Deandre Daniels- NBL Player of the Week

[James]

his basketball playing days are numbered, he needs to get games against grown men under his belt... not playing vs freakin tulsa and houston. 100% right decision. He can finish his degree in two summers, all while making 6 digits and getting better at the game

 

[Kitaman]

EVERYONE SAID THAT LAST YEAR! How many times does that need to be said?!

Funny but I kept glancing at your avatar when you shouted posting this.

 

[Inyatkin]

Hey DeAndre won a nice little honor. How bout we just be happy for him.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Even if he'd only improved a little, it's likely that he would have been drafted by a team in a position to send him somewhere better. Going in the second round wasn't ideal, but it wasn't going to ruin him on its own. Getting sent to Australia was really bad. Even if he'd only been able to polish his game enough to get sent to Spain or Greece or Germany, he'd be in better shape. At this point, I think it's very likely that he never plays an NBA game. I thought he'd go late in the first and get guaranteed money, so hindsight is 20/20 and all, but given what we now know, it's hard to say that he's in the best position he could be in right now.

If it were better to be in Australia making $165k than to be in a major college program, a lot more players would do it.

 

[auror]

Yes but you're arguing hindsight knowing where he was actually drafted. The argument has to be:

1) Should I declare for the draft? I'm currently projected mid-20's in mocks, am coming off a national championship and clutch tournament where I think I just played myself into the first round, and I am already old (22). Best case scenario: Workout my way into the lottery. Worst case scenario: Bad workouts, 2nd round pick.
2) Do I try to return to school to get a better draft slot? I'm probably not going to get the tournament run exposure next year I just did and I will be really old for NBA draft picks (23). I may show more holes in my game and there's a decent chance I don't improve that radically or continue to show the inconsistency I've shown my whole career, but I may also dominate college hoops and become an All-American.
Best case scenario: Dominate college hoops, probably end up a mid first rounder (23-year old lottery picks just don't happen). Worst case scenario: Game is exposed, don't even get drafted.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Even if he'd only improved a little, it's likely that he would have been drafted by a team in a position to send him somewhere better. Going in the second round wasn't ideal, but it wasn't going to ruin him on its own. Getting sent to Australia was really bad. Even if he'd only been able to polish his game enough to get sent to Spain or Greece or Germany, he'd be in better shape. At this point, I think it's very likely that he never plays an NBA game. I thought he'd go late in the first and get guaranteed money, so hindsight is 20/20 and all, but given what we now know, it's hard to say that he's in the best position he could be in right now.

If it were better to be in Australia making $165k than to be in a major college program, a lot more players would do it.

He got unlucky getting drafted by the Raptors. He made the right decision, but the result wasn't favorable to him. It happens.

I don't know what people on here saw out of DeAndre that leads them to believe he'd be drastically better as a senior, or even better enough to change his draft position as a 23 yr old senior.

 

[Kembacity]

How would his stock not have risen? he woulda been a monster this year for us.

If he got injured
If he didn't make a step forward or even back up his performance vs Iowa State during the season
If either of these things happened and UConn had a mediocre season without any postseason success

any of these things mixed with him not blowing away scouts in the combine or similar workouts wouldn't have garnered him a higher pick

 

[CallMeBruce]

He got unlucky getting drafted by the Raptors. He made the right decision, but the result wasn't favorable to him. It happens.

I guess this is what I'm saying. At the time, it was the right decision. It's gone about as poorly as it could have since then. I think that if he'd waited another year, it's not likely he'd be so unlucky.

