Xavier the pro...

[NGPittCali]

The guy has skills, we all watched last year. He is lighting and magical driving the lane. He is also a turnover machine and has a weird shot. I don't get him being a 30 something pick in a mock draft. He isn't ready in my humble opinion and he should use his time at Pitt to get his awkward shot fixed. Nobody who is worth having on your team shoots the ball the way he does in the NBA. And he's short. Let's talk turnovers. He turns the ball over faster than democratic candidates makes crazy promises. He's short, he has to be a PG. Kinda flies in the face of what an NBA PG is.

My take, X is nowhere near being ready for the NBA, unless his goal is to play in the sub leagues and work on his weaknesses.

 

[wbrpanther]

The guy has skills, we all watched last year. He is lighting and magical driving the lane. He is also a turnover machine and has a weird shot. I don't get him being a 30 something pick in a mock draft. He isn't ready in my humble opinion and he should use his time at Pitt to get his awkward shot fixed. Nobody who is worth having on your team shoots the ball the way he does in the NBA. And he's short. Let's talk turnovers. He turns the ball over faster than democratic candidates makes crazy promises. He's short, he has to be a PG. Kinda flies in the face of what an NBA PG is.

My take, X is nowhere near being ready for the NBA, unless his goal is to play in the sub leagues and work on his weaknesses.

Agree and said so on this board when people started talking about him leaving after this year. I simply said he has to get a whole lot better in all phases if he plans on going to the NBA after his sophomore year. Maybe he can do that. We'll see.

 

[Tonyt66]

I totally agree with you guys that at the end of last season the NBA was still a dream.
In saying that being that this should be his freshman yr getting big time college basketball experience like he did when he should have been a senior in high school he really could have gotten a lot better from last summer it's still may not be NBA ready but by the end of the year it's going to be interesting we'll see.

 

[DC_Area_Panther]

The guy has skills, we all watched last year. He is lighting and magical driving the lane. He is also a turnover machine and has a weird shot. I don't get him being a 30 something pick in a mock draft. He isn't ready in my humble opinion and he should use his time at Pitt to get his awkward shot fixed. Nobody who is worth having on your team shoots the ball the way he does in the NBA. And he's short. Let's talk turnovers. He turns the ball over faster than democratic candidates makes crazy promises. He's short, he has to be a PG. Kinda flies in the face of what an NBA PG is.

My take, X is nowhere near being ready for the NBA, unless his goal is to play in the sub leagues and work on his weaknesses.

You are correct he is short for positions other than PG in the NBA. However, he is not short for an NBA PG. At 6-3 he is a decent height to play PG in the NBA.

And, yes he needs to improve his outside shot to be a viable NBA draft pick (i.e., a 1st round pick). Unfortunately, IMHO, it is probably too late to make significant changes to his shooting form--those kind of problems almost always need to be corrected early (in high school or sooner) because bad habits practiced for too long are often become unfixable.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

The thing we’re missing here.. his number and pitt’s Play will dictate whether or not he leaves early. And leaving early doesn’t necessarily mean for the NBA. He has a very similar trajectory to Tony Carr imho

 

[pittchagg]

The thing we’re missing here.. his number and pitt’s Play will dictate whether or not he leaves early. And leaving early doesn’t necessarily mean for the NBA. He has a very similar trajectory to Tony Carr imho

Eh, I think Xavier and Carr are really different players. Carr won’t play meaningful minutes in the NBA because he’s a terrible athlete (one of the worst guards at the NBA combine), and he had no reason to return to college for his junior year because he had already maxed out his athletic potential. That isn’t and won’t be Xavier’s problem. Carr was a true point guard - albeit a ball dominant one - with limited athleticism and a funky but effective shooting stroke. Xavier’s a really athletic combo guard who learned to play the point on the fly last year with a funky but slightly less effective (so far) shooting stroke.

