the feelling was it was just another dumb espn.com article
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2...had&page=InOut
I was really surprised to see Gerald's name under "50-50: players who are still deciding about entering draft."
Anyone have any information about this?
the feelling was it was just another dumb espn.com article
He will be back. In fact we will see who is after this weeks exit interviews.
i'm hoping we dont lose anyone else, but I suppose Pocius is basically gone?
No way henderson leave for the leauge, it took him the whole season to get out of the "deer in the headlights" mode in college, he isnt ready
Or Shavlik Randolph...or so we thought.
Also, Gerald must have a lot of cash with his Dad having played in the NBA so he's probably in no rush to get to the league. Dunleavy was in the same position. Those guys with NBA connections tend to leave at the right time rather than rushing it.
Similarly, this year is considered a very strong draft. Obviously, we still need to wait to see who comes out but unless there are some shocking decisions to stay in school, guys who are forecast as mid-late first round picks would be wise to stay in school and wait until next year...
...unless their first name begins with the letters "Ty", in which case the NBA is clearly the right decision
-Jason "Henderson's family understands the NBA and has excellent connections to the league-- when/if Gerald leaves, it will be when the time is right" Evans
Granted, Avery's career is not what he wanted it to be...but the kid banked $3.5MM in 3 years. There are lots of Duke grads who won't make that much money in 10-20 years. Could his NBA career have been longer? Who knows? Might it have blocked the development of Jason Williams? Well, we do know that Avery's departure threw J Dubs into the deep end and accelerated his development. Maggette leaving also forced Battier to evolve as a scorer. Both moves might have been the catalysts for the 2001 NCAA title. Would we have won the title in 2000 with Avery and Maggette? It's hard to predict. What we did get was the amazing emergence of Chris Carrawell who became the ACC player of the year and provided, to me, the definitive Senior Day moment walking off the court after beating UNC, ball held high in his hand ala the statue of liberty, swarmed by adoring fans in a long, slow stroll to the locker room. Bottom line, when people leave, you can't really second guess it. Play the hand you are dealt, because it often is for the best. By the way, Maggette, "who wasn't ready for the NBA", has signed contracts in excess of $40MM. Should he have stayed to maximize his skills? Why?
Obviously, the NBA doesn't. They don't draft someone on "readiness" they draft them on POTENTIAL. Many times the kids flop, but they don't want to be labeled as the GM who missed out on "so-and-so" who turned out to be great like everybody predicted. It seems that GM's take more heat for NOT drafting a guy who succeeds, than for DRAFTING a guy that flops.
Granted, Avery's career is not what he wanted it to be...but the kid banked $3.5MM in 3 years. There are lots of Duke grads who won't make that much money in 10-20 years. Could his NBA career have been longer? Who knows? Might it have blocked the development of Jason Williams? Well, we do know that Avery's departure threw J Dubs into the deep end and accelerated his development. Maggette leaving also forced Battier to evolve as a scorer. Both moves might have been the catalysts for the 2001 NCAA title. Would we have won the title in 2000 with Avery and Maggette? It's hard to predict. What we did get was the amazing emergence of Chris Carrawell who became the ACC player of the year and provided, to me, the definitive Senior Day moment walking off the court after beating UNC, ball held high in his hand ala the statue of liberty, swarmed by adoring fans in a long, slow stroll to the locker room. Bottom line, when people leave, you can't really second guess it. Play the hand you are dealt, because it often is for the best. By the way, Maggette, "who wasn't ready for the NBA", has signed contracts in excess of $40MM. Should he have stayed to maximize his skills? Why?
I wouldn't put too much stock in that article: he has Ellington listed as 50:50 also. I would be flabbergasted if either Ellington or Henderson go pro after 1 year.
Does it really make sense for a player to worry about this? High draft position means lousy team, usually, and unrealistic fan expectations. Yes, it means a bigger initial contract, but if you're any good, your later contracts are much more valuable.
Henderson would not be drafted in the first round of this year's draft. It's about as deep as any draft in a long time. Frankly, Hansbrough may not be a first-round lock this year. No way Henderson will depart.