2025 NBA Draft Big Board
- Jacob Bleiweis
- Jun 23
- 27 min read
Cooper Flagg, F, Duke
(Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)
Strengths:
Three-level scorer. .385 3PT%, .840 FT%, good mechanics, and soft touch suggest his shooting will translate at the next level. Good mid-range shooter and gets to his spots with ease with post-ups and face-ups. Does a good job using his body to absorb contact. Gets to the line frequently (5.8 FTA per game).
Great ball-handler at 6’9”. Averages 4.2 APG, which is great for a forward. Makes very accurate passes with good velocity right into the shooting pocket. Uses his height to see over the defense and make accurate cross-court passes. Pushes the ball up the court in transition.
Awesome defender, especially off the ball. Positioning is great, and he works hard to rotate in help defense. Does a good job challenging shots at the rim. Averaged 1.4 BPG and 1.4 SPG. Size and lateral quickness allows him to defend guards and bigs. Duke switches everything, which tests his versatility (he passes with flying colors).
Very good rebounder, averaged 7.5 per game. Gets rebounds in traffic. Can grab and go in transition due to his skill as a rebounder and ball-handler.
Weaknesses:
Footwork in the post is generally good, but he gets called for travels every now and then. Averaged 2.1 turnovers per game.
Only takes 27.2% of his shots from behind the arc. NBA teams will likely look to see this figure increase. Can settle for some tough mid-range jumpers off the dribble.
Outlook:
Jay Bilas has called Cooper Flagg the best all-around Duke freshman ever, and although I am much younger than Bilas, I would agree with his assessment. People have also compared Flagg to Kawhi Leonard, which is extraordinary and warranted praise. There is not much I could say that has not already been said about Flagg, but he is every bit as special as he has been built up to be. He is highly skilled and plays with a ton of fight. He is great on both ends of the floor and is always engaged and focused. He is so young yet very polished. Flagg’s upside is exponential, and his floor high as well.
Dylan Harper, G, Rutgers
Strengths:
Great ball-handler. Uses a tight handle to snake into the lane and finish at the rim. Great finisher with good touch at the rim with both hands (shot 70% at the rim). Uses his strength to absorb contact and create space.
Operates well in the pick and roll. Can go to both sides and make passes with either hand. Uses his size (6’6”) to see over the top of the defense. Is very patient and never looks sped up.
Percentages may not be great, but he looks comfortable shooting off the dribble. Good mid-range shooter and can pull up from three as well.
Weaknesses:
Can improve his screen navigation as he gets caught on screens frequently
Needs to improve as a three-point shooter. .333 3PT% and .750 FT% suggest his shot will take some time to develop in the NBA. Had some bad misses on catch and shoot threes. Not a great mid-range shooter at only 30.9%.
Outlook:
Dylan Harper is a very intriguing ball-handler due to his size and ability in the pick and roll. He is not much of a threat off the ball, so he, and his future team, will benefit from giving him a large on-ball roll. He showed the ability to take over late in games, and developing as a three-point shooter will elevate his game, but he is so smooth with the ball and a great finisher at the rim.
Ace Bailey, F, Rutgers
Strengths:
Awesome shot maker. His combination of length (7’0.5” wingspan 8’11” standing reach are really good even though he measured in shorter than expected) and elevation makes it impossible for defenders to contest. Hits a ton of tough jumpers. Good three-point shooter (.346 3PT%) and can hit off the catch or off the dribble. Good turn around post game and great mid-range shooter (46%).
Very good athlete with long arms. Has some potential as a rim protector (1.3 BPG). Very good rebounder, offensively and defensively, averaging 7.2 RPG. Can grab and go in transition and is very hard to stop in the open court.
Works very hard guarding on the ball. Gets low in his stance and does a good job contesting shots with his extreme length. Has pretty good screen navigation for someone that is 6’8”.
Has a high motor. Runs the floor hard and dives for loose balls. Works hard on the glass to battle for contested rebounds.
Weaknesses:
Although he can hit them, he takes a lot of difficult jumpers. In order to reach his ceiling in the NBA, he will have to improve at attacking the basket and getting all the way to the rim instead of settling for jumpers.
Does not add anything as a passer, only averaged 1.3 APG. He is not looking to pass on the drive; when his driving lane is covered, he usually turns around and starts backing down his defender.
