Okay, here we go. I am back from my hiatus and have returned with a 2025 NBA draft edition of rambling.
TL;DR: I’m rambling again. It’s not worth reading. If you value your time and don’t hate yourself, now is your chance to check out. If you do hate yourself, buckle up and get started. I will break up players into three categories: Players I like, Players I don’t like, and Players I’d like to see the Hornets draft. This is a draft that I’d like to see the Hornets use their newly acquired draft capital to be aggressive and to move into the first round to select several players. On an unrelated note, fuck Nico and the Dallas Mavericks. Absolute bullshit.
This might not be a “sexy” draft class that will result in NBA superstars; however, I do believe it will yield a plethora of strong role players every team needs. By “role player”, I don’t mean the 7th guy on the bench-I mean solid starters that can be relied upon. Second and third scoring option kinds of guys, players that can do a lot of things. For example, super solid players like Tobias Harris, Naz Reid, Max Strus, Aaron Gordon, etc. Guys that have a lot of skills, dynamic, and any team would want as glue guys. This draft is chock full of well rounded, super solid players. Only a handful have the potential to reach star status.
HP fam, I’ve been saying for months that I have a very high opinion of this draft class. I think we’re going to be talking about the 2025 nba draft for a long time. The general consensus is that 2025 is an above average draft class profile, but I think that it’s even better than that. If 2024 was a 2-3/10, this is an 8.5-9/10. For example, Cooper Flagg. Just to be 100%, I am not saying that people are downplaying Cooper Flagg’s talent. The term “generational talent” is often both misused and overused. In regards to top end draft players, I think this is a term reserved for guys like Lebron and Wemby. I would absolutely not lump Flagg into that “generational talent” category, but I’m so high on Flagg, I’d like to invent a tier just below “generational talent”. I don’t know what to call it yet, but I’ll let you know when I do. Also, fuck Nico and Dallas. I can’t think of a franchise who deserves it less than Nico.
Preface: I’ll say this, when it comes to the first round, there aren’t many guys in this draft that I have on my “do not draft list”. At all. In fact, I could make a case for drafting the vast majority of the first round picks, it’s just a matter of where in the first. I could be talked into drafting most of these players.
So I thought I’d make a list of players I like and players I don’t like. It’ll be a short list of guys I don’t like. (I will be excluding the general top 6 guys like Flagg, Harper, VJ, and Bailey, Fears, Tre Johnson) I want to capture players outside of the top 6 guys that get talked about to death.
Players I like: (In no particular order. This isn’t my draft board.)
Derik Queen: I see a little Sengun and a little Domantas Sabonis. A hybrid of the two. His draft stock has risen and I can see him going in the top 10 most likely. Defensive limitations? Yeah. But Houston has proven you can build a team around a guy like Sengun. Granted, that roster includes stoppers like van Vleet, Dillon brooks, and Steven Adams. It’s very possible, you just have to surround him with guys like that.
Kon Knueppel: Follow me here. Think Dalton Knecht, but a better playmaker, passer, and defender. Definitely not as explosive as Knecht, but a very underrated athlete. His play after Flagg was injured was the big green flag. I think he’ll go a little earlier than he should, but has the makeup to play in the association for many years.
Rasheer Fleming: 6’9" 240. A rangy 3andD guy. Shot 39% from 3 on 4.5 attempts per game last year. Here’s your Miles Bridges replacement, but with actual defensive potential AND a better three point shooter. Good frame, good athleticism, and has a 7’5 wingspan. Yes, a 7’5 wingspan. Could be a Naz Reid player. Not sold? Here’s his “weaknesses”:
“Struggles to create his own shot — limited handle and doesn’t have a go-to move in the post or off the dribble (something that might develop in time) … Off-ball awareness on offense can drift — tends to rely on guards creating for him.”
Huh. If only the Hornets had a playmaking point guard who can pass guys open or help create looks for tall, 6’9" athletic guys. Oh wait…there’s that Melo guy. Fleming: can play defense, good measurables, can guard multiple positions, rebounds, and can shoot the three. His weakness is dribbling/handles, shot creation, mid range. We don’t need that. Just play defense, rebound, and shoot. Check.
Nique Clifford: Are you a Hornets fan? Are you tired of undersized combo guards beside Melo Ball? Well I have a player for you! Nique comes in as 6’6 200 pounds. He should be ranked higher on everyone’s big boards, but he’s just over 23 years old (GASP!!! HE’S NOT 18-19 YEARS OLD!! HE’S WORTHLESS!") Shot nearly 38% from three while averaging 5 attempts per game last year. Averaged 19ppg, 9.5rbs, 4.4ast in a tough mountain west conference. Reported 6’10 wingspan. Pretty good defender and can guard positions 1-3. Efficient finisher at the rim and an elite rebounder at the guard position. Doesn’t this scream Coach Lee guy?
Collin Murray-Boyles: Motor, defense, good measurables. No nonsense player: Rebound the ball, play defense, guard multiple positions, shoot a little. If his three point shot improves, he could be an absolute stud.
