2025 Draft Thread - Part 3

[AFM]

Utah has the luxury of picking before us, and seeing who Philly and Charlotte take, are any of Bailey/Johnson/Fears acceptable to us? I imagine that we would take any of them that is still there and be satisfied.

At this point, I’d be shocked if they take Bailey. Givony/Vecenie/Russilo/Woo have all stated that the Bailey situation is rubbing teams the wrong way. He’s declined the Wizards request for a meeting/workout.

The report of him having to be paid for interviews is crazy. Both him and his agent want $ for interviews.

[payitforward]

Ace is a kid, & he's being taken advantage of. I feel for him.

[closg00]

Utah has the luxury of picking before us, and seeing who Philly and Charlotte take, are any of Bailey/Johnson/Fears acceptable to us? I imagine that we would take any of them that is still there and be satisfied.

At this point, I’d be shocked if they take Bailey. Givony/Vecenie/Russilo/Woo have all stated that the Bailey situation is rubbing teams the wrong way. He’s declined the Wizards request for a meeting/workout.

Perhaps part of a strategy to get to BRKYN, it's just hard to imagine that he and his agent would be so unprofessional on purpose.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

2025 NBA Mock Draft with Trades

Watch on YouTube

[AFM]

Ace is a kid, & he's being taken advantage of. I feel for him.

For sure. Looking at the NBA rookie scale, his agent is potentially costing him A LOT of money.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

In this live mock draft I'm watching, the Wizards took Queen at 6 and Kasparas at 18.

Kasparas is interesting to me. He has certainly dropped, and his play dropped this season after his injury. But there was a period I thought he could be a top 5 pick, and I loved watching him play and watched most of Illinois' games this season because of him. He's fallen on my personal board, but I do like the way he plays, gets his teammates involved, really communicates and orchestrates the team, and very competitive.

Watching these NBA Finals... I do see similarities in the way Kasparas plays and Haliburton.

I wouldn't take him at 6, but if we go big at 6 I think he is someone to consider at 18.

Watch on YouTube

[penbeast0]

Queen is a top 5 pick. None of the guards has a standing reach better than 8'8. They won't last long in the league.
Just be another check mark on long list of mistakes that gets hyped up by consensus draft guru when standing reach would easily tell you they were no perennial all stars yet drafted top 10. Cooper flagg is basically Cody Zeller and every draft expert is screaming generational talent and top GMs are laughing inside.
Butch of Giannis level guys here. Queen is basically Charles Barkley and this board is pushing out to 18 like sheep. Steven Adams still in league.

I love reading your posts, but I wonder how well this one will hold up over time....

Looks like you're saying that Harper, Fears, Edgecombe & Johnson "won't last long in the league." Is that right?

"Cooper Flagg is basically Cody Zeller" -- makes me think I must be misremembering Cody Zeller!

Who are the "Giannis level guys here"?

It would be great if Queen played at the level of Charles Barkley -- I hope he does!

I think Queen has the potential to be a Domantas Sabonis type player. I would guess that's where he tops out in terms of potential. Of course, that's a top 5 guy in most drafts, but not a Barkley. Barkley was a physical freak who could jump out of the building; Queen is not.

[Frichuela]

Read on Twitter

?s=46

[AFM]

Queen is a top 5 pick. None of the guards has a standing reach better than 8'8. They won't last long in the league.
Just be another check mark on long list of mistakes that gets hyped up by consensus draft guru when standing reach would easily tell you they were no perennial all stars yet drafted top 10. Cooper flagg is basically Cody Zeller and every draft expert is screaming generational talent and top GMs are laughing inside.
Butch of Giannis level guys here. Queen is basically Charles Barkley and this board is pushing out to 18 like sheep. Steven Adams still in league.

I love reading your posts, but I wonder how well this one will hold up over time....

Looks like you're saying that Harper, Fears, Edgecombe & Johnson "won't last long in the league." Is that right?

"Cooper Flagg is basically Cody Zeller" -- makes me think I must be misremembering Cody Zeller!

Who are the "Giannis level guys here"?

It would be great if Queen played at the level of Charles Barkley -- I hope he does!

