2025 Draft Thread - Part 3

[NatP4]

The only real difference in numbers between Edgecombe & Fears is their turnovers -- Fears turned the ball over 2 more times per 40 minutes. Otherwise, the two guys were equally productive -- very productive both of them.

Does that put Edgecombe on a different tier?

Edgecombe is taller/longer wingspan/standing reach, size to play the 1&2 positions, better athlete more rebounds, blocks, steals.

Impact defensive playmaker vs liability defensively.

I’m not super in favor of trading up for Edgecombe at this point though, especially if it costs 6&18.

[TGW]

If the Suns get a high pick for Durant, the Wizards should try and get it from them using the pick swaps. Dream scenario is they get #9 or #10 form the Suns, and get Queen. Take Essengue at #6 (or trade down with Brooklyn and take him at #8). Hopefully Richardson is there at 18.

Queen, Essengue, Richardson would be an A+++ draft. No trade ups. They need to trade down and get more picks. This is one of the deepest drafts in memory.

[NatP4]

Watch on YouTube

[gesa2]

If the Suns get a high pick for Durant, the Wizards should try and get it from them using the pick swaps. Dream scenario is they get #9 or #10 form the Suns, and get Queen. Take Essengue at #6 (or trade down with Brooklyn and take him at #8). Hopefully Richardson is there at 18.

Queen, Essengue, Richardson would be an A+++ draft. No trade ups. They need to trade down and get more picks. This is one of the deepest drafts in memory.

I may be wrong but didn’t the Suns trade away second order pick swaps to other teams after ours? With those trades they wouldn’t get any more control over their picks if we gave them our swap rights back

[BMagic]

...Tre, Kon, and Fears have a worrisome mix of ceilings and floors (Maluach and Tre probably have the highest ceilings, Fears the lowest floor

Why does Fears have the lowest floor?
Why does Tre have the highest ceiling?
What's your thinking here...?

Both seem to be gym rats. Comes down to if the FO gets a sense of whether or not Tre can improve his handles to provide rim pressure or if Fears can improve his shooting.

Fears has such rare wiggle and quickness with his handle that seems harder to develop than shooting prowess would be.

Tre has better size to not be as much of a liability on defense. Fears is still so young though, any chance he grows an inch or two in height? If so, I'd lean picking him, as I believe he will improve his jumper since he already has a solid touch on the floater and is a good free throw shooter.

All this is assuming Ace and VJ are off the board.

[TheBlackCzar]

The only real difference in numbers between Edgecombe & Fears is their turnovers -- Fears turned the ball over 2 more times per 40 minutes. Otherwise, the two guys were equally productive -- very productive both of them.

Does that put Edgecombe on a different tier?

Edgecombe is taller/longer wingspan/standing reach, size to play the 1&2 positions, better athlete more rebounds, blocks, steals.

Impact defensive playmaker vs liability defensively.

I’m not super in favor of trading up for Edgecombe at this point though, especially if it costs 6&18.

He doesn't have the game or skill to be a 1...... You listed all VJ's positives but none of Fears....
He's not a better facilitator, doesn't have the handles, isn't as good of a passer, and Fears is as big or bigger than Poole and will be better on defense... VJ has to work on his handles, he's never going to be a 1 though, he's a 2 and he's an underskilled 2 at this time.....

They are different players with different strengths and weaknesses....... Being bigger doesn't make you better.... Shannon Brown was bigger and more athletic than Damon Stoudamire but wasn't a better player......

They are both raw and very young... Both have flaws they need to work on...
VJ dribbling, creating moves once he's good at dribbling, work on shooting off the dribble as he's primarily a spot up shooter right now...... Continue developing his floor game.....

Fears needs to continue developing his jumper, which just needs more practice (which apparently Mike Miller is providing), having a good diet, staying the gym rat he already is and continue working on polishing his finishing... He also needs to probably hit the gym and work on getting stronger as well....

I want Ace if we can get him, but if not I'm not going to be mad at staying put and drafting Fears.....

[DCZards]

I checked out the feature on Fears that was posted o
a few pages back. Didn’t realize that his father was a pro baller (overseas). I was aware that Jeremiah’s brother, Jeremy, played at Mich. St. last season. So bball is in the blood.

Dad said that his top message to his son(s) has always been that your “work ethic” is what will set you apart.

Watched some Fears vids the last couple of days. He’s Whippet-quick and has an exceptional handle. He uses those attributes to regularly get to the rim.

I’m liking more and more the possibility of drafting Fears…maybe even over Johnson.

[nate33]

New Coward video

Watch on YouTube

I like him! Looks like he could be a Nesmith tier 3 and D wing. I really like that his jumper has a high release point and a quick wind up.

[nate33]

The only real difference in numbers between Edgecombe & Fears is their turnovers -- Fears turned the ball over 2 more times per 40 minutes. Otherwise, the two guys were equally productive -- very productive both of them.

Does that put Edgecombe on a different tier?

The difference between the two is Edgecombe is bigger and a much better defender. He will definitely hold his own defensively, and will probably be an impact defender. Fears is likely to be a liability defensively.

