2025 NBA Draft Thread, Part 2 – Capture the Flagg

[playa-hater]

Anyone else think we should take a flyer on Hansen Yang at 32?

Big guy looked really solid at the combine. 7’1”, moves well enough, high IQ, and has some legit touch and feel, especially with his passing. Shot actually looks decent too.

Yeah, he’s not super quick laterally, but the upside is there. Feels like the kind of guy you take a chance on late in the first. Good combine showings have proven a good benchmark for league success.

Watch on YouTube

I wouldn't rule it out but without knowing who. Else is available hard to make that pick.

[return2glory]

There is absolutely no reason not to play rookies and young players in 2025-2026. NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is one main reason. Joe Mazzulla-Thibodeau is the coach of this team.

[Smart2Nesmith43]

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..

I did not expect the person constantly moaning about the importance of shooters to be much lower than the consensus on Knueppel.

Hauser is also a shooter.. Possibly better than anything Knueppel will ever be. Yet, would you take Sam Hauser top ten? And Sam is probably a better defender than he will ever be.

Of course, there is a chance He can prove me wrong and excel in the NBA.. But I am not gambling a top 10 pick on him to do so. Let alone a top five.

They aren't perfect metrics but Sam Hauser is comfortably a top 10 player in his draft class by advanced stats. And one metric liking him is an outlier, when all of them see him as strong winning player there's probably some truth behind that. Per basketball reference, career win shares:

Spoiler:

Evan Mobley 28.3
Alperen Şengün 22.5
Franz Wagner 21.4
Scottie Barnes 19.4
Trey Murphy III 18.4
Herbert Jones 15.6
Josh Giddey 13.9
Sam Hauser 13.2
Aaron Wiggins 12.9
Ayo Dosunmu 12.6

He is also in the top 10 by VORP:

Spoiler:

Alperen Şengün 9.7
Evan Mobley 9.5
Scottie Barnes 8.9
Josh Giddey 6.8
Franz Wagner 6.6
Trey Murphy III 5.7
Cade Cunningham 5.2
Sam Hauser 3.7
Santi Aldama 3.6
Jalen Johnson 3.3

And in the top 10 in BPM:

Spoiler:

Alperen Şengün 2.7
Evan Mobley 2.3
Scottie Barnes 1.7
Josh Giddey 1.3
Trey Murphy III 1.3
Sam Hauser 1.1
Cade Cunningham 1
Jalen Johnson 1
Franz Wagner 0.8
Santi Aldama 0.7

Let's compare Sam Hauser's career arc with the bottom four picks of the top 10 that year:

Seems to me a lot of teams would have been much happier picking Hauser in the top 10 than whatever they were thinking at the time.

Shooters with short arms (Bane, Hauser...) definitely seems to be an undervalued category in the draft. It's one thing if they are like 6'1'' but if they are like 6'6'', smart and pretty strong they can be perfectly serviceable on defense (which Knueppel definitely is at 220lbs).

[Smart2Nesmith43]

Besides wouldn't you want to draft a guy that makes winning plays like this : https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dcg-WAPK4qc rather than a dude that's too cool for school and refuses to work out for any NBA team like Ace Bailey.

[Dogen]

Ben Saraf - 20 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Stl vs. FC Bayern Munich
Ulm lead 2-1 in the finals. Next game at Ulm, and if they win, they win the championship

He is a player!

Watch on YouTube

I'm warming up to the idea of Saraf if he's there. He may not fit the profile for what we are looking for, but may end up being better overall at basketball than many of the picks taken above him. Nembhard vibes.

[Gant]

Having the NBA draft over two nights might increase the trade value of early 2nd round picks.

Normally the second round happens fast, giving GMs little time to reflect. But with the extended delay between rounds, teams have a long while to think, and may pay to get into the early 30s.

[Fencer reregistered]

Not a lot of pure bigs on the list.

https://www.celticsblog.com/celtics-draft-rumors-news/2025/6/22/24453433/boston-celtics-pre-nba-draft-workout-tracker-brad-stevens

[Gant]

Not a lot of pure bigs on the list.

https://www.celticsblog.com/celtics-draft-rumors-news/2025/6/22/24453433/boston-celtics-pre-nba-draft-workout-tracker-brad-stevens

That list is a fraction of who they've worked out. Mike Zarren said last week that the Celtics have worked out over 50 guys. The total is no doubt much higher by now.

