Does anyone have any information on what the young man is thinking?
Printable View
Does anyone have any information on what the young man is thinking?
No news as far as I can tell.
I believe he has until the end of May to make a decision regarding the NBA. There's no rush and he just got out of quarantine. I assume he is trying to get feedback from NBA people on a couple of things, including where he can get drafted, if he can get on a roster next season, and if he will have to go through the G-League (even if he is drafted in the 1st or 2nd round). He has clearly showed that he can make shots all over the court. It's the defensive side of things that remain a work in progress. The question is, is Duke the best place for him to do that? I've been assuming he is going pro. Perhaps he is hearing that he'll have a better chance at sticking in the NBA with another year in college. Maybe he is hearing that he needs to show that he can play the 3 to have a shot. That would be really interesting to see if he can. The longer he waits, though, the more I wonder about a transfer. The roster at Duke next year doesn't look like it would fit Hurt.
I'm curious to hear why you are not convinced he can make shots all over the court. He shot 75% on close 2's, 56.6% on far 2s, and 44.4% from 3-point range. He rarely got blocked and was able to get his shot off with that high release and quick trigger. That and the footwork allowed him to take and make high degree-of-difficulty shots everyone on the court. In the NBA, there will be even more space for him to operate, on and off the ball. His off-ball movement is quite good. I have no doubt he will be able to score the ball at any level of the sport. Now, can a coach trust him to be on the court for extended periods of time? That's the make or break question for him.
Hmmm. This is the first time I've seen this possibility. I must have missed in in earlier posts...
Not an expert, especially compared to the folks here, but haven't we been saying that a floor spacer would be good next year? And isn't he one? Hence might he not fit well?
No way Hurt is transfering. He'll play all the minutes he can next year regardless of roster makeup.
Hurt and Banchero are more or less competing for that 4 spot and Banchero is a vastly superior talent. The fit between the two is not ideal. Hurt can't play the 5 and I don't think he's ideal for the 3, either. The way the roster is shaping up, he doesn't fit alongside the other players Duke will have.
The idea that he might transfer is just me speculating. I'm just wondering out loud. If Hurt decided to come back, I'd be delighted. It's just that I have serious questions about how he would fit in with the other guys the team should have.
My guess is that Bob think's he will struggle in the low post where he will get pushed around and blocked more often than in college.
While I agree with your assessment, DBA, I ultimately agree with Bob (if that's what he's saying about the low-post): Hurt has great natural shooting ability, a release that's tough to block, and some pretty nifty fadeaway moves. But lack of athleticism will make the low-post tougher on him and my guess is he will be largely perimeter oriented in the NBA, hence not "all" over the court.
Very intrigued to see how his career will play out...the NBA has become so perimeter oriented to begin with maybe he can actually make it work for a few years like the Raven. My personal opinion is that lack of footspeed and athleticism puts him in no-mans land for the NBA. Too slow to guard the perimeter, not athletic/big enough for the post in the NBA. Would think he will make lots of money internationally...
^ yeah, guarding people is likely to be an issue...
It's rare to watch an NBA game and see a team dumping the ball down to the post. There are only a few players that are taking many post entry passes or starting their offense around the rim. I agree that Hurt will largely operate out on the perimeter, but that doesn't preclude him from making an off-ball cut to the rim or taking his man off the dribble for the layup when the opportunity presents itself. I could see a team using him in a pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop action with a dominant ball handler.
Well said, Silky. I pretty much agree. Hurt was a scoring machine this year. But he had a few go-to moves that, while reasonably high degree of difficulty, aren't as go-to in the NBA. It wasn't like he was super crafty (e.g. Kennard) scoring from all over the court that way or super quick (e.g. Nolan) and scoring from all over the court that way.
He has a jab step move, a mini step back, a Dirk fallaway, he can catch and shoot, and he could bang a bit in the post with a few decent finishes. All of that makes him proficient in college.
In the NBA, I foresee his posts will be neutralized due to size and strength. His jab will be predictable. His step back is not quick enough or big enough to create space. His Dirk may work, but he's materially shorter than Dirk which gives me pause. I have faith in his catch and shoot.
The defense is a whole nother matter. It's a tough transition for Hurt. He has a path but I don't see it as sure-thing-ish as DBA seems to.
- Chillin
If he can improve foot speed and work on that strength I like him at the stretch four. Modern nba game with spacing will help him. Guys that can hit threes have a job in the nba.
If Hurt comes back I think we will see AJ playing the 2 more. Minutes and positions will get shuffled but Hurt will get his 28+ mpg.
Williams, Banchero, Hurt, Griffin and Roach/Moore playing a 2/3 zone? I’d love to see it. That’s a lot of athletic length.
Initially, I wondered if he would fit in the make up of next year's team, but I believe with other posters that an elite shooter has a place on any team. He does need more time with our coaches before he takes his show on the road to the NBA. And lack of quickness on the defensive side will hurt him at the next level.