DJO will be better than Jerel

[mviale]

bank it

[esotericmindguy]

bank it

That was established 3 weeks ago.  totally agree

[Brewtown Andy]

Already a better shooter, so it's not a stretch.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

He already is.

[mviale]

Jerel's defense puts him a bit ahead.  However, I think DJO will get better offensively.

[NersEllenson]

Agreed..but he does have some work to do on the defensive end to be as good as Rel.  But..going back to the first time I saw the guy play..Xavier game - knew he was going to be a star for MU..as I'm sure many of us thought...

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

You guys are nuts.

He's awesome, but give him some time.

Who would you rather have?
MIN    PTS    REB    AST    TO    A/T    STL    BLK    PF    FG%    FT%    3P%    PPS
26.2    12.4    2.3    2.4    1.8    1.33    .9    .1    2.3    .462    .640    .511    1.34

or

35.0    19.8    4.5    3.9    2.9    1.33    2.0    .6    2.5    .442    .738    .398    1.30


It's not that close when you consider usage %, rebounds, steals, defense, etc.

With this said, I LOVE DJO.

[avid1010]

Jerel's defense puts him a bit ahead.  However, I think DJO will get better offensively.

Jerel's defense prior to him becoming the prime offensive threat or after becoming the go-to-guy on offense.  I noticed a distinct change during that transition for Jerel.  That being said...I do not believe DJO is as good as Jerel.  A little respect for MU's leading scorer.

[ecompt]

DJO is already a better shooter but his defensive technique needs a lot of work.

[Carl Spackler]

he CAN'T even be considered close to Jerel until he can make 2nd half free throws.

[chapman]

he CAN'T even be considered close to Jerel until he can make 2nd half free throws.

Is he close now?   

[NersEllenson]

Jerel's defense prior to him becoming the prime offensive threat or after becoming the go-to-guy on offense.  I noticed a distinct change during that transition for Jerel. 

This is a very good point..there definitely was a drop off in his D, once he became the go to guy on offense.  I do think by the time DJO finishes his career at MU, most will think of him as probably a better player than Jerel, but let's not take anything away from what Jerel meant to this program and accomplished.  I do think DJO gets drafted.

[OhioGoldenEagle]

DJO has a long ways to go to be better than Jerel.  Jerel was an all around player.  DJO is great on the offensive side of the ball, but defensively he is a sieve......guards go by him at will.  No disrespect to DJO, but I'll take Jerel.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I'm impressed with DJO, very impressed.  I hate putting labels on kids that they will be better than someone else, especially when that someone else is the all-time leading scorer in MU history and was a former Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

[Dienerfor3]

You guys are nuts.

He's awesome, but give him some time.

Who would you rather have?
MIN    PTS    REB    AST    TO    A/T    STL    BLK    PF    FG%    FT%    3P%    PPS
26.2    12.4    2.3    2.4    1.8    1.33    .9    .1    2.3    .462    .640    .511    1.34

or

35.0    19.8    4.5    3.9    2.9    1.33    2.0    .6    2.5    .442    .738    .398    1.30


It's not that close when you consider usage %, rebounds, steals, defense, etc.

With this said, I LOVE DJO.

I believe those are Jerel's senior year stats.  And if I am correct, then I think it is unfair to compare a 4-year veteran's stats to a first year sophomore's stats.  It would be more fair to compare both of their first year stats. Therefore, here are Jerel's freshman year stats: 27.5 min 11.1 pts    4.5 reb 2.7    ast 3.8 TO.  DJO's nearly mirror those with considerably less TO and slightly more points.  Now, we can consider wondering if he will end up better than McNeal.

[esotericmindguy]

Its not so much the stats, its the way he can control himself going to the hole, finish well with both hands, crossover, pump fake, etc.  Combine all that with the Chris Mullin stroke and you've got yourself a good one.  Skills that can make him a great player.

McNeal didn't become a effective shooter til his senior year and wasn't the lock down defender everyone touted him as IMO.  He gambled way to much, lead to a lot of steals but also led to a lot of open looks/blow by's.  DJ was the much better defender.  That said DJO looked pretty bad on defense today so he's got a long way to go on the defensive end, he was however effective vs. Stanley Robinson I thought.

[buckchuckler]

He already is.

Wow, he's good and all, but cmon now.  You realize that McNeal is the school's all-time leading scorer and one of the best players in the history of the school.  Lets see more than 20 games from DJO before saying he is already better than McNeal.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Wow, he's good and all, but cmon now.  You realize that McNeal is the school's all-time leading scorer and one of the best players in the history of the school.  Lets see more than 20 games from DJO before saying he is already better than McNeal.

He is not one of the best players in the history of the school.

[4everwarriors]

Don't want to take anything from Jerel, seemed like a good citizen and representative of the university, but he along with DJ and Wes came along at a time when Crean was stuck in recruiting "no man's land." Playing time was abundant and therefore statistics were padded. I would put Jerel on a par with Michael Wilson on the list of MU guards. That is, a nice collegiate player, nothing more, nothing less.

[Wareagle]

DJO's offensive rating as a sophomore is better than Jerel's his sophomore year.  Jerel's was 93, DJO's is 110.  DJO also has a much lower turnover rate (18.7 compared to Jerel's 25.5).  One mitigating circumstance is that Jerel's usage was 31%, which was in the top 25 for all players that year, whereas DJO's is 22.9.  Jerel's steal rate was much higher and top 10 in the nation.

With all that said, I think you can legitimately make the argument that DJO's sophomore year has been better than Jerel's.

[Lennys Tap]

He is not one of the best players in the history of the school.

Agreed. Jerel was a really good player who played a ton of minutes in a system that granted him almost unlimited freedom. Not in my top 20.

[g0lden3agle]

Agreed. Jerel was a really good player who played a ton of minutes in a system that granted him almost unlimited freedom. Not in my top 20.

What qualifies to be in your (and PRN's) top 20?

[buckchuckler]

Agreed. Jerel was a really good player who played a ton of minutes in a system that granted him almost unlimited freedom. Not in my top 20.

Who are the 20 that are better?  Just out of curiosity.

[buckchuckler]

He is not one of the best players in the history of the school.

And fine, then, even if he is not, DJO is not better right now.  There is no way.  You can make an argument that he is a better scorer, he certainly seems to be a better shooter, but Jerel was better in every other facet of the game.  As has been mentioned, Jerel was a much better defender, better rebounder, better passer, better FT shooter.

Don't get me wrong, I love DJO and he is super fun to watch play, but to say that right now, he is better than Mcneal, to me, seems like a bit of, well I'll just say over enthusiasm.

[romey]

Who are the 20 that are better?  Just out of curiosity.

I would tend to agree after watching the warriors nearly 40 years now.  i will take a shot at who is better than jerel.  I am doing this strictly off the top of my head, and before i begin typing, I have no idea if I'll come up with 20, but here goes:

D Wade (of course)
Butch Lee
Bo Ellis
Maurice Lucas
Jim Chones
Dean Meminger
George Thompson
Larry McNeil
Jerome Whitehead
Earl Tatum
Tony Smith
Doc Rivers
Travis Deiner

Okay, not 20, but before my time there were

Don Kojis
Terry Rand

So, I would go on record saying he IS in the top 20, but I would say not a lock for top ten