Basketball Card Buying season
The Playoffs are finally here. The real NBA season has finally started. The Playoffs mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. For me, NBA Playoff time means it’s basketball card buying season. While one might think prices peak in the Playoffs, for all but a few players, the NBA card market peaks in the month before the postseason. Players who are out or not contributing will start to be discounted.
From now until about a month before the season, I’ll look to add a few basketball cards to my very baseball-centric collection. I’ve got a few PC cards in mind, but my favorite thing to do with basketball is buying cards of young players and then following their careers.
I’ll certainly be picking up some Anthony Edwards and Cade Cunningham cards when/if they exit the Playoffs, but I like to find a less popular young player or two each year to stock up on.
I normally look for young (under 22), undervalued players who have a chance to mature into stars. None of these players are sure things. That’s why their cards are available for reasonable rates.
Last year, I stocked up on Amen Thompson. The year before, I stocked up on Anthony Edwards. The year before, it was SGA. I’ve been on a bit of a hot streak if you ignore the Kumingas and Kesslers I was also big on. This year, I’ve got a few different players I’m trying to choose among. Let’s see who breaks my streak of decent offseason acquisitions.
You’re a Wizard, Harry
In the NBA, being told you are a Wizard is normally a bad thing. That’s changing and fast. The Wizards' young group of Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, and AJ Johnson will make Washington a fascinating team to watch next year.
I think one or two of them will wind up as stars, but I’m not sure which player(s) will make it. My gut tells me Carrington, but I don’t feel strongly enough about any of these four to make them my pick this year.
These players are all producing at a very young age, and you can snag a Silver Prizm of each of them for about $25 combined. They may not be my pick, but with prices like that, I’ll snag a few Silver and RWB Prizms of each and will make sure to get at least one really nice Carrington.
You Shall Not Pass
Isaiah Collier shall pass though. The 20-year-old broke John Stockton’s Utah Jazz record for most assists as a rookie. Collier is a legit true point guard in a league where that is incredibly valuable.
He’s inconsistent with his shot, and the hobby greatly favors scoring over passing. He’ll have to improve his scoring capability to make it big in the hobby. He doesn’t need to be a regular 30-point scorer, but 20 a game is probably the minimum for him to be a superstar.
He’s capable of that with a few improvements. I’m just leery of the lack of upside for point guards. They are highly sought after in the NBA, but not as much in the hobby.
Have fun storming the Castle
Stephon Castle is a popular pick to have a great career as he’s already shown he can be productive and has the enviable position of being the perfect complement to Wembanyama. I worry that he’ll be perceived as a second banana and not get enough respect in the hobby.
Second superstars have value in the sports card world, but there are limits. Dwayne Wade is probably the most respected one, but he had time as a clear superstar in his own right first. Klay Thompson, Jaylen Brown, and Scottie Pippen are all awesome. They’ve all seen their hobby value capped by not being “the” guy on their teams. Castle seems destined to join them. I’m just looking for higher hobby upside.
It’s a trap
Keyonte George and Shaedon Sharpe had the highest scoring averages for players 21 and under not named Wembanyama. That makes them worth checking out.
George has been inconsistent, which is par for the course for young NBA players. The Jazz seem to be impatient with him, and it looks like they might be favoring the playmaking Collier more. His sophomore season has largely been viewed as a disappointment, and I’m looking for steady improvement.
Sharpe is the guy on paper who makes the most sense to me. He’s shown improvement, already has proven he can score, and is critical to his team’s success (Blazers were 22-17 with him compared to 14-29 without him).
So why am I not choosing him? It just feels like a trap. Something feels off. Maybe it’s the decline in 3-point shooting percentage each year. Maybe it’s the lost time to injury. Maybe it’s just bias against the Blazers. I’m not sure, but when I put a Shaedon Sharpe card in my eBay cart, my finger does not want to hit submit.
I might regret it. I’m still staying away from Sharpe for no good reason really.
Chewie, we’re home
Zaccharie Risacher should have a bit more heat as a number one pick, but collectors aren’t impressed. The image of him struggling with the season on the line is likely to keep his cards cold during the offseason.
There’s a lot to like, though. He’s got tons of talent and has a couple of years to develop with relatively low pressure on the Hawks. His numbers weren’t eye-popping this year, but he’s 19. 19-year-olds who get regular playing time in the NBA with half-decent production normally develop into stars.
He had a couple of 35+ point games towards the end of the season, giving collectors a glimpse of his upside. I don’t see him doing that regularly next year. I do think it is time to reevaluate his ceiling, as those 30-point games will certainly become more common next year.
I’m hesitant to make him my offseason pick. OTOH, I think he’d likely be my pick next year, so I might as well get a jump on picking up some cards. I don’t feel great about it, but I’m making Risacher my main upcoming star offseason target.
Ultimately, what won Risacher the spot was he was that I actually talked myself into buying a couple of Risacher cards when writing this. Follow the money and all that. Risacher is now my pick for the 2025 offseason, and I’m now the proud owner of my first two Risacher cards (Topps Now /10 and a Hopps Anti-Gravity /10 for those interested).
Wrap Up
So, Risacher it is for me. I’m also loading up on Cunningham and Edwards if the prices are right, but both of those guys are already too established in the hobby to be my pick for this exercise. With basketball prices so low, especially for young guys not named Wembanyama, I’ll snag some of the Wizards as well and probably a couple of Collier cards.