OK, so you are a NBA GM...

[DSouthr]

And you have a top 5 pick in the next draft, what is your order? Simmons/Heil, and Valentine have just gone 1-3, you got #4, how strong do you consider Brice?

Now I am going to look at Murry, Trimble, Dunn, both Bacon & Beasley are interesting but if I make a mistake, I would rather make it with a big guy than a smaller guy, hard choice between Brice & Dunn and really would come down to which position I need help in more than anything but Brice is showing me that he can help a NBA team now at least as a passing big man that is explosive off the floor and in the open court, hard not to take him at 4.

 

[Tom79]

Define the needs of he team, then one can look at the kid from Providence, real good shooter, or go a bit bigger as with Brice...not sure on top5 just yet...Hield is just very good...kid from Iowa 6'9" kid with range...tons of good 'uns out there.

 

[Bur-Heel]

What about Ingram!!!...lolol!!

 

[tarwhiz]

No

And you have a top 5 pick in the next draft, what is your order? Simmons/Heil, and Valentine have just gone 1-3, you got #4, how strong do you consider Brice?

Now I am going to look at Murry, Trimble, Dunn, both Bacon & Beasley are interesting but if I make a mistake, I would rather make it with a big guy than a smaller guy, hard choice between Brice & Dunn and really would come down to which position I need help in more than anything but Brice is showing me that he can help a NBA team now at least as a passing big man that is explosive off the floor and in the open court, hard not to take him at 4.

No way I take Valentine before Dunn. Dunn will be a two way star in the NBA. Brice is a shot maker, but he still sits here in his forth year of college basketball and I have yet to see him take more than 3-4 dribbles and make a play to get own shot.

 

[tarwhiz]

I

No

No way I take Valentine before Dunn. Dunn will be a two way star in the NBA. Brice is a shot maker, but he still sits here in his forth year of college basketball and I have yet to see him take more than 3-4 dribbles and make a play to get own shot.

Also think a much greater percentage of upper Glassman will be drafted this year as opposed to last few.

 

[UNC Blue Hup]

I firmly believe Brice is a lottery pick.

 

[Archer2]

He's playing himself into one.

 

[IDUNK4HEELS]

Bias last night said Brice already has a NBA shot

 

[coryfly]

What about Ingram!!!...lolol!!

I think Ingram would be a good choice. He can already shoot and once he learns to control himself driving and can add some go to moves he is going to be a good pro. There is a reason pro guys like him.

I love Brice and think he will do ok in the NBA simply because he scores so well. I also think he will rebound fine. He is going to struggle defensively but most guys are going to struggle defensively (Ingram will struggle here as well).

 

[toophly1124]

Ingram is definitely a top 5 pick .. I'd be willing to put money on it too

 

[Steat]

Ingram is a top 5 pick and IMO will be picked ahead of Brice. I see Brice as a late lotto pick. Lakers will find a way to get Simmons just like they tricked Charlotte years ago with Kobe.

 

[coryfly]

Yeah, I don't think anyone believes Brice will be drafted ahead of Ingram.

 

[Ozheelfan]

With the #1 pick there's only one choice IMHO. And that's Simmons.
With a top 5 pick I'd draft Ingram.... Somewhere.
With a mid to low first round pick I'd take Brice in a heartbeat.
Going with Ingram is the business of the NBA where a team will willingly write off a top pick if they don't pan out just based on "protential"

 

[imajericho]

Brice is 20ish prob. Ingram is a top 3 pick.

 

[Spacegrass]

lottery pick for Brice. He will be drafted before the greatest one and done ever Skal.

 

[DSouthr]

With the #1 pick there's only one choice IMHO. And that's Simmons.
With a top 5 pick I'd draft Ingram.... Somewhere.
With a mid to low first round pick I'd take Brice in a heartbeat.
Going with Ingram is the business of the NBA where a team will willingly write off a top pick if they don't pan out just based on "protential"

Yeah, I think you have to take Simmons, he is the closest thing I have seen to Magic since Lebron, true 6'9' with legit guard ball handle skills, amazing talent. Hield thou is showing that he is worthy of all the praise. I think Murry is a long time NBA player, Dunn is special. Ingram, of course there is a ton of upside there but I personally as a GM would not be ready to spend a lotto pick on such a fraile body, I would need to see how that body can fill out before I would be willing, doesn't mean NBA GMs will not be willing. Note the tread title, says if YOU were the NBA GM. The thing with Ingram is his team has not played real great competition yet, they had a soft pre-conference schedule, beat a poor Ky team in which Ingram really did not look great. I need to see what he does vs the better ACC teams before I spend a lotto pick on him but so far I would not.