 

[Chescat]

As has been stated in this thread, turnovers and shooting are two areas where
X needs to improve.
IMO his turnover rate which is high, is due to his trying to do too much rather
than weaknesses in ball security or poor ball handling skills. Given what he
had around him last year, X often took it upon himself to make a play or to
score. I saw it as more a collective team weakness on the offensive end
that often forced him into a situation where he took it to the lane and ended
up with limited choices. Point that I'm making.....put some better players on
the floor with him and you'll see a big reduction in his turnover rate. In fact
I'm willing to bet we'll see a reduction this year due to players around him
that will give him more options.,
As far as shooting is concerned, I'm a firm believer that with good coaching,
and a lot of practice, a player's shot can improve. Hell, working with a
shooting guru like Herb Magee would make a big difference in X's shot.
I feel we will see an improvement in these two areas this year.

 

[NGPittCali]

You bring up an excellent point, how many of his TOs last year were due to the ball flying through Browns hands? I don't have a count but it is a high number.

 

[BballinsiderfromPitt]

Eh, I think Xavier and Carr are really different players. Carr won’t play meaningful minutes in the NBA because he’s a terrible athlete (one of the worst guards at the NBA combine), and he had no reason to return to college for his junior year because he had already maxed out his athletic potential. That isn’t and won’t be Xavier’s problem. Carr was a true point guard - albeit a ball dominant one - with limited athleticism and a funky but effective shooting stroke. Xavier’s a really athletic combo guard who learned to play the point on the fly last year with a funky but slightly less effective (so far) shooting stroke.

That’s not the point. He may feel the need to maximize his earning potential and go make money in Europe if they don’t have money as a family. He made decide playing for free for 2 more years is a waste of time. It would be hard to argue. He’s probably

Eh, I think Xavier and Carr are really different players. Carr won’t play meaningful minutes in the NBA because he’s a terrible athlete (one of the worst guards at the NBA combine), and he had no reason to return to college for his junior year because he had already maxed out his athletic potential. That isn’t and won’t be Xavier’s problem. Carr was a true point guard - albeit a ball dominant one - with limited athleticism and a funky but effective shooting stroke. Xavier’s a really athletic combo guard who learned to play the point on the fly last year with a funky but slightly less effective (so far) shooting stroke.

XJ will never be good enough for the NBA and really he’d be better served trying to make it through Europe’s. The more people see of him on the collegiate level the more his stock will go down. His best shot is having a similar year and going to work on those things in Europe and making money doing it

 

[Bethlehemjohn]

There are tons of guys less ready for the NBA than X who have tried to go pro. If he doesn't make the NBA, he can make a great career for himself overseas. I'd love to see him stay at least one more year, but I am not holding my breath.

 

[Cavalier Panther]

He'll play his junior year if he's not on the NBA draft board, he won't jump 2 years early to play overseas. Rather, he'd play his junior year and try to build hype for a run at the draft after his junior year.

I'll say this for X: he has NBA quickness/speed (though, admittedly, I don't watch much NBA). Maybe not elite NBA quickness like Russ Westbrook, but above replacement level NBA point guard quickness. You can't teach that, he's got it; the rest he can learn.

 

[Drew1208]

I think he'll make the NBA despite his shot.
He'll reduce his turnovers this year.
He's 6 3 and a great athlete.
Fast as hell and almost impossible to stay in front of.
I think he'll even be alot better with NBA talent around him.
I hope he stays 3 though.
Don't know if or how high he'll get drafted, but he'll make it.

 

[joeydavid]

You are correct he is short for positions other than PG in the NBA. However, he is not short for an NBA PG. At 6-3 he is a decent height to play PG in the NBA.

And, yes he needs to improve his outside shot to be a viable NBA draft pick (i.e., a 1st round pick). Unfortunately, IMHO, it is probably too late to make significant changes to his shooting form--those kind of problems almost always need to be corrected early (in high school or sooner) because bad habits practiced for too long are often become unfixable.

His jumpshot is a two part jumpshot with a low set point. It's not your typical 2 motion jumpshot like Lebron or Kobe either.

