Borges: Calhoun at Practice, Drummond to Return?

[jfuchs91]

Link

• Blaney and Calhoun feel that UConn is already in the tournament, regardless of what happens in the Big East Tournament

• Shabazz said the team needs leadership and chemistry, but that they had both of those things in the win over Pitt. I also like this quote of his: "I see a lot of greatness, a lot of players destined for a lot of extraordinary things."

• Drummond was talking about how he hoped that being on the All-Rookie team was a stepping stone to eventually being First Team or even National Player of the Year. Despite what he keeps saying, it will be hard for him to pass up on the NBA, but the more he suggests that he's coming back the more I can believe it. He certainly appears to need another year of development.

 

[benjordan]

As much as I agree he needs another year.. it'd be irresponsible for him to stay if he was going to be a top 3 pick.

This kid did also say he was going to prep school up until 3 days before college classes started, so I wouldn't take his word as gospel.

 

[tzznandrew]

As much as I agree he needs another year.. it'd be irresponsible for him to stay if he was going to be a top 3 pick.

This kid did also say he was going to prep school up until 3 days before college classes started, so I wouldn't take his word as gospel.

Meh. Terrence Jones stayed another year. Harrison Barnes stayed another year. Jared Sullinger as well. The whole UNC team stayed another year after 2008.

The kid's got a lot of things going for him. If I were him, I might go, and will not begrudge him the slightest if he did. But sometimes there's more involved than money. Sullinger or Barnes would have been the #1 pick, and neither of them left. I wonder if they regret it?

 

[Edward Sargent]

As much as I agree he needs another year.. it'd be irresponsible for him to stay if he was going to be a top 3 pick.

This kid did also say he was going to prep school up until 3 days before college classes started, so I wouldn't take his word as gospel.

I wouldn't use the term irresponsible to describe his decision. Irresponsible would be if he screwed around with multiple prostitues ala Tiger Woods thus affecting his career.

 

[SubbaBub]

AD has some serious holes in his game. Holes he might never fix. If someone will draft him top 5, he should go. There is a non-negligible chance he could be exposed with another year and his stock fall.

Same goes for Lamb, another season of subdued court presence would hurt his.draft stock, though he would still be drafted.

We are in the NCAA, but a loss to DePaul would give other teams a shot to pass us.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[djct1999]

no one knows the future and what could happen.......if you are a top 5 pick, as much as I want to see him stay, there is only downside financially. in terms of draft status, few if any top 10 picks have gone back to school to do better the next year in the draft. best example is greg oden. thank god for he and his family he left!

 

[businesslawyer]

AD has some serious holes in his game. Holes he might never fix. If someone will draft him top 5, he should go. There is a non-negligible chance he could be exposed with another year and his stock fall.

Same goes for Lamb, another season of subdued court presence would hurt his.draft stock, though he would still be drafted.

We are in the NCAA, but a loss to DePaul would give other teams a shot to pass us.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

Honestly, I think that ship has sailed. I don't think he would be taken as high now as he would have been a year ago. Holes in his game that are going to keep him from having an impact in the NBA for a while were exposed. He can still be a high lottery pick, but I think coming back a year is more likely to improve his skills, and thus his stock, than bailing out now.

 

[huskyjawz]

Honestly, I think that ship has sailed. I don't think he would be taken as high now as he would have been a year ago. Holes in his game that are going to keep him from having an impact in the NBA for a while were exposed. He can still be a high lottery pick, but I think coming back a year is more likely to improve his skills, and thus his stock, than bailing out now.

can't you take out an insurance policy to protect against lost revenue from a career ending injury?

 

[RuffRuff]

Would be a tough call on AD's part. Without question, the kid has a ton he has to work on to even see the floor in the NBA. He'll be riding pine for awhile - but will probably have the opportunity to get coached up faster with better big man specialists and longer seasons.

With him, he still feels like a kid out there - from the emotional side. I mean, even the way he moves around the floor in that goofy way. The college environment and another year there would just generally be healthier for him in growing up ready for the NBA life.