Loses his man on defense too often. Gets back cut and caught watching the ball.
Outlook:
There are no doubts about Ace Bailey’s shot-making. Although he measured a little shorter than hoped at the combine (6’8.75”), his combination of size and shot-making will be very intriguing. The questions will be about what else he brings. He is not much of a passer and leaves a lot to be desired on the defensive end, especially off the ball. People will be dissuaded by his lack of, well, anything beyond shooting, but Bailey hits shots that no other prospect, and few NBA players, can hit. I will take his shot-making and trust my coaches to develop the rest of his game.
VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor
Strengths:
Great shooter off the catch and dribble. .340 3PT% and .782 FT% with smooth mechanics suggests shooting should translate to the NBA.
Good ball-handler and passer. At 6’5”, he could be a good secondary ball-handler or lead a team’s second unit. Averaging 3.2 APG to only 1.9 TPG. Good pick and roll ball-handler and does a good job finding shooters on the perimeter. Makes crisp and accurate passes. Throws the ball ahead in transition.
Very good rebounder at the guard position, averaging 5.6 RPG. Works hard to box out on the defensive glass, even when he is matched up with a bigger player, which happens often due to Baylor switching every pick and roll. Can grab and go and push the ball in transition. Crashes the offensive glass often.
Good on-ball defender. Moves his feet well and can stay in front of small guards. Baylor switches every screen, so he has to defend bigger guys as well. Although he is a little skinny, he battles hard in the post and puts up some resistance. Had to communicate a lot defensively to execute all of their switches.
Weaknesses:
Struggles to beat defenders off the dribble. Often gets beat to the spot and has to spin and pass to a teammate or settle for a jumper. Doesn’t create a lot of space to shoot in the paint.
Can improve as a finisher around the rim (only 60.3% at the rim). Doesn’t have the best touch and is impacted by contact.
Commits a lot of fouls. Gets caught reaching in and defending with his hands too often.
Outlook:
VJ Edgecombe is a well-rounded prospect who can play on and off the ball. He is a good shooter with smooth mechanics, and he has also shown a nice intensity driving to the basket. That intensity transfers to the defensive end as well. Edgecombe is a good on-ball defender who had to guard multiple positions due to Baylor’s heavy switching scheme. He should be a good 3-and-D player in the NBA, but he has the potential to be much, much more with his ball-handling and facilitating.
Kon Knueppel, G/F, Duke
Strengths:
Great shooter with extremely smooth mechanics, including on the move. .406 3PT% and .914 FT% and good touch suggests it is very likely his shooting translates in the NBA. Moves well without the ball to get in a position to shoot.
Good ball handler who does not turn the ball over often. Averages 2.7 APG to only 1.4 TO. Very good pick-and-roll ball handler and has the size (6’7”) to see over the defense and make difficult passes.
Good off-ball and positional defender. He is always in the right position and rotates well. Average on-ball defender as he moves his feet well to stay in front of opposing ball-handlers.
Weaknesses:
Low usage at Duke (21.4%). Mostly a movement shooter, which could limit him in the NBA, although this also means that there could be untapped potential as a ball-handler.
Not a great athlete. This limits his ability to beat defenders off the dribble, often getting stopped before he gets to the rim, relying on out muscling smaller defenders near the basket. Only averages 4.0 RPG, so he is not much of a threat on the glass.
Lack of athleticism limits potential defensively. Does not provide anything in the way of rim protection and does not get a lot of steals, only averaging 1.0 per game.
Struggled against better competition. 5-20 against Kentucky, 4-14 against Kansas, and couldn’t get his shot up against Auburn (2-3).
Outlook:
Kon Knueppel will be a good shooter in the NBA, but he can provide more than just shooting. He showed flashes as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and is a strong defender. His upside might be limited due to his lack of athleticism, but his strength and intelligence will get him very far. Knueppel may not be a lockdown defender, but he can guard multiple positions and is always engaged when guarding off the ball. His shooting provides a very good baseline, every team needs movement shooters, but the other aspects of his game provide additional value.
Khaman Maluach, C, Duke
Strengths:
Very large human with very long arms (7’2” 250 lbs with a 7’6.75” wingspan and 9’6” standing reach).
Great finisher around the rim. 79.6 % at the rim and finishes some difficult attempts. Sets great screens and always creates space for the ball-handler. Big lob threat and does a great job rolling to the basket.
