2025 Draft -- Picks and Discussions (Clippers select Yanic Konan Niederhauser, trade for Kobe Sanders)

[Captain Ballmer]

Find a time to look at this YKN guy. Omg, that selection is gross.

Some players are not great students of the game, acceptable. But this one right here not learning anything appearently. Started playing center at 17 when his physics changed dramatically, five years past and still not getting it how to play center and defense is troublesome.

If not that A+ physical tools and athleticism, he wouldn't even play for that college team. When in Nba these advantages will disappear against nba athleted, this guy will be a laughingstock.

His best case scenario is like less goofy Jaxson Hayes, and even this has like %10 chance of happening. Very low ceiling with a really low chance.

Disaster pick. Thats how i think about it. That why they trade all those future picks bs they know nothing about drafting.

That recalls me of DJ. No need to rush our disappointing. Let the guy train and play and then we decide. Maybe he has an excellent behaviour or work ethic and becomes useful as DeAndre did.

I mean, blame the Front Office for whatever already happened, but not for something that did not happened yet. And furthermore, don't kill that guy for college games.

I'm not killing the guy. But this is still a bad pick.

Trade-off is clear, after mid round, if you go for upside you get 10-20% of possibility. if you go for role player you get like 50-60% of possibility to make it in the NBA.
Selecting a role player for like %10-20% of possibility is the definition of bad pick. This guy shouldn't be drafted in the first round with 2 guaranteed years on it. If you love it, trade down and take him in the second round without guaranteed years. Reminds me of kobe brown. Bad pick, bad asset manegement.

[KL2]

Clippers could move up if they wanted to. I’m guessing they don’t.

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[KL2]

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[KL2]

Chances to move up pretty much dried up now.

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Man. Fleming and Penda gone. Knew it but still.

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[KL2]

Sigh. Another Kobe that won’t play. Best available.

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[TrueLAfan]

Some links to draft bios of Kobe Sanders:

https://www.nba.com/draft/2025/prospects/kobe-sanders

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/kobe-sanders/

https://hoopshype.com/lists/kobe-sanders-nba-draft-scouting-report/

[Sofia]

We don’t copy the Lakers, also, here’s another player named Kobe

[Ballings7]

Interesting pick

Big wing playmaker with developing jumpshot range.

Not a good athlete it seems.. but if he can be a smaller Kyle Anderson type of player, using his craft and strength, that's pretty good to have on a team's bench. Doesn't seem like he's a low bball IQ guy as well.

[MartinToVaught]

Another 23-year-old. Frank is beyond parody.

[madmaxmedia]

BTW, Yanic is turning 23 in mid-March. Yes, already 23 before his first season in the NBA is even over. Age does matter because even if he does pan out, we're already starting out that much closer to his decline years than if we had drafted a 19 or 20-year-old instead. It's just terrible, unserious process from this front office. It's frustrating to watch this team do the same things over and over again that keep us mediocre.

Whether he is any good or not, I have no idea. But the main reason for not drafting older guys is not a shorter career window, but that these guys typically show the least improvement after joining the NBA and have less physical tools.

This guy is raw and is a real big, again I have no idea how good he is though, probably he sucks. But if he’s actually around in 6 years and we’re worried he’s gonna be declining soon, that will have complete justified the pick LOL.

[KL2]

Looks like all the remaining undrafted players have signed 2-way, exhibit 10 contracts elsewhere.

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He’s been right on quite a few things. Time will tell. That would mean one of the 2-ways are being converted or cut if true?

[MartinToVaught]

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Holy ****, this draft is looking abysmal even by Frank's low standards. We legitimately took the two worst prospects in the entire draft.

[KL2]

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Law with rare misstep. Jahmyl Telfort Is a SF not PG.

[Clipp312s]

Call me a homer, but I'm actually excited to see our Summer League team this year. Last year we didn't really have a big and went 4-0 in regular games, and BARELY lost the Semis by 1 point to Memphis. Hope Jordan Miller plays still. He's got the new contract and probably wants to prove he can dominate, win MVP and win a Summer League championship to get some actual rotation minutes this year. Squad looks balanced:

PG: Kobe Sanders, Jahmyl Telfort
SG: Cam Christie, John Poulakidas
SF: Jordan Miller, Trentyn Flowers, Seth Lundy
PF: Kobe Brown, Patrick Baldwin Jr
C: Yanic Konan, New Pick Up

Could also see Jordan and Kobe Brown not play and them bringing in more un-drafted players or unsigned former FRP & SRPs

[Clemenza]

Call me a homer, but I'm actually excited to see our Summer League team this year. Last year we didn't really have a big and went 4-0 in regular games, and BARELY lost the Semis by 1 point to Memphis. Hope Jordan Miller plays still. He's got the new contract and probably wants to prove he can dominate, win MVP and win a Summer League championship to get some actual rotation minutes this year. Squad looks balanced:

PG: Kobe Sanders, Jahmyl Telfort
SG: Cam Christie, John Poulakidas
SF: Jordan Miller, Trentyn Flowers, Seth Lundy
PF: Kobe Brown, Patrick Baldwin Jr
C: Yanic Konan, New Pick Up

Could also see Jordan and Kobe Brown not play and them bringing in more un-drafted players or unsigned former FRP & SRPs

Can't wait to watch the SL team also, but Kobe Brown and Jordan Miller need to sit this one out. Jordan is going to go for 30 points a game and Kobe is going to take a ton of threes which means we won't see who's who and what's what in Cam Christie, Flowers, and the new guys Yanic and Kobe Sanders.

