McBob to declare (NBA) article

[vango]

http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=167&p=2&c=628913&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2fduke.scout.com%2f2%2f628 913.html

Headline says a lot but I do not subscribe so I haven't read the article.

[Kfanarmy]

see link

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/6596652

[AtlBluRew]

If you look below "Click here to read the rest of the story," which takes you to a subscription page, you see an option to read what appears to be the same story for free on TheDevilsDen.

It says he's got the full blessing of the coaching staff and that he will likely sign with an agent.

McBob, I wish you were coming back for another year.

[VaDukie]

Sad to see him go. I wish him the best, but I worry he won't have much of an impact in the NBA. Is he even projected as a lottery pick?

[Cavlaw]

Best wishes, Josh. Good luck at the next level.

[diesel]

Say it ain't so, Josh!

But if the worst comes to the worst, his Mom still has unlimited eligibility and should be invited to sit next to the Duke bench.

[bluebear]

This is disappointing but expected news..perhaps, if he signs with an agent it will serve as another recruting tool for PP as the middle has opened wide in terms of playing time. Otherwise, we'll need big off-seasons for LT and BZ..

[RelativeWays]

Well the 1st of two big questions of the off season has been answered, now we need to see who Patterson is going to sign with. I hope for the best in Josh's NBA career, but I am a little disappointed. I really could see him and Paulus leading Duke to greater things next season.

[phaedrus]

the fox sports article says he will sign with arn tellem. he's one of the bigger names among sports agents so i think that's a good thing. apparently he represents jj, shelden, and dunleavy along with bigger names like mcgrady and pau gasol.

if the guy can get $10 million/year for mike dunleavy, i think josh is in good hands.

[buzz]

Good luck, Josh. Sorry to see you go, though. I really enjoyed watching you play another year. Don't listen to the naysayers and malcontents.

[Troublemaker]

Sad to see him go. I wish him the best, but I worry he won't have much of an impact in the NBA. Is he even projected as a lottery pick?

I think he'll be late lottery. As for impact, he'll probably be a bench player at first but he definitely has the talent to become a good starter if he works. That's impacting enough. He probably can't become a star because there's a good chance he just doesn't have natural touch on his shot (although it's possible an adjustment in shot mechanics could help), and there's some lack of quickness and fluidity when he drives with the ball. That said, his height, shotblocking ability, hops, passing ability, dribbling ability, dunks, and ambidextrity gives him good upside to become a good starter in a league where finesse and fastbreaking are encouraged right now.

[feldspar]

Good luck, Josh.

We need you, Patrick.

[wiscodevil]

work hard, be smart and have fun!

[dukepsy1963]

Josh.... Thanks and good luck!!!!

[ikiru36]

Josh,

Thank you for all you've brought and I wish you the best in everything going forward. You'll always be a part of the Duke Family and we'll be rooting for you!

[VaDukie]

Now down to Paulus and Marty...and if Marty transfers...

[grossbus]

i'll remember the dunks. such a rarity in our game: a big guy wanting to throw it down.

[BlueDevilBaby]

Thanks for the high flying ally oop dunks, taking it from one end of the floor to the other and slamming it home, and the best move I've ever seen a big man make - the behind the back between the legs dribble to get by two defenders. Awesome! Best of luck.

[rsvman]

Wow! Did you see the poll results associated with the article?

82% of the article readers say Josh will not "make it" in the NBA!

That's harsh.



I want to thank him for two great years of basketball and wish him the best. I think there IS a place for him in the NBA, and that he will succeed at the next level.

[Kewlswim]

Hi,

Well, I feel like we got to know you better than Luol, but in a way I feel like we hardly got a chance to really know you. I like that Coach K and he had decided before even this season that this would be his last. The coaches were in the know and thus could move ahead accordingly.

GO DUKE!

[Jumbo]

I'll break down what I've heard about his draft stock and his NBA potential in a couple of weeks. It's a little too close to the end of Duke's season to do that right now. Signing with Tellem is a coup for Josh, though -- that guy has a heck of a lot of power.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Josh

I wish you were staying around for more, but appreciate what you have done in your two years.

Best of luck in the NBA.

