Jdbraver137
Starter
Kid is legit!
Mock draft 2026
- Thread starter iowamcnabb
- Start date
People really do just be saying stuff
He's exactly like Bagley, except he's pretty much the exact opposite of Bagley LOL
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
The Kings HAVE to get a top 4 pick. It's destiny. They're even sucking so bad and picking the wrong youth. It has to be, lol.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
With how good Flemings has started to look, I’d even be fine with top five lol
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
I’m all in on that dude.
iowamcnabb
Hall of Famer
They already drafted the likely replacement last year, Sorber. I wonder if they try to flip a non top 8 lottery pick into multiple future firsts. They are on the verge of getting crazy expensive and those lottery picks are not cheap.
AJ has exploded over the past two weeks so as of today, I think he's started to separate himself from the rest as the #1 guy. But I still love Caleb Wilson's game. He doesn't have the bag of tricks to score in isolation that Dybantsa has but I don't know that he needs them either. With his athleticism, defensive motor, and unblockable jumper he has enough to lead a team. Giannis is pretty damn good playing bully ball with one or two go-to moves and overwhelming athleticism. They're totally different players who will translate to totally different styles of play in the NBA and we shouldn't need to cut one of them down to elevate the other.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
…so neither of them is Marvin Bagley?
I was on the Bagley hype train going into his lone college season because he almost went to USC but after that one year at Duke watching him against NCAA competition I absolutely hated Bagley's game going into that draft and dedicated several posts on this forum trying to warn people that he was going to be a bust. His defensive awareness was non-existent, he had no outside jumper, and he never passed the ball.
But Wilson, I love what I've seen from Caleb Wilson so far and from my point of view there really is no comparison. If Caleb Wilson played anything like Marvin Bagley I would not want the Kings to go anywhere near him. He doesn't and he's my favorite prospect in this draft. I like what he brings on defense more than I like what Dybantsa brings on offense though clearly I'm biased in favor of defensive players in general. But I also have to admit that AJ Dybantsa has NBA ready moves and elite physical attributes and looks like a guy who would be tough to pass on if he's available.
We could then get into a whole philosophical discussion about whether a guy who profiles as a Tracy McGrady type of elite wing is actually a better pick than a defensive anchor big if you care about winning championships. Tracy was insanely talented and he's in the Hall of Fame but he never came close to sniffing a championship and some consider him one of the most disappointing players of all time when you take in the full scope of his career and what he might have been. But we've got 6 more months to talk about that so it's probably better to see how the rest of the college season shakes out first.
sactowndog
Hall of Famer
Yep. If we are top 2 or top 1 are chances of getting one of them or a top point guard s high…..I'd absolutely add Caleb Wilson as part of a Top 4, and depending on the day, Wilson might be in front of the other three. But I think any of those 4 is a potential franchise-level talent.
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Joshyjosh31
Starter
Ya I’m still taking McGrady over a defensive anchor find your number one guy and build through him. They’re won’t be a single team that will entertain taking Wilson over Peterson or AJ he’d have to have a Wemby like effect on defense which is unlikely. We need a bonefide first option especially when looking at the team and not seeing a guy even projected to be a second option on it
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
Look, if you’re trying to get angry over the Kings taking Kingston Flemings, I don’t know if you’re going to get any takers. Guy is like a slightly less athletic Derrick Rose out there.
OptimusRhyme
Jive Turkey
havent watched a ton of Wilson. Is he kinda like a JJJ? can he guard the perimeter/quicker 3/4s? If not i'm probably going with the T Mac potential aswell. Boozer kinda looks like a tweener to me, too small too play center and pretty slow for a PF. I like Dybantsa/Petersen/Flemings in that order atm
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
He’s more like if Zion wasn’t fat and cared about defense. Switchable 1-5. Long wingspan allows him to alter lots of shots but not the shot blocked JJJ is. He’s waaaaaaay better as a rebounder though.
