NBA Draft 2025: Assessing the Most Awe-Inspiring Slam Dunkers in the Prospect Pool
Basketball Slams Rule the Court, and for a good reason! Dunks in basketball generate highly efficient offenses and often require ample space to pull off, whether it's during transition or due to defensive breakdowns. Players who can create dunks in half-court scenarios offer immense value.
In the NBA, several offensive powerhouses have showcased their dunking prowess in half-court settings, such as Zion Williamson, Anthony Edwards, Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Evan Mobley, and Donovan Mitchell. A basketball analyst, Ben Pfeifer, handpicked the 2025 NBA Draft prospects' half-court dunks and counted how many they created.
Creating self-generated half-court dunks signifies a player's ability to create advantages and exhibits explosive twitch, a hallmark of many stars. Below, I present the results, along with some insightful prospect takeaways.
Nique Clifford
Clifford, the 2025 Draft's self-created half-court dunk leader, might surprise some. Often discussed as a versatile, well-rounded complementary wing, Clifford deserves more attention for his athleticism. As a 6'6 wing, Clifford's excellent burst and explosiveness help him create dunks against set defenses.
Colorado State allocated Clifford with plenty of primary creation responsibility, which he's unlikely to experience at the next level. With a solid 30% of his half-court shots aimed at the basket this season and a 37.3% free-throw rate, Clifford's explosiveness and advantage creation should allow him to thrive as a closeout attacker against tilted defenses in a scaled-back role.
Derik Queen
Scouting reports often fail to mention Derik Queen's elite athletic tools when discussing his upside. That's puzzling, as Queen dominated NCAA opponents as a driver and interior scorer primarily due to his athletic advantages. Few big men attack the rim with Queen's speed, power, agility, and flexibility, leading to plenty of self-generated half-court dunks and impressive highlight plays.
Ryan Kalkbrenner
I wasn't expecting Kalkbrenner to secure a top position on the dunk creation leaderboards, as most tall centers dunk the ball on lobs, putbacks, and cuts to the rim. However, Kalkbrenner, who led the NCAA in dunks this season (107), showcased some newfound offensive skill this season, including this nasty inverted pick-and-roll, which led to an easy flush.
Kalkbrenner's ability to create dunks on drives and post-ups could signal some latent offensive upside that scouts have overlooked to this point. If Kalkbrenner continues to improve as a shooter, his impact as a seven-foot closeout-creator could resemble valuable stretch bigs like Myles Turner and Brook Lopez.
Adou Thiero
Though Thiero recorded only four self-created half-court dunks, it's essential to remember he missed nine games due to injury. Thiero was one of five players at 6'6 or smaller to record 40 dunks this season and played the fewest games of the group. He's an undeniably exceptional athlete, with arguably the best speed-to-power generation of any player in the draft.
Thiero's weak outside shooting and limited playmaking could cap his offensive ceiling, especially during the postseason, where teams penalize poor shooters. However, Thiero's special athleticism might be enough to overcome those limitations, even with minor shotmaking improvement.
- Nique Clifford's impressive number of self-generated half-court dunks in the 2025 NBA Draft demonstrates his hidden athleticism and ability to create advantages.
- Derik Queen, often overlooked for his athletic tools, dominated NCAA opponents with his driving and interior scoring, resulting in numerous self-generated half-court dunks.
- Ryan Kalkbrenner's impressive showing on the dunk creation leaderboards this season suggests some latent offensive upside, showcasing newfound skills like the inverted pick-and-roll.
- Despite recording only four self-generated half-court dunks due to injury, Adou Thiero's exceptional speed-to-power generation and impressive athleticism offer potential to overcome his limited offensive ceiling.
- K7mlc44fqd, a basketball analyst, counted the half-court dunks of the 2025 NBA Draft prospects to evaluate their ability to create advantages and thrive as closeout attackers.
- In the NBA, several offensive powerhouses showcase their dunking prowess in half-court settings, such as Zion Williamson, Anthony Edwards, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James.
- NBA teams have leverage in postseason play, as they can penalize poor shooters, making explosive athletes who can create their own offense, like Adou Thiero, valuable assets in basketball.
