2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 8

[douggood]

I think he does, and it looks more and more like he’ll be the pick.

Does anyone have an interview with him? Maybe my research abilities are just subpar but I can’t seem to find one. Preferably in English, but French is okay too.

his team is still in the playoffs. don't think he is interviewing with anyone yet.

all the scouts and GM's have gone to see him in Germany.

I mean a video of him doing an interview.

Watch on YouTube

[S.W.A.N]

Noa to Washington at 6 seems like something that will happen.

Yah, I like what the new Wizards management has been up to and it seems like they’re placing a premium on size & length.

I think they’re going either Noa or Maluach, and I’m hoping which ever one they don’t pick falls to us at 9

Add Queen to the list. Local boy and possibly the better fit next to Sarr

[bboyskinnylegs]

Odds this pick gets traded? Masai hunting as per windy

I think we're just doing our due diligence. I don't think a team is willing to deal a 'big fish' for #9 in this draft. Then it becomes a question of how much value adding RJ (or IQ, or Yak, and/or smaller contracts like Ochai or Gradey) brings to the table.

[djsunyc]

noa has some narrow shoulders. can he get strong or will his strength be more like obi toppin?

[Syd-TK3]

I know the fans and gm opinions might not be the same but alot of net fans seem to like the players I like and its bothering me that they 1 pick ahead lol

[dohboy_24]

Does anyone have an interview with him? Maybe my research abilities are just subpar but I can’t seem to find one. Preferably in English, but French is okay too.

Watch on YouTube

French with English sub-titles...

[WuTang_OG]

https://www.nbadraft.net/nba-mock-drafts/

[Got Nuffin]

for mine, these are the tiers -

Outta the ballpark:
Tre Johnson - Obviously, but i saw a mock the other day which had him fall to us
Jeremiah Fears - we would be the right team to develop him and help him learn the game. Imagine this guy develops similarly to FVV.

Good draft -
Essengue - I'm high on him and think he could be a super high end role player like Gerald Wallace. Physically reminds me of Tim Thomas back in the day.
Maluach - So crazy long, switchable, a promise of shooting and seems to have a fantastic attitude
Bryant - Fits the mould of a modern wing. I don't see a super high upside but he could be a big piece of a winning team
Jaku - Would take him and pray that his pre-injury form is the real him, in which case he would be a steal at 9

I need to be convinced -
Queen - I'm a bit sour on his general attitude of laziness on d and smart ass comments, but undoubtedly he is talented
Coward - Just his age makes him a risk. Consider that almost all rookies can't contribute to winning in their debut seasons, that puts him at Scottie's current age by the time he is ready to do anything meaningful
Kon - I'm not against him but there will be trades made if we make this pick. There is no point to having young talent on the team if you haven't time to develop anyone
CMB - 0 fit with Scottie, and he's got the ugliest shot this side of Kidd Gilchrist. Let someone else try to develop that
Denim - On the rise but I'm not quite convinced that what he does completely translates to the NBA
Flemming - Could be wrong but I'm just not sure he has the upside for a top 10 pick? he's smallish for a 5
Traore - Not quite seeing the upside as I'm not sure he does anything at an elite level

[Indeed]

His coverage was a bit slow in reaction, so I am unsure how you can make the comparison that he has a high IQ. Plus is passing rate being so low, does not really show he is a high IQ player.

A "bit slow" by which metric? The passing is something that worries be indeed, but to all the high *defensive* IQ things I mentioned you can add he's 18 and played the game for like 5 years which I think its very relevant in this case in that you can expect the feel to get better with experience. But just that an inexperienced 5 did all these things on probably the best team in his league says wonders for his future.

The projection would be Mark Williams / Kalkbrenner. NBA player, but I am uncertain you want to pick him at 9. Most likely a few players below would have a better career (and posts with why we passed that guy and draft a 3&D centre).

That is your projection, I project a 7'2 Gasol.

Gasol's strength isn't it passing? So you are taking away his strength and make that comparison would make sense?
Gasol was used as a postup threat, Maluach showed any of those? There is no way he can be a star player at C, he doesn't possess self creation. He is just a rim runner with projection to be a shooter, at best 3&D.

There is no metric for reaction, but you can see from the rotation and rebounding.

[Indeed]

https://www.nbadraft.net/nba-mock-drafts/

I already ban this site, very unsure people still want to reference it.

[Yallbecrazy]

Interesting how this fanbase wanted no part of Anfernee Simons in OG trade talks, but Tre Johnson is so highly sought after by many when Tre is like a 3 inch taller version of Anfernee.

[Indeed]

He is not making it to 9

Read on Twitter

He's not going #1 or #2. Beyond those picks, these are the SF/PF depth charts for the teams picking between #3 and #8:

Sixers (#3) - Paul George | Guerschon Yabusele | Kelly Oubre Jr | Justin Edwards
- does Philly rank him ahead of Ace Bailey or Tre Johnson?

Hornets (#4) - Brandon Miller | Miles Bridges | Tidjane Saluan | Moussa Diabete
- does Charlotte rank him ahead of Ace, Tre, or VJ?

Jazz (#5) - Lauri Markkanen | John Collins | Taylor Hendricks | Cody Williams
- does Utah rank him ahead of Kon or Tre?