[playa-hater]

I did not expect the person constantly moaning about the importance of shooters to be much lower than the consensus on Knueppel.

Hauser is also a shooter.. Possibly better than anything Knueppel will ever be. Yet, would you take Sam Hauser top ten? And Sam is probably a better defender than he will ever be.

Of course, there is a chance He can prove me wrong and excel in the NBA.. But I am not gambling a top 10 pick on him to do so. Let alone a top five.

They aren't perfect metrics but Sam Hauser is comfortably a top 10 player in his draft class by advanced stats. And one metric liking him is an outlier, when all of them see him as strong winning player there's probably some truth behind that. Per basketball reference, career win shares:

Spoiler:

Evan Mobley 28.3
Alperen Şengün 22.5
Franz Wagner 21.4
Scottie Barnes 19.4
Trey Murphy III 18.4
Herbert Jones 15.6
Josh Giddey 13.9
Sam Hauser 13.2
Aaron Wiggins 12.9
Ayo Dosunmu 12.6

He is also in the top 10 by VORP:

Spoiler:

Alperen Şengün 9.7
Evan Mobley 9.5
Scottie Barnes 8.9
Josh Giddey 6.8
Franz Wagner 6.6
Trey Murphy III 5.7
Cade Cunningham 5.2
Sam Hauser 3.7
Santi Aldama 3.6
Jalen Johnson 3.3

And in the top 10 in BPM:

Spoiler:

Alperen Şengün 2.7
Evan Mobley 2.3
Scottie Barnes 1.7
Josh Giddey 1.3
Trey Murphy III 1.3
Sam Hauser 1.1
Cade Cunningham 1
Jalen Johnson 1
Franz Wagner 0.8
Santi Aldama 0.7

Let's compare Sam Hauser's career arc with the bottom four picks of the top 10 that year:

Seems to me a lot of teams would have been much happier picking Hauser in the top 10 than whatever they were thinking at the time.

Shooters with short arms (Bane, Hauser...) definitely seems to be an undervalued category in the draft. It's one thing if they are like 6'1'' but if they are like 6'6'', smart and pretty strong they can be perfectly serviceable on defense (which Knueppel definitely is at 220lbs).

You sure put in a lot of work to back up your take. Me, I have been on Sam's bandwagon way before anyone else. So If one follows you train of thought, We should trade Sam for a top 10 pick! Or at least a lottery pick. Quick someone send this Post to Brad and get err dun.

[cloverleaf]

There is absolutely no reason not to play rookies and young players in 2025-2026. NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is one main reason. Joe Mazzulla-Thibodeau is the coach of this team.

Maybe they can treat it as SL, giving Joe the year off while an assistant who will actually play the young guys fills in for the year.

[phincsfan]

There is absolutely no reason not to play rookies and young players in 2025-2026. NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is one main reason. Joe Mazzulla-Thibodeau is the coach of this team.

Maybe they can treat it as SL, giving Joe the year off while an assistant who will actually play the young guys fills in for the year.

Didn't Joe tell Rico "I don't really like rookies"?

In all seriousness I'd love for him to go deeper with that. Kind of sounds like he's had the luxury to coach high level vets.

I would actually like my HC to embrace rookies and show his desire to develop them. Maybe he's mad because he never had the chance to be a "rookie", just a freshman one time.

[redslastlaugh]

There is one main reason. Joe Mazzulla-Thibodeau is the coach of this team.

Maybe they can treat it as SL, giving Joe the year off while an assistant who will actually play the young guys fills in for the year.

Didn't Joe tell Rico "I don't really like rookies"?

In all seriousness I'd love for him to go deeper with that. Kind of sounds like he's had the luxury to coach high level vets.

I would actually like my HC to embrace rookies and show his desire to develop them. Maybe he's mad because he never had the chance to be a "rookie", just a freshman one time.

It's funny because I just youtube'd game 6 of the Celtics - Lakers Finals, the title clinching game of the 2008 Finals. Towards the end of the first quarter Doc subs in Big Baby Davis. The score at the time is a 4 pt game: 26-22. Baby, at the time, was a rookie who was picked in the 2nd round. And Mike Breen says, "And here's Glen Davis checking for his first minutes of the Finals."

