Category: NBA

Take Dylan Harper seriously as a threat to Cooper Flagg for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft

Cooper Flagg is the guy…until he isn’t.

Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes

Happy Friday, folks! Welcome back to Layup Lines. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you’ve had a wonderful Thanksgiving week.

There’s been a ton of good basketball this week on all levels, but I’ve been locked in specifically on college hoops. With mid-season tournaments going on and some of the best prospects in the country playing against tougher competition, it’s been a great week to revisit some of the top prospects in the draft and where they’re ranked (especially as a Wizards fan).

CAPTURE THE FLAGG: The Wizards are in first (or maybe last?) in the race for Cooper Flagg.

I say all of that to say I’ve been watching a lot of Rutgers basketball this week to get an eye on Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. And, after Harper’s explosion in the Player’s Era tournament, you shouldn’t overlook him as a potential threat to Cooper Flagg’s supremacy as the No. 1 prospect in this draft class.

Now, look. Flagg is still our No. 1 here. Even after a less-than-perfect start with Duke, he still should be.

The reasons why are simple. He’s 17 years old and still barely scratches the surface of his potential. Yet, still, he’s easily one of the most versatile defenders in the nation. It’d take a lot to supplant him, even if his offense hasn’t yet caught up to his defense and late-game turnovers have been a problem.

But here’s the thing: Dylan Harper has been doing a lot.

As a 6-foot-6 guard with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and an elite creator, he’s the exact sort of player NBA teams are looking to build through.

HE’S THE FULCRUM: Harper is the most exciting offensive prospect in college hoops this year

His game isn’t perfect. He’s still an inconsistent shooter at best and, defensively, while he can shake things up on the ball, the awareness away from it can be concerning. That’s what makes Flagg so special.

But should this trajectory for Harper continue, don’t be surprised if these conversations get louder and louder as the days go by.

The Timberwolves are broken

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Things ain’t so sweet in Minnesota these days. Anthony Edwards called his teammates out after the Wolves lost a fourth game in a row on Wednesday.

He called the team “frontrunners” and “soft” when it comes to talking to each other. And he did this publicly — not behind close doors. Here’s exactly what he said:

“I think it’s we soft as hell as a team, internally. Not to the other team, but internally, we soft. We can’t talk to each other. Just a bunch of little kids,” Edwards said.

Honestly, you’ve got to respect that he didn’t hide behind an anonymous quote to get this out there. He put his face and name to it. But you have to imagine that will ruffle some feathers in the locker room. That’s probably exactly what he wants, but man. This is not a good sign for a team with NBA championship hopes.

Hm. I guess Karl-Anthony Towns was the glue guy all along.

Shootaround

— Josh Green’s buzzer-beater actually hurt the Hornets’ last-second comeback attempt. I’ve never seen this before.

— Here’s Bryan Kalrbosky on Dylan Harper being the most tantalizing offensive prospect in the draft this year.

— Dan Hurley’s UConn Huskies ain’t looking too great. Maybe the Lakers dodged a tough one here? Meg Hall has more.

— Speaking of the Maui Invitational, Bryan Kalbrosky made a list of the 10 best prospects who participated.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. Have a great weekend. Peace.

-Sykes ✌️

Josh Green’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer completely cost the Hornets a shot at beating the Knicks

Josh Green made the shot the Hornets needed him to make, but at what cost? 

Josh Green made the shot the Hornets needed him to make, but at what cost?

The Hornets had a chance to beat the Knicks in the final seconds of the game. There were just over three seconds left on the clock with the score at 97-93. Charlotte’s chances of pulling off a comeback were slim, but there was still a chance.

First things first. The Hornets needed to hit a 3-pointer to bring themselves within a point. Then, all they had to do was play the foul game.

So here we go. Josh Green takes the 3-pointer. He makes it! But, wait! Time…expires?!?

Folks, this is absolutely devastating.

Green hit the shot, but it touched every part of the rim. Time expired by the time the ball fall through the net.

Again, the Hornets already had a long shot in the attempt to pull this off. But to have things end like this? Nah. That has to hurt.

12 players making an efficiency leap in the NBA this season

HoopsHype ranks the 12 players who have made the biggest efficiency leaps from 2023-24 to 2024-25, including Chris Paul and Josh Hart.

The first quarter of every NBA season is a blast because there’s so much to learn. We’re creeping up on the 20-game mark for most teams, which means we’re starting to feel a little more grounded in our new evaluations of players, teams, and coaches – although plenty can still change.

Sample sizes at the player level are still small, but they’re not infinitesimal anymore. We can feel better about directional reads on where they’ve improved (or where they haven’t).

In today’s numbers-driven NBA, efficiency is king. We wanted to look at who has optimized their shot diet and leveled up their shotmaking compared to previous years to become a more effective scoring option. I looked at everyone in Basketball-Reference’s qualifying list of players from this year and last year and narrowed it down to players who have attempted at least 7.5 shots per game this season, leaving me with a pool of 119 players. Below are the 12 (the top decile) with the biggest jump in true shooting percentage (TS%).

