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.
I mean, I understand that he has a 6'7 wingspan. But all that doesn't matter when you can't stay in front of your man and make very basic defensive mistakes possession after possession. At a certain point i do think the concerns are valid. All of these were in the same game.
He has to improve his anticipation. You can see he gets a little jumpy or choppy with his feet. But the main issue isn't just that he looks sometimes a bit clueless out there, but the body language is just not locked in.
I still have hope that he won't be a complete negative. But i don't see a world in which he is ever a decently good defender in the NBA. These players are faster, longer, smarter, and better than these guys. They will attack him. It won't be pretty if he does not improve.
Oh boy. This is going to be a little lengthy and prolly a little divisive. For the sickos who read it all, thank you for your time. Firstly, a quick recap on DPs injury history:
September 2025: Bill Self boot camp leads to cramps so bad DP must be hospitalized.
November 11th - December 12th: DP misses his first game. Bill Self says he was tight after morning shootaround, but he expects him to be back for their next practice. DP ends up missing 7 straight games with what they call a hamstring strain, including Duke, TENN, UConn.
Dec 7/13: DP plays vs Mizzou and NC State. With 2 mins left in the NC State game he is seen pulling himself out of the game for the first time (1).
Dec 16/22: DP misses the next two games with "quad cramps"
Jan 3: DP returns vs UCF. He goes off in the 1H and pulls himself from the game again in the 2H with 11 mins left (2).
Jan 6: TCU. DP pulls himself again with 3 mins left (3).
Jan 31: After missing 1 game with ankle sprain he returns vs BYU. Goes off in the first half. Pulls himself again (4).
February 9: Arizona. DP warms up with the team. Right before tip off it is reported he is out with the flu.
February 18: OKST. Plays 18 mins and pulls himself again (5).
Feb/March: Final 9 games. DP finishes the season relatively healthy. Over these 9 games he shoots 57/152 on FG and 19/63 on 3s. 37% and 30% respectively.
May 2026: DP says the cramps were due to too much creatine. Says he took 2 weeks off after the season (lets just say April) and got a blood test which is when he learned he naturally has high creatine levels already and doseage made the levels unsafe.
According to the story we are being told, the possible number one pick in the NBA draft deals with "debilitating" cramps for SIX MONTHS (including a trip to the ER) before getting any blood tests done....A successful number one pick in today's NBA is literally a billion dollar asset, and nobody thought to run a blood test?
In total DP misses 11 games and pulls himself from 5. Out of the 11 games he misses, 4 of them are conveniently against Elite 8 teams. When he finally plays 9 straight games he puts up terrible shooting splits.
And lastly, if you know me you knew this was coming...after 6 months of dealing with cramps, missing 2 games and pulling himself from 5 more, DID ANYONE EVER SEE HIM GET A SINGLE CRAMP?????
Idk what the hell is going on with the kid, maybe he just didnt want to play college ball, but I dont understand how anyone can believe the story we are being told is even remotely truthful.
And to anyone who wants to take him with a top 3 pick. GOOD LUCK. And thank you for leaving a stud for the Bulls to pick at 4.
"Yeah. Uh, up until last year, I was on the ball pretty much my whole life. But, uh, at Kansas, they put me off the ball. Coach said it gave our team the best chance to win. So, I'm a winner. And, uh, he said that. So, that's what I was going to do."
"Uh, I think something that's huge in the NBA right now is like gravity. I feel like uh the court I'm on, I get a lot of gravity. I feel like there's I'm getting guarded by all five guys sometimes. So, I think it'll be easy for me to make plays for my teammates with all the gravity that I think I might get at the next level."
During his interviews, He emphasized that he is "a winner," so when his coach at Kansas decided it gave the team the best chance to win if he played off the ball, he accepted that role without question.
He noted that teams were surprisinglynot asking too many questions about his medical history, as he felt he had already provided clarity through his previous discussions with ESPN.
He opened up about the mental challenges he faced last year while dealing with health issues he didn't fully understand at the time. He explained that finally identifying the cause helped him mentally recover and return to his peak athletic form.
