I love basketball, and that love was ingrained in me by my father. Not directly — as in he never pushed me to love it — but it was imbued into the fabric of my being because it was a way for him and I to be close.

I joked about how the Spurs, his favorite team, and Tim Duncan were “boring”. He told me that they played fundamental basketball, the way it was supposed to be played. I said there was no fun in that.

He told me there was fun in winning.

That’s where my love for basketball began. Those talks with my dad, where he taught me to appreciate the little things, even though I was too hard-headed to ever agree with him at the time.

I hope ya’ll see that love today.

With every post I make, I try to convey that. Every article I write is a love letter to basketball and what it means to me.

It’s not just a distraction — and damn, do we need distractions these days.

It’s also how my dad talked about basketball to me.

He worked 10-14 hours a day, every single day of the week. But I cherished every single minute I got a chance to talk hoops with him.

I had posters of LeBron all over my room, ripped from magazines. I traced over his autograph with a marker to make them feel legit. I looked up to LeBron, but — and maybe I didn’t know it at the time — my dad was my real hero.

My dad, along with his brothers, immigrated here after his older brother joined the U.S. military and sponsored his American Citizenship.

My dad worked and worked, until he became a cannery foreman.

I worked alongside him for two summers while I was in high school, and it was there I saw what it meant to chase the American dream.

There were dozens of immigrants, leaving their homes and families to move to another country just to make the federal minimum wage, or $7.75 an hour. But that $7.75 an hour was more than some doctors made in my home country. So those long hours, where you left smelling like fish guts and covered in scales, slime, and salt water were all worth it.

Even though they sacrificed so much — their careers, their homes, their time — as long as they could provide for those they loved, it was worth it.

I learned then what I know now: That the American Dream has and will always be laid down upon a foundation built by immigrants.

So, while I deeply love basketball and convey that love with every post I make on twitter or ever article I write here on substack, my entire foundation is rooted in much, much more.

Telling me to “stick to basketball” is an impossible thing to do, because basketball and life, as a whole, do not only intersect but are actually interconnected.

Basketball is not just a distraction or a hobby. It’s a foundational piece of my identity — a reminder of simpler days with my dad.

And, at the end of the day, I carry on my dad’s American Dream

When I was 17, he passed away in his sleep after working a fourteen-hour shift. He worked and he worked until he couldn’t. For me and my family.

He fought until he couldn’t.

And like him, I will fight until I can’t. I’ll write, speak and stand for those that can’t.

After all, how can I be silent when Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, spent every breath of his life — even his last — trying to help others?

How can I be silent when Renee Good — whose glove compartment overflowed with the toys of a child who’ll never see his mom again — was shot and killed in front of her wife?

How can I be silent when five-year-old — wearing a fuzzy blue hat with ears and pom-poms and a Spider-Man backpack — was taken from his home as his mother’s cries for him went unanswered?

How can I be silent when Keith Porter was shot by an off-duty ICE agent who felt empowered enough to call himself both judge, jury, and executioner?

How can I be silent when the federal government is arresting independent journalists just for speaking?

So, if you want to use your free speech to tell me to ‘stick to hoops’, that’s your prerogative. I’m glad you have the privilege to speak.

(I will talk hoops, by the way. I love it too much not to.)

But I have too many reasons not to ‘stick to hoops’.

I’ll never forget my dad, who was an immigrant himself, and the people I worked alongside in the canneries, straining themselves daily for minimum wage just so their families could live.

I’ll never forget Alex Pretti or Renee Good’s last words. They were Pretti. They were Good.

And they’ll resonate forever.

Far longer than the hate and division ICE and the federal government have tried to imbue into our society. For there is no substance in something rooted in hate. It’ll fall apart the more we stand together.

So I’ll continue to speak up because this isn’t the American Dream my father chased after.

This is a nightmare.

But we wake up from nightmares, right?

And, when we, as a country, wake up, we will dream everything we stand for — That All Men are Created Equal and Endowed with the Unalienable Rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness — back into reality.

All statistics updated as of 11/24/2025

Tier 1: The Frontrunner

1. Kon Knueppel (Previous Rank: 3)

19.4 points (49/44/90- 65.4% TS), 5.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks in 33.6MPG (17 GP)

Last time, I mentioned how Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball are a match made in heaven, with playstyles and skillsets tailormade for one another; however, Kon Knueppel has shown over the last two weeks that he can shine with or without LaMelo alongside him. He carried a heavier offensive load without missing a beat. When LaMelo returned, Kon, once again, looked unaffected. He has the feel, skillset, and playstyle to shine regardless of who is around him, and that boils down to his shot making and penchant for making the correct plays.

He’s deadly regardless of how he’s utilized. For example, as the roll man in Pick-and-Roll sets, his effectiveness ranks in the 95th percentile. He’s great at reading the floor, finding openings within the defense, and capitalizing on those openings. As it stands, he’s also set to break numerous rookie records with his 3PT shooting. And, in doing so, has climbed to the top of the rookie ladder, where he has a firm lead over the rest of the pack.

Tier 2: ROTY Candidates

2. Cooper Flagg (Previous Rank: 8)

16.1 points (46/29/79- 53.4% TS), 6.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.7 blocks in 33.6 MPG (17GP)

I said in my first Rookie Ladder article that keeping Cooper Flagg from climbing up the rookie ladder would be a difficult task. Now that he’s settled in and moved back to his natural position, he’s quickly proven that to be a reality. For all his struggles, Flagg is still a betting favorite to win Rookie of the Year because people understand how impactful his skillset and talent can be once it clicks.

And we are seeing him click more quickly and more often now than in his first few weeks. Because of the microscope he is playing under, his struggles will always be more prominent, but he’s given his critics less and less to pick at. His defense has popped. His decision-making has settled down and he is making good reads without forcing bad passes or taking bad shots.

3. VJ Edgecombe (Previous Rank: 1)

15.6 points (41/37/74 - 50.3% TS), 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.5 blocks in 37.3 MPG (15 GP)

VJ Edgecombe’s shooting has come down to earth, unsurprisingly. It was clearly unsustainable, but the fun was ride while it lasted. But, even with his shot having gone cold, the rookie has still managed to play impactful hoops for a Philadelphia team poised for a playoff berth.

His role on this team looks secure, even with Paul George back and Jared McCain being reintegrated into the offense. His explosive playstyle complements Tyrese Maxey extremely well, with him being the Knuckles to Maxey’s sonic. I anticipate Edgecombe to break out of this shooting slump eventually and remain a Rookie of the Year contender throughout the season. Additionally, Edgecombe is just one of two rookies in the top-15 of Rookie PPG with a positive +/- (Coward, who is up next, is the other).

4. Cedric Coward (Previous Rank: 2)

14.3 points (47/39/88 - 61.5% TS), 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks in 26.4 MPG (17 GP)

Cedric Coward is good. There’s a misconception that “older” prospects (i.e. upperclassman) don’t carry upside or have lower ceilings. Don’t get it twisted. Cedric Coward has upside in spades.

Even as his shooting has come down to earth, Coward has been impactful with his minutes. He has the length and wing-span to be a suffocating perimeter defender, but it’s his off-the-dribble shot creation that really has me intrigued. He still has room to climb back up the ladder, too, as he is playing less noticeably minutes than the three players ranked above him.

5. Derik Queen (Previous Rank: 11)

12.6 points (49/13/79- 55.4% TS), 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks in 24.2 MPG (17GP)

The outlook in New Orleans has been bleak, but Derik Queen (and his fellow rookie Jeremiah Fears) continue to be bright spots. Queen has injected energy, and, to an extent, hope into a Pelicans season marred by criticism and disappointment. And, when you watch him play, it’s easy to see why.

Queen will be judged more harshly for his performance because of the price the Pelicans paid to draft him. But his combination of feel, fluidity, and playmaking for a big man has made that pill a lot easier to swallow, especially with how he’s played recently. Over his last five games, he’s averaging 17.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.8 stocks on 57.4% TS. If he can maintain that level of play going forward, he'll easily crack the Top-3.

Tier 2: On Their Heels

6. Jeremiah Fears (Previous Rank: 5)

15.4 points (46/35/78 - 53.6% TS), 3.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.2 blocks in 26.9 MPG (17 GP)

I’ll be honest: Jeremiah Fears’ transition to the NBA has gone a lot smoother than I anticipated. With his size, I thought getting into the paint and finishing would involve a steep learning curve for the rook. But he’s blended both burst & quickness with pace & physicality extremely well, allowing him to get downhill even against skilled defenders. His first step is nasty, but so is his ability to accelerate once he turns the corner. Plus, he’s much better at absorbing and finishing through contact than you’d expect, especially once he has a defender on his hip.

7. Ryan Kalkbrenner (Previous Rank: 9)

9.4 points (80/0/79 - 81.4% TS), 6.9 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.9 blocks in 25.5 MPG (15 GP)

You could tell me that Ryan Kalkbrenner, while not as flashy as other members of his draft class, is playing like a Top-5 Rookie and I wouldn’t argue. I already struggled with not ranking him higher than this.

Kalk has essentially come in from day one and served as a high-level starting center that excels at play-finishing and creating lanes with his screens offensively. His defense has shone even brighter, with him being able to switch onto the perimeter while also protecting the rim. I think he’s a little underrated and not talked about enough, but he will be one of the top rookies in terms of performance and impact this year.

8. Dylan Harper (Previous Rank: 4)

14.0 points (50/36/83 - 58.4% TS), 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.0 blocks in 23.3 MPG (6 GP)

An injury has robbed us from the bright spot that Dylan Harper has been when healthy. Harper was poised to break into the top-3 and contend for the Rookie of the Year spot, but, on the bright side, he’s set to return in a month or so. After healing up, we can expect Harper to pick up exactly where he left off and demonstrate his ability to operate alongside De’Aaron Fox without missing a beat. Him "falling” down this iteration of the rankings is not a reflection on Harper at all, but moreso reflective of how well other players have performed while Harper has been recovering. I anticipate him climbing up quickly once he returns.

Tier 3: The Rest of the Pack

9. Tre Johnson (Previous Rank: 6)

11.5 points (45/40/81- 56.5% TS), 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.5 blocks in 24.3 MPG (15 GP)

Last time, I mentioned that it would be difficult to keep Tre Johnson out of the Top-5 of the rookie ladder; however, since then, he’s fallen from sixth to ninth. Why? It’s partly because of how he’s being utilized within the Wizards offense. They aren’t running a ton of sets for him. He’s still acclimating to hoops at the NBA level and Washington hasn’t been using him as the first option, especially with Kyshawn and Alex thriving in Year-2.

Additionally, reports have come out stating that Tre has been dealing with a lingering injury that has hampered him since college. Like with what happened with the 2024 rookies, expect to see Tre Johnson’s role climb as the season progresses, especially once he fully recovers from his injury.

10. Ace Bailey (Previous Rank: Watch List)

9.2 points (44/33/82- 53.5% TS), 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.1 blocks in 21.1 MPG (16 GP)

Making his first appearance onto my rookie ladder, Ace Bailey has picked up steam, especially since being inserted into the starting lineup. As a starter, Ace is averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals on 52/39/71 shooting splits (63.4% TS). It also helps that Ace looks to be fully healed from his case of the flu and the knee issues he experienced in pre-season. Outside of his shotmaking, his motor has been a bright spot, with him averaging more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds thus far into his career.

Will Hardy has done an amazing job integrating him into the offense and putting him in positions where he can get cleans look. This has helped ease the transition from college into the NBA. He’s also making great reads and playing unselfish ball, something many critics felt he couldn’t do after his lone season at Rutgers.

11. Collin Murray-Boyles (Previous Rank: 7)

7.9 points (51/50/76- 60.7% TS), 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks in 20.0 MPG (12 GP)

Collin Murray-Boyles has had a quiet, but consistent role on a surprisingly good Raptors team. Because of the Raptors’ success, CMB’s upside is capped at the moment, but, even with the team fully healthy, CMB has carved out minutes because of his positional versatility and defensive motor. It’s not his performance, but his lack of minutes that has contributed to his minor fall down the ladder.

For the year, while he isn’t taking a ton of threes (1.5 3PA/g), he’s shot very well thus far, hitting 50% of his 3PAs and 76.2% of his FTAs. Those numbers are both improvements over the 23% and 70% he shot from those areas, respectively, during his collegiate career. With that, he’s easing concerns that people (including myself) had about his fit on this Raptors team.

12. Egor Dëmin (Previous Rank: Watch List)

7.5 points (37/37/89- 51.9% TS), 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks in 21.8 MPG (15 GP)

Egor Dëmin, another playing making their debut on my rookie ladder, is settling in over the last two weeks, where he’s averaged 9.7 points, 4.2 assists, and 3.3 rebounds over a 6-game span. The efficiency still isn’t the prettiest, but it’s been held afloat by great 3PT (37.0%) and FT (88.9%) shooting. His scoring, especially in the interior, has plenty of room to improve, but at least he’s gotten downhill more frequently.

Although he’s gotten downhill more often, he’s still convering just 41.7% of his FGAs from within 0-3 feet of the rim. He has the self-awareness to recognize that weakness in his game, though, and is actively working to address it.

13. Sion James (Previous Rank: 10)

6.9 points (44/42/81 - 59.5% TS), 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks in 26.5 MPG (17 GP)

Sion remains one of the most underrated rookies among this draft class. And while he’s been overshadowed by Kalk and Kon, Sion needs some love for stepping up after being placed into the starting lineup and performing as a more than serviceable starter for the Hornets.

He’s been very reliable from beyond the arc and has demonstrated an ability to attack closeouts and put the ball onto the court as well. His activity and motor on the defensive end is crucial to this Charlotte team, too.

Watch List:

Will Richard, Kobe Sanders, Nique Clifford, Drake Powell, Caleb Love, Walter Clayton Jr., Maxime Raynaud, Jase Richardson

We hear a lot of players talk about how much they WANT to get better Kyshawn George talked that talk, and has actually backed it up with his play.

While he finished his rookie year as, in my opinion, the most impressive of the Wizard rookies, he started off his sophomore year EVEN better, using AmeriCup as a launching point to build momentum.

Those live reps at AmeriCup, where he was thrust into a primary on-ball scorer role — which I think is important for every young player who will have on-ball duties — have done wonders for his long-term growth.

Rep after rep in practice is importance, but being able to utilize those moves in-game not only establish confidence but create opportunities for further growth.

And his growth has been on full display early into his sophomore season.

Last year, in 68 games played, he scored 15 points or more TEN times.

This year?

He’s done that FIVE times in JUST 7 games.

To properly acknowledge growth, you have to remember where you started. Kyshawn was the 24th pick of the ‘24 draft, coming out of Miami, where he served as a fill-in point guard. For the first half of his rookie year, he was lackluster and overlooked.

From opening day until December 31st, 2024, Kyshawn averaged just 7.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.1 turnovers with 33.5/25.6/71.9 shooting splits (44.8% TS). Not very pretty, huh?

But even during that stretch, there were flashes of the player he could be.

Those flashes shone especially bright when he was tasked with playing on-ball. In the video above (from October 28th, 2024), you can see how natural and comfortable he looks playmaking and facilitating, hinting that the pace and patience that’s popped so frequently in Year-2 has been there all along.

As a rook, his physicality, or lack thereof, was very apparent and was illustrated in his shot selection, forcing him to settle for perimeter shots and struggle to get to the rim. Nearly two-thirds of his field-goal attempts (64.8%) were from beyond the arc, with only 15.9% of his attempts coming from within 0-3 FT of the rim.

Starting 2-22 from deep to open his career certainly didn’t help either.

However, it didn’t take him long to shake off that cold start, which is something I anticipated because the mechanics were always pure butter.

Here are two examples:

In the first (from March 13th, 2025), you can how picturesque the form is, especially on catch-and-shoot threes. It’s quick and compact with a high-release point.

In the next video, you see how that form extends far beyond the arc, showcasing how real the touch is from deep.

Even when the shot wasn’t falling and when he wasn’t been tasked to run the offense, Kyshawn found ways to pop: with his defense. Those flashes of defensive brilliance became more and more consistent as the season progressed, too.

After the all-star break, where Kyshawn’s role ballooned, he established himself as a potential all-defensive level player, in my opinion. Among eligible players who served as the primary defender on 300 or more field goal attempts, Kyshawn’s DFG% of 40% (5.9% less than expected) was the best in the league.