I think Queen has the potential to be a Domantas Sabonis type player. I would guess that's where he tops out in terms of potential. Of course, that's a top 5 guy in most drafts, but not a Barkley. Barkley was a physical freak who could jump out of the building; Queen is not.

There’s really no one in the league that plays exactly like Queen. Whether that means he’s a special, unique player or his archetype doesn’t work in the NBA, depends on how high you are on Queen, I think.
There’s only one player in the league who plays “like” Queen, and he’s maybe the greatest offensive player in NBA history, so if you bring him up you sound insane.

[tontoz]

Read on Twitter

?t=CTR0aM9k_wlLWajOPmL74A&s=19

[The Consiglieri]

If I were the FO, I'd be literally interviewing every custodian, every teammate, every cheerleader, every waterboy, every coach, everyone who'd been around him to get his mental makeup angle down because this approach is monumentally stupid and makes what is between his ears, so thoroughly opaque you're going to need to interview 7th grade Biology teachers to get a clue on him. I'd interview EVERYBODY. Guys that work at the local freaking bodega where he grabs sandwiches and a drink, everything.

This pick is way too important to go in blind to stuff, like say, the Jags were with Justin Blackmon's drinking issues in the NFL (supposedly the Bucs had a guy that figured out his favorite local bar in Oklahoma, and caught him getting his drink on there repeatedly).

[AFM]

Or, just #DDQ. No private detective agency needed. Say it with me. DEE DEE KEW. DEE DEE KEW!!!!

[tontoz]

I am not so sure it is "stupid" to deliberately tank your draft stock to get to a more advantageous destination. Maybe unethical.

Reed Sheppard went to a good team then had a hard time getting on the court.

[BMagic]

Ace would fit in well here. Bub/Bilal/Ace/Kyshawn/Sarr. Switchable on defense.

I wonder if the Fears talk is a redherring/misdirection to gauge how interested Utah is in him.

I've said it before but Ace's lack of feel can be mitigated in our lineup since Sarr/Kyshawn/Bub have high BBall IQs. Ace can be the 6'10 version of Klay that Dat alluded to until he develops a better handle. Tatum is a guy that had to get better at facilitating after being in the league.

[AFM]

I am not so sure it is "stupid" to deliberately tank your draft stock to get to a more advantageous destination. Maybe unethical.

Reed Sheppard went to a good team then had a hard time getting on the court.

Slipping from 3rd to 6th costs him $13 million over his first contract alone. Sure he may have a long career and that may end up as pocket change, but for a guy who has some executives saying "he could be out of league in 5 years", doesn't seem too smart of an idea.

[NatP4]

Only thing that would make sense to me regarding the Bailey situation:

Bailey/his team want to go to DC. The Wizards made him a promise at #6 and advised him to not workout with other teams behind us (NOP/BKN) in order to prevent them from attempting to trade up with Philly at 3/Utah at 5.

[tontoz]

I am not so sure it is "stupid" to deliberately tank your draft stock to get to a more advantageous destination. Maybe unethical.

Reed Sheppard went to a good team then had a hard time getting on the court.

Slipping from 3rd to 6th costs him $13 million over his first contract alone. Sure he may have a long career and that may end up as pocket change, but for a guy who has some executives saying "he could be out of league in 5 years", doesn't seem too smart of an idea.

More playing time/more shots = more money on his 2nd contract.

[closg00]

Phuck these Spurs man, not surprised at all that Sorber most-likely won't be around at 18.

Read on Twitter

[doclinkin]

Ace is a kid, & he's being taken advantage of. I feel for him.

For sure. Looking at the NBA rookie scale, his agent is potentially costing him A LOT of money.

Not if he goes to Brooklyn. The major media market money is worth it. 13m is nickels and pocket lint in NYC. That part of the story I don’t doubt.

[doclinkin]

Phuck these Spurs man, not surprised at all that Sorber most-likely won't be around at 18.

Read on Twitter

What I’ve been saying about Maluach. The Spurs want beef to take the banging off their finesse unicorn center. If that guy is both huge and smart so much the better.