My draft preferences are to trade up for Harper or stay put at 7 and take either Fears or Knuppel.
 |
| . |
|
My draft preferences are to trade up for Harper or stay put at 7 and take either Fears or Knuppel.
I don't think it's possible for a Pelicans basketball fan to watch this player's tournament highlights and, coupled with his combine, and not consider him as our pick.
https://www.bing.com/videos/rivervie...711D&FORM=VIRE
He wasn't on my list of candidates, but after watching this closely he is, he may be the one i want. There are several plays/passes he makes that the other prospects dont (ex 2:39)
His season highlights didnt do it for me, He looked timid...... he doesn't any longer. He took over when it mattered; Plus that a nice amount of plays for a two game tournament run
his size, build and handles were on display as well. He's better than Giddey
Last edited by fullcourtpress; 05-17-2025 at 02:15 PM.
De'Aaron Fox has only a year left on his contract, right?
If so, I could totally see the Spurs keeping the pick, taking Harper, and going through this season with Fox, Castle, Harper, and CP3 before determining who pairs best with Wemby. At the least I think they'll let it go until the trade deadline. I don't think the #2 pick is up for sale at all.
It sounds like this is a two guy draft and Philly hearing offers for the #3 kinda proves that. I hope we stay put.
I don't think the franchise is stuck, though
It's all about Giannis. If he leaves Milwaukee and they don't get another superstar in return for him we are cooking.
I would be thrilled with Egor Demin, yes we are filled at wings but we really need smart player and creator on the team and he looks like he will be one. Reminds me a lot of Franz Wagner, he is tall and strong and also plays very smart. He is not great shooter right now but im reading that he was scorching hot on the workouts last couple of days, hit 16 3s in a row in 30 seconds yesterday in Chicago.
Contributor
Kon or Khaman.
So far my board go like this :
First tier : let's hope two teams fall in love with other players (Maluach, Fears or Demin with their upside for exemple)
VJ Edgecomb
Tre Johnson
One man can dream, right ?
Second tier : I really like them but let's pray the 3pt shot improved
Demin
Jakucionis
Fears
Demin FT% worry me way more than the other two regarding shooting accuracy, but I value highly the fact that he was able to get out of his mid year slump and to deliver in the tourney, that's a useful in the NBA.
I appreciate Jaku choice to still play while injured instead of shutting down to protect his draft stock like many prospect before him did in recent years. In my opinion his floor is the PG version of Valanciunas, reliable pro with good IQ.
Fears is the only of the 3 that I don't envision to be able to share the court with McCollum or Murray if/when he returns and maybe even an issue alongside Zion, given the amount of money tied, it might cost a lot to select him. If you add that he's smaller and a worse passer, I think that's why I'm lower on him.
Third tier : it feels like a reach but I really feel he's underrated
Rasheer Fleming
Fourth tier: not a fan, but seem fair value
Maluach
Queen
Knueppel
While I currently probably prefer Jeremiah Fears at #7 (assuming Utah/Washington don't snag him), I do find Thomas Sorber a bit interesting.
His height/wingspan of 6'9.25"/7'6" is pretty rare. That size with his passing ability (2.4 assists per game) is even more uniquely rare. If you go back to 2010, I couldn't find a single other player with a wingspan of 7'5"+ and 2+ assists per game as a freshman. Evan Mobley didn't attend the NBA combine but I think the assumption is he has a 7'4" wingspan. If it was 7'5" he'd be the only other player I could find. And Wendell Carter has a 7'4.5" wingspan while Greg Monroe had a 7'4" wingspan, so they're both close.
