2025 Draft Thread - Part 2

[nate33]

Honestly, I was fully prepared for this. The odds were greater than 50% that we were going to pick 5th or 6th. It’s why I never cared that much about jockeying for last place.

[80sballboy]

Either Maluach or Queen. Once it's not top 2, you really just flip a coin. I get the people complaining but everyone knew this was a possibility.

I'd take a shot on Maluach. That would be part of the rebuild though I do like the fact that Queen has good length and is a legit 6-10 with shoes. With Maluach, you can basically redshirt him next season or play him about 5-10mpg. He has a ways to go on offense though there are some Embiid qualities to his game.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I have to admit to a sense of morbid curiosity: might it actually be possible for me to root for the Wizards my entire life, and never witness a championship?

(Not counting the championship they won when I was 5 years old.)

Championship? I'm wondering if I'll ever see them competitive.

All the geniuses who think tanking works will rationalize losing with 18-year-olds for years to come. I see no improvement in the foreseeable future.

[mhd]

If nothing else, this proves one thing: tanking no longer really works with the current lottery setup.

Well, we're still tanking next year to ensure we don't lose that Knicks pick. It's even more scary considering the number of teams that jumped this year. We need to ensure we finish with at least the 4th worst record. I'm sure Silver will continue to help the big markets move up.

I hated that Smug Daryl Morey smiling with getting the 3rd pick. Dude is the same guy who argued Harden was a better offensive player than MJ. Screw Philly. I hope they are addled with those crappy PG and Embiid deals for years.

[Hidden Eye]

1000% rigged. Absolutely insane result this lottery. I figured the Mavs would be rewarded for stupidly trading Luka. But the Spurs and 76ers... I mean they don't even hide it whatsoever.

Yeah Mavs Spurs 76ers don't deserve the picks..

Hornets should have gotten it.

This is a joke now.

[nate33]

It is truly remarkable how whenever the Spurs bottom out, they always get a pick that lands them a generational talent. Robinson. Then Duncan. Then Wemby. Now Harper, to rub salt in the wound.

[trast66]

One of those top two picks is going to Milwaukee.

[penbeast0]

I am glad we had last year; far better than a bunch of 28 year olds just missing or just squeezing into the playin then losing. YEs, the lottery sucked. YEs the two least deserving teams in the NBA are picking 1-2 (and despite liking the San Antonio system, they won the Wemby one, they shouldn't be getting #2). But we have a team with 4 good young players who we can build on and probably a low enough talent level to tank again. Sucks, but still better than what we had before.

[nate33]

If nothing else, this proves one thing: tanking no longer really works with the current lottery setup.

Well, we're still tanking next year to ensure we don't lose that Knicks pick. It's even more scary considering the number of teams that jumped this year. We need to ensure we finish with at least the 4th worst record. I'm sure Silver will continue to help the big markets move up.

I hated that Smug Daryl Morey smiling with getting the 3rd pick. Dude is the same guy who argued Harden was a better offensive player than MJ. Screw Philly. I hope they are addled with those crappy PG and Embiid deals for years.

Yeah, tanking to hang on to a protected pick still makes total sense. But beyond that, I don’t really care much if we have the worst record or the 6th worst record.

[prime1time]

NBA needs to implement a baseball like system. Need to limit how many times a team can move up in a given time period. Spurs getting another top 3 pick is laughable. ANd spreading out the odds has been a failure. Rewarding teams that have a ton of talent but just shut it down smh.

[80sballboy]

Honestly, I was fully prepared for this. The odds were greater than 50% that we were going to pick 5th or 6th. It’s why I never cared that much about jockeying for last place.

Well, typical of our luck. We did get the right pick last season with the second pick. But in a much better top 2-3, we get 6. I expected the worse because that's what we do. Agreed, that eff the jockeying for last place, but we still need to be bad to retain first-round pick. Fortunately, we won't have to worry too much about being bad again.

[prime1time]

Read on Twitter

[WizBiz]

I have to admit to a sense of morbid curiosity: might it actually be possible for me to root for the Wizards my entire life, and never witness a championship?

(Not counting the championship they won when I was 5 years old.)

Championship? I'm wondering if I'll ever see them competitive.

