Darius Johnson-Odom Projected to go First Round

[GOMU85]

DJO is projected to go number 29 in the 2012 NBA Mock draft. NICE!

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2012/

[8796CHAVEZC]

That would be interesting to see DJO and Jimmy Butler on the same team again.

[GOMU85]

That would be interesting to see DJO and Jimmy Butler on the same team again.

Yea I was thinking the same thing

[8796CHAVEZC]

No Jae Crowder in the first or second round according to that mock draft. Where do you see him going?

[DienerTime34]

DJO will be the last pick of the first round, in keeping with Marquette tradition.

[Tulsa Warrior]

Crowder might be better off being a free agent.  Can you say Wes Matthews?  Jae have a better chance of sticking with a team if he had some options.  It made Wes a multi-millionaire.

[lab_warrior]

No Jae Crowder in the first or second round according to that mock draft. Where do you see him going?

I would hope an NBA team drafts Jae, but this is a league that employs RHODES SCHOLARS like David Kahn as GMs. 
If not, I totally see him ending up taking a Wes Matthews-type route, where he earns a spot on the roster because he plays his ass off, can play/guard multiple positions, and is a good team player & coachable. 

[Warriors10]

Just to show you how early it is...

http://nbadraft.net/2012mock_draft

I don't understand Wes and Jae comparisons.  Two completely different players.

[lab_warrior]

I don't understand Wes and Jae comparisons.  Two completely different players.

Not really comparing them as players--comparing their NBA draft situations.  I think those are similar. 

[brewcity77]

I think DJO projects very favorably as a Ben Gordon type player. Solid backup SG/PG off the bench that can provide some instant offense, but isn't really a starter because of his size. He won't be drafted as highly as Gordon was, but these days, Gordon wouldn't be drafted as highly as Gordon was then either.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure Jae is a NBA player. He's incredibly tough, but I just don't think he's fast enough, and while he's strong for his size, everyone in the NBA is strong and most are bigger. He's not accurate enough to be a bench sniper, not a good enough man defender to be a lockdown guy, not big enough to be a 4, not quick enough to be a 3. He is a phenomenal college player, but I'm not yet sold on him at the next level. I sincerely hope he proves me wrong.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Just to show you how early it is...

http://nbadraft.net/2012mock_draft

I don't understand Wes and Jae comparisons.  Two completely different players.

Thank you. They're not even close. Crowder is more like Hayward, but I don't think that comparison favors Jae. I love Crowder...and I loved Lazar...but I don't think either one fits the NBA mold.

By the way, comparing DJO to Ben Gordon is absurd. Gordon was a borderline all star with the Bulls...an offensive force of nature. DJO is not going to be called on to score in the NBA. He can't create well enough.

[GGGG]

I would hope an NBA team drafts Jae, but this is a league that employs RHODES SCHOLARS like David Kahn as GMs.  
If not, I totally see him ending up taking a Wes Matthews-type route, where he earns a spot on the roster because he plays his ass off, can play/guard multiple positions, and is a good team player & coachable.  

When is he going to guard multiple positions at Marquette?

Honestly, the only thing Wes and Jae would have in common is that they aren't drafted.  Wes has has an NBA body, NBA range, and can defend.  Jae is the classic NBA 'tweener.  Who does he guard?  Too small to defend PFs, and not quick enough to guard SFs.

[lab_warrior]

This is a league where immortals such as Renaldo Balkman, Chase Budinger, Gary Forbes, Reggie Williams, and Anthony Tolliver (just to cite a few examples of NBA small forwards) draw a paycheck.

I think Jae has a chance to make a roster.  I get that he's a "tweener", which is a kiss of death in the NBA-- but he's also a guy who could work at it enough so that he can scale down to be a serviceable NBA 3.  

[GOMU85]

Yall are a bunch of haters

[BrewCity83]

Where would we be this year without DJO?  Circling the toilet.

[GOMU85]

Where would we be this year without DJO?  Circling the toilet.

AMEN

[GOMU85]

I never known a bunch of "Fans" who can be so critical of their own players. I'm sick of reading negative crap on here. DJO is a first round caliber player whether you guys like it or not.

[StillAWarrior]

Not really comparing them as players--comparing their NBA draft situations.  I think those are similar. 

Reminds me of a funny story...

Several years ago (when HS players still could get drafted), I had a conversation with my son (15 now) in which I explained that if a player doesn't get drafted, that gives him the opportunity to pick the team where he might be a good fit and try out for that team.  My son, ever the optimist, told me, "I hope I don't get drafted coming out of high school so I can pick the NBA team that I want to play for."

I told him, "in the unlikely even that you don't get drafted out of high school, I hope that you'll at least consider going to college."  Seeing as he's now playing on his HS freshman team (and not the varsity team), I think he's probably lost a little of that youthful optimism.

[wadesworld]

This is a league where immortals such as Renaldo Balkman, Chase Budinger, Gary Forbes, Reggie Williams, and Anthony Tolliver (just to cite a few examples of NBA small forwards) draw a paycheck.