From the NBA teams perspective, by the time he's ready to really contribute, he may be close to the end of his rookie contract and could hit the market. I guess it's all about how much of a rush his fam is in getting the coin. Only downside outside of sense of urgency there is just the injury risk factor - fairly small. If he could go through this year without seeing any hit to his stock, likely wouldn't next either. I'm not sure how draft classes measure up - but given a few guys held back last year, like the ones mentioned above, maybe more talent this year then next so waiting out a year puts him in better overall position.

My sense is he sticks around for another year.

 

[TopDog18]

Calhoun on Big East: “Somebody said, ‘It’ll be great to have you there. I said, no, it’d be better if Kemba was there.”

 

[Walker11]

I don't see how coming back could hurt him (unless he got injured). He has already been "exposed" this year as being rawer than once thought and is still probably the 2nd pick if he comes out. I think many posters don't realize or at least take his physical gifts for granted. People are not built like him, other than Howard.

And yes, you can take out an insurance policy. I thought I read Drummond already had one.

 

[iam76]

the kid is 18.... He will improve with more practice and coaching and effort. That can happen in the NBA or here at CT. As we heard from a nba scout... the nba sees uconn as a great place to develop.
Drummond will improve. Even Thabeet did....

 

[sparky]

Both can use some work, but Lamb already a NC and that may be the deciding factor for him. AD is so athletic, but lacks so much in BB fundamentals could and should come back.

 

[champs99and04]

At the end of the day it really depends on the financial situation of his family. Drummond already established the fact that he's not a normal kid when he gave up his scholarship for Mike Bradley. That was a great gesture on his part by all means, but in addition to Drummond being a great kid, I think it shows that he's either in a financially stable situation and/or money isn't as important to him as other things.

I do think the "injury" risk is a bit overexaggerated, though. Even if he blows out his knee, there is a good chance he's back within a year and retains 99% of the athleticism he wants had, considering the advancments in medicine and technology. Barring any sort of dramatic event, the kids infiinite ceiling and potential won't go anywhere over the next year, regardless of how quickly he develops. Even in the case of Greg Oden, he probably could have sat his sophmore year at OSU, put together a couple of good workouts, and still been picked in the top five. Point is, the money is always going to be there for Drummond. Even if he doesn't show any improvements over the next year, he's still a lottery pick based on his Godly physical abilities.

I would advice him to stay another year, but it's a very difficult decision and I'm sure us boneyarders will support him either way.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

AD has some serious holes in his game. Holes he might never fix. If someone will draft him top 5, he should go. There is a non-negligible chance he could be exposed with another year and his stock fall.

Disagree, his flaws are things that are best suited to be fixed in college as opposed to the pros. Free throw shooting is improved by practice and gym repetition, something far more suited to college with there being less games and more overall practice/after-practice time. He would do infinite good for himself by going to one or more of the summer big man camps, and then honing those skills for one more year against solid competition in college, then taking it to the pros. While he may get drafted high this year, it wouldn't be because of the skill set he has now, but based on potential. Calhoun is not one to tell his players to leave because they have the potential to be good, he tells them to leave when they already are that good, and there isn't much more that can be accomplished or learned in college. That absolutely cannot be said about Drummond, he has a lot he can add on top of his freakish natural talents.

 

[SubbaBub]

I don't see how coming back could hurt him (unless he got injured). He has already been "exposed" this year as being rawer than once thought and is still probably the 2nd pick if he comes out. I think many posters don't realize or at least take his physical gifts for granted. People are not built like him, other than Howard.

And yes, you can take out an insurance policy. I thought I read Drummond already had one.

For both AD and Lamb, coming back for another year and not showing big improvement would seriously hurt their stock. AD mores than JK.

I agree with Biz that the NBA sees this, and his grade has suffured but there will be some team in the lottery that drafts AD this year based on demonstrated athleticism and upside potential. Another year in college without developing post moves or being outrebounded by smaller guys and maybe not.

Also, no one shooting 30% FT sees the floor in the NBA. Shaq was about 50% and even he sat at times because of it. AD is no Shaq.

