A little early but interesting to consider....
- Thread starter Pittparade
- Start date
Nix is gonna have to keep working really hard to get in any kind of shape to have any impact. But I wouldn't rule it out. He's already lost a ton of weight from when he committed.
I know Manigault and Kithcart have been playing really good but I don't necessarily think they can be counted on for any significant impact next year. That's not to say they can't/won't but it's a bit of a crapshoot with true freshmen.
I know Manigault and Kithcart have been playing really good but I don't necessarily think they can be counted on for any significant impact next year. That's not to say they can't/won't but it's a bit of a crapshoot with true freshmen.
This guy is hardly an expert on anything let alone Pitt BB.
Milligan is probably the second fastest guy on the team. He's slower than Damon but that's probably it. Damon's speed is really underrated, he gets the ball down the floor in a hurry
I've never seen any of those three guys play, so I don't know. Maybe Dokish will be right and they do help. I hope he is. The best part is there is still one more scholarship to give.
That's a little too optimistic, I believe, until we see how this year's team ends up. If we are one and done in the tournament, returning Artis and Young would get us in the top 25, but that's about it.
If we can get to the second weekend, having those two returning will get us top 10 attention.
Milligan and justice are both super quick. But so is damon. His length obviously makes it seems slower. Dokish is correct. That is a fast set of guards, and from what I've heard and seen on twitter, Clark is very athletic. Someone said last week that nobody is quicker than kithcart, and ironically , said he is Newkirk with a jumpshot. Funny. I think we can be very good. If we can find a big center, even better.
Not a chance. Assuming Pitt finishes the season well and there are no defections probably somewhere in the teens. The bluebloods will always occupy the first 5-7 spots preseason, along with a few teams that had monster recruiting classes.
No way Young or Artis are ready for the NBA yet. They should both be back.
Don't know if he will or won't, but I never understood the argument "that he isn't ready". Anyone who has watched even one NBA draft knows half the guys drafted aren't ready.
I think Mike Young would be NBA ready right now with a little bit more of a 3 point shot. You're just not playing the 4 in the NBA anymore without a good bit of range. He's close, but that's the one thing I think he could work on more. However, he's not gonna start jacking up dumb shots here if he thinks that's what he needs to do to get to the NBA.
I think Artis skill-wise has all the makings of an NBA star. He really looks like exactly like a young Carmelo when he plays. I usually hate comparisons, but he just looks too much like him when he plays. He's not a great defender and I don't know, maybe it's that he's not lighting up scoreboards every single night (which is very hard to do.) But I know if the NBA draft were this week, he more than likely would not be picked.
Obviously I hope they both come back, although let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have what it takes to have a great season right now.
I think Artis skill-wise has all the makings of an NBA star. He really looks like exactly like a young Carmelo when he plays. I usually hate comparisons, but he just looks too much like him when he plays. He's not a great defender and I don't know, maybe it's that he's not lighting up scoreboards every single night (which is very hard to do.) But I know if the NBA draft were this week, he more than likely would not be picked.
Obviously I hope they both come back, although let's not get ahead of ourselves. We have what it takes to have a great season right now.
Most guys, not all I know, make a big leap between soph and junior year. I just don't know incrementally how much better Young or Artis could be next year, at least offensively. Maybe small incremental gains, but no huge jump. Anything they are lacking for NBA, if they NBA thought they had potential to make it, could be taught while in the NBA, where it would be their full time job. They don't need to be starters in the NBA to be NBA ready. Even if you end up in the D league, you're still bringing in a paycheck, and developing skills.
I personally think Young has a better shot. He is better defensively, and better laterally than Artis. I am not sure improving lateral quickness, essential for defense, especially in the NBA, would be a hindrance. If you can't defend in the NBA, you won't play (much).
I personally think Young has a better shot. He is better defensively, and better laterally than Artis. I am not sure improving lateral quickness, essential for defense, especially in the NBA, would be a hindrance. If you can't defend in the NBA, you won't play (much).
I can't see Young going early. I also think Artis' game translates to the NBA better than Young's. Artis has more range, more athleticism, dribbles better and sees the floor better. He needs to continue to work on lateral quickness and D. Young is a tweener IMO. Not big enough for 4 and not athletic enough for 3.
I'll buy that they'll be faster on the perimeter - not to knock the current guards - but hard not to be quicker. Whether that means better next year is hard to say as we'll go from seniors to freshman.
And I can see Artis transitioning to the 2 in the NBA easier than Young at the 3. Maybe Dixon can convince him to stay if he promises to move positions for them to better prepare them for the NBA.
PG - Wilson
SG - Artis
SF - Young
PF - Luther/Manigault
C - Grad transfer/Manigault/Nix
People have suggested that coaches play players at their prospective NBA positions. I am not going to say it never happens, but I would think most coaches will play a guy where he either needs him or where he translates to in college. I can't imagine any good coach ever playing Artis at the 2. Dixon should not for sure. It would be foolish, especially with the guards we have coming in.
Why would coaches play players where they need him and where he best fits at this level? Does that make any sense?
I have a question. Why would Young go to the NBA when he isn't even on anyone's radar right now? I know nothing about the NBA and it's draft, so I would never make a bold statement about someone's prospects as a draft pick. But a couple minutes of research reveals that none of the draft services have him in their top 100.
How many get drafted? 60?
He's going to have to have a long and dominant post season and one hell of a walk up to draft day.
How many get drafted? 60?
He's going to have to have a long and dominant post season and one hell of a walk up to draft day.
If he gets really hot and we make a deep run and win the National Championship he will go, otherwise he stays. Man I hope he goes.
I've always wanted to be able to refer to our PG as "White Chocolate". Luther's handle is good enough to at least consider this lineup. Plus, he'd be very difficult to shoot over guarding the 3-point line.
Calipari says his goal is to get guys drafted, not to win championships. Is a coach's goal to help players in their future career (as is the goal of the rest of college educators) or is it to please the fans?
The coach's PRIMARY goal is to win, thinking anything else is naïve. If a coach can achieve the others like preparing for next level and graduating players while doing it, all the better (and both can contribute to winning).
Coach Cal says that because it helps recruiting, but don't be deceived, his PRIMARY goal is to win. Attracting better players helps him win, which is why he says it. And it may be a secondary goal of his, but it isn't his primary goal. Just like my company has an employee sat goal, but its primary goal is value to the shareholder.
A coach does what he needs to do to win. That's largely it. But that doesn't preclude the other things from happening. Do you think Cal would ever play a player at a position that is not his projected NBA position if it helped UK right now?
Pleasing the fans should never be a consideration where a player should play. Never.
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