Brice runs the floor really well, good hands, explosive leaper that this season is showing the mindset to go directly to the rim. Decent shot blocker, solid passing big man, developed in a respected program. Kid has a jump hook with either hand, solid mid range jumper, will go get a rebound, and plays with emotion. he is checking the boxes I look for in a lotto pick and I think he can extend his jump shooting range and add even more bulk on to that frame, still has untapped potential.

The questions I would have about Brice, he is a college senior but does he have the maturity to handle being a NBA lotto selection? He is very emotional, very coachable as well can that emotion be channelled in to a positive thing consistently. Can he create his own shot or does he need the system that creates open looks for him? Can he strong man defend now the size the NBA throws at you? His coach has to stay hard on him to get his fire up, can the kid lite his own fire for the long NBA season? The last 2 questions may be the hardest to answer but these questions come from a guy that watches Brice very closely in every game.

When it comes down IMO to Dunn or Brice for my pick, it would depend on what area of need my team has greater but If I make a mistake it will be with a big man more so than a little guy, I can find guards, much harder to find front court guys that can play. Brice is playing well right now but can he play like this for the rest of the season, now that is what we have yet to see and will contribute big time to my final decision.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Simmons is the unquestioned #1 pick. Dunn has to go top 5. Ingram will go top 5 probably. I'm not completely sold on Hield. Smallish for an NBA 2, not an elite athlete and struggles in the mid-range. I like him around 10 or so. I really like the 7 footer from Utah. Then you have the two freshmen at Cal. Don't love Trimble. Don't love Valentine.

I think Brice is on the tail end of the lottery. Because the NBA would rather roll the dice on "potential" than to select a proven product who's been in school 4 years - as if being in school 4 years is a weakness. Such backwards ass thinking. He'll be battling Rabb, Ellenson, Stone, Sabonis and a Euro or two at the PF spot.

Better question - can Marcus get a guaranteed spot by being a first round selection? I kind of doubt it. But I think he would look phenomenal in a Spurs uniform. He can defend like Pop would want. He can shoot the 3 and he doesn't have an ego at all.

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

It's really hard to say who will be a lottery pick until we know what kids from overseas will be available this year?

Porzingus(?) from the Knicks is a good example of that!

Have to agree with others that it depends on what the NBA teams with high draft positions need?

Brice reminds me a lot of Antwan Jamison....Both guys finish real well in and around the basket, but both seem limited in their ball-handing skills?....Of course, it hasn't worked out too bad from Jamison as he's still on an NBA roster after all these years, but he has been relegated to being a role player for the most part during his NBA career....Wouldn't be a bad path for Brice either if his NBA career mirrors AJ's career....

I agree with others that Brice looks like a late lottery pick at the moment, but his confidence right now is off the charts, and he is seemingly growing as a leader every time he steps on the floor....He had 8 assist the other night....8 Assist from an inside player in college is tremendous, and just shows how far Brice has come!

Who would have thought that Brice had the potential to be a lottery pick when the season started?

He has really matured this season, and deserves all the recognition that he's getting at the moment, and hope he continues on this path, and is rewarded by an NBA team on draft day!

 

[Steat]

Paige at worst is a late 1st round pick and will be a much better NBA player than a college player. If he took 20 shots a game he would be averaging over 20 pts a game. Meeks is the player I worry about not being drafted. Meeks will leave because he will not get much better in college (Peter Principle). He will be late second round or not drafted at all. He will probably head to Europe or the D League.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Brice reminds me a lot of Antwan Jamison....Both guys finish real well in and around the basket, but both seem limited in their ball-handing skills?....Of course, it hasn't worked out too bad from Jamison as he's still on an NBA roster after all these years, but he has been relegated to being a role player for the most part during his NBA career....Wouldn't be a bad path for Brice either if his NBA career mirrors AJ's career....

