2025 NBA Draft

[Knoxxx]

This guy projects to Spurs at 13 latest tankathon. Nice young shooter with size at 6-8.

[scott]

Another exciting game, though UNC faired better than UCONN. I was rooting for Dayton, because UNC fans don't deserve to experience joy. A stadium full of tourists in Maui rooting for a team that 90% of them have no actual connection to. I digress...

Powell and Jackson...

Hard to evaluate either since UNC just sends them out to stand in the corners and shoot threes every now and then. Jackson seems to want to make things happen offensively more, and has a sweet stroke, but didn't come across as necessarily high IQ. Jackson was beat by his man on the defensive end repeatedly.

Powell, on the other hand, shows some flashes as a 3&D prospect with some athleticism. Active defender, good lateral movement, stayed in front of his man, was very attentive. Nice 3-point stroke for a couple of corner 3s but didn't see much else from him offensively.

Of the two, Powell seems like someone to keep an eye on whereas Jackson just seems like another chucker with a dumb haircut.

[Mitch Cumsteen]

I'm too lazy to look through the thread, but has there been any discussion of 6'10" C Derik Queen from Maryland? He's got a lot of things going against him -- draft age, lack of outside shooting, not a great shot blocker, lack of mobility, not great body type, doesn't really project to the modern game, etc. -- but he's a very productive player with a very high IQ. Next level passer.

He wasn't getting any hype early, but has moved up the board with his early play. He's a weird projection for me. Everything on paper tells me this guy can't play in the league, and then I watch him and think somebody is going to get an impact player mid to late first round.

[jesterbobman]

Thanks for the shoutout heyheymymy!

• On to McNeely:
  
  • he hit two big threes to bring UCONN back in regulation, but honestly other than that was kind of invisible out there. On defense, has some lateral quickness that helps him be a compliant defender, but Memphis's athletes still turned the corner on him fairly easily
  • three point stroke looks sweet though. really nice form, gets up and down with it quickly. he had one attempt right in front of me in the first half from the corner where he did a nice pump fake, one dribble to his right, got the shot up. Wasn't a make, but it looked like good form, good activity, good rotation.
  • I think there are some tools there, and his length is nice, but unless he's going to be a 40%+ shooter right out of the gates, it might be a slow development path for him. It's not going to be like plugging Knecht into the NBA and watching him go. Right now, I'd say he doesn't really give you anything more than what we are getting from Champagnie, but this was only one game and the dude is still a freshman. Lots of room yet for him to grow and impress. That's just my one game thoughts. I went in hoping to really be wowed, because he's an archetype that really fits... but it was just kind of a "meh" performance. Until he hit those two 3s, he was easy to forget about.
  • McNeely also committed a crucial over the back call which led to a Tech (on Hurley I think? It was on the opposite end of the court) which pretty much gave Memphis the win.
  • TLDR version: If this was the only tape you watched of McNeely ahead of the draft, you wouldn't take him in the lottery. Thankfully for him, he'll have lots of other opportunities to shine.

....

Only watching the end of the 2nd and OT (and remembering why I mostly don't watch College, 35 sec clock is so slow), this is basically my impression of McNeely. Just didn't seem to have an impact. The over the back foul was actually encouraging to me as a process - He got called, but I think it was close, and being willing to get in and attempt that is positive. Very low steal and block rates are generally a flag, but Castle had those as a stats profile, so I'm not sure how much is a UConn thing.

At the moment, from the Stats profile, and this tiny picture, I wouldn't take him in the lottery.

If he keeps being a good shooter for the whole season, and shows enough flashes of some other thing that you're confident that you can develop the overall skills, then I can understand - Champagnie is a somewhat limited player, but guys who are 6'8" and can shoot can be valuable, even when they're limited.

[SpursBills]

Getting Corey Kispert vibes from McNeeley. Not a bad thing, but maybe not what we want.

McNeeley is the guy who seems like the most obvious fit for the spurs just based on the "type" of player he is and based on team needs, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to succeed. Hopefully he's more Gradey than Corey Kispert if he's on the Spurs' radar. UConn this year is definitely not nearly as good as in the past.