If you the numbers aren’t enough for you, peep the following mix created by Brett Usher (@UsherNBA on Twitter) to see what a defensive menace Ky was as a rookie.

And it wasn’t only his defense that began to pop more and more. Like I said, even early in the season, his feel and fluidity for his age popped whenever he got opportunities, even if his shot wasn’t falling. Those opportunities became more and more bountiful after Kyle Kuzma was traded on February 5th, 2025.

Kyshawn was also trending up even before the trade took place, but Kuzma’s departure served as a launching point for the young Wizard. Before February 5th (44 GP), he was averaging a pedestrian 7.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks on 47.5% TS and in 25.4 MPG.

Afterwards (23 GP), he averaged 10.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks on 52.5% TS and in 28.4 MPG.

The numbers can’t fully encapsulate the growth he made as a player, though. His confidence was skyrocketing on both ends, helping him start building the momentum that he carried throughout the summer and into this season.

Now, the flashes are not just brighter, but they’re more consistent. And, when you think of stars, what are they if not consistent flashes of brightness?

Understanding the leap he’s made isn’t possible without also acknowledging the work over he put in over the summer. Ky wasn’t just in the weight room or dominating open runs, but, like I said earlier, he also joined Team Canada for AmeriCup, where he got crucial on-ball reps that have laid the foundation for him to become the player we are seeing today.

One of the best things you can do, as a player and organization, is supporting a player by giving them opportunities to play in an extended role and expand their game. For Kyshawn and the Wizards, AmeriCup was exactly that. It allowed him to flesh out his game as a self-creator and initiator, helping him build the confidence to bust out the same off-the-dribble moves that have been instrumental in his growth as a scorer.

From there, Kyshawn himself highlighted how important it was to carry what he built at AmeriCup into the ‘25-26 season. He made it a focus to be more aggressive and to create more often for both himself and others.

He’s stuck to the gameplan, too. Over his rookie year, only 7.9% of his 3PAs were unassisted. As a sophomore, that number has grown to 23.8%.

Last year, just 42.7% of his 2PAs were unassisted. This year, he’s creating 72.4% of his own looks from 2PT-range. As a driver and attacker, Ky showcases newfound physicality, product of hours in the weight room and countless reps in an open gym. The added strength has helped him be more effective from close range, scoring an insane 94% of time when shooting from within 0-3 feet of the rim. He’s also getting to the line more frequently, improving his free-throw rate from .170 to .223.

But he’s not just stronger. There’s a ton of nuance to his driving game, showcasing improved pace and patience off-the-dribble. These changes have contributed to his improved finishing and free-throw rate just as much as adding strength has.

The steps he’s made on offense has led to an uptick in usage from his rookie season, growing from 15.9% to 21.8%. With more usage comes more playmaking opportunities and chances to facilitate, helping him increase his AST% from 13.3% to 19.9%.

As a playmaker, his improved handle gives him more gravity as an attacker, creating more space for his teammates to operate. In the video below, he begins out of the triple threat and using a mix of pace and dribble moves to start getting downhill on Edgecombe (one of the most promising perimeter defenders of this year’s rookie class). In doing so, he forces Bona to rotate over and help, which frees Alex Sarr up for an open three.

There’s things he needs to clean up in that area (such as doubling nearly his turnovers per 100 possessions from 2.6 to 5.1), but his growth gives Washington a consistent source of playmaking from their wing position.

As you’ve seen, with Kyshawn, the further you dig into the numbers and stats, the more they back up what we are seeing on film. He hasn’t just taken a step or two forward. He’s making a full-blown leap.

Eight games into the season, he averages 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 blocks on 64.9% TS.

Per 100 possessions, he’s increased his points from 15.6 to 25.2, his rebounds from 7.5 to 10.2, his assists from 4.5 to 6.0. He doesn’t just have a bigger role. He’s doing more whenever he’s on the court, while still playing high-level defense. He’s 1 of just 22 players averaging at least 1+ steal and 1+ blocks per game thus far into the season.

With that said, circle back to the video I showed at the beginning, where Kyshawn talked about his plans for the summer after his rookie year.

Kyshawn does not only have the talent to be great, but he also desperately wants to be great.

The talent exists, but, more importantly, so does the mindset and work ethic.

And that is the stuff stars are made of.

All statistics updated as of 11/3/2025

Tier 1: The Frontrunners

VJ Edgecombe

20.3 points (50/42/82 - 60.7% TS), 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.3 blocks in 39.0 MPG

You know what’s crazy about VJ Edgecombe’s seething start to the season? Outside of his 3P%, nothing about his stat-line feels super unsustainable. Yes, as Paul George is fully reintegrated and Jared McCain returns to the lineup, Edgecombe’s usage will take a hit, impacting his time on-ball as a creator and scorer. Even then, the Sixers need everything Edgecombe brings. VJ and Maxey have been a dynamic pairing that has injected newfound energy into an overlooked Philly team.

Cedric Coward

15.0 points (59/48/91 - 72.2% TS), 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.4 blocks in 25.3 MPG

Coward’s white-hot start to the year feels a lot more unsustainable than Edgecombe, but he’s clearly shown why Memphis (and a lot of other teams) were so high on him. He has a menacing +9” wing span that will help him develop into a potent wing defender and he’s flashed both on-ball creation juice and complementary skills as a play finisher and catch-and-shoot threat.

Kon Knueppel

14.0 points (46/43/65 - 61.6% TS), 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.0 blocks in 30.1 MPG

I’ve harped on and on about Kon Knueppel being a picture-perfect piece alongside LaMelo. He’s not just working as a dynamic shooter, but he’s also showcasing the ability to get into the paint and to the rim. He’s just scratching the surface of what he can be as a playmaker, so those assists will trend up later in the season. He’s also finding ways to be impactful defensively too, highlighting the importance that film study has been for him on that end.

Tier 2: On Their Heels

Dylan Harper

14.0 points (50/36/83 - 58.4% TS), 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.0 blocks in 23.3 MPG

Dylan Harper is exactly who the consensus thought he was: a dynamic, downhill driver with elite vision and playmaking to boot. He’s shown the ability to lead the second unit and mesh with San Antonio’s stars. Fox’s impending return may change the dynamic, but Harper is too talented to have his minutes taken away. Let’s hope his injury isn’t serious and that he’s able to return this season.

Jeremiah Fears

13.7 points (52/11/67- 55% TS), 2.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.0 blocks in 26.5 MPG

The 3PT shot is trending upwards finally. Regardless of whether it falls or not, Jeremiah Fears is still getting to the rim at an impressive rate for a player his age and size. He’s finishing at a 73.3% rate when he attempts a shot from 0-3 FT of the rim. That’s a testament not only to his physicality, but also to the handle, burst, and quickness he has. The coaching staff has praised the energy he brings to the floor, and that same fearless (get it?) attitude is what will help him achieve his ceiling in the future.

Tre Johnson

12.7 points (45/39/100 - 59% TS), 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.8 blocks in 26.5 MPG

It’s going to be hard to keep Tre Johnson out of the top-5, as I expect his role to grow as the season progresses. He could be better as a playmaker, but outside of that, it’s hard to find anything to criticize about his game. He’s showcasing the ability to get to his spots and create space at the NBA level, which I love.

Tier 3: Trending Upwards

Collin Murray-Boyles

10.6 points (48/46/71- 56.3% TS), 3.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.2 blocks in 22.6 MPG

Collin Murray-Boyles is quickly picking up steam after missing a couple games, and he could potentially see an even bigger role with Jakob Poeltl dealing with a short-term injury. The Raptors are in a funky spot, with spacing and team build looking to be a prominent issue. CMB personifies those issues to a degree, as he is clearly very talented with a rare skillset but has real questions about his ability to space the floor. If he can answer those questions with a consistent perimeter shot, he’ll be a mainstay on the Rookie Ladder. I have loved how he’s slid into the hole left by Poeltl’s injury, though.

Ryan Kalkbrenner

9.0 points (90/0/100 - 90% TS), 6.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 1.3 steals, 2.1 blocks in 27.0 MPG

Take a second to look back at the line above and bask in that beautiful 90% true shooting percentage. Ryan Kalkbrenner’s impact, however, is tough to fully encapsulate with stats alone. When you watch Charlotte, you see him make smart rotations defensively, switch onto smaller players, seal his defender to create driving room, and set timely screens to create runways for Hornets ball-handlers.

Cooper Flagg

13.8 points (37/29/100 - 4.93% TS), 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks in 32.5 MPG

Cooper Flagg walked into this season with sky-high expectations and is being graded more harshly than his classmates as a result. This will, most likely, be the last time Flagg isn’t in the top-5 of my Rookie Ladder. He’s been put into a difficult position while learning to play point guard on the fly. These point guard reps will pay dividends in the long-term, especially as the game slows down for him. After all, he’s the youngest player in the NBA.

Sion James

9.1 points (67/72/100- 88.7% TS), 2.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.3 blocks in 23.3 MPG

I’ve said it before, but I loved the Sion James addition on draft day. I thought he could instantly break into the Charlotte rotation and establish himself as a complementary wing player who can defend at a high level while also hitting open shots, and he’s done exactly that. Even when the shooting percentages settle down, James will continue to make his presence felt with his motor and defensive aptitude.

Tier 4: Bright, But Inconsistent

Derik Queen

7.3 points (44/0/78- 52.5% TS), 4.8 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.7 blocks in 17.5 MPG

It’s not his fault, but Derik Queen’s performance this year will be watched under a microscope because of the trade New Orleans made to acquire him. Queen’s start to the year has been up-and-down, but that’s to be expected given that he missed significant time over the summer due to a wrist injury. He has an intriguing combination of feel, fluidity, and playmaking for a big man, with some defensive impact flashing through at times as well.

Walter Clayton Jr.

6.2 points (42/29/100- 54% TS), 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.0 blocks in 17.5 MPG

If he earns a bigger role in Utah, Walter Clayton Jr. has a chance to climb up this ladder. Until then, Clayton will struggle to climb much higher (or even fall off completely) while playing less than 20 minutes a game. I think his shooting percentages will rise, especially from beyond the arc. I also like that he’s already playing with pace, something that comes with his experience as a 4-year college player who led to his team to a championship.

Watch List:

Will Richard, Egor Demin, Javon Small, Ace Bailey, Ben Saraf, Nique Clifford

Orlando could have kept their core together and lived in perpetual mediocrity after flaming out in round one of the playoffs two years running, but they weren’t content with that.

For the next three seasons, the Magic endured another three-year playoff drought. But this playoff-drought looked a bit different. Three years after the ‘19-20 season, Jonathan Isaac was the only remaining player from the ‘19-20 squad. The rebuild had begun.

During the ‘20-21 trade deadline, Jeff Weltman, the Magic’s President of Basketball Operations, wasted zero time tearing down their roster and rebuilding. Weltman and Company completed a multitude of trades centered around Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, and Aaron Gordon. Each of these players had played with Orlando for at least seven years. They were staples of the team.

The organization traded Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to the Chicago Bulls for Wendell Carter Jr., Otto Porter Jr., and two first round picks (Franz Wagner and Jett Howard).

Aaron Gordon went to the Denver Nuggets for Gary Harris, RJ Hampton, and a future first (Jase Richardson).

Fournier got dealt to the Boston Celtics for two future seconds.

The Magic ended the ‘20-21 season with just 21 wins, eleven less than they won during the shortened Covid-19 season the year before. That sounds bad, right? In reality, the ‘20-21 season and the draft classes to come is what put the Orlando Magic back on the map.

The Magic drafted Jalen Suggs at 5th overall and Franz Wagner at 8th overall in the 2021 NBA draft. Wagner came thanks to the pick Orlando acquired from the Vucevic deal with Chicago. In the 2022 draft, the team landed the 1st overall pick and added Paolo Banchero. With Paolo, Franz, and Suggs, the Magic finally had a core they could believe in. There’s money that backs this belief — as of the beginning of the 2025 NBA season, Paolo, Franz, and Suggs have now received contract extensions that could be worth up to $661,738,150 total. This is a jarring amount, especially for fans who aren’t privy to what Orlando is building.

On paper, there are a lot of similarities between the current 2025 Magic team and the one that was torn down after the 2020 season. This current team snapped a 3-year playoff drought. The ‘19-20 core snapped a 6-year playoff drought. This team has now made two consecutive trips to the playoffs. The ‘19-20’ Magic made two consecutive trips to the postseason as well. Those comparisons end exactly where they begin: on paper. This Magic team is different.

The ‘20-21 team lacked a true franchise cornerstone. This team has two, in both Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. They also have an all-defense caliber backbone in Jalen Suggs. AND these three player are all just 24 years or younger.

The Wagner, Banchero, Suggs-led squad is not without its weaknesses. In ‘23-24, the Magic finished as the seventh worst 3-point shooting team in the league, averaging just 34.8% from deep while also making the fewest 3-point shots per game at 11.0.

When your two franchise cornerstones both excel at ball-handling and rim pressure, a lack of perimeter shooting is a huge Achilles heel. It greatly limits the space both Franz & Paolo have to operate with.

The Magic attempted to address those issues in the 2024 offseason by adding an experienced shooter in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The organization handed him a $66,000,000 contract in the process. This move did not pan out. The Magic’s ‘24-25 season was not only marred by a plethora of injuries, but their shooting struggles actually got worst. The ‘24-25 squad had a league worst 31.8% 3-point percentage — 2nd-worst was 33.5%, for context — and a measly 11.2 3-pointers made per game (also a league low).

The shooting woes were one thing for this ‘24-25 team, and injuries became another. The same core the Magic invested $661,738,150 missed a combined 101 games last season. Franz and Paolo both battled oblique injuries. Jalen Suggs, who was a lock for a second-straight all-defensive team, was ruled out for the season in January after undergoing arthroscopic surgery for a left knee injury.

Despite the shooting struggles and the injuries, the ‘24-25 Magic found ways to shine. Without their defensive star in Suggs, the Magic pushed into the 2025 postseason and put up quite a fight, starting with a dominant play-in win against the Atlanta Hawks. In round 1, the Magic went blow-for-blow with the defending-champion Boston Celtics before being eliminated in a 5-game series.

Orlando shot a horrific 26.3% from deep in the playoffs, by the way. Notice a trend? When they can’t shoot, they lose.

Yes, the Magic have cornerstones that give them a strong foundation, but the shooting (or lack thereof) continues to be a glaring weakness. That weakness is preventing this new-look Magic team from succeeding, causing collapse after collapse.

While preparing for the ‘25-26 season, how can you build upon a $661-million-dollar investment? And shore up your weaknesses? And make use of the wide-open Eastern Conference contention window following season-ending injuries to star rivals Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton’s?

First, you address the faults in construction.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the team’s $66 million man, was objectively dissapointing. His 3-point percentage (34.2%) was the lowest it had been since the ‘15-16 season. Shooting 26% from deep in the playoffs left a lot to be desired by Magic fans.

Weltman and Co. had no choice but to bite the bullet and get KCP’s contract off the books. The organization traded KCP, Cole Anthony, four first-round draft picks, and a 2029 pick swap to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Desmond Bane during the 2025 offseason. Pulling the trigger on moving KCP not only corrected a major fault in Orlando’s roster construction, but also catapulted them from being playoff attendees to true playoff contenders.

Bane is not some patchwork attempt to fix Orlando’s biggest weakness. He’s a catalyst that addresses their shooting needs while also giving them an escape valve (with playoff experience). Bane can steady the ship and run the offense while Franz and Paolo are on the bench or struggling to create.

Bane’s 39.2% average from 3-point range would’ve ranked second on the team in the injury-riddled ‘24-25 season, just a hair behind Caleb Houstan’s 40.0%. However, Bane was shooting over twice as many threes per game compared to Houstan (6.1 attempts to 2.8 attempts). 37% of Bane’s threes were unassisted. Bane’s 3-point impact is something the Magic haven’t seen for quite some time.

In addition to bringing Bane aboard, Orlando added Tyus Jones, a career 38% shooter from deep. The Magic also nailed the draft, adding a versatile defensive weapon in Noah Penda and an undersized guard in Jase Richardson, whose playstyle and skillset is tailor-made to exist alongside Franz & Paolo.

