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The 16 NBA draft stay-or-go decisions that will shape college basketball’s 2020-21 season

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https://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2020/07/16/2020-nba-draft-early-entry-decisions/

2020 NBA DRAFT DECISIONS
1. LUKA GARZA, Iowa

This one should be obvious. Garza is coming off of a season where he averaged 23.8 points and 9.8 boards for a top 25 team, was named a first-team All-American and put himself alongside Dayton’s Obi Toppin in the race for National Player of the Year.

But he’s also in a unique spot where he doesn’t really project as a great pro because of his lack of athleticism and mobility. How often does a player that is that unquestionably great return for another year in the collegiate ranks? Cassius Winston did it. Doug McDermott did it. They were both preseason National Player of the Year favorites, which is precisely what Garza will be. It’s a big deal having him on the floor, to say nothing of the impact that he has on everyone else on that Iowa roster.

Depending on how the chips fall, I think that Iowa can still be in the mix as a top 25 team without Garza, and I don’t think that it would be crazy if Garza opted to take a deal overseas. He can make a lot of money in Europe.

But with him back?

I think this team is capable of getting to a Final Four and winning a national title. And if I had to guess, I would guess Garza is more likely to be wearing Iowa colors than not next season.

2. XAVIER TILLMAN, Michigan State
Michigan State is going to take a hit next season because they are losing Cassius Winston, but the Spartans will still have a chance to win the Big Ten title if they bring back Xavier Tillman.

For my money, Tillman had an All-American junior season. He’s the anchor of Michigan State’s defense, a leader in the program on and off the floor and an underrated weapon offensively because of his ability to pass the ball. He’s the piece that brings everything else together for this roster.

And there are going to be some weapons there. Rocket Watts will be a year older, Gabe Brown, Malik Hall and Marcus Bingham. Joey Hauser will be eligible to play, and there’s a chance that Josh Langford will be back for his final season. Aaron Henry declared for the draft, but it seems fairly likely he’ll be back for his junior season.

But without Tillman, that is all just window dressing.

I would draft Tillman in the late first round if I was an NBA team. I think he’s the best two-way big man available in this year’s draft and a player that can impact an NBA game today. He’s already married. He had his second child in February. He’s mature and carries himself as a professional as it is. The smart financial decision here would probably be to enter the draft.

That said, he may be a guy that can improve his draft spot by being the focal point offensively. He’s also said that he will not be leaving campus without a guaranteed contract, and for some reasons, there are questions about whether or not he can get one. The way that Michigan State has set him and his family up on campus is wonderful, and he has a really good thing going while sitting a year away from a college degree.

At this point, I think Tillman is a legitimate 50-50 decision.

WHAT ABOUT AARON HENRY AND JOSH LANGFORD?
Henry is clearly a valuable piece to the puzzle for the Spartans, as is Josh Langford, who may or may not be returning after a foot injury cost him the 2019-20 season. Losing Henry would be a blow, but the sense I get is that he will be back in school. Langford is a bigger question mark, and there’s an argument to be made that his absence last season was the biggest reason that the Spartans struggled early.

3. COREY KISPERT, Gonzaga
For my money, of the three Gonzaga players who still have their names in the 2020 NBA Draft, Corey Kispert is the most influential. He’s a good defender and a great shooter as a 6-foot-6 wing, a role that gives him value as an NBA prospect. There’s a real chance that he can get picked in the late 30s or early 40s this year. That might be enough to get him to leave school.

Kispert’s skill-set also slots him in a position where the Zags really don’t have any depth to speak of. Mark Few’s teams pound the ball into the paint, and next season is not going to be any different given the amount of talented big men on the roster. But without Kispert’s floor-spacing, the lane can get clogged up awful quick. For a team that projects in the preseason top five, that matters.

WHAT ABOUT FILIP PETRUSEV AND JOEL AYAYI?
Losing Ayayi would certainly hurt, because his value as a secondary ball-handler and playmaker that can also space the floor is immense. The best teams in college basketball this decade all played with two point guards. Ayayi would qualify as point guard No. 2 on a team with Jalen Suggs. I think, however, he needs another season of seasoning in college.

Petrusev, however, is a totally different conversation. I’m not sure how he fits in the modern NBA. But I’m also not sure if he’s going to be able to improve all that much on the year he just had, not with Drew Timme on the verge of being Gonzaga’s next great center and Oumar Ballo ready to have a huge redshirt freshman season. Petrusev projects as a pro in Europe, and he can probably get paid pretty well next season somewhere other than the NBA.