[Mugen]

Still a ways away but I still think Noa Essengue gets drafted by the Spurs come draft night tbh.

[onechance87]

will riley would be the perfect fit.To bad hes at defence.A good shooting small foward or poward foward who can defend would
perfect for wemby and castle.

[heyheymymy]

Rutgers 9pm CST on TBS if you get that channel

[jesterbobman]

I know he's mocked super high, so this isn't shocking, but good god is Harper fun. So controlled on ball, dribbles with balance, has power to bump people off and go through them. Strongly left hand dominant, but not totally useless dribbling with his right, slings passes. 6'6" PGs are a good time. Totally get the Harden / Brunson Comps in terms of handedness and winning with balance / control and strength.

On the other hand, being incredibly y...

https://www.tankathon.com/players/co...ey--kevin-knox

Ace has flashes, he's early in his career as a College player, and the flashes are incredible, but Apex athletes who struggle getting easy shots are an easy thing to miss on. Is it just that he can shoot over the top of anyone and thinks everything is a good shot for him, or is his dribbling a key limiting factor and he'll be a limited scorer? Not out at all, too early to fully judge, but definitely watch worthy.

[SpursBills]

I know he's mocked super high, so this isn't shocking, but good god is Harper fun. So controlled on ball, dribbles with balance, has power to bump people off and go through them. Strongly left hand dominant, but not totally useless dribbling with his right, slings passes. 6'6" PGs are a good time. Totally get the Harden / Brunson Comps in terms of handedness and winning with balance / control and strength.

On the other hand, being incredibly y...

https://www.tankathon.com/players/co...ey--kevin-knox

Ace has flashes, he's early in his career as a College player, and the flashes are incredible, but Apex athletes who struggle getting easy shots are an easy thing to miss on. Is it just that he can shoot over the top of anyone and thinks everything is a good shot for him, or is his dribbling a key limiting factor and he'll be a limited scorer? Not out at all, too early to fully judge, but definitely watch worthy.

I think we have a very similar process when evaluating prospects. Agree with everything you say about Harper, he is in my opinion a better prospect than Cade Cunningham thus far in the season. Better ball handler, better rim pressure, higher odds of being a lead guard/engine.

The "athleticism + shotmaking" vs "playmaking + processing speed" argument is going to take shape in full force this season when it comes to Ace. His polar opposite this draft cycle looks like it's going to be Jakucionis out of Illinois, who's also fun as to watch. I look forward to an entire draft season of "unathletic white Euro" vs "chucker who can't play team basketball" takes this year - should be fun.

[Mr. Body]

I haven't liked what I've seen from Bailey so far, in small samples. Just don't like that BBIQ whatsoever. And it's not like he's new to basketball. He's a swing for a team trying to find superstars, a Washington Wizards, not a team that needs high processors to build a contender.

The Ivisic brothers are pretty interesting.

[cutewizard]

A rebounder with a shooting touch >>>>>>

[cutewizard]

[rascal]

I haven't liked what I've seen from Bailey so far, in small samples. Just don't like that BBIQ whatsoever. And it's not like he's new to basketball. He's a swing for a team trying to find superstars, a Washington Wizards, not a team that needs high processors to build a contender.

The Ivisic brothers are pretty interesting.

You want a backup center out of the deep 2025 draft?

[onechance87]

hes probably gonna be there in the range we pick.Noa,mgbako or will riley.Its still early but they look decent so far

[onechance87]

You want a backup center out of the deep 2025 draft?

would consider him more power foward....Plays like naz reid imo

[onechance87]

You want a backup center out of the deep 2025 draft?

and if we keep winning and if atl keeps winning.And if we some how make the play in as well atl
we could be picking between 15 and 20.Good chance we will be getting a role player in this draft.