Wizards (#6) - Bilal Coulibaly | Khris Middleton | Kyshawn George | Corey Kispert
- does Washington rank him ahead of Kon, Tre, or Derik Queen?

Pelicans (#7) - Trey Murphy III | Zion Williamson | Herb Jones | Kelly Olynyk
- does New Orleans rank him ahead of Fears, Kon, Tre, or Jaku?

Nets (#8) - Zaire Williams | Cam Johnson | Noah Clowney | Jalen Wilson
- does Brooklyn rank him ahead of Fears, Kon, or Jaku?

Among those teams, I think Washington and Brooklyn are the only realistic options to select him ahead of the #9 pick.

Keep in mind that both Washington and Brooklyn have other picks.
They might also rank CMB as a higher potential player (they can take more risks with more picks).

[Indeed]

You line of thinking is way too rigid. It's not always an X = Y situation. There's so many variables in the game of basketball that you're not accounting for.

What exactly I am not accounting for? What did Maluach show he can create his offense? If none, he is a 3&D Centre (as if his D is as advertise, which Combine measurement does not suggest he is switchable).

My thought is that people think a 3&D center would be the missing piece, but we are clearly not close, as we are missing someone who can create consistently to make use of that spacing big. Who is the downhill or postup force who can use that 3&D Centre? Outside of Ingram, Barrett and Shead (and unproven Quickley?), and they have their concerns against switch, where Maluach doesn't have the space to shoot, nor scorer has the ability to get separation or down to the rim.

Ingram
Barnes
RJ
IQ

Could all utalize a 7'2 rim running lob threat big man, as the roster is currently constructed. I'm not quite sure what you're envisioning when Maluach sets a screen and rolls, but that low man has to tag the C Maluach / meaning one of the corners is open. Option two, instead of the pocket passes we like to throw, we are now able to throw a lob.
If that big is playing in drop, now the ball handler is definitely getting down hill.
Maluach will create some spacing because he has to be accounted for like all 7+ players.
You're rigid in your thinking that you have to create separation with a sick handle in order to properly maximize a screen

Please don't overrate Ingram, Barrett and Quickley, where Barrett and Quickley make their passes to Poeltl near 10 feet and Maluach catching those won't work. As for Barnes who ranked below average with 0.84 points per possession isn't going to work, and from watching, teams just dare him to shoot from far.

Funny that you call me rigid, but clearly that is not how Lively being dominate without Doncic, unless you think otherwise.

[CazOnReal]

Odds this pick gets traded? Masai hunting as per windy

I'd give it like 20/10/70 for it being traded out, it being traded up/down and us standing pat.

Star trades on draft night are a lot less common than one would assume and frankly most of the stars one would consider available are likely to cost more than RJ & #9. I know there was that purported package for Dame with multiple firsts but this FO has yet to make a single trade involving more than 1 first-round pick.

Interesting how this fanbase wanted no part of Anfernee Simons in OG trade talks, but Tre Johnson is so highly sought after by many when Tre is like a 3 inch taller version of Anfernee.

Well in this case you're not giving up a player to get Bigger Ant.

I'm still not sold on Tre but I digress.

[DreamTeam09]

noa has some narrow shoulders. can he get strong or will his strength be more like obi toppin?

What's the difference between obis strength & others

[Johnston]

noa has some narrow shoulders. can he get strong or will his strength be more like obi toppin?

His build kind of reminds me of Tayshaun Prince.

[PhilBlackson]

Noa to Washington at 6 seems like something that will happen.

Hopefully

[RoteSchroder]

He is not making it to 9

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Which means someone like Kon or Maluach falls to 9.
No way fears drops

Those three are on my wishlist atm..still kind of on the fence for Maluach

Tier 1: Kon, Noa
Tier 2: Maluach

Players I don't want @9 that others have mentioned: CMB, Fleming, Coward, Carter Bryant, Kasparas, Jase, Queen

Although I'd take most of them with another pick. Rumours make it seem like Masai wants to sell our pick rather than buying another one though.

I really like Kon, but do you really take a guy like him over the youth, experience, length & athleticism if Noa? I think he is gone before the Raps pick. I am completely on board with drafting him if he is there.

He seems like the only pick that could potentially be that raw Tmac type. Some risk, but reward/ potential is high.

I've narrowed it down to these two..hopefully they're both not gone. I think players like Noa typically rise and Kon might drop (see McCain, Knecht, Ja'Kobe being drafted lower than the athletic/long guys, or Gradey dropping)

noa has some narrow shoulders. can he get strong or will his strength be more like obi toppin?

I think narrow shoulders start to matter a bit less as you increase standing reach/wingspan. Even though you can bump or bully them to the rim, they can just block you once you get there.

[djsunyc]

noa has some narrow shoulders. can he get strong or will his strength be more like obi toppin?

What's the difference between obis strength & others

more a wing 2/3 than a 4. like obi isnt posting any big up because he isnt strong enough.

[Psubs]

Interesting how this fanbase wanted no part of Anfernee Simons in OG trade talks, but Tre Johnson is so highly sought after by many when Tre is like a 3 inch taller version of Anfernee.

It's the difference between a tweener sized SG that is very bad on defense and a legit sized SG.