(William Mancebo/Getty Images)
4. TYRELL TERRY, Stanford
Tyrell Terry was one of the more underrated freshmen in college basketball last season. He averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 boards and 3.2 assists while shooting just under 41 percent from three. He’s listed at just 160 pounds, but he’s certainly on the radar of NBA teams and might even be able to sneak his way into the end of the first round.

So he has a very real decision to make.

Because, as a potential breakout star as a sophomore, Terry will be playing on a team with the potential to win the Pac-12. The Cardinal bring back everyone off of last year’s team while adding Ziaire Williams, a five-star, one-and-done freshman that will slide right in at the four. With Terry, arguably the best point guard on the west coast if he returns, Stanford could have two lottery picks on their roster and we could legitimately be looking at a team that can get to the Final Four.

Without him, do they even have a point guard on the roster?

5. JARED BUTLER, Baylor
I currently have the Bears sitting as the No. 3 team in my preseason top 25, and that’s assuming that Butler is coming back to school. That, however, is not a guarantee. Butler showed enough as a creator in isolation and ball-screens this past season that he could end up getting picked early in the second round of the draft, and that has been enough to make worse players opt to leave school.

The big issue with Baylor this past season is that they went through stretches where they just couldn’t score. Butler is, by far, their best scorer, the one guy that can go create a bucket out of nothing. Without him, how long will those scoring droughts last?

WHAT ABOUT MACIO TEAGUE?
Teague was Baylor’s second-leading scorer last season. I don’t think that he’s nearly the NBA prospect that Butler is, but having the two of them together are awfully important for Baylor to live up to their hype. The key for Teague: He just finished his fourth year in college. Does he want to return for his redshirt senior season?

6. CHRIS SMITH, UCLA
Smith is a really interesting prospect in this year’s draft class. He’s a 6-foot-9 wing that averaged 13.1 points and shot 34 percent from three and 84 percent from the line for the Bruins, who turned into one of the 25 best teams in college basketball by the end of the season.

UCLA brings back the majority of last year’s roster, but they already suffered one major blow this offseason when five-star point guard Daishen Nix opted to accept a contract from the G League instead of heading to Westwood. Losing Smith would be another significant blow to a program that was once considered a borderline top ten team heading into the 2020-21 season.

One thing that is worth noting here: Smith, a junior, is three months younger than Precious Achiuwa and Cassius Stanley, both one-and-done freshmen that are expected to be drafted this year.

7. YVES PONS, Tennessee
Pons is definitely not a guy that is going to make any preseason All-American lists if he opts to return to school, but he may just be the best defensive player in all of college basketball. At 6-foot-6 and the best athlete in the sport, Pons can quite literally guard anyone from a point guard to a center, and he can make a step-in three. His presence will allow the Vols to play all kinds of small-ball lineups, which is exactly what they need to do with the number of talented guards on next year’s roster.

He is a borderline first round pick in my mind, although I would expect him to go in the second round if he decides to keep his name in the draft. With Pons back, Tennessee is my pick to win the SEC next season.

8. AYO DOSUNMU, Illinois
Dosunmu had a really, really good sophomore season for the Illini, averaging 16.6 points and 3.3 assists. The problem, however, is that while he hit a number of big shots over the course of the season, he didn’t really do much to prove to NBA teams that he can actually be a consistent perimeter shooter. He’s not expected to be a first round pick and there’s a chance he could drop out of the top 45. Sometimes guys that are great college players don’t project well to the NBA. Dosunmu is that guy.

That said, the safe bet seems to be that Dosunmu will keep his name in the draft, and with some backcourt talent coming into the program, Brad Underwood should be able to survive the hit. But if he does come back, Illinois will have an outside shot at winning the Big Ten title.

WHAT ABOUT KOFI COCKBURN?
Despite a terrific freshman season, Cockburn is not expected to be drafted if he keeps his name in the draft. He’s a slow-footed, 280-pound center that is more likely to tear a rim off the backboard than he is to make a three. If this was 1990 and not 2020, he’d be a top ten pick. But as it stands, he has one of the easier 2020 NBA Draft stay-or-go decisions.


(Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
9. REMY MARTIN, Arizona State
In addition to having the best name in college basketball, Remy Martin is coming off of a season where he averaged 19.1 points and 4.1 assists for a team that would have made the NCAA tournament had it been held. He’s a potential preseason All-American on a team that will add five-star freshman Josh Christopher and likely will return Alonzo Verge. With Martin in the fold, Arizona State will be in the same conversation as UCLA, Stanford and Oregon when it comes to predicting the Pac-12 champion. They may even be the favorite.

10. JAY HUFF, Virginia
I think that Jay Huff has quite a bit of potential as an NBA player. He’s 7-foot-1 with three-point range and the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, and he’s also a rim protector that has spent four years playing for Tony Bennett. To me, he makes perfect sense as an off-the-bench big in the league.

That said, his production has not quite lived up to his potential. Even playing in a system that stifles scoring numbers, Huff’s 8.5 points and 6.2 boards as a junior was a disappointment. So I think he should come back to school, where he would anchor a lineup that should be much improved for the Wahoos.

11. TRENDON WATFORD, LSU
The Tigers are already losing Skylar Mays to graduation and Emmitt Williams to the professional ranks. But with five-star Cam Thomas headlining a solid crop of newcomers, Will Wade should have a pretty solid roster. Watford, who averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 boards last season, is a bucket-getting combo-forward that should be their best player if he opts to return to school.

WHAT ABOUT JAVONTE SMART?
Smart is coming off of a season where he averaged 12.5 points and 4.2 assists as a sophomore, and with Mays gone, the Tigers are going to need someone to anchor their backcourt. Neither Watford nor Smart are projected as first round picks, and if they follow Williams out the door, the Tigers would be one of the biggest losers of the early entry period.

12. ISAIAH JOE, Arkansas
Arkansas already lost Mason Jones, who was last year’s leading scorer, to the draft. Joe entered the season with some NBA Draft hype due to the fact that he is a 6-foot-7 wing that shot a lot of threes as a freshman and made quite a few of them. His sophomore season was not quite as efficient, and also featured a knee injury in the middle of the year that slowed things down.

The Hogs have some talented transfers in the fold and four four-star prospects enrolling this summer. They remade their roster is typical Eric Musselman fashion. Keeping a veteran scorer around could be the difference between fighting for a spot in the NCAA tournament and seeing themselves ranked in the top 25.

13. MCKINLEY WRIGHT, Colorado
Colorado is already losing Tyler Bey, so the Buffaloes are taking a hit with early entries in this year’s draft. Wright matters, however, because he could be a preseason All-American. He’s coming off of a season where he averaged 14.4 points, 5.7 boards and 5.0 assists. He’s the kind of player that can put together a senior season where he throws a team on his back and carries them to a postseason run. Colorado is relevant with Wright in the fold. They are not without him.

14. ISAIAH LIVERS, Michigan
The Wolverines not only lost Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske to graduation, David DeJulius to transfer and Isaiah Todd to the G League, but they are also missed out on Josh Christopher, who committed to Arizona State instead. If Livers’ decision is to leave for the 2020 NBA Draft, that means Michigan will be losing their three best players from last season and their highest-rated recruit. If he’s back, Livers is an all-Big Ten player that puts Michigan in the mix for the top 25 and a top four finish in the league.

15. SANDRO MAMUKELASHVILI, Seton Hall
Mamu is coming off of a season where he averaged 11.9 points and 6.0 boards as one of the more underrated big men in college basketball. Someone on the Pirate roster is going to have to fill the void left by Myles Powell, Quincy McKnight and Romaro Gill, and Mamu would be that guys if he opts to return to school.

16. MARCUS CARR, Minnesota
The Golden Gophers have quite a bit left up in the air at the moment — their two most impactful transfers are both awaiting word on whether or not they will be sitting out for the upcoming season — but Carr may be their most important decision. I’m not sure that he has an NBA future, but he may have an all-Big Ten future if he returns to school. Carr averaged 15.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.3 boards last season.
 
I think Iowa will (likely) be very good, that said national champion? Come on now.
 
I think Iowa will (likely) be very good, that said national champion? Come on now.
why not this team is every bit as good as Lutes BT Champion and FF Team if not better.

as far as Garza not being good enough for the NBA it all comes down to the color of his skin and nothing else, its getting to point where its a black players game only.
this excuse of to slow, not athletic enough is their fall back excuse when a white player is brought up to play in the NBA. that is the most bigoted excuse they use.
 
