Fun Speculation - 2009 NBA Draft
NBA Draft.net has their 2009 mock draft posted - yes I know it's ridiculous to speculate this early but it's still interesting to see what people think of the NBA prospects of high schoolers and college players.
Interesting to see they have Singler and Henderson in the top 5 and the #1 pick is Monroe. Could we have a 2008-2009 team with three of the top five picks? That would be unprecedented.
Paulus
Henderson
Scheyer
Singler
Monroe
Sr. point guard - experienced backcourt - four ball handlers. Depth with LT, BZ, King and Smith. It's a really nice team to dream about - almost certainly would be a favorite to win a national championship. How can Monroe and E. Williams not want to be a part of that, especially if, in Monroe's case, it's one and done?
Still Need Kids like this
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kydevil
Well let's hope Greg does not read that, it is quite persuading(which isn't good.)
On a postive note I think the appeal of playing for a national championship is something that would appeal to him. If Greg is all about his personal stats and setting himself up for the NBA then he is not someone I would want on our TEAM.
In a perfect world, no, I would not want a kid obsessed with his personal stats. This is not a perfect world.
In the new, NBA age restriction era, you definitely need kids like GM, because other schools have them. Sort of a MAD situation. The original poster said it true, with GM that team would absolutely roll the opposition. That team would be close to the 99 team for dominance, imho.
Without GM, that team would be pretty good and a solid FF candidate. That is where kids like GM help. They can make a good team into a great team. GM would be somewhat like Corey Maggette, the x-factor athlete who is a game changer, only GM seems to be better than Corey was, coming into a team that is probably not as good as the team Corey came into.
What is wrong with worrying about your stats? As I stated above, this is his career audition. His stats are like grades for non-athletes. It is what his future employer will base his worth upon in the open marketplace.
For this board, Duke basketball is a sport (that some of us take too seriously). For many young men, like GM, it is a business, and a highly lucrative one at that. For the top kids, their stats are important. Why should they have to sublimate themselves, and possibly their futures, for the greater good of the whole?
I mean, it is not like GM would rather score a lot and the team lose. I am sure he would like to score a lot and have his team win a lot. That is best case.
But, even as loaded as that Duke team would be, a FF or NC is no lock. At a losing LSU team, he could help turn the team into a winner, while putting up monster numbers.
It is LIKELY that the Duke team would win more, but there is almost no chance for him to be the lead player at Duke. The need simply would not exist like it does at LSU.
But we definitely need players like this. K is right to pursue such players. They can mean the difference between a NC contender (which ain't bad), and a NC favorite.
Patrick Yates
Are you people kidding? (long rant)
Are the above 2-3 posters taking the mickey, or what?
You cannot seriously know that little about the business of basketball.
I said, plainly, that GM's draft position would not be adversly affected by comming to Duke. I was very clear on that.
Of course NBA general managers wouldn't change thier opinion. Greg doesn't have to impress them.
I was talking about edorsement $. For TOP Rookies, the starting contracts are peanuts. LeBron could have used his rookie contract for toilet paper it was so worthless. Something like 11 mill over three years. He signed for 80M from Nike, alone. Heck, even max NBA deals can pale to endorsement dollars.
Greg is, right now, a top 3 draft choice. So that 11 mill is set next year. What he is playing for are endorsment deals. Plainly, these were the employers I was referring to carring about his stats, not the teams themselves.
Marvin Williams and Maggette and Deng, Oh My! Are you stoned? How much in endorsements are they getting. All three combined are getting way less, combined, than Durant will his rookie year.
By the way, Durant, who did get drafted lower than Oden, is getting more than Oden in endoresment money.
I mean, every one who reads this site is aware of the rookie salary cap that exists for the first round selections? One of the favorite sayings on this board is that there is no salary cap for endorsements. It is one of the asinine arguments that people on this board propigate when urging some recruit to come to duke. The last Duke kid to sign a big deal out of college (cause Brand's deal came later, after he was more established in the pros) was J-Will, and that was for 11 mill over 3 years. Durant is going to be more in the 50-60 million for comparision, to say nothing of the other endorsements, like soft drinks, fast food, etc, which are sure to follow. When was the last time a college kid signed those kind of deals? Carmello. Yes he won a NC, but he was THE focus of the Offense for a team that won it all, not a role player.
Nike is not going to hand some kid, even the no.1 pick, a huge deal unless he posts monster numbers. No one expects durant type numbers, but you aren't going to get Durant type money.
If Jason wants to poo on my speculation (in a thread with the word speculation in the title) whatever. If we are not going to speculate on the team makeup next year, and how a potential recruit may view that unimportant fact when making a huge decision that will impact his financial future, so be it. We can go back to disscussing how everything is perfect in the Duke Basketball universe, with a loaded juggernaught squad, no recruiting worries, and an infalliable staff.
Patrick Yates
