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Perth Wildcats - Introducing Deandre Daniels

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Was it a mistake? I can't say for sure. I think Perth can improve him just as much as another year at Uconn would. I do believe if he had a similar season as this year he would go first round in next years draft (this years was loaded). One thing I really was disappointed with is that he never seemed to improve his dribbling. I remember an article where Ollie said Deandre told him he can handle the ball much better now. I just didn't see it, I think if he could find a way to handle the rock better he could be way more consistent and efficient on the offensive end. His shot this year was really smooth but sometimes his dribbling would get him caught and he would be forced to pick up his dribble and would have to force a bad shot or toss the ball away. If ennis is any example of the improvement that Perth provides then I think Deandre made a good choice but I also think Uconn could do the same (but he won't make the mula).
 
Chief00 said:
I was worried about Boat making a bad decision and it turned out Daniels did. He may prove to be successful but he listened to the wrong people.
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Fishy said:
As much as I think Chief is a lunatic who hears voices, he's right.

If you leave a school like UConn early and you end up in Perth with no real leverage and no NBA contract, you've made a mistake.
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You can't judge a decision by its results, only the process using information available at the time. Do we know what Ollie and co. told him? Because the mocks all had him in the low 20's at the time he had to declare, his stock was hot, his position is hot, and he wasn't getting any younger. If anyone failed him, it is the NCAA coaches that pressed to move the time to declare before the actual NBA deadline a few years ago.

Chief00 said:
Quite frankly, I don't believe you understand the pay slots in the NBA draft and you assume Daniels wouldn't continue to improve. So you are the one selling him short.
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The good thing is that he can improve in Perth as well at UConn. And get paid for doing it. Now he doesn't get a chance to get drafted by every team, but if he improves enough this year that he would've been a first-round pick despite being 23 at the time of the draft, there's a good chance the Raptors will sign him or he'll be a trade-worthy asset. If he's good enough, he'll make it, same as if he stayed at UConn.
 
Fishy said:
As much as I think Chief is a lunatic who hears voices, he's right.

If you leave a school like UConn early and you end up in Perth with no real leverage and no NBA contract, you've made a mistake.
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I don't think he moves into the first round with another year at UConn. He would be 23 and in a similar position to where he is now. One thing I am certain of, he needs to show consistency or he will continue to have a non US address.
 
The fact is that DD is not in the NBA. Its obvious he is not NBA ready (for the Raptors). Its up to him now to turn his least than ideal situation into a 'real' NBA career.

We can speculate, guess or whatever but all he can control now is his effort, dedication and commitment to improve and prove to be NBA ready. Advice is a phone call away. The good thing is that he has a 'real' opportunity since the Raptors did invest in him and they will be watching him, but he must produce and improve.

All I'm saying is that he has a job and wants an immediate promotion, the method/requirement for this is well known. However competition is very stiff.

All we can do is wish him well, and wait and see.
 
Making judgements on a kid that helped deliver a NC is lame. He gave everything had to Uconn for 3 years- we should be greatful.
His family might need the money- maybe he wanted to play ball anywhere and get paid- he wound up in a pretty cool place- making as much or more money then most college grads. Horrible.
There are different roads to happiness and not all of them are the same. KEA wanted to play in the NBA as well but has had a wonderful life. I hope DD does as well.
 
Scot-e said:
Making judgements on a kid that helped deliver a NC is lame. He gave everything had to Uconn for 3 years- we should be greatful.
His family might need the money- maybe he wanted to play ball anywhere and get paid- he wound up in a pretty cool place- making as much or more money then most college grads. Horrible.
There are different roads to happiness and not all of them are the same. KEA wanted to play in the NBA as well but has had a wonderful life. I hope DD does as well.
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I understand your position; but his goal and passion was to play in the NBA. All I am saying is that a better way to achieve that goal would have been another year at UConn.

Quite frankly, I think part of the problem was his closeness to Boat. And compared to Boat it was a better decision for DD to try the 2014 draft. However, that does not mean it was the right decision for DD either even knowing what was known then - most likely 2nd round. Ok so I agree the kid needs to move on and he could eventually end up there but it won't be the optimal route.
 
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Chief00 said:
However, that does not mean it was the right decision for DD either even knowing what was known then - most likely 2nd round.
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That was not known then. He was going in first round in every mock out there at the time he made the decision. Maybe Ollie had sources that said otherwise, but as far as we know NO information has come out that has suggested that. All we know is that "Coach Kevin Ollie said he supports Daniels' decision."
 
auror said:
That was not known then. He was going in first round in every mock out there at the time he made the decision. Maybe Ollie had sources that said otherwise, but as far as we know NO information has come out that has suggested that. All we know is that "Coach Kevin Ollie said he supports Daniels' decision."
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Both versions could be right. A person's draft status is fluid in between the decision deadline and the draft. Depends a lot on how the player performs in workouts and who else declares - as well as which teams draft where after trades and what their needs are. DD had somewhat underwhelming workouts and missed the first round by 7-8 spots. Easy to imagine that some folks had him as a potential first rounder in April, and some thought he would probably be second.