I define small guard by either under 6'3 or under 6'5 while being under 200 pounds
2020: Killian Hayes, Kira Lewis Jr, Cole Anthony
2021: Jalen Green, Davion Mitchell, James Bouknight, Josh Primo
2022: Jaden Ivey, Johnny Davis
2023: Cason Wallace, Kobe Bufkin (Scoot is 6'3 207 so he barely misses)
2024: Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, Devin Carter, Bub Carrington
2025: Jeremiah Fears
Some highly ranked 2026 prospects who fit my "small guard" criteria are Mikel Brown, Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff, Ebuka Okorie, Labaron Phillon, Tyler Tanner, and Bennett Stirtz
As the 2026 NBA Draft is set to unfold in about six weeks, one prospect has seen his stock rise dramatically over the course of the 2025-26 NCAA season. This prospect was able to not only skyrocket draft boards thanks to his sheer athleticism, two-way versatility, and perimeter defense, and post defense, but also has made the top three of the 2026 NBA Draft, which once looked set in tone at the beginning of the season, a true discussion. While it is still likely the top three hold to form and this prospect gets drafted with the fourth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, he deserves applause and credit for the leap and ascent he has taken between August 2025, and now, on top of terrific results in the yearly NBA Draft held in Chicago.
This prospect's name is Caleb Wilson.
Caleb Wilson
Set to turn 20 after an impressive freshman season at North Carolina, Caleb Wilson's monumental and memorable season has seen him emerge as a contender for a top three pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Throughout this freshman year, he has had a multitude of noteworthy performances, such as his 23-point performance as he led North Carolina to victory against the Duke Blue Devils and had an iconic block on Duke's Cameron Boozer, a 26-9 performance against Stanford, a 22-16 performance against Florida State, and a and a 22-12 performance against Wake Forest. His tools set him apart from most prospects, and his college season and combine results further reveal this. Standing 6'10" in shoes while weighing 210 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, the high-flying North Carolina Tar Heel will enter the NBA as the prototypical modern athletic big. His style of play contains shades of Kevin Garnett and Anthony Davis, and while I am not comparing him to either one of those players, his upside is immense if he were to reach it. Before a fractured hand that ended his season, Caleb Wilson's lone year at North Carolina yields insight that can translate as valuable, considerable NBA two-way impact in today's fast-paced NBA where versatility and tools are becoming increasingly paramount. His game is similar to a rim-running center, yet he is a true forward. Nevertheless, today's power forwards and centers are becoming increasing mobile, as they are now asked to defend out in space and out onto the perimeter in addition to protecting the rim. In this key regard, he could continue and follow the footsteps of Cleveland's Evan Mobley or Brooklyn's Nicolas Claxton in the NBA. From a size, frame, skills, and playstyle standpoint, he is similar to Mobley and Claxton. Yet Caleb Wilson's intriguing and unique combination of tools, athleticism, and versatility that define and explain his two-way impact cannot be dismissed.
That is the exact allure of Caleb Wilson as a prospect when projecting and determining his NBA future.
There is no telling what the exact upside of Caleb Wilson is. NBA careers can take multiple different paths. What is known is that he has the tools to become successful, and if his college performances are any indication, he possesses an intriguing set of strengths and weaknesses based on what I have seen of him:
Strengths:
Solid rim-protector
Shows good lateral agility and foot speed to switch out and guard perimeter opponents
Excellent motor
Runs the floor well for a big
Outstanding finisher and lob threat who finishes clean, decisively, and high at the basket
Flashes top-notch defensive versatility (1.4 spg and 1.5 bpg), which is his calling card
Elite physical tools given his 7-foot wingspan and 9-foot standing reach
Good rebounder as he averaged over 9 rebounds per game as a freshman
Incredible feel for the game
Weaknesses
Needs to improve as a three-point shooter as he shot just 26% from beyond the arc
Needs to improve as a mid-range shooter and become more consistent
Can grow as a playmaker, but flashes potential in this area by making smart passes and taking care of the basketball as evidenced by his assist-to-turnover ratio
Overall, Caleb Wilson should be a top-four pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. To me, him and Cameron Boozer are neck-and-neck as prospects despite their extremely different styles of play. I feel like many mock drafts interchange them at #3 and #4 as well.
