2025 NBA Draft Thread, Part 2 – Capture the Flagg

[165bows]

I’ll just say it the guy that Harper reminds me of is a PG Karl Anthony Towns.

[playa-hater]

I’ll just say it the guy that Harper reminds me of is a PG Karl Anthony Towns.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing

[165bows]

I’ll just say it the guy that Harper reminds me of is a PG Karl Anthony Towns.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing

Exactly

[Celts17Pride]

I’ll just say it the guy that Harper reminds me of is a PG Karl Anthony Towns.

Harper is a good prospect but he is slow footed and can’t shoot from the outside. Hardly a sure thing

[165bows]

I’ll just say it the guy that Harper reminds me of is a PG Karl Anthony Towns.

Harper is a good prospect but he is slow footed and can’t shoot from the outside. Hardly a sure thing

IMO he’s got a good combination of size, coordination and feel for the game. I agree I don’t trust his shot (even his highlight videos he doesn’t make pure makes) and he gives off the same vibe as KAT, not an elite athlete nor does his motor, discipline, or intensity look that great.

[Hal14]

Harper is a good prospect but he is slow footed

He's not the fastest, most explosive guy out there.

But he's a rim pressure machine, a walking paint touch. Gets to his spots at will. He does it with a combination of good (not great but good) burst, good (not great but good) athleticism, very good positional size (bigger and stronger than most guards he's going against), a tight handle (arguably the best handles in this draft class) a deep bag (easily the deepest bag in this draft class..has made so many moves both in college and HS that are so insanely advanced for his age) craft (timing, misdirection, reading his defender, reading the help defender, knowing just when to spin, when to decelerate, etc.) and tenacity (shows so much tenacity and determination on his drives that combined with the other traits listed here make him VERY hard to defend.

Harper also has extremely good touch near the basket (70% at the rim).

And if the defense loads up too much to try and stop him, he's also an excellent playmaker for others.

We see some of the burst here:

Watch on YouTube

and can’t shoot from the outside.

You already said that the other day and I already replied to it so I'll just re-post here as a spoiler:

Spoiler:

He's a better shooter than JB was in college..comparable to the shooter Tatum (and SGA and Luka) was as a prospect.

33% from 3, 75% FT are numbers that are above average for a freshman, especially one who had such high usage (easier to have good shooting percentages if your usage is lower..the higher the usage, the harder it is to have high shooting percentages).

Also, he played 6 games in January where he either had the flu or was playing with an ankle injury. During those 6 games his numbers across the board were way down..they were statistical outliers compared to all other games he's played in in college and HS..excluding those 6 games he was at 35% from 3 (on good volume) and 78% from FT line.

This article I did outlines taller ball handler prospects and what their shooting numbers typically look like - Harper is above average:

https://the-center-hub.com/2025/05/03/deep-dive-jumbo-initiators-as-shooters/

Also, this Youtuber breaks down the shot mechanics for the top prospects..he has no concerns with Harper's jumper:

Read on Twitter

I'd also add that there's more to basketball than shooting. No other underclassman guard prospect I'm aware of in the past 15 years has had an Unassisted FG at Rim / 40 Mins as high as Harper had this season, while also having a respectable FG% at the rim. If we expand it to include forwards, the only other guy in the conversation is Zion. Point is, Harper is a historically good guard prospect in terms of driving the basketball, creating his shot, getting to the rim and finishing at the rim so I wouldn't worry about the shooting.

Plus, it makes sense that if a guy is THIS good at ball handling, driving, finishing, has a bag as a deep as any prospect in the past 15 ish years, it makes sense that if that stuff is so advanced as a freshman (not too mention good playmaking and positional size, solid defense) that the shooting development will come later.

Harper is a good prospect but he is slow footed and can’t shoot from the outside. Hardly a sure thing

No one is a sure thing. Not even Flagg. Harper is pretty close to a sure thing, though. His game is about as skilled, polished and mature as any prospect in the past decade. And his dad played in the NBA for a long time, won 5 titles so he's been around the NBA for his entire life. Very little risk here.

Vecenie is a tough critic when he evaluates prospects and even he has Harper in a tier all by himself in the no. 2 spot, projecting him as a future all-star.

[165bows]

That's literally a bottom 10% in all of D1 team right there in that clip.

[Hal14]

That's literally a bottom 10% in all of D1 team right there in that clip.

You can see the same level of burst if you watch the game vs Alabama.

The Thompson twins were playing against HS kids during their pre-draft season, even though they turned 20 halfway through the season.

Did that make their burst less impressive? Maybe a little bit. You factor that in very slightly when watching their film. But you don't dismiss it completely or your evaluation of them will be really bad.

Talent is talent. And if you have an eye for talent, you know it when you see it - sure, competition level matters but what matters more is the skill set, the talent, the feel, the way the player moves, the play they handle the ball, the way they can read their defender, manipulate a defense, get to their spots, etc.