JCs almost always pushed lottery guys toward the draft whether they were ready or not. He understands the economics.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[Walker11]

I am going to be coming off as a dick but am not trying to when I say that you don't understand Drummond's draft prospects. He is always going to be a top 3 pick even if he doesn't improve a bit on offense. DeAndre Jordan just signed a 40 million dollar deal and all he can do is dunk and play D.

How far can you imagine Drummond actually falling?

 

[Huskies4ever]

I agree with Sparky and many others in this post. Drummond's athletecism and body are a perfect blend for a big man at the next level. As we all know, he lacks fundamentals and a real feel for the game. I remember reading somewhere where a few kids who were drafted out of high school and wound up busts claimed that at the NBA level there was a lot less teaching. IF this is true, it certainly would not hurt for AD to come back another year. The natural gifts are just so amazing. Look at what he's done this season. Solid for a freshman big. Imagine with more teaching!

 

[HuskyBballFan]

Barring injury, Andre Drummond is going to be a top 5 pick whenever he decides to declare for the draft.

 

[SubbaBub]

I think he's top 5 this year and maybe next year if he came back and showed even a little improvement.

But if a year or two years pass and he's not better under a HOF coach known for producing NBA players, that's gonna raise some red flags. Will some team take him, of course. There is a big difference in $ between pick 2 and pick 10. That's all I'm saying.

If he'll be #2 this year, JC will push him out.


Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

 

[Huskies4ever]

I like Jordan, but do you really believe he would have gotten that contract without Griffin? How about with Golden State? With the Clips, he just has to be ready to block a shot or catch a lob. He would be just another long, great athlete on any other team. Of which there are many. As UConn fans, we want better for Andre. We want him to be the best he can be. I hope his ceiling is not Deandre Jordan.

 

[jfuchs91]

I think he's top 5 this year and maybe next year if he came back and showed even a little improvement.

But if a year or two years pass and he's not better under a HOF coach known for producing NBA players, that's gonna raise some red flags. Will some team take him, of course. There is a big difference in $ between pick 2 and pick 10. That's all I'm saying.

If he'll be #2 this year, JC will push him out.

While I agree that Calhoun is usually the one to push players the the NBA if the time is right, he's usually also very concerned about the second contract, not just where the player gets drafted. Like others have said, Drummond will be a top 5 pick whenever he declares just solely based on his ungodly physical gifts. However, if he wants a better chance at someday living up to his full potential, I think he would be better off staying another year at school. There is more freedom and teaching at the college level than in the NBA.

 

[metsfan2323]

Tomorrow is an NCAA tournament game. Survive and advance time, lose to DePaul and we are done.

 

[caw]

Oden:

1. 2007-2008: microfracture surgery on right knee, misses first NBA season.
2. 2008-2009: foot injuries, plays 61 games, averages 9 and 7 in 21 minutes
3. 2009-2010: injures left knee, plays 21 games, averages 11 and 9 in 24 minutes
4. 2010-2011: microfracture surgery on left knee, misses season
5. Winter 2011: would have been given qualifying offer of 8.9 million, had another setback, still got 1.5 million or so.
6. 5 year career, 23 million or 4.6 a year or $283,950 a game.

Kwame:

1. Career average of 7 and 6 with a season high of 11 and 7.
2. Career earnings: 50+ million or 5 million a year

Olowokandi:

1. 11 Years in NBA
2. Career average of 8 and 7
3. About 38 million or 3.5 million a year

Fatty Curry:

1. 10 Year Career (19 games in past 3 years)
2. 13 and 5 average
3. 69 million

Point being, teams always overpay for big men who are athletic or have potential.

 

[businesslawyer]

There is no way he should be a number 2 pick right now. I know NBA GMs are brain dead when it comes to looking at anything other than potential, but he's an Andrew Bynum -- it will be years before he actually helps someone win, and the way the NBA works at that point it probably won't be the team that drafts him.

Having said that, am I shocked if some NBA numnut of a GM takes him at #2 for his "potential?" We've seen that song played so many times.