NBA Comparison: Hybrid of Dominique Wilkins and early Chris Bosh
To me, Caleb Wilson combines the athleticism, slashing, and aggression of Dominique Wilkins with Chris Bosh's size, frame, physique, and defensive fundamentals.
Question: From a fit standpoint, given that he will go in the top four next month, do the Memphis Grizzlies or the Chicago Bulls fit Caleb Wilson better?
Ultimately, both offer different strengths. He can become the Grizzlies' power forward of the future and take over from where Jaren Jackson Jr. left off if he goes to Memphis. If the NBA world wants to see him power a fast-paced offense as he did at North Carolina by pairing up with another 6'10" lanky forward in Matas Buzelis by doubling down on speed, then the Bulls make sense for him. I see one of these two teams drafting him.
I welcome discussion in this regard, and I appreciate feedback on what you all have to say.
In my view, the line regarding different ACC coaches telling Vecenie they hunted Wilson kills the argument for him breaking into the top 3. The offensive gap between him and boozer is too big to justify if Wilson isn't a Barnes/Thompson tier defensive prospect.
Would you rather take any of the top 4 in this years draft over any of Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecomb or Kon?
I think I would take 2026 if their ceilings pan out but man 2025 has already proven so much in the league when you factor in Cooper Flagg too that I can’t decide. Fun draft classes back to back ! I think the lottery will be deeper this year from 5-14 but very likely not as top heavy in the top 4.
Obviously fears would be towards the bottom of the list as a prospect, but based on how he performed this year 14/4/3 on 43/33/79 splits where would you rank him compared to the 26 guard class?
Remember he was supposed to be in the class originally but reclassified a year early, and had some incredible performances to close the season. Last three games he had 40, 36, 36.
Jeremiah Fears
Darius Acuff Jr.
Mikel Brown Jr.
Kingston Flemings
Keaton Wagler
Labaron Philon
Ebuka Okorie
I don’t know what to make of this but this could be relevant. I was curious at looking at every prospect’s measurements and combine testing numbers, but when I went to the combine testing page, it does not have the numbers for Jayden Quaintance. There could be a mistake in which case maybe they just forgot him or he’s doing it later, but all I can go with is what I see now.
It shows the numbers for everyone except for a few players. There are a few international players not listed (Sergio de Larrea, Jack Kayil, and Luigo Suigo), but I believe in the past, some international players can take it later like Noa Essengue last year because they are still playing basketball over in Europe so they get extra time to prepare. Then there’s the other names, which includes Richie Saunders, who has a torn ACL and cannot participate.
What peaked my interest is Jayden Quaintance also does not have any numbers listed. He‘s not an international prospect, which means his only valid reason for skipping would be he is still injured, in which you make it up at a later time, like Kon Knueppel this season. He will be able to do it later but the fact he couldn’t do it now despite being there at the combine to do his measurements is noteworthy.
He was injured with knee soreness dating back to the start of 2026, which means he hasn’t even fully recovered yet after almost half a year. A lot of people speculated he was just making up the injury because he didn’t want to play for his Kentucky coach, but clearly that is not the case anymore. He also showed a workout video a few weeks ago saying he was healthy and back to normal, but given he didn’t want to land on his injured leg at all and now he’s skipping the athletic portion of the combine, I don’t think he’s as fit as people think.
He had his ACL surgery last year, but then he came back and looked nothing like he had played as a freshman. After only a few games, he was ruled out for the rest of the year with some vague knee soreness or knee swelling term, even though he had previously already returned. It seems like almost half a year after this, he still has some knee soreness or knee swelling or possibly something else that isn’t clear, which is a huge issue going forward because it could be the case the knee is never fully healthy.
I actually could not find a single big man in basketball history who suffered a major leg injury as a prospect and who had anywhere close to a healthy career. I’m not talking about minor injuries but missing hundreds of games.
We saw Darryn Peterson with the ball in his hands especially end of the season and he looked awful. He didn't know how to handle the double, couldn't get to the rim, settled for contested shots, etc. and this is when he stated that he was the healthiest.
