NBA draft
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Enjoyed watching the Devonte highlight videos back from Brewster academy here : http://www.nbadraft.net/players/devonte-graham
Forgot how good he already was coming in. And the hops!
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Heard and have read the term “clogged paint” way too much now … it seems to be the phrase of the day in trying to explain how bigs will supposedly perform better in the NBA.
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@BeddieKU23 It didn’t stop Ayton from going 1st. I’m still floored he was allowed to finish the season. Of course Ayton’s talent exceeds Prestons by quite a bit.
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Preston may be a winner because he gets to pick his situation. Being drafted locks him into a certain situation with no control over where he goes. I was actually happy for Malik that he didn’t get drafted once it got deep into the second round. Better to choose a situation that is a good fit where you can be successful than be forced into a bad situation.
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I mentioned that not being picked late was better for Preston because he has some choice with whom to sign. However, I would not call him a winner at all, he will probably sign a minimum, non-guaranteed contract instead of the multi-million guaranteed contract that lottery picks get. A #10 pick gets a contract wort well over $13M over 4 years where the minimum contract is around $550K. Considering that Preston has played a grand total of 3 games (in Croatia?) chances are he will get a 2 way contract like Newman did and is is worth $70K plus pro-rated money when he is called to the League…no way he is a winner. I will guess coaches will be using him as an example of what happens when you take money under the table and risk eligibility.
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I don’t know how this draft compares to past drafts… but it seems like the Big 12 is well represented this time!
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Malik should look at his International options. He’s the right profile for world ball… physical!
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Would Preston have been a lottery pick had he played at KU? I think that’s the question that hasn’t been asked.
Preston was ranked 11th by 24/7. He was ranked 20th by Rivals. He was ranked 18th by ESPN. That would have put him on the edge of being a lottery selection from the beginning (not including upperclassmen and foreign players) at best.
Luka Doncic, Miles Bridges, Mikal Bridges and Jerome Robinson were all taken in the lottery. That means there were 10 freshmen selected in the lottery. Preston was not ranked in the top 10 in his class. The only freshmen selected in the lottery that was always ranked behind Preston were Trae Young and Shae Gilgeous Alexander. Even had Preston had a strong season at KU, it’s unlikely he moves in front of Young or any of the guys previously ranked in front of him.
Preston would not have been a lottery pick, even if he had played at KU and played very well. Let’s say he played at KU and played just okay. He’s probably a late first, early second round pick at best. Chances that Preston was absolutely going to get a guaranteed deal if he played at KU, given his HS ranking, were pretty low. He wasn’t a top 10 player in his class according to any ranking, and the consensus had him lower than 15.
Billy Preston was unlikely to be a lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft unless he had a great season (consensus All American) similar to Trae Young that vaulted him into that level.
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Billy and Mitchell Robinson were really dumb, or I stand corrected, I still think it was Billy’s mom.
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Preston was projected to be lottery pick in many if not most of the pre-season mock drafts because he has/had the tools that the NBA likes, unlike other higher ranked HS players that are good or even great college players but whose game does not translate to the NBA. Even with a decent, not great, season he would have been a first round pick and with a good to very good season likely a lottery pick. The Summer League, if he can hook up with a team, will be his best chance to show what he can do and, gIven his lack of exposure and unknown durability (he was injured playing 3 games in Croatia after all), his most likely destination will be the G League with maybe a 2-way contract…or Croatia.
I still think that Preston was one of the bigger losers in the draft and a cautionary tale for future players. I just cannot see how he is a winner, no way, no how, no ma’am.
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Crimsonorblue22 said:
Billy and Mitchell Robinson were really dumb, or I stand corrected, I still think it was Billy’s mom.
Agreed. The Prestons took the short term little (relatively speaking) money and blew the long term big money and security. Robinson had what NBA teams look for and had he played somewhere and anywhere near his potential he would have been a lottery pick. Maybe NBA teams are finally starting to factor character and judgement; hopefully this creates a cautionary tale for future prospects. There is no question that college basketball is still the best path to showcase talent and move up.
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Chalmers #34, Mason! #34, Graham #34…KU’s lucky number?
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approxinfinity said:
@HighEliteMajor tbh I expected it to be Porter with the history of Embiid and Simmons.
Porter select by Denver which is owned by Kroenke who is a MU graduate and big donor…perhaps saving Porter further embarrassment?
Porter could be the steal of the draft or the next Greg Oden.
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Anyone else notice that Svi, D’tae and Malik go to teams that wear PURPLE??? Gaaaahhhh!,
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@JayHawkFanToo Would have been something to see how far he would have fallen had the Kroenke’s not been there to save him.
There has to be some serious red flags in his medical for him to fall that far.
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JayHawkFanToo said:
Chalmers #34, Mason! #34, Graham #34…KU’s lucky number?
That’s pretty wild!
