2025 NBA Draft

MChambers said:
Story rating the athletic ability of the draft entrants. Khaman poor, Sion great, Tyrese okay, Cooper good. https://www.lastnightinbasketball.com/the-best-and-worst-athletes-in-the-2025-draft-class/
Click to expand...
I have been skeptical of supposed high draft status for Maluach. I think he’s several years away from being a force in NBA and this data can’t help him. The draft may be weak overall, but me thinks teams at top of draft want help soon.

Could see him easily dropping out of top 10.
 
arnie said:
I have been skeptical of supposed high draft status for Maluach. I think he’s several years away from being a force in NBA and this data can’t help him. The draft may be weak overall, but me thinks teams at top of draft want help soon.

Could see him easily dropping out of top 10.
Click to expand...
Yeah he really needs to work on his boxing out and his hands were at times a problem. Until he can be trusted to make jumpers I’m not sure I’d pick him in the top 10…
 
roywhite said:
And Drake Powell has some serious athletic numbers for sure. Hard work and good coaching could lead to a solid NBA career.
Click to expand...
Could be the modern day equivalent of the old joke "who's the only one who could hold Jordan to under 20 points per game?"

Only with Dean, I'm pretty sure it was a mark of respect. With Hubes, I'm not so sure it's seen that way...
 
Khaman's numbers weren't great, but he grades out higher than two other projected top 10 picks in Ace Bailey and Derik Queen.

Notably, Coward graded the second highest and Drake Powell the third highest. Highest overall? The Penn State center I've never heard of who is projected to get picked in the 40s.
 
How will Maluach fit best on an NBA team? I’m guessing where they have someone else who can match up with a strong physical big so that Khaman focus on switches/rim protection on one end and 3s and lobs on the other.
 
I'm high on Khaman's NBA future but I do think Mo Bamba is a cautionary tale that nothing is guaranteed. Very similar length. Similar agility. Bamba was picked 6th in his draft. He's had a 7-year NBA career but has never played up to expectations. Career 4ppg, 4rpg.

Khaman has about 20 lbs on Bamba at the same age. And Khaman has a better shooting touch as a prospect (FT%). But otherwise I think they are similar prospects. Bamba gets knocks now for not embracing physicality, not having a high motor. I don't know how I'd rate Khaman's motor, but he definitely doesn't shy away from physical contact.

Bamba, Gobert, Embiid, Lively, Williams. It's interesting to try to project what Khaman could become. One of the best things about him is he only just turned 18 and is new to the game, so there should still be a ton of development ahead of him.
 
SkyBrickey said:
I'm high on Khaman's NBA future but I do think Mo Bamba is a cautionary tale that nothing is guaranteed. Very similar length. Similar agility. Bamba was picked 6th in his draft. He's had a 7-year NBA career but has never played up to expectations. Career 4ppg, 4rpg.

Khaman has about 20 lbs on Bamba at the same age. And Khaman has a better shooting touch as a prospect (FT%). But otherwise I think they are similar prospects. Bamba gets knocks now for not embracing physicality, not having a high motor. I don't know how I'd rate Khaman's motor, but he definitely doesn't shy away from physical contact.

Bamba, Gobert, Embiid, Lively, Williams. It's interesting to try to project what Khaman could become. One of the best things about him is he only just turned 18 and is new to the game, so there should still be a ton of development ahead of him.
Click to expand...
I'm very bullish on Maluach. I think he could become a top 5 big man in the NBA. So much talent, so raw. If I were a GM I would be tempted to snag him very early.
 
brevity said:
A day late(r), but Swish has highlights from both of Wednesday's scrimmages...
Click to expand...

brevity said:
Swish has same-day highlights of Thursday's scrimmages...
Click to expand...

Swish has now posted full game replays of both scrimmages on Wednesday and Thursday. Once again, Sion James wears the blue #55 jersey and plays the second game both days.

Start Wednesday's video at the 1:32:00 mark.


