I don't 'target' players. My ability to translate talent from the college game to the NBA is poor. I do like the odds and probabilities higher in the draft order mostly, I will notice college players when they play the Ducks. I really wanted the Blazers to get Brandon Roy; I knew nothing about his knees though. I remember seeing Aldridge in a couple of college games. He was a bit impressive but I wondered about using the 2nd pick on him. I liked Harden at ASU and he had a couple of big games against Oregon. I thought he was a bit of a chucker, but I had no idea he'd be as good as he turned out to be. I knew Kevin Love would be good. I liked Markkanen but did not like Ayton. I thought him going #1 was a joke
After digging a little more, I'm leaning towards Murray-Boyles. His combine measurements are out: Collin Murray-Boyles has a wingspan of 7'0 3/4". This was recorded at the NBA Draft Combine, along with his height of 6'6 1/2" barefoot and weight of 239.2 lbs, and a standing reach of 8'10 1/2" These are much better than Draymond Green. He is just barely 20. Here is a scouting report from the Ringer, seems pretty fair, they only rate him the 17th best in this draft. But whenever I see the word "motor" in a report, my ears perk up: It might not be a smart move trying to pitch the idea of Murray-Boyles in an elevator. He’s a remarkable defender who blends instinct and intelligence with strength, catlike reflexes, and lateral agility that’s unique for his frame. But … he’s a tweener (strike one) who doesn’t really shoot (strike two) and whose obvious playmaking vision and instincts are stymied by a neutral assist-to-turnover ratio (strike three)—without the absurd athleticism that allowed a player like Zion Williamson to transcend such mortal limitations (OK, we’re done here, pal). There aren’t too many success stories in the NBA with a prospect profile like CMB’s. That’s a significant barrier; teams are looking for precedents to follow. Just watch him play, though. It isn’t hard to imagine Murray-Boyles as a Swiss Army knife in the pick-and-roll on both sides of the ball. He can rumble into a blitz, creating havoc for the ball handler with his quick hands and broad frame; he can operate in the two-man game himself as either the initiator or the roller. He has the quickest hands in the class and would be a terror as a help defender digging at the nail. CMB’s brand of versatility may be unorthodox, but his particular gifts and outright motor could give shape to a defense. On offense, Murray-Boyles is a handful in the post, where his power, footwork, and passing vision really shine. Of course, there aren’t many teams in the NBA clamoring for a 6-foot-7 post hub these days. South Carolina has given CMB plenty of room to explore the limits of his offensive repertoire—his usage rate is up there with the biggest names in college basketball. His on-ball creation is still a work in progress, as evidenced by his turnovers, but for a player with his oxlike frame, Murray-Boyles has shown the ability to vary his drives by changing speeds and accentuating either his touch or his bullying force, depending on the situation. As reductive as it sounds, CMB’s trajectory could very well come down to his shooting. Draymond Green once had positional concerns despite outstanding defensive aptitude, but his gradual improvements from behind the arc (and a David Lee hamstring injury) ultimately helped him get his foot in the door at Golden State. It’ll be an uphill climb for Murray-Boyles, but teams have been looking for their own personal Draymonds for more than a decade, and CMB actually has the skill set, not just the chalk outline of one, to make it happen. https://nbadraft.theringer.com/
Here is his tankathon rating: I like all those little green circles, https://www.tankathon.com/players/collin-murray-boyles
He's gonna be a high impact defender either way. He's a great athlete and excellent passer. I'm willing to wait on his jump shot to come around - which is one of the easier skills to improve. Draymond is a great comp for him.
I like Fleming but he has little to no creation ability. Easier to develop a jumper than creation ability. Also why I like Queen.
All but a couple guy's in this draft have obvious weaknesses, or they wouldn't fall to our range. For a team that wants to be built around the defense and needs more outside shooters, Queen isn't the guy. For my money, to use a pick this high on a big, he has to be better at defending the paint and rebounding.
The Athletic has Murray-Boyles going to Houston right in front of us and we taking Jakucionis Kasparas Jakučionis | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | Illinois Jakučionis is big and can play both on and off the ball, coming off a terrific freshman season in which he averaged 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. His vision is sublime, and he fits the current ecosystem of the NBA well with his dribble, pass and shoot traits. Still, he is a bit polarizing for folks around the league as he doesn’t have a ton of athletic explosiveness, and his defensive game was not always on point this year. His range is seen as somewhere from the middle to the end of the lottery. The Blazers, in my opinion, have a tremendous frontcourt of the future with Deni Avdija, Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan. However, there are questions in the backcourt surrounding young players Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, and they could use another offensive option to start pushing those guys. Jakučionis can play both on and off the ball, giving him the flexibility to play with either of those players. https://web.archive.org/web/2025051...2/nba-mock-draft-2025-cooper-flagg-mavericks/
At 12, the Athletic has a guy going that i haven't heard anything about: Carter Bryant | 6-8 wing | 19 years old | Arizona Bryant didn’t start many games this year at Arizona, but he was a monster defensive player when he was on the court, showcasing serious playmaking chops as well as great on-ball play. He also knocks down a solid percentage of his 3s. Bryant is the guy in this class who seems to have a ton of juice when you talk to front offices, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see him land in the top 10. I think I’d park his range in the No. 7 to No. 16 area. The Bulls desperately need to find answers on the defensive end, especially if they’re going to go all-in on the Josh Giddey and Coby White backcourt this summer when Giddey hits restricted free agency. Bryant would give Giddey a potential transition running mate and would give them a real perimeter defender to attack opposing ballhandlers and wings with.
The same was said about Sengun but he adapted and worked on his game and the rest of the roster hides his lack of athleticism and heavy feet. More than any other position, center is where you can offer a completely different look. Also, Queen's free throw shooting is very good which gives optimism to his ability to shoot the ball long term. I look at ball creation as a determining factor for upside. Queen has it. So does Murray-Boyles.
Here is their take on another guy we have been rumored to pick. Noa Essengue | 6-9 forward | 18 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm Essengue is starting to turn things on in France, with multiple 20-point outings over the last month. The 6-9 forward is a terrific athlete who moves exceedingly well for his age. He’ll be the second-youngest player in this draft class behind Cooper Flagg and is averaging 12 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game since Jan. 22. The questions here are largely around his polish. The jumper is starting to fall, as he’s made 35 percent from 3 in that window, but there are real mechanical issues regarding his base and balance that teams think will take a lot of time to work through, despite his solid touch. Additionally, while his defensive playmaking numbers are strong and he’s shown improvement throughout the year, his overall impact on that end isn’t all that high. He gets beaten more often off the bounce than you’d expect for this level of athleticism, and his help instincts waver. Still, he’s a young player clearly coming along well regarding his development. Don’t expect Essengue to be a valuable player next year in the NBA, but he could develop in time to be one of the better players in this draft class if he lands with the right organization.
If he is anything like Salaun I'd stay away. Thankfully I don't think he is. How different I don't know.
If he hadn't been injured, Thomas Sober would be projected much higher. He was a close 2nd in terms of ratings for Freshman around the country, only to Flagg. Love his 7'6" wingspan as well. 14.5 ppg 8.5 rpg 2.4 apg 1.5 spg 2.0 bpg .596 2P%