[SpursBills]

3 guys I will be following closely throughout the year (guys like Cooper, Harper, etc are fun to think about, but I'm assuming Spurs/ATL picks land 9-14 so there's really no point in wishing for them):

1. Noa Essengue: Sochan is mobile, agile, and slightly too small to be a PF in spite of his rebounding. The best pairing for him is probably a "big wing", like Cody Williams last year except it became clear throughout the year that Cody Williams didn't really know how to play basketball. Mgbako is a possibility except he seems like a zero defensively. Essengue is very interesting - he's tall, long, and moves like a wing. The 3 point shot is coming along already (watch clips of the Ulm game vs the Blazers), and he's very advanced for a 17 year old. Doesn't seem to have any bball IQ issues, puts up good numbers already in a pro league, requisite athleticism, French, what's not to like?

EDIT: Also, he's better than Risacher at...literally everything except taking set 3s
https://www.tankathon.com/players/co...harie-risacher

2. Kasparas Jakucionis: Yup, I tipped my hand. I lean more toward "playmaking + IQ" over "athleticism + shotmaking". This one is for all the Nikola Topic stans from last year. He's white, he's Euro, his passing is awesome, he's 6'5" with a 6'7" wingspan, he shoots 85%+ from FT, he's one of the youngest players in the draft. It's deja vu. The things he has over Topic: he plays in the Big Ten rather than Adriatic league, and his shooting both off the catch and off the dribble seem less suspect. Defense is "ok" rather than "abysmal". Pair him with Castle in the backcourt and you get 2 tall shot creators who can both play off ball. Will see how he holds up against better defenders over the course of the year.

3. Jase Richardson: This guy's not even on most mock drafts I don't think. He's probably a trade-down target for the later in the first round. Son of ex-Warrior Jason Richardson, the man looks like potentially Michigan state's best player as a freshman. Hyper-efficient on low usage with a minuscule turnover rate so far, creation masked by not being the primary playmaker on his team. Would look at him as a Branham/Wesley 3rd guard subs ute.

Trying not to let "fit" dictate forcing a mediocre player into being more than they are. McNeeley and Kneuppel both seem like awesome fits on paper because of their shooting, but that needs to be balanced out with everything else they might bring as well.

[Dejounte]

Wright’s top picks seem to be do-it-all versatile types. Jack of all trades, master of none. Able to be plugged in easily in the lineup and play at least two positions. This eliminates players who are strictly centers and small point guards, IMO.

Defense seems to be the second priority after that. I like Kasparas, but after watching his clips on defense I’m worried it might be bad.

maybe the two above can be swapped with each other (in priority).

i really feel that shooting is a non priority and that Wright is always going to be banking on players who are talented in a lot of areas, and if shooting isnt a talent then so be it. Castle becoming a good shooter so fast will cause him to lean in more to this idea.

I really wonder if there are any players in this draft that are being “hidden” as defensive only types and actually has decent offense or players who are playing a smaller role capable of doing a lot more. I think those would be Wright picks.

also, if our picks land after the 10th selection, folks shouldnt assume they’ll automatically nab a starting position throughout all of next season. That typically only happens to Spurs rookies selected between 1 to 10.

[Dejounte]

I think we are trying to keep the iden y of being a defensive team.

i liked boyles last year and i really think he’s a candidate this year:

[SpursBills]

I think we are trying to keep the iden y of being a defensive team.

i liked boyles last year and i really think he’s a candidate this year:

Love CMB, first popped up on my radar last year when he had that block at the rim against that 7'5" center playing for Ole Miss in the last 2 minutes of a close game.

While I agree with most of your points, I wonder about the scale that shooting is prioritized. I'd say that rather than disregarding it, the front office would probably de-emphasize it and that prospects most likely would have to exhibit some sort of shooting signal. In that sense, I worry about CMB a little bit since he has not even looked to shoot from the 3 point line this year while fully knowing that this was what NBA teams would look for the most after staying on for his sop re year. We will also see how his passing looks as the year progresses as it was a significant strength for him last year but this year seems not to have improved. The good news is if the Spurs took him, there's less pressure on him to start with Sochan due to Champagnie's significant improvement this year.

Essengue is a pure age-productivity play and I suspect as the year goes on if he continues to put up the performances that he has he will likely play himself out of the Spurs' draft range so this may all be a moot point.