Very versatile defender who can stick with smaller players well after switching. Has an endless motor. Does not block as many shots as you would think given his length (only 1.3 BPG), but he impacts a lot of shots at the rim and contests well without fouling. Many players pass up shots when he is in the way.
.766 FT% and has pretty good mechanics. Does not take many jump shots, but he could extend his range in the future. Made 63.2% of his mid-range jumpers, which is a great number, although the volume was very low.
Weaknesses:
Does not much of an offensive game beyond rolling to the basket. Only averages 0.5 APG, so he is not much of a passing or short roll threat.
Very raw prospect (only started playing basketball when he was 19). Could improve at catching the ball on rolls to the rim. Footwork defensively needs to improve.
Outlook:
Khaman Maluach is a prototypical rim-running, rim protecting center in the NBA. He’s big and deters many shots at the rim, even if he does not get the block, but he also gets low in his stance and has some potential to switch defensively. He is a raw offensive prospect, but he is already good in the pick and roll and has some potential as a shooter, although that is likely a few years down the line.
Tre Johnson, G, Texas
Strengths:
Elite shot-maker. .397 3PT% on 6.8 attempts per game .871 FT%. Has a smooth, high release that is effective on the catch or off the dribble. Can pull up going either direction and great shooting on the move. Has a good turnaround jumper in the post and his higher release is difficult to contest.
Pretty good ball handler and passer. Uses smooth crossovers to get into his pull up. Does not turn the ball over very much, averaging just 1.8 per game while handling the ball very often. Makes accurate passes on the move.
Weaknesses:
Poor on-ball defender. Gets beat off the dribble too often and does not do a great job navigating screens. Can lose shooters on the perimeter as he pinches in too deep as a help defender.
Struggles to get all of the way to the rim. Gets caught in the corner too often and has to spin into a tough fadeaway jumper or difficult pass. Takes some difficult jumpers, even though he can make them.
Does not provide much as a rebounder, averaging only 3.1 per game at 6’5”. Turns around to face the guy he is supposed to box out, which puts him in a difficult position.
Outlook:
Tre Johnson is one of the best shooters in the draft. He can shoot off the catch or off the dribble and consistently hit very difficult, heavily contested jumpers. His scoring upside will be very enticing to teams, but the question will be what else does he provide. He could not always get by his defender, so will he be just a movement shooter? He was not a great defender in college, which can be an issue in this era of matchup hunting. Johnson either needs to be a good enough shooter to make up for his shortcomings, or improve in other areas of his game to become a better all-around player.
Carter Bryant, F, Arizona
Strengths:
Very good three point shooter at .371 3PT% in college. Was only 69.5% from the line last year, but shot 82.6% in high school. Has smooth mechanics and a high release, especially off the dribble. Great athlete and finisher around the rim. Shot 81% at the rim in the half court, but almost all were assisted, so he is most effective as a cutter or in the dunker spot.
Incredibly active defender. Zooms around the court to defend different players in the same possession. His length is very disruptive on defense, resulting in 1.0 BPG and 0.9 SPG. Does a good job clogging up passing lanes and has the potential to be a great help defender. Can tag the roll man and get out to shooters due to his work rate and length.
Very good on-ball defender who can guard multiple positions. Against Bayler he guarded Roach (point guard), Edgecombe (wing), and Omier (big) all effectively. Gets low in his stance to stay in front of ball-handlers and does a good job walling up when players try to go at his body.
Did not get many assists, but shows some potential as a passer. Makes the right play with accurate passes. Throws the ball ahead in transition.
Weaknesses:
Can be a more disciplined defender. Falls for a lot of fakes and does not always close out under control. Sometimes defends too much with his hands and commits reach-in fouls.
Not a great ball-handler currently, which limits his ability on offense to create shots for himself and teammates. 82.3% of his baskets in the halfcourt were assisted. Came off the bench at Arizona and was a low usage player on offense.
Outlook:
Carter Bryant has the physical profile for the NBA. He’s a big athlete who can guard multiple positions and knock down three point shots. He seems like a pretty safe bet to become a decent 3-and-D player in the NBA with upside to become an elite multi positional defender on and off the ball. Currently, he is more of a spot-up shooter, so there are questions about his upside on offense. I see some potential as a standstill passer (in the middle of a zone, on the short-roll) but he is not much of a shot creator at this point. Bryant should be a good player just off of his shooting and defense, and he can become a great one if his ball handling and shot creation develop.
