Fran Fraschilla Is Not A Fan Of Chukwudiebere Maduabum

by Scott Schroeder on Jun 28, 2025 11:15 AM EDT in NBA Draft 2011

Fran Fraschilla is an ESPN College Basketball Analyst and former coach at Manhattan, Saint John's and New Mexico, according to his Twitter biography. Not listed there, however, is that ESPN's European expert is not a fan of the D-League.

Fraschilla took to Twitter on Monday night to discuss that fact, writing that the Los Angeles Lakers selection of Chukwudiebere Maduabum's selection with the 56th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft was "disrespectful."

Didn't chime in draft night but disrespectful that good college players do 15 workouts for teams get passed up for guy averaging .7 in NDBL.

I'm not necessarily ready to defend Maduabum's skills on the court considering he simply hasn't played enough professional basketball stateside to judge him one way or the other, but considering he worked out for the Denver Nuggets, that should discount half of Fraschilla's argument right off the bat.

The Nuggets brokered a draft night trade for Maduabum, with the details at the preceding link, after general manager Masai Ujiri drafted the player he apparently discovered in his home country of Nigeria. That's not to say there weren't players with better resumes available at that point of the night, but considering Maduabum worked out for the Nuggets and Ujiri was obviously familiar with his play, Fraschilla's argument rings a bit hollow.

For the record, Mr. Fraschilla, the acronym 'NBDL' hasn't been used by the D-League since 2005.

Oh, and if anyone was wondering, Chu Chu does have Twitter.

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I’m glad we traded him.

"That took some ovaries to do" ~ Danica Patrick

by Cup Noodles on Jun 28, 2025 12:35 PM EDT reply actions

What does Fraschilla expect the Nuggets to do?

Draft one of the 15 players that were nice enough to try out, even if the Nuggets think Chuk is the better prospect?

by SagehenMacGyver47 on Jun 28, 2025 2:24 PM EDT reply actions

maybe it wasn’t a good decision, but how the hell is it ‘disrespectful’ ??

by tkired on Jun 28, 2025 11:48 PM EDT reply actions

I think it is disrespectful on two front's,

first to the players who worked-out and received positive evaluations from the Nuggets (or Lakers) only tho then draft Maduabum. Secondly, to the Nuggets (and Lakers) scouts who spent the entier season working on reports, bios, etc.. on the afforementioned college players only to have their boss (Ujiri) draft this guy because of a connection not related to pro ball. Yes it is the 56th overall pick and in the scheme of things doesn’t really matter, but it does matter to us (obviously) and to the people who work on scouting and the players vying for that 56th pick. There is nothing about ChuChu’s on-court production, measurables, or any bit of information found that gave him some advantage over the guys Fraschilla is talking about.

by Surujh Operator on Jun 29, 2025 3:56 AM EDT reply actions

Chu Chu worked out for them too!

Bottom line? If you didn’t see his workouts, but are arguing in favor of other guys that worked out for the Nuggets that it’s disrespectful to not draft them because they also worked out for the Nuggets, your argument is flawed.

I write about basketball players with Ridiculous Upside. I know you'll love it.

by Scott Schroeder on Jun 29, 2025 8:19 AM EDT up reply actions

I'm interpreting the tweet

from Fraschilla “good college players do 15 workouts for teams” meaning that they worked harder and longer to impress teams. Yes, ChuChu worked out for the Nuggets, but he also didn’t do anything in his limited time in the D-League and none of us (I think) read any glowing reports of his workout with Denver to make anyone believe that he was going to get drafted.
I can see, understand and in this case agree with the disbelief that he was actually drafted. That’s my only point.

by Surujh Operator on Jun 29, 2025 9:04 AM EDT up reply actions

Why give players credit for working “harder and longer to impress teams” if they didn’t actually impress those teams enough to get them drafted?

That’s like saying signing a Collins brother should be signed over every possible D-League player because they’ve been in the NBA longer.

I write about basketball players with Ridiculous Upside. I know you'll love it.

by Scott Schroeder on Jun 29, 2025 9:39 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs

You played the Collins Bros.

trump card…you win.

by Surujh Operator on Jun 29, 2025 9:44 AM EDT up reply actions

Rec

Go Suns, Packers, Jays, and Huskers!

Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl XLV Champions!!!!

I also edit things at Ridiculous Upside. Check it out.

by Omaha Sun on Jun 29, 2025 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Last point

How do you think this makes a guy like Jamine Peterson look, when they go to the D-League, produce (somehwat effectively) and then get passed up for someone who appeared in three games in the same league for a total of 5 minutes???

by Surujh Operator on Jun 29, 2025 3:58 AM EDT reply actions

I don't think Jamine proved himself draftable in his time in the D-League

So I’d rather take the chance on a guy I don’t know enough about but could have potential rather than a guy I watched that I know enough about his skillset that I wouldn’t want to draft him.

I write about basketball players with Ridiculous Upside. I know you'll love it.

by Scott Schroeder on Jun 29, 2025 8:17 AM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, ok Jamine wasn't the greatest

example, but then even take Jeremy Wise from last season. Far superior performer and talent compared to Peterson and if he was in this year’s draft and ChuChu got selcted, wouldn’t that put some serious doubts into his (any other player’s mind) over the benefit of busting it in the D-League???
And the fact that they drafted someone who even the Jam’s own guy said has the chance to have potential upside (something along those lines) is a stretch and a half.
But again, it’s #56 in weak draft, so we move on with our lives.

by Surujh Operator on Jun 29, 2025 9:08 AM EDT up reply actions

That, I can agree on

I would have drafted JWise this season over both of these players and think he would’ve had a legitimate gripe if he was in this draft class.

I write about basketball players with Ridiculous Upside. I know you'll love it.

by Scott Schroeder on Jun 29, 2025 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Teams always take flyers on bigs with "upside" late in round 2

this may not seem fair to the numerous 6-foot guards who were great in college, but at least Chu Chu didn’t occupy a lottery pick like big-busts Nikoloz Tskitashivli, or Stacey King or Sam Bowie or Chric Washburn.
Maybe Ujiri is favoring a fellow Nigerian, or maybe he just knows something that others don’t know because of the Nigerian connection.

by slader on Jul 1, 2025 5:03 AM EDT reply actions