ESPN\u2019s Jay Bilas takes a shot at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby about Wednesday\u2019s 2025 NBA Draft:<\/p>\n
Q: Does Cooper Flagg have any negatives?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He\u2019s not 25 (chuckle). No, he doesn\u2019t have any negatives. He\u2019s the most complete player in the draft. I think his positives are equally as good as a defender as they are as an offensive player. He\u2019s incredibly aware on the floor and he touches every part of the game. He can shoot it \u2014 it\u2019s not like he\u2019s Steph Curry shooting it, but he shot 44 percent from 3 in ACC games, and he averaged 21 a game during ACC play and really played his best basketball toward the end of the year.<\/p>\n He gets steals, deflections, blocked shots, he rebounds at a high rate. He\u2019s not out to get stats, he just makes the right play, and when he makes the right play over and over and stacks the right play, he winds up with numbers across the board by the end of the game. So he\u2019s ultra-productive and ultra-competitive, and with his length and athleticism. \u2026 He\u2019s 18 \u00b9\/\u2082 right now \u2014 he\u2019s the real deal. But his level of competitiveness is on the highest gear of prospects I\u2019ve scouted.<\/p>\n Cooper Flagg attempts a shot for Duke during an April 5 game. Getty Images<\/p>\n Q: Will he make an immediate impact?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I think so because he can blend in. He\u2019s not going to be expected to lead the way with Dallas. If he had gone to another team that had only won 15, 20 games, he\u2019d be expected to step in and really lead the way, but I think he can really mature with Dallas without those kind of expectations.<\/p>\n Q: Who do you compare him to?<\/strong><\/p>\n Jay Bilas is pictured on May 12. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n A: A lot of people say he\u2019s a little bit like Andrei Kirilenko, I heard that a lot from scouts early in the season, I haven\u2019t heard it as much lately. I kind of thought he was just a bigger, more offensively gifted Franz Wagner. He\u2019s bigger and longer and stronger, especially at that age. He\u2019s the best freshman Duke\u2019s ever had. Now, it doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s going to ultimately be as good as Grant Hill or Kyrie Irving, but no freshman at Duke\u2019s had a better year than he had.<\/p>\n Q: Dylan Harper?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He\u2019s got size, long arms, he finishes at the rim and he\u2019s got a great feel for how to get in the lane and how to score. He\u2019s probably the best pick-and-roll guard in this draft. Good in transition. He\u2019s not a great shooter. With his length and strength, I think he can be a good defender, but he\u2019s gotta be more impactful on that end. He gets steals, but I wouldn\u2019t call him a great defender. He\u2019s got the ability to be much better defensively.<\/p>\n Q: Ace Bailey?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He\u2019s interesting. He\u2019s got a really high ceiling. He can make shots from all three levels. He\u2019s incredibly confident in himself, which I actually feel is a positive. But not many guys are able to make the degree of difficulty shots that he can take, and then the challenge shots that he can take. A good bit of his scoring came from the mid-range, but he can stretch it and also he\u2019s pretty good around the rim. He\u2019s not a great decision-maker right now, but he\u2019s still just 18 years old, and playmaking is not at the top of the list of attributes with him, but he still had 39 against Indiana, 38 against Northwestern, and he\u2019s got the ability to be a really good defender. He\u2019s got a 7-foot wingspan at 6-8, 6-9, whatever he is. He\u2019s got a lot of ability and a lot of potential to be really, really good.<\/p>\n Ace Bailey drives with the ball during Rutgers\u2019 Jan. 25 game at the Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post<\/p>\n Q: VJ Edgecombe?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Probably the best athlete in the draft. Explosive, and he can really be impactful at both ends of the floor because he\u2019s got the ability to be an outstanding defender. He\u2019s only one of two players in the Big 12 last year that averaged over 15 points and two steals. He set a Baylor freshman record for steals in a season. He kind of reminds me of a young Victor Oladipo at the same age and maybe Dwyane Wade at the same age. It doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s going to reach those heights as a player, but he has a lot of ability. Very competitive, good offensive rebounder \u2026 but an elite athlete, had one of the best vertical leaps at the combine.