Collin Murray-Boyles, F, South Carolina
Strengths:
Very good interior scorer (69.7% at the rim). Can back down or face up. Strong preference to go to his left and has great touch with his left hand. Has a very effective spin move, although he may go to it too often. Finishes well through contact and gets to the line frequently. Pretty good on straight line drives and rolling to the basket.
Very versatile defender. Opposing bigs tried to back him down due to his lack of height, but he is very strong and gave up little space. Moves his feet very well to defend on the perimeter. Really smart off ball defender with good positioning. Defends with effort and moves around the court to guard multiple players on one possession.
Showed flashes as a passer. Averaged 2.4 APG, although many of them were simple passes to open shooters. Made some nice entry passes and passes out of the post. Can crab and go in transition and make passes on the move.
Weaknesses:
Only 6’7” but gets most of his points in the post. How will he score in the NBA against bigger guys? He likely will not be given many postups early in his career, so his jumper will need to improve. .265 3PT% with some rough misses.
Lack of height limits his potential as a rim protector. Hard to back down in the post, but taller players can shoot over him. Often in great help position but can only put his hands up and may not deter the shot.
Outlook:
Collin Murray-Boyles is a very polarizing prospect. He scored a lot in the interior, but at only 6’7”, he’s not likely to get many post up opportunities in the NBA. He was a poor shooter, so where will his value come from offensively. He has good touch around the rim and showed some flashes as a passer, so he can be successful as a screener and in the short roll. Where Murray-Boyles intrigues teams as a prospect is his defensive versatility. He has the strength to defend taller players in the post and the lateral quickness to stay in front of players on the perimeter. He is also a very smart defender with a high work rate. Murray-Boyles’ upside may be capped offensively, but his defense will always have a role in the NBA.
Jeremiah Fears, G, Oklahoma
Strengths:
Very good operating in the pick-and-roll. Good ball-handler who can snake through the lane and get to the rim. Can go off screens in both directions and make passes with both hands. Good touch on his passes.
Has a lot of craftiness getting to the basket. Good touch around the rim and in mid range. Can stop on a dime and hit a short fadeaway or turnaround jumper. Absorbs contact well and lowers his shoulder to create space. Only shot .284 from three, but his soft touch and .851 FT% suggest he can develop as a shooter. Good mid-range shooter as well at 45.9%.
Weaknesses:
Can improve as a defender. Gets stuck on too many screens and seems to chase his match up around the court. Can pinch in too much and lose a shooter on the perimeter. Gets beat off the dribble too easily.
Not the quickest guard with the ball. Sometimes struggles to get by his defender, causing him to pick up his dribble or pull/spin into a tough jumper. Can’t always turn the corner in the pick-and-roll. Not a great finisher at the rim at only 53%.
Turned the ball over a lot. Needs to be stronger with the ball as defenders were able to poke it loose. Telegraphed passes at times and defenders were able to get in the passing lane. Picked up his dribble in crowded areas.
Doesn’t provide much value off the ball on offense. Stands on the perimeter when he could move to another spot or cut into a better position (i.e. fading to the corner when his teammate drives baseline).
Outlook:
Jeremiah Fears is a very fluid ball-handler, who looks great in the pick and roll. He has more size than Jase Richardson, but was not close to as efficient shooting. Fears can get to wherever he wants on the court, but what he does when he gets there is the issue. He is a good passer but needs to cut down on the turnovers. He did not shoot the ball well in college but should be able to develop as a shooter in the NBA. Fears should also benefit from more spacing in the NBA, making him more deadly in the pick and roll.
Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown
Strengths:
Elite rim protector (2.0 BPG). Extreme length (7’6” wingspan) and great anticipation is a lethal combination. Does a good job staying vertical on contests. Great help defender who works hard to contests shots. Reads the passing lanes well and uses his length to cut them off (1.5 SPG).
Very good passer for his size, averaging 2.4 APG. Makes good reads and accurate passes out of the post to shooters on the perimeter and to cutters in the lane. Has potential to be a very good playmaker in the short roll. Throws the ball ahead in transition.
Very good pick and roll defender. Played most often in the drop, and his length and positioning allowed him to cover the ball handler and screener.
