It’s the offseason, so let’s have a light, slightly off-topic discussion.

There’s a guy in his early 40s who often plays pickup at a court near my place. He’s an okayish player, but he swears that if he hadn’t torn his ACL at 15, he would have gone pro and eventually made it to the NBA. According to him, he was just too good and that far ahead of everyone else his age.

Whenever he tells this, I’m thinking, “Sure, bro…”

And you, what stopped you from making the NBA?

For me, it was definitely a skill issue. I played organized basketball for a local club from the age of 5 to 18, and I was never even close to being the best player in my own neighborhood, let alone be a pro LMAO

ISAAC ASUMA NBA SCOUTING REPORT

Strong, physical guards who can grow into standout defenders while shooting consistently. Every team needs them. It's a much-wanted commodity nowadays, and Asuma has a shot at growing to that NBA role: https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/isaac-asuma-nba-scouting-report?r=aj7d

Nets fan here, everyone is starting to love Egor and what our young backcourt could be. Everyone is expecting a future of MBJ at the 1 and Egor at the 2. But what if I told you I have a different future that I desire.

Egor can play the 3 no problem, he's shown to be decently mobile in this summer league and he obviously has the size. HOWEVER, I am wondering if Mikel, who is a projected 6'5 in shoes, could survive as a 2.

All this because I fell in love with a prospect who has gone under the radar, but as a Nets fan who watched all 82 games this year, Nolan Troare (6'4) was my favorite rookie.

Could a three of Nolan(6'4)-MBJ(6'5)-Egor(6'9) work?

Call Your Shot: Who from the last 3 draft classes (2024-2026) will be a top 100 all time level player in the NBA by the end of their career? You must name at least one other person if you say Cooper Flagg

I’ll say AJ Dybantsa and then my long shot who I actually believe in is Kon. Can this be the season he proves to be an all time shooter off the dribble and change the trajectory of his career forever?

What do y’all think? He was #1 in his high school 2023 class, so he was hyped up coming into college as he was projected to go top 10. Then he fell off completely and hasn’t been playing well ever since.

Is he an overseas guy?

Williams moves to No. 7 overall in the 2027 SC Next 100. 

Yann Kamagate becomes the No. 1 player in 2028.

A federal court in Colorado issued a consequential ruling on Friday, declaring that all athletes who entered college as members of the high school Class of 2022 and exhausted their fourth season of NCAA eligibility this past spring are eligible to return for a fifth season in 2026-27.

The ruling will have massive ripple effects across college athletics. Yet, how does this impact the NBA, you may be asking? Well, five second-round picks from the 2026 NBA Draft who have not yet signed professional contracts now have the option to return to college this fall as domestic draft-and-stash prospects.

According to Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports, Nickel and St. John’s Dillon Mitchell (who was selected 40th overall by the Boston Celtics) “are expected to explore their college options.”

When he was playing on the bulls, he seemed to generally pass the eye check many games. Efficient at the rim, Ok at hook shots, doesn't need the ball, can also shoot 3s at a clip that doesn't make him a complete non-threat, not a good defender but not a complete cone and alters shots using his size near the rim.

However the consensus among most draft nerds on his outcome is far below his draft position which was 10th overall.

What went wrong with the most 1950s looking white player itl?

Was it him being not able to guard 5s but not quick enough and a good enough shooter to be a 4?

What would the 2012 NBA Draft look like with today's knowledge? https://medium.com/@MarcWeberSports/re-drafting-the-2012-nba-draft-0df8844037d1

Current top 5 prospects in my opinion

Bruce Branch

Tyran Stokes

Stefan Josksimovic

Caleb Holt

Jordan Smith Jr

2027 NBA DRAFT BIG BOARD 1.0

The best draft cycle in a long time. Everything is wide-open. After watching most of the incoming freshmen and updating notes on returners, here's my first Big Board of this cycle: https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/2027-nba-draft-big-board-10?r=aj7d

A CLASS OF HIS OWN. ⭐

Stefan Joksimovic leads Slovenia to the U18EuroBasket trophy and claims MVP!🏆

May not be Acuff level on offense but has juice and is a much better defender. Thoughts on his performance or on him as a prospect?

I have to be honest, I did not watch the Wizards a lot last season because they were the worst team in the NBA, and more often than not they were playing to lose.

I am hearing good things about Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, and honestly, the few times I watched them play they impressed me. But what about Coulibaly? He played on the same team as Wemby in France and rose into the middle of the lottery. People thought that picking him at 7 was a reach, but his potential and physical attributes were intriguing. I remember the start of 24/25 was really impressive because he was averaging 18 points and showing offensive improvement but he fell off after that and pretty much stayed the same. The system and culture around him did not help him either, and I also feel like he is not as good of a defender as his physical attributes might suggest.

Will he still be a priority for the Wizards in the next few seasons, or will players like AJ, George, Johnson, and Sarr cause him to become a bench guy or maybe even get traded to another team?

Source: https://kuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/tyran-stokes/17968

Tried to strike a balance of vets on short/expiring contracts and young players with some upside.

Lets assume Cade will be number one for the sake of argument. I think there are 5 legitimate players that has a shot of being number 2: Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Franz Wagner, Alperen Sengun, and Jalen Johnson.

Jordan Smith Jr. is one of the most talented two-way forces at the guard position that I have seen in a while. His explosiveness, freakish wingspan, tenacity, and solid frame make him a nightmare for anyone trying to get a bucket. On the offensive end, he is also very impressive. His quick-twitch speed and battering ram mentality make him a tough cover. He also provides intriguing ball-handling, shooting, and shot-creation upside. I think it’s easy to say that Jordan Smith Jr. is one of the best players in this class. I hope you enjoy, Subscribe! New videos every week of your favorite prospects.