Start Thursday's video at the 1:12:00 mark.

 
We watched Maluach all season long and he was really good. He improved a lot and adapted to the speed of the game. He's further along as a freshman than we likely expected. Not sure why the trepidation about his NBA prospects. He plays hard, which is maybe the #1 thing to look for. Not a loafer.
 
There's already a small discussion of this in the Cedric Coward thread, but for general purposes, ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have updated their mock draft after the combine. From what I can tell, it's a free link, not behind a paywall. (Apologies if I'm mistaken.)

The Duke and Duke-adjacent players are predicted to go:

1. Cooper Flagg, Mavericks (was #1 in April's post-tourney mock)
7. Khaman Maluach, Pelicans (was #7)
8. Kon Knueppel, Nets (was #8)
30. Cedric Coward, Clippers (was #55)
51. Tyrese Proctor, Clippers (was #52)
52. Sion James, Suns (was #53)
 
superdave said:
We watched Maluach all season long and he was really good. He improved a lot and adapted to the speed of the game. He's further along as a freshman than we likely expected. Not sure why the trepidation about his NBA prospects. He plays hard, which is maybe the #1 thing to look for. Not a loafer.
Click to expand...
Well, he was inconsistent. Zero bounds in the Houston game is a concern; maybe he couldn't focus that night, but it is a question if I'm an NBA team that needs help soon.
 
arnie said:
Well, he was inconsistent. Zero bounds in the Houston game is a concern; maybe he couldn't focus that night, but it is a question if I'm an NBA team that needs help soon.
Click to expand...

I remember being a bit disappointed with Lively's rebounding at Duke. Looking back he had a 15.2 TR%. Khaman had an 18.0 TR% this season.

Lively is one of the best young centers in the NBA and a respectable rebounder. 11.7 per 36min.

Another data point. Mark Williams had a 17.2 TR% his freshman year at Duke. He is now averaging 13.7 per 36min with Charlotte.

Last data point. Domantas Sabonis is the top rebounder in the NBA this season. 13.9rpg (14.4 per 36min). He had a 19.1 TR% his freshman year at Gonzaga.

All this points to Khaman being a very good rebounder at the NBA level.
 
I know it's water under the bridge, and that Tyrese and Scheyer have since the moment the season ended (and really, even before that), conveyed the impression that Tyrese is 100% not coming back, but it really does seem in hindsight that the logical decision would have been to do so.

He doesn't profile as a strong candidate to be worried about "starting the clock" on a potential large 2nd NBA contract, and he would have made at least 2x and probably 3x in NIL next year by staying at Duke vs. what he'll earn as a "pro." Obviously, he was just ready to move on, but it's kind of a bummer all the way around.
 
If Tyrese does not earn a two-way contract then he could be making less than $100k playing in the G League vs $1-2M returning to college. Thats 10-20X.

I was always pretty hopeful he'd come back for the guaranteed money, the Duke degree, the chance to chase a championship and play on ESPN every game. I don't really understand the decision - I think he must have just been ready to move on. Australia may be his preferred destination over the G League.
 
SkyBrickey said:
If Tyrese does not earn a two-way contract then he could be making less than $100k playing in the G League vs $1-2M returning to college. Thats 10-20X.

I was always pretty hopeful he'd come back for the guaranteed money, the Duke degree, the chance to chase a championship and play on ESPN every game. I don't really understand the decision - I think he must have just been ready to move on. Australia may be his preferred destination over the G League.
Click to expand...
He'll get a two-way but still . . . I agree with your larger point. From a financial perspective, he's likely to be better off coming back. But it taint happening.
 
tommy said:
He'll get a two-way but still . . . I agree with your larger point. From a financial perspective, he's likely to be better off coming back. But it taint happening.
Click to expand...

You're right. More second rounders sign contracts and two-way contracts than I realized. A two-way contract is $600k - still significantly less than he'd make in college.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top