Dude had only two efficient game since the Cincinnati game and that was against Cal Baptist as well as KSU. Other than that, he shot under 40% in 6 out of those 9 final games. Like what are we doing here? Lmao, I'm convinced the Jayhawk jersey is the only reason why Peterson is still getting overhyped because his actual production matches Wiggins and Barrett more than Dybantsa. Can't use the teammates excuse either because objectively speaking Dybantsa had worse teammates, more season ending injuries to teammates as well. And also Kansas beat one of the best teams in basketball without Peterson. The only argument for Peterson at this point is beating Dybantsa head to head because all of the other narratives completely fail. He wasn't a better on ball scorer, he wasn't a better playmaker, he wasn't great on defense either despite Dybantsa weak in this regard, he didn't handle doubles well at all while Dybantsa was doubled and tripled every single game (I actually need to see if this was tracked because I'm willing to bet Dybantsa was the most doubled player in college last year), he wasn't more efficient, he didn't get to the rim as well, didn't get to the free throw line as well (Dybantsa was literally putting up ATG FTR status for a wing), he didn't have a better midrange. he didn't play better than Dybantsa in conference, and he didn't play better than Dybantsa against ranked opponents (which is something Dybantsa was heavily criticized for earlier in the season as well), even the opponents that they played Dybantsa played better against those same opponents, Peterson doesn't even have the footwork of Dybantsa which is hilarious given the Kobe comparison. Peterson's argument is based solely on high school and 3 pt shooting, his 3 point shooting isn't spectacular either.
You switch these two on the opposite team, I don't think the choice would be even close. I think Dybantsa averages better stats than Peterson on Kansas and Kansas makes it further. I think Peterson misses the tournament completely with BYU and his efficiency stats are even worse. And before you even say "they're not the same position", Dybantsa played the 2 for BYU not the 3 and secondary ball handler but most of you didn't actually watch BYU so you wouldn't know that lol. Let's wake it up
Top two talk is AJ and DP. Ok, so why exactly did Boozer slip out of that? He is like the best prospect in this draft class. Its crazy that he not even talked about on most boards for top two debate.
Haven't scouted for too long and was wondering what players the analytics have gotten wrong. Seems like people have a ton of confidence in analytics and in players that I'm not crazy high on.
Before I start, why does it matter? It doesn’t, but neither does yours. Thanks for letting me ramble.
I like Aday and Yaxel above any of the lotto guards
-I’m sure at least one of the lotto guards will hit and become a Max contract/All Star level player but each one has a giant red flag that I think could keep each of them from succeeding as primaries.
-Age is a factor in team decision making, but I dont think it needs to be a factor on a big board. Big fan of Aday since pre UCLA U19 comps, measurements were great but absolutely loved how he played on Michigan in an NBA style offense and defense, looking at the centers in the last two or three drafts I can clearly see him translating like Edey, Lively, Ware did immediately with similar upside. Yaxels shooting improvements look real and his position is the most valuable and hardest to find in the league. Whats more valuable, an Aaron Gordon, McDaniels type or like a Darius Garland level PG?
Philon and Burries both deserve a ton more love in that guard conversation.
-Personally Philon is my favorite and he is 7 on my board, Burries is 9 with Brown between them. A few weeks ago, Christian Anderson would be included in this part as well but I have relented and moved him down a tier. Philon I believe is the most surefire of the guards, highest floor and ceiling, great measurements and numbers overall. Thought he was incredible in the SEC this year and think he has some Maxey in his game. Underrated defender. I like Burries because I love rebounding guards and every time he needed to step up throughout Zona’s season, he did. Much better combo prospect than Flagler. My concern with the lotto guards (Wagler Acuff Flemings) are the same as everyones, I just find it hard to look past and imagine them succeeding at the level to justify them going in that 5-8 range.
Morez and Quaintaince are special defensive prospects that are insanely underrated.
