RJ Barrett leaving Duke, declares for NBA Draft

[Bigwayne17]

RJ declaring per his instagram

[JasonEvans]

RJ declaring per his instagram

Video posted here.
https://twitter.com/RjBarrett6/status/1116004783113101312

-Jason "RJ got a haircut since the season ended" Evans

[JasonEvans]

Video posted here.
https://twitter.com/RjBarrett6/status/1116004783113101312

-Jason "RJ got a haircut since the season ended" Evans

I'm kinda surprised RJ didn't have a news conference versus a Twitter/Instagram video. I also wonder why he and Cam and Zion did not do it together. I feel like Duke has done it that way for multiple early entries in the past, but maybe I am misremembering.

[flyingdutchdevil]

I'm kinda surprised RJ didn't have a news conference versus a Twitter/Instagram video. I also wonder why he and Cam and Zion did not do it together. I feel like Duke has done it that way for multiple early entries in the past, but maybe I am misremembering.

Winslow, Tyus, and Jah did. Last year, I think they did it individually.

[Dukehk]

Video posted here.
https://twitter.com/RjBarrett6/status/1116004783113101312

-Jason "RJ got a haircut since the season ended" Evans

Best of luck RJ!

Hope he goes number 2 in the draft.

Any NBA team would be lucky to build around him as a franchise player.

[scottdude8]

Winslow, Tyus, and Jah did. Last year, I think they did it individually.

Yeah, IIRC last year the announcements were sort of "staggered" so as to give each player their moment in the spotlight to declare. Now that RJ officially got the ball rolling I would expect we'll be hearing more over the next few days.

[SlapTheFloor]

Not surprising. Best of luck, RJ!

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26487591/duke-freshman-barrett-declares-nba-draft

[AGDukesky]

Good luck and thank you for an amazing season!

[Dukehk]

Good luck RJ!

Any NBA franchise would be lucky to have you as the cornerstone.

[Acymetric]

Don't we normally have a separate thread for Duke players declaring (with the names of the declarees in the title)? Kind of burying the lede to hide it under the inauspiciously titled "NBA Draft Early Entry 2019" thread. Granted I think RJ and the two upcoming announcements are foregone conclusions, but it still warrants a separate discussion IMO or at least inclusion in the generic thread title if we're keeping it here.

Edit: Just for historical reference, we have always had individual threads for each declared player in the past.

[DallasDevil]

Don't we normally have a separate thread for Duke players declaring (with the names of the declarees in the title)? Kind of burying the lede to hide it under the inauspiciously titled "NBA Draft Early Entry 2019" thread. Granted I think RJ and the two upcoming announcements are foregone conclusions, but it still warrants a separate discussion IMO or at least inclusion in the generic thread title if we're keeping it here.

Edit: Just for historical reference, we have always had individual threads for each declared player in the past.

Just chiming in to say that I agree we should have a separate thread for each Duke player who declares. Just as I would expect a player who commits to Duke to get their own thread and not have the discussion forced into that year's general recruiting thread, or a player who transfers from Duke to get their own thread. A separate thread allows us to share thoughts about that player, including discussing their performance at Duke and making predictions about their future.

Oh, and congrats to RJ. I really enjoyed watching him this year and he represented the school well.

[Troublemaker]

Don't we normally have a separate thread for Duke players declaring (with the names of the declarees in the title)? Kind of burying the lede to hide it under the inauspiciously titled "NBA Draft Early Entry 2019" thread. Granted I think RJ and the two upcoming announcements are foregone conclusions, but it still warrants a separate discussion IMO or at least inclusion in the generic thread title if we're keeping it here.

Edit: Just for historical reference, we have always had individual threads for each declared player in the past.

Agreed. Just on a practical level, the mods would have less work to perform by not having to continually fold newly created "RJ Barrett declares" threads into a master thread.

If we want to create a new custom of not having individual threads for players declaring, I'm not sure this is the right team to start with. While it is disappointing that this team fell just short of the Final Four, they will hang an ACC Championship banner and they seemingly loved playing for Duke and with each other. (Certainly they verbalized nothing less, including in RJ's announcement video). It was a team that created a lot of great memories on the way to becoming the overall #1 seed.

