Should Khaman Maluach be the GAMBLE the Washington Wizards take in the 2025 NBA Draft?

Should Khaman Maluach be the GAMBLE the Washington Wizards take in the 2025 NBA Draft?

Common Malawatch is a polarizing prospect in all accounts. Should the Wizards take him at six? You are Locked On Wizards, your daily Washington Wizards podcast. Part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Hello all and welcome into lockdown wizards a Friday edition of lockdown wizards where myself and Abdullah Aayubi are going to analyze a polarizing prospect common Malawatch who I’ve seen as high as three on boards and I’ve seen as low as 11 on boards so should the wizards take him at six we’re going to break down a lot of his game what we think of his ceiling his floor and much much more I’m leaf to lean credentialed NBA draft analyst attend the last two NBA combines host of locked in NBA big board and beside me is Abdullah Iubi a die hard Wizards fan here to provide you guys hometown insights and passion for his beloved wizards and tell us today should the Wizards take common model watch and thank you guys for making Lockdown Wizards your first listen each and every day and remember locked on Wizards is free and available on all platforms including YouTube at lockdown wizards where the best way to help us grow is to comment anything below. Today’s question is would you draft Malawatch at six? Why or why not? So, like I said, we’re going to discuss the game and dissect the game of common malaw watch the floor versus the ceiling, the fit with the Wizards and give him the playoff scout treatment we’ve been doing. How does he fit into the playoffs which the Wizards want to get to? And it’s time to talk about K Malik. We talked about him in the comparison with Derrick Queen before Abdullah, but I don’t know if I’ve directly asked you how do you feel about him as a prospect regardless of if it’s on the Wizards like what what are your thoughts that kind of surround his game because many people don’t like him and many are in love with him. Yeah. So, he is kind of a polarizing prospect at six. I think there’s been a lot of debate between him and Queen. we’ve been talking about it for the past few weeks, but I think one thing you could definitely say one of the most raw prospects coming out of this draft class, he didn’t really start playing basketball, I’m pretty sure, until the age of 13 and, you know, from South Sudan. You know, those guys out there are tall at 72. Size alone is very intriguing. Um, as a defender, very, very versatile. Played at Duke, one of the most elite programs in college basketball, played alongside Cooper Flag, the number one overall pick. So, playing with talent, I think he averaged around 8.6 points per game, 6.6 six rebounds. He 1.3 blocks while shooting 71.2% from the field goal range his freshman year at Duke. Flash is that’s the the big thing offensively the is the potential there. I don’t know to be honest. I think defensively he he’s going to be really really good. And again I think a big reason why you think of Malawatch to the Wizards at six is you pair him up with Alex Sar and we talk about Derek Queen and how him and um Sar could be good front court. Imagine a defensive front court with Sar and Malo. I should move S to the four. It’s just will Malawatch’s game translate to the NBA. I don’t know. I saw some clips of him shooting threes and making them. I forgot. It was some practice. But at the end of the day for the Wizards at six, I think Malawatch may be a little bit of a stretch, but then again, a lot of people are saying queen at six is a stretch, too. So, I don’t know to be honest. Again, his will his game translate? We’ll just have to see. And if you’re the Wizards, is it are you willing to take that risk if he’s not at six? if if you’re scared about him not being able to take the offensive stride. So, yeah, the offensive stride is where the ceiling part comes into the play in my opinion. We’ll we’ll dive deeper into the ceiling versus the floor, what our expectations are, but I I’ll outline why I think the offense is the key because defensively he could be a gamecher for the Wizards because you could employ a lineup that has two players that have defensive cap capabilities that you just don’t see very frequently. And that allows for Sar to play a role more similar to that of Evan Mobley who was just named last night second team allNNBA and was the defensive player of the year. More like Jiren Jackson where his versatility is not just rim protection but also being able to slide on the perimeter. But then you have someone who he funnels into who’s got tremendous length on the interior. Now the offensive side’s intriguing because you watch him shoot and there’s a clip that’s viral. He hit 14 straight threes and you’re like, “Oh my goodness, like this guy can shoot and he’s that big and he’s that long.” He hit a mid-range jump shot in Anthony Davis’s face in uh in Olympic qualifiers and South Sudan pushed the US to the brink in in this in the qualifiers. And so you say, “Okay, well this kid’s really young and he hits that shot. He’s fearless. He blocks shots.” But then you watch him play Houston and he’s just out toughed and out out physicalled on the boards, doesn’t have the impact offensively