Why the 2025 NBA Draft’s Hidden Gems Are More Than Just Stats—A Data-Driven Breakdown from Chicago

The Myth of Scoring First

I’ve watched enough mock drafts to know the lie: teams chase points like they’re buying lottery tickets. But in the real game, it’s not about how many points a player scores—it’s about how he disrupts space without the ball. Take Cooper Flagg (6’9”, 221 lbs): his 48.1% three-point shot looks flashy, but it’s his 1.4 blocks per game and active closeouts that make him a franchise-caliber wing.

Data Doesn’t Lie—It Just Gets Ignored

VJ Edgecombe at #4? His steal rate (2.1) and floor spacing are textbook examples of adaptive defense—not flair, but function. He doesn’t need to be the star; he needs to be the glue between shooters and big men. That’s why Charlotte took him over Tre Johnson—even though Johnson shot more threes.

The Quiet Revolution in Frontcourt

CMB (Collin Murray-Boyles) at #12 isn’t a name on Twitter—but his 7’0.75” wingspan and 4.7% block rate scream ‘defensive anchor.’ He won’t shoot you out of your seat—but he’ll make your star look better by clogging driving lanes and rotating seamlessly across positions.

The Real MVP? The Invisible One

The draft isn’t about who goes first—it’s about who fills every gap in your roster when injuries strike or contracts expire. That’s why Brooklyn chose Ugo Gonzalez: raw athleticism with zero reliable jump shot… but elite ball movement and rim pressure could turn him into an offensive catalyst if given space.

We use models because numbers don’t lie—but people do. They see height, weight, points—and miss everything else: footwork, anticipation, defensive IQ, spatial awareness. This draft? It wasn’t made for hype. It was built for survival.