Im rooting for the kid too but really dont understand how he can be valued so high by the NBA...help me out....he didnt take a shot in our loss to UT and has no real post game or short range game....imo he would benefit from another year in college to develop vs playing in Idaho or North Dakota G league...this is what makes me smh with college players going pro early
Nailed it.
That's a good point. If you think of yourself as a lottery guy, should suddenly being asked to start be that much of a shock? That wont happen in the NBA? I wouldn't say he was a bust, just a letdown. And that is the frustration with most OADs. We never really see the whole package. Our younger teams can out talent most teams, but when the talent level is close late in the tournament it seems our youth shows.
Attended Knicks G-league game with Keels playing. There are more fans at my sons HS games than these minor league contests. Can’t imagine going from Duke to that.
I agree. I'm not up to speed as much on the G-league/NIL but with NIL, Duke should really benefit in these types of situations going forward whereas we never did in the past. Making $40K or so in the hopes of getting a call-up or two-way vs. NIL @ Duke with almost 3M live views on a single game? If I had to guess maybe 9-10M live TV views in a single season? As I say that, Keels left so I obviously am not up to speed here. Hoping there's a huge ROI on hiring Baker to that new position.
This is why I do not understand the legitimacy in the so 'G - League Ignite' team. If these kids want to go pro, don't cover them. Let them be amongst the grown men.
He made a bad decision. If he returned some of those close games go to Duke. I would wonder about chemistry. His return would've took pressure off the expectations of Mitchell and Whitehead.
Should I change it to shit or get off the pot?
Keels did not sign a gleague contract for the last time . He signed an NBA contract with a team full of guards which meant as a rookie he would spend a lot of time in the gleague for development instead of just in practice . Mark Williams spent a lot of the season in the gleague so he wouldn’t sit on a bench doing nothing .
But would he have made close to Four million in NIL money and not had to attend class. He is on an actual NBA roster with the guard heavy knicks .
Everyone does not get a two - way contract. Keels was fortunate.
He’s not on one . Most the players drafted late first early second sign their team contract and get sent to the gleague for development. They still practice with the team but the gleague is where they get their experience during the season due to an over crowded roster .
Whitehead is physically OK for the NBA. Not sure about Lively. Flip is an enigma. Not much demand for an inconsistent 7' SG or SF who turns the ball over with frequency. He needs anoth year to improve his play down low. OFC
Lively and Flip need to lock themselves in the weight room.
Whitehead needs to make sure he does not repeat the mistake C. Stanley did. Improve your game and acknowledge what you need to survive in the NBA.
I agree. But you don’t know these guys are going to be generational talents when recruiting them. Remember, Zion was ranked behind RJ, Cam, and Nas Little (lol yikes.) And by the time you know they will truly be game changers, it will be way too late in the game to land that recruit. Banchero was ranked behind Patrick Baldwin for most of HS.