Richardson is the guy I'm looking at who's very low usage right now but may be ready to take on a larger role given his hyper-efficiency.

Always enjoy the time you take to watch film and your insights, sometimes I think that if I just took the prospects that both you and rascal agreed upon, it would be yield better results than about 95% of what scouts can do (so far this test is looking good - Wembanyama + Castle)

[onechance87]

I think we are trying to keep the iden y of being a defensive team.

i liked boyles last year and i really think he’s a candidate this year:

we already got this type of player in jeremy sochan bro

[Dejounte]

we already got this type of player in jeremy sochan bro

I’m into just getting good players bro. If you could get another Wembanyama player to add to the team, would that stop you? Same philosophy applies. Good players learn to play with each other, no matter the skill overlap.

[Dejounte]

Love CMB, first popped up on my radar last year when he had that block at the rim against that 7'5" center playing for Ole Miss in the last 2 minutes of a close game.

While I agree with most of your points, I wonder about the scale that shooting is prioritized. I'd say that rather than disregarding it, the front office would probably de-emphasize it and that prospects most likely would have to exhibit some sort of shooting signal. In that sense, I worry about CMB a little bit since he has not even looked to shoot from the 3 point line this year while fully knowing that this was what NBA teams would look for the most after staying on for his sop re year. We will also see how his passing looks as the year progresses as it was a significant strength for him last year but this year seems not to have improved. The good news is if the Spurs took him, there's less pressure on him to start with Sochan due to Champagnie's significant improvement this year.

Essengue is a pure age-productivity play and I suspect as the year goes on if he continues to put up the performances that he has he will likely play himself out of the Spurs' draft range so this may all be a moot point.

Richardson is the guy I'm looking at who's very low usage right now but may be ready to take on a larger role given his hyper-efficiency.

Always enjoy the time you take to watch film and your insights, sometimes I think that if I just took the prospects that both you and rascal agreed upon, it would be yield better results than about 95% of what scouts can do (so far this test is looking good - Wembanyama + Castle)

Look at post 102 of this thread

The further Noa is from the lottery right now, the better. I think it’s typically hard for prospects to make a big jump in their draft projections. While Noa looks better than Risacher in a lot of areas, shooting is still the one that stands out for the media and scouts and that might bar him from being viewed as a top 5 pick. I think he’ll float between 6 to 15 depending on his play and the leagues he chooses to participate in. Like, he won’t get the hype Sarr did because his unicorn-ness is nowhere near as impressive. He’s more like Poku in that he’ll show flashes but won’t do enough to catapult him as a top pick.

I have to check out Richardson.

[jesterbobman]

I'd be happy with Essengue and Kasparas at 10 - 15 or so as a combo.

Essengue is probably moving up boards if he continues playing like he has, and there are worse gambles than toolsy, productive players who are 6'9" and productive while young. I think if you're looking for more off ball wings with a bit of upside, he's one of the better options, as a possibility of being a slight positive both offensively and defensively. He's ahead of McNeeley at the moment for me.

I don't think Kasparas is strong enough yet to get through people, and he'll need to improve that to boost his finishing and be able to drive, as he'll have to get people with craft rather than speed. Comes with age, so not a huge concern. But great feel as a passer dribbling with both hands is good so he'll be able to attack a defense in rotation whatever way they defend him, and the shooting off the dribble is promising. I get worry about the defense, and the strength with be a thing there too, so he can cover the weaker of the Guard / small forward options.

I think they're both the B versions of Flagg and Harper respectively, who are the top two for me at the moment.

I think at the moment I'm at something like a general board of...
Flagg / Harper
Demin / VJ (watch list to move down - great in Olympic qualifying, can't put the ball in the basket effectively)
Maluach / Essengue / Kasparas / Bailey (He'll go earlier, bet on tools but not sure how good he'll be)
Tre / Kon Knuppel / Queen / CMB

Don't have a full list, and subject to change (e.g, if Nolan Traore starts putting the ball in the hoop).