Getting this thread back on the tracks, well sort of. Although the 2024-25 team might not be the best we've ever had, it might be the deepest if the players develop and successfully learn to execute Hurley's offense and defense. If you were to select the top 5 players and match them up against the next 5, and they scrimmaged a bunch of times I'd bet the outcome might be close to a 50/50 split.
The only question I have is will a couple or a few players learn to consistently make plays and shots during winning time and when opponents mount a run on them. I think the talent is there to do so, but it takes having players who are able to keep their heart rate down, their mind focused and their emotions in check.
We got that last season from Newton and Spencer, and at times from Karaban, Diarra and Castle. There were so many clutch plays made by different players each game, though Tristen and Cam seemed to knock down some huge shots when needed most that simply tore the hearts out of their opponents. It's one of the reasons that we often won by double digits even when teams closed the gap with a late run.