In a league where his athleticism deficit is even more pronounced, Keaton Wagler is still solving the math problem
He’s managed to cobble up 69th %tile TS positionally, despite being the NBA’s single worst 2P scorer (by over 6%), solely from maximizing extra points opportunities
My favorite 2026 Unique Production example is Keaton Wagler, the extra points king
His lack of athleticism/stocks makes him unpopular in query-heavy analysis but he creates extra points opportunities through OTD 3s, foul drawing, and offensive rebounding in ways no one else has
Coming off a 31-point explosion in his 2nd D1 game, I present THE LAZEREK HOUSTON INTERVIEW, with Nile!
We talk about his Nebraska roots, review his outlier FR tape & stat profile @ D2 Central Miss., and discuss his offszn growth in preparation for his SO szn w/ the Wazzu Cougs.
Important to separate the disaster that is trading your first round pick 15 months later for a couple 2nds from the “disaster” of giving up on Nique Clifford
Regrettable prospect evaluation and asset management but probably not a regrettable trade
He also went nearly a decade in MIL w/o playing alongside a traditional center so the assertion that he cant do it is just speculation
The Bucks (maybe the worst talent ID org of recent) made that choice in 2018 and stuck with it so now I have to treat that hypothesis as fact?
Like many MVP caliber players before him, Giannis the GM is bad enough that people are laying blame on Giannis the player, even retrospectively.
What skillset would he need to make a Davion Mitchell and Bam Adebayo PG/C combo work offensively?
Now that Giannis’s reputation is in the mud and everyone (rightfully) is vilifying him for his lack of port/scale/being impossible to build around can we talk about how AD as a #2 is a greater value add than Giannis as a #1 or is that still too woke? If so I can come back later
The early season AJ Dybantsa usage is much more of an issue than how Will Hardy is using Darryn Peterson (which has been fine to good). Utah’s roster construction is just a disaster.
He’s been on the ball a lot but part of the whole appeal of Peterson is what all he can do off the ball. Lauri/Ace/Key/Collier is not the group to maximize that
@draymottishaw Collier definitely isn’t good right now but his play/usage this year is wayyy more of a reflection of his higher profile teammates’ flaws than his own imo
Ep. 34 of The Fifth Factor Podcast is LIVE feat. Avi & Nile, a 2027 CBB T25 preview through a draft lens( Part 2):
Tap in for thoughts on:
- Tanner's junior year
- JSJ's projected role cluster
- Braden Huff beating the odds
plus Izan Almansa's redemption arc.
FWIW, Max Christie and Dalton Knecht were the first names to come to mind when trying to think of players that embody the inverse of “just doing stuff”
Assertiveness is the top trait I want in rotation players. Hate players that fit in or just play their role; should always push the envelope and be “doing stuff”
Every time Jaylen Clark plays, everyone is very aware that they’re watching Jaylen Clark play and I admire that a lot
Obviously it’s early, but this guy has been the best player in every basketball game he has ever played in his life (including our camps when he was 10 or so at Miami). This may have been more predictable than we thought.
I wrote about the misunderstood small ball movement and an archetype of point guard that can create the dynamism and versatility that stretch bigs generally fail to provide
This chart breaks down my vision of the pathway to being a “Third Guard” and which NBA guards fit the bill
For the better part of a decade, the rest of the NBA has struggled to recreate the Warrior’s dynastic synergy. @DBCJason subverts WHY they failed, details the true essence of small ball & identifies the teams’ most capable of maximizing the Third Guard. https://t.co/mJGMXxcgbs
Which NBA player gets their threes off the quickest?
Through the first week of the season, Reed Sheppard has the fastest average release time on threes (0.741 seconds) in the league.
Data: NBA Game Pulse / Inside the Game