"Him"mer Fredette
G-League
I'm being selfish as a BYU fan but I hope AJ finds his way on to this team. His fire and energy would fit in well next to Caldwell!Joshyjosh31
Starter
This is the kind of talent that changes franchises
He's going #1. Not only a freak athlete, but plays with a "drive" that all the eventual greats do. I've caught 3 of his games now, dude is out there working his tail off on defense, on the glass, making energy/hustle plays. Guys his size just shouldn't be able to move like he does with so much fluidity and skill.
It's obviously very difficult to project how a guy will handle a #1 workload vs NBA defenses, but AJ is probably about as safe a bet as you'll see in a college prospect to be able to fill that role next year for a team. He's awesome
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Dime Dropper
All-Star
Yeah, right now AJ is way out in front of the pack. Wings with that skillset are what every team is looking for. Let's hope we luck out and get the first pick and that we also don't f**k it up.
sactowndog
Hall of Famer
Did my post say I was angry? Basically if your are 2 you are unlikely to drop below 5 and Flemings would be fine. I would like a forward but happy with Flemings at 5.
Love his aggressive playstyle. Him and Dybansta are my two favorites so far. I think I still prefer Wilson, his overall versatility is very intriguing. But I would be happy with either.
Section 101
All-Star
Didnt see any basketball skills from the highlights, just athletic.
You're probably right, but the debate wouldn't be about who will go #1... the debate would be about when we look back in 15 years who will we say should have gone #1. That's the player who I'm taking first. And the reason there's always disagreement about the draft is that we all have our own ways of predicting future performance. Zach LaVine is a perfect example of why we have to pay attention to both offense and defense and look for the players who represent the best balance of both.
And it seems to be getting lost in the hype around the numbers Dybantsa has been putting up that his last two games were against Abilene Christian University and Eastern Washington. Can anyone name one current or former NBA player who came from either school? The tools he's showing off are worth celebrating but the numbers should be put in perspective. Quality of competition is another factor that needs to be accounted for.
Tetsujin
The Game Thread Dude
I don’t know how you can look at Caleb’s footwork with the ball and not think that counts as a basketball skill
Joshyjosh31
Starter
I honestly don’t get it it looks nice but where in there is he scoring that could lead someone to think he could be a top offensive option on a team
Joshyjosh31
Starter
I’m not worried about the numbers more the moves and how he looks he’s making nba moves which is also translating into elite numbers. If Lavine was putting up numbers and creating for others nobody would be that worried about his defense. But he goes missing and doesn’t even try on defense I don’t get why we should factor defense for our top option all the guys look to be decent there that’s all you need.
Because the goal is not to score the most points, the goal is to win basketball games. And defense is half of the game. Dybantsa, Peterson, and Wilson/Boozer play three different positions so all of them looking decent doesn't put them on an even playing field. We also have to project what their role will be in a team defense and if we have any players we plan on keeping (Murray, Clifford, and Raynaud, for instance. Maybe Cardwell too) then how would each prospect compliment them as well?
Given their very different athletic profiles it could even be argued that Boozer and Wilson play different positions defensively. It matters that Wilson is a defensive anchor big because that is the one position that impacts a team defense the most. And it also matters that Wilson is considerably better than decent on defense. Maybe the right answer here is that you get your primary scorer and fill in around them with guys like Cardwell and Ellis -- defensive specialists. Or we could try that with Dybantsa and spend the next 12 years losing to the rival team that drafted Caleb Wilson and surrounded him with floor spacers and wing defenders.
I don't know the right answer, nobody does. I'm just trying to reason out all of the things a front office should be looking at when trying to make their determination of who the best player available is. It's not as simple as who scores the most or who looks the most athletic. It involves grappling with what you think contributes to wins in the NBA and then estimating based on all available data which prospect comes closest to achieving those criteria and how likely they are to continue improving. How rare and consequently expensive is their skillset compared to the rest? And is there an argument to be made for fit with the roster you are trying to build?
