D. James Question?

[Harrison]

I like how ecompt has him going late first or early second.  To that I literally have to laugh in the face of such an asinine comment that has absoulutely zero basis.  Show me a mock draft board that has him going so low.  Or do you have the consensus of the NBA GM's at your disposal?  While I rarely drop names I will add that I recently ran into Carl Nicks, the lead scout for the Pacers.  Carl played guard at Indiana State with Bird and later palyed a few years in the NBA, my recollection is Utah and Denver?  Had not seen him since my AAU days but he informed me they were following DJ heavily as they project him middle or higher of the first round.  They see themselves being in that range and therefore, would be following him intently.  I asked where he stood on returning and he said thay ahd not gotten that far but that was one of the things they wanted to get a gauge on.  That is the view of the Pacers.

[spiral97]

modified previous post to remove derogatory comments.  KEEP IT CLEAN.

[Harrison]

are you telling me Chicos incessant name dropping when it has nothing to do with his post is not pathetic? Like I said i dont name drop but in this case did becuase I think it legitimitizes the post, especially in response to Ecompt's "second rounder" opinion?

[spiral97]

Harrison - see your PM.

[77ncaachamps]

But I can't help to think that there's some kind of rift forming between Crean and DJ.

Rosiak interviewed Dominic and asked this same question. Dominic replied that in the NDSU game, Coach sat him because he was not playing with any intensity. David was playing hard and with intensity, therefore earning the right to stay out on the floor. DJ had not.

Crean doesn't care who you are...if you don't come out to play hard, you better sure as hell be ready to grab some sweet bench time. 

Thanks for the info. It rests my concern that there was a rift.

[ecompt]

First, I have to thank Harrison for his constructive criticism. I'm sure he knows more about where DJ will go than probably anyone on the face of the earth. I can practically guarantee that I have COVERED for some of the largest newspapers in the country more sporting events than he has ever attended, so I feel I am perhaps qualified to make an educated guess as to DJ's pro potential. He is a gifted athlete who gives 150 percent, even when he is hurt. But he is small and an erratic shooter. If the draft were held tomorrow he would go low first round or high second round. Players his size have to be exceptional talents to succeed, and DJ has only showed flashes.

[Harrison]

Then I guess you differ from Myself and the majority of NBA teams.  I never said I was the authority, just adding that my beleifs that are echoed by the mock drafts are also echoed by at least one organization, first hand.  And I will say it again because it seems many people have difficulty with the comprehension.  Never have I made  a statement about DJ's pro career, playing time or anything along those lines.   Ecompt wants to talk about his playing time.  Again the point is are there 20 or more players better than DJ?  Because if he is middle of the first round, like most project, whether he is the next Wade or the next Milicic he will have approx. $10 million guaranteed and all i have ever said is only a fool turns that down.  And no one in the MU camp will suggest he did.  Aint nothing wrong with developing your game while making 2-4 million a year.  The remote possibility that something adverse happens to his career if he truns down guaranteed money, however, slim is too great to take when offered $10 million guaranteed.  Put that in your paper!

[ecompt]

I am all for DJ getting every penny he can. You ask, are there 20 players better than he is? Maybe. Depends on who comes out early, how many Europeans are drafted, etc. I do know that Travis Diener was a much better college player than DJ and he can't even get off the bench in Orlando. Wherever DJ goes, he is very unlikely to get much if any playing time in the NBA his first year. That was my point. Now he has to decide whether he wants to spend a year watching or playing. If he takes the money, God bless him. He's not ready for the NBA right now. That may change by March.