2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 7

[JCP11]

To me it mostly seems like people can see Jalen Brunson type things in Jase. Pettiford gives me Brandon Jennings vibes. Jase was also ridiculously efficient, with a very high free throw rate. I could see both end up being picked in the teens. They are both nice players, but at that size you have to be sooooo good offensively because people are just going to try and body you, even if they are dogs on D, weight and strength is going to limit them for at least a few years. So Jase being so efficient might point to him being good enough to overcome the fact he will be targeted.

Thank you for your comments, i've been waiting a while for some type of explanation and you're the first to give something of substance. I can see the link to Brunson except Jase needs to get bigger to eventually be a starter. Jase seems moreof a SG with some PG skills than a true PG while Pettiford is flat out a PG that can run your offense and direct traffic . I like Pettiford's game more but you can't be a starter in this league at 6'1 168 lbs, that would be my only reason to put Jase in front of Tahaad.

Jase is only 6’1.5 (6’6 wingspan) 178 lbs…those 10 pounds change everything?! lol

I’ll repeat he’s SMALLER than Quickley (6’3 w/ 6’8 wingspan). He’s pretty tiny himself.

Both are small and both cannot be starters at their respective weight, that's my stance. I was just looking for some explanation as to why Jase is ranked a fulll round ahead of Pettiford and the only thing i can come up with is the 10 pound difference and that Jase seems a bit stronger but other than that i don't see them a full round apart.

[BoyzNTheHood]

It's totally normal to go from high school to college then to the NBA and have that "welcome to the next level moment" when you realize you are no longer a big fish in a small pond. It happens to the best players. Most if not all of these draftees will have that moment in their rookie seasons. That is totally normal.

“Welcome to the ____” moments are definitely normal, but doubting my own ability when I need an exorbitant level of confidence to prove myself at an exponentially higher level is not.

Confidence comes from you knowing you put the blood, sweat and tears in to get better. Confidence comes from showing out when it matters. But the motivation was recognizing that you weren't good enough and needed to put in the work. That is what we are referring to and what you refer to as self preservation. Like I said...it's not a bad thing to recognize that you aren't who you need to be yet.

That’s fair, but I think it needs to be said differently. I would much have preferred him to say “there’s always room for improvement”, than “you are not as good as you think”.

[BoyzNTheHood]

Self preservation is exactly what I'm talking about. The feeling that you need to get better to keep and excel at your job. There is an element of self doubt there that pushes you to work harder. It's not about feeling down and wanting to quit...it's exact opposite.

Being content in your skill set like a Ben Simmons who you mentioned is worse than what Coward said, but I’m never going to be on board with a guy saying “you are not as good as you think” unless he’s saying it to his opponent as he blows by them.

may be a terminology thing, but doubting yourself in-game is a no no

Many people don't doubt themselves, they just want to be the best they can be. Derozan and Siakam have always shown confidence in themselves. Knowing that you can't get there without putting in the work is not necessarily self-doubt.

At the same time, doubting yourself isn't necessarily a red flag. Look up the Pritchard interviews where he says he wasn't sure if he was good enough, didn't know if he could hang in the NBA, and still felt like he wasn't good enough, etc. etc. Now he's one of the most explosive 3 point shooters in the game

I think all that matters is what they do on court. Coward's all-round efficiency is definitely interesting.

Derozan was a jack of all trades when it came to confidence. He never met a long 2 he didn’t like, but at the same time readily admitted LeBron James put the fear of god in him.

[Rapsfan07]

Coward is so silky smooth, and his shooting motion is effortless. The size, combined with the efficiency and shooting potential, has me sold on him, especially considering he also fills the stat sheet with rebounds, assists, stocks.

I'd take him at 9 without a second thought.

I'm telling you man. I'm really starting to seriously consider him at #9.

My only reservation is the lack of handle but if he had that, he'd probably be a top 5 pick.

I've seen people compare him to Neismith, who is a decent player but I feel we can and should be shooting for better at #9.

I guess it would really come down to his workouts. He doesn't need to be Irving with the ball but if he shows any capability or potential for slashing to the basket as well, I'd take him at #9 without hesitation.