If previous OADs deserved their own threads, then a 1st-team All-American like RJ probably deserves one, too. A little respect...


Good luck RJ!

Any NBA franchise would be lucky to have you as the cornerstone.


Best of luck RJ!

Hope he goes number 2 in the draft.

Any NBA team would be lucky to build around him as a franchise player.

...but not too much respect. There's really only one cornerstone/franchise player in this draft, imo. There's Zion, and then there are a bunch of guys that an NBA GM would be better off picking at #10. It won't be easy for an NBA GM that has to select #2, #3, etc. Maaaybe Ja Morant deserves to be selected #2, but it's also well-known in NBA drafting circles that PGs typically take a long time to develop. [A couple articles about that: one from the Stepien (https://www.thestepien.com/2018/11/27/timesaver-102-quick-note-scouting-point-guards/) and one from Kevin Pelton of ESPN+ ($$$) (http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/12246814/nba-mike-conley-examples-late-developing-pgs)]

Regardless, good luck in the NBA, RJ.

[JasonEvans]

Don't we normally have a separate thread for Duke players declaring (with the names of the declarees in the title)?

Done!

[chrishoke]

Thanks RJ! Forever DukeGang!

[rsvman]

Wait, RJ is leaving?? I was sure he was going to come back to play another season with Tre!



Or not.


Best of luck to RJ. I hope he finds himself in a favorable place and on a team he will enjoy playing for.

[CDu]

Agreed. Just on a practical level, the mods would have less work to perform by not having to continually fold newly created "RJ Barrett declares" threads into a master thread.

If we want to create a new custom of not having individual threads for players declaring, I'm not sure this is the right team to start with. While it is disappointing that this team fell just short of the Final Four, they will hang an ACC Championship banner and they seemingly loved playing for Duke and with each other. (Certainly they verbalized nothing less, including in RJ's announcement video). It was a team that created a lot of great memories on the way to becoming the overall #1 seed.

If previous OADs deserved their own threads, then a 1st-team All-American like RJ probably deserves one, too. A little respect...





...but not too much respect. There's really only one cornerstone/franchise player in this draft, imo. There's Zion, and then there are a bunch of guys that an NBA GM would be better off picking at #10. It won't be easy for an NBA GM that has to select #2, #3, etc. Maaaybe Ja Morant deserves to be selected #2, but it's also well-known in NBA drafting circles that PGs typically take a long time to develop. [A couple articles about that: one from the Stepien (https://www.thestepien.com/2018/11/27/timesaver-102-quick-note-scouting-point-guards/) and one from Kevin Pelton of ESPN+ ($$$) (http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/12246814/nba-mike-conley-examples-late-developing-pgs)]

Regardless, good luck in the NBA, RJ.

Agreed, on all counts.

As a Bulls fan, I want them to get the #1 pick... and if not I want them to pick 5th or 6th or 7th. I think there are a bunch of talented guys, but none that I'd be psyched about taking at #2. So I'd be happy to let the GMs pick at 2, 3, or 4, and take what is left (which will be still pretty good, but better aligned with the pick value).

That said, Barrett gave us some thrilling moments this year, represented the program admirably, and I'm happy we had him at Duke. He (and Zion and Cam) deserve their own threads individually. And I wish him the best in the NBA!

[MChambers]

I'm kinda surprised RJ didn't have a news conference versus a Twitter/Instagram video. I also wonder why he and Cam and Zion did not do it together. I feel like Duke has done it that way for multiple early entries in the past, but maybe I am misremembering.

Maybe Cam and Zion are coming back?

A guy can dream!

[MCFinARL]

I really appreciated RJ's announcement video--very classy, very grateful to the Crazies and the Duke community generally, and came off as completely sincere, not just saying what is expected. Best of luck to you, RJ.

[CameronBlue]

Good wishes RJ. You committed yourself to the team while you were here and that's all anyone can ask. An ACC title to your credit is not an insignificant accomplishment. Put a little bit more distance between us and the dishonorable Cheats in that category. Come back for a visit once in a while.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Any NBA franchise would be lucky to have you as the cornerstone.