[Dogen]

I’ll just say it the guy that Harper reminds me of is a PG Karl Anthony Towns.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing

Exactly

This is why -- if the Spurs/Celtics JB rumors are true -- that I'd give a nod to getting Castle over back instead of the #2 pick, if it's going to be one or the other. Castle is ROY, and a DOG! Harper might turn out to be the better player, but Castle has already proven he's a player now.

[playa-hater]

Is that a good thing or a bad thing

Exactly

This is why -- if the Spurs/Celtics JB rumors are true -- that I'd give a nod to getting Castle over back instead of the #2 pick, if it's going to be one or the other. Castle is ROY, and a DOG! Harper might turn out to be the better player, but Castle has already proven he's a player now.

Wouldn't getting both players + fillers be the starting point??

[Dogen]

Exactly

This is why -- if the Spurs/Celtics JB rumors are true -- that I'd give a nod to getting Castle over back instead of the #2 pick, if it's going to be one or the other. Castle is ROY, and a DOG! Harper might turn out to be the better player, but Castle has already proven he's a player now.

Wouldn't getting both players + fillers be the starting point??

I think that is the idea, ideally. Just saying I prefer the proven asset in Castle.

[redslastlaugh]

Jake Fischer said on his BR Insider Notebook show that Ryan Kalkbrenner is in play at #29 for Phoenix. Kalkbrenner was just mocked by Wasserman to the Celtics at pick #32 but Fischer says he may not make it to #32

[playa-hater]

I can't believe Kon Knueppel is consistently being projected in the top ten. I think he is the slow version of austin reeves at best. And even if his offense is equivalent, which I don't think it is. Who can he possibly guard?? Not saying he doesn't have a role in the NBA but top ten would make me sick.

Another one I see almost always gone by lates is Jase Richardson.. Not even 6'1 without sneakers?? Not even a point guard at that size?? There are certainly exceptions to that rule like Allen Iverson, but I just don't see it with him.. I pray Boston, doesn't try to get this player.

Of course. My thinking is always getting more positional length and athleticism..

[playa-hater]

I have no problem taking big Kalk.

[Celts17Pride]

Brett Siegel's draft notes:

Some quick hitters on some prospects in this year's draft:

Joan Beringer is drawing a lot of attention inside the top 15 of this year's draft. He could wind up going a lot earlier than many anticipate in mock drafts.

The debate between Kasparas Jakucionis, Egor Demin, and Nolan Traore as the next-best guards behind Fears varies from team to team. Some scouts aren't thrilled with Jakucionis' upside as a true offensive threat and lead guard. Demin put on a show at the combine in his workouts, and there are teams in the lottery that hold firm interest in him. Traore is likely to be selected in the 10-20 region.

Asa Newell is another prospect many are downplaying in projections and mock drafts. There is serious traction between the Georgia big man and teams with late lottery picks, as well as those right after the lottery.

Chaz Lanier and Adou Thiero are drawing interest late in the first round despite heavily being projected as second-round prospects. Keep an eye on one, or both, ending up in the 24-30 region.

[djFan71]

AVC did another. Gave us Saraf (over Traore) and Broome.

Watch on YouTube

29:12 in since RGM doesn't handle the direct link.

[playa-hater]

AVC did another. Gave us Saraf (over Traore) and Broome.

Watch on YouTube

29:12 in since RGM doesn't handle the direct link.

Not a fan of his in the first round, at least. My thinking still remains the same in that. There are too many other players. I think are better and we need more.

[redslastlaugh]

I like the swing on Ben Saraf. When I watch Indy play, I feel like Ben Saraf is that high-feel chaos guard in the Haliburton/TJ McConnell mold in our draft range. Ben Saraf isn't gonna be as good as Hali of course and he might not even be TJ, but I like the swing.

I do not really like Broome at 32, I have him lower. If we traded down to #45 or something, I'd think different. But I like other options better at #32

AVC did another. Gave us Saraf (over Traore) and Broome.

[djFan71]

AVC did another. Gave us Saraf (over Traore) and Broome.

Watch on YouTube

29:12 in since RGM doesn't handle the direct link.

Not a fan of his in the first round, at least. My thinking still remains the same in that. There are too many other players. I think are better and we need more.

I think it really means even a small trade up could be worth. MUCH better options at 22 than 28, imo.

[djFan71]

I like the swing on Ben Saraf. When I watch Indy play, I feel like Ben Saraf is that high-feel chaos guard in the Haliburton/TJ McConnell mold in our draft range. Ben Saraf isn't gonna be as good as Hali of course and he might not even be TJ, but I like the swing.

I do not really like Broome at 32, I have him lower. If we traded down to #45 or something, I'd think different. But I like other options better at #32

AVC did another. Gave us Saraf (over Traore) and Broome.

I've come back around on my 2nd or 3rd pass on him, tbh. A bruiser big to get boards and be strong is cool at 32.