The NBA Is a Copycat League: The Playoff Bump Effect and Copying the Right Cat in the 2025 NBA Draft

In this episode of the Locked On NBA Big Board Podcast, Rafael and James Barlowe discuss the concept of the “playoff bump” — the phenomenon where a player’s draft stock rises due to the success of similar player archetypes in the NBA Playoffs. With the league being a copycat environment, teams often look to replicate the success of winning formulas. Rafael and James dive into which 2025 NBA Draft prospects could benefit from this trend, identifying players whose skills, roles, or intangibles mirror those of impact performers from the 2025 NBA Finals. 2:27 – Carter Bryant compared to Kawhi Leonard/OG Anunoby 3:22 – Dylan Harper compared to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 5:15 – Tre Johnson 6:25 – Khaman Maluach compared to Myles Turner 11:50 – Noa Essengue compared to Pascal Siakam 21:34 – Isaiah Joe’s impact linked to Chaz Lanier 23:00 – Ryan Nembhard compared to TJ McConnell #NBADraft2025 #NBABigBoard #LockedOnNBA #NBAProspects #DraftStock #PlayoffBump #NBADraftTalk #NBADraftPodcast #NBAPlayoffsEffect #CopycatLeague #CarterBryant #DylanHarper #KhamanMaluach #NoaEssengue #ChazLanier #RyanNembhard #KawhiLeonard #OGAnunoby #ShaiGilgeousAlexander #MylesTurner #PascalSiakam #IsaiahJoe #TJMcConnell