NBA '25-'26 Rookie Class (non Spurs)

Ariel

Ariel

El rojo y los Spurs!!!
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This is a class full of interesting rookies and open questions:
  • Is Cooper Flagg truly generational?
  • Can VJ Edgecombe be the next D-Wade/Oladipo?
  • Is Kon Knueppel legit or did Charlotte reach again?
  • Ace Bailey: future superstar or overrated chucker?
  • Is Tre Johnson the next Steph? Will he survive on defense?
  • Who is the best center in the class? Maluach, Derik Queen, Beringer, Kalkbrenner...
  • Did Sean Marks lose his mind by taking 5 overlapping rookies with suspect shooting? (Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf)
  • Steal of the draft?
  • Busts?
  • Reaches?
  • Best value picks in the 2nd round?
I figured it would be handy to have one place to centralize the discussion on all non Spurs rookies for those of us who like to follow the recent draft class as they step into the league.
 
just watched the first quarter of Mavs Hornets and Flagg looks by far like the best and most poised player on the court lol. And that’s with guys like AD and LaMelo on the court.
 
Knueppel has looked pretty rough, things going too fast for him. I wouldn't take too much from it though.
 
STAT88 said:
just watched the first quarter of Mavs Hornets and Flagg looks by far like the best and most poised player on the court lol. And that’s with guys like AD and LaMelo on the court.
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Sucks to think we were this close to having Flagg next to Victor
 
A few players I'm especially interested in following:
  • Tre Johnson: Was very high on his offensive potential, think there is some underrated playmaking skills, but I wonder if he's going to be another Malaki Branham defensively.
  • Kon Knueppel. Won't be in the top 5 players in the class, but even if he struggles initially I have a hard time seeing him not translating given his shooting, IQ and passing. Long term I think he can be a rich man's Reaves (stronger, better positional defense, equal or better passer/shooter).
  • Coward, Beringer: Had them as other targets for the Spurs 14th pick, interested to see how they will do. I think Memphis may have overpaid, and the TWolves did great by snatching Beringer at 17.
  • Rasheer Fleming, Noa Penda: Like it happened last year with Ajay Mitchell, I would have loved for the Spurs to move up and take them in the early 2nd round, thought they'd be good fits with potential to develop into the big off-ball wings/forwards Spurs need.
  • Maluach: great frame, great kid, poor hands. Hopefully he does well if only to hurt Houston's future picks.
 
During the draft lot of Spurs fans were torn between Coward and Bryant. Watching Coward I think the Spurs got the right player.
 
Kalkbrenner: 25 min, 14 pts (7/7 fg), 10 reb, 1 blk
Kon Knueppel: 22 min, 12 pts (5/11 fg, 1/5 3pt), 4 reb, 1 ast, 5 TO, 1 stl
Cooper Flagg: 23 min, 11 pts (4/8 fg, 1/2 3pt), 3 reb, 4 ast, 5 TO, 3 stl
 
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Sound get @ffaddicted or @scott here to build a widget to track this thing.

:st-eyebrow:
 
Ariel said:
This is a class full of interesting rookies and open questions:
  • Is Cooper Flagg truly generational?
  • Can VJ Edgecombe be the next D-Wade/Oladipo?
  • Is Kon Knueppel legit or did Charlotte reach again?
  • Ace Bailey: future superstar or overrated chucker?
  • Is Tre Johnson the next Steph? Will he survive on defense?
  • Who is the best center in the class? Maluach, Derik Queen, Beringer, Kalkbrenner...
  • Did Sean Marks lose his mind by taking 5 overlapping rookies with suspect shooting? (Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf)
  • Steal of the draft?
  • Busts?
  • Reaches?
  • Best value picks in the 2nd round?
I figured it would be handy to have one place to centralize the discussion on all non Spurs rookies for those of us who like to follow the recent draft class as they step into the league.
Click to expand...
  • No. He will be awesome, but the term generational is way overused. He has a great chance to bel All NBA, but generational is reserved for something that hasn’t been seen before. The last two were LeBron, a KarlMalone sized dude with Magic handles, and Wemby.
  • Edge better hope he’s more DWade. Dipo could never stay healthy.
  • Kon will be solid, but unspectacular.
  • Dud. His skill set is nothing special for a 6’8” guy
  • Tre will be something like Michael Redd.
  • Sorber, ultimately.
  • Marks is using kind of a shotgun approach. Some of those will probably hit.
  • Sorber
  • Bailey
  • Hansen Yang
  • Raynaud, Procter.
 
Kon’s career will be tanked if Charlotte doesn’t get more structure. They need to start asking questions about Charles Lee. Like is the purpose of preseason with a nascent roster to have Miles Bridges go for a heat check? What is Brandon Miller? What are the limits to Ball’s freedom?