I would’ve bet my entire existence that it was Luke Garza, not Luka, up until this very second.
 
why not this team is every bit as good as Lutes BT Champion and FF Team if not better.

as far as Garza not being good enough for the NBA it all comes down to the color of his skin and nothing else, its getting to point where its a black players game only.
this excuse of to slow, not athletic enough is their fall back excuse when a white player is brought up to play in the NBA. that is the most bigoted excuse they use.


I’m sure all nba coaches and GMs care more about drafting black players than drafting the best possible player, to improve their team and in turn improve their Own careers and salaries. There are plenty of athletic white players in the NBA. There aren’t that many unathletic/slow footer players in the nba, regardless of skin color. Ur opinion that the nba had become a black mans game and that white players don’t get a chance bc they are white is one of the stupidest takes I’ve ever heard.

Garza is a helluva player, but athleticism isn’t exactly his bread and butter, regardless of his skin color. And his game doesn’t exactly translate to the nba bc he’s not an elite perimeter shooter and he can’t defend switches on pick and roles. You should be glad though bc it means he will more than likely be playing for Iowa for another season.
 
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I’m sure all nba coaches and GMs care more about drafting black players than drafting the best possible player, to improve their team and in turn improve their Own careers and salaries. There are plenty of athletic white players in the NBA. There aren’t that many unathletic/slow footer players in the nba, regardless of skin color. Ur opinion that the nba had become a black mans game and that white players don’t get a chance bc they are white is one of the stupidest takes I’ve ever heard.

Garza is a helluva player, but athleticism isn’t exactly his bread and butter, regardless of his skin color. And his game doesn’t exactly translate to the nba bc he’s not an elite perimeter shooter and he can’t defend switches on pick and roles. You should be glad though bc it means he will more than likely be playing for Iowa for another season.
close enough to winning the bet.
 
I’m sure all nba coaches and GMs care more about drafting black players than drafting the best possible player, to improve their team and in turn improve their Own careers and salaries. There are plenty of athletic white players in the NBA. There aren’t that many unathletic/slow footer players in the nba, regardless of skin color. Ur opinion that the nba had become a black mans game and that white players don’t get a chance bc they are white is one of the stupidest takes I’ve ever heard.

Garza is a helluva player, but athleticism isn’t exactly his bread and butter, regardless of his skin color. And his game doesn’t exactly translate to the nba bc he’s not an elite perimeter shooter and he can’t defend switches on pick and roles. You should be glad though bc it means he will more than likely be playing for Iowa for another season.
if he is so slow and unathletic then how come when teams dbl and triple teamed him he still finished 5th in DI in scoring, avg'd 9.8 rpg ending up with 54 blocks.

he is not slow and he is very athletic, these are the quotes used against him and they are the same quotes used against every white player. its a damn cop out excuse and you know it, also he was 39-109 for 35.8% from 3, didn't realize that EVERY NBA player shot over 50% from 3 or that was a requirement to play in the NBA, not even Jordan broke the 50% rate from 3.
 
everyone of them should leave. It would be a massive mistake to stick around college for another year with all the uncertainty. The draft pool is only going to get deeper if they wait another year and they'll all be old news compared to the guys coming out of high school.

Get out now and get paid while you can.
 
everyone of them should leave. It would be a massive mistake to stick around college for another year with all the uncertainty. The draft pool is only going to get deeper if they wait another year and they'll all be old news compared to the guys coming out of high school.

Get out now and get paid while you can.
there is no way of knowing that there will even be a NBA season. right now there are roughly 150 players vying for 60 spots of which only the 1st 30 players are going to get a contract.
are you going to pay the 90 that won't get signed or the other 30 that may or may not get a contract?
 
if they really want to do they right thing, this is what needs to be done
the 1st 60 get a contract
the undrafted players should be allowed to return to college. at least the ones that were EE's.
 
there is no way of knowing that there will even be a NBA season. right now there are roughly 150 players vying for 60 spots of which only the 1st 30 players are going to get a contract.
are you going to pay the 90 that won't get signed or the other 30 that may or may not get a contract?


60 get NBA contracts and a bunch more get G League contracts. Anyone projected for either of those should jump at it.
 
if they really want to do they right thing, this is what needs to be done
the 1st 60 get a contract
the undrafted players should be allowed to return to college. at least the ones that were EE's.


