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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Maryland

    Why Did Josh McRoberts Leave Early?

    I wish somebody could tell me for what reasons made him leave early for the NBA.

    The agent who told him to leave early really needs to explain himself for costing us an offensive presence in the post and for ruining this young man's life.

    Josh McRoberts Has Played 5 Games For The Portland Trailblazers
    Josh McRoberts Has Played 23 Minutes For The Portland Trailblazers
    Josh McRoberts Has Scored 10 Points,and collected 4 Rebounds For The Portland Trailblazers

    Its absolutely sickening,he hasnt played a game since February 13th when he got in for 3 minutes in a loss to Dallas.

    Hes made 2 trips to the Blazers,D-League affiliate Idaho Stampede where if you watched him he plays like he doesnt want to be there by playing unmotivated and making a lot of mental mistakes.

    He recently was assigned back to Idaho where hes played solid,8 PPG 7.5 RPG 1.5 BPG

    Those numbers have to be improved because with the Portland Trailblazers next season his contract will likely not be renewed due to Portland's players in Europe who are coming over next season and roster spaces for their 4 draft picks in the 2008 NBA Draft.


    I dont think I've ever felt as sad for a player as I do for McRoberts ,how we would've needed him this year and he would've needed another 2 years at Duke.

  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by Franzez View Post
    I wish somebody could tell me for what reasons made him leave early for the NBA.

    The agent who told him to leave early really needs to explain himself for costing us an offensive presence in the post and for ruining this young man's life.

    Josh McRoberts Has Played 5 Games For The Portland Trailblazers
    Josh McRoberts Has Played 23 Minutes For The Portland Trailblazers
    Josh McRoberts Has Scored 10 Points,and collected 4 Rebounds For The Portland Trailblazers

    Its absolutely sickening,he hasnt played a game since February 13th when he got in for 3 minutes in a loss to Dallas.

    Hes made 2 trips to the Blazers,D-League affiliate Idaho Stampede where if you watched him he plays like he doesnt want to be there by playing unmotivated and making a lot of mental mistakes.

    He recently was assigned back to Idaho where hes played solid,8 PPG 7.5 RPG 1.5 BPG

    Those numbers have to be improved because with the Portland Trailblazers next season his contract will likely not be renewed due to Portland's players in Europe who are coming over next season and roster spaces for their 4 draft picks in the 2008 NBA Draft.


    I dont think I've ever felt as sad for a player as I do for McRoberts ,how we would've needed him this year and he would've needed another 2 years at Duke.
    He is making $400,000+ per year. Maybe that is important to him.

  3. #3

    His own decision

    I am sad for him but from what I heard on campus, no one had to twist his arm to leave. Few had higher opinions of his worth than Josh himself. He was not particularly liked by his teammates. Team chemistry seems to have been much better this year. I didn't see much evidence of a high work ethic in his two years at Duke and that seems to have continued in his pro career.

    I wish him well. I hope he gets his head and game together.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Atlanta, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by Franzez View Post
    I wish somebody could tell me for what reasons made him leave early for the NBA.

    \Hes made 2 trips to the Blazers,D-League affiliate Idaho Stampede where if you watched him he plays like he doesnt want to be there by playing unmotivated and making a lot of mental mistakes.

    I dont think I've ever felt as sad for a player as I do for McRoberts ,how we would've needed him this year and he would've needed another 2 years at Duke.
    Maybe he looks like he doesn't want to be in Idaho, but last year he sure didn't look like he wanted to be at Duke. First time I've ever seen a guy act like he was a Carolina player with that attitude he had. He is an extremely talented player, and we sure could have used his talents this year, but he didn't look like he did much for team chemistry. I know the poor play of our team got to him last year, but man, that attitude looked poisonous at times.

  5. #5
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    Jan 2008
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    Texas/NC
    It is pretty widely accepted throughout the student body that both Josh and the Duke basketball team (including K) were ready to part ways... K wasn't about to fight for Josh to stay after the kid disrupted the "Duke Family"... Not sure if this is entirely true, but this is what the story on campus has been from day one.