[SUPERBALLMAN]

AVC's "OFFICIAL" Big Board ...

Watch on YouTube

[closg00]

I checked out the feature on Fears that was posted o
a few pages back. Didn’t realize that his father was a pro baller (overseas). I was aware that Jeremiah’s brother, Jeremy, played at Mich. St. last season. So bball is in the blood.

Dad said that his top message to his son(s) has always been that your “work ethic” is what will set you apart.

Watched some Fears vids the last couple of days. He’s Whippet-quick and has an exceptional handle. He uses those attributes to regularly get to the rim.

I’m liking more and more the possibility of drafting Fears…maybe even over Johnson.

I wonder what kind of smokescreen judo moves the FO is doing here, Fears is the only Top-10 player we quickly had a workout with, so I am inclined to think the target is someone else, or we are trying to create panic with another team that wants him badly.

This team doesn’t have a PG really, and this kid as a HS senior carried a mediocre OKC team on his back, and was clutch when needed, he has a winners mindset and the skills to potentially grow into a star….of-course if we trade up to get VJ, I would be happy with that, Johnson the same, but I am leaning heavily into thinking Fears should be our pick, and we should pickup front court help with one of our other picks, we need some grown ass men in the front court badly.

[closg00]

AVC's "OFFICIAL" Big Board ...

Watch on YouTube

Interesting board he has, he’s got Maluach and
Jakucionis ranked higher than Kon and Johnson, he has Traore ranked much higher than Fears, the highest I have seen him ranked on any scouting board, and he supposedly advises/consults/knows Wizard peeps.

[tontoz]

2nd wave of green room invites:

Essengue
CMB
Sorber
McNeeley
Traore
Riley

[doclinkin]

I checked out the feature on Fears that was posted a few pages back. Didn’t realize that his father was a pro baller (overseas). I was aware that Jeremiah’s brother, Jeremy, played at Mich. St. last season. So bball is in the blood.

Dad said that his top message to his son(s) has always been that your “work ethic” is what will set you apart.

Watched some Fears vids the last couple of days. He’s Whippet-quick and has an exceptional handle. He uses those attributes to regularly get to the rim.

I’m liking more and more the possibility of drafting Fears…maybe even over Johnson.

There’s a lot to like about Fears. His hesitation game and body control is Rod Strickland redux. He’s not scared of contact and manipulates traffic around him. He’ll be able to draw fouls and I think his lifefire decision making and floor generalship will improve with chemistry and finishers around him.

But I do not trust that 3pt jumper. The workout videos confirm what scouting and game footage says. It’s no good. He shoots it from face level. Too much arm movement, no legs. And too slow: he doesn’t trust it either. In the NBA that’s blocked or smothered unless he can drop it from logo range or works obsessively on his Stef Curry pull up off screens and motion. His quicks and timing will get him open. But that shot will be erratic unless he can fix the form.

He’s young so he can learn but he may have to completely rework it. Square, lift, rebalance, arm high, flick, let your legs drop it in. Don’t throw it at the basket. I dunno. You love his toughness and brass. But a small guard has to be able to shoot. The upside comes from his 85% from the line. Nothing wrong with his vision hands or practice habits. That work ethic would benefit by the help of a shot whisperer who can build his jumper from the ground up. And 10,000 hours of repetition.

[payitforward]

The only real difference in numbers between Edgecombe & Fears is their turnovers -- Fears turned the ball over 2 more times per 40 minutes. Otherwise, the two guys were equally productive -- very productive both of them.

Does that put Edgecombe on a different tier?

The difference between the two is Edgecombe is bigger and a much better defender. He will definitely hold his own defensively, and will probably be an impact defender. Fears is likely to be a liability defensively.

Somewhere, a few posts back, someone said Fears was bigger!!

Edgecombe's numbers are better than Fears. If he's a way better defender, as you say, then there's no question he's the better pick!

In fact, overall, Edgecombe's numbers are elite for a Freshman guard.

[closg00]

2nd wave of green room invites:

Essengue
CMB
Sorber
McNeeley
Traore
Riley

Traore is riser, I wonder if he goes before Kasparas and Jase

[Rafael122]

ESPN's latest mock:

6 - Ace Bailey. Per Givony, it looks like Ace hasn't visited any teams but will have a workout with the 76ers later this week. Has declined invitations from several teams within his draft range. It sounds like he's trying to control where he goes.

18 - Asa Newell

40 - Johni Broome

[closg00]

A little more on Bailey, I wonder if we let him slide by us?

Read on Twitter

[AFM]

Interesting. Obviously Bailey slipping to 6 would be the best case scenario but I doubt he makes it that far.

[NatP4]

At this point, just stay at 6 if you want Bailey. Hard to see Charlotte or Utah taking him whenever he won’t even come in for a workout/engage with them. Calling Philly’s bluff, they don’t want Bailey.

Not really a big enough gap between Kneuppel/Johnson/Jakucionis and Edgecombe to warrant giving up 6&18 to move up to 3.

If Philly would take Kispert+6 for 3, I’d do it.

One of Essengue, CMB, Traore, Richardson is going to be sitting there at 18. If anything, we should be looking into trading down.