2025 NBA Draft Thread, part 1 – Capture the Flagg

[cloverleaf]

Time to draft our frontcourt of the future! This is our McHale/Parish year of the 2020s!

[winsomme2]

Time to draft our frontcourt of the future! This is our McHale/Parish year of the 2020s!

Certainly no McHale or Parrish but I'm starting to like Yanic Niederhauser. Very athletic and seems very coordinated with decent hands.

Under the radar at the moment, but I could see that changing in the coming weeks.

Watch on YouTube

He's moving up my wish list.

[winsomme2]

Ok, my current

Hope they drop/#28 list

Rasheer Flemming
Jase Richardson
Danny Wolf
Walter Clayton Jr
Maxime Raynuad


Hope they don't jump/#32 list

Yanic Nierderhauser
Kobe Sanders
Sion James


*Adding third category
Currently in Range/#28-32

Ryan Kalkbrenner
Ben Saraf
Adou Thiero

[BillessuR6]

Doubt he is there at 28 but if he is just take Berenger.

Sent from my SM-A536B using RealGM mobile app

[winsomme2]

I just mentioned this in the FA thread but it's probably more connected here.

It may be stating the obvious but one of the reasons I'm guessing so many of us obsess about the draft is that EVERY YEAR there are low draft picks and UDFAs who end up being key contributors on playoff teams and players that we wish we had on our team.

and they were all gettable if they had been identified right about now for this draft and past drafts.

There are definitely going to be prospects selected after 28/32 and even UDFAs in this draft class who end up being really good. And it's not a lottery ticket where it's blind luck. There certainly is some luck involved but it's really scouting, fit, and development.

Well yeah but the thing is, there's usually only like 1 or 2 guys per draft (maybe 3) who get picked 2nd round or UDFA who end up being good players. And I don't mean like they were pretty good for like 1 season because they were on a tanking team so they got lots of minutes or a bunch of guys got hurt so they got to play a lot.

I mean like consistently showing over the course of multiple seasons that they can be relied upon as a solid contributor at the NBA level.

So if there's only like 2 of those guys per draft and there's 30 teams, we've got like a 1 out of 15 chance at getting 1 of them. The odds are very low. So it's not like Boston isn't finding those guys but all the other teams are.

Also, there's less opportunity for a 2nd round/UDFA type of guy to carve out a role on a team as deep/talented as boston.

Yet we have Hauser..who was an UDFA signed just 4 yrs ago..

I think the way I'd would identify the players in this post draft category (later first-second round/UDFA) is by saying "I wish we had picked/picked up this guy" as opposed to a consistently reliable/more proven commodity.

And for me there are more than 2/3 players who fit that description in each draft when looking back. Maybe like 6-8. But I'm really just throwing that number out there.

The reason I use that measuring stick is because there is more that goes into a player becoming a consistently reliable player than ability. So there are definitely players in every draft that show flashes on becoming that but kinda player but never put it all together or are still figuring out how to do that.

I think of a player like GG Jackson II. We talked a lot about him leading up to the draft on this site. He ended up falling and then had a breakout season. I wouldn't put him in the "consistent performer" category but I totally would put him on the "player we wish we had picked" list. And it wouldn't have been just lucky to have grabbed him (although there is some luck involved). It's partly scouting and roster analysis, positional analysis etc... All the stuff we talk about here that also goes on in every front office...

These guys are IMO out there and that for me is why this is a really fun topic. I love trying to find that diamond in the rough.

[Memokerobi]

Read on Twitter

[Celts17Pride]

I'm still on the Javon Small bandwagon for the Celtics somewhere in the draft. Think he will be a steal compared to his draft position.

[ThePigeon]

Read on Twitter

Noa is an athletic and talented player who is still learning the game and projected to be taken 9-15 in the draft

Ben Saraf was the best player in the 4th and OT - 16 pts, 6 assists and 2 steals (+12)
The substitution pattern of Ulm's coach is mind boggling. Saraf is the only PG and he plays him in a mysterious pattern. Noa is the same. Both are really young but are capable players. I think they are among the few remaining players in this draft that still play in competitive games

[Fierce1]

What about Noa's arc on his shot?

[Kalela]

Read on Twitter

Noa is an athletic and talented player who is still learning the game and projected to be taken 9-15 in the draft

Ben Saraf was the best player in the 4th and OT - 16 pts, 6 assists and 2 steals (+12)
The substitution pattern of Ulm's coach is mind boggling. Saraf is the only PG and he plays him in a mysterious pattern. Noa is the same. Both are really young but are capable players. I think they are among the few remaining players in this draft that still play in competitive games

Do you have links to full games?

[Smart2Nesmith43]

Last year the Spurs had 4 and 8 and moved 8 for future draft capital. They have 2 and 14 in this draft. I expect they'll follow a similar template and trade 14 for future picks. Celtics can get more value from a rookie now than picks years down the line when Tatum and Brown are out of their primes and they aren't competitive anyomre. Spurs and Celtics have done a ton of trades in recent seasons (White obviously, Grant Williams sign and trade, Hernangomez and Vonleh salary dumps). Something to monitor.