Add G League players in there and I agree. This year, anyone not drafted by NBA or signed by G League should be given amnesty to return to college.
 
if he is so slow and unathletic then how come when teams dbl and triple teamed him he still finished 5th in DI in scoring, avg'd 9.8 rpg ending up with 54 blocks.

he is not slow and he is very athletic, these are the quotes used against him and they are the same quotes used against every white player. its a damn cop out excuse and you know it, also he was 39-109 for 35.8% from 3, didn't realize that EVERY NBA player shot over 50% from 3 or that was a requirement to play in the NBA, not even Jordan broke the 50% rate from 3.

Garza is an outstanding college player, but there’s a reason he’s not projected to be a lottery pick, or even a first round pick, and it’s not bc the color of his skin. Again no nba coach or gm is going to tank their own careers by not drafting a player bc they are white.

I’m not saying Garza can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. Of course he is athletic when it comes to college standards he just doesn’t have the elite athleticism that 95% of nba players have and he’s not an elite shooter. 35% from three in college is pretty impressive, but it’s unlikely he would be able to replicate that right away in the nba where the 3pt line is farther out and he’d be playing against much better defenders. That doesn’t mean he’s not a good player, bc he’s a damned good player. The NBA is just a different animal, there’s been countless college stars and college all Americans whose game didn’t translate into big time nba success. And again it has nothing to do with their race. Again I don’t see why this bothers you so much bc it likely means He will be playing for Iowa another year, in which Iowa has a chance to be a really good team.

What’s ur excuse for why Cassius Winston isn’t a projected lottery pick. He had a helluva college career and racked up numerous accolades As well as being an all around winner during his time at MSU. Plus He does have the oh so coveted pigmented skin you think is the key to making it in the nba.
 
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60 get NBA contracts and a bunch more get G League contracts. Anyone projected for either of those should jump at it.
no only the 1st rnd players are guarenteed a contract after that the next 30 are at the mercy of being cut for no reason. again only the 1st rnd are given a no cut 3 year contract. does not bode well for the other 120 players, the sad part is these NBA GM's fill these players heads with a bunch of BS then there are the agents and family or friends that make them believe that are better than they really are. making them think they will be the next Jordan, Lebron or Kobe. that will get multi million dollar shoe and NBA Contracts, only to get dumped when none of those things happen, they get dumped faster than a hot coal. in a couple years broke.
 
Garza is an outstanding college player, but there’s a reason he’s not projected to be a lottery pick, or even a first round pick, and it’s not bc the color of his skin. Again no nba coach or gm is going to tank their own careers by not drafting a player bc they are white.

Garza just doesn’t have elite athleticism and he’s not an elite shooter. That doesn’t mean he’s not a good player, bc he’s a damned good player. The NBA is just a different animal, there’s been countless college stars and college all Americans whose game didn’t translate into big time nba success. And again it has nothing to do with their race.

What’s ur excuse for why Cassius Winston isn’t a projected lottery pick. He had a helluva college career and racked up numerous accolades and He does have the oh so coveted pigmented skin you think is the key to making it in the nba.
what is a elite shooter to you? Garza shot 54.2% from the field, so now I guess everybody who wants to play in the NBA has to shoot over 60% from the field and 50% from 3. and they have to run the length of the court in 2.5 seconds and have to faster than the Flash. ok got it.

Garza didn't dunk enough to get the NBA's attention. as that is all the look at today,

they can't guard the pick n roll is a BS excuse, there are 5 players from each team on the floor at one time. it is not up to just one player to do everything.

its truly amazing for as slow and unathletic as you claim he is then explain how nobody could stop him even when they dbl and triple teamed him, even going up against NBA level players
Garza is an outstanding college player, but there’s a reason he’s not projected to be a lottery pick, or even a first round pick, and it’s not bc the color of his skin. Again no nba coach or gm is going to tank their own careers by not drafting a player bc they are white.