Whoa. Not sure about that. Jamison developed a solid 3 point shot. I'm not sure Brice has that in him. Jamison averaged 25 ppg his 3rd season in the league and had 5 seasons of averaging over 20. He also averaged 32 ppg and 10 rpg one year in the Wizards' playoff run. Jamison was a 2 time all-star, the NBA 6th man of the year and made over $140 million throughout his career. He was far more than a "role player". He was at times, a "star" player. Brice will be super lucky if his career mirrors Jamison's.

Paige at worst is a late 1st round pick and will be a much better NBA player than a college player. If he took 20 shots a game he would be averaging over 20 pts a game.

I want that to be true. I really do. But I'm not sure. He has a problem getting shots off at times now in college because of his diminutive stature. What will he do with NBA defenders on him? With the right team, he can be successful. But to say he's going to have a better career as a pro than he did as a college player is quite the prediction.

Meeks is the player I worry about not being drafted. Meeks will leave because he will not get much better in college (Peter Principle). He will be late second round or not drafted at all. He will probably head to Europe or the D League.

But weren't you the one telling us all that Meeks will be ready to go after this season? Or were you just saying that he will be going? I recognize those are two different sentiments but I could have sworn you were saying Meeks was "ready". But your quote above - I agree with. I stated I think it will be hard for Meeks to ever make an NBA roster whether it's after this year or next. He's just so limited athletically. He could have played 10+ years and maybe as a starter if he had come along in the late 80's when skill and IQ was valued higher than athletic ability. Remember Charles Oakley?

 

[dadika13]

Brice isn't even in Chad Ford's top 30 or his honorable mentions. BleacherReport has him going 26. DraftExpress has him 45th. We're being complete homers even thinking he could go near Ingram or Dunn, who are both probably top 5 picks.

I'd be shocked if Paige gets drafted in the 1st round. He's just too small. He would have to have a Steph Curry like NCAA run to jump up draft boards.

 

[TraBuch]

Seniors just don't get pick in the top five anymore. The last time there was a senior picked in the top 5 was Shelden Williams at number 5 in 2006. Since then, there've been a grand total of three seniors picked in the top 10. Jimmer Fredette, CJ McCollum and Frank Kaminsky. Two Naismith winners and one guy that put up monster numbers for his entire career at a small school.

Johnson is a really good college player and can probably have a long Taj Gibsonish NBA career, but there's no way he sniffs the top five. It'll be something like Simmons, Ingram, Bender, Brown and..Dunn, probably?

 

[Spacegrass]

Brice isn't even in Chad Ford's top 30 or his honorable mentions. BleacherReport has him going 26. DraftExpress has him 45th. We're being complete homers even thinking he could go near Ingram or Dunn, who are both probably top 5 picks.

I'd be shocked if Paige gets drafted in the 1st round. He's just too small. He would have to have a Steph Curry like NCAA run to jump up draft boards.

Chad Ford is not good at his job. Brice has solidified himself to this point as a top 20 pick and probably a late lotto pick. Paige is likely a 2nd round pick but that doesn't mean he doesn't stick around for 10 years as a backup scoring PG in the league.

 

[Archer2]

Whoa. Not sure about that. Jamison developed a solid 3 point shot. I'm not sure Brice has that in him. Jamison averaged 25 ppg his 3rd season in the league and had 5 seasons of averaging over 20. He also averaged 32 ppg and 10 rpg one year in the Wizards' playoff run. Jamison was a 2 time all-star, the NBA 6th man of the year and made over $140 million throughout his career. He was far more than a "role player". He was at times, a "star" player. Brice will be super lucky if his career mirrors Jamison's.



I want that to be true. I really do. But I'm not sure. He has a problem getting shots off at times now in college because of his diminutive stature. What will he do with NBA defenders on him? With the right team, he can be successful. But to say he's going to have a better career as a pro than he did as a college player is quite the prediction.



But weren't you the one telling us all that Meeks will be ready to go after this season? Or were you just saying that he will be going? I recognize those are two different sentiments but I could have sworn you were saying Meeks was "ready". But your quote above - I agree with. I stated I think it will be hard for Meeks to ever make an NBA roster whether it's after this year or next. He's just so limited athletically. He could have played 10+ years and maybe as a starter if he had come along in the late 80's when skill and IQ was valued higher than athletic ability. Remember Charles Oakley?