SoCal

[g4orce]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Is it just me, or did it seem as the season progressed that Josh became more of a liability than an asset? Don't get me wrong... I loved to watch him dunk/pass and develop what could have been a massive threat hook shot, but his attitude seemed to be a drain on the rest of the team.

If the Fox article was right, and this was decided last year, it explains a whole lot to me why his attitude wasn't better. I'm putting words in his mouth, but you could argue that his attitude was, "geez. I stayed here for this? Is my stock going to go down" There were several games it seemed like he just didn't show up b/c of his attitude.

Brand - yes
Maggette - no (1 more year - but glad he left)
Avery - No
Williams - yes
Boozer - yes
Dunleavy - no (1 more year)
Deng - maybe
Shav - no
McBob - no (1 more year)

IMHO

Now, having said that, to quote the Alltel ad:

Patrick, come and get your love! :D

[duke03]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Is it just me, or did it seem as the season progressed that Josh became more of a liability than an asset? Don't get me wrong... I loved to watch him dunk/pass and develop what could have been a massive threat hook shot, but his attitude seemed to be a drain on the rest of the team.

If the Fox article was right, and this was decided last year, it explains a whole lot to me why his attitude wasn't better. I'm putting words in his mouth, but you could argue that his attitude was, "geez. I stayed here for this? Is my stock going to go down" There were several games it seemed like he just didn't show up b/c of his attitude.

Brand - yes
Maggette - no (1 more year - but glad he left)
Avery - No
Williams - yes
Boozer - yes
Dunleavy - no (1 more year)
Deng - maybe
Shav - no
McBob - no (1 more year)

IMHO

Now, having said that, to quote the Alltel ad:

Patrick, come and get your love! :D


Shav is a "no"!?!? I know we all thought he was crazy for deciding to jump to the NBA at the time, but in retrospect, he ABSOLUTELY made the right decision. He would have rode the bench/used incorrectly yet again during his senior season at Duke. Going to the NBA allowed him to prove himself, and lo and behold he does just that. He's making $1 million a year and is a real contributor on an NBA team. Once he's healthy next season, and with Webber gone, his role on the Sixers may increase even more (depending on who they draft). How can you possibly think that Shav shouldn't have left when he did?

[gadzooks]

If the Fox article was right, and this was decided last year, it explains a whole lot to me why his attitude wasn't better. I'm putting words in his mouth, but you could argue that his attitude was, "geez. I stayed here for this? Is my stock going to go down" There were several games it seemed like he just didn't show up b/c of his attitude.Very interesting point; it probably would explain why he was so often yelling at his teammates after he made a mistake. It also makes me wonder what he and the coaching staff might have done differently had he not already had one foot out the door.

While I had high hopes for him, and am sad that he's (probably) leaving, this could be a net positive for the team. They won't have this guy with a negative attitude hanging around. Duke is more attractive to Patterson now. Singler will hopefully live up to his hype and get more minutes with Josh gone. This isn't great, but it's not the end of the world, either.

[mapei]

But if the coaching staff had planned this all along, surely they have been telling Patterson. This is confirmation, of course.

[TNTDevil]

Here's the link to WRAL's story.

http://www.wral.com/sports/story/1244501/

[ItalianDevil]

Sad to see him go. I wish him the best, but I worry he won't have much of an impact in the NBA. Is he even projected as a lottery pick? Not from me. Watzone (if I remember correctly) correctly felt as he did never really unpack his suitcases. I feel like being betrayed, he never shown any sign of maturity, the early departure is just the icing on the cake. For every mercenary gone, a real man emerges. Go Devils, have a great 2007-08 campaign guys.

[TillyGalore]

Not sure his overall performance this season is going help with regards to how high up in the draft he is going to go. I miss the days when the players stayed for all four years. Like someone else mentioned I think he and Paulus, and Nelson could have brought this team to a new level next year. But I guess will never know. :(

I wish him all the best!

[buzz]

No disrespect gadzooks, but I just don't see how this could ever be a net positive. This is a big loss for Duke, any way you slice it. Imagine the matchup nightmares for other teams with McRoberts and Singler on the floor at the same time. I think people are underestimating the impact of Josh's defense as well. IF we get Patterson, that will alleviate the negative impact somewhat, but I'd take Josh as a junior over any incoming freshman.