[mtcan]

Being content in your skill set like a Ben Simmons who you mentioned is worse than what Coward said, but I’m never going to be on board with a guy saying “you are not as good as you think” unless he’s saying it to his opponent as he blows by them.

may be a terminology thing, but doubting yourself in-game is a no no

Many people don't doubt themselves, they just want to be the best they can be. Derozan and Siakam have always shown confidence in themselves. Knowing that you can't get there without putting in the work is not necessarily self-doubt.

At the same time, doubting yourself isn't necessarily a red flag. Look up the Pritchard interviews where he says he wasn't sure if he was good enough, didn't know if he could hang in the NBA, and still felt like he wasn't good enough, etc. etc. Now he's one of the most explosive 3 point shooters in the game

I think all that matters is what they do on court. Coward's all-round efficiency is definitely interesting.

Derozan was a jack of all trades when it came to confidence. He never met a long 2 he didn’t like, but at the same time readily admitted LeBron James put the fear of god in him.

Watch on YouTube

Even Lebron himself had his fears...

[BoyzNTheHood]

Coward is so silky smooth, and his shooting motion is effortless. The size, combined with the efficiency and shooting potential, has me sold on him, especially considering he also fills the stat sheet with rebounds, assists, stocks.

I'd take him at 9 without a second thought.

I'm telling you man. I'm really starting to seriously consider him at #9.

My only reservation is the lack of handle but if he had that, he'd probably be a top 5 pick.

I've seen people compare him to Neismith, who is a decent player but I feel we can and should be shooting for better at #9.

I guess it would really come down to his workouts. He doesn't need to be Irving with the ball but if he shows any capability or potential for slashing to the basket as well, I'd take him at #9 without hesitation.

Demar showed us a handle can be improved. If Coward is Masai’s guy it would be something we’d have to focus on in his development process.

[BoyzNTheHood]

may be a terminology thing, but doubting yourself in-game is a no no

Many people don't doubt themselves, they just want to be the best they can be. Derozan and Siakam have always shown confidence in themselves. Knowing that you can't get there without putting in the work is not necessarily self-doubt.

At the same time, doubting yourself isn't necessarily a red flag. Look up the Pritchard interviews where he says he wasn't sure if he was good enough, didn't know if he could hang in the NBA, and still felt like he wasn't good enough, etc. etc. Now he's one of the most explosive 3 point shooters in the game

I think all that matters is what they do on court. Coward's all-round efficiency is definitely interesting.

Derozan was a jack of all trades when it came to confidence. He never met a long 2 he didn’t like, but at the same time readily admitted LeBron James put the fear of god in him.

Watch on YouTube

Even Lebron himself had his fears...

LeBron being scared is not news.

[Rapsfan07]

Coward is so silky smooth, and his shooting motion is effortless. The size, combined with the efficiency and shooting potential, has me sold on him, especially considering he also fills the stat sheet with rebounds, assists, stocks.

I'd take him at 9 without a second thought.

I'm telling you man. I'm really starting to seriously consider him at #9.

My only reservation is the lack of handle but if he had that, he'd probably be a top 5 pick.

I've seen people compare him to Neismith, who is a decent player but I feel we can and should be shooting for better at #9.

I guess it would really come down to his workouts. He doesn't need to be Irving with the ball but if he shows any capability or potential for slashing to the basket as well, I'd take him at #9 without hesitation.

Demar showed us a handle can be improved. If Coward is Masai’s guy it would be something we’d have to focus on in his development process.

Then it's a done deal for me. I believe in his skillset, production, physical tools and mindset.

[WuTang_OG]

Watch on YouTube

[Westside Gunn]

I watched some Malauch tapes after some hype tweets about him. He seems more like a traditional C than a stretch C which is the demand/default of today's NBA.

Or did I watch the wrong tapes. Why is he so high

[Rapsfan07]

Watch on YouTube

Literally just got done watching this lol

[v1n5anity]

I watched some Malauch tapes after some hype tweets about him. He seems more like a traditional C than a stretch C which is the demand/default of today's NBA.

Or did I watch the wrong tapes. Why is he so high

7"6 wingspan.

