Could this long, multi-tooled player be a take?
As the 2025 NBA Draft approaches, few prospects have sparked the level of intrigue quite like Rasheer Fleming. Standing at 6-foot-9 with a reported 7-foot-5 wingspan, Fleming’s imposing physical profile is hard to ignore, especially in an era where defensive versatility and floor spacing are coveted commodities. After a strong season at Saint Joseph’s, the rangy forward has drawn interest from multiple franchises seeking glue guys who can thrive in a modern, switch-heavy scheme.
Defensive Disruption: Fleming’s Calling Card
Fleming’s greatest impact lies on the defensive end, where his length, anticipation, and motor combine to form a disruptive force. His instincts as a help-side rim protector are well beyond his age, and he consistently demonstrates an advanced understanding of when to rotate, challenge, or recover. He averaged 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game at Saint Joseph’s, not just stat-padding numbers but the result of calculated timing and length utilization.
What sets him apart isn’t just his ability to contest shots but his capacity to switch onto wings and even certain guards. While he’s not yet a lockdown perimeter defender, his combination of lateral mobility and wingspan allows him to credibly cover multiple positions, including 2s through 5s.
A Reliable Spot-Up Option with Room to Grow
Offensively, Fleming operates mostly within the role of a connective piece rather than a creator. He shot a highly respectable 39% from beyond the arc on over four attempts per game, a testament to how much work he’s put into his perimeter shot since high school. While his mechanics aren’t pristine, his results are reliable, especially from the corners and above the break in catch-and-shoot situations.
Beyond his shooting, Fleming is extremely efficient as a finisher. He converted nearly 68% of his attempts at the rim, thriving off cuts, putbacks, and as a roll man in pick-and-roll action. He posted elite efficiency metrics in those areas, routinely finishing plays off movement or collapsing defenders with his verticality and length.
Still, there’s plenty of growth left in his offensive package. Fleming’s handle is rudimentary, and his comfort level creating his own shot or passing off the bounce is limited. In isolation or when forced to improvise, he can look robotic or indecisive. He doesn’t yet possess the shiftiness or pace to manipulate defenders as a primary or secondary ball-handler. For now, he projects firmly as a low-usage player who scores within the flow of the offense.
Elite Motor, Character, and Development Trajectory
What scouts and coaches rave about even more than his tools is Fleming’s attitude. Described as coachable, humble, and intensely driven, he retooled his body and mindset over the past 18 months, shifting from a raw, occasionally passive player into a fierce competitor. His transformation has been tangible, from how he approaches conditioning, to his attention to detail during film sessions.
This maturity and growth trajectory suggests he’s far from a finished product. Fleming has become the type of player who doesn’t just accept coaching, he internalizes it. That quality can’t be measured in wingspan or vertical leap, but it may be the most bankable aspect of his NBA projection.
Fit with the Atlanta Hawks: Defensive DNA and Low-Maintenance Offense
The Hawks enter this draft needing to bolster their frontcourt with size, defensive versatility, and off-ball scoring. With the 13th and 22nd picks, they’re well-positioned to target players who may not have All-Star ceilings but could thrive in specialized roles. Fleming’s profile aligns perfectly with that model.
As the Hawks seek to continue improving their perimeter and point of attack defense, Fleming offers immediate help in a number of ways. Whether he’s guarding oversized wings or protecting the rim in small ball lineups, his ability to plug gaps makes him an ideal rotational defender.
Offensively, his floor spacing, especially if he can increase volume, relieves pressure on ball handlers. In the Hawks’ current construction, there’s room for a player who can grab rebounds, defend multiple positions, and knock down open shots without demanding touches.
Areas for Growth: Handling, Consistency, and Functional Athleticism
Despite his strengths, Fleming’s NBA success will hinge on addressing a few critical areas. His handle needs refining, not necessarily to become a creator, but to survive NBA-level closeouts and pressure defenses. If he can make one or two dribbles into a mid-range pull-up or a driving kick-out, he opens new layers in his game.
His shot consistency is another focal point. While 39% from three is a strong number, scouts want to see if it holds up at the NBA line, at a higher pace, and with more contested looks. His free throw percentage—a traditional proxy for shooting touch—is still below where you’d like it for a true stretch forward.
Fleming is fluid but not outlier explosive. His shuttle times and vertical leap scores at the combine were middling, which may cap his defensive switch range against lightning quick guards. He’ll need to rely more on angles, anticipation, and effort than raw foot speed, much like veteran wings who survive on IQ and positioning. However, his effort and motor must be considered true plus qualities in this area also.
Draft Stock and Outlook
Fleming is currently projected to land anywhere from the late lottery to the mid-20s in most mock drafts. That variability reflects both the optimism about his tools and the questions about his ceiling. For a team like Atlanta, sitting at pick 13, he could be a value swing on a player who fills immediate gaps while offering growth upside.
Teams prioritizing defense, versatility, and mental makeup will find much to like in Fleming. Those needing an instant scorer or offensive focal point may look elsewhere. But in a class filled with uncertainty, Fleming offers a rare combination of physical gifts and character traits that reduce the risk associated with a mid-first-round pick.
Conclusion
Rasheer Fleming may not be a household name just yet, but his game checks the right boxes for teams building sustainable winning cultures. For Atlanta, he could serve as a defensive foundation, a low ego offensive piece, and a long term contributor in the mold of today’s most valuable role players. While his skill set remains unfinished, the willingness to improve, and the proof that he’s already doing, makes him one of the more intriguing, safe upside bets in the 2025 draft pool.
As the Hawks continue to emphasize culture fit, they would do well to consider the quiet effectiveness, positional adaptability, and developmental promise that Fleming brings to the table. He might not be the loudest pick, but he could prove to be one of the smartest.