[Clemenza]

Another 23-year-old. Frank is beyond parody.

To be fair, that's all that's left at the bottom of the 2nd round -guys that played 4-5 years of college ball and a few older long shots from overseas.

[esqtvd]

Call me a homer, but I'm actually excited to see our Summer League team this year. Last year we didn't really have a big and went 4-0 in regular games, and BARELY lost the Semis by 1 point to Memphis. Hope Jordan Miller plays still. He's got the new contract and probably wants to prove he can dominate, win MVP and win a Summer League championship to get some actual rotation minutes this year. Squad looks balanced:

PG: Kobe Sanders, Jahmyl Telfort
SG: Cam Christie, John Poulakidas
SF: Jordan Miller, Trentyn Flowers, Seth Lundy
PF: Kobe Brown, Patrick Baldwin Jr
C: Yanic Konan, New Pick Up

Could also see Jordan and Kobe Brown not play and them bringing in more un-drafted players or unsigned former FRP & SRPs

Can't wait to watch the SL team also, but Kobe Brown and Jordan Miller need to sit this one out. Jordan is going to go for 30 points a game and Kobe is going to take a ton of threes which means we won't see who's who and what's what in Cam Christie, Flowers, and the new guys Yanic and Kobe Sanders.

Yah, Flowers and Christie are still only 20 this year. 6-7 and 6-6. Summer League should be coached to feature them, to see what they've got as potential NBA rotation players. We have the ultrayoung youth project fetus athletic thing covered--they look to keep 2 of the 3 two-way spots.

No need to duplicate that with the picks this year-- Yanic has an NBA body [6'11 1/4 barefoot, 240] and will make the roster. Kobe II is a REAL 6-7 barefoot* who supposedly won't fumble the ball every time you pass it to him and should get the 3rd.

Hey, we passed on Slo-Mo Anderson once, you know [for CJ Wilcox].

https://www.nbadraft.net/players/kobe-sanders/

Strengths: Sanders is a skilled, cerebral combo forward who excels in the halfcourt with a smooth pull-up game and strong decision-making … Measured 6’7” barefoot with a 6’8.25” wingspan and 8’7” standing reach at the 2025 NBA Draft Combine … His 36.0” max vertical is solid, though he doesn’t play above the rim … Sanders is a capable three-level scorer who thrives off the dribble, particularly in pick-and-roll and isolation settings … He has a fluid shooting stroke that extends to NBA range, hitting 34.2% from three and 79.5% from the line in 2024–25 … His ability to create space using contact and footwork stands out, compensating for average burst … Averaged 4.5 assists per game and facilitated for teammates in the role of point forward, with his passing making him intriguing in a “Slo-Mo” Kyle Anderson-type role … He protects the ball well, limiting turnovers and making smart decisions … Sanders is poised and composed, rarely rushed, and plays with a veteran’s feel for the game …

I'm also thinking something between Malcolm Brogdon and Amir Coffey. Hoping. Somebody who can give you NBA minutes without killing you out there.

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*I hate the "WITH SHOES" measurement. Idiotic. Take your damn sneakers off so we can see how tall you are.

[TrueLAfan]

Pretty sure Garrett Johnson is the guy who had Tyler Kolek as a lottery pick and Kyle Filipowski and Kel’el Ware behind Bronny James in his 2024 draft projections. Mmmm.

The bulk of people seem to think the Yanic pick was … good. It’s a risk because you’re hoping he’ll develop more, but there’s some reason to think he might. Looking at his highlights reel you get the dribble penetration form the elbow at 1:05, putting the ball on the deck at 1:30 and 9:56 and 11:28, the spin moves at 2:35 and 9:12 and 12:41, the dribble/spins at 3:10 and 9:28 and 10:56 and 12:15, the up and around at 5:25, the block at 6:55 that ended up with him on the other end, the similar play at 7:19, bullying to hoop when well-defended at 8:23, the face up move and finish at 11:54. These are not the plays of someone who lacks in skills. He clearly has no probably with movement without the ball and setting screens and finishing on PnRs. He overreacts but has such speed and instinct on D that it works more often than not. He was an interior player last year, but actually took some threes in his sophomore year.

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He has weaknesses. He has to work on putting the ball on the deck and his face up game, in general. He bites (much) too hard on fakes, and fouls as a result. Although he’s got some good fundamentals, his shooting is still a question mark. He seriously needs to work on his passing. But the deal is this; if he had all those skills at a higher level right now, he wouldn’t have been a #30 pick. He’d have been a lottery pick. That’s the upside risk/bet.

I think we got him because his floor is decent as well. This is where I really agree with the comment from CBS Sports that the pro game is better for Yanic than the college game. He’s a spacer—a vertical spacer. His motor and effort and physical skills are enough to get him on the court for 8-10 mpg with pretty much *no* changes, IMO. That’s not great—that’s a 12th-14th man in the NMBA, but I really think that’s his floor … Kai Jones with more eagerness and hops.

[TrueLAfan]

I'm also thinking something between Malcolm Brogdon and Amir Coffey. Hoping. Somebody who can give you NBA minutes without killing you out there.

I think that's the goal; the hope that Sanders can be even 80% as good as Coffey. That's aspirational. For people that think that's lousy--Coffey has played in more than 320 games and has three seasons over 20 mpg on good teams. 80% of that would be great for any lower second pick.