Following Potential 2025 Draftees

[Handlogten's Heros]

He has risen his level significantly in conference play. Obviously he's making shots, but his shot distribution has also become more convincing (attempts at the rim and from 3). I've been a skeptic, but he's answering a lot of the concerns. His mid range shot making was always elite, some of the best I've ever seen, but he wasn't able to utilize his talents to get more efficient shots early on.

At this point, I'd compare him to Tatum with significantly worse BBIQ and guard skills (handle/passing especially), but probably better physical tools.

I think there's a fairly sizable drop off after the top 4.

I agree on the drop off and on Ace. My main concerns were the shooting percentages because of his ****** shot profile. Combined with the FT percentage I was real worried. Now the FT percentage and lack of passing are the main knocks. I'm curious how he fills out. Is he more the KD slim body type or more like a tatum.

Kevin O Conner threw out a Haliburton comp for Kas and I like that. I can see something along those lines if he works.

For VJ if the shot started falling in a big way I think he could end up on his own tier or cracking that Kas/Ace/Harper tier.

 

[KqWIN]

I agree on the drop off and on Ace. My main concerns were the shooting percentages because of his ****** shot profile. Combined with the FT percentage I was real worried. Now the FT percentage and lack of passing are the main knocks. I'm curious how he fills out. Is he more the KD slim body type or more like a tatum.

Kevin O Conner threw out a Haliburton comp for Kas and I like that. I can see something along those lines if he works.

For VJ if the shot started falling in a big way I think he could end up on his own tier or cracking that Kas/Ace/Harper tier.

Ace's frame is really large....He might be like a modern day version of LMA. As much as was a skeptic, I was still impressed by how damn good he was at making the hard shots. Often times when you have a prospect that's lauded for his shot making ability they are making like 20-30% of those shots....Even before Ace started really heating up he was making 50% of his non-rim 2's which is crazy given his degree of difficulty.

My inital comparison for Kas was DLO with brains, but I suppose that's not too different from what Hali is. What's good about Kas and might even give him an advantage over the other two is his play going to the basket. He's an absolute foul merchant and finishes extremely well around the hoop. That adds a lot of reliability and additional threat as a PnR ball handler.

VJ/Traore/Tre probably make up my next tier....but I think they're significantly worse than the top 4.

 

[seattlejazzfan]

I agree on the drop off and on Ace. My main concerns were the shooting percentages because of his ****** shot profile. Combined with the FT percentage I was real worried. Now the FT percentage and lack of passing are the main knocks. I'm curious how he fills out. Is he more the KD slim body type or more like a tatum.

Kevin O Conner threw out a Haliburton comp for Kas and I like that. I can see something along those lines if he works.

For VJ if the shot started falling in a big way I think he could end up on his own tier or cracking that Kas/Ace/Harper tier.

i watch nearly every rutgers game and neither of those concern me much. the FT shooting doesn't concern me at all. it's something that will fix itself with reps and sample size. he'll be 75-80% his rookie season. the passing is a small concern, but it simply isn't his role, it isn't what this particular rutgers team needs from him - when they swing the ball to him, they want him thinking score 1st, 2nd and 3rd. i mention that i've seen nearly every rutgers game, because it's painfully obvious he's not a selfish player. he's a very willing passer, but when he's attacking and making plays - they want him putting it up. i say it's a small concern because his passing and vision do seem to be average right now. but passing is absolutely something that can be greatly improved with age, experience and the added spacing of the nba game.
my biggest concern with bailey is that he still struggles to get easy shots - even when he's taking it to the basket, they tend to be difficult finishes and he still takes a crap ton of high difficulty jump shots. the concern is whether he can sustain good to great efficiency now and over the course of his nba career.

but regardless of the concerns - the dude is still a very young 18 and not only can and should he improve on all these aspects, his improvement curve is already steep. he's gotten so much better just over the course of 1/2 of an NCAA season. speaks to how young he really is and how hard he works.

 

[NAOS_pt2]

You just described college KD.

A lot of people seem to think that Bailey is trending in the right direction right now. I think I'm one of them.

I've also already said that if we drafted him, I'd get hyped.

And since you threw out KD, I'll just say that my eyeball test favors college-KD over Bailey right now. FWIW

 

[NAOS_pt2]

the passing is a small concern, but it simply isn't his role, it isn't what this particular rutgers team needs from him - when they swing the ball to him, they want him thinking score 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

I think every basketball team wants you to hit the open man when that's screamingly obvious. There have been times when Bailey didn't do that.