Gets good position in the post before receiving the ball. He’s pretty good both backing down or facing up in the post. Solid in the pick and roll with good hands to catch tough passes. Finishes well around the rim (68.7 FG%) with both hands. Shows potential as a shooter, at least in the mid range.
Weaknesses:
Can be a little turnover prone (2.3 per game). Can get out of control on drives into traffic. Tries to squeeze passes into tight spaces and can telegraph some passes.
Can be a little too aggressive on defense, eager to get blocks around the rim. Gets caught in the air, giving opponents an easier shot or committing a foul. Slower first step results in him getting beat off the dribble when switching on to wings.
Does not create as much space as a screener as you would like from a big man. More effective slipping screens.
Shot only 16.2% from three and had some bad misses.
Outlook:
Thomas Sorber is a perfect fit for the modern NBA. He is a fantastic defensive center with extraordinary length. Even though he measured a little shorter than scouts would have liked at 6’9”, his 7’6” wingspan more than makes up for it. He is a great rim protector due to his length, awareness, and positioning. Sorber is very composed on offense, which should be very useful in the pick and roll. He finishes well around the rim and his passing skill set will allow him to play in the short roll. Even though he shot only 16.2% from three, there is some potential for Sorber to develop an outside game, which would dramatically increase his offensive potential, but he should still be a valuable center even if his outside shot does not develop.
Derik Queen, C, Maryland
Strengths:
Can score in a multitude of ways, especially in the paint. Has a very effective spin move, used most often over his right shoulder, which he uses backing down or driving through the lane. Uses decelerations effectively. Showed signs of a jumper and .766 FT% suggests he could develop into a decent shooter.
Good ball-handler for his size. Can face up and take defenders off the dribble. Can push the ball in transition and go coast to coast on his own.
Good rebounder, especially defensively. Averaged 9.0 RPG. Grabs contested rebounds and tips the ball to himself if he can’t grab it initially. Can grab and go in transition and start the break very quickly.
Very good perimeter defender for a player his size. Moves his feet very well and can switch on to wings and guards. Stays in front of his man even after several changes in direction. Has quick hands, allowing him to poke the ball free from opposing ball-handlers.
Weaknesses:
Can improve finishing through contact. Does not have great touch around the rim. Looks like he throws the ball towards the rim, especially when finishing in traffic.
Turns the ball over a little too much at 2.4 per game. Can be stronger with the ball in traffic. He should benefit from better spacing in the NBA since playing with another non-shooting big in Reese allowed defenses to pack the paint.
Could have a better motor. Sometimes it looks like he is jogging on the court and not hustling enough. This results in lackluster closeouts and poor contests. Does not always run back hard enough in transition.
Not a very good interior defender and does not provide much in the way of rim protection. Gives up good positioning to opponents too easily and then is slow to contest. Does not deter players in the paint and can be moved easily when opponents are physical.
Outlook:
Derik Queen is incredibly skilled offensively. He is a great interior scorer with a developing jump shot, and he is a good ball-handler and passer for his size. However, he is either incredibly slow or just does not try or both. His combine suggests he is very slow, which is a little odd considering he moves his feet well defending on the perimeter. But it is hard to get over what seems like a lack of effort that he shows by not getting back in transition and falling asleep on defense.
Noa Essengue, F, Ratiopharm Ulm
Strengths:
Great finisher around the rim. Shot 66% on twos. Moves really well without the ball, timing cuts well and being available for interior passes. Has good touch on righty floaters and uses long arms to finish around and above defenders. Runs the floor well in transition and is a lob threat. Good touch, decent mechanics, and .730 FT% suggest potential as a three-point shooter.
Very good offensive rebounder. Uses his length to tip the ball to himself or back towards the rim. Has a very quick second jump to tip in his own misses. Good defensive rebounder as well. Can grab a contested rebound and immediately push the ball in transition.
Good off-ball defender. Uses his length to get into passing lanes and get steals. Good help defender, especially as the low man sliding over to cover the roller.
Weaknesses:
Jumper is more of a set shot, which makes it hard to shoot off the dribble. Had some very bad misses pulling up from three and in the mid-range.
Not a very good on-ball defender. Gets beat off the dribble too much and commits a lot of fouls trying to contest shots. Has a high center of gravity, so he can’t get in a very low stance. Does not do a very good job getting around screens.