Doc subbed Baby into game 6 (title at stake) in the first freaking quarter. I didn't remember this detail at all and I said to myself, "I thought the rap on Doc was that he didn't play young guys?" And my second thought was, "2025 Celtics would never play a young guy like this, in a situation like this"

[playa-hater]

I managed to stay off for a grand total of 3 hours 37 minutes and 29 seconds.. It wasn't easy... and still nothing.. Freakin killing me.

Brad do something!!!

[cloverleaf]

There is one main reason. Joe Mazzulla-Thibodeau is the coach of this team.

Maybe they can treat it as SL, giving Joe the year off while an assistant who will actually play the young guys fills in for the year.

Didn't Joe tell Rico "I don't really like rookies"?

In all seriousness I'd love for him to go deeper with that. Kind of sounds like he's had the luxury to coach high level vets.

I would actually like my HC to embrace rookies and show his desire to develop them. Maybe he's mad because he never had the chance to be a "rookie", just a freshman one time.

He had only coached games at the college level, so maybe he sees them as red shirts. But he's also only had top-level teams expected to win it all, so maybe his mega-competitiveness during the season leans toward juicing the regular-season wins as much as he can.

[return2glory]

Besides wouldn't you want to draft a guy that makes winning plays like this : https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dcg-WAPK4qc rather than a dude that's too cool for school and refuses to work out for any NBA team like Ace Bailey.

Ace Bailey should go undrafted if he is refusing workouts. Josh Jackson refused workouts too. He isn't in the NBA anymore. Be humble.

[return2glory]

Ben Saraf - 20 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Stl vs. FC Bayern Munich
Ulm lead 2-1 in the finals. Next game at Ulm, and if they win, they win the championship

He is a player!

Watch on YouTube

I'm warming up to the idea of Saraf if he's there. He may not fit the profile for what we are looking for, but may end up being better overall at basketball than many of the picks taken above him. Nembhard vibes.

He will probably climb up the draft board, into the 20s. He might turn into somewhere between Manu and Goran Dragić, especially if he works on his shooting.

[Hal14]

Ben Saraf - 20 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Stl vs. FC Bayern Munich
Ulm lead 2-1 in the finals. Next game at Ulm, and if they win, they win the championship

He is a player!

Watch on YouTube

Yeah, he's good.

Should go somewhere in the 20-30 range..

And rumor has it we're interested in drafting a PG.

Would not be surprised if we took him if he's still there. He plays hard, really competes, has some dog in him.

The jumper is a work in progress, though. He's not a terrible shooter (especially given how young he is) but he's not a good one either..

Also has some turnover issues..

But he's young and has a lot of talent/upside. Good positional size too.

[brackdan70]

Say your BPA are mcNeely, Saraf, thiero, Gonzalez, Kalkbrenner, Powell, Yang, Broome, Jones. Who are your top 2.

[Hal14]

Say your BPA are mcNeely, Clayton, Saraf, thiero, Gonzalez, Kalkbrenner, Powell, Yang, Broome, Jones. Who are your top 2

Hmm, good question.

I might go Clayton, then Broome.

Clayton could really thrive in our system. Look how well Pritchard has done here. And Clayton (if he hits his ceiling, which of course isn't a given) is a taller, more athletic Pritchard. That's a lottery pick..so getting a guy like that at 28 could be a steal.

While it is kind of redundant to have both Pritchard and Clayton here, I think it could still work since Clayton is taller and more athletic than Pritchard..and Pritchard plays bigger than he is too, because of how tough, scrappy he is and how well he rebounds for a guard.

The more I think about it, those 2 guys running around, wreaking havoc and hitting shots could be cinema.

[brackdan70]

Say your BPA are mcNeely, Clayton, Saraf, thiero, Gonzalez, Kalkbrenner, Powell, Yang, Broome, Jones. Who are your top 2

Hmm, good question.

I might go Clayton, then Broome.

Clayton could really thrive in our system. Look how well Pritchard has done here. And Clayton (if he hits his ceiling, which of course isn't a given) is a taller, more athletic Pritchard. That's a lottery pick..so getting a guy like that at 28 could be a steal.

While it is kind of redundant to have both Pritchard and Clayton here, I think it could still work since Clayton is taller and more athletic than Pritchard..and Pritchard plays bigger than he is too, because of how tough, scrappy he is and how well he rebounds for a guard.

The more I think about it, those 2 guys running around, wreaking havoc and hitting shots could be cinema.

I edited my post to remove Clayton while you were writing I guess.
I think I’d have to go with Saraf. And then Kalkbrenner. Broome high on the list too.