 

[bigmike]

A lot of people seem to think that Bailey is trending in the right direction right now. I think I'm one of them.

I've also already said that if we drafted him, I'd get hyped.

And since you threw out KD, I'll just say that my eyeball test favors college-KD over Bailey right now. FWIW

This was well-represented. College KD >>>> anyone in this draft but there are certainly parallels between Bailey and KD's skillsets.

Ace is a damn good player and very exciting prospect. I was higher on Harper pre-BIG 10 play but it's hard not to be concerned about the drop off in production (in fairness I have missed several of those games).

Would certainly lean towards an order of 1) Flagg, 2) Ace, 3) Harper at this point but if Ace keeps playing (and shooting) like this he'll get a hard look at #1 by some folks.

 

[NAOS_pt2]

This was well-represented. College KD >>>> anyone in this draft but there are certainly parallels between Bailey and KD's skillsets.

Ace is a damn good player and very exciting prospect. I was higher on Harper pre-BIG 10 play but it's hard not to be concerned about the drop off in production (in fairness I have missed several of those games).

Would certainly lean towards an order of 1) Flagg, 2) Ace, 3) Harper at this point but if Ace keeps playing (and shooting) like this he'll get a hard look at #1 by some folks.

I'd be shocked if Bailey ever gets a hard look at #1 over Flagg.

 

[KqWIN]

it's nice to see the guys at the very top getting better and turning it up during conference play. most of the other one and done lottery guys have either regressed or stayed pretty stagnant since the start of conference play.

Egor the lone counterbalance to all this good play. It's too bad, I had high hopes for him.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

i watch nearly every rutgers game and neither of those concern me much. the FT shooting doesn't concern me at all. it's something that will fix itself with reps and sample size. he'll be 75-80% his rookie season. the passing is a small concern, but it simply isn't his role, it isn't what this particular rutgers team needs from him - when they swing the ball to him, they want him thinking score 1st, 2nd and 3rd. i mention that i've seen nearly every rutgers game, because it's painfully obvious he's not a selfish player. he's a very willing passer, but when he's attacking and making plays - they want him putting it up. i say it's a small concern because his passing and vision do seem to be average right now. but passing is absolutely something that can be greatly improved with age, experience and the added spacing of the nba game.
my biggest concern with bailey is that he still struggles to get easy shots - even when he's taking it to the basket, they tend to be difficult finishes and he still takes a crap ton of high difficulty jump shots. the concern is whether he can sustain good to great efficiency now and over the course of his nba career.

but regardless of the concerns - the dude is still a very young 18 and not only can and should he improve on all these aspects, his improvement curve is already steep. he's gotten so much better just over the course of 1/2 of an NCAA season. speaks to how young he really is and how hard he works.

I don't worry about the free throw shooting in a vacuum it is often cited as a key indicator into how good of a shooter a kid is. Since his other percentages are rising it is easier to brush off. If it lines up with the other percentages it becomes more worrisome. He had one 1-8 outing and that obviously moves things with a small sample size.

All of these kids will have knocks... its when they have like 3 or 4 troubling ones that I get really nervous. The shot quality was a big issues but if he is mixing in some easy attempts with his amazing knack for making the hard ones then you have something that works. He looks very young... sometimes when a guy is 18 but built like a grown man I don't necessarily think "wait until his body fills out he will be a monster". I think some are already working with some of what they will have... his frame and just face looks like a HS so he may have more to gain when he fills out?

Anyway. He's worked his way to where I think I don't worry about him at 3 or 4 at all... other guys also faded which makes me sad.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Egor the lone counterbalance to all this good play. It's too bad, I had high hopes for him.

Me too... and if it works its just a fun unique player but man... dude can't throw it in the ocean right now.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I'd be shocked if Bailey ever gets a hard look at #1 over Flagg.

Flagg would have to really fall off or suffer a bad bad injury. He's going to be an all-nba guy if healthy.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

I think every basketball team wants you to hit the open man when that's screamingly obvious. There have been times when Bailey didn't do that.

Even in the NBA, there's lots of dudes who are wide open for a reason. You don't pass them the ball if you're a scorer who has a decent shot at one of your main spots.

In college, it's a hunded times worse. I'm no Ace fan but on that team I want him taking a ton of shots.