Tag: 2025 NBA Draft

Tyrese Proctor: ‘I don’t think basketball is all about scoring, I’m just out there trying to make winning plays’

Tyrese Proctor, currently ranked No. 28 on ESPN’s Top 100 and No. 30 on HoopsHype’s latest Aggregate Mock Draft, has rapidly established himself as one of the best lead guards in college basketball. The Australia native is known for his playmaking, …

Tyrese Proctor, currently ranked No. 28 on ESPN’s Top 100 and No. 30 on HoopsHype’s latest Aggregate Mock Draft, has rapidly established himself as one of the best lead guards in college basketball. The Australia native is known for his playmaking, defense, and leadership on the court.

Proctor’s sophomore campaign saw him named a team captain, only the fourth sophomore to achieve this in Duke’s history. His 2.95 assist-to-turnover ratio ranked 25th nationally, showcasing his ability to control the game while minimizing mistakes. He averaged 10.5 points per game and led his team in assists, asserting his role as the lead guard for the Blue Devils, who at times ran a three-guard lineup last year.

Recently, Proctor spoke with with HoopsHype to reflect on his basketball journey, his time in Australia’s NBA Global Academy, his thoughts on the modern game, his college basketball experience and more.

Jamir Watkins: ‘I feel like I could be a first-rounder, maybe even get into the lottery’

Jamir Watkins, currently ranked No. 59 on ESPN’s Top 100, has established himself as one of the nation’s top returning college players. After averaging 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in his first season with Florida Sate after transferring from VCU, …

Jamir Watkins, currently ranked No. 59 on ESPN’s Top 100, has established himself as one of the nation’s top returning college players. After averaging 12.0 points and 7.8 rebounds in his first season with Florida Sate after transferring from VCU, and Watkins was named All-ACC Honorable Mention.

Watkins is gearing up for his final season at FSU, where he has emerged as the team leader. Last season, he showed he was much more than a defender, he had 19 consecutive double-figure scoring games, as the 6-foot-7 wing continues to prove his versatility on both ends of the floor. After initially declaring for the NBA draft in April 2024 and entering the transfer portal in May, Watkins decided to return to Florida State, as he seeks to improve his game further with another season under Head Coach Leonard Hamilton.

The Trenton, NJ native recently sat down with HoopsHype to discuss his decision to withdraw from the NBA draft, his development as a player, and his expectations for the upcoming season.

ESPN analyst ranks Duke basketball freshman Cooper Flagg as the best 2025 draft prospect

ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony ranked his top 100 2025 NBA draft prospects on Wednesday, including an expected face at the top overall spot.

According to ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony, there’s no need to overthink the top spot in the 2025 NBA draft rankings.

Givony released his list of the top 100 prospects for next year’s draft on Wednesday, and Duke freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] predictably took the top overall spot.

“The 17-year-old’s versatility on both ends of the floor will make him an impact player from Day 1 despite his youth,” Givony wrote. “He’s already one of the best teenage defenders you’ll find with his exceptional combination of intensity, instincts and explosiveness.”

Flagg made his debut in a Blue Devils uniform at the Countdown to Craziness, and his defensive prowess lived up to the hype. Between his 6-foot-9 frame and exceptional agility, he looked comfortable meeting assignments on the perimeter and along the inside. He can guard each of the first four positions on the floor, and he might average at least one steal and one block per game this season.

The real cause for optimism came on the offensive end. The only question about Flagg, if you can count it, was whether he could develop into a complete scorer, and he’s made extreme strides in that department. The Maine native can finish through contact and take advantage of his speed against interior defenders, but he also showcased some neat ball-handling to create space for himself in the midrange.

Flagg was one of three Blue Devils inside Givony’s top 10, joining fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel (sixth) and Khaman Maluach (eighth).

ESPN gives Duke freshman Cooper Flagg more than a 50% chance to be the No. 1 overall pick

While other candidates remain, a Wednesday article from ESPN said there’s a great chance that Cooper Flagg is the next No. 1 overall pick.

Five-star phenom [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] makes his Duke basketball debut at the Countdown to Craziness on Friday night, but everyone who knows the Maine native already has an eye on the 2025 NBA draft.

ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony wrote about the upcoming draft class on Wednesday, and while some other first-year stars remain viable options for the No. 1 overall pick, Givony gave Flagg a 51% chance to be the first name off the board.

Flagg, initially a Class of 2025 prospect who reclassified, led Montverde Academy to an undefeated season last year before going to Team USA Olympic training camp as a member of the Select Team. He went viral for a sequence of consecutive baskets while scrimmaging against the Olympic roster, prompting some national analysts to say NBA teams should intentionally tank for the future Blue Devil.

“An explosive athlete, Flagg does everything on both ends of the floor,” Givony wrote. “Offensively, he is a much-improved 3-point shooter and an outstanding passer. He is impactful on defense, playing with intensity while covering ground, making plays at the rim and guarding on the perimeter.”