Lacks strength at only 194 lbs. He often gets pushed off his drives and has to throw up wild shots and struggles to finish through contact. Also impacts him on the defensive end. Gave up good post position and was easily backed down towards the rim.
Outlook:
Noa Essengue jumps off the screen due to his length (9’3” standing reach), but he has a lot of room to improve on both sides of the ball. He can provide value to an NBA team offensively due to the way he moves without the ball and his ability to finish around the rim, but his jumper is not where it needs to be. However, he has a very smooth shot, especially off the catch, so I think he will develop into a pretty good three-point shooter. Defensively, he is not where you would hope given his length. He is a decent off-ball defender, who gets a lot of steals, but he gets beat off the dribble way too often against players who are worse than he will face in the NBA.
Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois
Strengths:
Illinois’ primary ball-handler at 6’6”. Good passer, averaging 4.7 APG. Good at navigating the pick-and-roll and can make one-handed passes with either hand. Has the height to see and pass over the defense.
Not a great three-point shooter in college (only .318 3PT%), but he has very good touch around the rim and shoots .845% from the line, which suggests he should develop into a good shooter in the NBA. Can shoot off the dribble or off a step back. Gets to the line a bunch and uses strength to finish through contact.
Weaknesses:
Turns the ball over too much, averaging 3.7 per game. Not strong enough with his dribble and picks the ball up in traffic, resulting in the ball getting stripped.
His screen navigation is not great, and he is often chasing his opponent around the floor. Can get caught watching the ball and loses shooters on the perimeter. Takes too much time to find his man in transition, leading to open shoots or scrambling defense. Needs to become more disciplined defensively. Commits too many fouls and goes for shot fakes.
Outlook:
Kasparas Jakucionis is a primary ball-handler with turnover issues. However, many prospects turn the ball over a lot in college and are able to improve in the NBA. Illinois did not surround him with much shooting, resulting in poor spacing, so Jakucionis will benefit from the increased spacing in the NBA. He controls the game well in the pick and roll and should be a good shooter in the NBA. His issues are more defensive, where he needs to improve both on and off the ball.
Nique Clifford, G/F, Colorado State
Strengths:
Can score in a multitude of ways. Averaged 18.9 PPG on .603 TS%. Potential as a three-level scorer (.377 3PT% on 4.9 3PA, 45.9% from mid-range, and 67.6% at the rim). Moves well without the ball, timing cuts well and effective shooting off of pin downs. Uses his body well to finish through contact and can post up. Shoots well off the dribble. Has a good stepback jumper and can punish defenders that go under screens. Had some vicious poster dunks.
Great rebounder at only 6’5”, averaged 9.6 per game. Third highest defensive rebound % in the draft at 26% (same as Johni Broome, higher than Danny Wolf, Derik Queen, and Khaman Maluach). Great anticipation and does a good job boxing out and high pointing contested rebounds. Can grab a defensive rebound and push the ball in transition.
Very good passer (4.4 APG). Patient in the pick and roll and has good vision. Manipulates the defense with his eyes and makes accurate passes either to the roll man or to a shooter on the perimeter.
Weaknesses:
Has a tough time beating defenders off the dribble, which results in difficult jumpers and runners. Can struggle at times to finish with his left hand. Takes shots with his right that might be easier if taken with his left. Sometimes spins back to his right hand instead of finishing with his left.
Has room to improve defensively. Gets stuck on screens too often. Doesn’t have the best lateral quickness and gets beat off dribble too often. Closes out to shooters out of control.
Already 23 years old.
Outlook:
Nique Clifford was a very productive player at Colorado State, but he is one of the oldest players in the draft. He was a very high usage, go-to scorer for CSU, who is proficient in the pick and roll. However, he can struggle to beat defenders off the dribble and will likely not be a high usage scorer in the NBA, so he will need to find other ways to contribute. Clifford is not a great on-ball defender, but he is a good, smart team defender. His age lowers his upside, but Clifford can be a good secondary ball-handler and tough, high-effort wing in the NBA.
Egor Demin, G, BYU
Strengths:
6’9” point guard. Primary ball handler for BYU and averaged 5.5 APG. Makes accurate passes all over the court and on the move. Has the height and touch to pass over the defense. Very good operating in the pick and roll. Can make the pocket pass to the roll man or cross court passes to the corner. Throws the ball ahead in transition.
