got a longer thought bubble here, this time with some talk on the rookie class and how they're doing, then some usual stock updates on the actual draft class

man, the Wizards have such a bright future man. it'll still take a lot of luck, a lot of time, and a lot of proper decision making, but im still really excited for them. i made clear right after the draft that their haul was essentially perfect. Bub, Kyshawn, Sarr, and now they bagged AJ Johnson thru trade. then Bilal and Kispert as the next guys. even got some great veterans in Brogdon, Middleton, and Smart, who i hope are leading into the mentorship role. that's a very very strong starting point rebuild wise. im rooting for this team to get Flagg so, so bad. it's a perfect fit for both team and prospect that neither will find elsewhere in this year's draft. imagine a Bub-Ky-Bilal-Flagg-Sarr young core, with some chance of adding a 2026 prospect for safety. would be so, so killer. they'll need to hire a proper head coach as well, a defensive minded one.

if the Jazz can finally commit to a proper tank and put themselves in position to have some combination of Flagg/Harper/Ace/VJ and AJ/Darryn/others, they're also in shape. but man, Kyle Filipowski. i know more people wanna talk about Isaiah Collier, but Flip is clearly a good basketball player, and that has ALWAYS felt true to me. i cannot believe he didn't go first round. its not even necessarily about is ceiling, but even as a rookie, he's showing really high quality play in a role that the league is starting to value very highly. utility centers that can defend, playmake, and hopefully shoot the three well. and Kyle was good at all of these things as a draft prospect and is still good at them now. i can't post it because one, it won't pass the Trade Machine test until next year's salary conditions, and two because people on here would kill me, but.... i would trade Cam Whitmore and a decent pick for Filipowski and Juzang. cuz those are two dudes that solidify everything the Rockets are about. but that's not what this post is for, just saying lol.

aaand now for draft stock updates. its not new but i do wanna mention again that VJ is my number 3, just cuz thats getting firmer and firmer. he looks so good. Ace Bailey also getting more stock with me, i think his last two games his playmaking, defense, and overall decision making have been a little bit sharper. which is huge for a player like him. also i realized that even tho im super critical of him and have him closer to like 6 or 7 on my board, i keep on drafting him 3rd overall in mock drafts. just cuz it makes sense for so many of the teams at 3 to swing on raw talent. i feel like that has to be worth something lol. so yeah, higher up on him for me.

a guy im drifting on my list but having so many conflicts evaluating is Asa Newell. like... he's a winning ball player, the stats check out pretty much everywhere, but i just don't know what he's supposed to be at the next level. i still feel a certain stiffness in his mobility and fluidity. the rebounding and shooting and defending are all there, but... ughhh i dont know. him and Noa Essengue im having a tough time placing. they move up and down my board all the time.

also im gonna keep saying it cuz he continues to play well and i think im allowed to be confident in myself: Nique Clifford is still essentially my favorite prospect, and i think he's a star. i have him usually at 4 or 5. which is high, i know. thats why i phrase it this way cuz im pretty sure thats the highest you'll probably hear most of the time lol