I also don't think anyone really knows for sure if this alleged attitude problem is real in the eyes of the coaching staff or the other team members. I think the dude has gotten a bad rap myself. Most of this perception is coming from the media, which isn't to be trusted IMO. I'd agree that he needs to work on his body language during the game, but that isn't the same thing as being a bad apple, which is what some are saying.

[Patrick Yates]

Two Thoughts:

McBob might not be such a loss to the devils. Don't get me wrong, I loved what he could do, the Dunks, the high flying blocks, the sick dribbling. But I am more upset by what he didn't do. Just watching his highlight reals made you realize that there was not a lot that he couldn't do, if he so wanted.

We needed him to be a low post player. He didn't want to. He refused to go down low. At the begining of the season maybe we needed him to be up high, but I think that just served to prolong the Scheyer/Paulus problems we had throughout the year. Maybe he did help at the time, but it might have been better to choke down our medicince early, against teams we probably could have beaten anyhow, than to let McBob develop such horrendous habits.

He may like the fancy dribbling and passing, and only jumping hard if there was a dunk in the offing, but the pros do not need a 6-10 SG or SF. Josh is relatively athletic for a post, but he is footslow for one of the wing positions. Even Dirk, who I think McBob patterns himself after, had a much better post game as a high schooler than McBob does now. Also, Dirk is taller and at least as athletic.

I think Josh has the potential to be a good NBAer. But let's face facts, he was never going to be the low post threat we needed him to be. Even if he had played with a Hurley-esque passer, he liked to drift outside too much. More worrisome to me was that he had a tendancy to watch the play unfold instead of crashing the boards on a shot. On the last shot by Maynard, he (a 6-10 guy) did not have his arms up contesting the shot. Also, I do not feel that he played hard all the time. I know he had to play a lot, but it seems like Boozer, Brand, and certainly Williams, played hard all the time even as they played as much as McBob did. I would have liked to seen a higher motor.

I am not privy to insider info, so I will not guess about his effect on chemistry. I only know that he was unwilling to bang down low on a consistent basis. I do not believe that would change over the summer, even if he lived in the weight room. He was approximately the same weight (and usually taller) than many of the bigs who pushed him arround this year. Some big men do not like doing the dirty work, and I think that McBob's focus on perimeter skills shows that he would rather play that type of game than a down low one.

I think this year would have been very different with a dirty work type of post like duke has had for the past 9 years, but we didn't have one last year, and we might not next year. Such is life.

A worrisome note was that he had been planning this all year with K's full knowledge. If he knew, you have to think K, or even McBob, would have told PP about this during PP's visit. This leads me to believe that PP is waiting on NBA decisions before making his college decision, but that McBob's decision was not the one's he is waiting for. FL could, could I say, lose all their bigs this year, without much in the way of replacements.

I think PP is waiting on FL (especially Noah's) decisions. If they do not all leave, we have a good chance. Likewise, Kentucky is waiting on Jai Lucas, a pass first PG who could really change PP's mind.

I hate to say it, but I think Duke may be option 2B for PP. Option 1 is FL with a frontline in dissarray, a strong PG prospect coming in, and tons of PT and shots available in the offing.

2A could be Kentucky, but I think he will wait on Lucas (who is probably waiting on PP, catch 22 for Tubby there). Before this all goes down, Kentucky might fire Tubby, or he will leave of his own free will and accord, negating their position. But in a perfect world (from PP's pov) Kentucky might be a hair more attractive than Duke with its full roster.

Conversely, the thought of going to a Kentucky team with a talent depleted roster might have a chilling effect. For all Lucas's flavor of the month appeal (which I personally believe is more to the fact that he is a good guard who happens to be unsigned than any true excellence) he is still very short and might well struggle at the next level. PP could very well face double teams from day one in a wild cats uni.

