2025 NBA Draft Discussion Part 8

[Psubs]

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

Kris Middleton would be a great mentor for Essengue.

[JCP11]

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

Kris Middleton would be a great mentor for Essengue.

I don't think Essengue will ever play like Middleton. Middleton's game is primarily based on his shooting while Essengue is more of an energy big/wing. Also Middleton was never the most athletic dude while Essengue moves rather well for his size. I don't see his game ever becoming like Middleton's but hey we never know Essengue is just a big mystery box.

[Yallbecrazy]

Cedric Coward will get drafted in the 1st round, but he's not a first rounder. In his 6 game sample size pre injury he had one game against a legit team (Iowa, finished 13th in the big 10) and went 3/10 with 2 assists and 2 turnovers for 9 pts. Very small sample size, but he had a 2.8 bpm in a full season in the big sky as a sophmore where he carried the 4th highest usage on his team and only got 2.5 stocks per 40 playing against legit awful teams. He also had a negative assist to turnover ratio on a team that shot 36.4% from 3 on decent volume. 10.9% Assist vs 16.3% tov against that competition is legit terrible.

He can shoot really well and is really athletic, but there isn't any evidence he can actually play basketball.

[dohboy_24]

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).

[ATLTimekeeper]

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.

3 inches taller is a big difference in terms of line-up flexibility. He's like the 7th best player from his draft, which was a super strong draft. I would take a taller that top 5 in a weaker draft.

[Indeed]

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.

He is a 4. Unlikely to have a tight handle.

[Psubs]

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

Kris Middleton would be a great mentor for Essengue.

I don't think Essengue will ever play like Middleton. Middleton's game is primarily based on his shooting while Essengue is more of an energy big/wing. Also Middleton was never the most athletic dude while Essengue moves rather well for his size. I don't see his game ever becoming like Middleton's but hey we never know Essengue is just a big mystery box.

He can mentor him on defense and how to not have to rely on athleticism.

[Rodrickle]

Essengue has no ball handling. He's big man, not a wing. he's been productive yes, and will be a decent player imo. But I think people think he's going to dribble the ball which he won't. He's not a great perimeter defender either. I think he's at best the first big off the bench, and maybe he becomes a good shooter over time. Valuable yes, but not much different than Asa Newell. Someone mentioned Obi Toppin too which is a good comparison.

[WuTang_CMB]

Watch on YouTube

[dohboy_24]

Some of the best player comps I've seen for Noa Essengue are Donyell Marshall, Jerami Grant, and Al-Farouq Aminu.

[Prestige]

I’m wary of anybody who can’t create. We’ve seen too much of that over the years.

[Jstock12]

He is not making it to 9

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

This is actually beyond impressive. That's equal to a getting a 45pt/20reb in the NCAA.

[JCP11]

Cedric Coward will get drafted in the 1st round, but he's not a first rounder. In his 6 game sample size pre injury he had one game against a legit team (Iowa, finished 13th in the big 10) and went 3/10 with 2 assists and 2 turnovers for 9 pts. Very small sample size, but he had a 2.8 bpm in a full season in the big sky as a sophmore where he carried the 4th highest usage on his team and only got 2.5 stocks per 40 playing against legit awful teams. He also had a negative assist to turnover ratio on a team that shot 36.4% from 3 on decent volume. 10.9% Assist vs 16.3% tov against that competition is legit terrible.

He can shoot really well and is really athletic, but there isn't any evidence he can actually play basketball.

Good post. It would have been good to see him play in the scrimmages, people want to compare him to Jalen Williams but what put a stamp on JWills rise was his play during the scrimmages, he proved he was better than most prospects in those games. I like Coward but I have to agree we haven't seen him perform versus top competition. You would have want to see him dominate lower competition but even that didn't happen. The only thing I can say is that he's a late bloomer and he's been rising every year from Dlll to Duke wanting to have him and now to the NBA. Taking all this into account picking him at 9 would be a huge risk.

[Indeed]

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

Kris Middleton would be a great mentor for Essengue.

I don't think Essengue will ever play like Middleton. Middleton's game is primarily based on his shooting while Essengue is more of an energy big/wing. Also Middleton was never the most athletic dude while Essengue moves rather well for his size. I don't see his game ever becoming like Middleton's but hey we never know Essengue is just a big mystery box.

More likely CMB going to rise than Essengue.
Some teams may take the chance in fixing his shot, and it is not like Essengue is projected to shoot above average.
CMB basically has the highest upside after top 6 or 7.

[Yallbecrazy]

Watch on YouTube

watched a couple of this guy's videos and it's obvious he knows basketball from a coaching standpoint, but I think he's severely lacking analytical skills. He touches on #s at the beginning, but his explanation of those numbers don't show more than basic thought. He then bases his evaluations off of highlight packages which is probably the worst way to go about it.

It's a good watch to learn some things and it's entertaining, but I wouldn't read too much into his evaluations.

[WuTang_CMB]

Read on Twitter

[raptor jesus]

I watched the longform video on all of Essengue's shot attempts, and I was surprised at how few lowlights he had shooting the ball. For the most part, he played under control and within himself. But the flip side of that is there doesn't appear to be much to his game from a creation standpoint - I didn't really see the ball skills to get excited about his upside. He kinda reminds me of Bruno but with a better feel for the game.

[niQ]

Read on Twitter

?s=19

[OakleyDokely]

Noa Essengue gives my Jalen Johnson vibes in terms of potential skillset. Johnson was more polished coming into the draft though.

[niQ]

Read on Twitter

?s=19