But here's the list of players drafted with a wingspan of at least 7'5" AND averaged at least 1 assist per game (10 game minimum - Bol Bol only played 9 games otherwise he makes the list with a total of 9 assists in 9 games) as freshmen:
DeMarcus Cousins
Anthony Davis
Thomas Bryant
Jaren Jackson
Chet Holmgren
Jalen Duren
DeAndre Ayton
Jahlil Okafor
Joel Embiid
Most of that list is pretty darn good. Only Chet Holmgren and DeAndre Ayton on that list above averaged at least 1.5 assists per game. If you filter it further to include only players with also 6+ rebounds per game (Sorber was 8.5 per game), then Thomas Bryant and Jaren Jackson are excluded.
And here's the list I could find of first round PF/Cs since 2010 that averaged at least 2 assists per game as college freshmen before getting drafted:
Paolo Banchero
Jabari Smith
Evan Mobley
Alperen Sengun (international stats as what would have been his freshman year)
Zion Williamson
Wendell Carter
Aaron Gordon
Dario Saric (international stats in what would have been his freshman year)
Greg Monroe
Also for the most part a very solid list. However he's coming off of a season ending foot injury/surgery. I don't know the severity of that or how doctors might estimate it's long term affects on his NBA career.
Last edited by bradael; 05-18-2025 at 02:51 PM.
msnDemin had a positive week at the combine in Chicago, measuring bigger than expected at 6-9? in shoes and then putting on one of the most impressive pro day performances we've seen in some time, causing even the most skeptical of NBA evaluators to acknowledge his undeniable talent.
Demin has made significant gains with his body and will continue to fill out with his youthful appearance, while making a barrage of 3-pointers with picture-perfect mechanics and a lightning-quick release that offered significant room for optimism despite hitting 27% of his 3-pointers in his lone season at BYU. Also, NBA teams raved about his interviews in Chicago, where he came off as serious.
He's got to be our pick
Depends what you think of demin's shooting.
Seems like a Josh Giddey prospect
That's mostly where I am. I do think there are other possible options, maybe if someone slides for example, but assuming that we keep the pick and the names everyone expects are already gone, I feel like Kon or Khaman are the shouts.Originally Posted by RaisingTheBar
I see a lot of people who are interested in Demin, but for me, Demin is more of a 20th pick than a 7th pick - someone else suggested he's kinda like Giddey and honestly that's not a bad comparison. Obviously he's splashed a bit of shooting in the workouts and such but I'm always a bit hesitant to put that on a pedestal, especially when I didn't see it all myself. If the shooting hits I get him being more valuable but it's been so rough up to now I'm sceptical.
Seen some others talking about Jeremiah Fears; again, just can't get with it. Maybe I'm just feeling stung by Kira, but the idea of drafting an undersized PG with very little defensive versatility and questionable efficacy at the rim based on the fact that he's fast and a solid passer at a very young age puts a sour taste in my mouth. Especially given that Fears is a much worse shooter than Kira was at the time.
I totally understand that they're different players and I do think Fears has some advantages over Kira (his handle is better, for example) but the similarities are clear enough that without Fears having like, one clear standout skill (can't finish, can't shoot, etc) I'm once-bitten twice-shy on that. Maybe if we were picking 15th and he was still there, but not at 7.
Kon was someone I wasn't super hot on early but he has grown on me. Reality is that despite my misgivings about his mediocre defense and only functional secondary passing, the guy can shoot. High volume, high efficiency, 90%+ at the FT line, good form. It's all there, and this team really does still need that, especially as mentioned with Hawk not really showing out yet and CJ aging. Defensively, he's fine as a team defender which can work and he can do a little off the dribble. He's a real option. Blistering shooter.
Khaman right now is a simple prospect but what he can do is both very obvious and valuable. Dude's huge, finishes incredibly well at the rim (76.9% at the rim; in the NBA, even 70% is wildly efficient on volume. It's where Jokic, Duren, Mobley, Gobert, and Lebron are, roughly), blocks shots, moves fairly well in space, and absolutely devours offensive rebounds. In non-college play he showed some signs of a handle, kinda, but it was only in fast break type situations and who knows if that will ever advance. All of those things are valuable. Maybe one day he develops more as a passer, because he's functionally not one right now, and adds some wrinkles to his offensive game because right now he's a rim runner and lob threat and not much else, but those are major tools in modern NBA offenses. Even if he never develops anything else, he's got what he needs to play the NBA game now and those things project out at a pretty high level which says a lot for upside. And again, super young.
