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Message: [QUOTE="REB1094, post: 4830302, member: 12147"] Lottery picks that weren't freshmen or international/G League players - [LIST] [*]2014: 5 [*]2015: 3 [*]2016: 6 [*]2017: 2 [*]2018: 3 [*]2019: 6 [*]2020: 6 [*]2021: 4 [*]2022: 6 [*]2023: 1 [/LIST] [B]All general statements (not directed at Castle) - [/B]If a player is able to go lottery as a freshman, even if he's not ready to contribute at the NBA level, he better be 100% positive he will make a game changing leap as a sophomore if he decides to come back. Because anywhere from 8-11 lottery spots are reserved for guys younger than him. The difference between even the 10th pick and 15th pick is $1M per year. Top MVP candidates and leaders of the best teams were either freshmen or overseas players who have been in the league since 19 years old. NBA teams put disproportionate amounts of resources into finding these guys and developing them, so when they're 25+ they will help you contend. 1 year [I]shouldn't [/I]make much of a difference, but the perception in the league is that it does Would you believe me if I told you Andre Jackson is 11-24 (45.8%) from three this season? He's made more progress in 6 months of NBA training than he did in 3 years at UConn. If Andre was the same exact player last year but a freshman, he'd be a lottery pick without question. But he was a junior so he got taken second round. Draft value drops FAST after freshman year [/QUOTE]