I'm not sure completely remaking his form would be beneficial but raising his set point or eliminating the 2nd part would probably help.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

It's hard to say what his NBA stock is until/unless we can see him run pick n roll/pick n pop with a legitimate dive big at Pitt. Last year we saw him as effective in Iso's though with a weak outside shot, giving him a mixed grade for an NBA playmaker.

Height is less relevant to wing span and I'm not sure what his is.

 

[Jeffburgh]

There are tons of guys less ready for the NBA than X who have tried to go pro. If he doesn't make the NBA, he can make a great career for himself overseas. I'd love to see him stay at least one more year, but I am not holding my breath.

This debate is tiresome because people just continually jump over the simple reality and go to "he isn't ready ..."

We have seen it COUNTLESS times, elsewhere and at Pitt, football and basketball, that being "ready" is rarely the primary determinant for these kids.

They are 20 year olds athletes, not the average Joe. They don't need everything to be just right do make life decisions.

Be it simply just not wanting to play the game of taking academic classes to be able to play college ball, be it having a baby, or mother they feel obligated to try to support, be it having an outsized idea of how good they, be it having all kinds of hangerons whispering in their ears, they jump when they want to jump.

Whether X is "ready" is one of a dozen variables that will play into his decision to stay at Pitt past this upcoming season.

Given he has come out and said he is looking to leave early, which these kids don't normally do, yeah, my mindset it so enjoy him this year as though he won't be at Pitt past it, and if that does happen great.

 

[Pitt1992]

Pitt fans always turn on their own players, he wont get better coaching then he will in the NBA, Russell Westbrook has made a living in the NBA with being a TO machine and not having a good shot,Xavier will get better you all forget he is only a Sophomore he went on stretches the last few years with double digit TO's, if you have athleticism and can get to the hoop u will get a chance

 

[PanthersMBT]

How about we just worry about having a good season as a team, and let the chips fall where they may after the season.

 

[RingDinger]

We rag on his shot, but his 3-point percentage is pretty respectable, at just over 35%. He doesn't have much of a mid-range game, but who does anymore? The NBA - and basketball in general - is pretty much just 3-pointers and layups these days. We had next to nothing to surround him with last year, or else I think he would have looked a lot better. We had no post men he could dish to (who could catch and finish), and we weren't able to create much of an inside-out game until JWF finally got hot halfway through conference play. Many of those turnovers were because we had no other viable options, and he had to do it all himself. Many were just true freshmen mistakes. I can't believe we're comparing a dude who has logged one collegiate season in the books to refined NBA veterans. Of course he couldn't enter the NBA tomorrow and dominate, but so what? No one is ever expected to be a finished product when they're drafted. But I watched a guy with rare speed and quickness off the dribble who was a great finisher. I'm not going to pretend to be an NBA guru, but I'm willing to guess those guys don't grow on trees.

 

[JD1976]

Eh, I think Xavier and Carr are really different players. Carr won’t play meaningful minutes in the NBA because he’s a terrible athlete (one of the worst guards at the NBA combine), and he had no reason to return to college for his junior year because he had already maxed out his athletic potential. That isn’t and won’t be Xavier’s problem. Carr was a true point guard - albeit a ball dominant one - with limited athleticism and a funky but effective shooting stroke. Xavier’s a really athletic combo guard who learned to play the point on the fly last year with a funky but slightly less effective (so far) shooting stroke.

I too have thought about the comparison to Carr, but agree they are much different. Carr was a shooting point guard — a volume shooter at that. He wasn’t anywhere near as effective slashing the lane as X showed last year. Carr didn’t make the team around him better, in general. I will say that X needs to become a much better and consistent shooter, but that will be something fun to watch develop this year.

 

[lilspainishflea]

XJ is a legit NBA prospect. He has above-average size and pretty good athleticism for a PG. Lightening speed to the hoop. Good defense.

Defenders will crash on him and leave the dish or shooter uncovered for a good look. I could see him playing very well alongside legit NBA shooters or a big.

