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Would be an immediate playoff team next year.
2025 NBA Draft Thread
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by addict4sneakers,
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Would be an immediate playoff team next year.
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They should just run back the Len/Dedmon combo if they can...Its been solid this season, should hold em down for another year or 2
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I can’t wait to pull Cam receipts but until then I’ll let y’all be great
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How does Brandon Clarke fit next to John Collins?
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Next year’s draft class looks ******* awful.
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Still think there are a lot of good role players in this draft. Just doesn’t have the top end talent outside of Zion/Ja. Playoff teams are likely going to be able to draft playable guys that could potentially be better than guys that are drafted in the lottery.
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Trae went from being held back by his teammates to the reason his teammates are playing so well. Growth 
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I wish Brandon Clarke had better measurables.
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So this is the Culver kid I’ve heard so much about huh.....
I know Michigan is a great defensive team but I’m gonna need him to show me something.
I know Michigan is a great defensive team but I’m gonna need him to show me something.
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Looks pretty good to me...
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If Culver ends up Danny Granger'ish you can't really be mad
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Reggie Miller gotta chill acting like Jarrett culver is some under the radar player 
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Of course I say that, turn off the TV downstairs to get ready for bed and when I turn the TV on up here he scored 9 points within those like 5 minutes
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Culver having a relatively meh game and he has 20 points with 4 assists & 3 steals
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Gilbert is right, but he’s exaggerating like crazy like usual.
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I think Gilbert is kind of wrong here, but his concerns are justified.
He's got fine size for the 4. He'll never play the 3 in the NBA. He's PJ Tucker / Draymond Green in size and already shows a ton of promise and tangible translatable skill on that level on that end of the floor.
Gil's concerns about Zion's offense are justified to me. You're basically getting 6'6 / 285 Shawn Marion w/the #1 pick. I don't know if there's an NBA big today that functions like Zion w/Zion's size and make up. There's nothing to compare him to so naturally, that brings about concerns. The unknown is scary.
That being said, I don't think it's wrong to have wanted to see more ball skills out of Zion as the #1 pick. This isn't a Doncic / Young / Ayton situation to me where we know they're going to come in and immediately get busy. I'm not sure about that w/ Zion. Regardless, he's the best prospect relative to his draft class.
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The hell Gil so infatuated with post ups 
You're not drafting someone in this class expecting a franchise player. You're hoping to get a handful #2's on a championship team and a handful of high level #3's
Folks want every class' #1 pick to be a franchise player when all we ever do is belittle every All NBA player outside of like 2 anyway
Not every class is built the same, folks will never acknowledge this
You're not drafting someone in this class expecting a franchise player. You're hoping to get a handful #2's on a championship team and a handful of high level #3's
Folks want every class' #1 pick to be a franchise player when all we ever do is belittle every All NBA player outside of like 2 anyway
Not every class is built the same, folks will never acknowledge this
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He's bigger and stronger than both Tucker & Draymond.
Zion does have a lot of Draymond in his game, though. There's some untapped playmaking potential in him. Really excited to see it at the next level with a lot more opportunity in transition.
The way he was passing out of double teams last night was great.
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Yep I think I mentioned it before, but I could easily see him functioning in a draymond way as a playmaker. He has some of that ability and I really have no doubts about him on the defensive end. And what I was saying was that if PJ and Draymond can play full time four, then Zion's size is fine.
If you're critiquing Zion, it shouldn't be because of Size. Like, Blake Griffin is 6'10 and I don't think that'd be a mismatch at all. He'll hold his own WITH EASE on defense. He's NOT undersized at all.
The offensive stuff is valid for me. If I'm picking w/the #1 pick I would love to draft someone w/supreme ball skill potential (Pass / dribble / shoot) but Zion's a rare breed. Never before seen.
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The only other options I'd consider at #1 are Morant or Culver. Along with Zion, these are the most apparent guys who could potentially be more than #2's. I wouldn't expect them to be championship level #1's though
On that note, when the NBA season starts Morant and Culver will be 20
On that note, when the NBA season starts Morant and Culver will be 20
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When you're drafting a big, for me you should ask yourself
"How switchable is he?"
"Can he protect the rim"
In a hypothetical sense if Zion's going up against Golden State, or Philly in a conference finals right now, does he project to guard his position competently and he switch onto CP3, Harden, Kyrie, etc.
He absolutely can. It's why Zion being the #1 pick isn't really that bad. This isn't Ayton over Doncic bad to me because He's potentially transcendent on the defensive end. He's better than Draymond green on that end at his age and I personally love those body types when they're as mobile as Zion is. They are HELL to play against.
"How switchable is he?"
"Can he protect the rim"
In a hypothetical sense if Zion's going up against Golden State, or Philly in a conference finals right now, does he project to guard his position competently and he switch onto CP3, Harden, Kyrie, etc.
He absolutely can. It's why Zion being the #1 pick isn't really that bad. This isn't Ayton over Doncic bad to me because He's potentially transcendent on the defensive end. He's better than Draymond green on that end at his age and I personally love those body types when they're as mobile as Zion is. They are HELL to play against.
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By the time Zion is at the peak of his powers GSW/HOU will probably be no more and the league could have a completely different landscape. CP3 will be like 50
As it is now the best defenses have drop bigs. I do agree with the general premise though, there's no legit reason to not take Zion unless you're fully convinced Ja and Culver are Dame level or Paul George level
As it is now the best defenses have drop bigs. I do agree with the general premise though, there's no legit reason to not take Zion unless you're fully convinced Ja and Culver are Dame level or Paul George level
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By the time Zion is at the peak of his powers GSW/HOU will probably be no more and the league could have a completely different landscape. CP3 will be like 50
As it is now the best defenses have drop bigs. I do agree with the general premise though, there's no legit reason to not take Zion unless you're fully convinced Ja and Culver are Dame level or Paul George level
They are but when you're talking about the #1 pick, you're talking about championships, no? And in that regard, Houston's bigs are switching (Even though they aren't doing it nearly as much with their bigs this year) Golden State is switching, and while I obviously agree in that GSW / Hou will age out pretty soon, I don't think switching in high level situations won't go anytime soon.
This is my opinion speaking, but the elite guards are too good of shooters to have your bigs in drop on defense, and I think that premise is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future..
It's one of the things I'm enthralled with when it comes to Zion, is his defensive potential. That to me is more transcendent than what he projects to be offensively. He can guard anyone. He can contain in drop, he can switch onto guards if need be, he projects to be an insanely good help defender due to instinct, crazy.
And yeah I agree. I like Culver a lot, but he's not close to the prospect Zion is and I joked about drafting Ja over Zion but truthfully, drafting a PG who can't shoot off the dribble w/the #1 pick should never happen.
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There's been plenty of drafts where a #1 pick isn't a #1 championship level player. There are like 3-5 players (if even that) currently in the league who are considered as such
Switching bigs are something that has become overstated. Very few teams have that personnel up and down their roster. The best young bigs today aren't switching, but of course if Zion can do it, you have something special
To your points on Culver and Ja... so there you have it, your undisputed choice for #1
while it's fair to criticize Zion's supposed weaknesses they're not enough to not take him first. Even if he isn't a #1 championship level option, which he isn't projected to be, correct?.. which is my general point