  6. #6
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    Maryland
    Quote Originally Posted by Edouble View Post
    Maybe he looks like he doesn't want to be in Idaho, but last year he sure didn't look like he wanted to be at Duke. First time I've ever seen a guy act like he was a Carolina player with that attitude he had. He is an extremely talented player, and we sure could have used his talents this year, but he didn't look like he did much for team chemistry. I know the poor play of our team got to him last year, but man, that attitude looked poisonous at times.
    He looks like he is upset he is even on a D-League team

    The rest of his teammates realize they have to play their asses off every game for them to ever get a call up to a NBA team or a big contract in Europe,they realize what they have to do to get out of Idaho

    Hes playing like,"Man this sucks,I hate playing here"

  7. #7
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    Jun 2007
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    Parts Unknown
    Any word on what J.J. Hickson is going to do?
    Last edited by devil84; 03-26-2008 at 01:24 PM. Reason: Edited out deleted message quote

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
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    Denver, CO.
    Quote Originally Posted by Franzez View Post
    I guess it is because this will be the only season he earns it.

    When he entered the NBA Draft I really hoped he was just going to test the waters like J.J. Hickson to see what he needs to work on to be drafted higher next year.
    I could be wrong here, but I believe he has a guaranteed 2-year contract, so he'll get paid next year too.

    In terms of why he left, many people were surprised that he opted to come back for his sophomore year (Greg Doyel wrote a scathing column about Coach K on this topic if you like reading columns by a man who harbors irrational hatred for K and Duke). McRoberts's draft stock was probably at its highest after his freshman year (much like Hansbrough, IMO). He decided to come back to Duke but, as has been discussed in this thread and many others, his heart didn't seem to be there and his game suffered. I think he felt it was best for him personally to leave Duke and try to make it in the NBA. Guy has loads of talent so, if he truly works, he'll make it in the NBA as a role player or, perhaps, in a European league making a good living. The same can probably be said for Shav, although, in his situation, he had Josh McRoberts coming in as a freshman to likely eat some of his PT.
    Last edited by devil84; 03-26-2008 at 01:25 PM. Reason: edited out language from quote from deleted message

  9. #9
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    Jan 2008
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    Maryland
    Quote Originally Posted by Bluedawg View Post
    Any word on what J.J. Hickson is going to do?
    Hes just putting his toe in the water to see what the interest is like for him now.

    Most Mock sites have him between 25-35 right now in the 2008 NBA Draft,the best move for him is to wait until 2009 where the talent level will be much lower than this year.

    However,James Johnson is a guy who from what I've heard could likely enter the NBA Draft soon.

    I have a friend who goes to Wake Forest and has a class with him and says he typically shows up late for class or misses class and that his grades are probably pretty horrible.

    After looking it up,academics havent been his strong point even in HS and with Top 5 player Al-Farqouq Aminu coming in at SF he very well could be gone soon.

  10. #10
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    Feb 2007
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    Raleigh, NC
    McRoberts and K both knew when Josh committed that his whole intent was to stay at Duke for two years. His mind was already made up before he ever put on a Duke uni, didn't matter how productive those two years would/would not be.

  11. #11
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    Atlanta, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by Edouble View Post
    Maybe he looks like he doesn't want to be in Idaho, but last year he sure didn't look like he wanted to be at Duke. First time I've ever seen a guy act like he was a Carolina player with that attitude he had. He is an extremely talented player, and we sure could have used his talents this year, but he didn't look like he did much for team chemistry. I know the poor play of our team got to him last year, but man, that attitude looked poisonous at times.
    Act like a Carolina player? Oh, please do elaborate...what exactly does that mean? And who on this years team exemplifies those qualities that Josh displayed while at Duke?

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by rockymtn devil View Post
    I could be wrong here, but I believe he has a guaranteed 2-year contract, so he'll get paid next year too.

    In terms of why he left, many people were surprised that he opted to come back for his sophomore year (Greg Doyel wrote a scathing column about Coach K on this topic if you like reading columns by a man who harbors irrational hatred for K and Duke). McRoberts's draft stock was probably at its highest after his freshman year (much like Hansbrough, IMO). He decided to come back to Duke but, as has been discussed in this thread and many others, his heart didn't seem to be there and his game suffered. I think he felt it was best for him personally to leave Duke and try to make it in the NBA. Guy has loads of talent so, if he truly works, he'll make it in the NBA as a role player or, perhaps, in a European league making a good living. The same can probably be said for Shav, although, in his situation, he had Josh McRoberts coming in as a freshman to likely eat some of his PT.
    Actually his contract as a 2nd round pick is a 1 year gurantee for this season and a team option for next season.

