OT - Duke Freshman opts out

[Watchdog]

It’s very easy to tell from this thread who, once they knew they were taking another job, would keep busting their tail every day that they were being paid, and who would mail it in and keep taking the money without putting out full effort.

There's a military term for mailing it in...........FIGMO.

 

[Watchdog]

Hey, it was tough decision, but he'll always have a special place in his heart for Duke. See below:

"I appreciate everything about my time at Duke," Johnson said in a Duke news release Monday night. "Coach (Mike Krzyzewski), my teammates and the program have been nothing but supportive throughout this season, especially during the rehab of my foot injury. My family, coach and I have made the decision that I should not play the remainder of this season so I can be 100 percent healthy in preparation for the NBA Draft."

In 13 games, Johnson averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

"This was not easy but we feel it's best for my future," Johnson said. "I have nothing but love for the brotherhood and thank my teammates and everyone associated with the program. Duke will always have a special place in my heart and will always be a part of me."

 

[huskyfan224]

Hey, it was tough decision, but he'll always have a special place in his heart for Duke. See below:

"I appreciate everything about my time at Duke," Johnson said in a Duke news release Monday night. "Coach (Mike Krzyzewski), my teammates and the program have been nothing but supportive throughout this season, especially during the rehab of my foot injury. My family, coach and I have made the decision that I should not play the remainder of this season so I can be 100 percent healthy in preparation for the NBA Draft."

In 13 games, Johnson averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

"This was not easy but we feel it's best for my future," Johnson said. "I have nothing but love for the brotherhood and thank my teammates and everyone associated with the program. Duke will always have a special place in my heart and will always be a part of me."

What a quitter..also when did espn/fake news make it a thing for them to be called the brotherhood? I don’t remember that during the crying days of Scheyer, Paulus, McBob, etc...is it about 5-6 years old ?

 

[krinklecut]

A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.

Sure, if you apply it to pursuit of a dream. Winners and losers “quit” things like leaving a team all the same. Tarnishing this kid as a “quitter” is ridiculous, mean spirited, and the absolute worst kind of fandom.

 

[uconnbill]

would give me a second thought on drafting him with a high lottery pick.

 

[SportsFan88]

would give me a second thought on drafting him with a high lottery pick.

He isn’t a high lottery pick anyway but I feel you man

 

[The Viking]

The MLB/college baseball model works great. Wish the NBA and college hoops could mirror that.

 

[storrsroars]

Took a quick look at four mocks that have been updated in the past week. Johnson was projected as going anywhere from 6-11, with a composite of 8. Far from a lottery pick but a nice monied neighborhood.

For comparison, Bouk was projected 9-20, with a composite of 15.

The difference between 8 and 15 over the course of a rookie contract is in the neighborhood of $10 mill.

I mention Bouk here as I'm wondering if Johnson's decision may actually influence Bouk's return as Bouk's stock can only rise if he returns while Johnson's falls.

And as far as quitting, why hasn't a guy like Ziaire Williams done so? Stanford basically has no shot at making the 2nd weekend, and maybe not even the first. Williams is a likely top 7 pick. Maybe it's that Stanford education ;-)

 

[Scoe]

I’m not a fan of this move, however you got a coach who caved to the corona bro’s in the media saying we shouldn’t be playing in a pandemic rather then fighting for your kids how do you think the players are gonna feel.

 

[mauconnfan]

If Bouk "opted out" I wouldn't hold it against him. These are these kids lives, not ours. Get off your pedestals.

Yeah nice lesson learned accepting the scholly then quitting on your team? Please no pedestal here this just isn’t right in any sense.

 

[freshler40]

Seems like the basic choices for these student/athletes are coming earlier in their lives, Walker of the UConn women forgo her senior year to go pro for a lot less money. With all the advisors these students have I'm not surprised at the opting out, your seeing it in the all star games as well. When you add the injury protentional along with the Virus impact the optout wheels will continue this trend.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm not a fan of kids cutting out on their teammates during the season for the NBA but it's weird you think you can glean how people would treat their jobs/last two weeks based on their posts in this thread.

What’s hard to understand? If one doesn’t think that it is important for someone ELSE to honor their commitments to people, why in the world would you think they would be willing to honor their commitments?

 

[BGesus4]

What’s hard to understand? If one doesn’t think that it is important for someone ELSE to honor their commitments to people, why in the world would you think they would be willing to honor their commitments?

Yeah, but what kind of “commitments” do we think Coach K made to him to lure him to Duke. You have to think it was along the lines of we’ll give you the keys to our team and we will do everything in our power to get you drafted in the highest position if you come here. Wonder where getting benched fit into that commitment.

Coach K was ready to call the season because it was making him look bad. That prob wouldn’t have helped his guys improve draft stock.