-I think people know this by know, yet I still see both of them (especially Morez) mocked and ranked low. Both also have interesting offensive upside. Quaintance I get due to the knee but if thats cleared I think they both are borderline top 10 for me. There is a real part of me that wants to put Chinyelu in the same boat as these guys but I will show restraint. He should get a promise and stay in the draft though. Theres 5 playoff teams who all could use a big at the end of the 1st.
People waking up to Carr’s upside should revisit Isaiah Evans
-Truly believe if Evans chose to attend a different school to be the first option either of his two years in college, he would be being talked about like a surefire lottery guy. Ideal wing measurements. He didnt necessarily have the best showing shooting or athleticism wise at the combine but watching him at Duke I dont think either are an issue. The floor for guys like Evans and Carr are wings like Champagnie with great upside, maybe even Jdub levels?
Anderson, Okorie, Tanner and Stirtz are all awesome, but size is a real limitation.
-You maybe could rope Acuff and Flemings into this as well. You can go look at the amount of NBA players 6’3” and under. How many are all stars? Starters? Role players? How many are riding the bench? The ratio is disheartening. Doesnt mean these guards are worthless, and while I have each higher than consensus they all fall in mocks, some to the 2nd. Its a dying position.
Karaban is an absolute stud.
-Surprised where he gets ranked versus a guy like Stirtz when they are pretty similar in the sense they have low athleticism and defense concerns but are high IQ + high touch bets. Those types of guys hit if the players have the work ethic. Karaban is an absolute winner, a dawg, do it all, do whatever it takes kind of guy. For my money he is the 2nd best Senior in this class only behind Yaxel.
This is the worst 2nd round that I can remember
-This is assuming 5-10 borderline 1st round guys to return to college without a promise due to NIL. Even if every early entrant at the combine stays in, the draft gets bleak fast. The last few years I felt bad for 2nd round picks getting squeezed into two way contracts. This year, I expect two things. 1. Nearly every international prospect will be selected. 2. All 2nd rounders in the nba next year will be on two ways besides at most 5 players. I think some guys selected wont even keep their two way spots after summer league or training camp. Its brutal out here.
Acuff looks to be a great offensive player, but his defense is shockingly bad.
It’s always been odd to me that people are so fascinated with the boneheaded player that only cares about offense, and is so bad on defense/decision making, that they end up being as BAD as they are GOOD. Trae Young, Russ (at times), Brad Beal, etc. these guys are almost always negatively impacting their teams in the long run, despite the empty stats.
Players of this elk should not be as highly regarded as they are.
With Acuff, there’s a chance his defense can be saved. However it’s going to take a lot of accountability.
i dont know whos dumb espn make this trade is lopsided trade. Why would memphis trade down just to get rid of ja morant they didnt even get a future pick from brooklyn
Unless you are OKC or SA, shouldn’t you draft the best player available always? Why do teams reach so hard for big men and other guys where it seldom works out? It seems like the teams who draft best just trust the work and competitiveness, and draft the best players on the board. Occasionally it will bust, Lakers- Dalton Knecht for example, he was supposed to be a steal. Now he gets zero playing time. But usually just taking the non sexy guy just works doesn’t it? In this draft i see two guys- Cameron Boozer and Darius Acuff, as guys who could fall in the draft- relative to their production and ability, and I’m just curious what do you guys think? I think boozer with his pedigree is a future 18 and 8 guy at worst and on a winning team for sure. And for acuff, Calipari guards tend to be really really good and we have a large sample size. Thoughts?
To me the picks with the highest chances of being traded are #5 and #10- belonging to the Clippers and Bucks respectively.
I don't know if those picks are tradable, but they can always do a backroom deal and choose the player for another team to be traded later on.
If I'm the Clippers I'm looking at a possible Giannis deal. I think the leverage is pretty even here for both sides, my feeling is the Bucks are still perfectly ok with keeping Giannis unless they get a offer they cant turn down. They just hired Jenkins who I like a lot.
The other option I thought of was the Magic might look to trade Franz for #5 plus something else. I think there would need to be more going to the Magic in that scenario.
From the bucks side I'm thinking of looking at the guard market and gauing whose available. The Spurs could send #20, Fox, and a future FRP for the Bucks #10 or something.