At 6-foot-9, Flagg’s athleticism shines on tape consistently. The Blue Devils have only been practicing in Cameron Indoor Stadium for a little more than a week, and the social media team has already shared multiple dunks from the first-year star. He said on The Brotherhood Podcast earlier this offseason that he takes pride in doing the little things correctly, and his defensive effort in high-school exhibitions and scrimmages shows that’s not a performative sentiment.

The scariest part of Flagg’s game is his ability to blend forward size with perimeter skills. He can use post moves to create space for himself inside, but he has the lateral quickness and basketball IQ to keep up with guards near the 3-point line.

With three games against the Kentucky Wildcats, Arizona Wildcats, and Kansas Jayhawks in November, expect to know whether Flagg will go No. 1 overall quickly.

ESPN provides optimistic NBA draft outlook for Duke freshman Khaman Maluach

ESPN basketball writers Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo wrote about top 2025 draft prospects on Friday, including some optimism on Khaman Maluach.

Duke basketball brought in top-ranked freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] this offseason, the presumed No. 1 pick in next summer’s NBA draft, but he isn’t the only key prospect on the Blue Devils roster this year.

Head coach [autotag]Jon Scheyer[/autotag] landed commitments from three other five-star prospects, including South Sudanese 7-footer [autotag]Khaman Maluach[/autotag]. The NBA Academy Africa product represented his country at the 2024 Olympic Games, and at 17 years old, he was the youngest player in the competition.

ESPN basketball writers Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released a Friday article elaborating on the most important college players to watch in 2024-25, and Woo sounded pretty bullish on Maluach’s chances to establish himself this fall and spring.

Woo pointed out that, while Maluach played pretty limited minutes in Paris, the incoming Blue Devil held his own against NBA MVPs and champions during a one-point exhibition loss to Team USA in July.

“Maluach’s above-average speed gives him a chance to be a high-impact player on defense,” Woo wrote. “He needs to work on positioning, awareness and patience as he habitually leaves his feet early to contest shots. But he has more tools than most players his age and size, pointing to his immense potential on that end.”

https://twitter.com/DraftExpress/status/1834589737526411658

The optimism is a welcome change from recent trends around Maluach’s draft stock. When the rim protector first committed to the Blue Devils back in March, he was considered a slam-dunk top-five pick in the 2025 draft thanks to his tape and defensive ceiling. However, some uneven performances at exhibitions like the Nike Hoop Summit made fans question his learning curve for Division I basketball.

Combine that with the emergence of [autotag]Kon Knueppel[/autotag], another five-star Duke signee and the darling of offseason workouts, and plenty of sites don’t even list Maluach as the second-best prospect on the Blue Devils anymore.

Even if Maluach looks more like his floor than his ceiling in November, he should be one of the best defenders in the country from the opening bell. He’ll be a shoo-in to average at least 1.5 blocks per game, and fans just need some patience if he looks rough around the edges before conference play.

Too-early 2025 NBA mock draft has San Antonio Spurs taking large guard in lottery

Currently projected to take two picks in the ’25 draft’s lottery, B/R has the Spurs going for another guard.

It might be far too early for you, fan of the San Antonio Spurs, to be thinking about what that ball club will do when it comes time to make selections in the distant 2025 NBA draft. But despite the fact that it is literally most of a year before that big day rolls around for the Spurs’ front office to contend with, there is an entire mini-industry built around projecting those picks.

And among the best in the game of doing so is Bleacher Report NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, who has a pair of prospects already pegged for San Antonio in next summer’s draft. Currently projected to take two picks in the ’25 draft’s lottery, for the better of the two selections owed them by the Atlanta Hawks, Wasserman has the Spurs going for another combo guard.

That guard prospect, University of Illinois floor general Kasparas Jakucionis, has been turning heads of late. “Jakucionis’ stock is pointing up after a 37-point game against France and potential top-five pick Nolan Traore in the U18 European Championships,” writes Wasserman.

“He averaged 19.4 points and 5.3 assists for the tournament, showcasing his signature change of speed, pull-up for three-level scoring and creativity around the basket,” adds the B/R draft expert.

“At 6-foot-6, 200 pounds, Jakucionis is going to operate on and off the ball at Illinois, serving as a textbook combo with excellent size, enough ball-handling and IQ to play-make and dangerous shot making skill.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

San Antonio Spurs projected to take stretch combo big in 2025 NBA draft lottery

The San Antonio Spurs are projected to control two lottery picks at the end of the 2024-25 NBA season.

The San Antonio Spurs are projected to control two lottery picks at the end of the 2024-25 NBA season. And there are already plenty of folks out there in the world of draft projections who have some ideas about how the Spurs’ front office ought to be using those picks.

As odd as it might feel to be worrying about the 2025 NBA draft just a few months after the 2024 version of the event, there are experts making a living doing this stuff year-long. Among the better-known and higher-regarded of them is Bleacher Report draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, who has a prospect in mind for San Antonio at No. 11 overall, the latter of those two picks mentioned above.

