2025 Draft Thread - Part 3

[J-Ves]

It sucks but I’d part with 18 to secure Ace

[jangles86]

Flagg @1
Harper @2
VJ @3
Maluach @4
Fears @5
Bailey @6
Johnson @7
Knuepple @8
Queen @9
Carter @10
CMB@11
Essengue @12
Coward @13
Newell @14
Richardson @15
Clifford @16
Fleming @17
Jakucionis @18

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I hate fears

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Fears and Queen are the most polarizing picks in the lottery, we shall see who turns-out to be right.

It's interesting. I don't really think of them as polarizing in that I believe there is fairly broad agreement how those players will fare in the NBA. I think most believe both Fears and Queen will be good on offense and bad on defense. I'm less certain about Fears' offense because of the turnovers, though I'm also less concerned about his defense because it's a little easier to cover for a bad defensive guard than it is a bad defensive wing. I'm quite certain Queen will be a good offensive player, but I'm absolutely terrified about his ability to defend at the critical center position.

Ultimately, I don't think the dispute is on how those guys will play. It's more about one's general philosophy on the importance of individual defense, and whether one believes a team can cover for a bad defender. People that are skeptical on Queen and Fears are the ones who believe that a single weak link on a defensive team is a fatal flaw. People that are optimistic on Queen and Fears think that teammates can cover for a bad defender and it's really not that much of a problem.

Queen will be good on offense. More importantly, he's an enthusiastic person who leads by playing confidently.

"Give me the MFn ball."

Give that guy the ball while Alex spots up for three or cuts to the basket.

Let Bub get his dribble drive and mid-range pull-up game with an option to shoot or dump it off to DQ at the FT line or the opposite elbow.

Let Jordan Poole and Khris Middleton shoot for outside, knowing that Derik Queen can be a plus rebounder.

I know the Wizards will choose otherwise, but even with the likelihood of defensive problems.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I’m a defense first guy and it’s easy for me to feel that one weak defensive link can be fatal.

OTOH, if that weak link has the potential to be an exceptional offensive player (which I believe Fears can be) and you already have 3-4 very good defenders (which I believe the Zards have in Sarr, Bilal, and George) then you might take a chance on that offensive talent in the draft.

I think that could plausibly work for Fears, except that I don't really think he has Brunson-tier offensive ability.

I don't think it will work at all for Queen because it's just too hard to get your center enough touches on offense to offset his deleterious effect on D. Queen isn't Jokic. He is, at best, a poor man's Jokic, which really means something similar to Sengun or Sabonis. Sabonis has a USG% of just 21.6%. He is quite efficient, but at that volume, he isn't offsetting his negative impact on D. Sengun's has a bit higher usage at 26.2% but his efficiency suffers because he is taking tougher shots (TS% is just .546).

It's just real hard to get consistent post touches, preferably against mismatches. It's virtually impossible to get your center a 30% usage unless he has the ball-handling skills and savant court vision (to avoid double teams) of Jokic or he can dribble and slash his way into his possession more like a wing does (like Giannis).

Sengun just got better with Kevin Durant in his front court.

Houston has defenders Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, and Steven Adams.

They will be better.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I think that could plausibly work for Fears, except that I don't really think he has Brunson-tier offensive ability.

I don't think it will work at all for Queen because it's just too hard to get your center enough touches on offense to offset his deleterious effect on D. Queen isn't Jokic.

I wasn’t making a case for Queen…only Fears.

Prior to Brunson being drafted by Dallas, I argued strenuously with another poster who had Brunson rated as a “do not draft.”

Although I didn’t think that he’d be this good, I always thought that Brunson had the craftiness and old-school PG caginess to be a good NBA player, despite not having the athleticism, size or quickness that you’d like to see. I saw Brunson as having a game similar to that of Andre Miller.

Fears is nothing like Brunson, who often bullies his way to easy hoops.

Fears will be an offensive threat based on his elite handle, quickness, and ability to get to the rim (or any other spot on the floor) off the dribble.

I saw in some old threads that Brunson had supporters here. The wisdom of the board can be as-good or better than the conventional wisdom, there was near unanimity in opposing the selection of Jan Vesely for example.

There was even one guy who said Paul Millsap belongs in the lottery

(Also, Steph Curry is already better than Randy Foye. Trading with both Mike Miller and Foye in contract years was ridiculous. Others were all over Klay Thompson. I liked Kenneth Faried. Way back, I liked Boozer better than both Jay Williams and Mike Dunleavy.)

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Read on Twitter

DQ in DC.

Lord, please.

I don't care if he's a bust or a player who never rises above a reserve.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Read on Twitter

That all stinks of disinformation to me.

Trading UP for Queen?!? GTFO of here!

No.

They have said NOTHING about Queen until now.

They probably have liked him all along.

