https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6430848/2025/06/19/nba-draft-confidential-wings-2025/After last night, dont think it matters that much, since Ace probably wont be here, but anyways:
"Western Conference executive No. 1: There (are) questions about how good his feel for the game is, and how locked in he is, and the team was disappointing, and he was a little up and down. B
ut on his game, you could sit there and squint and tell yourself you’re getting some version of Durant. His ability to get to his spot in the midrange, you can’t really alter or block that shot. He’s got a ton of offensive talent. Sometimes, these one-and-done guys, that freshman year just doesn’t click where they are. … I would like them to at least make the NCAA tournament. I mean, you have two top-three picks, and you can’t be one of the top 68 teams? But I don’t know (if) that matters anymore. Anthony Edwards couldn’t do that for Georgia. LaMelo Ball’s team was way below .500 in Australia when he left.
The playmaking, I feel in part is not there. My experience has been while we can get guys slimmer, put weight on, get them stronger, a lot of guys improve their jump shots and everything. But if that (playmaking) is not there, we don’t have a computer chip to insert to get them to do that. … That’s not going to improve. You have to — have to, in almost all cases — bring that to the NBA, or you just don’t have it.
That guy is probably Dumars
"College assistant coach No. 4 (his team played Rutgers): He is a fun-loving kid who’s always got a smile on his face most of the time. They said he acts like a (kid) sometimes. Tremendous talent, but very young. He had an incredible game against us. He made all kinds of shots. But I’ve seen him disappear in games where he had two or four points. Their team is hard to figure out. They’re going to have the second and third pick in the draft, and they didn’t make the tournament. His player comp is Jabari Smith, who may never be a bona fide starter in the NBA.
But you’ve got to remember he’s only (18). He’s got great size. He can really shoot it deep, but his maturity and decision making are very suspect. I’m higher on him than some of the others."
"Western Conference executive No. 2: Is he a talented kid? Yes. But he better get to the right environment. …
If he gets in a dysfunctional situation, he could be out of the league in five years."
[quote:bba5df4c1f="hornetstime"]jr smith will be out of this league in 2 years, book it.[/quote]