On their own, those additions aren’t enough to turn Orlando into true contenders. The organizations expects internal growth from their 2023 and 2024 draft picks. Anthony Black (drafted in 2023) and Tristan da Silva (drafted in 2024) provide crucial minutes off the bench as a 2-way playmaker and jack-of-all-trades, respectively.

Internal growth just from those their young guns and bench pieces isn’t quite enough, either. To really turn the corner and become the contenders they have the potential to be, their two franchise building blocks, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, need to elevate their games (and specifically their shooting). The Magic go where Paolo and Franz go, and shooting 32% and 30% from deep, respectively, won’t cut it anymore for a team with championship aspirations.

On paper, and factoring in the expected growth from their young core, the Orlando Magic seem primed for more than a play-in appearance. Many, including myself, have tabbed the Magic as a sleeper to have home-court advantage, finish as a top-4 seed, and make the Eastern Conference Finals.

But a slow 1-and-4 start to the year quickly clouded those once bright aspirations, causing question after question to rack up with each respective loss.

Is the offense really better?

Has the spacing improved?

Was this core worth the money?

Can Paolo really take the next step?

Can Paolo and Franz coexist?

From the outside looking in, people started calling this team a pretender, just five games into the season. After all, it would take a miracle to finally break through and win the Organization’s first championship, right?

This team is young. Young players — especially those with the skills, talent, and confidence of Franz and Paolo — don’t care about generational curses pulling them down. They don’t care about the weight of expectations placed upon them by external sources. They don’t care about having to battle through injury after injury. They just play ball, and they do so to the best of their abilities game-in and game-out.

Just playing ball is exactly how the ‘25'-26 Magic have answered the questions that were flooding their ears after a 1-4 start (a start in which the Magic, as a team, shot just 31.4% from beyond the arc).

Over their 2-game winning stream, which has brought them to 3-4, the Magic offense has looked reinvigorated, mostly by their increased spacing. Being able to play 5-out has given Franz & Paolo bigger driving lanes than ever, and the duo has taken advantage.

Six games into the season, Paolo is shooting from within 0-3 feet of the rim more often then he ever has — 30% of his attempts are from within that area, up from just 21% last season. Banchero is also getting to the free-throw line more frequently, averaging a career-high 9.9 free-throw attempts per game (previous high: 8.4 in ‘24-25) with a .605 free-throw rate (previous high: .476 in ‘22-23).

While Paolo has made most of his strides on the interior, Franz Boogie — this is one of the best nicknames in the NBA, by the way — is working to get his groove back from behind the three-point line. He’s struggled to get into a rhythm from deep over the last two seasons, shooting just 28% in ‘23-34 and 30% in ‘24-25. This year, Wagner is making 43% of his 4.3 per-game attempts from deep. Even if that number falls down into the 38-40% range, having a Franz Wagner who can consistently hit those treys will make the Magic so much more dangerous.

In addition to hitting more shots, Franz, like Paolo, is playing to his strengths in other ways, too. Franz is establishing his dominance on fast breaks and in transition, where he is a 91st percentile scorer (1.54 points per possession) who averages 7.4 points per game from transition alone — up from just 4.6 points per game last year. 7.4 PPG is good for seventh-best in the entire NBA.

And guess who’s eight-best in those transition scoring metrics? No one other than Paolo himself, who averages 7.3 per game. As a team, the Magic are playing a lot faster than they did last season, combining for 28.7 transition points per game (eighth-highest in the NBA). That’s a drastic change from last year, where they averaged just 19.8 transition points per game (fourth-worst in the NBA).

When this team is playing differently (shooting more threes, playing quick, using their size, etc.), they look every bit as good as we thought they could be. It’s just about doing that consistently.

In their four losses, the Magic averaged just 27.8 three-point attempts per game while hitting just 29% of them. If those numbers hold, they would be the worst in the league by far. They can’t allow what they’ve built to fall victim to the same faults that have hamstrung them for the past few years. In their three wins, they’ve averaged 35 3PA/g and made 35% of them.

This team’s success is so clearly tied to their spacing. Head coach Jamahl Mosley needs to understand that point and make it a priority in the game plan every night. Even if shooting will never be Banchero’s and Wagner’s greatest strength, it’s exactly what allows their other strengths to shine.

The core of the Orlando magic is young and only scratching the surface of their potential. At the same time, they are beginning to knock on the door of the playoffs as a perennial contender. How far that door opens depends on a multitude of factors: their ability to take and make threes, their willingness to incorporate a more diverse and fast-paced offense into the game plan, and their potential to take steps forward both as individuals and as a team.

But if everything lines up?

It won’t matter if you believe in Magic or not; after all, this team is used to be an underdog.

Here at Point Made, we try to avoid overreacting. We stay calm, cool, and collected. We hold true to our pre-season research while still taking in all the new information coming our way.

You, as a fantasy basketball manager, should be calm, cool, and collected as well. Whether you panic or not, you’ve come to the right place.

Introducing: the Fantasy Stock Market. In the market this week, we’re buying. If you roster one of these players, be patient and hang tight. If you’d like to acquire one of these players, be realistic and send your fellow manager a reasonable offer.

Derrick White:

Derrick White is taking over 18 shots per game this season. He took 12 per-game last year en route to a top-40 9-category finish. If you haven’t tuned in to the Celtics this season, let me tell you one thing: those shots are not going away.

White is shooting only 32% from the field this year. His career average is 45%. Is there a chance that the career-average 45% mark goes down slightly this season due to all the extra shots? Sure, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest; but White’s current shooting splits are guaranteed to increase. Even if he shoots 43% from the floor, he’ll still be a second rounder while taking 18 shots per game.

There’s a good chance people aren’t selling Derrick White out of panic. Unlike a normal buy-low, White has started the season strong in 9-category rankings. He is currently #31 per-game — I just think he can be even better.

Amen Thompson:

Amen Thompson is a more traditional buy-low. He’s currently ranked outside the top-300 in 9-category rankings. You read that right. Outside the top-300! There honestly isn’t much analysis needed to describe Thompson’s start to the season (but I’ll do it anyway).

Amen is underperforming in each of the nine categories, particularly in rebounds, blocks, steals, and field-goal percentage. Compared to last season, the rebounding numbers are down four per-game, the steals and blocks are both down 0.8 per game, and his field-goal percentage is down 15 percent. All of these will normalize.

The low field goal percentage (40%) can be attributed to Thompson’s increase in 3-point attempts. He’s taken eight threes through two games this season after averaging just over one per-game last year. Out of those eight 3-pointers, Thompson has made zero. Either Thompson starts making some threes (which is a big boost to his fantasy value), or he moves away from the shot (which will lead to his field-goal percentage skyrocketing).

Amen has been playing on the ball much more this year on the back of Fred VanVleet’s season-ending injury. Amen has been starting at point guard, although Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun are still handling tons of creation opportunities. Amen’s on-ball roll will likely bring up his assists compared to last year — another bonus.

Thompson is going to trend up while continuing to play a sizable role on a very good Rockets team. He has a lot of name value driven by tons of pre-season hype, and it’s always difficult to trade for a player with a high average draft position (ADP). It’s worth checking in on, though. Approach your friendly neighborhood Amen Thompson manager to see if you can turn a 4th rounder (via ADP) into a guy like Amen Thompson (who has second-round upside).

Dyson Daniels:

Dyson Daniels can be scary to roster at times. It can be fun, but also scary. Why is that? Because his fantasy value is floated so highly by a singular category: steals.

Daniels finished top-10 in 9-category totals rankings last season on the back of three steals per game. Through one week of this season, Daniels ranks number 182 in 9-category totals.

His steals are currently sitting at 1.7 per game. Those are going to increase. The steals aren’t the main reason Daniels is performing so poorly for fantasy managers, though; it’s actually due to a drastic dip in every other category. Points are down by eight, assists are down by two, and his shooting numbers are down by eight percent for field goals and nine percent for free throws compared to last season. He’s just in a slump.

Let’s get back to Daniels’ scary single-category steals value. If he doesn’t set more NBA records this season and that steals number drops to two per-game, Daniels will not be a first rounder again. However, he will still hit his fourth/fifth round ADP from this draft season. That’s all you need for a win.

Payton Pritchard:

Payton Pritchard is currently ranked as the 132nd per-game player in 9-category leagues. He’s outpacing last years’ numbers in points, rebounds, assists, field-goal attempts, and free-throw attempts. So what’s the problem? There’s just one answer: threes.

Pritchard’s seven threes per game to start this season are right on par with where he was last year. This year, he’s only making one of those seven threes per game while shooting less than 20% from deep. Last year, his 3-point percentage was 40%, which falls right in line with his career number. All the metrics are there for Peyton Pritchard to be a buy-low. As soon as he starts hitting more threes (which he will), the sky is the limit. He could be in store for a top-60 season.

Myles Turner:

The big theme of this article has been shooting slumps, and we saved the biggest slump for last in Myles Turner.

Let’s keep this simple. Myles Turner is shooting 34% from the floor this year. His career average is 50%. Sure — Turner’s shot profile may change a bit this season following an offseason move to the Bucks. That can’t explain a decrease of 16%, though.

Turner’s field goal percentage is going to rise in a big way, and when it does, so will Turner’s 9-category ranking. He currently ranks outside the top-120 per game but is an easy-lock for mid-round value, if not top-40 value.

Even with these superstar names on the docket, the thing we think is worth talking about the most here at Point Made is a new man in town: a rising star named Ajay Mitchell.

Point Made has been profiling Ajay Mitchell for quite some time. During the pre-draft process ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft, Point Made graded Mitchell as a borderline lottery prospect.

Ajay was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the 2024 draft with the 38th overall pick. This was an absolute steal for the front office in Oklahoma City. If that sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve heard it many, many times before. This brings us to the same question the NBA world asks about every bright young player entering the Thunder’s building: How will a new prospect navigate his way through the deepest and most talented roster in the NBA?

Ajay Mitchell averaged 16.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 steals during his 2024 Summer League debut. He made over 50 percent of his shots from the floor and made 1.2 threes per-game at a 40 percent clip. Ajay’s innate play-making, ball-handling, and shot-creation abilities were on display from the jump.

These key traits — shot creation, ball handling, and playmaking — allow a player like Ajay to thrive both on the ball and off the ball. That’s how Ajay began carving his way into the loaded Oklahoma City rotation. His offensive flexibility compliments everything the Thunder like to do within their offensive system.

By November of 2024, just one month into his rookie season, the second-round pick began solidifying a reserve role on the team. Following injuries to starting-guard Alex Caruso and primary-backup Cason Wallace, Mitchell was able to put his per-minute production on showcase. He scored 13 points in 18 minutes with lights-out shooting during a November 25th game vs. the Sacramento Kings.

Once December of 2024 came around, Ajay’s fluid offensive game had been meshing with the Thunder’s fluid offensive movement. He was not only showcasing an ability to play with the team’s reserves — he was also showcasing an ability to play alongside the starters (which included a soon-to-be MVP). Oklahoma City quickly learned that Mitchell does all of the small things right. He takes and makes his open shots while effortlessly maintaining the ball movement that makes those shots open.

Mitchell suffered a turf toe sprain in January of 2025 that required surgery and 12 weeks of recovery. By the time he returned to action in April, he stepped back into his key reserve role for an Oklahoma City team that was playoff bound and paving their way towards an eventual NBA Championship.

After the Thunder’s Finals run, Ajay went back to work in the 2025 offseason while participating in Summer League for the second-straight year. Mitchell’s work in Summer League allowed him to spend time as the guy on the court instead of a guy in a limited role. His time developing in summer-league play is a testament to the commitment the Thunder organization — and Mitchell himself — has made to his progression into a starting-caliber player.

The 2025 season started 4 days ago, and Ajay has already proven that he is a more-than-capable starter in the NBA. He scored 16 and 26 points in games one and two of the season, respectively. The 26-point performance was a career high. His 16-point performance came in only 14 minutes of action vs. the Houston Rockets, while his 26-point performance came alongside 38 minutes of action in a double-overtime win vs. the Indiana Pacers. It wasn’t just the points vs. the Pacers — he grabbed three rebounds, dished out four assists, and nabbed one steal while shooting 47 percent from the floor and making 100 percent of his eight free-throw attempts.

Mitchell’s most elite asset during the first two games of 2025 has been his ability to score through both on-ball and off-ball actions. But it’s more than just the scoring for a player like Mitchell — he just seems to do everything right. Ajay is operating in the pick-and-roll. He’s leading fast breaks. He’s scoring at multiple levels. The icing on the cake is that Ajay is also a plus defender that poses no liability on defense.

Context is important, which takes us back to this question: How will a new prospect navigate his way through the deepest and most talented roster in the NBA?

Ajay started in game two vs. the Pacers due to injuries elsewhere on the roster. He’s technically still a backup. Jalen Williams is missing the start of the season with a wrist injury, Alex Caruso is out with a concussion, and Cason Wallace is missing time due to a knee sprain. What will happen to Ajay’s playing time once these players return?

Now that Ajay’s breakout has begun, it’s hard to see the Thunder phasing him out as the season moves forward. Ajay is such a complimentary player and rising star — it’s likely he’s forced the organization’s hand into giving him a larger slice of the pie as this season continues. You wouldn’t think the defending champs would need much help on the court, but Mitchell’s ability to be a secondary scoring option can play a key role in Oklahoma City’s success moving forward.

He’s always been a rare prospect whose per-minute production forces him into more minutes. Once he gets more minutes, everyone realizes that his per-minute production stays consistent no matter how many minutes he’s given. The breakout-cycle has started, and now there are new heights to reach.

What’s been our favorite part of Ajay’s game this season? We appreciate you asking. The next time you watch an Ajay Mitchell drive, take note of his dynamic speed. His acceleration and burst into the lane is matched equally by his ability to decelerate just when the time is right. We see shades of Manu Ginobili in Ajay Mitchell.

The Thunder signed Mitchell to a 3-year, $9 million contract on June 29th of this year. In hindsight, this contract is a steal and has already become one of the best contracts in the entire League. Oklahoma City has Mitchell in their long-term plans as an eventual successor to players like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso. Dort and Caruso have contracts that will expire in 2027 and 2029, respectively. Dort’s contract is worth $17 million per season and Caruso’s contract is worth $9 million per season. When a $3 million player like Ajay Mitchell comes around, don’t those two veteran deals sound a bit more expensive than they did before?

We’re not the only ones talking about Ajay Mitchell, of course. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke on Mitchell’s abilities during the post-game press conference of the aforementioned double-overtime win vs. the Pacers on October 23rd:

‘“When you’re playing with him, it’s like a pickup game. He doesn’t need a play called for him. He doesn’t need too much structure. He just goes out there, figures out a way, makes the right basketball play, plays hard, and wins.”

Ajay’s new contract may be the only part of his future that’s written in ink. You’d think the rest of this story is unknown, but we do know a little something about Ajay Mitchell at this point. And the Oklahoma City Thunder surely knows a little something about him as well.

Get used to the name, folks.

Picture this: It’s March. You have just spent the past five months perfecting your fantasy basketball team. You drafted perfectly in October, made several key waiver-wire additions in November, and took your rock-solid squad to juggernaut status with a well-timed trade just before the all-star break. Nothing could stop you in this league — at least until one poorly-timed ankle sprain in the second week of March takes out Nikola Jokic in week two of the fantasy playoffs.

Right after you finished with the best record in the regular season, your fantasy team’s playoff run is over as quickly as it started. Your league mates laugh at you as you plead with them that you would have won it all if it wasn’t for one dumb injury. You ponder the purpose of life and question why you torture yourself with this game that you love year after year after year. Enter Roto.

What is a Roto league?

Roto scoring is actually pretty simple; it’s a season-long endeavor utilizing the same nine categories that are the building blocks of fantasy basketball — points, rebounds, assists, three-pointers, blocks, steals, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, and turnovers.

Instead of adding up 9-category totals against one team each week, Roto leagues add up 9-category totals at the end of the season against every team in the league. There are zero weekly matchups. If your Roto league has 12 teams, the team with the most blocks at the end of the season gets a score of 12 while the team with the least blocks at the end of the season gets a score of one. This scoring system carries across all nine categories. The team that scores the most Roto points across all nine categories at the end of the season wins it all.

Traditional Roto leagues are also played with a games cap, which means each starting slot on your roster has a maximum number of games played that can be utilized across the entire NBA season. For a 10-starter league with a per-position games cap of 82, every manager has 820 played games to capitalize on throughout the season. The use of a games cap further evens the playing field across the league by preventing any one manager from spamming their way to a games-played victory come season’s end.

