I admittedly don't pay attention much to the NBA beyond where anyone Duke related is and what they are doing so I can't speak to the needs of teams. I did find it interesting that this mock had Cedric in the top 10 because I hadn't seen that before (if I missed that on any other mock draft, my apologies).
2025 NBA Draft
- Thread starter scottdude8
- Start date
He was the frontrunner for rookie of the year when he got hurt. He's shaping up to be at least a very good NBA player if he bounces back from injury.
People always seem to forget the variance / randomness that the one-and-done format introduces. It's part of what makes the NCAA tournament so exciting, but it also means that the best team doesn't necessarily win the title.
SkyBrickey
Member
No, mom - Cooper's a 2! If Kyrie and AD are fully healthy, could Cooper win a title as a rookie? Given Lively's trajectory, this is a lot of talent and a lot of fun for Duke nation.
AGDukesky
Member
I love the potential but Lively hasn’t shown to be durable either. Gafford plugs in well though. As Mavs fan, I’m just going to enjoy watching Cooper and hope the front office doesn’t run him off…
very longtime friend of mine lives in a neighborhood in Salt Lake City where a lot of the players live. Very odd place for many of them but I might assume ManMan will be happy wherever he is wanted...
SkyBrickey
Member
I think ManMan brings the love with him wherever he goes. I'll be sad if he ever gets corrupted by the NBA money and lifestyle.
Yes. Irony is it’s tough to have the NBA lifestyle in SLC Very tough
I thought at least some Jazz players typically live in Park City
Deslok
Member
Park City county is(or was in 2010) the only majority non-Mormon county in the state
Sam Vecenie has his big draft guide up over at the Athletic. Whole thing is a 200 page downloadable PDF, but his big board has the Dukie's rated thusly:
1. Cooper (Tier 1, All NBA)
3. Kon (Tier 3, High Leverage Starter)
12. ManMan (Tier 4, Starter/All Star tools swing)
36. Tyrese (Tier 6, second round guarantee swing)
38. Sion (Tier 7, Priority two ways)
(Erstwhile Blue Devil Cedric Coward is #10/Tier 4)
Much higher on Kon than consensus and a bit lower than consensus on Maluach. In the full guide, Vecenie praises K2's physicality and versatility and that he is "purely additive to those around him" which feels about right. Sion is described as a less athletic Bruce Brown who is one of the best defensive guards in the class. Tyrese is compared with Quentin Grimes; Vecenie think he needs to bulk up to have an NBA role.
1. Cooper (Tier 1, All NBA)
3. Kon (Tier 3, High Leverage Starter)
12. ManMan (Tier 4, Starter/All Star tools swing)
36. Tyrese (Tier 6, second round guarantee swing)
38. Sion (Tier 7, Priority two ways)
(Erstwhile Blue Devil Cedric Coward is #10/Tier 4)
Much higher on Kon than consensus and a bit lower than consensus on Maluach. In the full guide, Vecenie praises K2's physicality and versatility and that he is "purely additive to those around him" which feels about right. Sion is described as a less athletic Bruce Brown who is one of the best defensive guards in the class. Tyrese is compared with Quentin Grimes; Vecenie think he needs to bulk up to have an NBA role.
To me the obvious comp for Sion is Lu Dort.
A few things I'll be looking for draft night -
Does Philly trade their pick? If so, who moves up or down. Presumably the Sixers use the #3 to get out of Paul George and re-set or to add a more immediate impact player via trade. If someone trades up to that spot, who do they love? I think this points to Ace Bailey sliding.
Do the Spurs trade #2? There's no shortage of directions they could go, depending on whether they want to accelerate or grow organically.
Who has draft crushes on Kon and Tre Johnson? These guys have a range of 3-8. Someone is going to swing early at one of them, I bet.
Utah and Brooklyn got hosed by the ping pong balls. Are they losing patience? Will Lauri Markannaen or Cam Johnson get moved for a pick?
Team with multiple picks need to consolidate - Brooklyn has 8, 19, 26, 27. Atlanta has 13, 22 and might take a swing given the Tatum injury opening the East.
Does Philly trade their pick? If so, who moves up or down. Presumably the Sixers use the #3 to get out of Paul George and re-set or to add a more immediate impact player via trade. If someone trades up to that spot, who do they love? I think this points to Ace Bailey sliding.
Do the Spurs trade #2? There's no shortage of directions they could go, depending on whether they want to accelerate or grow organically.
Who has draft crushes on Kon and Tre Johnson? These guys have a range of 3-8. Someone is going to swing early at one of them, I bet.
Utah and Brooklyn got hosed by the ping pong balls. Are they losing patience? Will Lauri Markannaen or Cam Johnson get moved for a pick?
Team with multiple picks need to consolidate - Brooklyn has 8, 19, 26, 27. Atlanta has 13, 22 and might take a swing given the Tatum injury opening the East.
Reeves is a good comp. Watching that video, I don't believe that I recalled that Gary Trent Jr. made more 3s as a freshman than any Duke player in history. He had a really great year for us.
CameronBornAndBred
Well-known member
How about Cooper and Kon going one-two? Someone at ESPN likes the idea.
www.espn.com
Our latest NBA mock draft: Back-and-forth on team need vs. best value
Best player available? Fill a need? We played out both strategies for 30 first-round slots in the draft.
SkyBrickey
Member
Sam Vecenie does the deepest of deep dives on all the players in his mock draft. Even if you don't agree with all his conclusions, it's very impressive the amount of work he's put into this guide.
It's currently posted and free to review from the NYT.
Guide password: NB@Dr@ft25
It's currently posted and free to review from the NYT.
Guide password: NB@Dr@ft25
Bay Area Duke Fan
Member
2019 team had three of the top ten picks and couldn't make the Final Four.