Uh, hmm......any franchise would be lucky to have RJ......but I only see Zion as "that guy" - the cornerstone....the face of the franchise, what have you.

[weezie]

I really appreciated RJ's announcement video--very classy, very grateful to the Crazies and the Duke community generally, and came off as completely sincere, not just saying what is expected. Best of luck to you, RJ.


Oh RJ! It's been a delight! Love you my fellow Lefty. Make us even prouder!

And please think about taking a few classes at Duke in the off season...

[kako]

Good luck to RJ. I don't recall any Duke player ever making the array of shots around the hoop that he did. Looking forward to seeing him in the Association.

9F (and thinking this string is about RJ, not Zion)

[Billy Dat]

In the wake of the MSU loss, someone in the post game thread referred to RJ as "The Man in the Arena". I thought it was perfect. I know this is a smart bunch here on DBR, but it's worth pasting the most well-known passage of that famous Teddy Roosevelt speech as it applies to Rowan Jr...

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

For all 38 games (more if you want to count the Canada tour and preseason), there was only one dude of consequence ready and able to step into the arena and fight like heck to try and win. He had a lot of critics (including me early on), and a lot of people who just wanted him to step aside so Zion could shine all the brighter. Despite the narratives, I think he was a team-first guy, and one of the most competitive guys to ever put on the uniform. RJ was a lot of things, but scared was never one of them.

Do your thing, Maple Mamba, we'll be watching...just try and take it easy on Team USA for the next 20 years.

[moonpie23]

Thanks for gracing us with your amazing talent, RJ....Best of luck to you going forward !!!!

[weezie]

...For all 38 games (more if you want to count the Canada tour and preseason), there was only one dude of consequence ready and able to step into the arena and fight like heck to try and win. He had a lot of critics (including me early on), and a lot of people who just wanted him to step aside so Zion could shine all the brighter. Despite the narratives, I think he was a team-first guy, and one of the most competitive guys to ever put on the uniform. RJ was a lot of things, but scared was never one of them...


Amen Billy Dat, AMEN!

[BD80]

Perhaps he needed to declare earlier than the others so the program can maintain an RJ stasis.

[robed deity]

In the wake of the MSU loss, someone in the post game thread referred to RJ as "The Man in the Arena". I thought it was perfect. I know this is a smart bunch here on DBR, but it's worth pasting the most well-known passage of that famous Teddy Roosevelt speech as it applies to Rowan Jr...

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

For all 38 games (more if you want to count the Canada tour and preseason), there was only one dude of consequence ready and able to step into the arena and fight like heck to try and win. He had a lot of critics (including me early on), and a lot of people who just wanted him to step aside so Zion could shine all the brighter. Despite the narratives, I think he was a team-first guy, and one of the most competitive guys to ever put on the uniform. RJ was a lot of things, but scared was never one of them.

Do your thing, Maple Mamba, we'll be watching...just try and take it easy on Team USA for the next 20 years.

I agree that this passage is perfect. I loved RJ Barrett. One of the most competitive guys out there. In a different era, we'd get to see him learn from his "failings", similar to a certain #32, and come back stronger. Alas, these are different times. But I for one loved his refusal to shy away from any situation. This will serve him well at the next level IMO.

[MCFinARL]

Perhaps he needed to declare earlier than the others so the program can maintain an RJ stasis.

I like the way you think.

[MartyClark]

R.J. is a stud. As far as I can tell, he gave his best effort, all the time, every game.

His game wasn't perfect. Neither is mine.

Best wishes to this young man.

[jv001]

Thanks RJ for bringing the desire to win every game this season. I'll be rooting for you every game you play at the next level. GoDuke!

[SavDukeGrad]

RJ just won the Jerry West award as the nation’s best shooting guard! Congratulations RJ!

[EKU1969]

Congrats, RJ! Hope you fulfill your dreams.

[YmoBeThere]

Congrats, RJ! We'll enjoy watching you fulfill your dreams.

FIFY. With his attitude and approach it will be a matter of when not if.

[EKU1969]

FIFY. With his attitude and approach it will be a matter of when not if.

Thanks!👍😉🙂