Work to do, Mr. Blue!!

[nyg]

Vander Blue playing for Memphis Grizzlies in summer league per Chris Venon tweet

Well for all of those previously comparing Vander to Tony Allen, here it goes.

Memphis guards:

Tony Allen
Larry Conley
Tony Wroten
Jerryd Bayless
Keyon Dooling
Jamaal Franklin (drafted yesterday)

Good luck.....

[MerrittsMustache]

Well for all of those previously comparing Vander to Tony Allen, here it goes.

Memphis guards:

Tony Allen
Larry Conley
Tony Wroten
Jerryd Bayless
Keyon Dooling
Jamaal Franklin (drafted yesterday)

Good luck.....

Allen and Dooling are both UFAs, Bayless has a player opt...and Larry Conley is 70 years old  

Could end up being a fit. You never know.

[nyg]

Allen and Dooling are both UFAs, Bayless has a player opt...and Larry Conley is 70 years old  

Could end up being a fit. You never know.

My bad, Mike Conley and he is 25. 

[BCHoopster]

This is where DJO lost his chance was playing awful in the summer league, produce there and he will get a chance, no different than any 2nd round pick, no guarentees.

[Rockmic87]

Vander never lived up to his potential. It happens. Sucks he made such a blatantly bad decision.

[brewcity77]

Well for all of those previously comparing Vander to Tony Allen, here it goes.

Memphis guards:

Tony Allen
Larry Conley
Tony Wroten
Jerryd Bayless
Keyon Dooling
Jamaal Franklin (drafted yesterday)

Good luck.....

Where you play in Summer League doesn't mean all that much when it comes to getting signed as a UFA. It's more to put yourself in the shop window and hope someone takes a flier. Granted, Wes Matthews played for Utah in that first Summer League, but he also played for Sacto.

[deep vacuum]

Manu Scoopers have mentioned how Vander would have improved as a player next year while contributing to a very talented team, and possibly his draft status as well if he had chosen to finish out his senior season.  I was wondering though, what would a MU degree have done for Vander in particular if he had chosen to stay for his senior season?  Anything at all?

[bilsu]

Manu Scoopers have mentioned how Vander would have improved as a player next year while contributing to a very talented team, and possibly his draft status as well if he had chosen to finish out his senior season.  I was wondering though, what would a MU degree have done for Vander in particular if he had chosen to stay for his senior season?  Anything at all?

It only matters when he stops playing ball. The degree does not help him basketball wise.

[Nukem2]

Vander never lived up to his potential. It happens. Sucks he made such a blatantly bad decision.

I guess you missed this past season...?

[MuMark]

In order for the summer league to matter he is going to have to get on the court for significant minutes. Undrafted free agents many times are nothing more then practice players.

[chapman]

In order for the summer league to matter he is going to have to get on the court for significant minutes. Undrafted free agents many times are nothing more then practice players.

Yep.  The idea that he'll just take the "Wes route" is absurd.  The Wes route is a path filled with quicksand, poisonous snakes, giant spiders, and freak ice storms.   

[real chili 83]

His family did not want him to enter the draft.  They wanted him to stay in school.

That speaks volumes. Wow.

[wadesworld]

Vander Blue playing for Memphis Grizzlies in summer league per Chris Venon tweet

Damn, was really hoping he'd be on the Bucks roster so at least the 18 year old the Bucks just signed could tutor him in Greek so he has a head start for when he's playing ball over there.  Guess Rosetta Stone will be Van's first professional purchase.

[ErickJD08]

What?  Seriously, I don't understand why everyone is so damn sure that Vander would improve.  His PPG went up last year... but his A/T went up as well.  His rebounds went down, assists went down.  I simply don't see how anyone can rationally conclude (please please say something other than your gut feeling, or generalizations about players taking the 'next step' their senior year) that he would be guaranteed to be drafted next year.

Honestly, the only way he would have gotten drafted is if he puts MU on his shoulders on a final four run. He was close last year and he would have one more chance next season. Outside an every better improvement, like 24ppg kind of season, I think it would be an uphill battle even next season given the pub next years class is getting.

[NotAnAlum]

Honestly, the only way he would have gotten drafted is if he puts MU on his shoulders on a final four run. 

I think he could have greatly improved his chances next year by moving to the PG position and playing WELL.  I believe that if he had gone to Buzz and told him "If I'm going to stay for my Senior year I need to be given a shot at the PG position here."  With Junior gone and out of both loyalty and a desire to have him stay Buzz would have gone for.  Now of course he would have had to EXCEL.  Well if you need to play a particular position in the best professional league on earth you better be able to prove you can play it well consistently.  Shooting a high % from 3 wouldn't have hurt either.  Of course if he does all those things MU probably would have been in a position to make a final 4 run but fluke loss earlier would not have killed his chances.  He also would have had the benefit of another year of the coaching staff that took him from just average to very good in 3 years.