[mademan]

There's almost no way Cedric doesnt go lottery and i think there's a decent chance we get him. His efficiency for a wing that takes as many jumpers as he does is just absolutely insane with all the measurement stuff that Masai usually goes for. Very possible he's the pick at 9

[RoteSchroder]

I have Noa over Coward at the moment, but I might be warming up to Coward given his efficiency.

Is Jalen Williams a rough comparison for Coward? Williams with better handles and more ability to run an offensive scheme. Coward with better shooting/efficiency. Both older rookies with 7'2 wingspan. Both have similar agility and hops. Cedric's an inch taller, standing reach an inch higher.

[raptor jesus]

Coward is interesting. Just from a physical and movement standpoint, he reminds me of Jamal Mashburn.

[BoyzNTheHood]

I have Noa over Coward at the moment, but I might be warming up to Coward given his efficiency.

Is Jalen Williams a rough comparison for Coward? Williams with better handles and more ability to run an offensive scheme. Coward with better shooting/efficiency. Both older rookies with 7'2 wingspan. Both have similar agility and hops. Cedric's an inch taller, standing reach an inch higher.

I wouldn’t compare Coward to Williams, for me he reminds me of Raptors Norman Powell, just bigger.

[Psubs]

Might be a hot take too (maybe not so much anymore) but give me Yang over Malauch. Both 7'2, but ill take skill over length every time

Yang might be a little more skilled right now but he seems a little slow defensively. Your Center needs to be a defensive anchor if you want to be a great defensive team in the NBA.

He averaged 5 blocks per game in the U19 FIBA World Cup, highest in the tournament. He would need to follow the Zubac, Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez style of defense with drop coverage. If it gets bad to the point where he's un-startable, then I think he takes on an Olynyk role as his floor. His interior defense at least should be a plus.

He tested better than Queen and Maluach on agility.

[bballsparkin]

I had a friend over watching the game. I showed him some of the options from maybe Tre, Fears to Rasheer during half time. We agreed #9 is good spot to be. I am open to who gets selected. Even if it's CMB, Jase or whoever. I kinda think KM is boring though. But if he has a Jakob like career that's practically a home run.

[Mark_83]

There's almost no way Cedric doesnt go lottery and i think there's a decent chance we get him. His efficiency for a wing that takes as many jumpers as he does is just absolutely insane with all the measurement stuff that Masai usually goes for. Very possible he's the pick at 9

I still have Bryant slightly ahead due to positional size, age, and fit but he's next man up on my personal want list along with Flemming, and Essengue.

[XTC]

I don't understand people ranking Jase a full round ahead of Pettiford after watching him play. I just don't see where that gap is.

To me it mostly seems like people can see Jalen Brunson type things in Jase. Pettiford gives me Brandon Jennings vibes. Jase was also ridiculously efficient, with a very high free throw rate. I could see both end up being picked in the teens. They are both nice players, but at that size you have to be sooooo good offensively because people are just going to try and body you, even if they are dogs on D, weight and strength is going to limit them for at least a few years. So Jase being so efficient might point to him being good enough to overcome the fact he will be targeted.

Thank you for your comments, i've been waiting a while for some type of explanation and you're the first to give something of substance. I can see the link to Brunson except Jase needs to get bigger to eventually be a starter. Jase seems moreof a SG with some PG skills than a true PG while Pettiford is flat out a PG that can run your offense and direct traffic . I like Pettiford's game more but you can't be a starter in this league at 6'1 168 lbs, that would be my only reason to put Jase in front of Tahaad.

Pettiford has Curry range, it was crazy how far back he was pulling up from, the kid is a pure shooter. If you're old enough to remember, he reminds me a ton of Damon Stoudamire. Super quick, good shooter, and solid handle.

Jase is more of a scorer he has a very impressive offensive bag. His use of pivots, step backs, using his off hand, and self creation is best in the class IMO. Despite being only 6-0, he was a fantastic finisher at the rim. His playstyle is honestly Kyrie Irving if he was smaller, and if he had a 'normal' handle.

If both guys measured 3" taller, they're both going top 10 IMO. Both guys need to work on their point guard abilities, or they're going to flame out similiar to Salim Stoudamire did. If you're only 6-0, you better know how to run an offense and have a **** ton of intangibles.