    With his lack of production and Portland's already stacked roster his option will certainly be declined,he'll probably have to try to make a summer league team and impress enough to maybe earn a guranteed contract.

    Shavlik Randolph really didnt improve at all in college and in his junior year he lost some playing time and with McRoberts on the way it was certain doom for him.

    However he hasnt played much but has been a somewhat decent pro in Philadelphia,he'll likely be in Europe next season but he has made some improvements.

  13. #13
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    Mar 2007
    Location
    Mount Kisco, NY

    $ and Sense

    Financially, McRoberts should have left after his freshman year. Playing in the reflected light of Redick and Williams allowed him to hide his inability to be the #1 guy on the team. Scouts figured he deferred to the All Americans and were ready to make him a lottery pick. That would have paved the way for $6 million guaranteed over 3 years. Contrast that with, "What if he stayed?" I think his stock continues to drop. Last year, it was essentially his team to lead and star on and it was quickly obvious that he wasn't that kind of player. He was plenty good, but not lottery or een first round material. Would that have changed over his junior and senior years, especially knowing now what we think we know about his lack of fire in the belly...unlikely. So, he drops to the 2nd round or undrafted and tries to become Chris Duhon - a 2nd rounder that sticks (let's forget about Boozer in this convo whose skills and fire in the belly were clearly misjudged by the Marty Blakes of the world). Duhon, who clearly has the fire in the belly, despite his penchant for partying, has earned between $5MM - $10MM in his career. So, would McRoberts have done the same had he stayed. I doubt it, so he should have left after his freshman year and banked his $6MM. I guess another option, aside from pro ball, would have been to graduate and try and grab a Wll Street job from a fat cat alumni (of which there are many). If he worked hard, he could have parlayed that into a greater then $400K gig per year, for more then the average NBA career span (3-4 years?). But, again, I don't think he's that kind of kid. He saw himself as an NBA player from the time he was a teenager..anything else was not living the dream. Had he not left last year, that dream probably would have vanished.

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by ClosetHurleyFan View Post
    Act like a Carolina player? Oh, please do elaborate...what exactly does that mean? And who on this years team exemplifies those qualities that Josh displayed while at Duke?
    Yeah, what does it mean to act like a Carolina player?

    Josh should have not even gone to college. When he came out of high school, he could have entered the Draft because the age limit didn't go into effect until the next year. If he declared in 2005 or after his first year at Duke, he would have been a lottery pick. Instead, he stayed for two years, got picked in the second round, and is now in the D-League. The guy obviously has all the talent in the world, but I have heard a lot of stuff about him being full of himself. He sure looked pretty arrogant in that picture of him with that girl from "The Hills."

  15. #15
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    Feb 2007
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    Greensboro, NC
    Just to say something positive about Josh, I thought that (at least in games, don't know about his practice ethics) he played hard and tried hard to be the player that we thought he could be. Somehow that never translated into reality. It was like he just couldn't force himself to believe that his game needed changing, and Coach K and the team should have adapted to him instead.

    Hmmm... my post wasn't very positive after all.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Dat View Post
    Financially, McRoberts should have left after his freshman year. Playing in the reflected light of Redick and Williams allowed him to hide his inability to be the #1 guy on the team. Scouts figured he deferred to the All Americans and were ready to make him a lottery pick. That would have paved the way for $6 million guaranteed over 3 years. Contrast that with, "What if he stayed?" I think his stock continues to drop. Last year, it was essentially his team to lead and star on and it was quickly obvious that he wasn't that kind of player. He was plenty good, but not lottery or een first round material. Would that have changed over his junior and senior years, especially knowing now what we think we know about his lack of fire in the belly...unlikely. So, he drops to the 2nd round or undrafted and tries to become Chris Duhon - a 2nd rounder that sticks (let's forget about Boozer in this convo whose skills and fire in the belly were clearly misjudged by the Marty Blakes of the world). Duhon, who clearly has the fire in the belly, despite his penchant for partying, has earned between $5MM - $10MM in his career. So, would McRoberts have done the same had he stayed. I doubt it, so he should have left after his freshman year and banked his $6MM. I guess another option, aside from pro ball, would have been to graduate and try and grab a Wll Street job from a fat cat alumni (of which there are many). If he worked hard, he could have parlayed that into a greater then $400K gig per year, for more then the average NBA career span (3-4 years?). But, again, I don't think he's that kind of kid. He saw himself as an NBA player from the time he was a teenager..anything else was not living the dream. Had he not left last year, that dream probably would have vanished.
    If Josh McRoberts had returned this year his stock would not have dropped because he would have likely averaged 15/8/3 per game this season with a better 4 in Kyle Singler playing beside him in the front court.

