Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Fri Apr-06-18 12:05 PM
4. "Is Knox *really* considering coming back?" In response to Reply # 1
Like, I know his dad is talking about it a lot to the media... but why would he come back? Is that just wishful thinking from fans because he'd fill an obvious positional need next season?
UK fans keep giving me the "he doesn't need the money/he wants a college title like his dad" angle... but come on, fam. That's millions of dollars. You come back and fuck up your knee/hip/back, and I don't care *how* much money your family has, that shit would SUCK.
And assuming Washington/Vanderbilt/SKJ all come back, it's not like they *really* need him. It's like Duke with Gary Trent Jr. Like, yeah, we'd find 30 minutes for him, but he's a first-rounder. Go get paid.
It’s a few things: He’s really young. He really loves college. His family doesn’t need him to bounce. He wants a national title. His dad has one. He can get a whole lot better. He’s only scratched the service. There’s a lot that he can’t do right now well enough to be a consistent pro. He can go from Top 10-20ish pick to Top 3ish. I also think Cal wants to continue to coach him so he can reach his potential.
I also think that’s why SGA pushed his decision back.
I don’t think we need him. But he’d be great to have.
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Fri Apr-06-18 12:56 PM
11. "You know who thought that this year?" In response to Reply # 8
>He can go from Top 10-20ish pick to Top 3ish.
Miles Bridges. Robert Williams. Both lost stock.
Bruce Brown though he'd go from mid-first to top ten. He lost stock.
Justin Jackson thought he'd go from fringe first rounder to lottery. He lost stock.
Shit, Grayson Allen would've been a late first rounder after sophomore year. Came back, lost stock. Came back again, lost stock again.
If you're a projected first rounder, you're like the blackjack player who just doubled up his winnings. There will always be the temptation to say, "Shit, I just doubled my winnings-- if I stay longer, I could QUADRUPLE my winnings!" And you're not wrong... but it's a hell of a gamble. Stay too long, and you're forgetting that the house always wins.
"But next year's team will be so good and--" dude, he falls on his hip the wrong way ONCE, and he's lost ten slots from his stock this year. If his 3-point percentage stays where it is, or only *marginally* improves? He's losing slots. Defense doesn't improve the way people want? Slots. Shit, what happens if for whatever reason his shots aren't falling and he starts losing minutes? SLOTS SLOTS SLOTS SLOTS SLOTS SLOTS EVERYBOOOODYYYYYY
The *safest bet* dudes lose slots when they return. I'm not doubting Knox's ability to improve and prove himself a better than mere mid-first-round player-- but a looooooot of players have said that and failed. He needs to know those odds. And if he chooses to stay at the table with his current chip count... hope the cards stay in his favor.
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Fri Apr-06-18 01:31 PM
14. "But it works both ways." In response to Reply # 12 Fri Apr-06-18 01:34 PM by Frank Longo
>And the only way you can guarantee a long stay in the league >is by contributing and being prepared.
Sure. And there's nothing that suggests staying in school longer makes a player projected as a first-round pick more likely to stick in the league longer, nor is there anything that suggests it'll make a player more ready to contribute. The Thomas Robinsons and Adreian Paynes of the world are myriad.
>Do you want to be James Young/Marquis Teague or Andrew >Harrison?
James Young made more money in three years than Andrew will have made through next season. And it's not a guarantee that if Young had returned that he would've been drafted as high as he was.
Teague made $3 mil through his first three seasons-- same deal Andrew got, really-- as a 6'1, 180 lb PG. Of course him leaving was the right decision-- they just won a title and he played really well-- and if he'd returned, again, no guarantee he goes first round. Also, considering Marquis just signed a contract for next year that'll earn him more than Andrew earned, of *course* I'd rather be Marquis.
>Same with Archie Goodwin vs WCS.
WCS is one of the very, very few players who was projected lottery who came back and didn't lose stock. If you want to use the exceptions to the rules to prove your point, then sure.
>I’d rather send players who are prepared for the NBA rather >than going for a quick money grab.
And I think there's no guarantee a player will be better prepared for the NBA next season than he is this season. And there's a whole elephant graveyard of guys who had first-round projections who returned to school and saw way less money the next season as a result.
2. "Recruiting Wishlist - 04.06.2018" In response to Reply # 0
1. James Wiseman - 2019 (The kid is a beast. A special type of talent on both ends)
2. Ashton Hagans - 2018/2019 (I prefer 2019, but 2018 works too. Start him with Quade.)
3. Matthew Hurt - 2019 (Not sure we can pull him away from a school in the Midwest. But he's an extremely skilled big that would be perfect next to Wiseman).
4. Tyrese Maxey - 2019 (A monster pg. His Dad works for SMU though)
5. Scottie Lewis - 2019 (Athletic wing)
6. Bryan Antoine - 2019 (Lewis's teammate. If we could get both? Doubt it though.
7. Jalen Lecque - 2019 (Athletic combo guard that would be ideal if we miss on Antoine. Looks like he could be a dominate defender too.)
8. Keion Brooks - 2019 (A high motor wing. Atheltic)
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Fri Apr-06-18 12:01 PM
3. "Hagans would be huge for 2018." In response to Reply # 2
I'm sure he's waiting to see if SGA returns or not before deciding that.
Duke's making a push for Hurt. I wonder if Capel's departure is hurting the Carey headway and K's looking to do due diligence. We've done well with Minnesota kids the last couple of years. Or maybe K just sees that we've got Baker, we'll likely get Girard, and he's moving for Hurt to put together a Super White Make Em Mad Team.
5. "the extra-green roster this year could payoff in 18-19" In response to Reply # 0
especially if Cal only loses Knox, SGA and Diallo. I am not a fan of Diallo at all, so even with him coming around at the end it is probably addition by subtraction.
Quade, Vanderbilt, Richard, Gabriel and PJ -- with another year under their belts -- makes a nice nucleus for this day and age of college ball.
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Fri Apr-06-18 12:14 PM
7. "And Keldon Johnson is a bulldog." In response to Reply # 5
He seems like the type of dude who plays angry-- the type of dude who'd go play ten-year-olds at the park just to reject their shit into the stands. Seems pressed as shit. I think him at the 2 and Vanderbilt at the 3 would give this team a real identity of toughness, which was lacking from this year's team for a good chunk of the season.
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Mon Apr-09-18 01:34 PM
21. "And SKJ announces his transfer a few hours later." In response to Reply # 20
I imagine there was correlation one way or the other-- either EJ heard SKJ was leaving and saw obvious minutes there, or SKJ heard EJ was coming and saw his minutes possibly fading.
Either way, someone will get a good one. He could use the year off and the final two years to grow into a pretty special college big man for someone.
32. "Well his reasoning was pretty sound. He’s a big with NBA ambitions." In response to Reply # 30
“It’s a big factor because my parents just wanted me to go to a school that I can get develop the most,” Montgomery told 247Sports. “Their track record with their players in the NBA shows that they’re pretty good at it.”
Frank Longo Member since Nov 18th 2003 86672 posts
Wed Apr-11-18 06:05 PM
40. "Quade gonna be gone if that happens." In response to Reply # 39
But it'd be a hell of a move. I'm low key hoping it happens just to push K's hand even harder to trying to either keep Carter or get Carey to reclassify. Two obscene super-talent teams facing off to start the season. It'd be a hell of a spectacle.
Went from looking like a possible 25-30 MPG guy on that roster to having an established, experienced player at his same position vacuum most of those minutes up. Maybe Cal will platoon again to make up that difference. Tho I can't imagine he sold Travis on the prospect of platooning. Interested to see what he does.
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