I’m not saying Garza can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time. Of course he is athletic when it comes to college standards he just doesn’t have the elite athleticism that 95% of nba players have and he’s not an elite shooter. 35% from three in college is pretty impressive, but it’s unlikely he would be able to replicate that right away in the nba where the 3pt line is farther out and he’d be playing against much better defenders. That doesn’t mean he’s not a good player, bc he’s a damned good player. The NBA is just a different animal, there’s been countless college stars and college all Americans whose game didn’t translate into big time nba success. And again it has nothing to do with their race. Again I don’t see why this bothers you so much bc it likely means He will be playing for Iowa another year, in which Iowa has a chance to be a really good team.

What’s ur excuse for why Cassius Winston isn’t a projected lottery pick. He had a helluva college career and racked up numerous accolades As well as being an all around winner during his time at MSU. Plus He does have the oh so coveted pigmented skin you think is the key to making it in the nba.

looking at the Celtic stats they only have 1 player that shoots over 39% from 3 and that is a reserve that has limited attempts at 50.1%

do you even watch the NBA. looking at the other teams very few avg 40% from 3 and that includes the teams top shooters,
Lavin for the Celtics avg'd 25.5 ppg while shooting 45% from the field and 38% from 3, any other BS excuse you want to use.

as for Cassius their BS excuse is he is to short, pretty sad that they now think to play BB you have to X size tall to play certain position and now supposedly are not athletic enough to play

kinda reminds me of that somg

short people have no reason to live.
 
no only the 1st rnd players are guarenteed a contract after that the next 30 are at the mercy of being cut for no reason. again only the 1st rnd are given a no cut 3 year contract. does not bode well for the other 120 players, the sad part is these NBA GM's fill these players heads with a bunch of BS then there are the agents and family or friends that make them believe that are better than they really are. making them think they will be the next Jordan, Lebron or Kobe. that will get multi million dollar shoe and NBA Contracts, only to get dumped when none of those things happen, they get dumped faster than a hot coal. in a couple years broke.


Not true. These days, most of the 2nd round picks get guaranteed contracts. Over the past few years everyone drafted in the top 50 got guaranteed money. Most of the guys drafted after that still got some sort of guaranteed money.

Over the past few years you have to look long and hard to find any players drafted who did not get guaranteed money. Even the few guys who didn't all ended up signing lucrative pro deals, either in the G league or over seas.

So that means that all of the 60 players drafted are going to get paid. and then you will have a good number of undrafted players who also end up getting paid by the G league or overseas.

Here's a great article about it...

https://collegebasketball.nbcsports...aranteed-contracts-at-exceedingly-high-rates/
 
Very true regarding 2nd round picks. Sometimes a player is better off being an undrafted free agent than being drafted in the second round.

The thing is most of the players that leave early and won’t get drafted know that they won’t be drafted. But basically every developed country in the world has a professional basketball league, and some players would rather go that route and get paid rather than come back to school and play for free, especially when you factor in the fact that coming back to school doesn’t guarantee to improve their draft stock, and in many cases the older the player gets not only do they lose a year in which they could be making money somewhere, the nba doesn’t value upperclassmen the way they do younger players bc they draft based on potential as much if not moreso than they draft on actual results/stats. There’s always outliers on both sides of the argument, but for the most part the days of upperclassmen being first round picks is basically a thing of the past.
 
the NBA game no longer interests me, all they do is dunk or shoot 3's there is very little team play, I gave watching the NBA 20 years ago. the 1 n dones bore me because it is all about the me me attitude.
 
what is a elite shooter to you? Garza shot 54.2% from the field, so now I guess everybody who wants to play in the NBA has to shoot over 60% from the field and 50% from 3. and they have to run the length of the court in 2.5 seconds and have to faster than the Flash. ok got it.

Garza didn't dunk enough to get the NBA's attention. as that is all the look at today,

they can't guard the pick n roll is a BS excuse, there are 5 players from each team on the floor at one time. it is not up to just one player to do everything.

its truly amazing for as slow and unathletic as you claim he is then explain how nobody could stop him even when they dbl and triple teamed him, even going up against NBA level players


looking at the Celtic stats they only have 1 player that shoots over 39% from 3 and that is a reserve that has limited attempts at 50.1%

do you even watch the NBA. looking at the other teams very few avg 40% from 3 and that includes the teams top shooters,
Lavin for the Celtics avg'd 25.5 ppg while shooting 45% from the field and 38% from 3, any other BS excuse you want to use.

as for Cassius their BS excuse is he is to short, pretty sad that they now think to play BB you have to X size tall to play certain position and now supposedly are not athletic enough to play

kinda reminds me of that somg

short people have no reason to live.