Obviously, no one contact can give the opinion of the entire NBA either. Ollie has plenty of contacts and I'm sure his information was as rock solid as anyone's, but it only takes one team to like you, or one private workout that turns heads. Calhoun was convinced Bynum was making a huge mistake, but the Lakers liked him enough to make him a lotto pick. Certainly you could argue he could have benefited from a year of college to mature a little, but the path he chose got him a lot of money - and the consensus opinion that he was the second best big man in the NBA at his peak. Injuries and attitude derailed him from there.
 
I couldn't even read the discussion after seeing that plunger/phallus dynamic duo. WTF.
 
Gurleyman said:
Both versions could be right. A person's draft status is fluid in between the decision deadline and the draft. Depends a lot on how the player performs in workouts and who else declares - as well as which teams draft where after trades and what their needs are. DD had somewhat underwhelming workouts and missed the first round by 7-8 spots. Easy to imagine that some folks had him as a potential first rounder in April, and some thought he would probably be second.

Obviously, no one contact can give the opinion of the entire NBA either. Ollie has plenty of contacts and I'm sure his information was as rock solid as anyone's, but it only takes one team to like you, or one private workout that turns heads. Calhoun was convinced Bynum was making a huge mistake, but the Lakers liked him enough to make him a lotto pick. Certainly you could argue he could have benefited from a year of college to mature a little, but the path he chose got him a lot of money - and the consensus opinion that he was the second best big man in the NBA at his peak. Injuries and attitude derailed him from there.
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Obviously, this is total hindsight, but Bynum absolutely made the right decision. Much better to get injuries while picking up a big paycheck than otherwise. He was injury prone, and it's far better to do that in the pros.
 
If Shabazz had left after his junior year, he would have been playing in Australia too. I wish DD well but had he played his senior year, I think he was likely a first round pick. He may have a very nice career bouncing around places like Australia and Europe, but the chances of him getting that big second contract in the NBA that sets him and future generations of his family up for life are almost nil. Had Boat left, he'd be right there in Australia too. Boat got better advice and made the smart decision and still has a chance at being a first round pick.
 
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Uconn93 said:
If Shabazz had left after his junior year, he would have been playing in Australia too. I wish DD well but had he played his senior year, I think he was likely a first round pick. He may have a very nice career bouncing around places like Australia and Europe, but the chances of him getting that big second contract in the NBA that sets him and future generations of his family up for life are almost nil. Had Boat left, he'd be right there in Australia too. Boat got better advice and made the smart decision and still has a chance at being a first round pick.
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Guy hasn't played a minute of legit pro ball and you've already mapped out (read undersold) his career progression for him. Nice.
 
I think DD would have gotten better exposure at UConn, and thus improved his NBA prospects. The skill is there. Unfortunately, physical strength and consistency wasn't. I personally believe that coming back for his Senior year would have helped. Plus, he would have gotten a second ring.
 
Uconn93 said:
If Shabazz had left after his junior year, he would have been playing in Australia too. I wish DD well but had he played his senior year, I think he was likely a first round pick. He may have a very nice career bouncing around places like Australia and Europe, but the chances of him getting that big second contract in the NBA that sets him and future generations of his family up for life are almost nil. Had Boat left, he'd be right there in Australia too. Boat got better advice and made the smart decision and still has a chance at being a first round pick.
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CJ Fair - a similar tweener type forward - went undrafted. Had a very similar junior year to DD. Fair might have been a little better his junior year, but didn't have the title or the signature Final Four game that DD had against Florida. Was in a very similar draft position - considered a borderline first round pick, but not a lock and had the chance to come back and be more of a focal point of the offense. He had a good senior year, but didn't really make a huge jump, and his 3 pt percentage went down and his turnovers went up with more usage, exposing some holes.

Obviously the tough part of the argument is that we are comparing a known (where DD went in the draft) to an unknown (where he would have gone next year). Easy to say "would have been first round if he came back" since it can't be disproven.
 