Carter Bryant: Same as above. Notice a trend in these players I’m listing? Young and has a big ceiling. Will continue to shoot up draft boards. A little bit of a wild card. He’ll go much earlier than people think he will.
Danny Wolf: I understand the knocks against him, I really do. I just think Wolf is another wild card player in this draft. He’s the joker in the deck so to speak. As a Hornets fan, I just want dynamic big men that are skilled and can do different things. He’s an amazing ball handler, passer, and good shooter. A dynamic big will open the floor so freaking much. He was basically the PG in Michigan last year. Can you imagine a smart, skilled center playing alongside Melo? Oh lawd.
Liam McNeeley: He’s much better than given credit for. Only shot around 32% from three last year, but he’s a much better shooter than that. I promise. His form and mechanics are sound. If he shot 36% from three instead of 32%, he’d be much higher.
Players I don’t like:
Khaman Maluach: Okay, let’s get it out of the way. I’m a UNC guy. This is not about an anti Duke bias. I’m way higher on Kon and Cooper than most. So don’t come at me with that. In short, why Khaman is on this list is because he is being projected WAY too high. I’ve seen him around pick 7-8. That’s wild to me to take a guy with limited offense at that range. Even with Mark, he had good hands and a good feel. Khaman around 7-8 is absolutely wild. The days of taking offensively limited centers in the top 10 is OVER. He just started playing basketball 5-6 years ago I believe.
Maluach averaged around 21.3 minutes per game last year at Duke. There were conditioning issues. How do you think he’s going to hold up over an 82 game NBA season with back to backs and 3 games in 4 nights? I don’t dislike Maluach. I dislike him in the top 10. This should be a top 16-20 player. Also, when your 7’2 it’s pretty easy to look good when you’re surrounded like guys like Cooper Flagg, Kon, etc.
Khaman is a much closer talent to Joan Belinger than you think, who is being projected around pick 25.
Egor Demin: Yeah, this is a pretty polarizing player. He’s all over people’s draft boards. The size and passing is tantalizing. But he’s a guy who plays smaller than he is and just could not quite establish himself over the season. The jumpshot and three did not materialize, and this will most likely be a critical role in his NBA future. When I watch him shoot, I can quite pick out anything in his mechanics that is at fault. It just struggles to go down. And he wasn’t shy about shooting it either. I project him more like a Josh Giddey type of trajectory. I thought he struggled at times defensively. Would get absolutely crushed by screen navigation.
Jase Richardson/Jeremiah Fears: Not a ton of analysis here. I’m just not as high on these two as others seem to be. A smaller frame, young, and I’m not sold on his shooting and ability to take care of the ball. It’s mostly because of fit on the current Hornets roster. I just don’t want another undersized combo guard like Rozier alongside Melo Ball. Especially guys that are pretty young, need a few years to develop their game, and are not good defenders. I just want a SG that has more size and the ability to play defense alongside Melo.
In terms of SG’s I would rather choose Tre Johnson because of his lights out three point shooting (near 40%, on volume) and his 6’6 size. Not a defender himself, but give me the more prototypical 6’6 height.
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Player I’d like to see the Hornets draft: So who do I want the Hornets to draft at pick 4?
Option 1: Ace Bailey if he falls to pick four. Give me the 6’9 guy with a high ceiling. VJ is a good pick, but I just feel that Ace has a higher ceiling. I’ll take the potential. A starting lineup with this size??? Melo 6’7, Ace 6’9, BMill 6’8. Thats BIG a positions 1-3. Ace can also back up Brandon Miller.
Option 2: VJ Edgecombe. Good size, athletic off the charts, tough defender. I’m fine with either VJ or Ace. His defense would really toughen up our guard rotation. I’m torn between Ace and VJ. VJ being the better fit in Charlotte absolutely has merit.
Option 3: Trade back to get another pick in the 1st round this year.
Other thoughts: By some sort of trade, get back into the 1st round to select Rasheer Fleming OR Nique Clifford. I am very high on these guys and I am officially planting my flag here. My dream is to draft Ace/VJ at pick 4, use our draft capital and trade back into the late teens/early 20s and select one of Fleming or Clifford. Great defenders, great shooters. Last draft I planted my flag on Knecht island. In 2025, I am planting my flag loudly and proudly on Clifford and Fleming island. I wish we could draft BOTH.
2nd round picks:
Drake Powell. I’d guess he’ll be there in the early 2nd round
Ryan Kalkbrenner: 7’1, defense, block shots, smart, shoots threes. Simple.
Maxime Raynaud 7’1 center who can really shoot and can operate very well out of the pick and roll. Defensive and athletic limitations, but I just want the Hornets to have a skilled center that can shoot.
Thomas Sorber If for some reason he is still there at the start of the 2nd round, you have to pick him. Super skilled center. Is recovering from a foot injury, so he could fall in the draft because of that. I highly doubt he falls that far, it would be stunning. But you never know. I’d guess he goes in the mid 20s.
Bogoljub Markovic I have no fucking idea how to say his name. Again, a skilled big that brings the shooting ability to the roster. Watch some highlights of him, it’s a fascinating watch. I like him a lot.