in those type of games yet. So that’s where the risk is is built. So, are you getting someone who could be a trans a transformative player on the defensive end and then be an okay offensive player? Like, there have been great stories of track record for success like that. I mean, Rudy Gobear being one. He’s often hated upon, but Rudy Gobear has been AllNBA numerous times. He’s been defensive player of the year uh four times. So, that’s very effective archetype. Jared Allen’s another one that sticks out. And I think Colin Malawatch could do all of that. in if his offense grows, then you have someone who could really have high potential and the floor is look, you got a good defensive player that needs to get stronger offensively. Maybe he’s not the biggest factor, but defensively he’s going to have all these traits that are unteachable. Yeah, no, I I I definitely see where you’re going from there. It’s just the whole I think these next couple of weeks, it’s just going to be between him and Queen. And I think defensively, I mean, I think Malawatcha definitely has the the edge over him. I I just think again we talk about the upside. If he can get that offensive stride, hit those offensive strides, um can maybe can get that mid-range or three-point shot somewhat down, I mean he could be really really unstoppable and an athletic guy who can definitely the pick and roll game with him and Jordan Pool or Bub Carrington or any other young guards that are here in Washington for the long term would be really really lethal with Model Watch. I got a stat for you Abdul and I’m going to I’m going to put you on the spot here. So this is going to set you up for failure but it’s it’s for a good purpose. I promise. So, what do you think his percentile is as a pick and roll finisher? I’ll give you a hint. It’s good. Uh, as is I’m assuming it’s in the 90th range. That’s a good guess. He’s 99th. So, as good as you can get as a pick and roll lob finisher. So, uh, the reason I set you up there is because it’s it’s absurd. Like, I know he was with very talented players. He’s with other lottery picks. The number one pick, Cooper Flag. is probably with another top 10 pick, Con Canipple, and they set him up well because he’s not the number one option. But that length and touch coordination and someone who’s considered a raw prospect to have that good of finishing skills already makes me think he can be very good. Like that’s that’s something that many people haven’t talked about when looking at the draft valuation. And you’re like, well, what what should centers be good at in in today’s NBA? You want him to protect the rim, you’d ideally like mobility. He checks both those boxes. And then you’d say, “Okay, if he can finish or or make free throws, then that’s really good.” He’s excellent. Quite literally the best that you can be in 99th percentile in lob and pick and roll finishing as the role man at catches lobs, finishes layups, and makes free throws. Like I I think there is more of an appeal for what he is right now, whereas everyone projects him as a project, but I think he’s kind of good already. And that’s that’s the scary part that he can get so much better, but he’s already pretty good. Yeah. I think one thing also that uh we have to consider for the Wizards is I mean you’ve been I’ve been talking about it for a little bit losing the paint battle every night. That was a common theme for the past couple years and um getting out rebounded. So if you insert a guy like Malo watch that definitely um you I don’t think you’ll be losing much rebound battles. I think with how aggressive he is, the size I mean I think it’s it’s going to be hard to get into that paint especially with Alexar there as well. So, I think the upside’s there, man. The ceiling and floor, it’s going to be talked about a lot. So, if he if should he be the guy at six, I I generally don’t know. And if possible, if possible, I talked about the scenario where if you somehow trade Johnson falls to six, you what if you trade back into the lottery and trade up for a guy like Queen, but what maybe you make the case for Malawatch? I mean, we’re just going to we’re going to have to see. If the Wizards really really prefer a guy and a and a really elite rim protector protector potentially, who knows, man. This could be a really interesting scenario where it comes down to Malawatch or Queen. I think it’s very possible and I think there’s going to be a hive of Wizards fans that that prefers Malawatch’s defensive versatility versus some that will say, well, Queen has a chance to be an all-star offensively. Maybe there’s a chance that common Malawatch could be an all-star with his offense and defense combining to be very good. So, we’ll discuss that possibility. What is his ceiling? Is it all-star? Is it all NBA? Is it all defensive team? And what’s his floor? And what is the year-by-year growth look like for Common Mitch on the Washington Wizards? All that and more straight ahead on Locked on Wizards. NBA fans, you know what time it is. It’s playoff season. Playoff season means big performances and even bigger rewards. Door Dash is bringing the heat with a slam dunk deal for Dash Pass members during the 2025 NBA playoffs. It’s called They Swish, You Score. Anytime a player