: 12.7 BLK%, 9.8 AST%, 1.5 STL%

Similar roles at Duke. I obviously wouldn't have taken him in the top 10, but the BLK% and AST% would both have to be >10 for me to even consider, especially on a guy playing limited minutes.

[Negrodamus]

I feel like Tre Johnson is kinda like Buddy Hield when he was at Oklahoma. The plus side is he's young, so he can blossom his game into something more than what Buddy was/is, but Buddy's junior year really reflects Tre's freshman year. Not really a good foul generator. Not a good assist generator. Buddy was better at steal generation.

Both are longer type guards who are capable of making extremely difficult shots off the dribble but not really comfortable pressuring the rim.

[76ciology]

20 assists all year.

Only a 6.8 BLK%.

Only .403 FTr for a guy who is mainly at the rim?

I'm still out. He's imposter Embiid.

It’s largely due to the role Duke asked him to play and the system they run.

His time at Duke highlighted his high floor as a mobile big who can step out, rebound, protect the paint, and rim run effectively on offense. In contrast, his pre Duke performances and workout showings revealed greater upside, suggesting he’s capable of more than what Duke’s scheme allowed.

His willingness to embrace a limited role for the sake of the team also reflects his maturity.

Dereck Lively had: 12.7 BLK%, 9.8 AST%, 1.5 STL%

Similar roles at Duke. I obviously wouldn't have taken him in the top 10, but the BLK% and AST% would both have to be >10 for me to even consider, especially on a guy playing limited minutes.

Lively wasn’t playing with Flagg and Kneuppel.

Rebounding:
Lively 12.8 OREB% 17.8DREB%
Maluach 16.5 OREB% 19.5DREB%

I’m also not evaluating him solely based on what he showed at Duke, but factoring in his performances outside the NCAA, where he flashed real upside with his ball handling and shooting. If he were just a rim runner, which is what I initially thought when Stormi brought him up months ago, I’d see him as more of a mid to late 1st round prospect.

[76ciology]

Zach Lowe: "Ace Bailey's measurement at the combine, I think is going to be one of the most anticipated measurements in recent prospect history because... is he 6-10? Or is he 6-8? Or is he 6-7? There are NBA people who are like, 'I'm not actually sure he's 6-10. If he's 6-8, that matters a lot to me'."

J. Kyle Mann says he's heard that Bailey comes in at 6-8¼ with a 6-11½

[Mik317]

yeah a lot of dudes have a lot riding on their measurements this draft. Bailey's whole upside is based on him being 6'10 otherwise the New Kelly Oubre just dropped stuff becomes more valid

[76ciology]

I feel like Tre Johnson is kinda like Buddy Hield when he was at Oklahoma. The plus side is he's young, so he can blossom his game into something more than what Buddy was/is, but Buddy's junior year really reflects Tre's freshman year. Not really a good foul generator. Not a good assist generator. Buddy was better at steal generation.

Both are longer type guards who are capable of making extremely difficult shots off the dribble but not really comfortable pressuring the rim.

I like the comparison. And Hield shows his style of offense is impactful in a playoff setting where he helped GSW won G7 vs Rox and G1 vs Wolves, while averaging almost 6BPM in the playoffs.

[Iverson Armband]

I feel like Tre has way more of a bag than Buddy.

[Negrodamus]

I feel like Tre has way more of a bag than Buddy.

That’s fair. Buddy was definitely more of a spot up shooter even if they were highly contested and difficult shots. I think the shot diet, contested threes and midrange, was very similar to Tre this season. Buddy was way better on defense and definitely more athletic.

My concern with Tre is that he becomes only a Buddy in the NBA. Nothing wrong with having a Buddy on your team, but I’d aim higher with a top 6 pick.

[the_process]

I don't get double-big lineup vibes from Morey OR Nurse. Nurse had his moments in Toronto of playing several forwards at a time, but I wouldn't say any of the lineups included 2 bigs. Morey has almost always favored smaller players, both in the draft and free agency. Remember when he traded Clint Capella for Robert Covington to play center?

Only telling you this so you don't get your heart broken man I wouldn't mind Queen and I'd be happy our team got your guy if it happened!

This is another reason I'm dying for us to get Flagg. It forces them to start two good rebounding, defensive forwards in Flagg and George alongside Embiid. Otherwise, I fear they'd continue to go with Paul at the 4 and not really address the chronic rebounding issue here.

Buddy, I have my heart broken almost every draft. McCain was probably one of the few times we grabbed a guy I was pumping predraft.

Also, I can’t imagine Morey is looking at the current NBA landscape and is content with going smaller like he used to in the past. Every team seems to have two guys 6’10 or taller that play inside and out.

I really hope so. If he's out there this summer focusing on signing Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon tier players, then we'll know he's officially cooked. He's so good at drafting and maximizing assets, it's just a shame he lacks vision when it comes to roster construction.

I wonder sometimes if Morey even factors in height, or if he is just looking at statistics. He certainly doesn’t factor in personality. He just has a way of dehumanizing everything.

[ProcessDoctor]

I need to stop watching awesome Ace Bailey highlights.

[Iverson Armband]

Will Flagg/Bailey be another Simmons/Ingram situation?