If Khaman can be 80% of Rudy Gobert, which I think is a semi-realistic high end outcome, that's worth a 7th pick for sure.
Basketball.
Ever since the Boogie/AD combo ruptured I've been salivating for a biggie big combo. It's like I know that's not modern NBA but big men have to get a revolution eventually and it feels like it's kind of starting to happen. Zion, Khaman, Missi, TMIII, and Herb would be a pretty killer front court rotation if Khaman and Missi develop well.
And everyone stays healthy.
I will say, the problem with that is the shooting. That's probably what might push me to pick Kon over Khaman if they were both there, since we already have Missi and he had a positive rookie year. On the other hand, the new FO might just think 'yeah well, we didn't draft Missi, so we're gonna pick our guy' and take Khaman.
Zion/Khaman/Missi/TM3/Herb is just a group with so much difficulty spacing it's incredible. Only TM3 is a reliable 3pt shooter there (I know Herb was good last year but he was not good this year for the short time he played). Obviously you wouldn''t play them all at once, you'd be hoping for it to be a Khaman/Missi rotation at the C spot but with Hawk not really showing up, DJM being out and who knows what he'll look like when he gets back, and CJ aging, this team would be in desperate, desperate need for shooting in that situation.
khaman is undoubtedly the safest pick. I would even say it's a position of need. Missi looked good last year for two reasons:
1. we all thought he wouldn't be able to contribute at all in year
2 the extended minutes he was getting cause we sucked and weren't competitive
By years end, he finished like 4th amongst rookie bigs when one looks at his efficiency, right behind the three taken before him in the draft and i believe even Matkovic.
If our GM doesn't want to gamble with this selection at all, Maluach would be the selection. And it makes sense.
Personally i just don't want to see us start the season with only Zion and Jose as ball handlers; hence, i want a PG. I'd take Denim or Fears in that order
Drafting for immediate need is usually a pretty bad idea imo, you should be drafting the people who you think either have the highest upside or who at least have the most obvious paths to NBA success. In this draft, there aren't really any obvious choices for ballhandler success outside of Cooper or Harper - everyone after that has big question marks.
I just don't think the upside for Fears or Demin is there (unless either of them really can shoot, which obviously is a big difference maker for anyone).
If I were going to get super hype over Demin and try for ballhandling, I'd be trying to move back in the draft. Trade #7 for something like #10 or #11 and try to grab a second asset, and then just draft either Demin there (he's currently 11th in ESPN's most recent mock) or Kasparas Jakucionis who is, imo, equally as good as a prospect in a lot of fairly similar ways.
Frankly I feel like moving back, if possible, might be a good idea. It's only one spot, but if Brooklyn would take #7 and maybe something minor like a 2nd rounder or something in exchange for #8 and #28 (they would still have #27 as well, so they'd still have two picks in this draft) then I'd do that. Draft either Kon or Khaman at #8, whoever is available, and then draft someone like Rasheer Fleming (27th on ESPN) or Nique Clifford (23rd on ESPN) in the latter position.
Just trying to get multiple bites at the cherry.
funny,I was just thinking the same scenario for trade
I hear ya, and agree on trading back a bit if the right deal came along.
Like one where we could net a Cedric Coward type.