Agreed on all counts gun. And I hope we're both wrong.

 

[HeelFan58]

With the #1 pick there's only one choice IMHO. And that's Simmons.
With a top 5 pick I'd draft Ingram.... Somewhere.
With a mid to low first round pick I'd take Brice in a heartbeat.
Going with Ingram is the business of the NBA where a team will willingly write off a top pick if they don't pan out just based on "protential"

I think there is no doubt Simmons is #1. I hope Ingram goes in top 5 , just want to make sure he goes.

 

[Steat]

Whoa. Not sure about that. Jamison developed a solid 3 point shot. I'm not sure Brice has that in him. Jamison averaged 25 ppg his 3rd season in the league and had 5 seasons of averaging over 20. He also averaged 32 ppg and 10 rpg one year in the Wizards' playoff run. Jamison was a 2 time all-star, the NBA 6th man of the year and made over $140 million throughout his career. He was far more than a "role player". He was at times, a "star" player. Brice will be super lucky if his career mirrors Jamison's.



I want that to be true. I really do. But I'm not sure. He has a problem getting shots off at times now in college because of his diminutive stature. What will he do with NBA defenders on him? With the right team, he can be successful. But to say he's going to have a better career as a pro than he did as a college player is quite the prediction.



But weren't you the one telling us all that Meeks will be ready to go after this season? Or were you just saying that he will be going? I recognize those are two different sentiments but I could have sworn you were saying Meeks was "ready". But your quote above - I agree with. I stated I think it will be hard for Meeks to ever make an NBA roster whether it's after this year or next. He's just so limited athletically. He could have played 10+ years and maybe as a starter if he had come along in the late 80's when skill and IQ was valued higher than athletic ability. Remember Charles Oakley?

You need to go back and check the posts. I said Meeks would leave and did not get into a discussion whether he was ready or not. Meeks will not get much better staying another year in college. A lot of fans don't want to hear this, but the only people that really benefit by Meeks staying another year are the fans and the team. It does very little for a possible NBA career. Meeks needs to develop a potent 15-20 foot jumper and a semi-hook shot to stick in the NBA as an important role player for NBA team. He can develop that better by moving on to the NBA , D league or Europe. UNC does not need Meeks to be a jump shooter. Meeks cannot jump and that is a serious problem for him. Meeks has aspirations to play in the NBA and he will move on IMO after this year and give it his best shot. He is also injury prone. We have many fans with the mentality that players should not leave unless they "are ready". If they was the case, 50% of the players that declare should not leave. Also, some players may never be ready for the NBA. Does that mean they should stick around in college for 4 years? I doubt Meeks will want to stick around for another year and play on a team that will be no where near as talented as this year team.

 

[Steat]

Whoa. Not sure about that. Jamison developed a solid 3 point shot. I'm not sure Brice has that in him. Jamison averaged 25 ppg his 3rd season in the league and had 5 seasons of averaging over 20. He also averaged 32 ppg and 10 rpg one year in the Wizards' playoff run. Jamison was a 2 time all-star, the NBA 6th man of the year and made over $140 million throughout his career. He was far more than a "role player". He was at times, a "star" player. Brice will be super lucky if his career mirrors Jamison's.



I want that to be true. I really do. But I'm not sure. He has a problem getting shots off at times now in college because of his diminutive stature. What will he do with NBA defenders on him? With the right team, he can be successful. But to say he's going to have a better career as a pro than he did as a college player is quite the prediction.



But weren't you the one telling us all that Meeks will be ready to go after this season? Or were you just saying that he will be going? I recognize those are two different sentiments but I could have sworn you were saying Meeks was "ready". But your quote above - I agree with. I stated I think it will be hard for Meeks to ever make an NBA roster whether it's after this year or next. He's just so limited athletically. He could have played 10+ years and maybe as a starter if he had come along in the late 80's when skill and IQ was valued higher than athletic ability. Remember Charles Oakley?

 

[Bubspub88]

Brice needs to go late so he is going to an established team, even better if there is an alpha dog getting up in years at his position who can teach him how to be a pro

 

[Steat]

Brice needs to go late so he is going to an established team, even better if there is an alpha dog getting up in years at his position who can teach him how to be a pro

What about replacing Duncan in San Antonio?

