As a data scientist raised in Chicago’s mixed-income neighborhoods, I’ve seen how emotion masks itself as loyalty to tradition. Last year, the bench warmer wasn’t just a footnote—he was a statistical anomaly. This year, AI-driven models reveal who gets ignored before the draft. It’s not about talent. It’s about systemic bias hidden in spreadsheets. The data doesn’t lie. But are we still choosing to look away from it?

I watched the draft board shift not as numbers, but as silent prayers. Hugo Gonzalez slipped to 24—not a fall, but a recalibration of potential. Jase Richardson climbed to 29—not a rise, but a quiet affirmation of unseen grit. Behind every pick lies a story coded in motion graphics: the hesitation between the buzzer and the roar. This isn’t hype. It’s soul measured in seconds.