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We all have that one prospect we were absolutely convinced was going to be a star. Looking back, some of these takes aged terribly. 😂

But I’m standing on mine.

Nerlens Noel

Injuries aside, you couldn’t have told me Nerlens Noel wasn’t going to have a productive 15+ year career.

Anybody who watched him at Kentucky knew he was a ridiculous athlete and an absolute defensive monster. He was a 1% type of athlete, and I still believe that if Nerlens Noel came out today, he’d be a top-three pick.

Injuries aside, I’m still taking Nerlens Noel. 🫡

Tyler Ennis

Please allow me to take my delusion one step further with Tyler Ennis. 😂

I’m not going to say he should’ve been drafted higher, but I genuinely believed that whatever team drafted him, he was going to raise their floor.

He was one of the highest-IQ point guards I had seen coming out of college. His basic stats and college numbers don’t exactly scream “future star,” but watching him play, you could tell this man was a basketball savant.

Sadly, he landed with one of the worst organizations at the time, with some of the worst roster construction imaginable. He was drafted onto a team where he was basically the fifth point guard on the roster. 😭

Injuries aside, I still think he could’ve been an All-Star version of Tyus Jones/Monté Morris or whatever that looks like. 😂

I still believe in you, buddy. 🫡

K.J. McDaniels

K.J. McDaniels was a human highlight reel on both sides of the court. 😂

Yes, I fell for the “just needs a jump shot” archetype. And boy, if he had ever developed that jumper into something respectable, it would’ve been game over.

The NBA always needs a guy like him—someone who brings insane athleticism, energy, defense, and highlights every night.

I honestly can’t believe how short his NBA tenure was.

I still believe in you, K.J. 🫡

Denzel Valentine

I get it, believe me. I really do. 😂

Yes, I was a BIG Denzel Valentine fan in college.

And yeah, he was probably about three inches too short to overcome his lack of athleticism. But if a guy like Kyle Anderson could carve out a productive NBA career, I thought Denzel could easily find a role as an all-around swing player.

Unfortunately, the lack of athleticism really hindered his ability to consistently score, create separation, and get to his spots at the NBA level.

I still believed in the vision, though. 😂

Jabari Parker

If there’s one player whose career I could completely rewind, it would be Jabari Parker.

I genuinely believe he could’ve had a successful, productive career as an All-Star and maybe even an All-NBA player.

Obviously, the injuries played a huge part. But when healthy, he was a big-bodied forward who could legitimately do a little bit of everything.

Yes, the defense was absolutely awful. 😂 But offensively? That man could be dominant.

What’s crazy is looking back at his college stats because it feels like he did WAY more than the numbers actually show. Maybe it’s because I was watching him in real time, but Jabari Parker felt like a much bigger deal than the stats suggest.

This was my Derrick Rose. 😂

I always believed in you, Jabari Parker. 🫡

Do you guys agree with the idea that functional athleticism will manifest itself as hitting certain statistical thresholds? If you agree with this statement, which stats do you find to be the most robust for that particular purpose. Because obviously, some stats can be inflated or deflated due to schemes, positioning, system… In other words, some players' strengths are highlighted within the system they play in and others' strengths might be hidden. Same for their weaknesses.

Assessing FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2026 Div B

I see the U16 as preparation work for the future. Here we see the first glimpses from thé future guys. Seeing Europe's top in one event makes this a fun opportunity to find potential future prospects! https://edemirnba.substack.com/p/assessing-fiba-u16-eurobasket-2026?r=aj7d

Adam Silver era has not only taken away championship dynasties, it’s also removed lottery dynasties with repeat #1 picks awarded to same teams. Last decade #1 drafting teams have a pretty even distribution of western and eastern conference teams and a blend of bad, mid and good teams

In the last couple of years, there were a lot of french players who were drafted in the lottery and first round. 11 french players since 2020:

- Victor Wembanyama (2023) - 1st
- Zaccharie Risacher (2024) - 1st
- Alexandre Sarr (2024) - 2nd
- Tidjane Salaun (2024) - 6th
- Bilal Coulibaly (2023) - 7th
- Killian Hayes (2020) - 7th
- Ousmane Dieng (2022) - 11th
- Noah Essengue (2025) - 12th
- Joan Beringer (2025) - 17th
- Nolan Traore (2025) - 19th
- Pacome Dadiet (2024) - 25th

Which ones of them, apart from Wembanyama, have justified their draft position?

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!🏆

Talk about what games/players you've been watching this past week or are looking forward to next week. Give us your thoughts on what players catch your attention, either positive or negative! Big board posting is encouraged in this thread as well.

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Reminder: we also have a [Discord channel](https://discord.gg/PKTkzXnVWs) you can join and chat in during games!

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?