<\/p>\n Q: Kon Knueppel?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Arguably the best shooter in the draft. He\u2019s not the kind of athlete that Cooper Flagg is. He doesn\u2019t have that length and athleticism, but still, with his strength and his savvy, he\u2019s been able to finish around the rim. But where he\u2019s really good is as a shooter. As a corner shooter, most of his shots are catch-and-shoot, but he shot 48 percent as a corner 3-point shooter, and one of the few guys in the country who shot 48 percent from the field, 41 from 3 and 91 from the foul line. When Flagg was out, he really stepped forward. He\u2019s not an elite athlete from a run-and-jump standpoint. He can hang defensively but defense, especially in isolation, isn\u2019t his strength, but he gets a ton of loose balls, he\u2019s always around the ball and he\u2019s really tough. He had the highest plus-minus in Division I. Cooper Flagg was second.<\/p>\n Kon Knueppel attempts a shot during Duke\u2019s April 5 game. Getty Images<\/p>\n Q: Khaman Maluach?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He\u2019s a lob threat, shot blocker, rebounder, excellent offensive rebounder. He\u2019s got a 7-7 wingspan so he can affect things around the rim. He can run north-south but he\u2019s not the most agile going east-west, so he can have some issues defending out of the perimeter, but at 7-foot, you\u2019re not expecting him to do that and he played mostly in drop coverage at Duke. Really good finisher around the rim, shot 71 percent from the field. Really good on screen-roll-lob, so he\u2019s difficult to deal with [77 dunks].<\/p>\n Q: Tre Johnson?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He and Knueppel are the best shooters in the draft but Johnson can shoot it off the dribble better than Knueppel can. Knueppel\u2019s a better standstill shooter. Elite length \u2014 he\u2019s got 6-7 wingspan, he\u2019s only like 6-5, 6-6. But as good a 3-point shooter as you\u2019re going to find in this draft, both catch-and-shoot and off the dribble. He\u2019s very efficient at pick-and-roll. He\u2019s a pretty good passer. I think he\u2019s got good speed, he did really well at the combine in the lane agility so he can really move his feet, and I think that indicates that he can be a much more impactful defender. He\u2019s a scorer, and he\u2019s just 19 years old, so he\u2019s got a lot of growth ahead of him.<\/p>\n Tre Johnson controls the ball during Texas\u2019 game against Xavier on March 19. AP<\/p>\n Q: Jeremiah Fears?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He\u2019s probably the best pure ball handler in the draft, and he can get wherever he wants to go with the ball. Really dynamic as a shot creator, and does a great job at getting fouled. He gets to the free-throw line but he can really get into the paint. He can create shots for himself, he can create fouls, he can create shots for others, good passer, and as good a pick-and-roll guard as you\u2019re going to find in this draft. The problem he has is he\u2019s not a great perimeter shooter. He shot 28 percent from 3. I think he can certainly improve that. He\u2019s got really good speed, and then over his last nine games he played his best, and he had half a dozen games where he scored 25 points or more and most of those came against Top 25 teams. Good free-throw shooter, he gets there a lot, he shot over six free throws a game as a point guard.<\/p>\n Q: Carter Bryant?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Prototypical 3-and-D wing. Long arms. He\u2019s athletic. He gets steals, deflections. He\u2019s not a big-time scorer. All of his 3s came in catch-and-shoot situations. He\u2019s not a guy that\u2019s going to put it on the deck and pull up, but he was second on the Arizona team in blocked shots. When he was the primary defender on a guy, his assignment shot 37 percent on the season. He\u2019s one of nine freshmen that had more than 25 blocks and 25 steals this season. He\u2019s very, very talented, and had one of the highest vertical leaps, really good in the three-quarter sprint. He\u2019s got a near 7-foot wingspan. For a 3-and-D kinda versatile defensive wing, he shows a lot of promise at just 19 years old.<\/p>\n Carter Bryant shoots the ball during Arizona\u2019s March 27 game. Getty Images<\/p>\n Q: Kasparas Jakucionis?