Ty's NBA Draft Preview
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The first and second round of the NBA draft starts tomorrow. I don't understand why they are breaking it up over two days, but whatever. I'm going to do my usual "draft preview" today. I'm going to give you five prospects I like, three I'm not so high on and two "sleepers". Props to all these players for making it to this point. They are about to achieve the highest level they can in their profession, and that takes a ton of hard work to do. Now, onto the "preview".
First I'm going to give you my five favorite prospects, starting with Cooper Flagg. Flagg is as can't miss as they come. He can score from outside, drive to the hoop and create offense. He puts forth a ton of effort on defense. He has been in the spotlight for a long time so tv and interviews will not bother him. He is ready for this moment and, even though he went to Duke, I'm excited to watch him play in the NBA. Flagg is going to be awesome. My next prospect I like is Dylan Harper. This kid is going to be an important player his entire career. He is a very good point guard that can also shoot the ball. I know Rutgers wasn't very good last season, but that was not due to Harper's play in the least. He was totally productive. When he missed time, Rutgers struggled big time. Harper can play a little defense as well. Wherever he goes, and it's looking like San Antonio, he is going to be a day 1 starter and contributor. Harper is legit. My next prospect is Derik Queen. Queen is a modern big who can play like an old school big. He single handedly won games for Maryland last season. He was always grabbing boards and initiating offense. He plays with a swagger that most kids his age don't possess. He has the feel of being a 20 point per game scorer from day one. Queen is my favorite prospect in this draft. Next I have Liam McNeely. I know he isn't the "biggest" name, and UConn wasn't the dominant force they have been in the past, but McNeely put in work. He is long and lean. He can shoot and defend. He is a good rebounder and I think, given the right situation, he could be a key player for a decade in the NBA. He does need to bulk up, but he has all the tools to succeed. And my final good prospect is VJ Edgecombe. He is a freak athlete. He can jump out of the gym. His perimeter game is getting better and better. And he is a very good defender at such a young age. He needs to work on ball handling, but that will come with time. He reminds me, in athleticism, of a fitter, younger Zion Williamson, and that is not hyperbole. The dude is one hell of an athlete.
Now to the not so good prospects. First I have Kon Knueppel. I don't understand this rise up the draft boards. He is a fine player, but I do not see lottery pick in him. He has a motor that doesn't stop, but so does everyone else in the NBA. When I look at Knueppel I see a role player as his ceiling. I wouldn't take him as my franchise player. It also helped that he was playing next to Cooper Flagg and Khaman Malauch. He isn't going to find it as easy in the NBA. My next meh prospect is Danny Wolf. Look, I loved every single thing he did at Michigan last season. He really led that team in Dusty May's first season and it was rad to see them make the Sweet Sixteen. But Wolf also frustrated me to no end. He was a turnover machine. He would disappear during games from time to time. His shot never fully developed. I hope I'm wrong here, but I think Wolf would have benefited from one more season at Michigan. My final meh prospect is Ace Bailey. I don't know what's going on with him and his team, but not working out is always a bad sign to me. Add in the fact that he isn't even talking to teams, something funky is going on. While being a great scorer, he is rail thin and almost a zero on defense. Watching him play, he is dynamic, but this silence has been wild. I have heard he wants to start right away, which is fine. But, to essentially ghost these teams is wild to me. And it makes me skeptical of his overall talent.
Finally I have my two "sleeper" prospects. First I have Johni Broome. Sure he is old. Sure he had an odd vertical leap at the combine. Sure he is going to be a late second round pick. But all the kid does is win. He is an incredibly smart and adept basketball player. He knows what he can and cannot do. And I would want a kid like him on my team any day of the week. My other "sleeper" prospect is Walter Clayton Jr. Again, he is another older player, but he was the hub of the team that won it all last year. He is a solid point guard, who can really shoot the three. He also gives it a go on defense, he doesn't take plays off and he, much like Broome, is a proven winner. I would so much rather have him on my team than Knueppel or Bailey. I know exactly what I'm getting if I draft Clayton Jr. And that makes me feel better.
There you have it, my 2025 NBA draft "preview". Take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the draft.
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing, the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast, and the greatest basketball writer on the internet.