That leaves Duke. Let's face it, you can't go wrong going to Duke. Young roster, plenty of talent, good potential. More comp of course. LT could very well put on 10-15 lbs this summer, putting him in PPs approximate weight range. If BZ also develops, PP could also face reduced PT

Going forward (because at 6-8 240, without being a fantastic athlete, PP will be in college for a minimum 2-3 years) next year Duke is in good shape with Greg Monroe, and other posts in that class. Many think GM is down to LSU and Duke, and LSU will suck next year without Big Baby. And I do not mean sucking in a way that GM could turn them into a national power, I mean sucking in that there is no hope, GM gets tripple teamed everytime he touches the ball cause there is no one else kind of sucking. I think Tasmin Mitchel leaves next year, meaning GM is the only game in town. The LSU team from GM's frosh year might only be on TV when it is getting its rear handed to it by a national power.

Looking out, in 2-3 years PP will be the star player at FL after a strong Frosh year at FL (if the expected exodus happens). If the exodus doesn't happen, he barely plays next year and everyone forgets who he is. At Duke he could have a good year (as long as BZ and LT do not develop) followed by a year of being a side kick to GM (or off the bench if LT and Single develop).

PP is looking out for his future which is wise, becaue he is not a surefire NBA player. He is undersized for the NBA post, and he is not going to get much bigger. He needs to be a progam's superstar, or he needs to be a key player on a team that is dominant for 3-4 years. Superstar (at FL) is optimal, but no sure thing. Key player at Duke is almost certain (again, no sure thing if current players develop) but slightly less attractive.

PP knew, or should have known McBob was leaving. I do not think that is as important to his decision as what happens at other programs.

My 2 cents. You may now commence with the evisceration.

Patrick Yates

[ItalianDevil]

Hi guys, I've been sentenced (reason:destructively negative). Official motivation says:
Reason: Destructively Negative
-------
Nastily wishing ill on a player -- even one who has left the program early -- is not in the spirit of what this board is about.
-------
For the record, I never wished anything physical to "that" player, just wish him good luck in a foreign state (it obviously implies he won't be picked in next draft) or either in the League, doing the "rookie job".. So beware, waving someone about to leave for abroad is subjected to punishment. ;) Thanks Jumbo, thought freedom of speech was a prerogative of US way of thinking, mostly in a top level education college as Duke surely is.
Please explain to me where I wished ill on "that" guy.
Kind regards

[Jumbo]

Hi guys, I've been sentenced (reason:destructively negative). Official motivation says:
Reason: Destructively Negative
-------
Nastily wishing ill on a player -- even one who has left the program early -- is not in the spirit of what this board is about.
-------
For the record, I never wished anything physical to "that" player, just wish him good luck in a foreign state (it obviously implies he won't be picked in next draft) or either in the League, doing the "rookie job".. So beware, waving someone about to leave for abroad is subjected to punishment. ;) Thanks Jumbo, thought freedom of speech was a prerogative of US way of thinking, mostly in a top level education college as Duke surely is.
Please explain to me where I wished ill on "that" guy.
Kind regards

You can read the infraction policy here (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353). If you're trying to convince us that you were literally wishing him well in Latvia and carrying bags/sitting on the bench whatever it was you said, you must think we're pretty stupid.

[kutter]

Can't be mad at Josh for making this move. It really does make sense. Duke isn't going to contend for a title next year and his stock is slipping as he goes from a guy drafted on potential to a finished product. I'm not mad at him. Best of luck. The Josh project should have worked, Duke was just one player away in 2005-2006 season. Loul comes to mind...

Thanks Josh. I'll be rooting for you at the next level...

[Clipsfan]

Not from me. Watzone (if I remember correctly) correctly felt as he did never really unpack his suitcases. I feel like being betrayed, he never shown any sign of maturity, the early departure is just the icing on the cake. For every mercenary gone, a real man emerges. Go Devils, have a great 2007-08 campaign guys.

I look at it from the other perspective, the one where I am happy that we had him for this past season. He was projected as a top 10 pick in last year's lottery, yet he came back to Duke for another year. I think that it is overly selfish (even if understandable, as we would all like our good players to stay) of the fans to not appreciate the extra year which he gave to the program. I don't know if anyone thought that he'd definitely be here for a third year just because he stayed a second year, so how can we feel betrayed? He never promised to stay another year, it was all just hope and speculation based on his "sliding draft stock"

[mapei]

A worrisome note was that he had been planning this all year with K's full knowledge. If he knew, you have to think K, or even McBob, would have told PP about this during PP's visit. This leads me to believe that PP is waiting on NBA decisions before making his college decision, but that McBob's decision was not the one's he is waiting for. FL could, could I say, lose all their bigs this year, without much in the way of replacements.