drops 50 or more points in a playoff game, Dash Pass members score a free threepiece crispy chicken tenders combo from Wingstop the very next day. Just place an order of $20 or more and use the code Wingstop 50 at checkout, and that combo is yours. Crispy, delicious, and totally free. Offer valid noon to midnight the day after the game. Terms apply. After an epic game, I’m usually ordering wings or pizza, hanging with my friends, talking about the game. So imagine being rewarded with that all that great company with free food just because someone went off for 50. Now it’s the reality. I’ve said this before. If Donovan Mitchell and Jamal Murray were in the bubble right now trading 50 pieces, we’d be having an amazing time. But now it’s a reality and you can have it if someone scores 50. So here’s the play. Sign up for Dash Pass to unlock this and and get more exclusive deals all season long. When any player scores 58 plus in a playoff game, Dash Pass members can grab a three p free threepiece chicken tenders combo from Wingstop the next day with a $20 order or more and use the code Wingstop50. That’s dashp pass your door to more savings, more flavor, and more ways to win. Terms apply. Welcome back to Locked on Wizards Leaf Chulene Abdullahub holding it down for you here. We’re talking common Malawatch who we described as a polarizing prospect from the outside of the outset of this episode. But I’m going to make a point uh uh that I don’t know if he’s he should be as polarizing unless you’re saying he’s a guy going number three. But if you’re if you’re the Wizards and if you were to take him at six, I think the expectation should be he’s raw, but him being raw doesn’t mean he can’t contribute because he does have a skill set that’s valuable. You’ve mentioned rebounding numerous times as a weakness for the Wizards. You’ve mentioned interior defense as a a weakness that’s going to become a strength with Alex Sar and common Malawatch. So, I think he can come in and play and his floor may not be like eyepopping numbers, but centers in the NBA have performed well in recent years on poor teams. Like you were to if you were to look at Eve Mei, who I think Tom Mitch is a better prospect then, Eve Mei was an all rookie member, right? And and he was a guy who was picked just outside the lottery and he was had athletic traits, I’d say common M is a better athlete. He’s longer. He’s more polished. So, like what’s what’s the argument for him not being effective? It’s just how good he becomes. So, I wonder if the floor is being over blown out of proportion as a concern and the ceiling may not be as high as some people say either, but I think the floor is what’s creating this polarizing effect of many people say, “Oh, he’s useless because he didn’t have a good game in the in the final four.” Like I I think that’s a little crazy. What do you think about that, Abdullah? Yeah. No, definitely. Again, you have to consider the fact that he’s playing with the likes of Cooper Flag and Kong Canipple first rounders and it’s going to be hard to distribute the wealth on such an elite uh Duke program. And I get it they didn’t win the March Madness tournament, but I if you look at it, his presence was known on the court. I’ve saw I’ve seen comparisons about how he has really good hands somewhat similar to Rudy Gobear and we’ll talk about that ceiling and floor. I mean, I also seen DeAndre Jordan, but he I think one thing I think a lot of people are just concerned about is just offensively is there times where he could somewhat um not mesh well when it comes to floor spacing. I think a big reason why I love Queen and Sar so much I mentioned they complement each other really well. I don’t know if it can be you can say the same about K and Marowatch and Alex Sar. Maybe you could say it, but it’s not as effective as a queen and star. But at the end of the day, I think the rim protection definitely needs it will get better as well. But just how you mentioned Evan Mobley, if he can hit somewhat of an offensive stride like that in the NBA, I think people are really going to question why he fell out of the top seven, top eight. And I don’t know if again with the Wizards at six. Um, for me, I’m still we’ve been saying it for a while. Le if Trey Johnson is there, you have to you have to go Trey Johnson. And if Trey Johnson is not there, then it’s going to be the discussions of Queen. And I think the guy right behind Queen might just be Malawatch. Yeah. And I there’s a there’s a world in which Malawatch is a better fit with the Wizards. Like maybe Derek Queen isn’t as good an offensive player as we’ve said he could be. And Malawatch’s floor is higher than Queens because he’s got such defend defensive upside. And then offensively, his role is simplified and he can be a lob threat. Whereas Queen’s not much of a vertical lob threat. He’s more of a a ground and pound score on the block type of guy and so he needs the ball in his hands. I think Malawatch has an easier pathway to fitting with more teams and could thrive more easily, but I don’t think he quite has the same offensive ceiling. So, let’s talk about ceiling. What is the ceiling for common Malaw watch, whether it’s with the Wizards, someone else? Do you see an all-star in his future or or is he