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Talented. He\u2019s got a great feel, especially at pick-and-roll, he\u2019s sort of a playmaker in that regard, he can pass and find people. The issue that Jakucionis had this last year were the number of turnovers that he had, just way too many. But great feel for the game and a really good understanding of the game. I think he\u2019s a decent shooter, but I wouldn\u2019t call him a great shooter. He only shot like 25 percent from 3 over his last 14 or 15 games. He can move his feet, he\u2019s got decent size and he can drive it. Another guy who does a good job using his body and getting fouled.<\/p>\n Q: Who else are you high on that could go high?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I think Collin Murray-Boyles has a chance to go in the top 10. He\u2019s about 6-7, 6-8, got a 7-foot wingspan, really versatile defender. Left-hander, really knows how to play. He\u2019s relentless defensively. Gets steals, deflections, blocks. Can guard anybody, and plays really hard. Excellent rebounder, really good offensive rebounder. He\u2019s just not a shooter. He scores most of his points in the painted area. He\u2019s the only player in the Southeastern Conference, the best league in the country, that had over 40 steals and 40 blocks. Good at finishing at the rim, but he only shot like 30 percent on jump shots. With his feel and dedication, I think he\u2019ll improve that over time. I like him a lot.<\/p>\n Collin Murray-Boyles addresses reporters during a May 14 press conference. David Banks-Imagn Images<\/p>\n Q: Is Derik Queen in that conversation?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Maybe. He\u2019s got really good footwork. He\u2019s an excellent rebounder, and he\u2019s got good hands. He\u2019s not a big-time athlete, I think that\u2019s the one thing that would kind of set him back a little bit. He\u2019s had 15 double-doubles in the season, he\u2019s an outstanding rebounder, he averaged nine a game and 2 \u00b9\/\u2082 of those were offensive rebounds. His testing results at the combine were not great as far as his ability to move his feet and run and all that. He\u2019s down at the bottom five of lane agility, shuttle, the three-quarter sprint and also in the vertical leap categories.<\/p>\n Q: Noa Essengue?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He plays really hard, that\u2019s what sets him apart. But very versatile defensively, he\u2019s a good cutter, good offensive rebounder, and with that length and speed, he can play the vertical game, but he\u2019s also disruptive defensively and what I would call a secondary shot blocker. He\u2019s not like a 7-foot-2 rim protector like Maluach is, but he can block and change shots. He\u2019s just not polished offensively. He doesn\u2019t shoot it off the dribble yet and he struggled a little bit shooting it from 3-point range.<\/p>\n Noa Essengue fights for possession during a May 21 game.<\/p>\n Q: A Big East Conference prospect: St. John\u2019s RJ Luis?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He\u2019s probably a second-round pick, if at all. He may go undrafted. Sometimes if you\u2019re late in the second round, going undrafted is better because you get to choose where you go. He\u2019s a good wing scorer, he\u2019s got a middle game, can get to the basket. But I think he\u2019s got some improving to do. But he\u2019s a solid second-round prospect, I would say.<\/p>\n Q: Liam McNeeley?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He\u2019s going to be a first-round pick. He\u2019s strong, he plays really hard and he\u2019s got a good feel for how to play. He had his best games against the best teams last year at UConn. He\u2019s good in transition. Against Top-25 opponents, he averaged over 20 a game. He communicates on defense. He\u2019s not what I would call a big-time athlete but it\u2019s not like he\u2019s unathletic. He moved his feet really, really well, like he can run and he\u2019s pretty good laterally. He\u2019s got this knack for making the right play, and I like how competitive he is. And he can shoot it. He\u2019s a solid shooter, he shot 32, 33 percent from 3, I think he could have been much better, so he\u2019s a little bit streaky, but I think he\u2019s got a good stroke and good mechanics, so I don\u2019t see how getting more consistent is going to be beyond his grasp.<\/p>\n Liam McNeeley drives with the ball during UConn\u2019s March 23 game against Kansas. Imagn Images<\/p>\n Q: Walter Clayton Jr.?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He had as good a year as any guard in the country, and his clutch performance in the [NCAA] Tournament \u2014 he had three 30-point games and I think he scored 35 clutch points and that was by far the most in the NCAA Tournament this last year. This year he became a much more focused defender, and I think he improved his playmaking, and he can make really tough shots. He\u2019s not a big guard and he\u2019s not a lengthy guard but that kind of shot-making and that clutch gene. \u2026 He\u2019ll be a first-round pick, the question is does he go 18 or 28? He can go anywhere in that range.