In a 10-starter league with a five-man bench, your 15-player roster can theoretically fill 1,230 starts. That’s a 410-game buffer compared to the 820-game cap detailed above. This allows Roto managers to weather the storm of unavoidable injuries while also picking and choosing their spots to start a player with a guaranteed gem of a fantasy stat line.

Why Roto?

Roto is the solution to some of the most damning aspects of head-to-head fantasy basketball leagues.

Stressed about a poorly-timed two-start week in the fantasy playoffs? In Roto, it’s no big deal. You can freely draft players from the Timberwolves, the Suns, and the Pelicans this upcoming season, who all have 82 total games on the schedule despite playing two-game weeks during the head-to-head fantasy playoffs.

Your best player gets injured in March? There’s no fantasy playoff matchup to worry about as a Roto manager. A small injury in March is the same to you as a small injury in December.

Did you just watch Jokic as he dropped the first 30-20-20 game in NBA history? Were you tuned in as Ivica Zubac blocked six shots vs. the Lakers in February of 2022? Did you witness T.J. McConnell record 10 steals vs. the Cavaliers in 2021? Roto managers get to ride the high of huge individual player performances all season long since stats don’t get erased and reset week in and week out. There is no better feeling than winning a Roto category like blocks or steals by the slimmest of margins. Those nail-biting category wins earn players like Ivica Zubac or T.J. McConnell a banner in your personal fantasy rafters forever.

Your favorite flier isn’t panning out early in the season? No worries — your golden ticket’s second-half breakout doesn’t hurt you while he’s on your bench before the breakout comes. Due to the traditional Roto games cap, you can’t play all of your players every night, anyway. Not every breakout pulls a 2023 Jalen Johnson and shows up on night one of the season. In Roto, you can hold onto your favorite fliers for a month without needing to part ways because of a weekly games played disadvantage.

Worried about commonplace silly-season woes during the final month of the season? In Roto, it’s actually an opportunity to capitalize on some silly season wins. You’ve already banked the stats from Lauri Markkanen’s 2022-2023 breakout in Utah — as soon as the Jazz enter their tankathon sweepstakes late in the season, you can pounce on the back-ups that put up powerful fantasy lines despite leading their team’s tank.

Roto leagues still have trash talk. There are still hit waiver wire additions. There are still draft-day winners and losers. There is still thoughtful streaming. There are still huge basketball performances to awe over alongside the headache-inducing duds that make you lose sleep at night.

The main difference between Roto and Head-to-Head leagues is a leveling of the playing field, which helps bring some added sense of statistical and analytical fantasy prowess to the forefront of your competition. Roto games-cap leagues naturally even out the unpredictability that plagues every manager in head-to-head formats. In Roto, the best fantasy mind wins above all else.

I know I’ve come on strong here. I still play in plenty of head-to-head leagues myself. But every year, I plead for more of my league mates to give Roto a try. And now I’ve made my plea to you as well.

An introduction on two fronts:

Now that I’ve given you an introduction to Roto, let me peel back the fourth-wall I’ve already broken and give myself a bit of an introduction as well. My name is Josh, and I am a fantasy basketball nerd just like you. This is my first bit of work with the Point Made team, but it won’t be the last. The Point Made team already has dynasty basketball and prospect evaluation locked down, so I’m going to bring you some content with season-long, re-draft fantasy analysis in mind. I will likely sprinkle in some non-fantasy, real-life NBA content as well. Even if you don’t join a Roto league, I’ll still be here chatting about anything related to NBA hoops.

But seriously, join a Roto league.

Hinkie took over as the 76ers’ team president in 2013, one off-season removed from the Andre Igoudala-led Sixers being eliminated from the playoffs in 2012. Igoudala was traded in the infamous Andrew Bynum trade, a failed investment that jumpstarted the process’ beginning.

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Hinkie’s time at president was quick, but the remnants of his idea remains. A process that has been reused, reimagined, and revitalized by different front offices and franchises since. He was removed from his position “stepped down” in 2016, leaving the Sixers with the following assets:

• Joel Embiid

• 2016 1st round pick (Ben Simmons)

• Jerami Grant

• Christian Wood

• Richaun Holmes

• Robert Covington

• Dario Saric

• Nerlens Noel

• Jahlil Okafor

• TJ McConnell

• 2016 Miami 1st round pick

• 2016 OKC 1st round pick

• Kings future 1st round pick

• Pick swap with the Kings

• Multiple 2nd round picks

  

Hinkie’s removal and the appointment of “Big Collar” Bryan Colangelo didn’t signify the death of the process, however. Like I’ve said before, the process lives on through the reincarnations implemented by many other franchises around the league since Hinkie’s removal departure.

More importantly, it lives on through the personification of the process himself: Joel “The Process” Embiid.

And the Process has lived through many iterations and co-stars: Ben Simmons, Jimmy Buckets, James Harden.

Now, with Embiid flanked by Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, and on a team directed by Daryl Morey, whose focus on analytics help bring about a new era of basketball, the question remains:

Can (or should) we still trust the process?

Philly fans are cynical. Partly by nature. Partly because we’ve learned from experience. For years, we’ve known that Joel Embiid has been one of the best players in the league. Nearly unstoppable when he’s healthy, but his health has been declining sharply, even if his skills have remained. Even with his health, he has been the only constant piece of the process.

He was the centerpiece when Philly was banking their expectations on Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz. When Jimmy Butler reinvigorated Wells Fargo Center. When Tobias Harris, Al Horford, and Josh Richardson made Philly look like off-season winners. When Morey lured Harden to Philly, only for the relationship to turn sour.

Now, the process hinges on his health more than ever.

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But Philly has, for the first time in years, a plethora of young talent around, led by Tyrese Maxey, the ‘Franchise’, leaving fans to wonder if it would be better to pivot away from Joel Embiid and Paul George.

They could start planning for a future built upon the foundation of Maxey, McCain, Grimes, Edgecombe, Edwards, and the assets they can accumulate from trading away the two aforementioned stars.

But Daryl Morey (and I) don’t agree. Like Morey said, if Philly is bringing home a championship, it’ll be on Embiid’s shoulders.

Maybe the picture isn’t clear as it once was, like when Markelle Fultz was the consensus number one pick and Ben Simmons was a rising All-NBA caliber player.

The team is flawed. There’s weaknesses within the starting line-up and on the bench. Embiid has played in just 58 over the last two seasons combined. Paul George looked like a shell of himself in his first season in the city of Brotherly Love.

But the belief remains, even if it is coated in pessimism. Like Morey said, you may have to squint a little, but this is still a championship caliber team.

And a lot of that belief stems from not only having one of the most skilled 7-footers of all-time on the squad, but also from the young, promising core mentioned earlier.

Tyrese Maxey is the ‘Franchise’ for a reason. He earned that nickname, just like he earned the Most Improved Player award. He’s been the flash of hope that pessimistic Philly fans have longed for for years.

His infectious smile and carefree playstyle has endeared him to Philadelphia and kept us glued to the screen, while also simultaneously holding together a team that has been on the brink of falling apart numerous times.

Quentin Grimes, who has developed into a legitimate self-creation threat, will feast off of the gravity of a healthy Embiid. As a Sixer, Grimes self-created 54% of his 2PAs and 31% of his 3PAs, up from previous career-highs of 44% and 11% respectively. That’s close to THREE times more unassisted 3PAs than before.

Jared McCain was the Rookie of the Year frontrunner until his injury. He recorded the 2nd-Most 20+ point games among rookies last season, despite playing just 23 games. He’s flashed the ability to create his own shots at all levels, while also being a knockdown catch-and-shoot threat that can make 3s on all platforms.

Justin Edwards went from a forgotten, undrafted prospect to a hometown hero who can play legitimate wing minutes.

And we haven’t even mentioned VJ Edgecombe. Pre-draft, most Sixer fans were bracing for the reality of losing the pick on lottery day. Instead, Philadelphia walked away with the third overall pick, who they used on VJ Edgecombe. Edgecombe, whose explosiveness is an element that Philly has yearned for for years, is coming off a SLC Summer League Debut that had fans across the league raising their eyebrows.

Grimes (25), Maxey (24), Bona (22), Broome (22), McCain (21), Edwards (21), and Edgecombe (19) are young, but they’re hungry.

The cynicism and pessimism of Philly has tried and tried to pull them down, but they don’t mind. In fact, the young Sixers feed off of it. They embrace it.

And that’s exactly why Philadelphia has embraced them back.

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And, maybe just maybe, that’s exactly why even the most pessimistic Philly fan has some belief dwelling within them still.

The path to the NBA Finals is never easy, but the East is wide open.

Embiid is on track to be the healthiest he’s been in three years. Paul George is hungry to prove that last year was a fluke, not a step back. The young core gives Philadelphia a sense of stability and hope that has been missing since Embiid, Simmons, and Fultz first shared the court.

So the process didn’t go the way Philly fans hoped.

But, like I said earlier, it didn’t die when Hinkie was replaced. It didn’t die when Fultz lost his shot. It didn’t die when Butler, Simmons, or Harden left town.

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You can see its remnants all over the court when Maxey flashes his big smile or when McCain knocks down a big 3. You’ll see it reinvigorated by Edgecombe’s highlight plays, or Quentin Grimes off-the-dribble mastery, or Edwards’ booming, slashing dunks.

It lives on, wearing the number ‘21’ and playing in the Wells Fargo Center. It plays through contorted faces and torn meniscuses. It leaves everything it has on the court, every time.

Maybe its knees aren’t what they once were. Maybe it can no longer play back to backs. Maybe it won’t qualify for MVP or accolades. Maybe it’s only got a season or two of peak play left, if that.

Or…maybe not.

After all, that’s exactly why we ‘Trust the Process’, right?

Gut your roster, accumulate young talent, give them the space to grow and develop, sign/acquire veteran players to help stimulate growth, and then pivot towards contention once your players make the strides needed to compete.

Philadelphia’s process started with Sam Hinkie and was personified by Joel Embiid, who rose to become an MVP-caliber player.

Sam Presti followed behind, benefitting from the supernova of their star-studded core and using the dust left behind to build one of the greatest treasure troves of draft capital we’ve ever seen.

Whether you agree with the process itself, the results are unquestionable. OKC’s championship proves that.

The closer to the top of the draft you sit, the higher your likelihood of landing a franchise-altering player. The more draft capital you sit on, the more lottery chances you have at finding the player to help you break through.

We’ve seen that process unfold and evolve alongside the modern NBA. Team constructions all have slight alterations, but the savviest, most well-run organizations have all prioritized one thing in common: prospects with size, feel, playmaking, and ballhandling, with skillsets geared towards thriving in a league where these traits are more important than ever.

The Orlando Magic are powered by two supersized playmakers who encapsulate what the modern NBA craves. The San Antonio Spurs are ready to make their move towards the top with arguably the most unique player the league has ever seen as their cornerstone. The Houston Rockets, who finished 2nd in the West in ‘24-25, join them, consolidating some of their assets into well-known superstar Kevin Durant, who they hope is the final piece of the puzzle. Oklahoma City won the NBA Championship, buoyed by their MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with the second youngest roster in the league, and they still sit on a wealth of picks.

But who’s next?

To me, it’s the sleeping beasts of the East: The Washington Wizards.

I followed the team heavily last year as part of my rookie coverage and have completely fallen in love with the foundation they’ve built.

At first glance, that infatuation might not make sense.

They had (by far) the worst net-rating of any team in ‘24-25 at -12.5, with a bottom-5 defensive rating and the lowest offensive rating in the league.

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But (trust me for a second), look past the record. Look past the analytics. Ignore the fact that 4 of the lowest +/- totals last season in the entire league lived in Washington.

And remember that sometimes, things that fail on paper pass the eye test, and, for watchful eyes, the young Wizards’ flashes of brilliance makes you wonder how high their ceiling might be.

They’re young. They’re tanking ethically. They’re throwing their young players into the deep end and letting them learn to swim, but also buoying them up by surrounding them with plenty of helpful veterans, who can teach them the proper techniques needed to stay afloat (Middleton, Smart, McCollum, Gill, Holmes, etc.).

Captained by Will Dawkins, who learned under (surprise surprise) Sam Presti, the Wizards’ ship has followed the MO of the teams that have come before and have wasted no time cleansing their roster, with only ONE player (Corey Kispert) remaining from the previous regime.

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They’ve purposefully steered into this reset, and I love when a team fully commits one way or the other because having a direction is the first step towards every team’s final goal: building a contender with staying power.

And let’s remember one thing: they’re supposed to be bad. It’s a product of the process and that’s what a tank is: a hard reset designed to give your franchise an opportunity to build a solid foundation with multiple windows of contention.

When a team is driven by so much youth and inexperience, there will be countless bumps in the road; however, when things do click, you can’t help but be glued to the screen.

The offense flows. The kids are unselfish. They create open looks and play within the system, but in a way that allows their individual gifts to shine too (Sarr’s fludidity in the open court & natural playmaking, George’s connective ballhandling and passing, Carrington’s ability to operate off-ball or go to work in the mid-range, and more).

They have plus positional size. They all have great feel as ballhandlers and playmakers. They can run position-less line ups where the offense can be initiated by anyone on the court. The ball moves fluidly, with everyone capable of running a fast break or putting the ball onto the court and driving to the rim.

The flashes of brilliance aren’t just limited to their offense. Yes, the defense, by the numbers, are atrocious, to put it plainly. But they’ve got defensive weapons all over the roster, even if they are weapons that clearly need honing.

With Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and Kyshawn George at the forefront, the young Wizards have shown they have the tools needed to not just hang, but dominate defensively. In fact, after the all-star break, Kyshawn held his assignments to a cumulative FG% of 40% (5.9% below expected), which was the lowest DFG% among player with 300+ field goals defended.

The defensive flashes weren’t just limited to Sarr, Kyshawn, and Bilal, and that’s a feature, not a bug. Because of Dawkins’ drafting style, every player they’ve acquired can guard multiple positions.

So far, their prospects consist of:

Alex Sarr, 20 - 6’11.75” (2nd Overall pick in ‘24)

Will Riley, 19 - 6’8.25” (21st Overall Pick in ‘25)

Bilal Coulibaly, 20 - 6’8” (7th Overall Pick in ‘23)

Kyshawn George, 21 - 6’7” (24th Overall Pick in ‘24)

Jamir Watkins, 23 - 6’5” (43rd Overall Pick in ‘24)

Tre Johnson, 19 - 6’4.75” (6th Overall Pick in ‘25)

AJ Johnson, 20 - 6’4.25” (23rd Overall Pick in ‘24)

Bub Carrington, 19 - 6’3.75” (14th Overall Pick in ‘24)

As you can see, they all fit the theme. Positionally long. Natural Playmakers. Defensively Versatile. High-Feel across every position. Like OKC did before them, they’ve found a direction, built a system, and are aggressively targeting players that satisfy the criteria they have.

That’s how a great team is built: with patience, direction, and a little bit of luck.

But when you build something with a strong foundation, it lasts.

Dawkins and Washington’s process goes beyond the players. They’ve not only accumulated promising prospects, but they’re consistently stacking up future draft capital while also maintaining maximum flexibility going forward.

After trading away Jordan Poole for McCollum, they’re poised to have around $100 million in cap space after the ‘25-26 season, giving them space to add key vets, like OKC did with Hartenstein or Houston with Fred Van Vleet and Dillon Brooks that they can use to complement their core and hopefully one of the budding stars in the ‘26 Draft Class.

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They’re still a few years away and there’s plenty of growth left to go. The process is still loading, but, as we’ve seen with OKC, Orlando, San Antonio, and Houston, the final product is worth the wait.

Like Will Dawkins said, Washington has their eyes on the playoffs, but they don’t just want to appear.

They want to arrive.

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• A- to A+: Good to Great Value

• B- to B+ Slight Reach to Okay Value

• C- to C+: Bad Fit, Big Reach, Poor Value

• D- to D+: Horrible Fit, Huge Reach, Horrible Value

• F: The Worst Pick Possible

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1. Orlando Magic: A+

I think the Magic completely knocked this draft out of the park, and their picks align well with the direction the team is taking after trading for Desmond Bane.

The Magic clearly believe in their ability to not only continue making playoffs, but to properly contend for a championship in an Eastern conference that is more open than ever.