We’re not at the point where these things are capital-T truths yet; a whole lot of the season still has to go on, and not everyone on this list will remain here if we re-run the exercise at the end of the year. But these players have made such significant jumps that it has to mean something, even if they come back to Earth eventually.

Anthony Edwards savagely roasted the Timberwolves after taking a 4th loss in a row

Anthony Edwards is ruffling feathers in the locker room.

Folks, things do not sound like they’re going great for the Timberwolves in Minnesota right now.

After making the Western Conference Finals for the first time in two decades last season, expectations were obviously high for the Wolves this season. But, after four straight losses, including one on Wednesday against the Raptors, it seems like it might be time to revisit the team’s outlook.

Nobody in Minnesota is happy about that. Fans were booing the team off of its homecourt while the Raptors went on a 26-6 run to bring themselves back into the game and win it.

After the game, Anthony Edwards called the entire team out, saying that as a team the Timberwolves were “soft” and played like “frontrunners.”

“I think it’s we soft as hell as a team, internally. Not to the other team, but internally, we soft. We can’t talk to each other. Just a bunch of little kids,” Edwards said.

Sheesh.

Now, to be fair, this isn’t just him holding his teammates’ feet to the fire. He’s taking accountability himself, too. But this is sure to ruffle some feathers in that locker room.

But, knowing Edwards, that’s exactly what he’s trying to do. We’ll see if it works.

Dalton Knecht starts for Lakers at San Antonio

Former Vol Dalton Knecht starts for Los Angeles in win at San Antonio.

Los Angeles (11-7) defeated San Antonio (10-9), 119-101, Wednesday at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Former Tennessee basketball player Dalton Knecht started and played 31 minutes for the Lakers.

Knecht totaled 20 points, eight rebounds, two steals and one assist. He converted 8-of-15 field goal attempts and 4-of-10 three-point attempts.

The former Vol was selected in the first-round of the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17 overall) by Los Angeles.

Knecht was a transfer from Northern Colorado and played for the Vols during the 2023-24 season under coach Rick Barnes. During his one season at Tennessee, Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

He led the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

Knecht was the 2024 SEC Player and SEC Newcomer of the Year. He was a consensus All-America standout and earned the Julius Erving Award.

Dylan Harper is the most exciting offensive prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft

Dylan Harper looks like a future STAR.

Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper may not go as the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he has the most potential of any player on offense.

Harper is currently playing in the Players Era Festival tournament in Las Vegas. During a win against Notre Dame on November 26, he scored 36 points. That was the most by any freshman so far this season and it was a breakout performance for the future pro.

Long considered the top lead guard in this draft class, Harper was named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year. He was honored as the MVP of the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.

The son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper Sr., the 6-foot-6 freshman is playing very well during his first collegiate campaign.

Harper has struggled to finish in transition but has played with excellent efficiency in a set offense. He looks difficult to stop in pick and roll and isolation and can create his own shot with ease, including this vicious dunk that got his father hyped:

He is averaging 4.2 unassisted field goals per game at the rim, per CBB Analytics. Most impressive: No player in Division I men’s college basketball is recording more unassisted field goals made (6.2) per game.

Next up is Kam Jones, a senior from Marquette projected as a potential first-rounder in our latest NBA mock draft, at 5.5 unassisted field goals per game.

The freshman is unafraid to finish at the rim, which is encouraging from a young guard, and it is working. He is shooting an unprecedented 37-of-47 (78.7 percent) near the rim, and while that is hardly sustainable, it is also a huge part of what makes him so appealing.

He is also doing a fantastic job drawing contact at the basket, via CBB Analytics, drawing 2.7 shooting fouls (the most among freshmen) and converting 0.7 and-one attempts per game. Harper attempted 14 free throws versus Notre Dame, which is excellent.

Harper has displayed fantastic court vision and ball control and he has also maintained a very high assist percentage and a low turnover ratio, which are both encouraging traits as a floor general.

Overall, per Bart Torvik, his points over replacement per game is among the highest on record from a freshman in a high-major conference since 2008.

Even if Duke prospect Cooper Flagg hears his name called first in this class, defense is his primary trait that excites evaluators. But for Harper, any NBA team that is looking to improve their offense will rush to the podium if he is available when they are on the clock.

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Dalton Knecht scores seven points in 19 minutes at Phoenix

Former Vol Dalton Knecht plays 19 minutes for the Lakers at Phoenix.

Phoenix (10-7) defeated Los Angeles (10-7), 127-100, Tuesday in the NBA Cup at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Former Tennessee basketball player Dalton Knecht totaled seven points and four rebounds in 19 minutes for the Lakers.

Knecht converted 2-of-7 field goal attempts, 1-of-4 three-point attempts and 2-of-3 free throw attempts.

The former Vol was selected in the first-round of the 2024 NBA draft (No. 17 overall) by Los Angeles.

Knecht was a transfer from Northern Colorado and played for the Vols during the 2023-24 season under coach Rick Barnes. During his one season at Tennessee, Knecht averaged 21.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

He led the Vols to a SEC regular-season championship and an appearance in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

Knecht was the 2024 SEC Player and SEC Newcomer of the Year. He was a consensus All-America standout and earned the Julius Erving Award.