[9 and 20]

It sucks but I’d part with 18 to secure Ace

Both the Wizards and Utah have mid/late first round picks, with ours a handful of spots better than theirs. If Bailey gets to 5, we can swap picks with Utah to ensure we get Bailey. Utah still gets Kon or Tre Johnson or whoever, and we still get a second swing.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Read on Twitter

That all stinks of disinformation to me.

Trading UP for Queen?!? GTFO of here!

I mean I'm assuming they mean trading up from 18 I can not see the suns being this dumb lol but beal and #10 for junk from the wizards lol we just cut beal and eat the money


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The only salaries I got to work in the trade checker in exchange for Beal are Smart plus Poole or Smart plus Middleton.

Phoenix doesn't need to add more guards to Booker, Jalen Green, Grayson Allen and others.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Now i'm starting to get nervous.

I would run through the streets shouting out loud, but I can't find my shoes. & it's hot outside. What am I to do?

In this order;

1. A nice wheated bourbon, neat
2. Grey Goose Martini up with extra olives
3. A nice English or Scottish ale - from a widget can.
4. A Williamette Pinot Noir
5. A handful of Ritz crackers and some American cheese

Put me on record. I prefer Knueppel to Bailey, easily.

You're not the only one. There are several insiders (including Givony) who have Kon as their 4th/5th overall prospect. To say he's not someone they're considering at #6 is silly.

Kevin Pelton has him listed as #2 behind Flagg. Personally, I'm more impressed with Essengue but I've been wrong far more than I've been right trying to buck conventional wisdom about draftees.

https://www.tankathon.com/players/kon-knueppel

Tankathon loves Knueppel.

[closg00]

According to their intel, Johnson goes to Philly if they don't trade, then Ace falls to us.

Watch on YouTube

[closg00]

Read on Twitter

DQ in DC.

Lord, please.

I don't care if he's a bust or a player who never rises above a reserve.

I wish we had an extra pick for Derik, he is still going to go in the lottery.

[nate33]

According to their intel, Johnson goes to Philly if they don't trade, then Ace falls to us.

Watch on YouTube

That’s concerning. I want Philly to take VJ because Charlotte will definitely take him if he is available at #4. If VJ is off the board when Charlotte picks, there’s a good chance they take Knueppel or Maluach, which virtually guarantees that Bailey falls to #6. (Utah will take Johnson over Bailey.)

If Philly takes Johnson, Charlotte will take VJ and we would have to pray that Utah got scared off by Bailey’s shenanigans.

[payitforward]

That's a pretty strong message of commitment to Bailey, nate. Am I alone in worrying about his bust potential?

(Truth is, btw, that it's not even clear to me *why* I have that worry!)

[closg00]

I wasn’t aware the Ace has asthma…

[prime1time]

That's a pretty strong message of commitment to Bailey, nate. Am I alone in worrying about his bust potential?

(Truth is, btw, that it's not even clear to me *why* I have that worry!)

I think everyone is concerned about his bust potential. But you balance it against his potential for success and the fact that we can give him time to grow and develop. We're still 3 or 4 years away from competing seriously. It's a no brainer. I'd take Ace at 3. I'd trade up to take Ace given the large amount of second round picks that we have. If we have to give up 18 I would hesitate though. I'd love to trade back up and draft another player at the end of the lottery but if the team loves and believes in Ace then I'd do it. Not many players have the potential to be an impactful two way player. If Ace was in last years draft I would take him #1. And if we would have gotten the third pick in this draft I would take Ace at 3. This is a no brainer. Imo, after Flagg and Harper he's the best player in the draft and he fits our roster.

[NatP4]

Utah is not taking Bailey

[payitforward]

What if the first 5 are Flagg, Harper, Bailey, Edgecombe, & Maluach?
Then what?

Johnson? Fears?

I might well take Knueppel over either of them....Certainly over Johnson.

[DCZards]

What if the first 5 are Flagg, Harper, Bailey, Edgecombe, & Maluach?
Then what?

Johnson? Fears?

I might well take Knueppel over either of them....Certainly over Johnson.

Yes, Knueppel has to be in the discussion. I wouldn’t have said that a week ago because I was buying the Knueppel bashing on this board.

But after watching some vids of him the past couple of days I have to admit that the young man can hoop.

[Dark Faze]

Just realized after this draft that we may have drafted/traded for the entire starting lineup + some bench guys and still maybe not have identified our first option:

Hypothetical after draft:

Fears(?)/Bub/Bilal/Keyshawn/Sarr
Queen(?)/Kispert/Johnson

Can assume Kispert is gone, but I think you do enter weird territory from a team building standpoint if you reach this point without having identified your franchise player. You end up in a position where your draft odds probably worsen, roster size starts to become a concern, etc. You end up kind of feeling pressured to try to get the best free agent you can get and make the playoffs.

The Bulls are probably the best example of a team that has succumbed to this. I don't think we Wizards fans have actually faced this in decades given the movement from Arenas -> Wall -> Beal.