"The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge" -Stephen Hawking
I think it is plausible that in 5 years, were an NBA team to have our top three guys as a core to their team, they would be off to a good start at having a very good team.
I don't think a match-up between Future Duke and Future Cavaliers is going to come down to who is better at spots 10-15. Coach K is only going 7-deep in this winner-take-all exhibition. I'll take the team with the three NBA All-Stars, the solid backup point guard, and the 2-3 marginal NBA players over whomever the Cavaliers are trotting out in 2028.
NBA games are 48 minutes long, with a 24-second shot clock. Depth wins NBA games. Seven-player rotations do not.
Remember the original premise. Better team. Inferior teams can beat a superior team on occasion. Was NC State a better team than Duke in 2017?
But put this projected Duke-NBA team in an 82-game NBA season and they finish last.
Duke won an NCAA championship four seasons ago with a talent-laden roster. Not one player on that team is currently starting in the NBA.
Seven players from Duke's 2010 NCAA title team later played in the NBA.
Mason Plumlee is the only one to ever average double-figures in points for a season, one time, 10.4 ppg.
It's harder than it looks.
Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Trajan Langdon, Shelden Williams, Mark Alarie. Truly great college players. All had pretty undistinguished NBA careers. Danny Ferry was two-time ACC POY and national POY. He averaged 7.0 points per game in the NBA. Chris Carrawell was ACC POY and he couldn't make an NBA roster. Neither could Jon Scheyer.
NBA players are really good, even at the end of the bench. The idea that Javin DeLaurier or Jack White will be part of a seven-player NBA rotation that wins games against other NBA teams strains credulity.
IMO.
No. Any GM who put together this roster for an nba team would be fired.
I expect Cousins would have a tough time playing 48 minutes right now. 😀
Maybe because a team of John Wall, Bradley Beal, and 10 other actual, breathing NBA players is struggling to beat anyone right now.
The players not named Beal and Wall matter more than some are giving credit. A future Jordan Goldwire as 9th man is not going to even remotely hold against Austin Rivers. Torched. Every single time.
- Chillin
Cause I can't resist...
Just to play Devil's advocate (excuse the pun)...
The DREAM TEAM DID lose to a team full of college players. The dream team. THE DREAM TEAM. To a team with a Duke point guard and a Duke forward at that.
https://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes...-very-bad-day/ (just for fun - check out who was also at the game...)
Give me a poorly coached team. One say, with a player that likes to go one on one often, and since I abhor most things Jordan - give me two wins off any team he's associated with. In a NBA style game, even Justin Robinson becomes an asset b/c he's long and can shoot the three (can you say Marcus Camby? Cause he's basically a REALLY poor man's Camby right at this moment).
And to be honest, we have a better chance today than we would have in 5 years (cause in 5 years, sure, if they're all NBA players, even the crappy Knicks win once in while). Game styles change. Contracts happen. You snitch on your teammate and no-one passes you the ball. Hell - you might even pull a gun on your teammate during a dice game - cause that's what all good teammates do right?
Hey - I get it - they are ALL NBA players. But what some of you don't get that I do is that NBA players will pack it in - EASY. Sometimes they just want to finish the west coast swing, go to the club, and have a steak. Some players even play high/drunk as a kite (paging JR Smith).
So let's not forget - that more than just skills come into play when it comes to competition. The young kids would have the advantage in the sense that they don't have children, wives, girlfriends, mortgages, seven cars, two agents, three managers, 4 cell phones, 6 club appearances, bumped into a Kardashaian by mistake, 12 photoshoots, 5 flights, and perhaps even a coach they hate.
Always remember - bc they are NBA players, that doesn't make them an NBA TEAM.
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
This thread reminds me of a story a friend told me a couple years ago.
I know a guy who lives in New York who happened to be at an event with Jim Boeheim a while back. This was a few years ago when Jimmy B was working with K on Team USA. Anyway, the guy I know asked Boeheim about the difference in coaching college and pro players. Jimmy B said:
"With the NBA players, you go to teach them something and you tell it to them once and then they instantly do it. Quite often they do it even better than you had shown them. With college kids, you tell them something and, if you are lucky, they might be able to do it with a moderate degree of competence after three or four months of practice."
Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?
I don't know if Coach K will still be coaching five years from now but if he is, I'll take him over some of the NBA coaches any day. But the answer is no and I agree with Jason, the fans of other teams on this board are probably laughing their heads off right about now. Great win against a good team but a Conference Championship or much less an NCAAT Championship is far from certain. GoDuke!
Come on now! J Rob has some talent. Notice I said REALLY poor man's. Camby was basically a NBA All-star but it's J Robs shot blocking ability that makes me even see a hint of Camby in him. Give him 6 fouls and let him rip!! Besides, I think he's gonna be important for us next year - we're gonna lose a lot of talent.
Aside from my nomination for this as post of the year, I want to add...
They may also be primarily concerned with getting in a locker room or charter flight brawl with that teammate who owes them $50,000 from a Boure/Booray game and is a little too late on that payment.
Also, considering the calculated lives being lived by Kim/Khloe/Kourtney/Kris/Kendall/Kylie...can any "bump" into a Kardashian be considered a mistake? That's what the player thinks it is, but days of planning by the sisters/mother went into that happy accident. Also, shall we define "bump", or are we venturing into NSFW territory?