just kind of a a rotational big which is honestly a good pick? If you’re to look at number six, we’ve talked about it. There’s only been two allstars the last 20 years. Most of these guys that have busted have been guys who have been projected to be superstars with athletic traits but lacking for skills. I think that would be a good pick, but the Wizards don’t want a guy who can just be a rotational. They want a guy who can push the trajectory of the franchise upward. Maybe not the star, but a a really solid player. So, what’s the ceiling for common Malawatch? I I think if all things go well, the fact that we’re talking about ceiling, I think he can be the all-star. I mean, like I mentioned, dominates on the rebounding game, second chance opportunities, 2.8 offensive rebounds per game. Um, soft touch around the basket, high motor on both ends. If you get a guy like him who can run in transition, and you already have the likes of Buck Carrington, Keshan George, Alexar, Balak, I think him and Balah, I mean, just an athletic duo, and again, you want this Wizard team to be better defensively, and you already have the likes of Bal Koulali, Keshan George, you got the size, the versatility. I think that’s one thing that I’ve always been harping on. key theme of what Will Dawkins wants this Wizards roster to look like is be versatile and I think he has the ability to switch on to guards briefly and recover with lot of lot of mobility and length but against and just this defensive instincts are very very strong but it all comes down to can that offensive game transition in the NBA and who knows he also has experience playing international ball as well you know you you brought up an interesting point there and it’s something that I think’s overlooked we always talk about like the the end of the tournament right and you say okay well if you watch his final four game. He was a non-factor. Houston’s an anomalous team in the sense that they have a bunch of grown men who are super strong, a little more uh stout than common Malawatch and they pushed him around. Well, if you watch just the game prior where they played Alabama, that would might have been the best prospect film of any player this tournament. And this is getting geeky on the draft side, but I watched K watch that game disrupt everything Alabama wanted to do. He would switch on to an all-American guard in Mark Sears, make it so Sears had to drive to the rack and he’d say, “Okay, like Sears is going to blow by him.” Nope. And even if he did blow by him, he’d miss the layup because Col was impacted. Then against other teams, you play the drop coverage. And and when I when drop coverage is, for those of you who don’t know, it’s when you’re the big defending the screener and you play deep in the paint and make them shoot in the middle and you basically incentivize a mid-range shot as opposed to shooting a three or at the basket. Common Malawatch was disruptive as can be in a game against a team that had scored 100 plus points and hit 20 plus threes the game before and took them out of rhythm all by himself. So I think that’s the game that made people think, oh, he could be a top three, top four pick. I think that’s a little too rich for me, but at six, it’s very feasible. He ends up being better than six in a reddraft because his defense is so good and his offense, he has some polish. He has some skill. He might be able to step out and shoot. And the comparison I’ve got for him is really it’s kind of copying uh what it’s been in years past. Just look at a couple years of Duke Bigs. Look at Lively. Look at Mark Williams. If Mark Williams is healthy, I know he’s had knee injuries. Like that’s an excellent player. Alively, so many people talked about when they’re run to the finals just a season ago when he was a rookie and you say, “Wow, that guy was awesome.” I think K Mitch is the most talented of those three, and those guys are established big-time NBA players. No. Uh for for me, I I wanted to bring up the fact like what do you think? Do you think it’s the defensive upside? It’s just way uh more up there compared to when Lively and Williams came out of college. I think defensively they’re fairly similar. He’s just even longer than they are. Like his standing reach and Mark Williams are comparable, but he’s taller and I think he’s more nimble. Uh also Mark Williams was uh a sophomore when he came out and common Malawatch is young. And also, you mentioned it at the outset, he’s very young in basketball years, and that matters to me. How much that you’ve played basketball, how polished are you? He’s far from that. So, I think there’s a lot of growth to be had. Whereas Lively was the number one recruit for much of the season. Like, you knew what he was about. His mom was a professional player and Kamwatch’s is lack of refinement, I think, actually helps him. Um, what what would you say your expectation for him is if he does not hit his ceiling? like what is that player still a solid player and and if you take him at six and he doesn’t hit the ceiling are you saying oh man it’s a bust or are you saying okay it’s like he’s serviceable it’s a good question man especially since if you at six if you draft him over queen I think if you draft him over over Johnson that’s going