I like the talent on that team but I think the rot is too deep.
 
bozhemoi said:
Knueppel has looked pretty rough, things going too fast for him. I wouldn't take too much from it though.
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I was so happy we didn’t end up with him. I am not a believer. He’s like a late 1st to me. Could possibly be a role player but I don’t see much more than that.
 
Cooper’s obviously got the skills, but his personality is a bit weird that I think it’s going to hold him back from being the face of the NBA.

Some of my opinions pre-draft remain the same:

-VJ is sort of like Amen Thompson but I like his defense even better, even if he is smaller. His instincts there are superb.
-Kon will have a long career and a guy everyone will want on their team. He’ll be in that Derrick White territory- more appreciated later in his career than early.
-Ace will be in that Andrew Wiggins /Kelly Oubre Jr tier. Lots of fans early on but the expectations get adjusted later on.
-Jase Richardson will be everyone’s “the one who got away”
 
How about this Taelon Peter guy? 54th pick by the Pacers, 6'4" guard, very efficient in College (45.3% 3pt, 71.1% eFG)
  • vs Minnesota: 27 min, 10 pts (4/8 fg, 2/6 3pt), 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 blk
  • vs OKC: 27 min, 18 pts (6/11 fg, 4/8 3pt), 5 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl
Already 23 but looks the part of a role player, efficient, high bball iq. Seems like a nice pick up at the end of the 2nd round by Indiana.

 
Exstatic said:
  • No. He will be awesome, but the term generational is way overused. He has a great chance to bel All NBA, but generational is reserved for something that hasn’t been seen before. The last two were LeBron, a KarlMalone sized dude with Magic handles, and Wemby.
  • Edge better hope he’s more DWade. Dipo could never stay healthy.
  • Kon will be solid, but unspectacular.
  • Dud. His skill set is nothing special for a 6’8” guy
  • Tre will be something like Michael Redd.
  • Sorber, ultimately.
  • Marks is using kind of a shotgun approach. Some of those will probably hit.
  • Sorber
  • Bailey
  • Hansen Yang
  • Raynaud, Procter.
Click to expand...
I think those are very reasonable takes for the most part. I disagree with Ace Bailey though, jumper looks smooth and he's got a very high and quick release, almost unguardable. And though he leaves a lot to be desired in terms of ball-handling, creation and overall awareness (all of which could determine his ultimate ceiling), even if he doesn't improve there, I don't see how he fails as long as he's willing to be coached into a more off-ball role on offense and prioritizes defense and rebounding.

As for Hansen Yang, I think he has talent, archetype is limiting for a center but being from China I see him playing in the NBA for a long time in some reduced role at least.
 
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I don’t know what you do with yang. There’s not really enough athleticism or freakish raw talent that you’d want from a point center. I’d like him as a backup on Denver or SA. I guess I’d like him as a backup anywhere. But I don’t see much of a hidden gem. Wolf on Brooklyn is a more interesting player to me.
 
Brooklyn's rookies vs Phoenix:
PlayerMinPtsFG3ptFT+/-OffRebAstTOStlBlkPF
Ben Saraf21:5742-50-10-0-544113101
Drake Powell16:1462-52-40-0+90221001
Danny Wolf12:0093-42-21-2+90142000
Nolan Traore17:2942-50-20-0-30234003

Damn Saraf, 11 assists in 22 minutes is impressive. Will post highlights when available.
 
Jakucionis gave me the giddey vibes (on court) in the game vs us. Can’t shoot, but has great vision and passing, pressures the defence every dribble, slow offensively but at the right places.
 
Shmurs said:
Kon’s career will be tanked if Charlotte doesn’t get more structure. They need to start asking questions about Charles Lee. Like is the purpose of preseason with a nascent roster to have Miles Bridges go for a heat check? What is Brandon Miller? What are the limits to Ball’s freedom?

I like the talent on that team but I think the rot is too deep.
Click to expand...

Bridges is a knucklehead but any team headlined by Ball is going to be dead in the water. He's super talented but completely unserious.
 
DaRon Holmes gonna feast. Technically a Rookie due to last year’s Achilles injury, not of the 2025 draft, but part of the 2025-2026 season’s rookie class.

Athletic, versatile, can play on or off the ball, can put ball on the floor, can shoot threes well for his size entering NBA.

That is my sleeper for ROY.

 
"Generational" has become the second most overused buzzword in sports after "culture".

I do think there can be multiple simultaneously, but by any definition I don't see Flagg as it or anyone else outside of Wembanyama that's late teens/early 20's.
 
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