All of this would have put him in better position than he is now.  He should have just followed the path most guys follow.  Play out your eligibility, get your degree, get the most our of your college career, then see what life deals you. He got impatient and over estimated his current position pure and simple.

[Sunbelt15]

This is where DJO lost his chance was playing awful in the summer league, produce there and he will get a chance, no different than any 2nd round pick, no guarentees.

It's sad because Summer League is where the most sloppiest games are. It's like playing pick-up games for a NBA career. The best way to look good is to, first and foremost, HOG THE BALL and make shots, unless your a point guard, and minimize turnovers. Steals helps a lot too.

[bilsu]

I think he could have greatly improved his chances next year by moving to the PG position and playing WELL.  I believe that if he had gone to Buzz and told him "If I'm going to stay for my Senior year I need to be given a shot at the PG position here."  With Junior gone and out of both loyalty and a desire to have him stay Buzz would have gone for.  Now of course he would have had to EXCEL.  Well if you need to play a particular position in the best professional league on earth you better be able to prove you can play it well consistently.  Shooting a high % from 3 wouldn't have hurt either.  Of course if he does all those things MU probably would have been in a position to make a final 4 run but fluke loss earlier would not have killed his chances.  He also would have had the benefit of another year of the coaching staff that took him from just average to very good in 3 years.

All of this would have put him in better position than he is now.  He should have just followed the path most guys follow.  Play out your eligibility, get your degree, get the most our of your college career, then see what life deals you. He got impatient and over estimated his current position pure and simple.

It only would of increased his NBA chances if he played well at point guard and he will have a chance to do that in the D-league anyways. So from that standpoint staying or going does not matter. What matters to Blue is what he gave up to play a year in the D-league or whereever he ends up. He gets paid some money, but he gave up his senior year of college basketball experience and maybe even a college degree.

[willie warrior]

It only would of increased his NBA chances if he played well at point guard and he will have a chance to do that in the D-league anyways. So from that standpoint staying or going does not matter. What matters to Blue is what he gave up to play a year in the D-league or whereever he ends up. He gets paid some money, but he gave up his senior year of college basketball experience and maybe even a college degree.

Blue would not do well as a PG. He would have been a TO machine, much as McNeal was. There is no way that Buzz should put a guy at point to hopefully, maybe, prayerfully enhance his NBA career, when there are three PG's already there.

[GGGG]

Yep.  The idea that he'll just take the "Wes route" is absurd.  The Wes route is a path filled with quicksand, poisonous snakes, giant spiders, and freak ice storms.   

Exactly.  Wes was simply a "miss" by the NBA.  He should have been drafted, and he should have been drafted in the first round.  Vander has nowhere near the NBA body or NBA game that Wes had.  All it took was some court time for that to show.

[NotAnAlum]

Blue would not do well as a PG. He would have been a TO machine, much as McNeal was. There is no way that Buzz should put a guy at point to hopefully, maybe, prayerfully enhance his NBA career, when there are three PG's already there.

At the end of his Soph year I would have said he could never have been a reliable college scorer.  As a Junior he was.  Guys improve particularly with good coaching.  All the more reason to stay at MU.  And long term if he can't play point he isn't going to play in the NBA so he better hope he can play point.

[chren21]

http://www.sportando.net/m/eng/58104/news.html

Vander to play for grizlies.

[MerrittsMustache]

http://www.sportando.net/m/eng/58104/news.html

Vander to play for grizlies.

Vander will also be playing for the Rockets' summer league team. With Houston shedding salary to bring in Dwight Howard, it could be a decent landing place for a minimum salary guy like Blue.

[Avenue Commons]

I read somewhere online that playing for two summer league teams, like Vander with Memphis and Houston, is an unusual situation. Sounds to me like he doubled his odds of having a shot. Can't hurt.

[MerrittsMustache]

I read somewhere online that playing for two summer league teams, like Vander with Memphis and Houston, is an unusual situation. Sounds to me like he doubled his odds of having a shot. Can't hurt.

Wes and (IIRC) Jerel both played for multiple summer league teams. Doesn't mean it's not unusual as I don't follow very many non-MU undrafted FAs.

This makes is seem like he's the type of player that teams are intrigued by. You can coach up a lot of things but you can't teach a guy to be an athlete.

[MU82]

This makes is seem like he's the type of player that teams are intrigued by. You can coach up a lot of things but you can't teach a guy to be an athlete.

I agree that Vander is an outstanding athlete.

I also watch lots of NBA basketball and have for years. The league is filled with some of the best athletes on the planet. Guys 6-6, 6-9, even 7-0+ who are every bit as good athletes as Vander is.

Were he not a great athlete, he'd have zero chance. Simply being a great athlete, however, does not improve his chances much because he simply is one of hundreds in that category trying to make a league filled with such athletes.

Bottom line: He has to show serious NBA skills he has yet to show often in his young basketball career. We'll see if he can acquire some of those skills to separate himself from the pack of gifted athletes with whom he'll compete.