You tell me then, why isn’t the runner up for national player of the year not a stone cold lock to be drafted in the Lottery? It’s not bc every nba executive is an idiot, and it’s certainly not because he’s white. There’s numerous college stars that won’t be drafted very high, if they get drafted at all. Garza, Winston, Howard from marq, Powell from Seton Hall, quickley from UK. All were basically college all Americans who have a very low chance to even be drafted in the first round, much less the lottery. And......wait for it..... all but Garza are black. So again saying the only reason Garza’s draft stock isn’t higher is bc of the color of his skin is one of the stupidest takes imaginable. Well right along with thinking every player will be able to duplicate their college shooting percentages in the nba playing against the best players in the world.

And if you don’t think being able to switch on PnRs is a big deal in today’s nba, it makes me question how much nba you watch. Sure there’s 5 guys on each team, but in the nba a lot comes down to matchups, so if you’ve got a guy who is a defensive liability when he has to switch onto guards, he is going to get exploited every trip down the floor. As much isolation that goes on in the NBA, when a team gets a mismatch they clear everyone out and Isolate the mismatch.

Meanwhile a kid like James Wiseman played all of 3 college games and he’s a virtual lock to be drafted in the lottery. Why? Bc he has the size and athleticism that nba teams covet. The nba is just a different beast than college basketball. There have been countless college stars whose games never translated to NBA success. And who knows, Garza might go on to have a very successful NBA career, but to say the only reason he’s not higher on draft boards is bc he’s white, is just plain stupid.
 
the NBA game no longer interests me, all they do is dunk or shoot 3's there is very little team play, I gave watching the NBA 20 years ago. the 1 n dones bore me because it is all about the me me attitude.

This explains a lot. And I don’t even blame you, I still watch some nba, but your right, it’s become a lot less entertaining imo when it’s basically evolved into one on one isolations exploiting mismatches, or jacking threes every possession.
 
NBA Draft is more aligned to "potential" than the stats/%'s fans throw around.

In many ways, Garza is at a disadvantage with scouts when compared to younger players that are unknown quantities because there is film on Garza. Scouts can pick apart his perceived weaknesses due to all of the evidence they have at their disposal, in addition to measurable, overblown that they may or may not be?

The film on the unknown quantities doesn't exist, making them unknown quantities. Being a couple years younger allows the scout to project development that may or may not ever happen for these prospects, giving the "higher ceiling" label even if it's a total guess.

Full disclosure, yes I've seen Garza play and yes he is a stud in college. But @ the next level, there are probably questions about his ability to play in today's NBA where many teams play small ball lineups, and honestly I do not know if he can match up with the 6-7 to 6-9 guys that have high level mobility and/or 3 pt shooting range.

Can he guard a roving 5 man?

It's not so much about Garza's "skill" it's more about his "fit" in a game that's moving more and more towards roving big men.

Think about a guy like Davis Bertans. Nice pro, nothing great, 6-10 guy... prolly 220 pounds??? Garza is giving carrying considerably more weight than Bertans would he have any chance guarding him? I honestly don't know, but I'm leaning towards. No.
 
the NBA game no longer interests me, all they do is dunk or shoot 3's there is very little team play, I gave watching the NBA 20 years ago. the 1 n dones bore me because it is all about the me me attitude.

While I kind of agree about missing things from decades ago (my original hair color, variety of titties from weekend to weekend, ability to handle hangovers better, etc) I am going to politely disagree with the "very little team play" suggestion.

There are plenty of guys that willingly play their role these days. Many guys have an assigned speciality and have to focus on that to stay in the league.

I agree the youth of some of the players is a factor that might make it a little less cohesive, there's also the switching teams constantly factor that create a bit of a ragged game flow. Guys like Bird/McHale/Parrish, Magic/Kareem/Worthy, MJ/Pippen/Grant were well oiled machines in part because of years of togetherness.

Free Agency has made it a moving target, not just players - coaches too. There could be some rule changes that could make it more watchable for sure, but I think the players do play for each other and their team.

Keep in mind no social media decades ago. These days we are allowed into these guys thoughts, a few decades ago not so much. Who knows what we would have seen out of guys from the 80s out on twitter. Probably more of what we see now. Could you imagine Rodman on twitter during his playing days? Or Charles Barkley?
 