But when i watch Maluach I see him playing slow, and i see him being moved with his high hips and upright stance. Although ive seen him switch defensively pretty well... he wont be a switch defender. Nor does he go north south fast enough for many lobs.
that being said, he's amazing as a rim protector and undoubtedly a NBA starter.
maybe im wrong but at 7 im still shooting for a possible future all-star, and seemingly the guards have a better chance of that. they also have a better chance of being a bust as well i presume. but i think the PG's will be good. Neither of their 3 pt shots were impressive during the season, but Fears was elite getting to the line and converted at 85%, and Denim's shot and confidence really took off in the tournament and id bet on him shooting above 35% as well
Is Fears even a bad shooter? I believe he shot 44% on jump shots from mid range (Brandon Ingram was at about 47% from mid range and he's one of the best in the league at that. KD is on another level at about 55%). Not elite, but pretty solid, especially as the main focal point of the offense. And he was 36-37% on catch and shoot 3s. It was the pull up 3s that was the problem. I'm not going to pretend to assume he's just going to improve from 3 overall in the NBA like Maxey (29% in college) or Fox (25%), but his jump shot doesn't look broken like some guys that come into the league as poor shooters, like maybe the most obnoxious example being MKG. Dyson being a more relevant and recent example for the Pels.
And every time I watch him play, he directly reminds me of Tony Parker. Tony Parker notoriously wasn't a 3 point shooter. But he attacked the paint at will and constantly drew fouls and was at the top of the league at points in the paint. The driving in the paint while low to the ground, the spin moves, the fake spin moves into fadeaway jumpers, the floaters, etc. It's literally like watching the same player.
He has all those moves in his repertoire already at 18 as well which is the scary part for how good he can become. Their build is also almost the exact same from height to wingspan to weight. But maybe too many people are looking at lead guards to be more like Curry than someone like Parker in today's NBA. I think that's a massive mistake. No one can replicate Curry.
Last edited by bradael; 05-20-2025 at 01:45 PM.
Yep. I agree with everything you've said so far.
I'm not expecting much from this coming season especially if we're relying on this pick and DJM to slot in as starters. Just fun and promising development is on my wishlist unless we can manipulate a Giannis trade to get better players.
I am seeing Herb as being able to get back to his last healthy season's 3 numbers and if we make that front court our core, we're really just two to three great 3 point shooting guards from being back into contention. The guards wouldn't even need to be stellar at D with that front court.
I also agree that Kon would give us a promising outlook, too. I think we'd still need a pretty good big to pair with Zion and Missi but the team would feel much more complete with Kon and a healthy DJM.
I'm talking about his 3pt %age, yeah. I don't really care about his midrange stats because not only do you need to be truly electric from midrange for it to matter (and he's not) but nobody is drafting a rookie to come in and revolutionise their offense through the innovative use of contested 16 footers.
Could he improve in the NBA? Sure, no question about it. He's super young and he's a good FT shooter, which are both promising. I'm just not betting on it when he has so many other obvious issues.
Edit: For context, I actually would say that I like the idea of Maluach as a shooter at the 5. I know that sounds a bit weird because he didn't really take them at Duke, and when he did he only shot a very disappointing 25%, but he shot a very respectable 77% from the FT line and his pre-college sample shows a reasonable willingness and capability at taking 3s. At the BAL level, he shot 4 3s per 36, which is quite a lot when you consider how little time he actually spent on the perimeter, and he shot about 33% on those. Obviously things change, he's a bit taller now than then, he didn't take many at Duke, et cetera, but I think there's room for some belief there. Not huge guarantees, but a sneaking suspicion.
Last edited by Pelicanidae; 05-20-2025 at 02:42 PM.
Just saw this while checking something and somehow I had missed it. It's an interview with Khaman.
There's a great section where he's talking about why he chose Duke over other offers he had, and in particular, the influence of Zion Williamson on him.
Quoting here:
and then in another source, lifted from this Sports Illustrated article (https://www.si.com/nba/draft/newsfee...ion-williamson) he mentions this:To me, honestly, I've known Duke a couple of years after I started basketball. So I started basketball around 2019 and then around 2021 that's when I know about Duke because I saw videos of Zion dominating and dunking, that was in high school, and when I found out that this guy went to Duke that's how I got to know Duke. Then I researched more and found out that Duke had a lot of NBA players and I was like, wow.
