The 2025 Rookie Class

[The Consiglieri]

It's nice and all, but I wouldn't pay attention to any rookie anything until Feb and March other than serious critically damaging injuries. We need 50+ sample size for anything to mean anything, beyond flashes of traits and athleticism.

[Zonkerbl]

Queen's definitely an interesting player, not often a coach will run his offense through a rookie. Will be interesting to see how he matures as a player, I think he could be special.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

It's being addressed. Borges won over Chicago. Queen played a minimal role.

I remember when Jokic joined Nurkic in Denver's front court. All the scrutiny young Queen gets is ridiculous.

Why do you think he gets scrutiny? Would it be because of a certain poster that posts about him more than all of the Wizards players combined?

Look at your sig ffs. Your lack of self awareness is seriously alarming for an old guy.

I am self-aware.

I keep posting positive things that Queen does. Highlight passes. Nifty moves on offense.

Invariably, you post a "Yeah, but his defense..."

You can say I lack awareness. I will say you're wrong about Derik Queen and you're butt hurt.

Either way, have a nice Tuesday.

[tontoz]

It's being addressed. Borges won over Chicago. Queen played a minimal role.

I remember when Jokic joined Nurkic in Denver's front court. All the scrutiny young Queen gets is ridiculous.

Why do you think he gets scrutiny? Would it be because of a certain poster that posts about him more than all of the Wizards players combined?

Look at your sig ffs. Your lack of self awareness is seriously alarming for an old guy.

I am self-aware.

I keep posting positive things that Queen does. Highlight passes. Nifty moves on offense.

Invariably, you post a "Yeah, but his defense..."

You can say I lack awareness. I will say you're wrong about Derik Queen and you're butt hurt.

Either way, have a nice e Tuesday.

Nonsense. Look at your sig dumbass.

The Wizards shoukd have drafted Derik Queen

I told you so

You are running around saying "we should have drafted Queen." Ad nauseum.

As long as you keep up that nonsense I will keep pointing his many flaws

If all you did was post positive clips of queen in this thread nobody would have a problem with it.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Queen's definitely an interesting player, not often a coach will run his offense through a rookie. Will be interesting to see how he matures as a player, I think he could be special.

It's nice and all, but I wouldn't pay attention to any rookie anything until Feb and March other than serious critically damaging injuries. We need 50+ sample size for anything to mean anything, beyond flashes of traits and athleticism.

Slight changes: Kon, Coward, Flagg, Kalkbrenner and Edgecombe round out the top 5.

Fears, Queen, Bailey, Johnson (who will drop off after this with the injury) and Collin Murray-Boyles round out the top 10.

https://www.nba.com/news/kia-rookie-ladder-nov-19-2025

I think by March, the top draft pick will be the runaway ROTY barring injury.

Cooper Flagg is a prodigy. He is a future HOF player. I won't say that confidently about any else. Not yet.

[Kanyewest]

Queen starting to get some blocks

Before 11/12 he averaged 0.5 blocks per game. Since then, he is averaging 1.3 blocks per game in 7 games.

[AFM]

Is this WizD's channel?

Watch on YouTube

[payitforward]

Derik was picked at 13. He's definitely off to a nice start. Tho for sure his defense seems really bad. Even so, he may turn out better than Tre Johnson.

OTOH, Cedric Coward was picked at 11 -- & I'd say he has been the best rookie so far... by a lot!

So why isn't there a rush of posts, by you and others, saying we should have picked Coward? Because Queen went to Maryland... is that it? But, obviously, that would have played no role in any draft decision about him.

For that matter, would people still be focused on Queen if Ace Bailey had fallen to us? Or Edgecombe or Kon?

I hope Queen continues to develop & perform & goes on to have a great career. I just don't understand the special focus on him.... Sorry if I'm being dense.

[TheBlackCzar]

Derik was picked at 13. He's definitely off to a nice start. Tho for sure his defense seems really bad. Even so, he may turn out better than Tre Johnson.

OTOH, Cedric Coward was picked at 11 -- & I'd say he has been the best rookie so far... by a lot!

So why isn't there a rush of posts, by you and others, saying we should have picked Coward? Because Queen went to Maryland... is that it? But, obviously, that would have played no role in any draft decision about him.

For that matter, would people still be focused on Queen if Ace Bailey had fallen to us? Or Edgecombe or Kon?

I hope Queen continues to develop & perform & goes on to have a great career. I just don't understand the special focus on him.... Sorry if I'm being dense.

He's local... No other reason necessary....

[payitforward]

Fair enough!

[doclinkin]

I'd say it's the same thing any of us do when we highlight guys we liked and they start performing. An extension of the arguments we have in the draft thread. Because what else are we going to talk about?

I'm still waiting for Riley to break out so I can tap dance that I was the 1st or 2nd person to mention him, even though I largely ignored him in my yammering about Maluach etc (about whom I am notably silent, but mostly because I always said he was a long term project that would help ensure the tank this year).