 

[Jerry1714]

Yes but you're arguing hindsight knowing where he was actually drafted. The argument has to be:

1) Should I declare for the draft? I'm currently projected mid-20's in mocks, am coming off a national championship and clutch tournament where I think I just played myself into the first round, and I am already old (22). Best case scenario: Workout my way into the lottery. Worst case scenario: Bad workouts, 2nd round pick.
2) Do I try to return to school to get a better draft slot? I'm probably not going to get the tournament run exposure next year I just did and I will be really old for NBA draft picks (23). I may show more holes in my game and there's a decent chance I don't improve that radically or continue to show the inconsistency I've shown my whole career, but I may also dominate college hoops and become an All-American.
Best case scenario: Dominate college hoops, probably end up a mid first rounder (23-year old lottery picks just don't happen). Worst case scenario: Game is exposed, don't even get drafted.

Well if he is reading mocks then he has himself to blame.

But if Ollie and Calhoun told him their sources said he will be a first round pick, then you listen and go, if they tell him the scouts and GMs think 2nd round, well then you have a tough decision to make, big risk, but big reward.

 

[johnhuskies95]

He averaged 16 and 7 in the tournament. He was good, and had two monster games, but over three years he never did anything to suggest he'd be a monster for even back to back games, let alone over the course of an entire season.

I like DeAndre, and sometimes you just have to accept who you are as a player, and I think he did that, which is why he declared early.

 

[johnhuskies95]

Well, you convinced me. This entire time he was just short on swagger. If he just had more swagger(which apparently would be in abundance his senior year because of Boatright) he would be a first rounder.

 

[Jerry1714]

You are using facts, rationale, and complete sentences to argue your point!

Stop, you might make this place explode!

 

[Johnny Mac]

...He was named NBL player of the week after scoring 22 pts and grabbing 8 boards in the last game.including 3-4 from long range. Anyone know a team who could use that kind of outside shooting?...

DD is shooting less than 25% from 3 pt. range in the NBL....don't think that'll get him a spot in the NBA...not even with the Knicks.

 

[BearJWS]

DeAndre is gone, so no need to debate the Pro's & Con's of him staying any more. I appreciate what he contributed & he never complained one bit. No ill will.

Yes, DeAndre would have been a more featured player this year, with improved stats & a team leader, no doubt. However, he'll be 23 next April. NBA teams take that into account, along with body & determination, etc. He'd have to stand out like Bazz & A.Payne this past year, to get a 1st round pick next year. No guarantees.

That said, DeAndre's ticket to the NBA is the team that holds his rights. Right now, it's Toronto. They also drafted Bruno Caboclo (Brazil), another NBA SF, in the 1st round in 2014 (ie. Guaranteed Contract for at least 2-3 years). Bruno was supposed to be a "stash away" guy for 2 years (2 years away, from being 2 years away), but he made the Raptors, so DeAndre was stashed instead. Bruno has got a guaranteed contract, though he is only 19 years old (athletic, nice shooter, long, similar to D.D.). Also, Bruno is younger than D.Ham (Bruno turned 19 in Sept), hence the "potential" label. Toronto never has to sign DeAndre but can hold his rights forever, so that's not in DeAndre's favor. I don't think it's a great situation, unless there is an NBA who wants to trade for DeAndre, so it was almost better to be undrafted in that respect. I'd love to see an NBA team trade for DeAndre.... give him a real chance to make an NBA roster, instead of being "that stashed guy"... He's got NBA talent, he just needs the right fit. NBA teams love long, guys who can shoot. Who knows how this will end up? Best of Luck, DeAndre!

 

[champs99and04]

I thought that at the time it was a good decision for him to leave. Not much about him screamed NBA prospect - he couldn't pass, he couldn't dribble, he wasn't a great athlete, and he was a tweener. He benefitted a lot from playing with a guy like Shabazz Napier, who commanded a ton of attention on ball screens and enabled Daniels to have his pick of wide open threes. I definitely think riding the momentum of a great March run and trying to entice a team in need of a stretch four was a good move on his part.

But if it was choosing between playing in Australia and returning to Storrs for one more year, I'm sure he chooses the latter. At the very worst, his value as a second rounder is probably the same, and you can't rule out the possibility that he takes a big step forward and positions himself as a first rounder, or at the very least, somebody with a better shot at making a roster.