Chase Budinger is one of the most explosive athletes in the world.  He has a 40" vertical and was the #1 rated volleyball recruit, to go along with the #7 rated basketball recruit, in the country coming out of high school.  He led his high school club volleyball team to a national championship and won the tournament MVP there his senior year.  If he had stuck to volleyball he would be playing for the US Men's National Team right now.  Bad example when trying to show people who aren't the best athletes can be drafted in the NBA.

Where would we be this year without DJO?  Circling the toilet.

That doesn't have anything to do with a player's NBA potential or whether or not he will get drafted.  Where would Villinova have been without Scotty Reynolds his last 2 years there?  Circling the toilet.  He went undrafted and is (or at least was for a while) in the D League.  College success does not guarantee an NBA contract.

Edit: Not saying DJO won't play in the NBA someday, just saying that because without him we wouldn't be a very good team does not mean he will for sure be in the NBA.

[77ncaachamps]

That's a joke.

He can't dribble, gets stuck in the lane, is careless with his passing, can't keep his defender in front of him, and struggles to have that "takeover" mentality.

He's hit big shots, quietly increased his scoring, and affiliated himself with some big NBA names but he's not first and as an undersized 2g and ill-equipped pg, he's not even a 2nd.

Jae has more intangibles than he does, imho. Heck, Gardner should belong in the 2nd round!

[77ncaachamps]

I never known a bunch of "Fans" who can be so critical of their own players. I'm sick of reading negative crap on here. DJO is a first round caliber player whether you guys like it or not.

Let me take off your blinders...

Has he PLAYED like a first rounder?

Zar and Butler were 1st rounders. Does he do the things they do to keep this team going?

Other than scoring, no.

[JWags85]

Chase Budinger is one of the most explosive athletes in the world.  He has a 40" vertical and was the #1 rated volleyball recruit, to go along with the #7 rated basketball recruit, in the country coming out of high school.  He led his high school club volleyball team to a national championship and won the tournament MVP there his senior year.  If he had stuck to volleyball he would be playing for the US Men's National Team right now.  Bad example when trying to show people who aren't the best athletes can be drafted in the NBA.

Exactly, he's also taller.  Just because he is a goofy looking white dude, don't ignore that he can jump out the gym and was a VERY good player at Zona.  You may have a point with Balkman tho...

[lab_warrior]

Chase Budinger is one of the most explosive athletes in the world.  He has a 40" vertical and was the #1 rated volleyball recruit, to go along with the #7 rated basketball recruit, in the country coming out of high school.  He led his high school club volleyball team to a national championship and won the tournament MVP there his senior year.  If he had stuck to volleyball he would be playing for the US Men's National Team right now.  Bad example when trying to show people who aren't the best athletes can be drafted in the NBA.

This "explosive athlete" is averaging 7 pts/3 rebs per game.  Should've stuck to the volleyball. 

[Benny B]

Jae may not get drafted, but he'll definitely play in the association some day.  At the very least, I'd envision him as a role player a la Steve Novak.  He's got the body and the long-range shot to develop into a solid 3 on most rosters, but he's not speedy enough to play 30+ mpg and it's going to be a major transition from his current role(s).  If he's not drafted, I'd look for him to spend next year in the D-league or bouncing around on a several-day contract or two, but if he is able to adapt, he shouldn't have problem finding a reserve role somewhere within a couple years.

[MU82]

Yall are a bunch of haters

Hoping you were being facetious.

I hope it's not "hating" just to be part of a discussion about a player's pro potential.

I used to go round and round with my Illinois friends about Dee Brown. They insisted he was going to have a long, glorious NBA career. I was equally sure he would have little to no NBA career. "You're such a hater!" they'd say. "Hate" had nothing to do with it. It was all about trying to be an objective observer and using the information readily available to reach an informed conclusion.

Might DJO and/or Crowder get drafted? Sure. Lots of experts said McNeal would get drafted in the first round in his year and Butler wouldn't get drafted at all in his year. The opposite happened. All kinds of things can happen on draft day; it's just fun to speculate.

As to whether DJO and/or Crowder will be contributing NBA players, well, that's a different subject.

Crowder is not as talented as Hayward, and Lazar is going to have a difficult time putting together an NBA career. Crowder is a real long shot for all the reasons other posters have mentioned.

DJO, meanwhile, has a lot in common with McNeal -- physically, type of game, strengths, shortcomings. And McNeal isn't an NBA player.

I thought to be an NBA player, DJO really had to improve his 3-point shooting. Then, at least, NBA GMs might see him as a spread-the-court designated shooter. Unfortunately (for Marquette and DJO's longterm prospects) his 3-point pct was 100 points better his sophomore year than it is now. Put that together with his poor ballhandling and mediocre passing as well as his relative lack of size, and I'm not seeing it.

Of James, Matthews and McNeal, Matthews had by far the least productive college career. But he had the best NBA body, best size and, it turns out, best skill set for that league. That's what matters. Lots of college superstars don't make it in the NBA, and DJO is no superstar.

Glad we have both DJO and Crowder. They have been effective players for our beloved Golden Warriors.  But they aren't NBA players.

That's right. I'm such a hater.