Then and Now: My 2025 NBA Draft Rankings Revisited

আসলেই, ২০২৫ NBA ड्राफ्ट करना पिज़्ज़ा ऑर्डर करने जैसा नहीं। आप सिर्फ कोई पसंदीदा टॉपिंग चुनते हो, मामला समाप्त। इতিহास की मेज पर सबकुछ हलকा होয় —ভবিষ্যৎ পূর্বাভাস দিতে হবে, আবহাওয়ায় ধোঁয়া জমছে।

তাই আমি December-এর আমার প্রথম তালিকা ফিরিয়ে দেখলাম —কোনও combine run-এর, personal workout-এর, Twitter-এ ‘influencers’-দলগণ’s chants-এর পূর্ব।

ওহ! ‍কতটা ‍প‌্য‌াচ ‍হয়‌ছিল!

Raising a King: Contender to Crown

December-এ Cooper Flagg Dylan Harper-কে ‍সমতা ‍দিচ্ছিল—হ্যা, ‍আপনি ‍শুনছিল;

অধिक⁠ভ​জ⁠ড⁠/⁠জ⁠ব⁠স⁠(A) - (B)

…but then he just kept playing. And improving. And leading.

Now? He’s not just the consensus top pick — he’s become one of the strongest candidates for Rookie of the Year since Jayson Tatum. His offensive maturity during high-pressure moments? Unreal. His defensive versatility? A dream for any coach stacking lineups around him.

So yeah — once you see him lock down Kasparas Jakucionis in open space or hit step-backs over bigger guards… you stop asking questions.

The Case for Dylan Harper: Not Just Flashy Feet…

Meanwhile, Dylan Harper didn’t get dethroned — he got re-evaluated.

The “Is he really that good or just fast?” debate raged all season. Some called his athleticism deceptive; others said he lacked real power play strength.

But here’s what I found: Harper posted an 8.6 net rating at Rutgers — which is insane for a freshman guard who wasn’t even supposed to be their primary ball-handler early on.

His vision? Smooth as butter. His decision-making under pressure? Better than many pros out there.

He might never be a 30-point scorer overnight — but if he sharpens that mid-range pull-up (and let’s face it: he can), we’re looking at an All-NBA guard-in-the-making by Year 4.

The Quiet Climbers: When Grit Outshines Hype

Now let me talk about some guys who didn’t get headlines but made me nod slowly at night:

• Carter Bryant – A guy who quietly became elite behind the arc (37% from deep) while playing limited minutes? That kind of efficiency doesn’t happen by accident.
• Ace Bailey – Y’all keep comparing him to Porter Jr., but let’s not ignore this: his defense screams role player with star potential if he adds weight and polish.
• Kon Knueppel – Remember when I thought he’d fade after Flagg got injured? Nahhh… turned out he filled in like a pro and even elevated Duquesne without missing a beat.
• Nique Clifford – Age-wise, yes; stats-wise, no excuse needed. Solid all-around production with improved decision-making = perfect fit for bench rotation roles across multiple teams today.

These aren’t flash-in-the-pan kids anymore — they’re late bloomers with real value chains built in.

Still Watching Closely…

The biggest lesson here isn’t about rankings per se — it’s about patience versus panic in scouting.