Showed some flashes of scoring out of the pick-and-roll. If he has a step turning the corner, he can get to the rim and finish. Has good touch around the rim (.543 2PT%) and uses his length to finish over defenders. Doesn’t create a lot of open shots, but he has some craftiness to make shots at the rim a little easier.
Weaknesses:
Really struggled to shoot the ball in college. .412 FG% and .273 3PT%. As someone who will handle the ball a lot, his lack of a scoring threat will be concerning. Took a lot of threes (over 50% of his shot attempts were threes), and many were contested. This could be due to challenges beating defenders off the dribble. Had to settle for tough jumpers or wild layups.
Can be a little turnover prone (averaged 2.9 per game), which is not surprising given his ball-handling duties. A lot of his turnovers were off of lazy passes. He assumed his teammates were open and telegraphed a pass that was picked off, or passed it to a spot where his teammate was not standing.
Not a very good defender. Does not have great lateral quickness and footwork on the perimeter needs to improve. Didn’t commit a lot of fouls but could be more disciplined. Gambled for steals but missed and was out of position. Loses shooters on the perimeter by watching the ball and turning his back to his man.
Outlook:
Egor Demin is a 6’9” point guard who can control the game on offense. He is a very good ball-handler and a great passer, but his lack of scoring will be a concern. He shot the ball very poorly and took some difficult shots as he can’t really beat defenders off the dribble. At this point, his lack of a scoring will reduce the threat he possesses with the ball in his hand. Demin creates plenty of open looks for his teammates, but he needs to improve either as a shooter or defender to be a valuable pick.
Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State
Strengths:
Can score in a multitude of ways and very efficiently. Averaged 12.1 PPG (16.1 in the final 15 games) on .624 TS%. Great three-point shooter (.412 3PT%) and is proficient off the catch or dribble. Moves well without the ball to get in a position where his teammates can find him for open shots.
Good at navigating screens and finding space to get an open shot. Good touch on his floater and at the rim, especially with his left hand. Uses good footwork and creativity to shoot in traffic at 6’3”.
Not a high volume assist guy, only averaged 1.9 per game, but he should flashes as a passer. Made good passes on the move, including a handful of alley oops. Makes accurate passes to shooters and throws the ball ahead in transition. Does not turn the ball over often (only 0.8 per game).
Weaknesses:
Can improve as an individual defender. Not great at getting through screens. Moves his feet pretty well but can still get beat off the dribble. Closes out out of control too often, giving his opponent a lane to the basket.
Lack of size impacts him at both ends. Takes tough shots at the rim and often has to spin into a turnaround jumper because of traffic (more space in the NBA may help this). Players can use their size advantage to get to the rim.
Outlook:
Jase Richardson was an incredibly efficient scorer in college. He is a three-level scorer and a good ball-handler, who was not heavily involved in the Michigan State offense for the first half of the season. Even with his lack of size, Richardson should be able to score in the NBA, but will he be a target for teams on the other end? He may be able to stick with other smaller, quick guards, but he will not be able to guard multiple positions effectively. He did not turn the ball over much, but he needs to improve as a facilitator to be valuable with the ball in his hands.
Asa Newell, F, Georgia
Strengths:
Big guy (6’10”) who is very versatile. Good ball-handler and passer, even though he does not get a ton of assists. Does not turn the ball over much. Very good offensive rebounder, who plays with a high motor.
Sets good screens that free up space for the ball-handler. Rolls hard to the rim and has good hands to catch difficult passes in tight spaces. Very good finisher around the rim (72.9% at the rim). Has potential as a short-roll threat.
Has the potential to develop a very reliable outside shot. Only shot .292 from three, but he has a smooth stroke and a .748 FT%. Also has pretty good touch around the rim.
Not an incredibly impactful defender, but he has good verticality when contesting shots at the rim. Off-ball defensive position is usually solid, allowing him to help on drivers.
Weaknesses:
Although he is a good offensive rebounder, he can improve as a defensive rebounder. Often on the wrong side of his opponent, giving them good position, or faces his opponent instead of boxing out.
Not a great one-on-one defender. Gets beat off the dribble on straight-line drives too often. Can be a little bit slow rotating as the low man.
