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Following Potential 2025 Draftees

Here is how I would rank the defense of the top 6 draft prospects:

Flagg - Very good, but not quite as amazing as described pre-season

Bailey - Length and Athleticism and Effort
Edgecombe - A strength for sure, but not amazing

Harper - Mostly acceptable with some highs and lows

Kas - Needs improvement, but wouldn't stop me from drafting him

Tre - Concerning, but maybe he just needs better coaching?
 
Ferguson_Mellochill said:
In terms of purely physical comps (what I was referring to), JC and Ellis are a match. Oladipo has 30 lbs and quite a bit of power compared to Edgecombe. I guess we'll have to wait and see what Edgecombe looks like at the Combine, but he doesn't have the mass of guys like Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo or Anthony Edwards--guys people seem to want to compare VJ to.
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I mean you are comparing VJ's current weight as a 19 yo to Victor's weight as a 21 yo... VJ's frame looks very capable of adding 15-20 lbs of good weight by then.
 
When I look at VJ I don't think of a wiry guy like JC or Ellis. We will see at the combine but I would be he looks more similar to Vic/Donny than Ellis/JC
 
Handlogten's Heros said:
When I look at VJ I don't think of a wiry guy like JC or Ellis. We will see at the combine but I would be he looks more similar to Vic/Donny than Ellis/JC
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I think that more importantly, VJ has a different kind of motor. As frail as he was, I bet that Ellis could have been a great defender had he put as much effort into defense/hustle as he did getting buckets. Yes the physical attributes matter, but it's also a mentality thing. Mitchell is built like a truck, but we've seen him both be great on defense and also horrific depending on his attitude. I do think that VJ plays the right way.
 
KqWIN said:
I do think that VJ plays the right way.
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Yeah. It never hurts to be a super athlete in the league, but the main thing I've always liked about Edgecombe is that he seems to play without ego. At the same time, though, he looks like a kid who won't get rattled under the bright lights at all. Never too high, never too low. Confident but not cocky. That's a good starting point for an NBA career.

You never see him throwing tantrums, barking at the refs or hanging his head. Just goes about his business.
 
KqWIN said:
I think that more importantly, VJ has a different kind of motor. As frail as he was, I bet that Ellis could have been a great defender had he put as much effort into defense/hustle as he did getting buckets. Yes the physical attributes matter, but it's also a mentality thing. Mitchell is built like a truck, but we've seen him both be great on defense and also horrific depending on his attitude. I do think that VJ plays the right way.
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Yeah I think Ellis and JC are "hollow" on defense. I doubt anyone will be trucking VJ. He just looks like he could fill out similar to those guys who are more stout. And yes. You can have wingspan physique and athleticism... and still be *** on defense... see Bamba, Mo.
 
Handlogten's Heros said:
Yeah I think Ellis and JC are "hollow" on defense. I doubt anyone will be trucking VJ. He just looks like he could fill out similar to those guys who are more stout. And yes. You can have wingspan physique and athleticism... and still be *** on defense... see Bamba, Mo.
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I can already sense VJ becoming a shrinkflation prospect....the measurables obviously matter, but actual ability matters more. Reminds me of when everyone was freaking out about just how tiny Cason Wallace is....that guy was a straight up dog, but instead we're agonizing over him being 0.5 inches shorter than X and was shrinking by the day.

The two guys VJ is likely going to be compared to the most this draft cycle are Kas and Tre. I like both those guys, but at the same time I'm not going to obsesses over the fact that they're taller than VJ when I trust VJ in every single defensive situation more. VJ may very well end up behind those guys on my final board, but it won't be because I deluded myself into think the other two are better defenders because of their size.
 
The NBA game is much more open, much more up-tempo, and the driving lanes are bigger than the NCAA. I need to take this into consideration more. Guys who don't beat defenders off the dribble and don't get all the way to the rim in the NCAA, seem to be much more able to do these things in the NBA. It's like the NCAA masks certain players' athleticism somewhat because the paint is just too crowded. If that's the case, then Edgecombe is going to look a lot smoother and dynamic in the NBA than he does at Baylor. Hopefully the same can be said for Kasparas.
 
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