They add an off-ball weapon in Jase and a versatile, switchable wing defender in Penda, with both acting as complements to Franz & Paolo.

25. Jase Richardson

Grade: A+

Jase fits SO SO SO well in Orlando, as his ability to not only make an impact from the guard spot without needing the ball to do so is unique, but also since his playstyle synergizes so well on a team driven by Franz & Paolo.

He’s a knockdown shooter and great at moving without the ball in his hands, helping him find easy looks at the baskets.

Good IQ, connective playmaker, and great sneaky potential upside despite the lack of size.

32. Noah Penda

Grade: A+

Penda, who received a first-round grade from me, slipping to the second round must have caught the Magic’s attention because they consolidated multiple future 2nds to trade for him.

He’s one of the best defensive prospects in this class who could follow a similar path to Phoenix’ Ryan Dunn if he can improve his 3PT shooting, but he has the frame and length to be a good finisher at the rim.

He’s got the physicality and speed to lock up multiple positions, packaged into an NBA-ready body that will help him make an impact from day one.

2. Miami Heat: A+

20. Kasparas Jakucionis

Grade: A+

When factoring in Jakucionis’ grade (7th on my big board), this pick was one of the best values in the draft. Kasparas’ potential downsides are mitigated by the cost acquired to take him at 20, especially because I thought he was a lock to be taken within the lottery.

He’s a dynamic shotcreator and playmaker with prototypical point guard size. If he can return to the form he was in prior to getting injured, people will look back and wonder how he fell this far.

3. Charlotte Hornets: A+

Probably the most complete draft class in 2025. The Hornets addressed a ton of needs, with all of the draftees being pieces that complement their two franchise cornerstones: LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

McNeely and Kalkbrenner are great values at where they were taken, especially if McNeely can return to form and become the sharpshooter he was.

4. Kon Knueppel

Grade: A

Does Kon Knueppel have one of the highest floors in the draft class due to his sweet shooting stroke and ability to hit shots on nearly every platform?

Yes.

Does that mean he has a low ceiling?

No.

I think his self-creation and playmaking upside has actually gone underrated and, playing in a dynamic offense where LaMelo will soak up a ton of focus, Knueppel will have a chance to showcase that in Charlotte.

29. Liam McNeely

Grade: A+

I love this pick, actually.

McNeely struggled with his shot, but he should be applauded for how hard he played and how he toughed out injuries to still be able to make an impact in a high pressure environment at UConn.

He’s a borderline lotto-level talent to me, as long as he can return to form and demonstrate the lights out level shooting pedigree he had before college.

33. Sion James

Grade: B+

Not the highest player on my board, but I love that the Hornets stuck to the script.

They went high-risk, high-reward last year, but have gone the “safe” route with their selections this year.

James gives them a strong defensive presence and tone-setter on the wings, who also has positional versatility.

34. Ryan Kalkbrenner

Grade: A+

Kalkbrenner, who received a 1st-round grade from me, is more than capable of helping fill the void left by Mark Williams.

Kalkbrenner is a 2-way interior force who has grown way more comfortable from the perimeter, hinting that he’ll be able to consistently stretch out his range at the NBA-level.

4. Brooklyn Nets: A

The Nets’ draft class is very polarizing, but I think there’s one big misconception around: that there is an issue with having too many playmakers.

In the modern NBA, when has too much playmaking been an issue?

It’s the approach every (competent) rebuilding team has followed: prioritize size, feel, and ballhandling at every position.

It’s a deep draft class that targets multiple positions and takes a lot of high-upside swings.

The Net's’ draft epitomized that.

8. Egor Demin

Grade: A

I know not everyone is a fan of Demin, but I can’t understand why.

His shooting has been spotty and inconsistent, for sure. I understand how that can be a red flag. But the mechanics are clean. It’s compact, repeatable, and fluid, hinting that there are only slight issues that need to be fixed.

But you know what can’t be taught?

The size he has (nearly 6’10” in shoes). The advanced playmaking reads and ability to make difficult passes look casual.

Demin was a top-6 player in this draft class, in my opinion and has a clear runway to thriving in the NBA.

19. Nolan Traore

Grade: A+

The Nets are swinging for the fences and that’s EXACTLY what a team with this many dart throws and this timeline needs to do

Traore, Ranked 13th on my big board, is a dynamic playmaker with one of the quickest first steps in the draft. He is not ball dominant by any means, but his off-ball upside will be dependent on him growing as a shooter. In the second half of the draft, this is a good swing for Brooklyn.

22. Drake Powell

Grade: A-

Drake Powell knocked the combine out of the park, showcasing great positional length AND a 43” vertical. He rode that, along with hitting 40% on catch-and-shoot 3s, all the way into the first round.

Given the Nets’ timeline, this isn’t a huge reach by any means, especially since Powell is already a borderline top-30 talent.

His athleticism, height (nearly 6’7” in shoes) and 7’0” wing span will make him an absolute menace as a perimeter defender.

26. Ben Saraf

Grade: A

Like most teams who have successfully rebuilt, the Nets are valuing certain skills with their picks so far: playmaking, positional versatility, fluidity, and feel

Saraf checks those boxes and is exactly the high-potential swing we like to see that this stage of the first rounds.

27. Danny Wolf

Grade: A

Can y’all see the Nets’ vision?

Playmaking all over the place. Feel and flexibility, plus good positional size and shotmaking (sometimes theoretical shotmaking) at every position

Wolf, ranked 25th on my board, is a sneaky value here, especially if he can become a passable defender.

5. Phoenix Suns: A

The sun is setting on the KD-era in Phoenix, with the Suns pivoting towards a different game plan.

They seemed to learn from their mistakes, as going all in on a faulty core yielded nothing but disappointment.

The new era has started off on the right foot, though. Phoenix has one of my favorite draft classes this year.

10. Khaman Maluach (via Houston)

Grade: A

Maluach is amongst the best players available and is the Suns’ long-term answer to their C position, even after adding Mark Williams for some reason.

He’s got the makings of an interior defensive anchor, with elite physical tools and awareness. He showed that at the collegiate level, affecting opponents at the rim.

His upside is not just tied to his defense, though. He’s got a fluid, compact shooting form and a soft touch, hinting that he could eventually become a floor-spacer too.

31. Rasheer Fleming

Grade: A+

The first pick of the 2nd round was one of the biggest steals in the draft, in my opinion

I’ve mocked Fleming consistently in the middle of the 1st round and he was a top-20 prospect in this class, to me.

Fleming has the tools to be a versatile defender and floor spacer at the next level that can make an impact with minimal usage.

Great pick for the Suns, who clearly have a new direction they’re building towards.

41. Koby Brea

Grade: B

Brea is renowned for his shooting, hitting 43.4% of his 3s over his career in college, with a peak of 49.8% on 6.1 3PA/g in ‘23-24.

He’s got good length and his volume sharpshooting playstyle will help him benefit from the gravity of Book.

6. Dallas Mavericks: A

1. Cooper Flagg, Duke

Grade: A

It’s a no brainer.

The question wasn’t about whether Flagg would be the 1st overall pick, it was about which team would be lucky enough to win the draft lottery and add the borderline generational talent.

The Mavericks add a cornerstone in Flagg, whose skillset makes him one of, if not the, most well-rounded prospects of the last decade.

7. San Antonio Spurs: A

The balls fell in San Antonio’s favor again, securing them the 2nd overall pick, which, of course, was used to draft Dylan Harper.

There are concerns about fit in SAS, but an old adage continues to ring true: great players make it work.

Harper has the potential to be great, and Carter Bryant has prototypical 3nD wing written all over him. An impressive haul for a Spurs time who should pivot into the playoffs this season.

2. Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Grade: A

Hot take (probably not that hot if you watched Harper player): This pick was chalk, too.

Harper’s hold over the 2nd overall pick was just as Flagg’s hold over the 1st.

And franchises know that BPA, especially when the BPA is as far ahead of his peers as Harper, is the move, regardless of fit.

He’s downhill, aggressive playstyle and self-creation abilities from all 3-levels will make him a perfect partner for Wemby to grown alongside of, too.

14. Carter Bryant

Grade: A

And San Antonio nailed this pick too. Carter is young and his college production doesn’t jump off the page, but you’d have to be blind to not see the flashes & upside.

He’s nearly 6’8” in shoes with a 6’11.25” wing span, with the pedigree and tools to be a defensive menace on the perimeter. He’s still a little raw offensively outside of shooting and play finishing, but he has an NBA-ready body and should become a physical force for San Antonio.

8. Sacramento Kings: A

The Kings will, in my opinion, go underrated for their draft haul.

The players are older. Their names are less known outside of NBA draft circles. But don’t get it twisted: both Clifford and Raynaud have the potential to be impactful players at the NBA level, with skillsets that should be ready to roll from day one.

24. Nique Clifford

Grade: A

Clifford embodies everything teams value on the wings in the modern NBA: Positional versatility, underrated and connective playmaking, and the ability to knockdown shots and self-create in spurts.

Clifford isn’t the shiniest name in this draft class, but I’m sure he will garner a ton of attention with his play, especially on a Sacramento team looking to find a new identity after Fox was traded away last year.

42. Maxime Raynaud

Grade: A

Raynaud, who is a true 7-footer than stands over 7-feet tall WITHOUT shoes, has flashed great shoot upside at his size (34.7% over a 4-year college career). He’s a weapon that the Kings will look to implement, especially next to Sabonis, from day one.

9. Oklahoma City Thunder: A

15. Thomas Sorber

Grade: A+

Thomas Sorber was my #1 center in this draft class.

His combination of impressive physical strength, mobility in open space, playmaking flashes & vision, length, and flashes of shooting from the mid-range gave him a mix of high-floor yet high-upside that eclipsed his peers, in my opinion.

Now, he lands in a situation where he can refine that skillset and learn under a player whom his playstyle is remarkably similar to: Isaiah Hartenstein, on a team with the most respect shooting coach in the league (Chip Engellend).

Sorber landing on OKC will be a problem for the rest of the league and something a few teams will come to regret if he hits his upper percentile outcomes.

44. Brooks Barnhizer

Grade: B-

The Thunder stick to the game plan, drafting versatile, high-feel players with good defensive acumen and great positional length.

Barnhizer is all the above (and he has a sweet mullet).

And while he hasn’t been the best shooter, I wouldn’t be too concerned because of the Chip-effect.

10. Detroit Pistons: A

37. Chaz Lanier

Grade: A

Cade + Shooters = Buckets

And Lanier is a record-setting movement shooter coming off of a year where he made the most 3s in Tennessee history.

Great size with the athleticism and physical attributes to guard multiple positions, AKA 3nD personified.

Great pick at this stage of the draft, with the ability to slot into a rotational role as early as this season.

11. Milwaukee Bucks: A

47. Bogoljub Markovic

Grade: A

Bogoljub Markovic was favorite pick over this stretch of the second round. He’s a high-upside swing that doesn’t come with a ton of risk.

No one will remember who you drafted at 47 if he doesn’t pan out.

But if he does?

Immortalized.

Markovic might not be in the NBA this coming season, but his skillset is exactly what the NBA loves to see from players with his size, as he has great playmaking feel and touch packed into a 6’10.5” frame.

12. Washington Wizards: A-

I’ve loved watching the Wizards throughout their rebuild.

In my opinion, they’ve nailed every aspect. They’ve drafted well, prioritizing feel, size, versatility, and playmaking, which makes sense given Dawkins coming from the OKC franchise.

They’ve also invested into their infrastructure, ensuring that the Wiz Kids received meaningful minutes and reps, while also bringing in veterans to help guide them along their NBA journeys.

They’ve cleared cap, positioning themselves to be buyers in the future while their youth remain on rookie contracts, extending their window without compromising their future.

It’s textbook, and this draft was another chapter of that.

6.Tre Johnson, Texas

Grade: B+

Entering this draft, the Wizards clearly wanted a 1A type scorer, which was the biggest piece missing. Time after time, the playoffs show us that having a player you can reliably go to to get buckets when the play is more physical and the pace is slowing down is more important than ever.

And maybe Ace Bailey was the Wizards’ Plan A, but Tre Johnson, arguably the most dynamic and prolific shooter in this draft class, is not a bad Plan B.

He’s got the juice as a bucket-getter, with playmaking feel (1.5 AST/TO ratio) that has gone somewhat underrated simply because of how potent his shooting stroke is.

21. Will Riley (via Utah)

Grade: A-

Remember what Dawkins and Washington values?

Feel. Size. Skill.

Riley has all the above, with a huge frame for a player with his playstyle.

Riley’s playmaking is enticing and if his shot can become more fluid and consistent, he’s dangerous

43. Jamir Watkins

Grade: A

Is Watkins the highest ranked guy left on my board?

No.

But Watkins ability to crash and breakdown defenses, finish in the paint, and score will absolutely shine in a Washington offense looking for players with the ability to self create and do damage at the rim.

sidenote: the kid went back to school to graduate and be the first in his family to get a college degree

That’s the type of character and work ethic you simply can’t ignore.

13. Utah Jazz: A-

5. Ace Bailey, Rutgers

Grade: A

Ainge doesn’t take the bluff and does what great GMs do: Take BPA and figure it out later.

Throughout the draft process, Bailey’s playstyle and off-the-court concerns, most of which are attributed to his management team rather than him, have been extremely polarizing.

He, undoubtedly, has 1A scoring upside and a runway in Utah to reach that very, very high ceiling. But there are concerns about his decision-making and feel.

He has the infrastructure in Utah to help answer those questions and silence the critics, but he needs to be present to do so.

18. Walter Clayton Jr. (via Washington)

Grade: B

Clayton Jr. is a hooper and a bonafide bucket getter, and he’s shown the ability to do so under the brightest lights at the NCAA level.

But the lights are even brighter in the NBA

Lets see how he answers questions about his size, space creation, and ability to score against NBA-level athletes and defenders.

53. John Tonje

Grade: B

In his 6 (yup, that’s right) years of CBB, Tonje averages pristine 46/37/86 shooting splits

Most recently, he got to the line 6.9 times per game, shooting 91%, while also hitting 39% of his 5.9 3PA/g

So, simply put, Tonje gets buckets

Good pick here as he has a tangible pathway towards being a rosterable player

14. Indiana Pacers: A-

38. Kam Jones

Grade: A+

Extra credit him simply for the landing spot. Kam is a demon at getting downhill and getting paint touches. His ability to do so will be weaponized in a Carlisle offense that is very creative and built to maximize its players.

Carlisle will absolutely weaponize Jones’ ability to collapse defenses with his downhill driving and rim finishing

In his lone season as the lead facilitator at Marquette, he THRIVED with an insane 3.1 AST/TO ratio.

54. Taelon Peter

Grade: B-

A 45% 3PT shooter for Liberty on strong volume, Peter should thrive in the Pacers offense, where shooters always have a home.

He’s insanely efficient, plays smart, and doesn’t demand huge usage to be effective

Also a record setting high jumper in High School, which is pretty dope.

15. Los Angeles Lakers: A-

36. Adou Thiero

Grade: A-

Lakers nail this pick, and this is an example of great landing spot meets great fit

The Lakers need some strong, versatile wing defenders in a conference as competitive as the West, and Thiero checks those boxes as a player capable of making an early impact despite his draft position.

Lakers are clearly high on him being a viable rotation player from day one

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16. Philadelphia 76ers: B+

For awhile, Sixer fans had to contend with the reality of potentially losing the pick. Then, for once, Sixer fans stumbled upon some good luck, with the team moving up to the 3rd overall pick.

Now, playing with house money, the Sixer fanbase became divided on something else. Ace Bailey vs. VJ Edgecombe, the 3rd and 4th highest ranked players on my big board, respectively.

Morey & Co. made a decision that felt best to them, adding the highflying, dynamic Edgecombe, who is poised to become a 2-way playmaker at the NBA level.

3. VJ Edgecombe, Baylor

Grade: A

While I was a proponent of drafting Ace at 3, the VJ pick makes sense on a variety of levels. He nailed his workout. He crushed every interview. He has come off across as humble, yet hungry when talking about his future.

And, from day one, his athleticism and defensive prowess will help him contribute from day one, something that is important for a team seeing the Joel Embiid-led window close quickly.

35. Johni Broome

Grade: B

This is a great fit for Broome, who fills an obvious for the Sixers that need front court depth and size.

They have Bona, who fills a need as an explosive rim runner

Broome is on the other end of the spectrum, as he’s less athletically gifted but more polished offensively, so maybe he can replicate the Embiid role to an extent, allowing the offense to remain consistent even on rest days.

17. Minnesota Timberwolves: B+

17. Joan Beringer

Grade: B+

Great upside swing for the Wolves, who have a contention window but have continued to cater to their future too, as shown by their selection of Rob last year.

The young Frenchman is an heir-apparent to the Wolves’ defensive anchor, and his athletic gifts and size help shore up their front court depth.

45. Rocco Zikarsky

Grade: B+

A luxury pick that takes a low-risk, high upside swing on the Aussie giant.

The Wolves double dip on high upside bigs in this draft, which feels okay to me knowing that Gobert isn’t the long-term answer after this contention window closes for Minnesota.

While still raw, Zikarsky physical gifts (mullet included) are difficult to ignore.

18. Portland Trail Blazers: B+

16. Yang Hansen

Grade: B

I was SHOCKED when this happened live, but after sitting on it for a couple days, I really love this upside swing.

Maybe the value doesn’t feel the greatest, but I can’t knock an upside swing one bit. The way Portland hedged their bets by acquiring future draft capital, including a 1st rounder, was masterful.

He has a tantalizing skillset that, if it properly manifests, could make Cronin & Co. look like absolutely geniuses.

Yes, there are questions.

What does this do for Clingan? What happened to pushing for the playoffs?

I have no clue.

But let’s see if this pick is wine or milk

19. Golden State Warriors: B+

52. Alex Toohey

Grade: A

GSW keeps rolling the dice on skilled, high-feel plus-sized ballhandlers. At pick 52, this is just a shot in the dark but those are dart throws that I love.

Toohey has good defense and a strong frame, but needs to be a more consistent shooter, which is feasible given his good form and mechanics

56. Will Richard

Grade: B

With his efficient scoring, low-usage playstyle, and shooting, Richard evokes shades of Keon Ellis

Great perimeter defender who will thrive on the 3nD role.

20. Memphis Grizzlies: B

It’s a new era for Memphis, but it’ll always be the same identity: grit & grind. Their recent class of draftees exemplify that, with each player having the skillset & pedigree to fit right in.

Headlined by combine riser Cedric Coward, the Grizzlies added depth in the backcourt and in the wings, looking to commit to the Ja & JJJ duo.

11. Cedric Coward (via Portland Trail Blazers)

Grade: B

On combine day, I called Coward the biggest winner. Draft day sealed the deal. Outside of draft circles, Coward wasn’t on the radar of most fans.

However, his physical measurements (6’5.25” with a 7’2.25” wing span) and athletic testing (38.5” max vert) were through the roof.

Now, he reaps the benefits, flying up boards into the lotto, where he will do his best to slide into the hole left by the Desmond Bane trade.

I rate Coward highly, but the grade also factors in the cost it took to get him.

48. Javon Small

Grade: B

He’s small, but plays with so much heart that he’s able to overcome his lack of size, putting WVU onto his back last season.

He’s capable of being much more efficient than he showed, simply because of how much of the load he needed to carry with DeVries out.

Should improve his efficiency from deep to especially with him no longer needing to self create at the same level.

59. Jahmai Mashack

Grade: A

If any player in this class embodies grit and grind, it’s Mashack, whose perimeter defense ranks amongst the best in this class

active hands, good length, and a sturdy frame make him a presence at the POA and switchable enough to help guard multiple positions

21. Atlanta Hawks: B

23. Asa Newell

Grade: B

Full disclosure: I am not the highest on Asa Newell. Yes, he’s athletic, but he feels like a tweener to me and I think his upper percentile outcomes are dependent on him finding a true position.

However, I do love the landing spot and how the Hawks acquired some juicy draft capital to move back with the Pelicans.

The Hawks need length to compensate for Trae’s lack of it, and speed to build a team that can capitalize on Trae’s ability to drive and lead an offense

They’ve got that in spades in Newell, who needs refinement but has the physical and athletic gifts to be a beast once he finds a true position and improves his shooting.

Playing alongside Trae will help him ease into the NBA, as Trae will spoonfed him on fast breaks and on lobs.

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22. Cleveland Cavaliers: B

49. Tyrese Proctor

Grade: A-

Love this pick for Cleveland and landing spot for Tyrese Proctor. Proctor, who was a top-40

He can emulate what Ty Jerome did for the team, with his well rounded skillset & positional versatility.

58. Saliou Niang

Grade: B-

A project, developmental wing with shooting touch and good tools, Cleveland takes a player they can use to shore up their wings one day

Will continue to develop overseas in order to do so

23. Chicago Bulls: B

12. Noa Essengue

Grade: B

For a Chicago team that has made a lot of noise about wanting to turn the corner and compete, this is a long-term investment in Essengue. The tools, obviously, are hard to deny. He’s long, athletic, and already a potent finisher. He’s still growing while filling out his frame.

But while he’s raw, he does bring some aspects that are ready to contribute. On a team full of playmakers, Essengue is an amazing play finisher, who uses every inch of his frame to slip into the paint and finish at or above the rim.

He and Buzelis should make for a lot of fast break fun, especially with Giddey as the engine to the high-paced Bulls offense.

55. Lachlan Olbrich

Grade: B

Standing at 6’10”, Olbrich has the skillset to be a moldable, high-feel big man which is coveted in the league.

Still very raw, especially as a shooter, he’s got work to do but is a fine investment at this stage as a development project.

24. Boston Celtics: B

28. Hugo Gonzalez

Grade: B+

Celtics spend the gap year doing exactly what they needed to do: take a low-risk, high-upside player in Hugo and fully commit to preparing for ‘26-27 rather than treading water in ‘25-26

Hugo is very skilled and talented for his size, and can develop overseas, if needed, too. He’s gritty, plays with a high-motor, but has great physical gifts and positional versatility.

46. Amari Williams

Grade: B-

While on the older side for prospects, Amari’s upside is tied to his innate passing ability.

He averaged 3.2 assists for Kentucky while playing just 22.8 minutes per game

That’s special and could be something the Celtics try to hone under the guidance of Big Al.

57. Max Shulga

Grade: B

A big guard who plays with great control and with a well-rounded skillset, Shulga, who’s grown defensively this year, has the tools to do great in the Celtics’ system.

Does a lot of what Mazulla love and has a high motor and good feel.

25. Los Angeles Clippers: B-

30. Yanic Neiderhauser

Grade: C+

It’s a fun pick for a Clippers team that lack explosiveness from the C position, and Yanic has that in spades, coupled with great physical gifts at over 7 feet in shoes and a 7’3”+ wing span.

He has a 37.5” max vert and an insane 33.5” standing vert, which was 2nd best in the class.

He brings some upside as a shot blocker and has a strong floor as an athletic rim running lob threat, but there are a of things he needs to clean up defensively to be a truly impactful defender.

50. Kobe Sanders

Grade: B

Ya’ll know I love a jumbo playmaker, and Sanders , standing at 6’9”, averaged 4.5 assists for Nevada to the tune of a 2.5 AST/TO ratio, demonstrating great feel and vision for his size.

If he can improve his efficiency and perimeter shooting, he can outperform his draft position in a big way.

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26. New York Knicks: B-

51. Mohamed Diawara

Grade: B-

Still slightly raw offensively but with great physical tools, Diawara projects as a potential 3nD wing who can guard multiple positions.

Fine swing for a team needing wing depth and size. Diawara can develop overseas, giving New York some added flexibility.

27. Toronto Raptors: C+

9. Collin Murray-Boyles

Grade: C+

Not loving this pick, mostly because you are adding a notably poor shooter to one of the worst 3PT shooting teams in the league.

CMB is a menace, but landing spot was HUGE for him and this might be the worst possible landing spot in the top-10 for him.

His skillset feels slightly redundant with Barnes there, too. My biggest concern is what position does he slot into? Are they comfortable trotting him out to be an undersized C? Can be play on the wings without being a burden offensively? Is his shooting fixable enough that it wont matter?

A lot of questions to address, but CMB has the talent to silence them.

39. Alijah Martin

Grade: B-

Martin fills an obvious need in Toronto: shooting.

Martin is a career 36% 3P shooter on big volume (5.4 3PA/g), and this should increase playing next to the gravity of Barnes & Co.

He has a great wing span that mitigates his lack of height, making him a strong defender on the perimeter.

28. New Orleans Pelicans: C+

7. Jeremiah Fears

Grade: B

I think taking the BPA is important when you’re pivoting towards a new direction under a new FO, but Fears is heading to a very loaded backcourt looked to be dominated by Murray/Poole this year.

All in all, I’m fine with Pels looking to the future though and betting on Fears’ combination of age, ballhandling, and ability to get into the paint, even if that skillset kind of overlaps with the skillset of their franchise cornerstone, Zion Williamson. Is this pick an indication that the Pelicans are looking to upgrade their foundation?

To reach his ceiling, he needs to showcase that his shooting is much better than advertised, which will help him overcome his lack of height and relatively small frame.

13. Derik Queen (via Atlanta)

Grade: C

Queen is a stud. Insanely talented and gifted offensively for a big man.

In NO, he lands at a place with another talented big man whose game he can try to emulate in Zion.

However, with Queen’s lack of shooting upside and Zion’s tendency to live at the rim, there are concerns about fit. There are concerns about Queen’s defense, too, mostly because of his poor athletic traits. Queen is gritty, smart, and able to make reads, which has helped him quiet those concerns with his film.

But this draft grade is not just a reflection on Queen, who feels like good value at this pick in a vacuum. It also factors in the price they paid to make it, which includes an UNPROTECTED 2026 first. Mindblowing.

40. Micah Peavy

Grade: B-

For a team clearly invested in making noise last year, Peavy makes a lot of sense because of his skillset and ability to contribute from day one.

He has size, defense, feel, and versatility. More importantly, he LOVES to play defense (2.3 steals per game).

Think there’s guys on the board who are graded better, but Peavy checks a lot of boxes that the Pels need on the wings

To spice things up, I have included a couple trades that felt realistic and satisfied the needs of teams involved.

Give it a read and let me know what you think!

1. Dallas Mavericks - Cooper Flagg, F, Duke

Duh.

The only question about Cooper Flagg was about who was drafting him first overall. That question was answered at the lottery, when the miracle Mavericks moved up ten spots to get the rights to draft the borderline generational prospect.

Flagg is a king-of-all-trades player, who is arguably the most well-rounded prospect in the last decade. His ability to dominate the game defensively is only enhanced by his ability to score at all levels and make great playmaking reads.

He’s everything you want in a franchise cornerstone, and he’s walking into, arguably, the best situation you could ask for. From an NFL perspective, imagine a quarterback being drafted into a franchise with an offensive line and playmaking weapons already in place. Flagg is joining two All-NBA caliber players in Kyrie and AD, who should ease the transition for an already NBA-ready prospect.

2. San Antonio Spurs - Dylan Harper, PG, Rutgers

The rich get richer, with San Antonio leapfrogging their way towards the top of the draft for the third year in a row.

And after landing an alien in Victor Wembanyama in 2023, they find a perfect counterpart to him this year in Dylan Harper.

Harper is a demon going downhill and was a prolific paint finisher at the collegiate level, despite entire defensive gameplans being crafted towards stopping that. At the NBA level, where spacing is worlds better, these traits hint at his ridiculous upside.

The Spurs offense will be a tall task to guard with Harper in the mix. How can you help off of Wemby from the dunker’s spot when Harper is slicing through your defense? There are so many iterations of that question, which is a testament to how great of a duo the two can grow into.

3. Philadelphia 76ers - Ace Bailey, W, Rutgers

Ace Bailey is one of, if not the, most polarizing prospects in this draft. And the polarizing outlook with which we view him mirrors his play. He’s had stretches of genius, pouring in 30+ points on a little over ten dribbles, but he’s also struggled, showing poor shot selection and a general lack of feel.

How you evaluate him depends on whether or not you think his juice is worth the squeeze.

Personally, I rather strike out swinging. Ace Bailey has the upside to make you regret passing on him. He has a habit of making difficult shots look casual, to the detriment of both his efficiency and an offense’s flow.

But I buy that the shot selection and feel will take a step forward at the next level. He’s had moments of brilliance as a playmaker, capable of making difficult passes and setting up his teammates for easy looks.

Under the tutelage of Paul George, he can refine his to its highest capacity, especially in a Sixers system that has maximized prospects in recent years.

4. Charlotte Hornets - VJ Edgecombe, G, Baylor

There’s a shortlist of players in this class with the explosiveness and athleticism of VJ Edgecombe.

His climb up draft boards not only matches up with his explosive playstyle but symbolizes the rapid growth he made as a prospect in a short period of time.

VJ has flown up draft boards like he flies up and down the court due to his growth as a ballhandler and self-creator, showcasing that he has the upside to become more than just a defensive menace at the next level.

Joining up with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller would give Charlotte a brand of basketball that is just as brash and fun as its franchise cornerstone.

5. Utah Jazz - Kon Knueppel, G, Duke

There’s a pesky narrative surrounding Kon Knueppel in draft circles that despite a high-floor, due to his prolific shooting and connective playmaking, he lacks an upper percentile outcome.

I flat out disagree and think that Kon has a lot more to tap into as a self-creator and playmaker, similar to another Duke guard in Jared McCain.

Like McCain, I envision Knueppel showing that buying into a role at the collegiate level does not mean that role is his ceiling at the next level.

Knueppel has a strong understanding of pace, plus the strength and physicality to abuse smaller defenders. He makes excellent reads as a playmaker, suggesting he’s more than capable of initiating the offense in spurts.

In Utah, Knueppel can be safely handed the keys to the offense for a year, where he can showcase that skillset after the Jazz move on from veteran guards like Collin Sexton and Jordan Clarkson.

6. Washington Wizards - Egor Demin, PG, BYU

Washington fans, please, let me explain…

I’ve shouted from the mountains throughout this draft cycle that Egor Demin embodies everything GMs fall in love with: an unteachable combination of vision and playmaking packaged into an elite frame at the point guard position.

It’s an archetype I consistently fall for, because this is a league driven by jumbo ballhandlers.

Are the question marks spooky?

100%.

His shot is inconsistent. He struggles to create separation. He lacks the physicality to consistently finish at the rim.

But questions aside, the flashes are bright. His form is workable. His handle is surprisingly advanced for his height and age. He’s got every tool in the box to be special. It’s about teams being willing to roll the dice, and the Wizards have shown time and time again that they love three things: plus-size, plus playmaking, and positional versatility.

They’ve bet on poor shooting before and have come out on top (i.e. Sarr & George). Why not again?

7. New Orleans Pelicans - Tre Johnson, G, Texas

When you’ve got a player with Zion’s gravity and skillset, you create and craft an offense built to maximize it by placing weapons around him.

And is there a more dangerous weapon, offensively, than Texas’ Tre Johnson?

He’s a bonafide bucket getter at all levels, who particularly thrives on the perimeter as a deadly catch-and-shoot weapon and self-creator.

As the playoffs prove time and time again, you need someone who can be given the ball and can get you buckets. With Zion drawing the eyes of the defense on most plays, Tre will have a ton of opportunity to capitalize on those looks while having the length and size to play alongside both Dejounte and Poole in spurts.

8. Brooklyn Nets - Jeremiah Fears, PG, Oklahoma

Brooklyn sits on a wealth of draft capital, but they’re also hungry for players to build around. Fears, who should be celebrating graduating from High School, has the upside to be exactly that.

Brooklyn has both the runway and the leash for Fears to thrive. He needs opportunities to fail, to adjust to the physicality and to showcase that his shooting flashes aren’t just flashes.

Fears has a lot working against him. He’s on the smaller end of what modern point guards look like. He doesn’t have elite verticality or athletic gifts. But his ability to carry an offense, despite that, is unquestionable. He’s great at operating at his own pace and already has a ton of counters whenever he does get stymied by the defense, allowing him to take advantage with a variety of flexible finishing moves and strong playmaking chops.

9. Toronto Raptors - Khaman Maluach, C, Duke

I don’t think you can draw up a better 5 for a Masai-led franchise. Maluach has insane physical tools, standing at close to 7’1” barefoot with a near 7’7” wingspan. He puts those tools to work, too, demonstrating flashes of elite rim protection and a strong BLK%.

His ability to impact the game without needing significant touches should stick out to the Raptors, who are adding a healthy Brandon Ingram to a team that already has Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett.

He’s a 76.6% free throw shooter with a surprisingly crisp and quick shooting form for his size. He’s fluid in his movements and is a constant lob threat, who will feast from the dunker’s spot because of Barnes’ gravity as a ballhandler. If he can stretch his shot out to the 3PT-line consistently, he will be an extremely tall (get it?) task for opposing defenses to cover.

10. Phoenix (Via Houston) - Thomas Sorber, C, Georgetown

A 19-year-old big man whose strength and skillset are far more advanced than his age suggests, Thomas Sorber is the answer to Phoenix’ long-term question at the 5.

He does everything you want from a modern big-man, evoking shades of Bam Adebayo. His awareness, positioning, and footspeed all point to him developing into an elite defender, especially because his defensive numbers actually improved against better competition (8.3% BLK% against top-50 competition).

On the offensive end, his face-up game, coupled with his AST% and playmaking flashes, hint at his 2-way interior playmaking upside. Plus, his strong elbow jumper and 72.4% FT on a hefty 4.4 FTA/g hint that he could extend his range.

If you’re going to bet on a big man in the lottery, Sorber is probably the safest, but I don’t think that means he has the lowest ceiling either if things pan out correctly.

TRADE: The Oklahoma City Thunder trade Picks 15 and 24 in the ‘25 Draft to the Portland Trailblazers for Pick 11

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Portland) - Carter Bryant, W/F, Arizona

When you’re sitting on a pile of draft picks, you have the flexibility to consolidate and find players that will help extend your title window and give you a chance to repeat.

The Thunder would love to add Carter Bryant to their core, as his playstyle is tailor made for OKC.

He’s a suffocating defender, with the length to guard multiple positions. Does that sound familiar?

He shoots 37.1% from 3, while standing 6’6.5” barefoot and having close to a 7’0” wingspan, making him the perfect player to mold into a versatile 3nD wing.

12. Chicago Bulls - Kasparas Jakucionis, G, Illinois

The Bulls spend another draft betting on homegrown talent, selecting Kasparas Jakucionis out of nearby Illinois.

For those that remember, Jakucionis was legitimately in Dylan Harper talks and looked at as a top-5 prospect earlier this year (he’s still very close on my big board, ranking 7th overall).

An injury negatively that impacted his shooting coupled with turnover concerns caused people to shift him down big boards.

But I’m a firm believer that young players like Kasparas are supposed to struggle, and that those struggles shouldn’t wipe out the film that existed pre-injury.

He’s a dynamic shotmaker, especially on the perimeter, who is especially crafty as a playmaker too. He’s got prototypical size (6’6” in shoes) with a plus wingspan and a sturdy frame. That, coupled with his active hands and motor should help him stay aggressive defensively, too.

TRADE: The Washington Wizards trade Corey Kispert, Pick 18, and a Future 2nd to the Atlanta Hawks for Kobe Bufkin and Pick 13

13. Washington Wizards (via Atlanta via Sacramento)- Derik Queen, F/C, Maryland

Will Dawkins is not gun shy. He’s shown time and time again, that he isn’t afraid to take risks by moving up the draft and going for his guys.

He’s earned that leeway, helping give Washington the direction they’ve desperately needed in the post-John Wall and Bradley Beal era.

With Derik Queen still on the board and the Spurs in queue, I think he holds his foot on the gas and keeps Derik Queen close to home.

Queen’s weaknesses are mitigated by the defensive length found all over the Washington lineup. But Queen’s strengths are what make him special. He’s a post playmaking hub, who can also put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. He makes big time plays look easy, and he’s got fluidity and vision that are rare among big men.

14. San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta) - Rasheer Fleming, F/C, Saint Joseph

With Queen off the board, the Spurs are still happy to add Rasheer Fleming to their frontcourt, helping them add heft, versatility, and defensive aptitude.

After losing Wemby for the year, the Spurs had to turn to Sochan, a natural-4, to play the 5. Fleming, who can play both positions because of his 7’5” wingspan (+9” as he stands a little over 6’8” barefoot) and sturdy frame, is a natural complement to Wemby, Fox, Harper & Co., as he can space the floor well (39% on 4.5 3PA/g) and finish plays at the rim without needing a ton of usage to be impactful.

He’s an excellent, switchable defender too, who averaged 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals last year for Saint Joseph.

15. Portland Trail Blazers (via Oklahoma City via Miami) - Collin Murray-Boyles, F/C, South Carolina

Portland trades back, acquiring two picks in the middle of the first, but you won’t see many fans complaining as they add a lottery-level talent in Collin Murray-Boyles.

CMB is undersized for a 5, standing at just over 6’6” without shoes, but he maximizes his frame using his defensive awareness, motor, and IQ. He averaged 1.3 blocks and 1.5 steals per game for South Carolina, using every inch of his 7’0” wing span to ensure that he left his fingerprints all over the game.

His biggest swing skill is whether or not he can grow into an average shooter, which would unlock his game and make him a more versatile weapon. Until then, CMB will earn his bread by being a defensive jack-of-all-trades who plays with a high motor and good feel, which is exactly the type of player Coach Billups loves.

16. Memphis Grizzlies (via Orlando) - Liam McNeely, G/W, UConn

After trading away a core piece in Desmond Bane, the Memphis Grizzlies are entering a quick reset period and are building a new core seemingly centered around JJJ and Ja. Enter Liam McNeely, who battled through injuries for UConn while carrying a ton of weight on his shoulders despite being a freshman joining a team with aspirations to 3-Peat.

McNeely and UConn might have underperformed, but he’s still a borderline lottery-level talent whose playstyle, grit, and connectivity at the wing will go a long way towards replacing the hole left by Bane.

He’s got prototypical size and a sturdy frame and should be a much better shooter at the next level than he displayed at UConn.

17. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit) - Danny Wolf, F/C, Michigan

Will Minnesota be able to retain Naz Reid this off-season?

All eyes are whether a team will be able to create an offer sheet enticing enough for Naz to walk away, or expensive enough for the Wolves to hesitate. With that said, enter a player who was bred to play for Minnesota: Danny Wolf, whose ability to self-create and score from the 4/5-spot can help ease those concerns.

Standing at over 6’10” with a 7’2”+ wing span, Wolf adds weight to a strong Minnesota front court, making the possibility of losing Naz more bearable; however, he also adds versatility as a passer that can help maximize an Anthony Edwards-led offense. Like Naz, he can put the ball on the floor and create for himself while also being able to operate off-ball as a shooter.

18. Atlanta Hawks (via Washington via Memphis) - Nique Clifford, G/W, Colorado State

After trading for Kristaps Porzingis, the Atlanta Hawks have signaled that they are ready to make noise in the East. They trade back today, acquiring a shooter to help them further accomplish that goal in Corey Kispert.

Now, they add another complementary piece in Colorado State’s Nique Clifford, whose versatility and ability to operate in a variety of roles is Bogdan Bogdanovic-esque.

Clifford is an aggressive attacker and proven shot maker, whose playstyle is complemented by having a sturdy frame and good length, standing at 6’5”+ with a 6’8” wing span. Surrounding Trae with length and shooting is key to maximizing his skillset while also accounting for his weaknesses.

Plus, Clifford has playmaking tools that he can tap into to help operate as a secondary/tertiary creator from the wing.

19. Brooklyn Nets (via Milwaukee) - Noa Essengue, F, Ratiopharm Ulm

Brooklyn has a ton of darts to throw in this draft. After acquiring their potential point guard of their future in Fears, they find him a weapon in the open court and play finisher in Noa Essengue, whose length and rapidly growing skillset make him one of the best (albeit risky) upside swings at this stage in the draft.

There’s not much there in terms of shooting, yet. But Essengue’s ability to slither into the paint and finish above the rim should help him get easy buckets. He's got the length and fluidity to play and guard multiple positions, standing at 6’10” with a 7’1” wing span. He could still be growing too.

On a team with no timeline outside of continuing to accumulate assets and develop their players, Essengue can look to round out his skillset in a low pressure environment.

20. Miami Heat (via Golden State)- Nolan Traore, G, Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball

Under Coach Spoelstra, Miami has found ways to thrive without a true point guard on the roster. But, at this stage of the draft, it’s hard to pass up on the opportunity to select and develop Nolan Traore, whose upside as a downhill playmaker rivals that of Fears, in my opinion.

Traore boasts an elite first step, making him a demon in transition with the ability to slice up defenses in the half court as well. Despite a slow start to his season, he’s been able to right the ship, showcasing exactly why he was considered a lottery level talent at the beginning of the year. His playstyle is eerily reminiscent to another French point guard and legend: Tony Parker.

In fact, he’s actually 11th on my big board, with the same prospect score as Jeremiah Fears, according to my grading chart.

I think this is a steal for Miami and that Traore greatly outperforms his draft position if he falls outside of the lottery.

21. Utah Jazz (via Minnesota) - Joan Beringer, C, Cedevita Olimpija

The Utah Jazz have balanced two timelines for too long, in my opinion. They acquired a high-level prospect in Kon Knueppel earlier in the draft, but they are still a couple years away from being meaningful playoff contenders. As a result, I think they swing for the fences here, taking Joan Beringer out of Cedevita Olimpija.

Standing at 6’11” with a 7’4.25” wing span, Beringer has all of the physical tools you can ask for in an 18-year-old development project.

His 32.5” max vertical jump is also higher than his peers at the 5, like Khaman Maluach (30”) and Derik Queen (28”).

He’s mobile, improving his skillset at a rapid pace, and projects very well defensively in a league where switchability is at a premium.

22. Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta Hawks via Los Angeles) - Drake Powell, G/W, North Carolina

With the newly acquired 22nd pick in the draft, the Brooklyn Nets stick to their MO: acquiring young, talented players and hoping that they hit. Drake Powell, a combine darling with unteachable athletic and physical gifts, embodies that ideology to a tee.

He stands a shade over 6’5” without shoes but has a 7’0” wingspan, and he can jump out of a gym with a 43” max vert, which is the highest recorded number in the combine since the ‘21 Draft Combine.

He’s got good touch from the perimeter, shooting 37.9% on 2.6 3PA/g. He also uses his length and athleticism well on the defensive end, making him a versatile & switchable piece.

23. New Orleans Pelicans (via Indiana)- Cedric Coward, G/F, Washington State

After adding Jordan Poole via trade and Tre Johnson earlier in the draft, New Orleans continues to craft a roster tailored to maximize the strengths of Zion.

Standing just over 6’5” but with an insane 7’2”+ wing span, Coward is not only physically gifted, but he also sports a 38.5” max vert, making him an NBA-level athlete on the wing. He’s also a career 38.6% 3PT-shooter in college, with his 3PT touch improving every year even on higher volume.

He’s shown flashes of connectivity on the wing, indicating that he can help keep an offense flowing while also being a catch-and-shoot threat and play finisher on lobs.

24. Portland Trail Blazers (via Oklahoma City) - Will Riley, G/W, Illinois

After trading away Anfernee Simons, Portland finally looks ready to hand the keys over to Scoot Henderson & Shaedon Sharpe. Because of cap constrictions following the acquisition of Jrue Holiday, who should help their playoff push next season, the Blazers traded back with OKC, first acquiring Collin Murray-Boyles out of South Carolina to fortify their defense.

Now, they add length on the wings via Illinois’ Will Riley. Riley, standing at over 6’8” barefoot with nearly a 6’9” wing span plays with a ton of feel for his height and age, managing to average a plus AST/TO ratio despite mostly playing off-ball simply by making good decisions and limiting his mistakes.

He’s good at attacking the basket, but will need to improve his strength to do so more consistently at the NBA level. And while there have been flashes as a shooter, improving the fluidity in which he gets his shot will do wonders for his perimeter game.

Being able to shoot and pass at a high-level will be key in helping him fit into the Portland offense, but he’s worth a risk in the mid-20s.

25. Orlando Magic (via Denver) - Walter Clayton Jr., PG, Florida

The Orlando Magic acquired Desmond Bane, shifting their focus towards winning a wide open Eastern Conference in ‘25-26.

But, even with the acquisition of Bane, there is one glaring weakness that has haunted Orlando for the past few years: shooting (or the lack of it).

They’ve consistently finished near (or at) the bottom of the league in shooting, and it is an issue they need to address to fully maximize the duo of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

Enter Walter Clayton Jr., who played just a few hours down the road at Florida. Clayton is a dynamic, proven shot maker who instantly adds a potent, playable weapon to their offense that can also facilitate in spurts.

26. Brooklyn Nets (via New York) - Ben Saraf, G/W, Ratiopharm Ulm

With upside swings continuing to be the motto for Brooklyn in this draft, look no further than Ratiopharm Ulm’s Ben Saraf.

Saraf, despite being a teenager playing in a pro-level league, has been a driving force for Ratiopharm all season, including in their finals matchup against Bayern Munich, where he’s averaging 9.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists.

He’s got great feel for his size, standing at 6’6” with nearly a 6’9” wingspan, giving the Nets a crafty player to develop on the wings.

27. Brooklyn Nets (via Houston)- Jase Richardson, G, Michigan State

The overwhelming evaluation of Jase Richardson, from most draft pundits, is that while he flashed a ton of potential during a strong freshman season at Michigan State, he’s still a year or two away from being impactful at the NBA-level.

Is that something I agree with?

Partially.

There’s a learning curve that I think Jase needs to adjust to, where pace and counters will be instrumental in making up for his lack of height.

But Jase’s production is hard to ignore. He shot 49/41/84 in one of CBB’s toughest conferences, and I’ve likened him to Jared McCain on multiple occasions because, like McCain, Jase just knows how to hoop.

Maybe he’ll fall on draft day because those questions are too difficult to ignore for some, but Brooklyn shouldn’t hesitate if he’s on the board when they are on the clock for their last pick.

28. Boston Celtics - Asa Newell, F/C, Georgia

Boston hit a quick reset, sending away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, two key players in their championship run, to prepare for a year without their franchise player Jayson Tatum.

This gives Boston a unique ability to swing for the fences here, something that they wouldn’t have done had their team been healthy.

Asa Newell carries a ton of risk. Is he a tweener? Does he have the skillset to transition to a wing? Does he have the size to play the 4/5?

What is unquestionable though is that he has the length (6’9” barefoot with a 6’11”+ wing span) and athleticism (36.5” max vert) to be successful if the rest of the tools fall in place.

29. Phoenix Suns (via Cleveland) - Kam Jones, G, Marquette

Kam Jones is an absolute sleeper in this draft class. He wasn’t the most lauded player. He’s on the older side. But he’s grown and improved his game every year he’s spent at Marqutte, with his Senior season being, by far, his best.

Across his career, he’s shot nearly 37% from 3 on serious volume (6.3 3PA/g). This year, he evolved into a dynamic downhill presence, finishing at an insane 65% clip at the rim thanks to a combination of his body control, sturdy frame, and size.

His ability to collapse the defense doesn’t just yield easy looks for himself, but he’s grown into a dynamic passer and creator, with a 3.1 AST/TO ratio.

For a Phoenix team desperate for playmaking off the bench and a player to help take the creation load off Devin Booker’s shoulders, adding a player of Jones’ caliber will be key in moving on from the KD-era of Phoenix hoops.

30. Los Angeles Clippers (via Oklahoma City) - Ryan Kalkbrenner, C, Creighton

Mirroring the success and impact of Golden State’s selection of Quentin Post last year, the Clippers shore up their front court with Ryan Kalkbrenner, the insanely productive big man out of Creighton, whose impact was felt on both ends of the floor.

He’s got touch from the perimeter, shooting 34.4% last season on a career-high 1.7 3PA/g and he’s able to make good passes and reads out of the post, which will complement the Clippers’ star duo in James Harden and Kawhi Leonard.

Defensively, he can be utilized similarly to Zubac, as a drop-big who can shore up rim protection when flanked by strong POA defenders.

Timeline

Timeline refers to whether you are contending, tanking, or pivoting between the two, plays a HUGE rule in evaluating players for Fantasy Basketball. As a contender, especially in Salary Cap or Contract leagues, securing rookies who are ready to compete from day one is especially important. A day one contributor bolsters your title shot and maximizes your contending window.

On the other hand, if you are tanking or rebuilding, it’s important to look for ceiling raisers. Securing a steady day one contributor with a high-floor is valuable, but it won’t help you claw out of the lottery. As a tanker, it is easier to bet on upside or swing for the fences. Additionally, if your contention window is still a few years away, your timeline will allow you to take on high-risk, high-reward projects that others are less likely to bet on.

Prior to creating your big board, determining whether you are rebuilding, pivoting, or contending is incredibly important, as it plays a crucial role into how you should evaluate these prospects.

Landing Spot

In fantasy sports, a common trope is valuing talent over landing spot. While this especially pertains to fantasy football, it’s very much applicable to fantasy basketball as well. However, in fantasy basketball especially, landing spots can have a big effect on a players value, bothin the short- and long- term

For example, if a high-risk, high-reward projects lands on a team with good developmental history, I’d feel comfortable picking him over safer players within the same tier, especially if that team is rebuilding or has good risk tolerance. Similarly, if a player lands on a team where he will play a significant role from day one, it would positively impact his value and, thus, move him up my board.

On the other hand, landing spot can negatively impact a player’s value, too. In this year, the immensely talented Anthony Black, whom I had ranked 5th going into the draft, landed with the Orlando Magic, who already roster a plethora of guards and ball handlers. While I believe in Black’s long-term value, his landing spot will negatively impact his short-term value, unless the Magic move one of their guards.

Landing spot can immensely impact a player’s value, and it should play a big role in how you evaluate a player on draft day; however, if you find yourself struggling to decide between two players, it’s important to remember that landing spot only tells a fraction of the story.

Capital

Draft Capital alludes to how early a player is selected. Historically speaking, the earlier a player is selected, the more likely that players has been to succeed. The further down a draft board you go, the harder it becomes to secure a player who will play a meaningful role for your fantasy team. As a result, it’s easy to value players who are drafted earlier.

With draft capital also comes longer leashes. When a team heavily invests in a player, that player is given the leeway to make mistakes in order for them to grow and reach their potential. In a points league, this is incredibly important to consider, as the format doesn’t negatively impact ineffiency as in category leagues. Conversely, players who are drafted later are often relagated to smaller roles, barring massive improvements or surprising growth. A lack of a defined role on an NBA teams leads to a lack of fantasy value.

But, while draft capital is incredibly important, it’s not everything. Often times, for fantasy purposes, it’s important to remember that some players are better in real life than in fantasy sports. As a result, some players, such as various three point or defensive specialists, have big real world impact but miniscule fantasy value. Considering a player’s skillset is JUST as important as considering how early that player is drafted. Additionally, as shown by the reigning Finals MVP, a star can be round later in the draft, too, even if earlier picks are more historically successful.

This is not always the case, and draft capital sometimes leads to unfair expectations (I.e. Reed Sheppard), which is why landing spot, draft capital, and timeline need to ALL be considered simultaneously.

It’s trade season in dynasty land. Valuations across the community and each individual league are wildly different. A lot of what is said in these types of articles are common opinions, but I promise you they aren’t universal. The name of the game is acquiring value. Trying to execute it is where the championship GM’s separate themselves.

Sell high

2025 pick 2

Don't get me wrong... Dylan Harper is the clear number 2 in this draft and a fantastic prospect. The rim pressure and finishing ability is elite and I have no doubt he will be a great pro.

Having said that, I've seen a bunch of commentary from people who believe Harper is closer to Cooper Flagg than he is the field and I just can't quite agree with that.

We also know point guard is the toughest position to adjust to in the NBA and 'surefire' prospects don't always immediately pan out (Sorry Scoot... I still believe).

With the hype around Harper as it is right now, I wouldn't be surprised at all of his value takes a dip over the next 12 months. Sell now, buy later? It's a risk for sure, but one that I think should be considered.

Josh Giddey

Should be fairly self evident, the efficiency is unsustainable and I don't think he can be 'that guy' on a winning team. Some people out there are buying his late season performance as the new norm in Chicago... I'd personally be looking for those managers and shipping Giddey off.

2024 Rookies

A lot of us know the classic play in dynasty basketball of selling high after a surprisingly strong rookie campaign (and buying low after a ‘sophomore slump’ but more on that in our next edition of buys and sells). What you need to do is identify why you think a rookie’s performance isn’t indicative of their future outlook.

One thing to look for is rookies who outperform expectations especially in the back end of the season as teams throw their youth out on the court in high usage roles to see what they’ve got… Isaiah Collier is a perfect example.

Another one to look for is rookies filling an obvious hole in a teams rotation who you aren’t convinced that team is going to settle for that player there. Yves Missi had a great rookie season compared to expectations, but do you think New Orleans are satisfied with him as their long term starter? I don’t.

I love Steph Castle and some here at Point Made are very high on him. But in a a rookie class seen as and (IMO) proven to be on the weaker side… the rookie of the year award might not mean everything it normally would. Castle was given a whole lot of usage down the stretch that I just can’t see as remotely sustainable on a roster with Wemby, Fox and potentially Dylan Harper.

Got a rookie who you think is pulling the wool over the communities eyes? Fantastic time to sell.

Dyson Daniels

I love Dyson, and like a lot of people I invested hard in The e Great Barrier Thief after his trade to Atlanta and boy oh boy did that pay off. Dyson exploded this past season, averaging 3 steals per game on his way to taking out the MIP award

Long time holders and pre season investors are laughing to bank, but should we actually be looking to part ways?

9 cat fantasy basketball has a habit of over valuing players based off outlier results in high variance/low volume categories like steals.

I think Dyson has plenty of room to grow in his scoring and playmaking but I will be shocked if his steals don't regress a bit and I think Dyson hype is at a fever pitch this off season. Unless we are talking about those bona fide top 10 dynasty assets, peak hype is always a good time to sell if you can avoid getting caught up in it and identify it.

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Buy Low

LaMelo Ball

We know this one... We've been here before. If he can get healthy, insane fantasy player, top 5-10 asset. The believers are getting fewer and fewer and I imagine anyone who does believe already owns, but if you don't... Why not with what his price point is likely to be?

Scoot Henderson

The dynasty community was clearly wrong on Scoot before his draft. Touted as a near consensus top 20 asset, we (mostly) all missed on Scoot.

As a general rule, people hate being wrong. And the NBA and fantasy world turned hard on Scoot through his rough rookie year. I think a lot of people have really struggled to get over that miss in judgement to the point they can't or won't see the strides he made in the back half of last season.

Year 3 is often a turning point for guards in the league. Is the top 20 asset we thought Scoot would be still hiding in there? I don't think so. But I also think there's a lot of positive movement coming for Scoot in year 3.

Between writing this up and posting it, Portland have moved Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday. I think this will provide a solid bump to Scoot in the short term and hopefully a big bump in the long term as Scoot learns off an incredible leader in Jrue.

Shaedon Sharpe (BIAS ALERT)

Shaedon is currently a really interesting case of analytics vs eye test. The data says he can't shoot or pass... Watching him as he learns to navigate the PnR or showcasing his impressive footwork paints a different story. He's patient. He's smart. He goes from slow to quick and back to slow seamlessly as he navigates the court.

Shaedon is already an elite rim finisher and mid range shooter. If the 3 ball comes back to his rookie season numbers, he's an elite 3 level scorer who has shown strong rebounding potential from the guard position and an ability to be a secondary playmaker.

The Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday trade opens things up for Shaedon more than anyone else I believe. Simons as a high usage, shoot first guard is gone so Shaedon will need to take on more shot creation responsibility.

Defensively, he has a long way to go. But I'm buying Shaedon stock right now anticipating a big jump this year.

Kyrie Irving

Chances are Kyrie is on a contending team in your league already. Might be a surprising one here but I rebuilding teams need to reach out and see if they can pry Kyrie this off season. Contending in dynasty is a tight rope and rostering a high level player in your IR for most or all of the season is a challenge few can overcome.

This isn’t Jayson Tatum, who is only 19 27 years old and who contenders will either hold or be able to sell at regular value. This is 33 year old Kyrie, with question marks over whether he can get back to his best or not.

His price should be dirt cheap. Potentially a low risk, high reward acquisition if he comes back near his old self and you can sell to the highest bidder at the deadline or next off season.

Zeke was not heavily recruited coming out of High School, but he still found his way to South Dakota State, where he improved year-to-year, eventually becoming the Summit Player of the Year in ’23-24.

He then turned a dream into reality, returning home and becoming a Kansas Jayhawk. It wasn’t something that was given to him. In his own words, Zeke understands “the amount of hours [he’s] put into basketball”. He knows his path to the draft hasn’t been a straight line. He knows the sacrifices both he and his family have made for this opportunity.

And, for how unselfish of a player and a person he is, you better believe this isn’t a shot that Zeke will pass up.

We, at Point Made, are honored to have Zeke take some time to sit down with us for an interview.

This is a glimpse into him as a player and how his path to the draft has taken shape. But it’s also a glimpse into who he is as a person. His character. His growth. His story.

Josh: With COVID impacting your senior year, you fell through the cracks recruiting wise, but stayed hungry and caught the eyes of many with your time at South Dakota State, eventually becoming Summit League player of the year.

What helped you stay motivated and pushing at that time?

Zeke: Coming out of high school, I was honest with myself to realize I wasn’t ready for P5 basketball. The game is a lot more intense, physical, and there are a handful of high IQ guys, and I wasn’t one of them out of high school. Thankfully, I chose a school that has great history with developing Mid Major talent & helping each of their players succeed to get to the next level.

My coaches were terrific at getting in the gym with me, watching thousands of hours of film, and just understanding my individual goals within the game of basketball and helping me achieve what I needed to. It wasn’t necessarily motivation because I never once thought of transferring schools and never honestly realized I would even have a shot at making the NBA until after my Sophomore season.

It was with the help of all my coaches and teammates at SDSU that really motivated me and helped me realize I could reach my goal of making it to the next level one day.

Josh: After the work you put in over 3 years as a Jackrabbit, you entered the transfer portal and got a chance to play for the team you grew up watching.

Can you walk us through how that felt and what it meant to turn a dream into a reality? How did that reality live up to the dream you had growing up?

Zeke: The dream was to play at Kansas all my life, and getting that opportunity was an incredible feeling. They were my first phone call & the only place I “visited” while in the portal. The moment I got out of the car to walk around the facilities and just be around a great coaching staff for a few hours, I knew it was where I wanted to be.

It also helped that I had a few childhood friends that played football there, and I constantly imagined what it would be like for us to represent the school we grew up watching together, so it was a great feeling.

Obviously we didn’t have the season we wanted to for many reasons, but it was a great experience to get to play in the mecca of college basketball in front of family, friends, old teachers, and just our amazing fans in general.

Josh: Now, you’re on the precipice of turning another dream into reality, as you prep for the NBA draft. I’m sure the draft process has felt surreal and has been a whirlwind.

How have you stayed focused at this time and what has this process meant to you?

Zeke: I’ve stayed focused through the fact that I don’t have a lot of people believing in me to be able to make it there. I love the feeling of being doubted and having something to prove. Going through these workouts has been a great opportunity to get in front of GMs and Presidents of the organizations to prove why I can compete on any level.

I’m overly grateful for these teams bringing me in and trusting me to compete at a high level. I’ve learned a lot in such a short amount of time at each organization, so these are all things that are allowing me to understand the NBA game a lot better.

Josh: You’ve expanded your game a ton since graduating from high school, improving from a year to year basis. What’s helped you accomplish that growth and what areas are you focusing on going forward?

Zeke: My trainers and coaches have done a fantastic job of studying my game and noticing things that I needed to get better at while also working to master the things I’m already good at. They have each helped me form into a player that can be recognized as a PG or a SG, and I think that’s helped me a lot throughout the process because it gives teams two different positions to view me at and where they see I can fit best in their system.

Going forward, the main thing I’m focused on is staying in the weight room and getting stronger. It’s an area that I’ve struggled with throughout my career due to health reasons, but it’s not something I’ll ever stop working at. Each part of my game has room for improvement, so I’m going to continue to expand my game and try to turn myself into a basketball player that’s multidimensional.

Josh: At Kansas, and during your time at South Dakota State, you thrived as a combo guard who could create for yourself and your teammates, while also being able to score from all over the court.

We’ve seen you adapt your game to cater to the role you need to play. What role do you see yourself playing at the next level and how do you see yourself making an impact?

Zeke: I can see myself in a Gabe Vincent or Mike Conley type of role. Gabe Vincent is someone who can space the floor and knock down open shots while also being a pest on defense. Right now, my defense is not even close to where it needs to be, but that comes with getting stronger and being able to handle physicality, which is something I’m going to continue to work at, so that will come with time.

The Mike Conley role is mainly being able to control the game, be a leader for the team, understand time and score, but he can also knock down open shots. Both guys are somewhat undersized, but their mentality is what separates them from other guards in the league and I believe I have that.

Josh: Part of the draft process is selling yourself, your skills, your work ethic, your ability to grow, your character, to NBA front offices and teams.

What are the things you want NBA front offices to know about you, as both a player and as a human?

Zeke: As a player, I’m someone who can bring together a locker room, someone who puts the team before themselves, and will work extremely hard at whatever the team needs me to do. No matter the role, I’ve proven time and time again that I can mesh into any role that’s needed of me, so that’s something I’m looking to do as far as basketball.

As a human, I like to keep to myself. Off the court, I’m not a very social person unless I’m around my close friends & family. I don’t get into any trouble, never have caused problems for anyone, and I just live my life with joy and passion.

Josh: I know there are a ton of expectations you run into on a day to day basis, from your teammates, your coaches, and, soon to be, GMs and front offices.

How do you balance these expectations with the expectations you have for yourself?

Zeke: I hold myself to a really high standard and that has gotten in the way of my performance a lot in my career. I never realized it until this year, but it’s something I need to work on because I don’t expect pity or empathy from anyone. I just know the amount of hours I’ve put into the game of basketball, and this is what I expect to use to be able to provide for my family in the future. They’ve sacrificed so much for me, and I want to be able to make sure they’re taken care of as my career moves forward.

To answer your question, the only way I know how to balance them is to understand reality. Everyone is going to paint this picture of you and have these expectations on you, but that’s because of what I’ve already accomplished. It’s the lens they look through. There’s people out there that wish they were in my shoes, but they wouldn’t know how to tie the laces.

So I just look at it as a privilege to be able to have these expectations because there’s always more expected from someone else, but in my mind, I focus on what goals are reachable and that’s what’s going to help me take the next step.

Josh: I love this man. It was already easy to root for you as a player, but I’m thankful for you taking the time to let us see you as a person too. Thanks again for the time. Means the world and we can’t wait to see you compete at the next level.

Zeke: Of course my man. Appreciate you wanting to do this.

Founder/NBA Analyst/Social Media Manager

Philippines-born, Alaskan-raised Basketball fanatic, who trusts the process and wants to share his love of the game with the world, from the NBA draft to dynasty basketball and everything in between.

Shades of: Too many Jeremy Lin jokes during high school

2022 Point Made Dynasty Champion

Liam

Founder/NBA Draft Analyst

Lifelong basketball fanatic born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. From watching and analysing the NBA to playing local pick-up games and competing at various levels, he has always lived by the credo ‘ball is life’.

A die-hard Lakers fan, he has followed the team from peaks like the Shaq and Kobe dynasty, to the valleys where Chris Kaman slept on the bench.

Shades of: Seth Curry who thinks he’s Steph Curry

Evan

Editor/Fantasy Analyst: Category League Lead

A basketball and coffee nerd born and raised in Melbourne, Australia whose heart will always live in Rip City, Oregon. Brandon Roy lifer.

Shades of: JJ Barea sized, poor man's Rajon Rondo

Samuel

Web/Social Manager/Fantasy Analyst: Points League Lead

Former starting Power Forward for the 2004 NZ Lower North Island Regional Team (Career Highlight). Discovered a love for basketball of the fantasy kind a few years ago and haven’t looked back. Can’t help opening Fantrax multiple times a day, even between April and October.

Shades of: Kevin Garnett mixed with Big Baby Davis

2023 & 2024 Point Made Dynasty Champion

Josh

Contributor/Fantasy Analyst: Re-Draft Specialist & NBA at-large

The other Josh. Roto aficionado. NBA fanatic and fantasy basketball junkie. Lover of all things Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton (jump passes are good now).

Shades of: André Roberson with a much-worse jump shot

2025 Point Made Dynasty Champion