    Having McRoberts would have took a lot of pressure off of Demarcus Nelson who tried to replace Josh McRoberts on the boards this season.

    However from what you guys have said our team chemistry really wouldnt be good but with McRoberts I'd say we would have won at least 2 more games in the regular season.

  17. #17
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    Feb 2007
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    Acworth, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by killerleft View Post
    Just to say something positive about Josh, I thought that (at least in games, don't know about his practice ethics) he played hard and tried hard to be the player that we thought he could be. Somehow that never translated into reality. It was like he just couldn't force himself to believe that his game needed changing, and Coach K and the team should have adapted to him instead.

    Hmmm... my post wasn't very positive after all.
    Yeah - that's a little like describing a blind date by saying "she has a nice personality..."

  18. #18
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    Mar 2007
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    Mount Kisco, NY

    What about his freshman year?

    Quote Originally Posted by Franzez View Post
    If Josh McRoberts had returned this year his stock would not have dropped because he would have likely averaged 15/8/3 per game this season with a better 4 in Kyle Singler playing beside him in the front court.

    Having McRoberts would have took a lot of pressure off of Demarcus Nelson who tried to replace Josh McRoberts on the boards this season.

    However from what you guys have said our team chemistry really wouldnt be good but with McRoberts I'd say we would have won at least 2 more games in the regular season.
    What about his stats when he was playing next to an All American 5 and he got to play his natural 4 during his freshman year? Once NBA stock drops, it rarely turns around. To be a lottery pick, or even a first rounder, you either need to be a physician specimen, or a dominant player. Last year was Josh's year to be that dominant player. He wasn't up to the task. Who is the great 4 playing next to Tyler Hansborough? Marcus Ginyard? The great 4 playing next to Psycho T, Brandan Wright, departed and Psycho T raised his game. Fire in the belly! It's what's giving Shav a chance to stay in the league and will spell McRoberts' quick departure.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Billy Dat View Post
    What about his stats when he was playing next to an All American 5 and he got to play his natural 4 during his freshman year? Once NBA stock drops, it rarely turns around. To be a lottery pick, or even a first rounder, you either need to be a physician specimen, or a dominant player. Last year was Josh's year to be that dominant player. He wasn't up to the task. Who is the great 4 playing next to Tyler Hansborough? Marcus Ginyard? The great 4 playing next to Psycho T, Brandan Wright, departed and Psycho T raised his game. Fire in the belly! It's what's giving Shav a chance to stay in the league and will spell McRoberts' quick departure.
    True.

    What I dont understand is why he never played with his face to the basket like he did in college,I saw some clips of him being able to shoot a 18 footer with consistency.

    But @ Duke I think he stopped caring about his game more than 5 feet from the basket.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Franzez View Post
    True.

    What I dont understand is why he never played with his face to the basket like he did in college,I saw some clips of him being able to shoot a 18 footer with consistency.

    But @ Duke I think he stopped caring about his game more than 5 feet from the basket.
    Honestly, I think all the kid wanted to do was pass. I think he would have liked playing a more Singler-style 3 pointer and drive game but we needed him to play down low. That's definitely a recurring theme over the past few years, forcing someone to play a the more traditional 5 spot then their body and history suggest is possible. The traditional 5s we've recruited (Boateng, Thompson) don't seem to last long and we wind up forcing traditional 4s to play center, sometimes with great results (Brand, Boozer, Williams, Parks) and sometimes with poorer results (Burgess, McRoberts, Newton). Keep your head up, Franzez. We're all bummed about how the season ended, but MCBOB was not the savior.

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