Does not create his own shot. Most of his offense comes from pick and roll/pop or spot up threes.
Outlook:
Asa Newell is a versatile big that projects as a solid pick and roll/pop player. He was great at finishing around the rim and may be able to develop an outside shot. He is a solid, but not great defender, who projects more as a good team defender than a high impact defender. Newell is somewhat of a jack of all trades, master of none, but his versatility should still be valuable to teams.
Danny Wolf, C, Michigan
Strengths:
Handles the ball well and often played as a point-forward for Michigan. Seven feet tall and averaged 3.6 APG. Can navigate the pick-and-roll better than most guards, making Michigan’s 4-5 pick-and-roll almost unstoppable. Has great vision and can make diagonal passes with either hand.
Great rebounder, averaged 9.7 per game. Much better defensive rebounder than offensive rebounder. Combination of rebounding and ball-handling allows him to grab rebounds and push the ball in transition, either finishing at the rim or finding a teammate.
A pretty versatile defender. He is not a great rim protector, but he can guard multiple positions. Many guards tried to isolate and take him off the dribble when they got Wolf on a switch, announcers almost always called this a mismatch, but he was able to move his feet and keep guards in front of him. He is a very disciplined defender who does not fall for a lot of pump fakes or foul often.
Showed some shot-making ability. Hit some stepback threes and scored in the post.
Weaknesses:
Although his calling card is his ball-handling and passing for a seven-footer, Wolf had serious turnover issues, averaging 3.2 per game. Defenders were able to poke the ball free too often on drives, and his handling can be high and loose. Tried to make passes that were too difficult in tight spaces. Can play sped up and drive into multiple defenders, often resulting in a tough layup or turnover.
Does not have good touch around the rim. Missed a lot of layups, and they were often ugly. Seems like he is chucking the ball against the backboard, especially when he is out of control or facing contact. Poor free throw shooter, only .594 FT%, which, combined with his poor touch, raises some concerns about his jump shot translating to the NBA
Outlook:
Danny Wolf is one of the most interesting prospects as a seven-foot point-center. He handled the ball a lot for Michigan, including as a pick-and-roll ball-handler, but he was also very turnover prone. Wolf’s turnovers should come down with more spacing and a reduced role. He is not likely to handle the ball as much in the NBA as he did at Michigan, but his guard skills will be very advantageous in the short roll or making plays out of the post. A big concern I have is his shooting touch. He was not a great finisher around the rim, and his .594 FT% suggests his three-point shot may not translate easily to the NBA. This is another area of his game that may improve just from improved spacing and a reduced roll. Danny Wolf is also a versatile defender who can switch screens, which is very valuable in the NBA.
Rasheer Fleming, F, Saint Joseph’s
Strengths:
Very good shooter at 6’10”. .390 3PT% on 4.5 3PA and mostly shoots off the catch. Moves really well without the ball, shifting around the perimeter into spots where his teammates can find him and timing cuts to the basket well.
Has very good touch near the rim, .643 2PT%, and has the strength and length to punish smaller defenders in the post. Effective as a screener both popping to the three-point line and rolling to the basket.
Incredibly long with a 7’5” wingspan. Uses his length to poke the ball free (averaged 1.4 SPG). Was also able to contest shots from a ways away, which helped given the drop coverage they played. Length allows him to recover quickly even if he gets beat off the dribble.
Weaknesses:
Doesn’t provide much value as a ball-handler. Can’t beat defenders off the dribble and does not really shoot off the dribble either. Only averaged 1.3 APG. Did not turn the ball over much, only 1.5 per game, but they tended to come when dribbling in traffic.
Needs to improve discipline and footwork defensively. Fell for too many pump fakes and head fakes. Does not always close out under control. Gets low in his stance, but still gets beat off the dribble. Seems to react a little slowly to his opponent’s first step. Played in very deep drop coverage against screens, not sure if this is poor coaching or reacting to Fleming’s limitations guarding on the perimeter.
Outlook:
A lot of teams will be very intrigued by Rasheer Fleming’s combination of length, shooting, and defensive potential. His role on offense seems easy to predict, a floor spacer who is effective as a screener as well. However, I was a little disappointed in his defense. Fleming gets beat off the dribble too often, and although his length allows him to recover, his footwork and discipline need to improve. He is not a good enough defender right now to be considered a 3-and-D prospect.
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