<\/p>\n Q: Thomas Sorber?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: I think he\u2019s probably the most underrated big guy in the draft, you don\u2019t hear a lot of talk about him. He got hurt during the season for Georgetown, but he\u2019s one of these freak lengthy big guys that can really rebound, and he can block shots. They haven\u2019t had a big guy like that probably since Alonzo Mourning that could affect things on both ends of the floor like he can. I would be very surprised if he\u2019s not taken in the lottery. I think that\u2019s the kind of ability that he has. With his ability to block shots, to change shots and to rebound the ball and finish. \u2026 He\u2019s got really good strength, but his defensive tools are elite and he\u2019s got a very good touch. One of the best rebounders in the country. He\u2019s the first Big East freshman that averaged two blocks and still shot over 50 percent from the field in the last 25 years. Non-Big East players that did that recently were guys like Chet Holmgren and Evan Mobley. He\u2019s just not a jump shooting big guy and if he has to switch out on a guard in a pick-and-roll situation he doesn\u2019t have great foot speed, but at 6-10 and a 7-6 wingspan, you\u2019re not as concerned about that. He\u2019s a force in the paint, really good finisher around the rim.<\/p>\n Thomas Sorber reacts during Georgetown\u2019s Jan. 14 game against St. John\u2019s. Charles Wenzelberg \/ New York Post<\/p>\n Q: Ryan Kalkbrenner?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Kalkbrenner is 7-foot tall, another long-armed guy, he\u2019s kind of a straight up-and-down big guy but really good defender, rim protector, doesn\u2019t get out of position very much, and a very good rebounder. A guy that can set a screen and roll to the basket. Keeps it high when he rebounds or when he catches it so he doesn\u2019t get it stripped very often. I see him kind of at the end of the first round, top of the second.<\/p>\n Q: Kam Jones?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: He had to take over the point guard position for Tyler Kolek, and that\u2019s what took away arguably the best playmaker in college basketball for Marquette. He stepped in as a scorer and became the point guard. Good passer, handled the ball very well, and still averaged about 19 a game. So I think one of the underrated guards, he doesn\u2019t have a ton of size, but man, that dude plays hard at both ends of the floor. I project him as a second-round pick, but I don\u2019t think you\u2019d want to pass on him in the second round. He\u2019s a tough kid.<\/p>\n Kam Jones looks to drive with the ball during Marquette\u2019s March 21 game against New Mexico. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n Q: Eric Dixon?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: Left-hander. Really became perimeter 3-point threat in addition to doing those Villanova backdowns where he could use his body. Tough, hard-nosed, undersized as a forward, but that scoring piece is very effective.<\/p>\n Q: Any thoughts on Dan Hurley coaching the Knicks?<\/strong><\/p>\n A: If he\u2019s interested in coaching in the NBA, I\u2019m sure it\u2019s available to him. It\u2019s going to require an adjustment, certainly. He\u2019s going to lose a few more games in the NBA than he does in college, but he\u2019s certainly capable of doing it, it\u2019s just a question whether he wants to. It used to be people would say, \u201cWell, can a college coach coach in the NBA?\u201d Of course they can, they always could. \u2026 Of course he\u2019s capable of doing it. You\u2019d hate to see him leave UConn, but at the same time, I\u2019m a huge NBA fan, so I\u2019d get to watch him no matter what.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ESPN\u2019s Jay Bilas takes a shot at some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby about Wednesday\u2019s 2025 NBA…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1901,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[2628,1260,2629,2630,2631,62,2632,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-1900","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-jay-bilas","9":"tag-nba","10":"tag-nba-draft","11":"tag-nba-draft-2025","12":"tag-serbys-qa","13":"tag-sports","14":"tag-sports-columnists","15":"tag-united-states","16":"tag-unitedstates","17":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114720512678640897","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}