2025 Draft prospects - thread 2

[League Circles]

People seem to misunderstand Vuc's problem.

It's not his defense.

It's that he's not actually effective on offense.

His defense is an absolutely enormous problem. He's much better on offense than he is on D.

Right. So he's a bad defender with no real benefit offensively.

If he actually was a driver of efficient NBA offense, we'd be a lot less bothered by the defense.

I think he was probably a bit better than average offensively for a starting C last season, but he's absolute bottom of the barrel defensively as a C, which will always kill you.

I mean he scores from many spots on the floor at good volume and efficiency, and he's a good passer.

[TheSuzerain]

His defense is an absolutely enormous problem. He's much better on offense than he is on D.

Right. So he's a bad defender with no real benefit offensively.

If he actually was a driver of efficient NBA offense, we'd be a lot less bothered by the defense.

I think he was probably a bit better than average offensively for a starting C last season, but he's absolute bottom of the barrel defensively as a C, which will always kill you.

I mean he scores from many spots on the floor at good volume and efficiency, and he's a good passer.

In his Bulls stint, his O-Rating is basically equivalent to league average offense. He's a below average scorer in terms of efficiency due to being so bad at getting to the line.

The case for Queen (or really any offensive focused big) is that they have the potential to push you towards top 10 offense instead of league average.

Vuc sucks but that doesn't mean the archetype sucks. There's several in this mold who are in significant playoff roles.

[BullsSD]

There were good reasons for Matas to drop. Had a terrible 3P% shooting year (26%), isn't a creative ball handler, best attribute is shotblocking which isn't valued for wings. Tre is the opposite, 40% 3P shooter, shoots it off the dribble, natural scorer, excellent athleticism results at the combine. Would be great if he dropped to 12, but I would be shocked. I could see Kon or Kasparas dropping out of the top 10 but not Tre.

Matas ball handling slander will not be permitted on my watch. That over the top gather is beautiful.

[Red Larrivee]

Vuc sucks but that doesn't mean the archetype sucks. There's several in this mold who are in significant playoff roles.

The archetype does suck largely though. Jokic is the bulk of the success for it in today's NBA. Towns on some nights hurts the Knicks too much defensively, but they can't ride Robinson too long without him being a liability on offense.

If your best center can get played off the floor defensively, you will have issues. Queen's best hope is that he is so absurdly elite on offense that it doesn't matter or that he can be competent guarding 4s.

I'm not against picking him, but it's definitely something that could limit how you build long-term.

[BullsSD]

NBAdraft.net's latest mock has Jase Richardson, Danny Wolf, and Boyles-Murray going in the early in the 2nd. If that's the case, I would really like to see us get another pick. They were the most accurate mock draft a few years back.

They had Maluach going like 26 and how have him 18. Either they see things nobody else does or they are flat out wrong.

They have Carter Bryant at 29.

[League Circles]

Right. So he's a bad defender with no real benefit offensively.

If he actually was a driver of efficient NBA offense, we'd be a lot less bothered by the defense.

I think he was probably a bit better than average offensively for a starting C last season, but he's absolute bottom of the barrel defensively as a C, which will always kill you.

I mean he scores from many spots on the floor at good volume and efficiency, and he's a good passer.

In his Bulls stint, his O-Rating is basically equivalent to league average offense. He's a below average scorer in terms of efficiency due to being so bad at getting to the line.

The case for Queen (or really any offensive focused big) is that they have the potential to push you towards top 10 offense instead of league average.

Vuc sucks but that doesn't mean the archetype sucks. There's several in this mold who are in significant playoff roles.

Well yeah Vuc hasn't been good offensively overall for the Bulls. I specifically said last season which was night and day on O for him from the previous season. And yeah the archetype of an offensively focused big can help you win big, but not if they're league-worst caliber on D, which Vuc is. Not sure Queen will be that bad or anything. My main opposition to him is based on already having Giddey and Coby. I also just think he looks kinda sloppy and will get exposed in the nba more. He's genuinely my 5th best C prospect, at least for this team. Maybe 6th. I'd rather have all these guys:

Zikarsky
Maluach
Sorber
Beringer
Maybe Fleming can play better at C than Queen

[Guru]

I think he was probably a bit better than average offensively for a starting C last season, but he's absolute bottom of the barrel defensively as a C, which will always kill you.

I mean he scores from many spots on the floor at good volume and efficiency, and he's a good passer.

In his Bulls stint, his O-Rating is basically equivalent to league average offense. He's a below average scorer in terms of efficiency due to being so bad at getting to the line.

The case for Queen (or really any offensive focused big) is that they have the potential to push you towards top 10 offense instead of league average.

Vuc sucks but that doesn't mean the archetype sucks. There's several in this mold who are in significant playoff roles.

Well yeah Vuc hasn't been good offensively overall for the Bulls. I specifically said last season which was night and day on O for him from the previous season. And yeah the archetype of an offensively focused big can help you win big, but not if they're league-worst caliber on D, which Vuc is. Not sure Queen will be that bad or anything. My main opposition to him is based on already having Giddey and Coby. I also just think he looks kinda sloppy and will get exposed in the nba more. He's genuinely my 5th best C prospect, at least for this team. Maybe 6th. I'd rather have all these guys:

Zikarsky
Maluach
Sorber
Beringer
Maybe Fleming can play better at C than Queen

This is getting prepospourus. His defense isn't that bad, he's just not a great athlete.

[Jcool0]

Read on Twitter

[Guru]

If you had to build a team for 2026 to be as good as possible out of just this draft who would you take?