At least my guy Ace Bailey is playing well. And Kel'El Ware. And Stephon Castle. And on and on and on.

Sigh.

[AFM]

I don't care about him being local at all. Do you actually not understand why people are less enthusiastic about 4 year college players?

[Kanyewest]

Derik was picked at 13. He's definitely off to a nice start. Tho for sure his defense seems really bad. Even so, he may turn out better than Tre Johnson.

OTOH, Cedric Coward was picked at 11 -- & I'd say he has been the best rookie so far... by a lot!

So why isn't there a rush of posts, by you and others, saying we should have picked Coward? Because Queen went to Maryland... is that it? But, obviously, that would have played no role in any draft decision about him.

For that matter, would people still be focused on Queen if Ace Bailey had fallen to us? Or Edgecombe or Kon?

I hope Queen continues to develop & perform & goes on to have a great career. I just don't understand the special focus on him.... Sorry if I'm being dense.

Queen is more polarizing so there is more of a discussion. Everyone I think acknowledges that Coward is good.

[Kanyewest]

I don't care about him being local at all. Do you actually not understand why people are less enthusiastic about 4 year college players?

Fun fact, Coward is older than Kyshawn George, Cam Whitmore, Bilal, Sarr. But a few months younger than Branham.

[gambitx777]

Queen reminds me of a better whiteside

Sent from my SM-S926U1 using RealGM mobile app

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Derik was picked at 13. He's definitely off to a nice start. Tho for sure his defense seems really bad. Even so, he may turn out better than Tre Johnson.

OTOH, Cedric Coward was picked at 11 -- & I'd say he has been the best rookie so far... by a lot!

So why isn't there a rush of posts, by you and others, saying we should have picked Coward? Because Queen went to Maryland... is that it? But, obviously, that would have played no role in any draft decision about him.

For that matter, would people still be focused on Queen if Ace Bailey had fallen to us? Or Edgecombe or Kon?

I hope Queen continues to develop & perform & goes on to have a great career. I just don't understand the special focus on him.... Sorry if I'm being dense.

Pif, Coward has played better than Queen. Many would say considerably better.

https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/11/southwest-notes-sheppard-edey-coward-pelicans.html

Coward has been one of the NBA’s most productive rookies this fall and is making the Grizzlies look good for trading up to No. 11 in June to draft him, as a Western Conference scout tells Grant Afseth of RG.org. “He only played six Division I games after the partially torn rotator cuff, and that made him one of the biggest unknowns in the draft,” the scout said of Coward. “A lot of scouts weren’t sure how his game would translate against top talent because he’d spent most of his college career at Willamette and Eastern Washington. But Memphis clearly saw something real. … And now he’s outperforming even the optimistic projections. He looks completely comfortable at this level.”

[payitforward]

I don't care about him being local at all. Do you actually not understand why people are less enthusiastic about 4 year college players?

Fun fact, Coward is older than Kyshawn George, Cam Whitmore, Bilal, Sarr....

Oh come on....

Do you think Memphis would trade him straight up for Whitmore or Bilal? Probably not George either. Sarr yes....

How many guys out of the 2023 draft are playing as well as Cedric Coward?

[nate33]

I don't care about him being local at all. Do you actually not understand why people are less enthusiastic about 4 year college players?

Fun fact, Coward is older than Kyshawn George, Cam Whitmore, Bilal, Sarr....

Oh come on....

Do you think Memphis would trade him straight up for Whitmore or Bilal? Probably not George either. Sarr yes....

How many guys out of the 2023 draft are playing as well as Cedric Coward?

It is interesting how everyone acknowledges how bad the 2024 draft was, but they are completely overlooking how bad the 2023 draft was outside of Wemby. Looking at picks #2-#30, I'd take the 2024 draft over the 2023 draft pretty easily.

[dckingsfan]

- New Orleans traded the Indy 26 FRP back to them for the 23rd pick.
- They then traded a 26 UNP FRP + 23 for Queen.
- As of today's NBA standings, they would have the #1 and #3 picks in a 2026 draft.
- Basically the deal right now looks like #1 overall and #3 overall for Derrick Queen.

Fat pockets will always be unfairly judged against this...

[Kanyewest]

Fun fact, Coward is older than Kyshawn George, Cam Whitmore, Bilal, Sarr....

Oh come on....

Do you think Memphis would trade him straight up for Whitmore or Bilal? Probably not George either. Sarr yes....

How many guys out of the 2023 draft are playing as well as Cedric Coward?

It is interesting how everyone acknowledges how bad the 2024 draft was but they are completely overlooking how bad the 2023 draft was outside of Wemby. Looking at picks #2-#30, I'd take the 2024 draft over the 2023 draft pretty easily.

2023 nba draft starting 5

Wemby, Amen Thompson, Keyonte George (23 ppg), Jaquez, Brandon Miller.

Also have Bilal, Lively, Anthony Black among others

2024 starting 5 - Sarr, Castle, Shepherd, Ware, Buzelis

Also have Kyshawn George, Risacher, Edey and Bub