2025 NBA Draft Thread

[orlandoholic]

21 hours ago, Jamesdin said:

That buzzer beater shot by Queen of Maryland was one for the ages. Haven’t followed that kid but surely he never shy away from the moment. 

yeah nice travel too! Kid definitely NBA ready lol

[CTMagicUK]

I both enjoy watching Derik Queen and also really don't want us to be the team that drafts him. 

[orlandoholic]

4 hours ago, CTMagicUK said:

I both enjoy watching Derik Queen and also really don't want us to be the team that drafts him. 

I understand. He’s a terrible fit with our starters. But he’d be a great fit next to Isaac. 

Isaac makes it really possible for these PF/C hybrids that are only good on offense. 

I can see Queen and Danny Wolf having a good role off the bench. They get that Moe Wagner role. 

(I don’t expect Wagner back before the All Star break tbh)

 

[CTMagicUK]

https://nbadraft.theringer.com/

The ringer draft guide is live, it's sparse at the minute with just a top 14 big board and it's still... Interesting... in places (as usual player comps can get weird, Labaron Philon over Jeremiah Fears?) but it's no longer KOC and some of the writeups are written by J Kyle Mann who I find to be much better at scouting stuff so I enjoyed what's there so far more than previous years.

[orlandoholic]

https://x.com/esidery/status/1904281400632877227?s=46

 

the Heat have a 6% chance at Cooper Flagg and the Bulls a 4.5% chance at him. We don’t have a chance at all.

 

These moral victories will hurt us as usual! 
 

Last time was Portland winning the tank and getting Scoot Henderson and we got AB.

People might not like Scoot, but at the time, at the very least we could have gotten an All Star player in return. 

 

[CTMagicUK]

Liam McNeely seems to have fallen outside the lottery with his play the back end of the year. I'd be comfortable drafting him with our first and I think he could outperform that position. I just think the percentages don't necessarily tell the full story with him, he was absolutely rolling until that high ankle sprain kept him out a month. Pre ankle injury he shot 43% from the field 38% from 3, post injury he shot 35% from the field and 27% from 3.

Now that split also coincides with the tougher games in conference and the tournament so make of it what you will. 

I still personally believe he's a good 3 point shooter and overall a good prospect despite the percentages, and 6'7 wings who can pass/dribble/shoot will always be valuable. It's not really a need for us but our "needs" are PG who can shoot and make plays and rim protecting lob catcher and I'm not entirely convinced you can get either of those with the 15th pick in this draft so I'd be happy getting another bench wing who has starter upside and figuring out rotations etc later.

[orlandoholic]

nbadraft.net has us drafting Jakucionis and Maluach… Hahaha. Sign me up for that scenario. Ain’t happening though 

[Shine88]

I think à lot of Liam problems, as well as Karaban, was the lack of a play making guard. Mahaney didn't fit that role, and Diarra was more of a energy/game manager guard off the bench, but was forced into the starting role. Those two struggled with ball pressure the whole year. The sets that made UConn so successful the past two year, were ran very sloppy this year, due to the lack of ball handling from their guard. McNeeley would be a really good fit around Paolo and Franz.

I'm not really mad about our draft position cause outside of Flagg and Fears, I'm not really excited about the other prospects in the top 10. 

[orlandoholic]

1 hour ago, CTMagicUK said:

Liam McNeely seems to have fallen outside the lottery with his play the back end of the year. I'd be comfortable drafting him with our first and I think he could outperform that position. I just think the percentages don't necessarily tell the full story with him, he was absolutely rolling until that high ankle sprain kept him out a month. Pre ankle injury he shot 43% from the field 38% from 3, post injury he shot 35% from the field and 27% from 3.

Now that split also coincides with the tougher games in conference and the tournament so make of it what you will. 

I still personally believe he's a good 3 point shooter and overall a good prospect despite the percentages, and 6'7 wings who can pass/dribble/shoot will always be valuable. It's not really a need for us but our "needs" are PG who can shoot and make plays and rim protecting lob catcher and I'm not entirely convinced you can get either of those with the 15th pick in this draft so I'd be happy getting another bench wing who has starter upside and figuring out rotations etc later.

In that case i’d draft Riley. He has some serious upside. Or JT Toppin. He’d be our security blanket if we decide to trade Isaac. 

I don’t think we are adding pure shooters. If so we would have drafted Gradey Dick for example. We also have Caleb Houstan who has basically that profile. 

 

My point is. If we miss out on a PG with our own pick, i’d go for a potential Isaac replacement and look at Toppin, Fleming, Sorber

[orlandoholic]

1 minute ago, Shine88 said:

I think à lot of Liam problems, as well as Karaban, was the lack of a play making guard. Mahaney didn't fit that role, and Diarra was more of a energy/game manager guard off the bench, but was forced into the starting role. Those two struggled with ball pressure the whole year. The sets that made UConn so successful the past two year, were ran very sloppy this year, due to the lack of ball handling from their guard. McNeeley would be a really good fit around Paolo and Franz.

I'm not really mad about our draft position cause outside of Flagg and Fears, I'm not really excited about the other prospects in the top 10. 

Tre Johnson

Dylan Harper

Ace Bailey

Edgecombe

all exciting players that would immediately impact our game.

 

[Shine88]

32 minutes ago, orlandoholic said:

Tre Johnson

Dylan Harper

Ace Bailey

Edgecombe

all exciting players that would immediately impact our game.

 

All our talented players, but all of them are boom or bust guys, too. Johnson and Bailey's poor shot selection scare me. Plus, Harper and Bailey both being on the same team and missing the tournament, is a red flag to me. I like Edgecombe, but his shot is suspect atp.

I'll rather make the playoffs, then tank for any of those guys you listed, or a 1 or 2 percent chance at Cooper Flagg. The playoffs and McNeeley's floor is a better option than tanking and banking on the four guys you have listed ceiling.

[orlandoholic]

7 minutes ago, Shine88 said:

All our talented players, but all of them are boom or bust guys, too. Johnson and Bailey's poor shot selection scare me. Plus, Harper and Bailey both being on the same team and missing the tournament, is a red flag to me. I like Edgecombe, but his shot is suspect atp.

I'll rather make the playoffs, then tank for any of those guys you listed, or a 1 or 2 percent chance at Cooper Flagg. The playoffs and McNeeley's floor is a better option than tanking and banking on the four guys you have listed ceiling.

To be clear. I’m talking about our current situation, where we are 8th spot and the Heat and Bulls are 9th/10th.. All three teams will be playing the playin. 

It’s just that the Heat and Bulls get a slight chance at Cooper Flagg and we don’t have any odds of getting him. 

 

So yeah, id rather finish 9th or 10th spot