The 2025 Rookie Class

[doclinkin]

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

Fun exercise: What draft year of current players wins the championship? But which draft year of current players would you rather start a franchise with.

[nate33]

Fun exercise: What draft year of current players wins the championship? But which draft year of current players would you rather start a franchise with.

2021 is loaded with about 8 All-Star caliber guys and a bunch more good rotation players, but doesn't really have an MVP superstar unless Cade gets there. But if you assume some modest progression ahead, this might be the team to start a franchise with.
PG Cade/Giddey/Mitchell
SG Suggs/Kispert/Grimes
SF Wagner/Trey Murphy/Kuminga
PF Barnes/Jalen Johnson/Herb Jones
C Mobley/Sengun/Queta

2018 has 3 top 10-ish players and good depth, but they are a little light on defense beyond Bridges and JJJ. Still, if you had to win right now, you might go with these guys.
PG Brunson/Trae Young
SG SGA/Simons
SF Bridges/MPJ
PF Luka/JJJ
C Ayton/Robinson

2017 is real good and balanced
PG Fox/Lonzo
SG Mitchell/D.White
SF Anunoby/Hart
PF Tatum/Markkanen
C Bam/Allen/Hartenstein

[Kanyewest]

2017 also has Lauri.

2018 - you might as well add Donte for the defense and the Villanova connection. Grayson Allen may have a case. Wendell Carter could be a good defensive option. Funny that the best Mo from the draft was Wagner over Bamba.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

- 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...

Wow. That is NOT good for Crescent City.

Even this staunchest of staunch Derik Queen fan says that as stands, it appears as though the Pelicans in acquiring DQ have engaged in unnatural and deviant acts with the pooch.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Fun exercise: What draft year of current players wins the championship? But which draft year of current players would you rather start a franchise with.

2021 is loaded with about 8 All-Star caliber guys and a bunch more good rotation players, but doesn't really have an MVP superstar unless Cade gets there. But if you assume some modest progression ahead, this might be the team to start a franchise with.
PG Cade/Giddey/Mitchell
SG Suggs/Kispert/Grimes
SF Wagner/Trey Murphy/Kuminga
PF Barnes/Jalen Johnson/Herb Jones
C Mobley/Sengun/Queta

2018 has 3 top 10-ish players and good depth, but they are a little light on defense beyond Bridges and JJJ. Still, if you had to win right now, you might go with these guys.
PG Brunson/Trae Young
SG SGA/Simons
SF Bridges/MPJ
PF Luka/JJJ
C Ayton/Robinson

2017 is real good and balanced
PG Fox/Lonzo
SG Mitchell/D.White
SF Anunoby/Hart
PF Tatum/Markkanen
C Bam/Allen/Hartenstein

2018, with Luka and SGA leaps off the page.

It's akin to Bird and Magic entering the league together.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Three rookies who are really good but haven't played much:

Noah Penda (20-year-old French player. Boston projects Jaylen Brown stardom)
Will Richard (56th pick once had 30 for GSW. They stole him from Mem)
Asa Newell (HS teammate od Queen, McNeely, Flagg and some guy named Kon)

Watch those three as this season progresses. This 2025 draft is a very good one,

[closg00]

- 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...

Wow. That is NOT good for Crescent City.

Even this staunchest of staunch Derik Queen fan says that as stands, it appears as though the Pelicans in acquiring DQ have engaged in unnatural and deviant acts with the pooch.

Sent from my SM-X218U using RealGM mobile app

It’s a good thing that Derik will not be a bust, otherwise Dumars could be Nico 2.0.
NO may have drafted two cornerstone pieces in Fears/Queen, if they both become allstars, the fan base can grudgingly accept the overpay.

[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...

Wow. That is NOT good for Crescent City.

Even this staunchest of staunch Derik Queen fan says that as stands, it appears as though the Pelicans in acquiring DQ have engaged in unnatural and deviant acts with the pooch.

Sent from my SM-X218U using RealGM mobile app

It’s a good thing that Derik will not be a bust, otherwise Dumars could be Nico 2.0.
NO may have drafted two cornerstone pieces in Fears/Queen, if they both become allstars, the fan base can grudgingly accept the overpay.

Depending on how those picks turnout... definitely Nico 2.0 from what I am seeing

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Read on Twitter

[tontoz]

The Pels were up 15 at the half against the grizzlies but still managed to lose anyway. Their new "offensive engine" was -24 in 23 minutes. I can't imagine how that could happen.

[closg00]

The Pels were up 15 at the half against the grizzlies but still managed to lose anyway. Their new "offensive engine" was -24 in 23 minutes. I can't imagine how that could happen.

Dude, you had Kasparas as a Top-5 pick, where is he? Oops! You will eat crow on Derik Queen

[tontoz]

The Pels were up 15 at the half against the grizzlies but still managed to lose anyway. Their new "offensive engine" was -24 in 23 minutes. I can't imagine how that could happen.

Dude, you had Kasparas as a Top-5 pick, where is he? Oops! You will eat crow on Derik Queen

Your memory isn't very good. By the end of the season I was completely out on Kasparas, and said so multiple times. I wouldn't have drafted him at 18.

I wasn't even paying attention to Queen prior to the draft. The only reason I am dogging him now is people spamming the board about him.

[closg00]

Fair enough, I was going by a vague recollection, who did you stick your neck out for in the 2025 draft?
Your hate on DQ is going to look really foolish, sooner rather than later, but especially later.

[tontoz]

Fair enough, I was going by a vague recollection, who did you stick your neck out for in the 2025 draft?
Your hate on DQ is going to look really foolish, sooner rather than later, but especially later.

I wouldn't even be mentioning Queen if CCJ wasn't obsessed with him and posting 'we should have drafted Queen ' ad nauseum.

I didn't say much of anything about Queen prior to the draft. I was pretty much indifferent about him.

I had Ace/Tre/VJ at 3-5. I did post about Riley a few times as a possibility at 18.

[tontoz]

I just thought of something. Not only did we pass on Queen but so did several other teams after us, including the Pels .

The Pels drafted Fears at 7 so even they didn't think Queen was worth picking that high.

[nate33]

I think the next few weeks will be real interesting for Queen. He has no doubt been exceptional on offense, and the on/off numbers suggest he hasn't been killing them on defense either. But now that he has emerged as a legitimate threat to opposing teams, I expect teams to actually strategize how to counter him. Which likely means they will try and attack him on defense.

I've noticed his on/off differential is starting to decline and the last couple of games were negative. This could be merely an aberration, or it could be the start of a new trend.

[Kanyewest]

Zion clip of him not contesting a 3 in the final minute showing up in my Instagram feed.

[Kanyewest]

I just thought of something. Not only did we pass on Queen but so did several other teams after us, including the Pels .

The Pels drafted Fears at 7 so even they didn't think Queen was worth picking that high.

The Pels did give up a ton though for him.

[Kanyewest]

Looks like Edey dominated Queen( only 2 boards) although Queen did have 9 assists.

[tontoz]

I just thought of something. Not only did we pass on Queen but so did several other teams after us, including the Pels .

The Pels drafted Fears at 7 so even they didn't think Queen was worth picking that high.

The Pels did give up a ton though for him.

They obviously thought they would have a much better record this year.

They could leave just drafted him at 7 without giving up a pick but they chose Fears instead.