to draw a lot of attention but um especially if queen pans out and Malawash doesn’t but floor-wise you get a guy who could protect the rim I mean offensively needs uh never hits a stride, but I mean it’s serviceable, rotational, but just I don’t know. Is is it crazy to say like a like a Mo Bomba? I I don’t know. Maybe someone who could that seems fair to me. Yeah. I I like that. Yeah. So, I I don’t know. I’m hoping for the best because I’m rooting for him, you know, from South Sudan. Those guys, a lot of ballers come out of there. One thing I wanted to ask you Leif is do what what do you think about the argument or not argument but the idea of Malawatch played alongside of guys like Khan Canipple Cooper flag which opened up a lot more opportunities compared to that guy in Derek Queen where he was the number one option all the attention was going on to him and the game plan was to defend him do this do that and you had to slow him down more it was more of a priority to slow him down compared to Malawatch I I forget what I’m trying to say yeah no I understand what you’re saying and that’s why I prefer Queen. If you’re trying to have your team draft a star, like if you’re trying to have a star and go for the higher upside pick, I think Queen is a higher upside because I think he’s got more capacity to be that guy. And whether it’s the best player, the second best player, I think that’s possible. Whereas Malawatch, I think, is a safer pick than Queen, even though he’s considered the more raw, the more of a project of these two because he’s going to be serviceable. He’s going to be passable offensively. I think at the very least, he’s going to be good defensively. I think he could be very good defensively and okay offensively and that’s still a plus player. He could be very good on off defense and good on offense and that’s a plus plus player. And if somehow he becomes really good on both then you’re then you’re getting a star and that’s where the upside h hits. So, I think there’s a world in which Queen doesn’t pan out offensively because the team just isn’t created uh with him in mind and him playing in the post is kind of imperative for his success and at least high post, low post somewhere with the ball in his hands and some teams won’t give him the ball and that’s why I think Malawatch fits more teams. But if I’m looking for a star, I’d go for Queen. So, I if I’m picking six and I’m telling you Abdullah, I would be appalled if Trey Johnson is there. So, I don’t mean to burst your bubble here, but but we’ll we feel free to revisit this in a couple weeks and and and tell me you told me so if so, but I I think he’s gone and Dererick Queen’s the most likely pick in my guess. So, with that said, actually, feel free to give me a rebuttal there and then we’ll then we’ll discuss how he fits into a playoff series once the Wizards get there. Yeah, know as much as it is dream scenario, I don’t think Trey Johnson’s getting past five. Ain’t no way. But hey, you never never freaking know, man. and no one thought the Mavericks were going to get the first overall pick. So maybe the Wizards might just be but again I think realistically it’s going to be queen S6 and I I I just for me I think you want to get that star right now and you want him to be that guy that can be that cornerstone player for this franchise. Malawash do I I get it you’re a young squad but the development will take a I think a little bit more longer compared to Queen who was the number one option played in the Big 10 was Maryland’s best player showed up when the lights were the brightest hit that game winner you know checking off a lot of boxes compared to Malaw watch not saying Mwatch won’t be good but I just the appeal there is for Queen more than Mal watch for me yeah I have Queen ranked one spot ahead of model watch in my board coming up next we’re going to discuss how we think the common model watch could impact a playoff series and this is part of the reason I’m higher on common model watch than some who have him low because I think his defense is very very important to winning playoff basketball. We’ll talk about that and more coming up next on lockdown wizards. Welcome back to lockdown wizards leaf tulen and Abdullah Iubi final segment on a Friday we’re talking common malaw watch we talked about Derk Queen. Let us know your preference here. Are you guys scared of Derek Queen? It is not the number one option that he won’t pan out if you’re feeling that way. Maybe you’re leaning towards Malawatch. Maybe this assues you, but I’ll give you my pitch here and Abdullah, I want your your opinion as well. My pitch for common malaw watch is in a playoff series, defensive versatility is extremely coveted and typically bigs are protecting the paint. He does that and he he’s able to switch ball screens and recover at influence shots. He’s able to play drop coverage and his versatility was part of the reason Duke was one of the historically best defenses we’ve seen. Obviously, they had Cooper Flag, who’s an amazing defender, and they had other tremendous athletes, but I think he’s what allowed them to play the defensive system that they played. They were able to funnel towards him, and he was able to hedge out at times and make them extremely versatile and long. And