This very well could work out fine for DD but I think he would have been dominant this year for us and moved well into the first round, especially the way he came on at the end last year. It's just an opinion and not worth much but he obviously thought he was going first round based on his feeling of his own talent and frankly I think he should have from on what I saw happen draft night.
 
intlzncster said:
Guy hasn't played a minute of legit pro ball and you've already mapped out (read undersold) his career progression for him. Nice.
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Sure, it's not an exact science. But, there is plenty of precedent to go on. Even if DD didn't improve his senior year (unlikely) he was still going to get a shot in Australia or some European league. There was only upside in that he would have had a chance to be a first round pick. I know it's easy to say when it's not my money....but he clearly left money on the table.
 
Uconn93 said:
Sure, it's not an exact science. But, there is plenty of precedent to go on. Even if DD didn't improve his senior year (unlikely) he was still going to get a shot in Australia or some European league. There was only upside in that he would have had a chance to be a first round pick. I know it's easy to say when it's not my money....but he clearly left money on the table.
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Right. Absolutely nothing bad could have happened with his playing basketball for free for another year. As we know, no one has ever had a significant, career-altering injury playing basketball.
 
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CallMeBruce said:
Right. Absolutely nothing bad could have happened with his playing basketball for free for another year. As we know, no one has ever had a significant, career-altering injury playing basketball.
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Right. And they absolutely don't sell insurance policies to insure against such an injury.
 
Uconn93 said:
Right. And they absolutely don't sell insurance policies to insure against such an injury.
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I'm still waiting on the evidence that suggests he would've "likely" been a first round pick if he stayed for his senior year.
 
But his career could be equally ruined before getting to the NBA. One way he would have a degree.
 
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Did Deandre say he left for the money or left to play in the NBA? Really as simple as that.

If for the money - you can't blame him, I would have skipped my last year at college for a low 6 digit paycheck.

If strictly to play in the NBA, he has a lot of crappy friends and family who gave him terrible advice (or conversely he really ignored a lot of good advice - probably a bit of both). Another year in Storrs would undoubtedly have been better for his NBA career. Shabazz analogy said earlier was a very good one IMO.
 
JonnyRI said:
If strictly to play in the NBA, he has a lot of crappy friends and family who gave him terrible advice (or conversely he really ignored a lot of good advice - probably a bit of both). Another year in Storrs would undoubtedly have been better for his NBA career. Shabazz analogy said earlier was a very good one IMO.
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terrible advice... is that based on him falling to 37? there were draft picks after 37 that have been signed. its really just bad luck ( landing on the wrong team), he left at the exact right time. coming off a chip where he had some of the best games of his career, then you factor in his AGE. you bring up napier, but a guy like lamb probably could have left after his freshman year and been drafted higher than he did in 2012.
 
James said:
terrible advice... is that based on him falling to 37? there were draft picks after 37 that have been signed. its really just bad luck ( landing on the wrong team), he left at the exact right time. coming off a chip where he had some of the best games of his career, then you factor in his AGE. you bring up napier, but a guy like lamb probably could have left after his freshman year and been drafted higher than he did in 2012.
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Falling to 37? No, more like rising to 37. Its not like his stock was falling all year.

Yep, plenty of guys drafted after him, but a lot were guys who would have gone higher the next year or who were out of college time (I would sincerely bet that if all were candid, they would mostly have come back for another year, including DeAndre, if they really knew they were going in the 2nd round).

As for Lamb, no way he goes higher after his Freshmen year. Your memory is way off....
 
James said:
terrible advice... is that based on him falling to 37? there were draft picks after 37 that have been signed. its really just bad luck ( landing on the wrong team), he left at the exact right time. coming off a chip where he had some of the best games of his career, then you factor in his AGE. you bring up napier, but a guy like lamb probably could have left after his freshman year and been drafted higher than he did in 2012.
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Napier was also coming off a season where we were banned and he didn't have any pressure packed games. He wasn't a combine guy who was going to get picked based on sheer athleticism ala Levine from UCLA (or Westbrook, say). So he had a chance to raise his stock by performing big in big spots, which he couldn't have done any better and he was still barely a first rounder. DD was coming off a 20-10 in the FF against the #1 team in the nation known for its defensive cohesion. If he was going to catapult into the first round, the timing might never have gotten better. Plus other than the Florida kids, most prospects lean towards jumping after a title.

I mentioned it before, but CJ Fair seems a really close parallel. Borderline first rounder coming off a FF. Came back, had a bigger role in the offense, didn't get drafted. But no two players or situations are exactly alike.
 
The fact that some of us think DeAndre made a horrible decision is just more evidence about how spoiled we are. Have you seen some of the early entries from other schools over the years??

Deandre's decision was an OK decision, it wasn't a no-brainer either way, and it doesn't seem to have been the best decision in hindsight, but who knows what we will be saying a year or 5 from now.
 
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