DJ can definitely play in the NBA. But with Cook, he was already and very good passer and shooter going in. I don't think most deny he can, just not for awhile, and he could be staying at Duke to develop and get a degree, so he has something to fall back on.
I mean he admitted he was. I'll have to find the article but he and Popovich talk about it took him a few years to really try on that end.
Yup. Here.
That article says nothing about his defense at Duke. You barely have anyone that tries on defense in the NBA. Look at Zion in the NBA. He rarely plays defense but at Duke I remember seeing him switching on guards and blocking shots everywhereYup. Here.
'I hope I haven't offended you': The potential of Jayson Tatum
He had grand plans to be a double-digit scorer, maybe even an All-Star. But the summer with Gregg Popovich and Team USA left loftier goals in mind for the young Celtics wing.www.espn.com
While I understand there’s a lot of pressure for these guys to perform , it’s hard to see them as victims when 99 % of kids their ages would trade places with them in a heartbeat. Work is a 16 hour shift at the hospital or painting houses for 10 hours until your arm falls off. Don’t insult people who actually work for a living by calling basketball work
Been waiting for some one to say this. Your spot on KD. Let half these kids get on a shovel or masonary and they will be in class at six a.m. every morning asking coaches for their next drill.
I think he’s speaking in general more of physical work in general rather then the mental work. Most 18-21 years old don’t hold down a IT job or manager job .
This board goes into meltdown if we have a subpar possession
And 98% of them would have no idea how hard these guys work to be successful.
This is so true. The amount of bitching in the game threads after a single turnover ia hilarious.
A 16 hour shift at the hospital can encompass a lot of different things, but I should know better at this point to say anything critical of y’all’s lil darlings
I join y’all on the bender but I am just a lightweight that you can only count on me for an hour or so just like our players
So by your account 98% don’t attempt to work hard and attempt to be successful? Only the 64 in the draft ?
Come on. That is not remotely what I said. I was talking about KD's comment about how many kids would trade places with current college basketball players. What I meant is that THOSE jealous kids have no clue how hard players at a high major D1 program have to work to get to the point to be recruited by that school and to see the floor. I was reacting to KD's suggestion that these athletes just get too have a fun time and don't work, or don't work sufficiently for their efforts to be considered and recognized. A number of kids who have come through the Duke program have talked about how they had no idea how much was expected of them once they got to Duke.
To be fair, if someone paid me that to play basketball then I’d be all over it.
But the majority of the players that your referring to that came through Duke stayed longer then a year. I mean in all fairness they signed a LOI which in given the terms of their scholarship and the talkings they had with coaches and earlier members of the team I’m pretty sure they had a good idea .
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Yes this coaching staff has been terrible as of late. Like I said before there’s no way Zion shouldn’t have been a champion. Even Calipari couldn’t mess up AD but somehow we can’t make the title game with TWO NPOYs on one team. That’s poor coaching. In 2019 we beat the eventual champions twice so it’s false that we struggled with experienced teams.
Every time Jalen got on the break and took the ball down, he was stripped. He did not show that he could play pg and K had other guard options. The fact that Jalen could play point before he got to college was beside the point. As far as playing the 5, Jalen played well against lesser teams but did not show when the competition got better. Hard to have him on the court when he was not playing well.
In coach k’s defense (I’m sure he’s grateful) injuries derailed team chemistry, Barrett was too alpha at times and held the ball too long, and cam was wildly inconsistent shooting the three most of the year. Given all that an nc was not gonna happen
I just wasn’t suggesting high level athletes don’t bust their ass or make sacrifices I just feel that a factory job or construction job is a different animal given the hours, the soul crushing tedium involved, and the fact that they don’t get you a free ride to college and help you get laid.
I guess I don’t understand this argument. There is almost always someone out there who has it worse than any of us. That doesn’t mean we should all keep our mouths shut . There is an inequity in college basketball and there is no reason why the kids should not push for a realignment that is more in their favor. They are the ones putting their bodies on the line and risking career ending injuries.
Good post, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. My angle is trying to improve the situation is positive but there’s a line that’s crossed at sone point where athletes seem to be saying they’re being exploited. I’ve heard all of these arguments before who hasn’t. I just feel playing is a privelege not a right and has given many of them from underprivileged backgrounds the opportunity to attend world class universities they would not have otherwise have
True How would you figure out who gets what? Most sports lose money so would these athletes get paid? Would the walk on punter get as much as the star quarterback? If someone gets hurt and loses a year would they still get paid? Talk about Pandora’s box