ITs harder than I thought

[sco]

Read on Twitter

only better news is if he had a promise from Chicago!

[League Circles]

My board:

Flagg
Harper
Johnson
Edgecomb
Bailey
Zikarsky
Murray Boyles
Maluach
Bryant
Fleming
Jakucionis
Sorber

[sco]

Mine (at the moment):
Flagg
Harper
Edgecomb
Baily
Johnson
Knuepple
Fears
Jakucionis
Coward
Fleming
Bryant
Maluach
Murray Boyles
Sorber

I would be ok with any of that list that falls to 12, with a couple to spare. Just keep f'ing Queen away from us.

[2weekswithpay]

What does Maluach provide that Maxime Raynaud doesn't? On D he is more active and can move around better. But he wasn't an amazing shot blocker. This is a projection.

Raynaud is light years about him on offense.

Defend. Raynaud is 22 with a DBPM of 0.8. A senior big with a DBPM < 1 is terrible. Stanford's defense was better with Raynaud on the bench. Stanford wasn't that good of a team, so these are red flags.

[Jvaughn]

Updated Scouting Report For Carter Bryant

Watch on YouTube

[nomorezorro]

settling in on something like this

[burlydee]

In his Bulls stint, his O-Rating is basically equivalent to league average offense. He's a below average scorer in terms of efficiency due to being so bad at getting to the line.

The case for Queen (or really any offensive focused big) is that they have the potential to push you towards top 10 offense instead of league average.

Vuc sucks but that doesn't mean the archetype sucks. There's several in this mold who are in significant playoff roles.

Well yeah Vuc hasn't been good offensively overall for the Bulls. I specifically said last season which was night and day on O for him from the previous season. And yeah the archetype of an offensively focused big can help you win big, but not if they're league-worst caliber on D, which Vuc is. Not sure Queen will be that bad or anything. My main opposition to him is based on already having Giddey and Coby. I also just think he looks kinda sloppy and will get exposed in the nba more. He's genuinely my 5th best C prospect, at least for this team. Maybe 6th. I'd rather have all these guys:

Zikarsky
Maluach
Sorber
Beringer
Maybe Fleming can play better at C than Queen

This is getting prepospourus. His defense isn't that bad, he's just not a great athlete.

At some point it moved from evaluating a prospect to winning an argument on the internet. At that point i checked out. We will see what happens in the league.

[League Circles]

Well yeah Vuc hasn't been good offensively overall for the Bulls. I specifically said last season which was night and day on O for him from the previous season. And yeah the archetype of an offensively focused big can help you win big, but not if they're league-worst caliber on D, which Vuc is. Not sure Queen will be that bad or anything. My main opposition to him is based on already having Giddey and Coby. I also just think he looks kinda sloppy and will get exposed in the nba more. He's genuinely my 5th best C prospect, at least for this team. Maybe 6th. I'd rather have all these guys:

Zikarsky
Maluach
Sorber
Beringer
Maybe Fleming can play better at C than Queen

This is getting prepospourus. His defense isn't that bad, he's just not a great athlete.

At some point it moved from evaluating a prospect to winning an argument on the internet. At that point i checked out. We will see what happens in the league.

I just see him as having the ceiling of a young Jazz era Carlos Boozer type. Seemed like a good player, made a couple all star games, but not so sure the impact was all that positive, as seen when he came to Chicago.

[Guru]

settling in on something like this

I have no idea what Kon gives this team? Trade up for a rotational bench guy who can shoot?

[Guru]

My board right now

1 F-Cooper Flagg-Duke

2 G-Dylan Harper-Rutgers

3 G-VJ Edgecombe-Baylor

4 W-Ace Bailey-Rutgers

5 C-Derik Queen-Maryland

6 G-Tre Johnson-Texas
7 G-Jeremiah Fears-Oklahoma

8 PG-Kasparas Jakuciois-Illinois

9 F-Rasheer Fleming-St Joseph's
10 F-Yaxel Landeborg-UAB
11 F-Collin Murray-Boyles-S Carolina

12 F-Carter Bryant-Arizona
13 F-Noa Essengue-Germany

14 C-Maxime Raynaud-Stanford

F-Asa Newell-Georgia
C-Khaman Maluach-Duke

W-Kon Kneuppel-Duke
F-Noah Penda-France

C-Thomas Sorber-Georgetown
W-Nique Clifford-Colorado St

C-Joan Beringer-Slovenia
F-Cedric Coward-Washington St
F-Liam McNeeley-Uconn
F-Hugo Gonzalez-Spain
G-Nolan Traore-France
W-Will Riley-Illinois

G-Jase Richardson-Michigan St
G-Egor Demin-BYU

[BullsSD]

Well yeah Vuc hasn't been good offensively overall for the Bulls. I specifically said last season which was night and day on O for him from the previous season. And yeah the archetype of an offensively focused big can help you win big, but not if they're league-worst caliber on D, which Vuc is. Not sure Queen will be that bad or anything. My main opposition to him is based on already having Giddey and Coby. I also just think he looks kinda sloppy and will get exposed in the nba more. He's genuinely my 5th best C prospect, at least for this team. Maybe 6th. I'd rather have all these guys:

Zikarsky
Maluach
Sorber
Beringer
Maybe Fleming can play better at C than Queen

This is getting prepospourus. His defense isn't that bad, he's just not a great athlete.

At some point it moved from evaluating a prospect to winning an argument on the internet. At that point i checked out. We will see what happens in the league.

Agreed. His defense is not near as bad as it has been portrayed on here, and he and Giddey would be a major headache for defenses for years to come.