[cloverleaf]

How high up could the C's go if they combined their 2 picks? Could that get them to Raynaud?

[ThePigeon]

Read on Twitter

Noa is an athletic and talented player who is still learning the game and projected to be taken 9-15 in the draft

Ben Saraf was the best player in the 4th and OT - 16 pts, 6 assists and 2 steals (+12)
The substitution pattern of Ulm's coach is mind boggling. Saraf is the only PG and he plays him in a mysterious pattern. Noa is the same. Both are really young but are capable players. I think they are among the few remaining players in this draft that still play in competitive games

Do you have links to full games?

Unfortunately, no
I watch these live on TV (I am based in the relevant time zone)

[Hal14]

How high up could the C's go if they combined their 2 picks? Could that get them to Raynaud?

Raynaud might be there at 28.

[playa-hater]

How high up could the C's go if they combined their 2 picks? Could that get them to Raynaud?

I think he is a wild card of where he will be drafted. If that is who Brad feels is worth trading up for, then I will buy in. I would just hate if Brad really loves him and he gets picked right before us.

[winsomme2]

How high up could the C's go if they combined their 2 picks? Could that get them to Raynaud?

Raynaud might be there at 28.

Is Santi Aldama a good comp for Raynaud and is it crazy to think Raynaud could get solid bench minutes right away if he was our pick?

[playa-hater]

Last year the Spurs had 4 and 8 and moved 8 for future draft capital. They have 2 and 14 in this draft. I expect they'll follow a similar template and trade 14 for future picks. Celtics can get more value from a rookie now than picks years down the line when Tatum and Brown are out of their primes and they aren't competitive anyomre. Spurs and Celtics have done a ton of trades in recent seasons (White obviously, Grant Williams sign and trade, Hernangomez and Vonleh salary dumps). Something to monitor.

Probably not enough, but what about Hauser, 28 + future 2nd for 14??

[Hal14]

How high up could the C's go if they combined their 2 picks? Could that get them to Raynaud?

Raynaud might be there at 28.

Is Santi Aldama a good comp for Raynaud and is it crazy to think Raynaud could get solid bench minutes right away if he was our pick?

Yeah, Aldama is a good comp for him. Aldama was about a year younger when drafted though..but Raynaud has been playing in a much tougher conference than Aldama did so I think they're fairly close in terms of how good of a prospect they are.

He's definitely a guy I would consider drafting for us if he's there at 28.

Not sure I'd trade up (Raynaud is currently 26th on my personal big board but I could see a case for him being a bit higher than that..the 16-30 range is pretty fluid for me..)

I could see Raynaud getting some spot mins off the bench here and there in year 1. I could also see him mostly being in G league in year 1, as was the case for Hauser, Scheierman, JD, Walsh..

[Smart2Nesmith43]

Last year the Spurs had 4 and 8 and moved 8 for future draft capital. They have 2 and 14 in this draft. I expect they'll follow a similar template and trade 14 for future picks. Celtics can get more value from a rookie now than picks years down the line when Tatum and Brown are out of their primes and they aren't competitive anyomre. Spurs and Celtics have done a ton of trades in recent seasons (White obviously, Grant Williams sign and trade, Hernangomez and Vonleh salary dumps). Something to monitor.

Probably not enough, but what about Hauser, 28 + future 2nd for 14??

I actually think the Spurs plan is to keep their books clean and roll that pick into the future so they can use it in trades once Wemby is in his prime and they need to complement the core around him. Instead of being forced to pick someone right now and having that asset depreciate instantly. I think they would prefer to do a future unprotected (or very lightly protected) first for 14.

[165bows]

Last year the Spurs had 4 and 8 and moved 8 for future draft capital. They have 2 and 14 in this draft. I expect they'll follow a similar template and trade 14 for future picks. Celtics can get more value from a rookie now than picks years down the line when Tatum and Brown are out of their primes and they aren't competitive anyomre. Spurs and Celtics have done a ton of trades in recent seasons (White obviously, Grant Williams sign and trade, Hernangomez and Vonleh salary dumps). Something to monitor.

Probably not enough, but what about Hauser, 28 + future 2nd for 14??

I actually think the Spurs plan is to keep their books clean and roll that pick into the future so they can use it in trades once Wemby is in his prime and they need to complement the core around him. Instead of being forced to pick someone right now and having that asset depreciate instantly. I think they would prefer to do a future unprotected (or very lightly protected) first for 14.

Hmm interesting. I could see some team biting in it but I’m not sure the Celtics should be that team. They are already down one pick and a swap and facing injury issues and will need cheap talent later as Tatum and whoever gets more expensive.

On the talent end, not sure I love anyone in that range that much anyways. I could see Carter Bryant as a high end athletic three and D guy. Maybe Murray-Boyles if they think he can be an elite small ball center in Draymond Green or Bam mold. Possibly Coward if they think he can hit his upside as an elite length scoring wing. Just not sure who else is valuable enough to mortgage a future pick for.