2025 Rookie Class

DukeLecker · Post #101 » by **DukeLecker** » Fri Oct 17, 2025 5:08 pm

I see Derik Queen has been out from training camp and preseason. Out of his control, but now he’s behind the curve on his rookie year playing catch up. I was suspect of his potential as a pro, and this isn’t helping.

I’m interested in how he’ll work his way into the rotation. NOP has no pick so they have to win. Is Queen a winning player in his rookie year? If not, he may get a lot of CDDNP.

dobrojim · Post #102 » by **dobrojim** » Fri Oct 17, 2025 5:32 pm

Re DQ, his physical conditioning was a concern before the draft. Missing camp and being hurt obviously can't help.
He's now been paid. So the question becomes, how motivated will he be? Does he have an effective support team?

closg00 · Post #103 » by **closg00** » Fri Oct 17, 2025 5:43 pm

Behind yes due to his injury, but he is nearing a return, with an 80 game season, he has time to get conditioned and red shirt it.

The 13th pick was seen doing full-court sprints during pregame warmups ahead of their matchup against the Orlando Magic. He is permitted to participate in some other on-court drills and should soon be cleared for contact practice.

Read on Twitter

Chocolate City Jordanaire · Post #104 » by **Chocolate City Jordanaire** » Fri Oct 17, 2025 11:28 pm

The Pelicans added Kevon Looney, who will be an ideal mentor for DQ.

Derek is very lucky not to have been drafted by the Wizards.

There is depth at the position with Yves Missii and Karlo Matkovic. Queen has offensive chops that none of their other centers have with no pressure to be great soon. Troy Weaver is bursting with enthusiasm over DQ.

Zion Williamson is in small forward shape. Saddiq Bey, Trey Murphy III, and Herb Jones are all good players.

Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray, Jeremiah Fears, and Jose Alvarado fill out the guard.

Queen landed in a great spot.

closg00 · Post #105 » by **closg00** » Sat Oct 18, 2025 12:21 pm

Double double for the raw C prospect

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payitforward · Post #106 » by **payitforward** » Sat Oct 18, 2025 1:40 pm

Yanic Konan Niederhauser -- he won the game for them, but his "double double" doesn't tell you why or how.

The Clippers won by 3 points -- but they did it by taking 10 more FTAs than the Warriors along with 2 more FGAs as well.

How'd that happen? Mostly because Niederhauser grabbed 7 offensive rebounds in his 26 minutes on the floor.

closg00 · Post #107 » by **closg00** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 2:20 am

DQ played tonight after a brief camp, quiet stat sheet, but look at the skills here even when being slow, tons of upside if he can slim down.

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Post #108 » by **nate33** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 3:10 am

Jeremiah Fears had 17 points on 7-10 shooting and 3-3 from the line. Only two of his shot attempts came from outside the paint. I guess Memphis had trouble staying in front of him.

AFM · Post #109 » by **AFM** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 4:04 pm

I'm eating a lot of crow on Edgecomb by the way

closg00 · Post #110 » by **closg00** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 4:11 pm

AFM wrote:I'm eating a lot of crow on Edgecomb by the way

What was your problem with him? Folks here will be eating crow on Fears too.

AFM · Post #111 » by **AFM** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 4:12 pm

closg00 wrote:
AFM wrote:I'm eating a lot of crow on Edgecomb by the way

What was your problem with him? Folks here will be eating crow on Fears too.

I thought he was more or less just a hyper athlete. I suppose I have a built in bias against those types. But he can shoot it too.

tontoz · Post #112 » by **tontoz** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 4:18 pm

AFM wrote:I'm eating a lot of crow on Edgecomb by the way

VJ was frustrating to watch at Baylor. he was very passive on offense. His offense was basically catch and shoot 3s and fairly straight line drives. Occassionally he would show a nice move but overall he didn't show a lot. i thought it was strange that he struggled to finish at the rim given his athleticism.

I had him at 5, mainly because i couldn't get a read on his offense.

Post #113 » by **nate33** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 4:29 pm

tontoz wrote:
AFM wrote:I'm eating a lot of crow on Edgecomb by the way

VJ was frustrating to watch at Baylor. he was very passive on offense. His offense was basically catch and shoot 3s and fairly straight line drives. Occassionally he would show a nice move but overall he didn't show a lot. i thought it was strange that he struggled to finish at the rim given his athleticism.

I had him at 5, mainly because i couldn't get a read on his offense.

What keeps me awake at night is that alternative reality where we would have kept Deni, won 5-7 more games due to his presence, and then ended up in Philly's slot on Lottery Day. Instead of Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson, we would currently have VJ Edgecomb and Deni. Or maybe we could have traded Deni + #24 for the #2 pick and have Harper and VJ.

JAR69 · Post #114 » by **JAR69** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 4:52 pm

nate33 wrote:
tontoz wrote:
AFM wrote:I'm eating a lot of crow on Edgecomb by the way

VJ was frustrating to watch at Baylor. he was very passive on offense. His offense was basically catch and shoot 3s and fairly straight line drives. Occassionally he would show a nice move but overall he didn't show a lot. i thought it was strange that he struggled to finish at the rim given his athleticism.

I had him at 5, mainly because i couldn't get a read on his offense.

What keeps me awake at night is that alternative reality where we would have kept Deni, won 5-7 more games due to his presence, and then ended up in Philly's slot on Lottery Day. Instead of Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson, we would currently have VJ Edgecomb and Deni. Or maybe we could have traded Deni + #24 for the #2 pick and have Harper and VJ.

That's magical thinking. If we won 7 more games, for instance, we would have been better than the Sixers, and drafted in the Nets' slot. So we'd have Deni and what, Egor Demin? (Or CMB, Maluach, Queen, etc.?)

Also, we'd have Deni this year, dramatically increasing the chances we lose this year's pick.

tontoz · Post #115 » by **tontoz** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 7:03 pm

VJ was on the PG13 pod recently and said he didn't like college ball and didn't like the way he was used. That would explain some of what i saw watching him.

tontoz · Post #116 » by **tontoz** » Thu Oct 23, 2025 11:03 pm

Just got done watching the Sixers game. VJ wasn't as impressive as you'd think.

In college most of his scoring came two ways in the half court, open catch and shoot 3s and fairly basic drives. That was pretty much the case here. Obviously he is really good on the fast break.

He has the athleticism of someone like Dmitch but his scoring arsenal is pretty limited. Boston is just really bad on D now. Maxey dropped 40 on fewer shots.

9 and 20 · Post #117 » by **9 and 20** » Sat Oct 25, 2025 7:51 pm

After two games, Ace Bailey averaging 1 point per game on 10% shooting.

closg00 · Post #118 » by **closg00** » Mon Oct 27, 2025 1:10 pm

Late arrival, the first Rookie Ladder.
https://www.nba.com/news/kia-rookie-ladder-oct-22-2025-edition

tontoz · Post #119 » by **tontoz** » Mon Oct 27, 2025 10:22 pm

Harper showed out against the Nets. It's so ridiculous they got him right after getting Wemby. :evil:

Watch on YouTube

TGW · Post #120 » by **TGW** » Tue Oct 28, 2025 3:11 am

Edgecomb with another massive statline. 26 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, a steal and a block.