 

[huskyfan224]

Took a quick look at four mocks that have been updated in the past week. Johnson was projected as going anywhere from 6-11, with a composite of 8. Far from a lottery pick but a nice monied neighborhood.

For comparison, Bouk was projected 9-20, with a composite of 15.

The difference between 8 and 15 over the course of a rookie contract is in the neighborhood of $10 mill.

I mention Bouk here as I'm wondering if Johnson's decision may actually influence Bouk's return as Bouk's stock can only rise if he returns while Johnson's falls.

And as far as quitting, why hasn't a guy like Ziaire Williams done so? Stanford basically has no shot at making the 2nd weekend, and maybe not even the first. Williams is a likely top 7 pick. Maybe it's that Stanford education ;-)

The first 14 picks are lottery picks

 

[Greathusky]

Bouknight could have easily done this too. We are blessed!

 

[CL82]

Personally, I am shocked that he “opted out“ to avoid a losing season. Everyone knows he should’ve just faked a back problem.

#dukeway

 

[navery12]

What’s hard to understand? If one doesn’t think that it is important for someone ELSE to honor their commitments to people, why in the world would you think they would be willing to honor their commitments?

The unintentional irony here is strong. College coaches don't honor their commitments/contracts all the time so I couldn't agree more, why should we expect the players on their teams to do the same?

 

[RayIsTheGOAT]

Bouknight could have easily done this too. We are blessed!

Except...
We have a shot at something with Bouknight. Duke is largely a train-wreck this year.

Bouknight has been fully engaged with the program, ever since a minor incident early last season.

Bouknight also has the opportunity to raise his draft stock if he goes on a run to end the season.

 

[storrsroars]

The first 14 picks are lottery picks

Semantics. The first 4 are the actual lottery picks. Picks 5-14 would go in pretty much the same order of W-L record as they would've w/o the lottery. What the lottery does is simply ensure that the worst team picks no worse than #5.

 

[huskypantz]

The unintentional irony here is strong. College coaches don't honor their commitments/contracts all the time so I couldn't agree more, why should we expect the players on their teams to do the same?

Coaches and players leave early at the end of their season- that’s been happening for decades. Leaving in the middle of the season is quitting. You are hanging your teammates out to dry.

 

[navery12]

Semantics. The first 4 are the actual lottery picks. Picks 5-14 would go in pretty much the same order of W-L record as they would've w/o the lottery. What the lottery does is simply ensure that the worst team picks no worse than #5.

Except that's not true. In 2020 the #7 and 8 teams picked 3rd and 4th. In 2019 the #7 team moved up to the 1st pick, #8 to 2nd, and #11 to 4th pick

 

[storrsroars]

Except that's not true. In 2020 the #7 and 8 teams picked 3rd and 4th. In 2019 the #7 team moved up to the 1st pick, #8 to 2nd, and #11 to 4th pick

Right, so the top 4 positions are where they use the tumbler to determine which balls fall out. Starting with pick 5, it's simply W-L record that determines order. Thus, the actual "lottery" is simply #1-#4.

 

[navery12]

Right, so the top 4 positions are where they use the tumbler to determine which balls fall out. Starting with pick 5, it's simply W-L record that determines order. Thus, the actual "lottery" is simply #1-#4.

I have no idea what you're trying to argue right now. When people say someone is a lottery pick they mean top 14, not top 4. Because the top 14 picks are the ones involved in the lottery even if their chances are small for half the teams

 

[businesslawyer]

Yeah, but what kind of “commitments” do we think Coach K made to him to lure him to Duke. You have to think it was along the lines of we’ll give you the keys to our team and we will do everything in our power to get you drafted in the highest position if you come here. Wonder where getting benched fit into that commitment.

Coach K was ready to call the season because it was making him look bad. That prob wouldn’t have helped his guys improve draft stock.

He believed coming there that he was promised that no matter how he performed he'd be the key to the team? I didn't realize that. I'll call him a WHAAAAAAAAAAMBULANCE. Goodness forbid he accept a lesser rule for a whole three more weeks.

 

[businesslawyer]

The unintentional irony here is strong. College coaches don't honor their commitments/contracts all the time so I couldn't agree more, why should we expect the players on their teams to do the same?

The last time you saw a college basketball coach quit in the middle of a season to take another job was exactly when? It's extremely rare.

Or because college football plays by no rules whatsoever, that means that a college basketball player doesn't have to honor his commitments?

(FWIW, I am clearly on the record that it's absurd and reprehensible that the NCAA allows a member institution to hire a coach under contract to someone else while his season is still ongoing. But quitting at the end of the season -- the young man is allowed to do that. Just like a coach is.)