I have a question. who in the NBA CAN GUARD Garza? nobody could guard him and most teams used dbl and triple teams to stop just him.

Michigan was one of the rare teams that went one on one and he scored over 40 points the 1st game. and Iowa was even down 2 starters for most of the season and the teams best 3 point shooter last season missed 6 games with a foot injury.

he carried the team last season as at one time Fran was down to just 6 scholarship players and was using walk on's for depth,

people can come up with all the he's not athletic enough, he's to slow. he can't guard a 6'7 player. all BS EXCUSES as there are 4 other players on the team and not all teams use 6'7 players at every position.

if the NBA is that pathetic then I am glad I quit watching because its no longer BB. its nothing more than a dunking and 3 point shooting contest disguised as BB.
 
Garza's future agent couldn't have said it any better.

In college he's a go-to guy. Next level he's starting out on the D league shuttle, and to be clear there is nothing wrong with that. Lots of guys prove the scouts wrong. But when he's up in "the league" he's not getting the touches he was getting vs Michigan, nor is he going up against the Michigan front line - with all due respect to Hail. As a pro he's not in an offense that's been centered directly around him for multiple years.

It's not like this is mission impossible. I don't think anybody said he's headed to the Washington Generals to go at it against the Globetrotters. Mock drafts can't be trusted but you can't find him with a search warrant in the 1st round of any draft, and that's with his NPOY favoritism understood.

The BS excuses you are referencing or more of a reality of what he is and the landscape of the NBA rather than some kind of anti Garza sentiment.

I could also see him having such a MONSTER season next year, the GM's won't be able to ignore him and if somebody pulls the trigger in the 1st Rd on him then that franchise suddenly becomes invested.

Feels a lot like Tyler Hansbrough.
 
His game reminds me a lot of Tyler hansboro as well, although Garza shoots it better from deep. That’s about the best comparison I’ve seen and it’ll suit the Iowa fan bc Hansboro also had to leap the catastrophic hurdle of being white.
 
Garza is an energy guy.

He works on his quickness. Especially lateral.
Develops a better shot

He can play in the NBA.

As a coach you want someone to come in for
3-5 minute stretches and change the intensity of the game.

The question does Garza have the ability to do so.
Going to be determined if he can get on the court. That is going to take the ability to play the perimeter and switch on guys.

I would play with him.
He is the prototypical PF from the 1980's. Going to throw everyone out of the way to get what he wants.

Some of that is still around the NBA
 
Garza's future agent couldn't have said it any better.

In college he's a go-to guy. Next level he's starting out on the D league shuttle, and to be clear there is nothing wrong with that. Lots of guys prove the scouts wrong. But when he's up in "the league" he's not getting the touches he was getting vs Michigan, nor is he going up against the Michigan front line - with all due respect to Hail. As a pro he's not in an offense that's been centered directly around him for multiple years.

It's not like this is mission impossible. I don't think anybody said he's headed to the Washington Generals to go at it against the Globetrotters. Mock drafts can't be trusted but you can't find him with a search warrant in the 1st round of any draft, and that's with his NPOY favoritism understood.

The BS excuses you are referencing or more of a reality of what he is and the landscape of the NBA rather than some kind of anti Garza sentiment.

I could also see him having such a MONSTER season next year, the GM's won't be able to ignore him and if somebody pulls the trigger in the 1st Rd on him then that franchise suddenly becomes invested.

Feels a lot like Tyler Hansbrough.

I have seen Hansbrough take over NBA playoff games with his intensity.
Believe it was 2011 with Indiana.
Hansbrough earned his respect in the NBA.
 
I have seen Hansbrough take over NBA playoff games with his intensity.
Believe it was 2011 with Indiana.
Hansbrough earned his respect in the NBA.





"Take over NBA Playoff games" - dude, that's some hellfide hyperbole you just threw down for a guy that had a career playoff avg of 4ppg. I hope you were drinking top shelf bourbon when you posted that. I know you're here to argue but what the ???

Yeah the 2011 series vs the Bulls he played well. For sure. I'm not trying to insult the guy. He outlasted a lot of more talented guys in his draft class.

It's not so much about taking a hard look at Psycho T's career all that closely though...The comparison was just a casual look @ a NPOY who put up gaudy stats at the college level that didn't translate to more of the same next level, due to a # of variables. He had a career avg of 6ppg.
 
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