That prospect would be big man Asa Newell, currently suiting up for the University of Georgia in his freshman season. “At 6-foot-11 with a live motor, … Newell should deliver immediate activity around the rim, easy baskets and putbacks to Georgia,” writes Wasserman. “He covers a lot of ground and loves to crash the glass and sprint the floor in transition.”

“But his developing 3-point stroke and post skill is what will help push him up draft boards in 2025,” adds the B/R draft analyst. “Newell shot over 41.5# from 3 during 21 Montverde games logged by Synergy Sports.”

“There should be plenty of NBA interest in an athletic 19-year-old energy big who can stretch the floor this early in his career.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Boston Celtics projected to take bouncy, rim-protecting big man in too-early 2025 mock NBA draft

While it’s far too early for most of us to think of next year’s draft, for the experts, there’s no better time than the present.

While it is far too early for most of us to be thinking about the 2025 NBA draft, that is exactly what experts on the league’s annual event to replenish aging rosters with younger prospects have been up to of late. And such is the case for Bleacher Report NBA draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman.

Wasserman has put together a way-too-early (at least, for most of us anyway) mock draft for next summer’s big day. And he has a prospect in mind for the Boston Celtics to take with what is currently (and understandably, given their title defense) projected to be the 30th and final pick of the first round. If that prospect’s last name sounds familiar, it is because he is the younger brother of Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin, JT Toppin.

“Toppin doesn’t have the most modernized skill set, but NBA teams may deem his production worth buying, particularly if he builds on his 3-point shooting flashes,” suggests Wasserman,

“Toppin had some encouraging moments at the NBA combine, both around the basket and behind the arc,” adds the B/R draft expert.

“His potential to bring hustle buckets, rebounds, efficiency, defensive playmaking and possible floor spacing should eventually draw solid NBA interest.”

A 6-foot-9 swingman who hit 34.4% of his treys last season on low volume who put up 12.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game, the New Mexico alum would be an excellent prospect for Boston to consider should he still be on the board when the Celtics pick.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=590969556]

Bam Adebayo leads USA Basketball to quarterfinals of Olympics with win over South Sudan

Led by a balanced scoring attack, USA Basketball stamped its ticket to the quarterfinals of the Olympics with a victory over South Sudan.

Led by a balanced scoring attack, USA Basketball stamped its ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Olympic Games with a victory over South Sudan on Wednesday in Lille, France.

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo produced a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds, Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant scored 14 points and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards had 13 points in the 103-86 victory to improve to 2-0 and stay atop Group C.

After beating South Sudan by one point in an exhibition game on July 20, the United States was in control for the entirety of the contest, leading by as many as 22 points. The team, which shot 52.9% from the field, scored 26 points off 19 turnovers and held a 66-14 advantage in bench points.

With Adebayo, Durant and Edwards leading the way, the U.S. also got strong contributions from Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James scored (12 points), Suns guard Devin Booker (10 points, six assists) and Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (10 points).

Nuni Omot paced South Sudan with a game-high 24 points, while Carlik Jones scored 18 points and Bul Kuol added 16 points. The team dropped to 1-1 with one game left to play in the group phase on Saturday against Serbia. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals.

After clinching Group C, the Americans will wrap up the preliminary round on Saturday against Puerto Rico, who is 0-2. They open as 31.5-point favorites in that contest.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262943]

Carlik Jones, Marial Shayok lead South Sudan to historic Olympic victory

South Sudan overcame a first-half deficit to complete a historic 90-79 win over Puerto Rico on Sunday to open the 2024 Olympic Games.

Led by veteran Carlik Jones, South Sudan overcame a first-half deficit to complete a historic 90-79 win over Puerto Rico in Group C on Sunday to open the 2024 Olympic Games in Lille, France.

Jones produced 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Marial Shayok had 15 points and Nuni Omot added 12 points and six rebounds to lead South Sudan to its first-ever victory in the Olympics. Peter Jok had 11 points, while Wenyen Gabriel and JT Thor both had six points.

Puerto Rico, who was led by José Alvarado, was up by nine points in the first quarter and carried a six-point advantage to halftime. South Sudan responded by outscoring its opponent 42-25 in the second half to take control of the game. Alvarado finished with a game-high 26 points.

South Sudan, whose president is former 15-year NBA veteran Luol Deng, claimed its first Olympic berth last year by finishing as the top African team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, its first international tournament after becoming a sovereign state from Sudan in July 2011.

The team also made history when Khaman Maluach became the third-youngest player in the event at 16 years old. Maluach, now 17, made South Sudan’s 12-man roster for the Olympics and has been with the team throughout its training camp. He had two points on Sunday.

After defeating Puerto Rico, South Sudan will return to action on Wednesday against the United States (3 p.m. EDT). The contest is a rematch of an exhibition game on July 20, in which the U.S. defeated South Sudan 101-100 in London.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=650262943]