I think PP is waiting on FL (especially Noah's) decisions. . . .

PP knew, or should have known McBob was leaving. I do not think that is as important to his decision as what happens at other programs.

That seemes VERY plausible to me.

[Clipsfan]

That seemes VERY plausible to me.

Not only plausible, but concerning. I really doubt that FLA's players are going to stay another year. I wonder if the best case scenario is that they win the national title, so that they have the option of trying for a 3-peat?

[killerleft]

I really enjoyed watching your game develop, and hope you realize the dream of not only playing but excelling in the pro game.

I'm sad, because I rarely watch the NBA, and won't get to see you much anymore.

[g4orce]

Buzz

I made the comment about his attitude b/c that seemed to be the only way to describe his expressions, lack of consistent play and interaction with teammates. It might be a bad choice of words, but it is the only way I can think to describe what I saw.

If memory serves my right, it was the Maryland game at home, near the end of game, when Paulus and McBob were both going up court for defense. For no reason at all, and I rewound my DVR many times to figure it out why he did it, but McBob just reached out, grabbed Paulus' jersey and threw him to his left. Paulus' assignment saw it (was behind them both) and just blew by McBob to their right. B/c of McBob, Paulus was in no position to defend and caused a lane to be open for the shot (off a dish). Everyone who was at my house - and probably others who caught it on tv - saw it and went ballistic.

Someone just made the comment about his lack of desire in banging down low. When you think of it in terms of protecting himself against injury, that would make sense. He was protecting the "investment" of McBob vs. investing in team play. If he knew he was going pro, why would he risk injury for a few rebounds, points, block shots for the good of the team when he could ride things out til the end of the season and then bolt? So that no one gets me wrong, I think McBob could've been one of the best players we've ever had. I just don't think he took the time to invest in the team.

I don't normally get the chance to listen to ESPN Radio during the day but had to run an errand a few minutes ago. Jay Bilas was on w/Dan Patrick talking about the 1991 UNLV/Duke game, and was asked about McBob. He basically had the same thoughts about not fully developing and flat-out said that he didn't think Josh would be an impact player or would go in an early round.

The reasoning behind his comment was that there are a # of talented players who only went to college for the 1yr sit-out rule from high school - NBA and that Josh would get caught up in that. I can't argue against that. Can you? Again, he could've been fantastic, but I just don't think he invested himself in the team.

Duke03

My vote of a Shav No was based on the fact that he never had a chance to develop at Duke. He was injured too much to really make a name for himself. If he had been honest and up front, we could have done something with his injury to the point that he could've returned to form much, much quicker than he did. The fact that he made it - basically - as a walk-on in Philly was as much of a "family connection" than anything else. He was healthy, had a connection and had talent. Unfortunately for us, he was never healthy while here, seemed lost b/c of a lack of playing time and gradually seemed to lose confidence. If he had stayed, he wouldn't have had to walk-on and would have had a high-$$ contract instead of the league min.

Can you imagine last year's team with Shav and McBob? Or 2004 if Shav had been healthy? We wouldn't have lost to UConn (thinking that Shel wouldn't have fouled out b/c of help from a healthy Shav). Can you say repeat? (04-05)

[dukeisawesome]

This can only help our chances of landing Patterson so I was very excited to hear this. Josh is projected late 1st round. He's going to have to bulk up if he wishes to play in the NBA since he'll be a 4. He will get paid for sure, but I am doubtful he will ever become a starter.

[Lord Ash]

Not sure about this...

On the one hand, if we land Patterson we'll be relying on a Freshman, albeit a VERY good one as our center, and we look GREAT for the year AFTER. If not... woof, without Patterson I don't think we have a chance at a national title next year at all, and the year after depends all on Zoub's development.

