There are good reasons why crimes covet more dunks than any shot in a basketball. Dunks create efficient crimes that often require a lot of space to achieve, both during transitions and due to defensive collapse. Therefore, players who can create dunks in the half-court settings often bring incredible value.
Before the NBA, many offensive stars made many thunderous punches in the half – Zion Williamson, Anthony Edwards, Giannis Antetokuneum, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell, to name just a few. I've been tracked manually every half-dunk of the 2025 NBA Draft Prospect and calculated how many they created:
A self-created half-dunk marks positive advantage creation and explosive twitching, and is a hallmark of many stars. Most of the 2025 NBA Draft Prospects I've tracked by hand, and this is the result
If they are not on the list, they create a zero-self-created HC dunk pic.twitter.com/oacadzy0hl
– Ben Pfeifer (@BJPF_) May 7, 2025
I define “self-creation” as any dunk caused by dribbling on space (not counting the gathering/power dribbling under hoops), which is usually caused by close offensive opportunities, isolation, catch and postal. There is some inherent subjectivity involved, but I'm trying to throw a wide network.
Players with more minutes and touches may swell the dunk numbers than players who don’t play too much and not all self-created dunks. Still, tracking half-dunk creations is a rough proxy for advantage creation, burst and vertical athletic ability.
Let's dig into some of the more specific prospects that can be collected from self-created half-dunk rankings.
Nique Clifford
The self-created half-dunk leader of the 2025 draft may surprise some. The Scouts often discuss Clifford as a versatile, comprehensive complementary school (with a lot of truths), but his athleticism deserves more. For the 6'6 wing, Clifford's excellent burst and explosiveness helped him to cause a dunk to the defensive defense.
Enjoy some of my favorites Nique Clifford's self-created half-dunks whose athleticism is underestimated
On the wing, there are some impressive vertical + horizontal twitches in any 2025 outlook vertical + horizontal twitches. pic.twitter.com/sin0mpnkz9
– Ben Pfeifer (@BJPF_) May 7, 2025
Colorado State University Mission Clifford takes on many major creative responsibilities that he may not see at the next level. He tried a steady half-court shot at the rim this season and scored a 37.3% free throw rate. Clifford's explosiveness and creation of advantages should allow him to grow as a tilted attacker on defense.
Queen Derek
The scout report usually does not mention Derek Queen’s elite sports tools when discussing the rise. Confusingly, the Queen became a driver and an internal scorer among NCAA rivals, largely due to the advantage of the sport. Few big men attack the edge with the Queen's speed, strength, agility and flexibility, resulting in a lot of self-generated half-dunks and impressive highlights.
The jaw hit his guard on the floor of Derik Queen and then exploded with a dunk. idk idk he might be special pic.twitter.com/wifziqpk0a
– Ben Pfeifer (@BJPF_) December 6, 2024
In most statistical scouts, the queen is a sports indicator. He is an elite rebounder (24.5% defensive rebound rate, 9% offensive rebound rate), and his aggressive fouls (54.6% free throw rate) and steal rate (2%) indicate an active athletic tool. The Queen’s unique body type and play style should not allow us to discount his athletic potential.
Ryan Kalkbrenner
I can't say I want Kalkbrenner to sit at the top of the Dunk Creation rankings, as most towering centers dunk the ball on the cylinder, fold back and rebound. Kalkbrenner, who led the NCAA this season (107), has shown some newfound offensive skills this season, including this annoying countdown pick, which leads to a lightning impact:
Right! Kalkbrenner scored three times this season with PNR Ballhandler, which was the dunks generated there. Cool stuff pic.twitter.com/7qqinloywx
– Ben Pfeifer (@BJPF_) May 7, 2025
Kalkbrenner's ability to create dunks on drives and posts may suggest that the Boy Scouts are overlooking some potential offensive upside space. If Kalkbrenner continues to improve as a shooter, his influence as a seven-foot close creator could be like valuable stretching big men like Myles Turner and Brook Lopez.
adou thiero
Although Thiero recorded four self-created half-dunks, it is important to remember that he missed nine games due to his injury. Thiero is one of five players in 6'6, or has cut 40 dunks this season and played the fewest games in the group. He is a blatantly excellent athlete and arguably the best quick build for any player in the draft.
Adou Thiero is the obvious contender for the most explosive player in the 2025 draft, and despite a lot of time missing this season, the dunker is highly creative.
His Elite Speed -> Generation reminds me of Elite Edge Stormtroopers, his incredible twitching pic.twitter.com/izh7khkftg
– Ben Pfeifer (@BJPF_) May 7, 2025
Thiero's external shooting and limited playoffs may limit his offensive ceiling, especially in the playoffs where the team punishes poorer shooters. He may be a special athlete who can overcome these limitations even with minor shooting improvements.
