If Andre Drummond goes pro… April 11, 2012 at 12:41 am by Kevin Duffy

[huskyjawz]

http://blog.ctnews.com/uconnbasketball/2012/04/11/if-andre-drummond-goes-pro/

 

[Huskymaniac]

Good article. There is one issue with being drafted on potential that people often forget. Whether that potential gets developed is highly dependent on what team you end up on. If you need help to realize your potential and you go to a team with crappy coaches, you may never realize your potential. Then you get screwed on your second contract and you probably end up with less money than you would have gotten if you stayed in college, developed your game and hit the ground running in the NBA. Staying in college until you are ready to truly contribute in the NBA takes the risk of getting drafted by a team with crappy coaches out of the equation. It simply won't matter. Now, you can end up getting drafted by a team with good coaches or, maybe, you are so good that you are able to realize your own potential without help. But it IS a risk you take by jumping before you are truly ready to contribute. As the author says, Andre may not be in this situation. But maybe he is. It is all about risk/reward........

 

[caw]

All I know is that DeAndre Jordan makes 10 million a year with a career average of 6/6/1.5 and current puts up 8/8/2 in 27 minutes a game with perhaps the best PG in the NBA. He's 23 and has been in the league 3 years.

It will be interesting to see what JaVale McGee gets when he is an UFA considering he is slightly better than Jordan statistically at 11/8/2.5 this year. He's 24 and has been in the league 5 years.

 

[Lefty2one]

I don't want to downplay the concern over AD's skills and feel of the game but almost every bust on that list is an unathletic stiff or a string-bean jumping jack. The only one close athletically on that list is Favors and he's not quite in Drummond's class. I guess Wilcox was kind of close but AD seems to be bigger and stronger with similar explosiveness.

I think at worst AD will be Jordan or McGee.

 

[caw]

I don't want to downplay the concern over AD's skills and feel of the game but almost every bust on that list is an unathletic stiff or a string-bean jumping jack. The only one close athletically on that list is Favors and he's not quite in Drummond's class. I guess Wilcox was kind of close but AD seems to be bigger and stronger with similar explosiveness.

I think at worst AD will be Jordan or McGee.

Yeah that list is a bit odd. You have to find players that are similar to Drummond.

He lists 21 players.

Swift, Hill, Tskitishivili, Wilcox, Sweetney, Diogu, Thomas and Wright are all PF's and all busts or still very young.

Favors is actually putting up decent numbers in the amount of time he gets, and is only 20.

As mentioned 3 are pretty quality already.

So aside from those 12 players.

You have two horrid draft classes in 2006 and 2001 and Thabeet and Priz. I'm not sure that doesn't say more about those drafts than bigs in general.


There are some other players that would be close. Noah at 20.7. Gred Oden is similar to Noah at 22.5 minutes. Gortat was a second rounder because he was a Euro not likely to come over any time soon. DeAnrde Jordan was supposed to be a lottery pick that fell. McGee was similar to Jordan. Hibbert and Jefferson are just outside the top 10. LaMarcus Aldridge only got 22 or so a game as a rookie also.


This past draft class has a few bigs that could be good down the road also.

 

[hungry husky]

Pretty good, objective article besides some of the omissions the above poster mentioned. I think this guy is spot on...it's not like AD would be losing too much by sticking around.

I hope he's read this article.

 

[Prezidint]

The only thing that matters for AD is the development between his ears. If he never improved his skill set, but did develop a passion to play, he'd a be a starting NBA player for the next 15 years.
My fear for him is that he has a bit of ThabeetiStanitis - having the physical size/talent, but lacking the will to use it even near its capacity.
If I'm an NBA team, that's all that concerns me. The guy could be a 12/12 center and a great defender based on athleticism alone, with his current, small skill set. It's the desire/motor/grit that needs to develop.
I'm fascinated, to be sure.

 

[Fishy]

Kwame Brown has been in the NBA for 11 years and has made $60,000,000.

Andre Drummond is going to be just fine.

 

[ibleedhuskyblue]

Kwame Brown has been in the NBA for 11 years and has made $60,000,000.

that is one of the most sickening things ive ever read on the intarwebs. im sad now