so, in a playoff series, you watch these teams that are winning. It’s typically teams that can employ different schemes that play well together on both sides of the basketball. I think common Malawatch is conducive to winning because you watch the teams in the playoffs right now and all of them have one thing in common. They protect the rim and even the ones that are recently uh eliminated. So you look at the Timberwolves, they had Rudy Goar. You look at the the Thunder who are waiting in the finals, they have Chad Holgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. You look at uh the the Pacers and Miles Turner has been criticized for not, you know, taking leaps at times. But if Colin Malach turns into Miles Turner that you take that every day of the week at number six and Common Malawatch is someone that I think can protect the rim and he can step out and not be a negative on the offensive side. I don’t think he’s necessarily going to be overwhelmingly positive, especially early in his career. But in a playoff series, his defensive versatility and potency and ability to catch lobs and make free throws. Like that’s another thing. You look at the Knicks, Mitchell Robinson’s a tremendously effective player because he gets a ton of boards. But what’s his downfall? He can’t make a free throw to save his life. So common Malawatch comes in, shoots over 75% as a as a youngster at Duke. I think he can do that again in the NBA. Might even be able to stretch range. So the more I watch the playoffs, the more I I think common malw watch has an appeal because he’s just good at a lot of things. And if he accentuates those already good traits, then he becomes really good. And if the ones that are deficiencies, you know, just confidence, maybe strength related, I think he becomes those are easily fixed. And that’s why I think the playoff scout, like you watch the playoffs and you inform what you think of draft analysis, I think that helps his stock. Yeah. you know that you really did a good job of arguing for that uh playoff wise and how you guy like Malawash can come in and make a difference why you need that guy. I think definitely I think it just goes back to how good can he be offensively. I’m not worried about his defensive prowess. I think he’s going to be just fine protecting. I think his hands really good. The pick and roll game, but will the spacing uh affect how this Wizards team will play offensively? I think also the 75% from the free throw line. I I like that as a young guy from Duke and that’s only going to get better. That’s very very impressive. But um just how if you’re the Wizards organization, how night and day will the development be between him and Queen? Like will it be more frustrating and more you have to be more patient for Malawatch? Seems like it most likely, especially offensively, but again, we’ll just we’ll just have to see. And for me, I just feel like the Wizards are still just the way it feels right now. It feels like they’re leaning more on Malawatch. But then again, Will Dawkins, who knows? He might just be playing everybody and say, “Hey, draft day. We’re going with uh we’re going with Oh, sorry. They’re leading more Queen, but they might dra shock everybody and say, “Hey, we’re drafting Mar watch come draft day.” I mean, last year I keep talking about no one and I mean, no one thought Denny Aia was going to get traded, trade him and draft B up Carrington. So, who knows, man. Draft day, it’s going to be a lot of scenarios are going to uh potentially go down and we’ll just have to see if the Wizards are in any of those scenarios. Trades are hard to project or or even like get clues of though. So, the fact that that one came out of nowhere is less shocking to me than if if a player was being talked about all the time and he’s there on the on the clock and you say, “You know what? We’re going to go in a different direction.” That sometimes does shock me. It happens. But I I do think there’s, you know, these guys are trying to be clever. They’re trying to be evasive of the million questions they’re asked. But I do think sometimes you can read between the lines like, “Look, this is a fit. This is how the draft board’s going to fall. I think it’s going to be one of these type of players.” So Derek Queen and Kam Malawatch I think are the two lead contenders for the Wizards. We talked about Coniple as a possibility. I thought that would be a little bit of a stretch more likely if the Wizards would trade back in and he were available. That seems more feasible than drafting him at six. Uh are there any things that you want to talk about regarding Common Mage or Derek Queen that you think in a in a playoff situation you’d feel more comfortable having one or the other? Because Queen, you know, the pitch is him having the ball so that that means he has to become really solid. Uh, is that a concern or something you’re you’re like willing to take the risk on because we’ve talked about Queen is is the number one option excluding Trey Johnson? Yeah, I know. I think um that’s what I like. As much as I I love Malawatch, I think Queen he’ll be he’ll be the guy to say, “Yo, give me the ball, move out the way, make a move and hit the game-winning shot.” I’m not saying Malawatch like can’t do it, but