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Woodrow said:
JayHawkFanToo said:
Chalmers #34, Mason! #34, Graham #34…KU’s lucky number?
That’s pretty wild!
Paul Pierce wore #34
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I prefer 1, 3, and 6
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JayHawkFanToo said:
There is no question that college basketball is still the best path to showcase talent and move up.
College is the path that most of the talent currently follows.
Kobe Bryant will be a Hall of Famer and he spent exactly 0 seconds playing college basketball. Kevin Garnett will be a Hall of Famer and he spent exactly 0 seconds playing college basketball. Lebron James is either the best or second best player of all time, and he spent (one moment, let me check to be sure) yes, zero seconds playing college basketball.
College basketball currently gets most of the best potential NBA talent, so it is reasonable that most NBA draftees have some college experience.
But that doesn’t mean college is the best path. Perry Ellis was a pretty highly ranked recruit and a McDonald’s All American. He spent four years at one of the best college basketball programs in history. He has played in one preseason NBA game, and 50 G League games.
If college was the best place to showcase talent and move up, Perry Ellis would be in the NBA right now. He is not.
If college was the best path, there would be no OAD pipeline, because players would be staying in college to develop and move up.
There are lots of development paths. The rules currently dictate that players be out of HS for a full year before going to the NBA, otherwise players like Ayton, Bagley, etc. would never have even set foot on a college campus. Bagley reclassified to move up his eligibility for the draft.
Talent is the key. Whatever path NBA potential follows will become the path, whatever that may be.
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Kobe Bryant will be a Hall of Famer and he spent exactly 0 seconds playing college basketball. Kevin Garnett will be a Hall of Famer and he spent exactly 0 seconds playing college basketball. Lebron James is either the best or second best player of all time, and he spent (one moment, let me check to be sure) yes, zero seconds playing college basketball.
…and all 3 player joined the NBA BEFORE the NBA rule requiring players to be 19 and one year after their graduating classes, right? Currently that path is not available so it is disingenuous and misleading to bring it up. Should it be done way with it then a direct jump to the League by a few selected top players might indeed be the best path but until such time, college is still the best way and better, in my opinion, than the G League, which is backed up by all the top prospects that select college over the G League or overseas play. If college would not be the current best path, all the top players would be doing something else instead of playing college ball.
As far as Perry Ellis, how does he fit in this analysis? He could have stayed 10 years in college, which many claim he did anyway, and things would not be any different. He is the stereotype tweener that is a good or even great college player but whose game does not translate to the NBA. TRob has the same issue, he could have gone directly to the NBA (unlikely) or play 4 years in college and the result would be the same even whe he was a great college player (runner-up POY to the Unibrow).
By the way, I did not say that 4years of college is the best path, I said that until the NBA changes its rules, college is indeed the best path.
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Apparently LBron’s people told the Lakers that if LeBron ends up with them Lonzo must go.
When do his kids finally tell daddy Ball to stop hurting their chances?
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JayHawkFanToo said: TRob has the same issue, he could have gone directly to the NBA (unlikely) or play 4 years in college and the result would be the same even whe he was a great college player (runner-up POY to the Unibrow).
I love T-Rob. I truly think that his problem is that he is impatient. He thinks that he deserves pt. He makes comments like he would be the best rebounder in the NBA given the pt. He makes derogatory comments about the clubs he has played for like the 76ers. If he would have trusted the process he could still be on the 76ers roster but he made public demands to be traded because he wouldn’t buy in to losing. If he would just buy in to being a backup he would eventually play his way into being a starter. Its too bad that he is not in the NBA.
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Preston signs with the Cavs.
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Kevin Pritchard also picked #34…
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@HighEliteMajor beat me to it:
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Happy for Billy, I know a lot of people have harped on him and I ain’t saying he deserves a free pass but no ones perfect and I’d be willing to several players gotta away with more.
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The Cavs are supposedly interested in Kemba Walker. They won’t get him, but presumably the return package would include George Hill? Lol
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Grimes projected #6 next year. Enjoy him while we have him because it wont be long
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BeddieKU23 said:
Grimes projected #6 next year. Enjoy him while we have him because it wont be long
Yepppp
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Does any one know the type of contract Preston signed?
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Svi’s catch & shoot open 3-point percentage by season: Freshman: 55% (on tiny sample) Sophomore: 53% Junior: 52% Senior: 55%
Did you all see this?
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Early Svi defensive notes:
- Closes out v well
- He’s exactly where you want him positionally like 95% of the time
- Tags roll men & recovers well
- I’m seeing him do a lot of talking & pointing to switch
- Defends w/feet, doesn’t commit dumb fouls on drives
- Hops around on D
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Statmachine said:
Svi’s catch & shoot open 3-point percentage by season: Freshman: 55% (on tiny sample) Sophomore: 53% Junior: 52% Senior: 55%
Did you all see this?
Whoa, that falloff as a junior is a real eyebrow raiser. What’s wrong with this guy?