On the other hand... I did feel like Josh didn't have the right attitude. He seemed to slump and scream and get on his teammates in the wrong ways often... there is a winning venom, and a give up venom, and he seemed to have more of the second. As a friend of mine pointed out, K is a West Point guy who clearly loves that "tough" attitude, an attitude with Paulus clearly has. Maybe this will be good for the chemistry of the team?

[Nittany Devil]

I wish the best of luck to Josh in the league. He didn't have to stick around for his sophomore year, but he did and he really helped Duke reach 20 wins and the Tournament again. That might not seem like a big accomplishment for Duke fans, but I think it is in light of alternative scenarios without him.

I get the feeling that Duke fans are putting a little too much value in Patterson's decision. Even if he does come to Duke, how often do recruits ranked in the 10-15 range make less than significant contributions as freshmen? It happens quite often, and it sounds like Patterson still needs to add polish to his game. Last year around this time we were anxiously awaiting Thomas' decision. Many were ecstatic with his decision but later disappointed with his production as a freshman. I have a feeling that Patterson would make a more significant impact as a freshman than Thomas, but I wouldn't expect too much. With that said, I'd still be thrilled if Patterson comes to Duke.

[Saratoga2]

Very interesting point; it probably would explain why he was so often yelling at his teammates after he made a mistake. It also makes me wonder what he and the coaching staff might have done differently had he not already had one foot out the door.

While I had high hopes for him, and am sad that he's (probably) leaving, this could be a net positive for the team. They won't have this guy with a negative attitude hanging around. Duke is more attractive to Patterson now. Singler will hopefully live up to his hype and get more minutes with Josh gone. This isn't great, but it's not the end of the world, either.

McRoberts contributed much to the team this year and was still improving. His defense, ball handling and passing were really good and he did add points, although not at the rate our fans would have liked. He and perhaps Paulus are the only two guys on the team who are hard to replace with next years recruits. Patterson is still a possibility but he is still not 6'10" and also doesn't have the battle tested skills of Josh.

Sorry to see him leave, but it is fully understandable in today's world with kids becoming instant millionaires. Good luck to you Josh.

[Atlanta Duke]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Is it just me, or did it seem as the season progressed that Josh became more of a liability than an asset? Don't get me wrong... I loved to watch him dunk/pass and develop what could have been a massive threat hook shot, but his attitude seemed to be a drain on the rest of the team.

If the Fox article was right, and this was decided last year, it explains a whole lot to me why his attitude wasn't better. I'm putting words in his mouth, but you could argue that his attitude was, "geez. I stayed here for this? Is my stock going to go down" There were several games it seemed like he just didn't show up b/c of his attitude.

Brand - yes
Maggette - no (1 more year - but glad he left)
Avery - No
Williams - yes
Boozer - yes
Dunleavy - no (1 more year)
Deng - maybe
Shav - no
McBob - no (1 more year)

IMHO

Now, having said that, to quote the Alltel ad:

Patrick, come and get your love! :D

Disagree on Dunleavy - he was the #3 overall pick. Even then that slot made no sense to me but that was around where he thought he would go when he declared and he got more $$ because of it.

Nobody may have seen Carmelo Anthony coming out after only 1 year at Syracuse but the whole world knew Lebron James was going #1 in the 2003 draft. Dunleavy was destined to be drafted lower in 2003 and his Dad knew it.

Dunleavy probably would have been required to play out of position again at big forward if he would have stayed in 2003, which would have further exposed his flaws that were starting to show by the end of 2001-02. McRoberts may be thinking along similar lines.

Leaving when he did screwed Duke and I lost all interest in rooting for him when he bailed like that, but from a business standpoint it was a smart move for Dunleavy; another year at Duke would not have cured what ails his game in the pros.

As for Deng, that early departure also stung Duke but it is hard to say how it set Luol back.

[ItalianDevil]

You can read the infraction policy here (http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353). If you're trying to convince us that you were literally wishing him well in Latvia and carrying bags/sitting on the bench whatever it was you said, you must think we're pretty stupid. Your sense of humour is very weak, Mr Jumbo. "whatever it was I said" wasn't at all equal to wishing him illness or something worse!!!. Even if I'm not English mother tongue I think I expressed my opinion in a polite way, with just a little sarcasm. Maybe you can try to post in Italian and see how good you are.
Now gimme another infraction.