NBA Draft Breakdown: Top 5 Bigs + Alex Karaban Interview

Cameron Boozer leads the class of bigs in the NBA Draft and Es Baraheni is here to break down these players with John Hollinger and CJ Moore of the Athletic. Can Caleb Wilson actually be the best player in the class? Is Steinbach a potential starter? All that and more. Then after the break Alex Karaban of the UConn Huskies joins Es to answer some “get to know you” questions.

Host: Es Baraheni
With: John Hollinger, CJ Moore, and Alex Karaban
Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio/Video Producer: Alex Oliver

Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro
00:38 - Who is the number one big in the 2026 NBA draft?
01:03 - Cameron Boozer - the highest floor of any big in this class
02:35 - What are the concerns around Boozer?
04:36 - Where does Cameron Boozer fit best?
06:28 - Does the spacing in the NBA actually help Boozer finish more easily?
07:58 - Who is the number two big in this class?
08:17 - Caleb Wilson is the most exciting big man prospect in the class
12:01 - What is a fair comp for Caleb Wilson?
13:12 - Who is the number three big?
14:13 - How do Aday Mara's Wemby-like measurements change how teams evaluate him?
16:45 - Where does Aday Mara fit best - and why Atlanta at eight makes sense
21:34 - What team makes the most sense for Steinbach?
23:23 - John's left field number 4 big - Allen Graves
26:01 - What is the comp for Allen Graves?
28:13 - Morez Johnson - the number five big who plays so hard it's impossible to ignore
32:25 - Getting to know Alex Karaban - two-time NCAA champion with UConn
34:24 - What does Alex Karaban's perfect off day look like?
36:39 - What does Alex believe about basketball that most people would disagree with?
37:34 - What did the experiences of highs and lows with UConn teach Alex?
39:26 - What's the best piece of advice Dan Hurley ever gave?
40:35 - How does Dan Hurley stay zen?
42:09 - What is something in Alex's game that doesn't show up on the stat sheet?
44:26 - Guilty pleasure snack or cheat meal?
45:16 - Are there more wheels or doors in the world?
46:44 - What one skill from any current NBA player would you add to your game?
47:38 - Do you have a comp?
48:17 - What would your superpower be?
49:04 - What would your walkout song be?
49:52 - What's something you do daily that's not basketball related?
50:39 - What is Alex reading?

Full Episodes Playlist: youtube.com/playlist

Shorts Playlist: youtube.com/playlist

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