All the geniuses who think tanking works will rationalize losing with 18-year-olds for years to come. I see no improvement in the foreseeable future.

Maybe so, but I enjoyed watching this year's team more than any since Westbrook left (which isn't saying a lot, but oh well).

[mhd]

If nothing else, this proves one thing: tanking no longer really works with the current lottery setup.

Well, we're still tanking next year to ensure we don't lose that Knicks pick. It's even more scary considering the number of teams that jumped this year. We need to ensure we finish with at least the 4th worst record. I'm sure Silver will continue to help the big markets move up.

I hated that Smug Daryl Morey smiling with getting the 3rd pick. Dude is the same guy who argued Harden was a better offensive player than MJ. Screw Philly. I hope they are addled with those crappy PG and Embiid deals for years.

Yeah, tanking to hang on to a protected pick still makes total sense. But beyond that, I don’t really care much if we have the worst record or the 6th worst record.

6th isn't good enough. We need to finish with at least the 4th worst record next year. Don't trust Silver not to screw us again and have 4 teams jump the line next year if we finished with the fifth worst record and have that pick drop to 9th (and given to the Knicks since next year's pick is top 8 protected). Utah is in the driver's seat to be the worst team in the NBA next year. The West is so freaking loaded that they'll lose even if they were trying to win. We're competing with Charlotte to be worst team in the east next year assuming the Nets use their space and picks to rapidly improve.

[The Consiglieri]

Either Maluach or Queen. Once it's not top 2, you really just flip a coin. I get the people complaining but everyone knew this was a possibility.

I buy us falling there. It was 1 in 5. I do not buy Dallas #1, San Antonio #2, Philly #3. It’s straight up fraud, and I’d secondarily want to smash every small market owner in the head w/a looney toons mallet that was stupid enough to sign off on this flattening of odds circa ‘18-‘19. I’d also draft a local fan at #6 and #18 and hold fat camp fan lotteries for the rest of our roster spots. Same w/10 day contracts. If they’re gonna screw the 3 of us this hard, let’s be blatant about how thoroughly rigged the league is by rolling out obese retired accountants to play PG, the 3 and 4 and chug beers when on the bench.

[AFM]

Read on Twitter

The new Shaq and Penny

[Frichuela]

Well Dawkins, time to show up or shut up…let’s see who you draft at #6…

Read on Twitter

?s=46

[80sballboy]

Look, who gives a sh-t after the top 2. I'm not convinced that Bailey is the third-best player. I like Tre a lot though I doubt he'll be there at 6. But it's not like he's MJ and the rest of the wings are Michael Redd. I trust in Dawkins and Winger to make the best out of a bad situation.

[prime1time]

Either Maluach or Queen. Once it's not top 2, you really just flip a coin. I get the people complaining but everyone knew this was a possibility.

I buy us falling there. It was 1 in 5. I do not buy Dallas #1, San Antonio #2, Philly #3. It’s straight up fraud, and I’d secondarily want to smash every small market owner in the head w/a looney toons mallet that was stupid enough to sign off on this flattening of odds circa ‘18-‘19. I’d also draft a local fan at #6 and #18 and hold fat camp fan lotteries for the rest of our roster spots. Same w/10 day contracts. If they’re gonna screw the 3 of us this hard, let’s be blatant about how thoroughly rigged the league is by rolling out obese retired accountants to play PG, the 3 and 4 and chug beers when on the bench.

The Dallas thing is a fair complaint. Not a good look.

[Dat2U]

Derik Queen or Tre Johnson are my choices.

If Ace Bailey falls I can probably live with it.

I'd wonder about the fit of Jeremiah Fears but talent wise, the 6th pick is about right for him.

I'd don't love Khaman Maluach, outside of Queen, I'd rather go big at 18 with Thomas Sorber or Danny Wolf but again I can live with Maluach being the pick.

Noa Essengue or CMB would piss me off. So would Kon Knueppel but for different reasons. I expect Knueppel to be a capable rotation player for years, but he is what he is and would be reminiscent of who the past regime picked.

Will Riley is my sleeper but 6 is too early but I like him more than I do Kasparas Jakucionis who would interest me if he fell to 18 but I don't want him at 6.