There's no question he has NBA potential. What he needs is to develop another NBA tool or risk becoming "JAG" (just a guy) in the NBA. The question is will he go pro if he's projected as a second round pick in 2020 (non-guaranteed contract) or stay if he still needs to work on his outside shot. If he developed a real shot, I could see him going in the late first (guaranteed contract) or potentially even as a lottery pick.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The thing we’re missing here.. his number and pitt’s Play will dictate whether or not he leaves early. And leaving early doesn’t necessarily mean for the NBA. He has a very similar trajectory to Tony Carr imho

I have made the Carr comparison. Carr was a better shooter. Johnson more athletic. The better comp is Trey Burke.

 

[Straight Eye Larry]

The guy has skills, we all watched last year. He is lighting and magical driving the lane. He is also a turnover machine and has a weird shot. I don't get him being a 30 something pick in a mock draft. He isn't ready in my humble opinion and he should use his time at Pitt to get his awkward shot fixed. Nobody who is worth having on your team shoots the ball the way he does in the NBA. And he's short. Let's talk turnovers. He turns the ball over faster than democratic candidates makes crazy promises. He's short, he has to be a PG. Kinda flies in the face of what an NBA PG is.

My take, X is nowhere near being ready for the NBA, unless his goal is to play in the sub leagues and work on his weaknesses.

This might be the dumbest post I've ever read.

Him being projected in the 30s is based on potential. That's evident.

He's not short. He's a 6'3" point guard. That's not short.

His shot is fine. He'll shoot at a 35% clip from 3 this year and will most certainly shut your dumba** up.. actually idk if he will because you'll still probably complain.

 

[NGPittCali]

This might be the dumbest post I've ever read.

Him being projected in the 30s is based on potential. That's evident.

He's not short. He's a 6'3" point guard. That's not short.

His shot is fine. He'll shoot at a 35% clip from 3 this year and will most certainly shut your dumba** up.. actually idk if he will because you'll still probably complain.

Thanks Larry. Cheer up.

 

[Straight Eye Larry]

Thanks Larry. Cheer up.

Don't post garbage about our best player and I will.

 

[Ski11585]

Don't post garbage about our best player and I will.

These threads are always a good indicator of who doesn't watch the NBA.

 

[below0w]

This might be the dumbest post I've ever read.

Him being projected in the 30s is based on potential. That's evident.

He's not short. He's a 6'3" point guard. That's not short.

His shot is fine. He'll shoot at a 35% clip from 3 this year and will most certainly shut your dumba** up.. actually idk if he will because you'll still probably complain.

The dude took the opportunity to throw an impotent shot at Democratic politicians in the middle of a post about a college basketball player, of course he's an idiot.

Some of the criticisms of X are legit, but most are nonsensical. The statement about how nobody who shoots the ball like that is worth having on an NBA roster is so hilariously ignorant. I guess he's never watched Rajon Rondo play.

Some people seriously need to take a step back and realize that potential is 90% of a player's draft stock and that's why X is getting projected where he is. I still think he has a decent chance of being a lottery pick if he shows a bit of growth this year.

 

[Pitt2006]

He is composite ranked about 69 right now, but is the 44th best prospect for the draft per ESPN? A little improvement and he can go first round. https://hoopshype.com/2019/08/04/2020-nba-mock-draft-anthony-edwards-james-wiseman/

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Rondo has a 6'9" wing span (and insane basketball IQ) so again, that matters more than height.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

i said the same thing about Adams, thinking that no way will he be ready to compete in the nba in his first year. i was right, problem was, i wasn't thinking that in the nba, you can draft a player with the intention of not playing them a year or two and having them develop while they are on the bench.

This isn't the nfl, you don't need your first rd (or def 2nd rd pick) to start for you and be a finished product. in some cases, you don't need them to even play. Teams will not draft Xavier on what he is at time of draft but what they think he will be in a year or two..

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Even more different than the NFL, NBA teams will draft players for the specific goal of stashing them/not having them on the active roster, because they literally don't have the room. Hence the d-league, keeping draft rights to Euroleague players, etc.

 

[Fsgolfdr]

Ready or not if the monies on the table you take it .

Do I think he’s ready , not from what I’ve seen , but I didn’t think Adams was either ! NBA drafts on potential.