That's it then, we must draft Khaman Maluach. Let the guy play with Zion.When I tried to explain to my cousins that I am at Duke they don't get it, but when I tell them that I am a Zion Williamson it is cool, they get it."
It's so funny that one of the most prestigious colleges in the world let's in a guy who barley even knows what the place is because he plays a game well.
I think outside of the top handful of universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, University of Tokyo, et cetera, most people from outside a given country don't know anything about the colleges and universities in other places. Duke's ranked lower than the Technical University of Munich, but I have a feeling that most Americans barely know that place exists, for example.
And of course, it's not just because he plays the game well. It's because him playing the game well stands to make them lots of money. And Goddamn, do universities like money.
Ill be okay with Maluach in a sense cause he probably has the lowest floor of anyone we could take. We do need rim protection and he is huge and young.
. But in regards to what our team needs to win a championship it seems to me like you need someone who can dribble, pass and shoot the three. Denim, Fears and Tre johnson all seem like they have potential to be on the list below
With Curry and Doncic losing in the last round we still have left:
SGA
Jalen Brunson
Anthony Edwards
Tyrese Haliburton
On top of that my previous post, spending our #7 pick on a big that doesn't stretch the floor seems wasteful to me.
Porzingis, Myles Turner, Karl Anthony Towns, Chet Holmgren, Horford... the only team who had a big man that can't shoot is Minn (but he's a DPOY and they have Naz Reid)
It's almost standard for them to be shooters, especially with Zion Williams as the man. If we covet a big, we should try and move back a few spots and take a Maxime Raynaud. People are sleeping on him despite much like they did Bezellis last year, he's at least like a young Kelly Olynyk
or even Rasheer Flemming seems like a better fit really.
Last edited by fullcourtpress; 05-22-2025 at 02:57 AM.
These seem a bit contradictory to argue against one player because of a poor 3 point percentage, but then pull for another who had an even lower 3 point percentage because of his free throw shooting, when the first guy had a significantly better free throw percentage.
Fears' midrange ability isn't his best part of his game, but that ability is pretty solid already. He attacks the paint and draws fouls better than most guards that have come out the last few years. That's the strength. The ability to play off of that and get good shots from midrange and defenders are trying not to foul or are expecting him to get into the paint is the counterplay that strengthens his game. And that's the point. This part of his game is already developed. It shows he works tirelessly at his game, which in reality is what's going to make or break the 7th pick. The best player at that pick, barring injury, will be the one who has the best work ethic.
People here that don't like Fears clearly don't because they have Kira Lewis PTSD yet those two players have nothing in common in their game outside of their speed in the open court. Kira played too scared to attack the paint. His ACL injury early in his second season didn't do him any favors, but he was purely a developmental prospect. He even shot under 31% from midrange in college. And maybe most importantly of all, his handle wasn't anywhere close to Fears. So we're talking about someone who needed to improve his handles, improve his jump shooting, and improve his confidence to get into the paint. Add an ACL injury on top of that and no wonder he failed.
Likewise, Khaman is a massive developmental prospect. He has a poor understanding of the game at this stage and his hands are atrocious. Compare his hands to Sorber and it's night and day. Sorber catches even the worst passes with ease and turns those bad passes into decent positioning to get easy shots at the basket. The only concern I have for Sorber is his foot.
That being said, I doubt Fears is going to be there at 7. Assuming 3-5 Are some combination of VJ, Bailey, and Tre Johnson, then I'm expecting Washington to take Fears and flip him to Brooklyn, who badly needs a point guard. Washington can then get the guy they want at 8 as I don't think the guys they're looking at are necessarily overlapping with New Orleans.
Last edited by brad01; 05-22-2025 at 08:03 AM.
There are currently 5 users browsing this thread. (1 members and 4 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote