Hoops Tonight - 2025 NBA Draft Preview: Cooper Flagg all-time rank, the Ace Bailey debate, 3rd pick inflection point

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Void in Ontario New customers only. Bonus bets expire one hundred and sixty eight hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkang dot co slash audio. All right, welcome to tonight here at the volume heavy Tuesday. Everybody. Hope all of you guys are having a great start to your week. Well, no rest for the weary this year, as we just finished the NBA Finals on Sunday night.

Now we have the NBA Draft on Wednesday, a far less time to prep than we usually do, but that's what we have our friend and expert Sam is seeing for. You know, Sam, every year spent three years in a row. Now that the finals have ended and I've opened up your draft guide, and I'm always just completely blown away by the quality of your work. I think it's such an incredible resource for basketball fans around the world, and I'm just very thankful for the work that you do. Sam.

It is good to see you, buddy. But before we get to the draft, we did just have an NBA Finals series and a team always said the trophy, a team that you've been a big fan of, a big believer in for a long time, a player in Jadubb that you and I have both been big fans of for a long time. A lot of things coming to fruition for a young Thunder team that kind of felt to me like they might be a year or too early, and some of that vulnerability did show at various points

in the postseason. But here they are. They have the trophy with the still the super bright future. What were your big NBA Finals takeaways?

of their defense. Obviously, the disaster and you know, incredibly sad, you know thing that happened with Tyre's haliburt and tearing his achilles in the first quarter, not with I meanwithstanding, I guess not even notwithstanding, but the way that Oklahoma City came back in the second half and just completely turned up all of the pressure, ratcheted up the intensity,

forced all of the turnovers. I mean, the biggest difference to me in Game seven, as much as anything, was that without Tyre's Halliburton, the Pacers didn't have a way to stop the Avalanche from rolling downhill like the snowballs, from rolling downhill and becoming avalanches. Is maybe the way to put it with Oklahoma City. That's the way that Oklahoma City has scored all season. Right, they go on these oh shit, it's an eleven zero run in ninety seconds.

What just happened, right runs where you know, they forced their defense turns into offense, and they force turnovers and they get out in transition, they drill a three, then they go they get a stop, they get out in transition, they get an easy bucket. They get another turnover, they go out, you know, and they drill another three. Right like, it just absolutely snowballs upon itself and becomes this incredibly difficult thing to stop. It's like you're you're trying to

walk the ball uphill on a court. It feels like to me in Oklahoma City is just running downhill. They're skiing downhill and just making things so so difficult. I'm done with the snow metaphors, I promise, but that to me, without Haliburton there, they just didn't have a way to stop that. Because I thought what Haliburton did incredibly well

even when he wasn't completely healthy. Was he such a good decision maker and completely understands what the tempo of the game requires at certain moments to where he's able to calm the team down. And even in moments where things get a little bit hectic and you do end up with a turnover from Oklahoma City, Haliburton understood, Okay, that's a turnover. That was an easy bucket. We got to calm it down. I love TJ. McConnell. We both

have real connection to TJ. McConnell. You with the Arizona connection, me, he's from Pittsburgh, like shout out Shartiers Valley High School where he went. Shout out his father, who's like an

institution in Pittsburgh. But like, I think that the thing that TJ really, the only thing that TJ does not do well in this series, in my opinion, is that he plays at that frenetic pace that I think feeds into what Oklahoma City wants a lot of the time, you know what I mean, And you know, big picture, I think that's ultimately why the thunder were able to win this in Game seven, But you know, even bigger, more grandiose picture, I'm just fascinated to see what you

kind of think about Oklahoma City winning and what that means for the NBA now as a whole.

crunch time after they got it to too. And so I think, even though I agree with you that it was a huge bummer and I would have much rather seen ty Rese be healthy for that Game seven, the outcome did feel kind of inevitable to me. Like I didn't view Game seven as a point flip so much as more of like an eighty twenty. I thought, Okayse was gonna get it done. And the main reason why was everything you're talking about in terms of that downhill defense.

To me was the the insurmountable kind of thing that Oklahoma City brought to the table, and as you went back to each round, it just kind of felt like

that was where it fell down. I mean, obviously joh gets hurt in the Memphis series, but it's like they have that big lead, but then suddenly Memphis can't score for an entire half, and they come back, and they went in the Denver series, Game four down the stretch, Game five, down the stretch, the entirety of Game seven, Minnesota down the stretch of Game four, the entirety of Game five. Whenever Oklahoma City really had their back against

the wall. They hit a level on defense which was pretty damn frightening actually, And I mean I didn't think it was a coincidence at all that Kison and Casen and Dort and Caruso were all fantastic in Game seven. That's just their environment. And then Chet, to me, was the guy that just tied it all together in terms of his ability to remove that like entry point. Like I was talking about this on the show, like the Celtics had Drew Holliday and Jaylen Brown. Those are two

frightening perimeter defenders. You go back to Denver with Contavious Caldwell Pope and Bruce Brown. You go back to Golden State with Gary Payton and Andrew Wiggins and a Draymond Green, and like every team that wins the title has a lot of really good perimeter defenders, Jet is the guy that makes them different. He's the guy that brings that like, oh now we have like a young Anthony Davis esque rim protector, perimeter switcher type of player that just ties

it all together. And that's a scary thing to me. Is I really thought they won the title with their defense this year. Their offense on the road. It showed up when it needed to for the one time each series that they needed to get it done, but it was inconsistent. It was sloppy. I thought that that was the scary thing for the rest of the league. Is like Shay seemed to figure out some things in this postseason about like how he needs to approach certain moments.

J Dubb after Game six of the Denver series, realized, oh shit, no one can keep me from the rim, and all of a sudden he was getting to the restricted area twice as often as he did in the first chunk of the postseason. You know, everybody kind of just figured out lessons along this way, and a lot

of times those lessons come in losses. A lot of times in NBA history, it's like they get eliminated and they have to learn those lessons in order to get over the top of This team was just so damn good defensively, Like it wasn't just a championship level defense, it was an all time great defense. And I think that that bear.

learn from losing last year. They learned from losing last year to Dallas in that series, right, and it was a very similar outcome, right, Like Dallas used that crazy heavy peel switch defense to be able to cause all sorts of problems for Oklahoma City as they were going through these moments where it got really stagnant, right, And at the end of the day, I wouldn't say that, I would say Oklahoma City was a bit less stagnant. I guess this year, not crazy less, but in the

moments where they needed to be less stagnant. I think that the Caruso addition really helps with that, uh, just because he is somebody that moves it so quickly, he processes the game so quickly, he cuts back door and is such a sharp mover without the ball. I really do think that that addition helped them, just in terms of, like, forget the defense for a second, and we can't do that. But the offense, in my opinion, helps them a lot because he isn't a guy that needs the ball in

his hand, but he's a fairly reliable shooter. Then he goes through streaks for sure, but by and large there are teams that won't guard him. But if you don't guard him, I do feel like he's going to get thirty five percent of his threes if you don't guard him right. And then on top of it, he cuts back door. He consistently moves the ball quickly, even just that little stuff zonebuster exactly right. I think chet you know,

continues to grow. I know that he shot the ball horrendously. Like, can you imagine what this playoffs looks like next year or the year after or something when Jadub and chet like really starts shooting the ball. I mean, that's the

next level for these guys, right, they're great players. Yeah, It's funny, like I know that coming into the year, that was one of the things that he really tried to work on in the off season, and it just I think he reverted back after the injury, after he heard his hip, and I think just went back to what he felt comfortable with. I'm interested to see if he kind of goes back to trying to quicken it again this offseason, because I know that was a goal

for him this offseason. I mean, yeah, I think that this is a perfectly built team. They obviously have a million draft picks here. Moving forward. Sam Presty's done incredibly well. I think The next question I would ask you here is just you know, I talked about this a little bit on my show right after the finals on Monday night,

but very Sunday night. I'm sorry, what do you think your takeaways are in terms of team building here in regard to how Oklahoma City has been built, Indiana has been built, some of these other successful teams this year have been built.

the NBA take so many different shapes and sizes. You know, whether it's a forward like Tatum who can beat mismatches and pass out of it, or if it's a Tyrese Haliburton pays and space machine, or it's a Nicola Jokic power and playmaking machine or Luca power and play making machine. Advantage creation takes on all these different forms, but once the advantage is created, basketball is pretty much the same

down the line. For the majority of teams, It's about the ability to knock down open catch and shoot jump shots, to drive close outs, to make reads out of those closeouts, to finish at the rim, and to be functional defensively in various different defensive coverages. And I think that, you know, as we look around with team building around the league, that's that dribble, shoot, pass and defend guy is what

everybody in the league should be looking for. Like less specialists, more of these guys who can do everything, because each series kind of dictates. Cruso's a classic example. It's like him in his ability to just kind of catch in the middle of the floor and make little floaters from ten feet was huge against Denver when they faced all of that zone. He can guard fronting the post against big forwards like he did against Randall and against Jokic, but then he can also defend out on the perimeter

like he did against Indiana's guards in this series. You know, there's just the versatility element is so key with Oklahoma City, And this is what I think is fascinating Sam, and I'm curious to hear if this is what you think they'll do. I think for a team in their build with three max contracts, which again they're not there now,

but they will be in the big picture. They almost have to live through the draft, and so when I look at it, I almost look at it as like, I think Sam Presty is going to avoid the let's trade for Cam Johnson, Let's trade for this role player who makes twenty million, and I think he's gonna lean more.

I could see him doing something like that on an ex firing where he maintains flexibility potentially, But like, I think a good portion of this is going to be Chet, Jadub and Chay on big contracts and then a bunch of dudes on rookie deals, and I think they're going to be looking for the next Case and Wallace guys that are dudes who can come in and play winning basketball right away in the NBA because they played in a winning context in college for a good coach that

got them prepared to do that. Dribbleshoot, pass and defense to defend work. Because Shay, j Dub and Chet can kind of create these achievable roles through their advantage creation,

through Chet's defensive flexibility. There's just so many different types of players that you can put around them, and so that's my I'll pitch it back to you, now, do you think Sam Presty ends up using his draft picks on role players coming back or do you think he just cycles through draft picks on rookie contracts to support these I.

getting that language in the contract as well. Oklahoma City has a real tendency to just take care of its guys at the end of the day. But the key for them is, like do both of those guys? Do either of those guys? Do none of those guys make all NBA? Because if Jadab and Chet don't make all NBA, they're on twenty five percent maxes next year. Right if

they do, they're on thirty percent maxes. If you know they make all NBA, then you're looking at a circumstance where those three in Shade take up ninety five percent of the one hundred and seventy million dollar cap is what it'll be that offseason, if I remember correctly. Whereas if neither of them do, it's like eighty percent, right or seventy five percent or something like that. So there is like a pretty massive.

that's our guy. Come on down, Devon, we will rehability.

for what I know. But like if Okalo, if they were willing to do like Uzman jang in number twenty four for Devin Carter, I'd be like, yeah, Devin, come join us, like we're ready. Like I can see something like that where they go get a younger guy, you know that maybe didn't have the best rookie year, and then kind of go a different way. But you know, that's kind of the way that I look at it for them, right, is they have all this flexibility in the world. They just have to find a way to

stay cheap and replenish their players. Like I love lou Dort for this team. I think he's an amazing player for this group. I do find it a little bit hard to believe that they're gonna be able to keep him past this deal, right, And I think they recognize that, which is why they draft Case and Wallace. I you know, I'm interested to see how the Alex Russo. Piece of it works out because he gets a little bit more expensive next season as well. I would imagine they're gonna

keep replenishing. The big one is Hartenstein obviously, Like, if there's no way Isaiah Hartenstein can make thirty million within this team build in twenty twenty six twenty seven, which would be the third year of his contract, that's a team option at the very least, I would expect that to be declined. And maybe Isaiah really just likes, you know, staying in Oklahoma City, but you know he'll have a

bigger market elsewhere, would be my guess. That's why I think at fifteen they're probably gonna use it on a big would be my read on it in some way, shape or forms, because they need to replenish that position. But I digress a little bit. My big team building takeaways from this thing are you look at the teams that had like real high level success this year, right. Oklahoma City obviously is the paramount of this. Indiana I think is a very high end example of this. I

think like Houston is a big example of this. Go get dudes who are absolute dogs, Like I want guys who compete, who are going to give you everything that you need. Who can dribble past, shoot and process the game? Right, you better be strong, and you better be physical. You better be able to deal with the physicality that the playoffs are gonna present. And man, you better be fearless, right like, And look, these guys that you know in the draft, right we talk about the drafts. We're gonna

transition there at some point. But like they're eighteen, nineteen, twenty year old whenever they get drafted, right, you don't always know, Like these guys are not wholly developed human beings, right Like, some of these guys that have questions in that regard right now, they can develop and no longer be guys that aren't dogs, right, Like, they can become

real dogs. They can become tough dudes. Right. But if I'm Oklahoma City, if I'm a team around the league, and if I was building a team, I would be absolutely just looking for the biggest dogs that I can find, who are tough, who want it, who really like are aggressive and fearless, and then on top of it, can dribble past and process. I think that this year, as much as anything, proved to me just kind of maybe this is just me you know, being a little bit

more connected throughout the league as well. Like the intel piece of this matters so so so much. It's so incredibly important. And I love what the background research, I mean, Oklahoma City has, Like I mean, I don't know the exact number. They have so many dudes that do intel into these guys, Like they dig and find every single thing that they can in order to get the best feel for the guys that they're bringing into their locker room. I think that's the way to go. I think that's

the way of the future. At the end of the day. Go get the absolute dudes that you trust to be the best competitors in the NBA, but they also have to be able to process the game at a high level and have dribble pass shoot skills.

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second best player on a championship team. After Game six of the Denver series, I think he averaged twenty three points per game on high forties, high thirties from field goals in three And he had this interview with Scott Van Pelt and he kind of was like hinting at imposter syndrome, which is something that I think is really fascinating, and he was talking about how like you constantly are wondering if you're good enough, and I was like, as soon as I heard him saying that, I'm like, this

is the type of dude that I want to go to war with. This is the type of dude that I want to have in my corner, the type of dude that, like, even when he's killing it, even when he's achieving his goals, he's being eaten at in the back of his brain that he might not be doing enough, that he might not be as good as he's capable of being, because, like I know, it comes with downsides, and there's a lot of anxiety. And you know, people who are wired that way can have bad days in

different ways. You know, it's hard for you to find the fun and things sometimes.

aesthetically appealing. I love his competitiveness, I love his energy, and and like, I think he's just a great example of what you're talking about, and in terms of finding those sorts of guys there's a there's a kind of guy out there that like when things get tough and things get really intense, their eyes almost gloss over and they become they become kind of like weirdly timid, mainly just because like there it's just it's just a it's

a psychology thing. I'm not sure what it is, but I like dudes that are just like that are obsessed with the competition, that are obsessed with self improvement, that are obsessed with that sort of element. And this is a perfect example or of perfect time. First, a pivot over to the draft. I I want to start with this idea of your kind of like adjustments as an evaluator.

So one of the things that I thought was fascinating in your uh, in your top six And by the way, that for everyone who's listening again, like the finals just ended the other day.

I believe. And for the most part, what I want you guys to do is if you have more intrigue about the draft, if you guys want to learn more about the draft all of Jackson put a link to it in the description of this video, But go read Sam's Draft guide. It's incredible. It's like two hundred damn pages. I can't believe how much work you guys put into it.

All that background information is there. You learn about the players' families, you learn about their upbringings, you learn about the way that they succeeded at lower levels, incredible detail on strengths and weaknesses. I'm just going to be giving you guys my two cents on some film that I watched today. Sam has been just doing such an incredible work, so I want to make sure you guys get over there

and support the guide as much as you can. But Sam, before we get into the actual players, I thought it was interesting you've got a lot of like movement shooters in your top six if that was fascinating, and then this concept of dribbleshoot, passing, and defending. Just talk to us about how your like outlook on the draft has changed in recent years and how that colored your approach this year.

from a teenager. He sprinted for an hour, knockdown shots off of all sorts of like different complicated actions, the stamina to be able to run for this long, the ability to be able to knock down shots at this level. And then I go up to him after I literally say, Trey that that was one of the most impressive workouts I've ever seen from a teenager as a shooter, and I just wanted to say, like, congrats, like that was awesome, right,

And he goes, thank you, Like I appreciate that so much. Honestly, I shot better yesterday. And I walk over to his trader and he goes he goes, yeah, he shot better yesterday, and I was like, wow, Like that's pretty ridiculous. So the thing that you learn about Trey Johnson though, when you do the intel, is like this dude's like a competitor and like a dog, and like he wants it. He wants to be great in a significant way. He really wants like he will do whatever it takes to

be great at basketball. I think that he'll problem solve it in the way that he has to problem solve it in order to become a real Like, dude, there's a basketball player at the end of the day, So like with him, you know, doesn't probably the player I guess that. I mean outside of Ace maybe, but like a player that doesn't totally fit on like the face of what we talked about in the last section of

certain things. But then you get to understand who the human is and you're like, oh no, I'm just betting on this dude, you know what I mean, Like he'll figure it out at the end.

Every single shot that Trey Johnson took, they have the arc like behind the ball right, like it's a golf shot, like a tracer right. Every single shot had the same exact arc every single time on shot seventeen fifty to seventeen eighty. It was like rhythmic and like weirdly soothing and calming, kind of like do you don't understand what I'm saying? Like just watching it?

game at a high level? Right? Uh? Are you going to be able to map the court defensively and understand where you need to go? There? Like that? There's so much more that goes into this and just like you know that boy, nice basketball whenever it comes to the NBA, Like this stuff is hard, right, It's why I like, honestly, I I have a lot of questions about Derek Queen. I know you haven't gotten to him yet, but like you know, I have questions about him as a shooter.

I have questions about him as a defender. But I kind of think that he's just physically capable and is a total ass kicker at Maryland And he's six' nine with a seven to one wingspan and can you, know get to his spots on some level and just grew up Play he's like one of those kids that grew up playing basketball against guys older than, him and because of, that he just has this ability to get to where he has to get to. Right he understands what it.

Takes SO i you, know it's a it's a tricky, question but basically everything we talked about in the last section With Oklahom, city With, indiana you, know even With, HOUSTON i think fits into. This getting guys who can dribble past shoot high level processing. Ability, yeah that's kind of the move for. ME i want those guys on my.

is Where i'm, At Like i'm NOT i like. THEM i like them as. PLAYERS i think they're gonna be solid. PLAYERS i think they're all going to make like nine figure in THE nba and be super successful in THE. NBA i still know THAT i see, real like high level star outcomes for those guys, necessarily AND i think that might be WHERE i differ from consensus with this.

Group and that's like, again LIKE i think they're all gonna be really really good, players AND i think like there are a number of players below, this Like Cedric, Coward Colin, Murray, Boyles Carter, Bryant common Mala Watch like Mala watch is another one THAT i think people see, like, oh like he might be like a real all defense guy who can step out and shoot it Like Miles turner maybe at some point and can do, this that

and the other. Thing And i'm just, like, No, LIKE i see a really solid starting center here who's almost certainly positioned position locked in the center, position definitely a drop coverage big will be okay when he gets caught on an island, switching like not gonna be a monster at That, necessarily you're not gonna go into a game scheming that he's gonna, switch you know WHAT i. Mean, so and he's gonna be a good. PLAYER i think

he's gonna be like a, valable starting caliber center in THE. Nba, Basically, YEAH i think that might be WHERE i differ on this group is BASICALLY i see a little bit less star power than people, do but do see some real potential for high end starters in the.

Pool that's simple mathematics, problem, Right but as this even beyond the, draft LIKE i would imagine this is affecting trade, negotiations like what five second round picks going To phoenix in THAT kd? Deal how? Value how valuable is the second round? Pick? Now these, days with all the players staying.

we can have an adult conversation about. This if anybody thinks that schools in THE sec are going to spend less than The Big east, Schools i'm just gonna be skeptical of that until it. Happens, Right, like we can all say that these schools have twenty million dollars to spend on football and basketball, programs and some teams probably

want to spend a little bit on women's basketball. Too i'm skeptical that they're not going to get a little bit more money in there to be able to get these kids into school and be able to get these kids. Go so, LOOK i look at it that. Way if you want to, say, like oh, yeah like The House settlement's gonna force some of these kids come out again next. Year totally understand that. Perspective we'll see what. Happens it's gonna be something that bears itself out over the next.

Year BUT i, mean, like this is a very weak. POOL i have thirty six guarantee guys and next, Year like you have to think about it this, Way, jason there are a lot of players in this pool that got an extra year from the from THE covid, year, Right, yeah like freshman in twenty twenty twenty, one there are

still a number of these guys that got the EXTRA covid. Year, BASICALLY i think everybody on my board ranked from forty three With Bryce, Williams, Chaslnier, Brooks, barnheiser, Micahpv Max, Schulga Kobe bray of Lad golden so forty three to fifty, one every player got an EXTRA covid, year, Right so those players are now gone from. College now it's only going to be like the four year seniors that are going to be in in the second. ROUND i only HAVE i think, one no two four year seniors right.

NOW i Have Hunter sallas AND i have who was? It it was Just Cam jones At. Marquette that's that's. It like you'd be bumping all these other guys up a level Like Jami. MAYSHACK i Love Jami mayshack is one of my favorite players in the. CLASS i think that you might be able to make a case he's one of the twenty best perimeter defenders on Planet earth right, Now LIKE i think he is that good on. Defense he can't offense like he, is like the easiest way

to phrase it is he can't offense right. Now unbelievable, competitor unbelievable leader At, Tennessee like just doesn't really have that skill at this, point not a. Shooter doesn't seem super comfortable handling the. BALL i don't know how he's gonna score comfortable passing for. Sure, YEAH i think he's below Where Ryan dunn was as an offensive, player for.

Sure but that, guy like next, year if he was in the class and we get a similar number of kids that, enter he'd be damn near like thirty eight on my, board like a top forty guy that would be like almost expected to get a guarantee, contract like a full roster spot on a. Team so, YEAH i, Mean nil has really obliterated the second, round and it's possible that the house settlement really changes the paradigm a little bit here and forces some of these kids out

again next, year and thus would make the second round, picks to answer your original, question more valuable again into the. Future and IF i was a team that was moving second round picks, around, RIGHT i would want picks that are like a little bit further out into the future in order to like make the, bet you know WHAT i. Mean but, yeah that's kind of Where i'm at on. It i'd like a little bit of.

THE nba to be very. Fascinating but let's get to our top six. Guys sam number one, Obviously Cooper fly going to The Dallas, mavericks almost. Certainly you said that this is the second highest grade in Your draft guide in the last, decade Behind Victor Weiman. Yama explain for everybody why you're so high On cooper.

changed everything that they. Did you hear AT Usa basketball last summer in The select, Camp like he went there and it was like totally, fearless had no, issues was completely. Comfortable it was one of the better players on the select team last year of guys that are in THE nba and presumably should be starring in THE, nba even though they might not be quite there. Yet, Right so there's a there's gonna be no fear with him entering THE. Nba he is an incredible. Defender his positional defense is.

Unbelievable he has some stuff with like high HIPS i think where he'll you, know not even high, hips just like a little bit stiffness through his, hips maybe where he will get beaten a little bit more often on the ball than WHAT i think people. Expect but he's really good at leading his man into the help even when he does get beaten off the, ball and his recovery ability is. Awesome he gives consistent second and third. Efforts he just completely understands how to process the, game

how to map the. Court he's going to be a real defensive. Playmaker, offensively he developed into a serious mismatch threat who became an awesome shot. Maker this year reminds me like a little bit of the way That Pascal siakam gets it done, right where he, is, yes very capable of getting a smaller guy on a switch and just beating them to the rim, right like he will be able to just like use his athleticism in burst to be able to get all the way to the.

Basket he's like six' eight with a seven to, one wingspan like there are no. Issues there then there are also moments where he is just he's gonna find like eight to ten points a game by cutting an establishing position, that way or just getting a backdoor cut to the rim, and scoring getting out, in transition running, the court leading, the break or just like filling lanes or offensive rebounding and being able to crash the glass consistently and find points.

That way it's like the best dirty work player in the class kind of while also being this real mismatch threat who can break you down off, the dribble get to a step, back jumper get to a, turnaround jumper make them going to both his right and to. His left he's a. Ridiculous player he's a completely absurd. Basketball player for somebody to be eighteen years old and have this kind of a complete basketball game. Is absurd it's.

Completely ridiculous it does, not. Happen guys i'm, telling you it does not happen where guys are this complete when. THEY'RE young i think that this is like A real this is going to be like a top five guy in the league at some point in terms of like. Impacting winning some people will complain about the questions, he has like being able to separate from, his MAN but i think he might just develop into such a good shooter because he's such a good worker that it's not.

Gonna matter like he's gonna shoot over the top of these guys and it's gonna. BE fine.

thing it's not just a first. Step Thing like tatum has a pretty jump shot and he loves, taking it and it's just like part of like his. Basketball character he loves to take. Jump shots cooper has that downhill. Attacking attitude it's it literally looks like he's playing on

a slant downhill towards. The room you can tell that's part of his approach on a possession to possession basis that, to me he is the quintessential example of everything you mentioned off the top of the show today in terms, of, dribble, shoot. Pass defend he is that at, six' ten he is that at this level of athleticism that you don't see too often. With his size. He is that but like everything isn't, just you know we talk about. The role,

players you know we're GONNA. Talk about vj edgecom and what he might be able to become as like a, role, player, dribble shoot pass defend Kind of guy. Cooper does it but like everything's an as are better already and it's only going to continue to get better as team as.

As THINGS expand like i loved your breakdown and your guide about kind of like people don't realize, because You know at duke it wasn't, quite the same but he was an incredible defensive, play before college like a like a legitimate like five stocks against going it would just Put, up absurd.

Was super young he's like at least two years below his age group or two, years playing up two years with his age group, with you know the best players in. His age group in, the literal world it was two years. Playing up right he had like nine blocks and five steals or something. In this game he completely dominated the

game just. Through defensive Activity it was it's honestly one of The coolest games i've ever seen a player play, at that level where he completely took it over through being a dog, and, like, deciding yet no you guys aren't doing anything, with me today. NO matter what i might not have the skill level that, you Guys do but i'm gonna figure It out and i'm gonna beat you guys at the end.

like rangy ability, to cover ground which. IS super valuable i within the respect of within The. Context of dallas, do YOU think because i love the Idea of Watching Cooper and anthony davis, play defense together do you think he has the ability to play the three alongside ad. IN a.

screens defensively he's going to be able, to handle. IT no problem i think he'll probably be a little bit better at the four if he made, me GUESS really what i want him to be able to do is just roam around and be like a monster help. Defender like that that would be the best, role for him is if you could find a way to actualize that, in his game because that's what he was in high school and he was just like truly elite at that, in high school just roaming around and being able to

wreak havoc across the. COURT that, WAY i look i might like, be you know a little bit Too strong on. COOPER or something i actually kind of love this, team built now like in. A real Way i think nico fell ass backwards into it and probably doesn't deserve a

whole lot of. Credit for it but like you tell me that You're, Giving Me, cooper Anthony Davis, and derek lively and then You're gonna get kyrie, back as well probably, late next, season you, know fully healthy probably in twenty twenty six, to twenty seven a man like it'll Depend on, How clay ages it'll Depend on how kyrie comes back.

From the injury you could sell me that that team's, a title contender like you could maybe not, year one obviously But, your Two cooper if kyrie, is fully healthy like you could sell me that that's like a fifty five win team if it breaks right for them and they make, The right moves like they're, gonna figure out like how To Utilize the, daniel GAFFORD. Asset the pj washington. Asset this year there are things they're. Gonna FIGURE out and i think they're gonna struggle a little bit this

year just because they don't have that offensive. Playmaker right, now but dude like that infrastructure. IS really SICK i think i am a fan of. It for sure.

him being kind of like, a shape shifter. So to Speak as as dallas is going through a, very you know kind of tumultuous era in terms, of ROSTER turnover because i. Wouldn't be, SURPRISED you know i think They, could move gafford and THEY. Could move pj. WASHINGTON this summer i think they probably should considering their starting caliber players that don't have a role on this team in.

The starting lineup but there you could Talk me into dallas going into the season with a glut of forwards and, just being like let's see how this goes and then we'll make a move. At the deadline and if, that's the case like you're gonna get to see a lot of this sort Of versatility from cooper and him filling all these different. TYPES of positions i have my concerns about his, absolute top end just simply because of like some of the first step quickness and like ability to

get separation. From ELITE defenders but i the way you characterize to him as like the safest BET is where i fall firmly in, line with you like there's, just no, chance Barring injury that cooper flag isn't a very VERY very. Good nba player he's like bustproof, in that regard just because there is this combination of a traits. At every position is he the biggest most athletic forward? Of, All time no but he's gonna be one of the bigger

and more athletic FORWARDS. In the nba is he the best? Ball, handling forward no but he's gonna be one of the better ball handling FORWARDS. In the nba he's just he's he's above average at every single considerably above average at. Every single trait and then it goes back to what we talk about. At the top he's just. An mffort dude he's just like he's just going out there with his, hair on fire trying to win every single game and

trying to gain. Every single, advantage and, that to me is the kind of guy that you want to build. Your franchise Around Number. Two dylan harper, first of all before we even get into him, as a player do you do You think the spurs are just gonna take him and just? Figure IT out?

picking number. Two overall Again and, IF i'm them i want to accumulate the elite talent and then just figure, it out later figure out the what. Fits, WHAT doesn't honestly i THINK he's A I think dylan harper is a Better Prosper. Than Steph castle So i'm picking dylan and then FIGURING out if i Have to, move castle later, As, OPPOSED to Oh i, have castle already let's move down, and you know not take him in Favor, of actualizing castle YOU know? What, I mean.

Guard guard Screens, with deeron fox there's all these different things you, can figure out but the bottom line is is like if you Had to trade khan or you Had, to trade dylan you're gonna just get so Much, more for dylan and he's just a substantially better asset that you can. Move forward With And The san antonio spurs are already going to have to make some sort of roster bound trade at some point. In the future it's just. Kind of inevitable so, to your point you, take the

asset you figure. It out later my FIRST takeaway When i watch DYLAN today and i have the, jump shot stuff is super interesting with him for me because there are so many examples of this kind of player, in basketball history where an on ball dominant guard shoots the ball pretty well off the dribble but can't shoot it, Off The catch like shae is this, type of, GUY

and shit i actually see Some corollaries Between. SHANE and dial I don't Think dylan has shay's first step or anything, close to it but what he does have is like that downhill big guard approach Mixed with like dylan's so good at chaining, together counter moves which kind of reminds

me a Little. Bit of shay the big Thing though with dylan FOR me is i feel like his shot is a little down in front of his face and it's got a little bit of a, Long LOAD up and i think that that's super interesting because even in the catch, and shoot stuff he's like deadly, when he's

open but it falls off a cliff when. He's being guarded and, so to me like whether or not he reaches, his inevitable upside his eventual upside will come down to some shot mechanics stuff like like kind of like making the release a little, bit more compact a little, bit more arc a, little bit quicker those. Sorts of things but in terms of just being a big downhill guard that can get, to his spots there's just such a it's such a rare thing in basketball, at his size

and that's what gets me. Excited about him and tell everybody Why You. Have, Dylan harper yeah so.

What i mean so all of that is what he's trying, to WORK on and i think what they see as the next. Step for him enormous frame first and foremost six four and a half six ten and half wingspan eight six standing reach just, like a massive massive lead guard right uses that size incredibly well to be able. To maintain advantages good at creating that initial advantage, with

the shiftiness the. CREATIVITY of handle i think we often like think about guys who can like, string together moves maybe don't, string together moves but like who have like sudden moves as being these, great ball handlers and. Oftentimes THEY are but i think That one makes dylan a great ball handler is the creativity that he has in terms, of his gathers in terms of his ability to get from one spot to another. With the ball the creative

mindset with which he thinks about. Stringing moves, together you know, he'll go hesitation, right, to left crossover, left, to right crossover take, one step forward spin back off, Of the defender he's setting. Guys up constantly he's playing the chess match in his head for how he thinks you're gonna react before you react or like before you actually make the decision on how. You react right but then on, top of it he is actively manipulating you to be

able to do. Those things right he just thinks about ball handling and getting to his spots in really really creative ways at the end.

and like be able to maintain balance in. Such awkward positions it is Like unlike anything, i've ever seen, to be honest him being able to like extend through these weird and like split defenders while extending through and navigating all of these bodies in tight like that's what. MAKES him Special i think dylan has. Some of that i'm not going to sit, here and say like he Is

Like The shay gilges alexander superpower to be able. To DO that What i think dylan is, really good at and this is why he drives so much rim pressure at the end, of the day is that he's really really good at navigating those bodies on the interior and setting them up in different ways to be able to get to the spots. That he wants just looking through, the, numbers here, Oh exceptionally rare like? Doesn't, HAPPEN rare basically

i think there are. PROBABLY a few i can't think of them off the top, of my head but like there are a few that got to the rim. AT this level i think he took like five shots at the rim and half court settings per, game this year despite The fact that rutgers had like the worst spacing in the, history of basketball and like it was crazy

how often he got to the rim is. Some horrendous hoops like YOU understand what i, Have, To watch, jason you understand like why whenever we GET to the nba playoffs and just like, This is, amazing like basketball, it's the, Best, Isn't it guys like this. IS so good i Had To watch rutger i'd watch a Thousand minutes of rutgers, basketball this year like this is. Where, we're at yeah just like so good at navigating bodies and the paint those how to find increases in an. Elite level balance

this tremendous ability to finish both off one. Or two feet it can go around you. If you're longer he's willing to go and like he goes in straight lines, to the rim he will, go through you go through a defender's chest if he has to to get. To the rim really good. At drawing fouls got much better at finishing at the, basket this year despite the fact that they, had no spacing uh sixty five point three percent,

at the rim hit over sixty two percent. Of his layups that was a, big development actually because he was not always great at that. In high school you could see.

The potential though you could see the way that he understood how, to use angles and he would have some like crazy highlight reel finishes, in high school but finished like in the thing he was like, in the fifties basically right in terms of percentages this year is at sixty five point three and really figured out how to use his frame at a. Really, high level yeah catch and shoot like real shooter is a catch and shoot guy two to one. ASSISTANT turnover ratio i think we

should talk about the passing real. QUICK as well i don't think you've got to see like crazy passing stuff if You watch the, rutgers tape necessarily if you go back and WATCH some like, usa basketball stuff if you go back AND watch. Some aau stuff he has some real PASSING ability that i think we didn't get to see quite as. Much this year that he can, really make plays particularly live dribble with. His left hand he's extremely comfortable shooting that ball out with velocity, to the

corner to. The cross wing he'll throw lobs at a highlight like he just has a real understanding of how to make plays if that's what he's being.

little bit further before. He threw it like it felt like sometimes the timing of his passing was just. A touch off but again that could be associated with the spacing that you're talking about with. His scoring ability the timing, is SO sharp and i think this actually plays a big role in, his finishing because like you, talked about it.

Guards miss layups that's just what they, do in basketball EVEN at, The nba level like you're gonna see guards, make you know maybe fifty five percent of their layups because it's just there's so much athleticism around the rim and it's just difficult to finish in TRAFFIC, IN the nba i feel like a big part Of what made dylan such a good finisher is just the timing of

when he would attack and his change. OF pay sequences i think that if he can build out that playmaking piece that, you're talking about and if he can add the refinement to, the jump shooting there's like real, legitimate UPSIDE there and i think that's important for. People to Understand Like, in sam's tears Here he's got cooper as a number one tier and Then he's got dylan as, a NUMBER two which i believe you mean you you view him to be a safe bet To Be? An all? Star?

player i can see a world where he. Reaches that status but if he made me, say RIGHT now like i feel better about saying he's gonna Be Like an all. Star caliber guard.

the way up at number three was really. Fascinating To me and i've been thinking about this concept a lot over the last week Because Of the Desmond Bane and, kevin durant trades which is just the simple, idea that like if you have a guy that can run off of a screen and hit enough of the jump shots that it actually dictates that the coverage must, account for it meaning you must bring your big man up to the level, of the screen and that guy is capable

of passing out of those actions The Way that, desmond band can The Way that. KEVIN durant can i think it's one of the most underrated value PIECES. In The Nba like kevin raan was one of the best jump shooters in was the best jump shooter in basketball last Year, According to, SYNERGY so like i think that that is

still such. A Valuable skill and I'M not saying I would have, con AT three but i do love this idea of the yeah of having a guy that can legitimately be a threat to both shoot in pass coming off of screening actions as a huge bit of value while also being in the context of what we talked about earlier while having positional positional size and being a competitive dude that plays. Really hard defense so explain to everybody Why you have con at all the way up.

is the easiest way. To say it did you watch ANY of the acc. Tournament this year in the tape that You, WATCHED of cohn i.

need to be the number Two. GUY with cooper i need to be the secondary ball handler, who, can, dribble fast shoot make plays, off ball screens knock down shots at, a high level and then defensively like he's always in. The right position it's funny like people, will, bring up Oh, Like how conkainipple like he's never gonna be able to DEFEND at, The nba level like he's never gonna be able,

to do this never be able. To do that look at, how he moves like, all These things and, i'm, just like guys this guy was a Better Defender than ace bailey this. Year in college i'm not gonna sit here and Tell You that ace bailey doesn't have more Defensive Potential. Than conkin nipple. He absolutely does there is so much of a greater Feeling where if ace was to really commit on defense and was to like lock in and be engaged all the, time on defense of course he

would be better than. Con on defense i'm just telling you what the tape says in college that con was a Better Defender than ace bailey. Was this year and that's because. He's always engaged he always makes. The right rotations, he's bumping cutters, he's tagging rollers he's finding he's helping the helper like he's always available. To his teammates he always makes. The right rotations then, on the ball physical strength.

Gets really underrated. It just does he is a. Super strong dude he is two hundred and fifteen two hundred and. Twenty pounds already it's hard to go. Through his chest if he beats you, to the spot you aren't. Going through him he has a low center of gravity and he. Is very physical it is very similar to what You See. With Desmond baine desmond bain's a little bit Quicker than WHAT con, is i think but he's, not as tall,

And you know bain is. A tank obviously con is like very strong through his lower, center of gravity holds his line really really, well on drives and even if he does end, up getting beaten he ends up leading guys into. Help extremely well, he is very very. Smart and intelligent he processes the game at. A high level the off ball ability. IS a mover i mean. He's constantly relocating he's constantly making sure that he is creating

opportunities for his teammates. To have space he's constantly creating opportunities for himself to be able to have an angle for an. Easier kickout pass he just thinks the game at such. A high level these are the kind OF guys that i want to go into battle with as, a YOU know if i, was A coach if i was on, the team SIDE evaluating like I Would want kank nipple and my team at the end. Of the day. Is the reality.

like stack pick and. ROLL ghost screens i actually think he's got like a little bit of potential to potentially be a switch beater in terms of like against size and like working closer to the basket. WITH his like i think he's got enough touch from the mid range and enough size and just especially with his competitiveness to continue to build this out over time to be a guy that can be useful in just so many. Different ways offensively, and you're right he's gonna have to find

the ability to succeed within a defensive SCHEME in. The nba level but you know what. He's gonna do he's gonna come in. In day one he's gonna start communicating. With the staff he's gonna, start figuring OUT how do i find a way to be a good defender for you guys. Within that CONTEXT number FOUR vj edgecomp i look at

this is kind OF you know i put down. In my notes these guys are different kinds of EYES, con and vj but they to me represent still a type of player that you need to have off, of your stars which is a guy, who, can dribble shoot pass And De fen now vj's not gonna shoot The way, that con does but if you, leave him open he's gonna. Knock it, down he's, got you know a. Simple compact release he gets good. Lift on it he uh is like a guy that has a little bit of. Pop

driving closeouts he can. Attack and transition it's so funny the guy who's the player that you compared him to when.

attacking closeouts and like just some of the. HIGHER level stuff I watched a vj euro step today around This Big from texas tech in, the CONFERENCE tournament where, i was like, oh my god he took like a left to right, euro THROUGH traffic where i, was like that there's a level to like his ability to kind of like bring an upside to close OUT attacking that i. Think is real there's like a left shoulder fade that he hit roll spinning off, Of a guy like he's got.

Real upside there but he's just like almost guaranteed to be a guy who can defend a couple of different positions and a couple, of different schemes knock down, wide open threes run his lane and transition and be a weapon on both ends, of the floor and be a guy who can. Play make advantages and that, to me again it manifests that you're changing the sliders a little Bit. Compared to con But it's like, con, can dribble shoot. PASS and defend, vj, can dribble shot pass and defend.

To VARYING levels and i just think that there's utility for those kinds of guys on the WING, In the NBA and SO i just I look at, vj as like whoever gets him is just gonna get a rock solid role player for. A, Long TIME.

see The upside for. TREY being higher i think, it Probably is if, I'm being honest, but you Know like if trey settles Into Like, the malik, beasley you know great high, level, Shooter MOLD right and i think that's a real distinct potential outcome for him if he doesn't get a whole lot stronger and, doesn't you know doesn't have a way to pressure the basket and the way that you have to to be like a primary SCORER.

IN the nba I just think vj is probably going to be a. MORE impactful guy i think that there are MORE, routes toward vj like being an impactful, player toward winning than There. Are for TREY even though i like Really buy into trey's outcomes as like a potential STAR bet because i think he's gonna max out whatever he can, as, A SCORER right but i wonder about if he maxes out being able to defend in the way that he's gonna have to. ON the ball i wonder if he maxes out the frame in the way he's.

GONNA have to i do just believe though that he's gonna be able to. Max out tray this is like the scoring ability. In SOME. Way but, VJ you know i say the Idea Of like gary harris with the jetpack and like feel some type of. WAY about, It I mean gary harris is probably like a top forty to fifty PLAYER in the nba during His, prime in denver average seventeen to three and three and got consistent all defense. Votes like that he WAS an awesome nba

basketball player for. A long time and if YOU told me i was getting a more athletic version, Of that guy, i'd be, like oh wow like this is this is actually, A real dude this is a real player that helps you win basketball games at a. REALLY high Level i think i'm just like a little bit lower on the on ball up side based off of what WE'VE seen

from dj. To, this point, ALSO you know i will bring up the big thing that, worries, me is yes you see, the, spectacular finishes right but forty eight point nine percent on his attempts in the half court, at the rim which, is really rough and that goes all the way back like forty five percent as a junior, in high school fifty two percent as a senior. In high school has just never been a great finisher at the rim despite. The athletic time.

shooter you know it was nine of thirty five. As A senior, LIKE i, Think, i mean jason did you take more than thirty five poll up attempts as a senior in high school when you played? HIGH school basketball i.

and rigid if you're going to. Be a scorer and then the third piece of it is obviously the work, behind the scenes on the on. The shot making but while all of the footwork and, the the tech the technical part of it, IS there already i think he's still just barely scratching the surface of like kind of learning how to make things a little bit. EASIER for him, I you know I remember when i Would Watch, like kevin, durant you know when he was when he was younger

and a little. Bit more Aggressive how like kad would have this like wonderful ability to set his man up for screens and like even though he knew he wasn't the fastest player, on the floor he'd be so judicious about his change of, pace and physicality like leaning on his man and then exploding out to the perimeter and getting him set up to so that he'd run. Into THE screen and i was Looking at the xavier game In, particular FOR trey and i thought they just did a

really good job of denying him the basketball. And staying attached and, IN that, game, i, thought like, Like for instance trey's pump fake right now is literally just like he just, Goes like that like, there's no real like technical effort to sell, the pump FAKE and like i feel like when he starts to slow down a little bit, and realize that like when he paint changes his pace more and sells his fakes a, little bit more like he he's not getting even as many of like the

pump fake blowby stuff as he's capable of getting at this point. Because he is teams are selling out on him because he is legitimately an awesome movement three point shooter and off the dribble, three point shooter and like that really is the thing that Separates Him. FROM ace bailey i hate most of THE shots That I saw ace bailey take because it literally felt like he was taking a shot based on what looked the coolest rather than what made sense. In, that moment.

can still get so much better at kind of. Refining THIS skill and i just still think that the ability to sprint into jump shots going, left and right and to be able to hit jump shots off the dribble going left and right off of different bits of footwork and separation moves is one of the most valuable THINGS, in THE nba and I just think trey's already awesome at it with so much. Room for IMPROVEMENT i'm just i was just a big fan OF him when i. Was watching.

of screens like, once a game once or. Twice a game. That was it like he took under two shots per game off of. Screens this. Year it's insane you have like the best weapon in college basketball probably last year shooting off of screens and instead, of you know doing it the way that, it makes sense you just have him bring the ball off the court every time and then try and get through his. SHOT that way nba teams are going to be so much more calculated and

How They. Use trey johnson he is GOING to, AVERAGE i, THINK i mean i don't KNOW how aggressive i want. To get here he's definitely. Averaging double FIGURES in the, Nba next year like if you told me he averaged like sixteen seventeen a game in the right spot next year, AS a rookie i, wouldn't be surprised just because like if he.

fantastic let's GO with and i think. THAT that didn't i think some teams went into the pre draft process with One Notion about trey johnson and then came away from like talking to him feeling totally differently about him in a, really positive way YOU know, What i mean LIKE just, because, i mean look how much do we want To Shoot on? Rodney terry here but, like it was it Was bad the texas, scheme was atrocious like

there's there's. Spacing was awful he had no ability to get to where he wanted to go to that there was no intentionality in what. They were running it felt like it was it was. REALLY really rough i Felt like a. Texas last year, AND you know i think that, smart basketball players when things, aren't going well they can kind, of FEEL that and i think some are better at masking. It than others let's GO with and i think that that was probably A frustration for. TREY last year i

don't know that. For, A fact again i haven't asked, them about IT but like i do know that there are A number of nba teams that felt one way about him and then met with him and, they were, like oh no like this is a, this is different, This is different, like he's way this is way more positive than what people thought or what, People think right Like he's not he's not like a bad body language like, bad you know going to be an issue. KID at ALL.

from that. Lack of organization if you put him in a situation, where, it's like hey we're running this, play for you, This you know chicago action coming out of the right, corner or whatever it ends up being create very simple reads for him and to where, he, understands like hey when they show, on the screen you're dumping to the big, every single time and, you see this you do that when you come off the screen and

they pinch in. At the nail this is what you're. Looking, to do like get into the situations where he kind of has like these classic like one to two reads where it's like shoot or this or that. AND that's it i think that's where he can actually be. An effective playmaker it Is Not. THE ace bailey i caught the ball and now everyone else disappears and.

like you're saying like A corner. Of chicago action HE'S taking a dho driving into the lane and he'll jump past and like hit the dump off like immediately and just like understand what. THE read is i was really worried early in the year that it was like a. Cam thomasse vibe it's. Nowhere near that like he has so much more like unselfishness and like understanding to his GAME than what i think that would. That would indicate.

be able to get the ball OFF at. The nba level, and YOU know when i was watching the shots, He's taken, today i'm like these are shots that are going to work at. The next level these are things that he's going to be able to make and and everything we're hearing about his work ethic is is going to just continue to hammer that home.

and it's up off. Of two. Feet it's balanced the right shoulder fade away is one of the most common shots that you'll see a big FORWARD in the nba take as. A switch beater i saw a half dozen today where he somehow turned that, into some wild fucking one legged fade away where he like spun over his right shoulder and then took a step back into the one, legged Fade away and i'm, just like why like why are? YOU doing that i. Don't understand yet.

breaking it down in. Your draft guide he's got, these great tools but then he it doesn't like function like he's a great athlete with great tools because of the fact that he's just kind of like out of his athletic stance most of the time and he's just like In there it and then there's a legitimate like black hole type of offensive feel for him where it's like the ball ends up in his hands and it's, like all right you know where something's, going up here and

there's just a LITTLE bit like i view him as a guy that needs an enormous, amount of refining but that the upside, is really there and so like he needs to go somewhere where he can be bad for a long time and IT but like i think that's where he. NEEDS to go i think if he, GOES anywhere else i think it could, go really. POORLY really fast i want. To be clear This Is not emmy baits where it's like he's skin and bones and barely six s eight and like just, doesn't have faces just doesn't.

Have the athleticism ace is much more physically prominent, At the position so there is. Real UPSIDE there but i think he needs a reworking of several different kind of things in the way that he. Approaches THE game and i just view him as like a. Very, BIG project yeah.

with much bend and he doesn't access the. Athleticism he has like you'll see him out in transition and you'll rise and like throw down like all these crazy dunks but he doesn't play through contact well because he's getting out leveraged by everybody on the court because he doesn't play with a Lot of bend right doesn't play with a lot of physical force now like very much, a finesse player despite the fact that he has like, powerful explosive athleticism like you know, in his legs YOU know,

What i mean like he has the ability to, really rise up but like it doesn't play out that way in the half court because he loses the leverage game just about. Every SINGLE time like i use the idea of pad, level quote unquote like talking about pad, level, and football right pad level matters. In basketball too being able to outleverage. Guys really matters he doesn't. REALLY do that i mean the shot selections simultaneously amazing because you just wonder how he came to that decision and also

like maddening. AND just insane i don't really understand it, in any way. Shape or. FORM the, Mechanic i mean i'm fascinated to hear what you think of, The SHOT mechanics like i think the shot mechanics.

shot making doesn't mean you're, you're taking really really. Difficult jump shots it almost always means you're doing something really difficult before, the jump shot and then you're taking your. Normal jump shot there might be, a slight fade, a slight drift but, more or less the energy transfer and the rise and fire should pretty closely mimic what you do in a catch. And shoot situation AND that's what

I get When. I'm watching trey i'm watching a player who utilizes footwork and dribble combinations to get separations so that He Can take trey johnson's jump shot. Every single time whereas with ace it almost feels like the almost feels like everything up to the tip of the release is different on a possession, by POSSESSION basis and i

think that. LEADS to streakiness i think that having a consistent form that you lean on leads, to more consistency whereas like for the, FOR the record i think this is a big Part of why lebron has had so many changes in terms of like his consistency as a jump shooter in his career and why he's. Been so streaky lebron tweaks his release. Every damn year, within the year sometimes two. Or three, times, it's, like oh oh, it's twenty Fifteen. We're, watching lebron wait he's not taking a.

Jump shot anymore he's taking. A set shot like? What's this about like, you're just like but, that's The. Thing and lebron lebron paid the price for that by, Being you know lebron's a better jump shooter than he, gets credit for but he was somewhat inconsistent and streaky is a jump shooter in his career because he fucked with

his form. All THE time and i think there's a little Bit, Of like ace ace needs to build his game around a jump shot and then the separation that, leads to it rather than it almost feel like, each jump shot each move has its, own jump shot if.

shots at the rim from. Time to time he will take guys into the post and use his footwork to be able to like just beat guys to spots and then be able to get like a lay up at the rim on a drop. Step, Or, something right like he is really good at utilizing the mismatch nightmare idea of being. A Mismatch threat ace bailey does, not do

that and that's. My main worry so doesn't really get to the rim, all that often takes under two shots at the, rim, per game right because he's very high waisted and the handle is, not very good and he's the handle is very high because he's. So HIGH waisted like i remember talking to a team That was playing rutgers early, in the year, they, were like yeah like what would you do To Slow. Down ace bailey, I'D be like i would just send a dig every single time.

THAT he drives i would send nail help every single time. That he DRIVES, and either a you will force a turnover because you will get into his handle and it'll, be A problem or b you will force a Mid Range jumper and i'm good with that at the end of The Day. From ace bailey and he doesn't process it quickly enough to be able to make the same side kickout off of like the, same, Side, help right like just send, It every time. It'll be fine and you look at the percentages, At, the rim like what

Do You think ace bailey shot on? Layups, THIS year JASON.

IN the season i don't know if he's realized that there were a crazy number of scouts in the, building or whatever. Because there were but like. He was awesome he, was super switchable, he was aggressive he was. Engaged in help like he had. LIKE three blocks i think he had like a, Seal or two like he was really really good. In that game and then like in the middle of, big ten play, it, Was like yeah i'm just not. Gonnattack, This guy yeah i'm not gonna. Make

this rotation maybe he's just like. Not seeing. It you know teams really started, to hammer him, realizing that okay he's if you run like an, action at him either he's just not gonna like take the time to, think through it or like not gonna be focused enough to be able to, think through it or he's, just not,

gonna you know make the right read and you're. Gonna BE fine so i worry about that piece of it for him, TO on, defense i mean look like all of these things is like the ceiling is that he can be the second best player in, This draft class like if it, all goes right his ability to get to special jump shots off of step backs and pull ups and, things like that it's a, Genuinely elite skill like the creation of those jumpers is an incredible gift, that,

He has right but there it's just such a house of, cards, To, me MAN like like i ease AT six if i was on, The TEAM side like i would not BE even if i had like, SEVEN or eight i probably wouldn't be like banging the table, For, ace honestly like it's just not my kind of player at the end. Of THE day and i understand that he has. REAL

star upside, i understand that like all of these. Things can improve i'll, say this too like you're probably not in the, weeds on this but like the way he's handled his pre draft process has, been completely bonkers and, like that shit the kid is like a. Really nice kid He's like everything, I've been told like the intel on that side is like. Really nice kid teammates, Really

like him. Like good kid don't take the pre draft process that his agents and representation are kind of sorting through right now and applying it to the KID is what i would tell people like he's, he's, not that like he's not. A bad kid it's just that there's like a lot to, work THROUGH here and i do wonder if, he's you know getting the bad getting really bad advice, On some things like there's A lot of i have a lot of worries kind of. Across, THE board.

well they're trying TO. Rebuild around embiid they're obviously not going to jump for. Something like that charlotte like finally got a little exciting and interesting towards you know at various, points this, year like, Uh you know utah kind of already has a guy of that like kind of shot chucking ilk in house. Already right now washington literally just had their most interesting end of the season in the last couple of years with some. Interesting young players you

don't want to. Mess with that there's not really a team that screams off the surface that makes a ton of sense if you. HAD to guess i Mean my as i'm looking at, THE lottery here i, look, at like like Is it a is It like a brooklyn who has? NOWHERE to, go i.

at least try it and see what. It looks like they do need like a. WING shot creator I LOVE ballall Like i think blakoulabali is gonna be like a real winning basketball player for a long time because of how good he, is ON defense and i think the shot will continue. To come along, BUT you know i don't see ballall as like a shot creator. Long term either and if you told me that your wing duo long Term Can be ace, bailey and blah and then You Have, like keishawn george and then you in the

backcourt You have BUB. CARRINGTON. And a j johnson, and you know taking flyers on all. Of these guys that seems pretty. Interesting to me that feels like the right.

playing off, the ball, again you know next two. Star level creators that's. Been my favorite like fake trade on the market now for A while Is. Lively FOR reeves but.

doesn't make a ton of Sense. For the lakers but if they could somehow work out some sort of deal where they get another starting caliber two or three an athlete at the two or three That plays, at AUSTIN'S position because i just don't think it makes a bunch of sense for them To bring in lively and then just have a glaring hole at.

A year player it's just That that's a it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me roster wise when You Already have derek Lively and like ad is gonna have to close some games, at, The FIVE right like i get that they don't want to play a d full time. At the five that makes, SENSE to, Me i guess but like he's gonna have to close some games at the five at, The very least so, YOU'RE talking probably, i don't know eight to ten minutes

a game of a d at the. Five at least and then If you're signing gaffer do a twenty million dollar, a year deal you're expecting to play twenty four, minutes a game probably twenty five, Minutes a game so that leaves ten to fifteen minutes A Game. For derek lively, and, it's like well he's, better than That and Neither gaffer nor lively can, play the four so what. Are we doing.

is like i'm With. YOU like daniel's i had to reconfigure my entire approach around the starting center market last summer When we saw hartenstein, Get over thirty gober, got Over thirty or hartenstein was, just under Thirty but like claxton ended up getting like twenty seven or, something like THAT and then, i, was, like oh like if you're a starting CENTER, in the nba you're getting, over twenty

million like this is. How this works BUT it's, like i thought the whole, point of them in their predicament Is don't you you're supposed to be the one that doesn't Have to pay. Daniel like that that's because, of your predicament because of the. SITUATION you're in i do Wonder if because lively was banged up a little, bit last, year And uh because lively was a, little banged up and because he didn't play super well when he was available to, end Last year maybe nico's off of his

scent or. Something like that But if if nico's dumb Enough to send derek Over, to the lakers we would be happy. TO take him i.

BY the way I believe that derek is Also. REPPED by clutch.

MULTIPLE times uh i wonder if they're looking, At, it like okay we can kill two birds with, one stone Here let's, get gafford paid and then Maybe we get derek To play with lebron or like play with like another.

over one hundred an hour. And forty minutes WE got to. Nba final stuff we, talked picture draft we talked about the, top six Picks We talked. Daniel gafford's extension so much. Good stuff today shout out your work before we get. Out of here let everybody know where they can find your guide. AND everything else i will have the link to. It, underneath it.

As basketball players Go To the, game theory podcast where we're at like fifty thousand subscribers. Over on YouTube now we're just growing and doing so. Well over there we appreciate you guys immensely for coming over there and rocking with. The, show there yeah IT'S about, all i got so go to the. Those two places.

all sorts of shit. To talk about we gotta find some we gotta find some. Time to talk but it was it was good to see you and all. Of the listeners thank you guys so much for. Supporting the show we will Be Back On wednesday night live during the first ROUND Of. THE nba draft i will see. You guys then? What's so, GUYS as always i appreciate you for listening To and. Supporting oops tonight they would actually be really helpful for us if you guys would

take a second and leave a rating. And a, REVIEW as always i appreciate you, guys supporting us but if you could take a minute, To do that i'd. Really appreciate it