 

[SoufOaklin4Life]

i said the same thing about Adams, thinking that no way will he be ready to compete in the nba in his first year. i was right, problem was, i wasn't thinking that in the nba, you can draft a player with the intention of not playing them a year or two and having them develop while they are on the bench.

This isn't the nfl, you don't need your first rd (or def 2nd rd pick) to start for you and be a finished product. in some cases, you don't need them to even play. Teams will not draft Xavier on what he is at time of draft but what they think he will be in a year or two..

You weren’t right
He averaged 14.8 minutes per game as a rookie

 

[Ski11585]

Anyone with two eyes could realize Adams was a one and done.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Anyone with two eyes could realize Adams was a one and done.

Well if we knew his true thoughts on Dixon and pitt in general, yeah, we were lucky to get a year out of him.

Did he even come back to campus after last game?

 

[DT_PITT]

Well if we knew his true thoughts on Dixon and pitt in general, yeah, we were lucky to get a year out of him.

Did he even come back to campus after last game?

He did not come back to campus.

But when he left, he told the staff most assuredly that he was coming back. In fact, he packed nothing from either his spot in the Pitt locker room nor even his Pitt dorm room.

But his agent got to him and his family when he was in New Zealand and offered a large bonus just to sign with him.

But as of mid July of that same year, his stuff was still sitting in his locker and dorm room.

But as I’ve come to understand it, it’s simply not true that he left because of Dixon and the staff. He left because the money was simply too much for him to pass up.

My guess is the the agent had already been assured by at least one team of his first round draft status.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

He did not come back to campus.

But when he left, he told the staff most assuredly that he was coming back. In fact, he packed nothing from either his spot in the Pitt locker room nor even his Pitt dorm room.

But his agent got to him and his family when he was in New Zealand and offered a large bonus just to sign with him.

But as of mid July of that same year, his stuff was still sitting in his locker and dorm room.

But as I’ve come to understand it, it’s simply not true that he left because of Dixon and the staff. He left because the money was simply too much for him to pass up.

My guess is the the agent had already been assured by at least one team of his first round draft status.

If you have a freshman hoops player, and he doesn’t even come back to campus to get his clothes.......probably time to assume he’s not coming back.


Honestly, has that ever happened before. Ever? Dude literally disliked pitt so much that he never came back lol. You can still come back and get your jeans and underwear at and still go pro. Freshmen basketball players do it all the time.

 

[DT_PITT]

If you have a freshman hoops player, and he doesn’t even come back to campus to get his clothes.......probably time to assume he’s not coming back.


Honestly, has that ever happened before. Ever? Dude literally disliked pitt so much that he never came back lol. You can still come back and get your jeans and underwear at and still go pro. Freshmen basketball players do it all the time.

You didn’t read my meaning correctly. He left all of his stuff because he said to everyone he was coming back so there was no need to pack anything. He was originally supposed to be back in Oakland within two weeks. But it was within those two weeks that the agent got to him in New Zealand.

This entire story was explained to me directly in July of 2013. This person was not in the coaching staff but was a prominent member of the basketball staff who I knew very well at the time.

He actually talked to Adams the day before he left for New Zealand. He told me there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Adams was coming back.

 

[ScrantonicityIII]

If you have a freshman hoops player, and he doesn’t even come back to campus to get his clothes.......probably time to assume he’s not coming back.


Honestly, has that ever happened before. Ever? Dude literally disliked pitt so much that he never came back lol. You can still come back and get your jeans and underwear at and still go pro. Freshmen basketball players do it all the time.

Do you know what airfare from NZ to Pittsburgh is? You'd spend $3000 to get $500 worth of clothes? When you just got promised sick money? You must love your clothes an awful lot.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

Do you know what airfare from NZ to Pittsburgh is? You'd spend $3000 to get $500 worth of clothes? When you just got promised sick money? You must love your clothes an awful lot.

He had a ride back to pitt after the game. He quit school after they lost. You really think he was ever intending to come back?

 

[DiehardPanther]

Is XJ a legit 6-3?