I feel like Queen is just more appealing for that last second shot scenario. But who knows, Malawash can be the guy that hits the game-winning putback or has the game-winning block. So, both of them affect the games in two different ways. Both of them are going to be, I think, really good NBA players. It’s just going to come down to what fits well for the Wizards. And for me, I feel like getting a four like Derrick Queen with his prowess. I think like I I mentioned the mixture of Nas Reed and Alren Shenon, I think he he’s a better fit in Washington. But again, nothing on the no hate on Malawatch, man. I’m a really big fan of him. And it it brings me to the fact that if again this is dream dream scenario, you know, asterric asterric. If you somehow land Johnson at six, do you trade with Houston at 10 and get more draft capital to draft a guy in Queen um or Malawatch? And just how far down can Malawatch drop? I definitely think Queen’s going to get drafted before him, but just how far can you drop? I I don’t think he’ll be able to be drafted at pick 18. Then again at pick 18 there’s guys like Danny Wolf that I’m a fan of. So I don’t know man there’s a lot of options here the big man. I do think that the Wizards in one of their picks whether they trade up consolidate something altogether I think the Wizards come away with a big and I think it’s likely to be here at six taking Queen or Malawatch and at 18 should they take a wing I I think it’s likely to be a big there as well. Even though it’s a pretty winghappy spot in the draft at 18 through 20 type that that range 14 through 25 is very winghappy. Uh there’s another big Frenchman named Maxim Reno that I think would be interesting at 18. Uh another another point that I I think we should we should conclude on is I I think there’s a world in which Malawatch shocks everyone and goes in the top five because someone’s going to fall in love with upside and that shakes everything up. So I if we were to bet like overunder on where these guys go, I think that the overunder number would be set lower in the draft, meaning meaning further picks down for Queen than Malawatch because I think Malawatch has more suitors that will be like, you know what, like if this guy pans out and they see just the future and not the the present. They’re just seeing this potential. I think more teams are going to become enamored with him in that regard as opposed to Queen. It’s it’s more upfront and personal. you know, you know what you’re getting and the potential is he does what he did at Maryland. Whereas Malawatch, they’re dreaming it up and I think people get lost in the in the allure of potential. So my personal opinion is that I if it’s not the Wizards picking Derrick Queen that Malawatch goes ahead at Queen. Hey man, if that happens, whatever team does in the top five go ahead, we’ll take Trey Johnson at six. Man, I think I I’d be stunned if Trey Johnson doesn’t go in the top five. I’ve actually got Trey Johnson number three on my board right now. I should probably alert alert you guys to that. So, I I have Trey Johnson ahead of Ace Bailey. Maybe that’s informing why I’d be stunned. I’d be very very shocked if he he gets past the the Jazz or or even Philly. I think there’s a world in which he goes three, even though Ace Bailey has been like a pigeon hole top three guy all season long. So, that’s a lot of draft talk. We’ll have more of it for you next week. Uh common malaw watch, Ace Bailey, all these guys are have a bunch of potential. They’re polarizing. Derek Queen could be a star. Maybe you’re nervous about him in the playoffs game, but let us know what you think of common watch in the comments. Would you take him or Derek Queen? Who do you think is going to go higher? And share us some ideas that you want to hear about in the upcoming week. It’s always a pleasure talking to you on Locked on Wizards. Abdul and I appreciate your guys’ support. Thank you for making Lock Wizards your first listen each and every day and especially today. And for your second listen, check out Locked in NBA Game Night every game, every night until an NBA champion is crowned. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find NBA game night on locked on NBA on YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcast. So, thank you guys for tuning in and we’ll be back with you next next week. And the Wizards are it’s getting close. It’s only a month away now.

Guest hosts Leif Thulin and Abdullah Ayyubi analyze Khaman Maluach, a polarizing NBA draft prospect for the Washington Wizards. They discuss Maluach’s defensive prowess, offensive potential, and fit alongside Alex Sarr. The hosts compare Maluach to Derick Queen, debating their respective ceilings and floors. They explore Maluach’s impact in playoff scenarios, highlighting his rim protection and versatility. The conversation touches on Maluach’s surprising pick-and-roll efficiency and potential to surpass expectations. Thulin and Ayyubi also consider trade scenarios and draft positioning for both Maluach and Queen, emphasizing the Wizards’ need for a transformative player at the sixth pick.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-wizards/

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nba/

#WashingtonWizards #NBA #Wizards