 

[mikeirbyusa]

Paige at worst is a late 1st round pick and will be a much better NBA player than a college player.

Have to disagree here. Paige is an OUTSTANDING college player. I'm worried about him even making a roster in the dern NBA.

 

[DSouthr]

Seniors just don't get pick in the top five anymore. The last time there was a senior picked in the top 5 was Shelden Williams at number 5 in 2006. Since then, there've been a grand total of three seniors picked in the top 10. Jimmer Fredette, CJ McCollum and Frank Kaminsky. Two Naismith winners and one guy that put up monster numbers for his entire career at a small school.

Johnson is a really good college player and can probably have a long Taj Gibsonish NBA career, but there's no way he sniffs the top five. It'll be something like Simmons, Ingram, Bender, Brown and..Dunn, probably?

Right there you see the insanity, exact reason I used the term YOU are a NBA GM. If I am a NBA GM there is no way in hades I take Ingram before I take Brice, no way, one can actually help my team now and the other maybe one day for darn sure not TODAY!

Brice is not damaged goods just because he is a senior, he is a player that has shown huge developement since coming to UNC and still has a lot of room left to continue to develope. Brice has matured in college both in his game as well as a young man. If I am going to toss millions at a kid then I want a return and I want that return ASAP. If I am philly and I draft a kid first round I need him to help my team now, not waddle thru his contrat with me and when he finally developes in to a player that could help signs that huge contract with Miami. And by the way, if I am philly and drafting first round, I would prefer my rookie not end up in national head lines news getting in to fights and being around guns, maybe a more matured young man helps my concerns about that.

The NBA is my definition of extremely rich men doing dumb things just because they can afford to, makes it impossible for me to appreciate them in any manner.

 

[DSouthr]

Brice isn't even in Chad Ford's top 30 or his honorable mentions. BleacherReport has him going 26. DraftExpress has him 45th. We're being complete homers even thinking he could go near Ingram or Dunn, who are both probably top 5 picks.

I'd be shocked if Paige gets drafted in the 1st round. He's just too small. He would have to have a Steph Curry like NCAA run to jump up draft boards.

That would be enough proof for me to never listen to a thing Chad Ford says again... Brice will not slide past the spot Henson was drafted. No I am not being a homer at all, I have not stated the NBA would draft Brice as a top 5 pick, I have stated if I were a NBA GM and had the 4th pick I would look very hard at drafting him at 4 and it would depend on what my teams need was that would decide.

 

[Tigertown_a_Rick]

Whoa. Not sure about that. Jamison developed a solid 3 point shot. I'm not sure Brice has that in him. Jamison averaged 25 ppg his 3rd season in the league and had 5 seasons of averaging over 20. He also averaged 32 ppg and 10 rpg one year in the Wizards' playoff run. Jamison was a 2 time all-star, the NBA 6th man of the year and made over $140 million throughout his career. He was far more than a "role player". He was at times, a "star" player. Brice will be super lucky if his career mirrors Jamison's.



GSD, everything that you stated above is true in regards to Antwan Jamison who is still one of my all-time favorite players, but he didn't have a 3 point shot when he left Carolina for the NBA?...Jamison to my knowledge has never played on an NBA Championship team, but has had tremendous success as a role player for several different NBA teams, and the stats you listed bare that out...I stated that he is a role player because every player in the NBA is a role player of some type unless they are the undisputed star of the team(ie LeBron or Kobe)....My point is that: Brice has started to turn the corner, and his inside game IMO is starting to mirror that of Jamison when he was playing his final year at Carolina.....Will Brice also develop a 3pt shot, and learn to handle the ball better?....I don't know, and neither do you?....If you had told me prior to the season that Brice Johnson would have an ACC road game where he had 8 assist, and would have another ACC road game where he scored 30+ points, and had 20+ rebounds I would have probably thought you didn't know what you were talking about, and hadn't watched a lot of Carolina basketball prior to this season....

Will Brice have the kind of NBA career that Jamison had?

I don't know, but I do know that the Brice that we are seeing this year, is not the Brice we've seen since he arrived at Carolina....This kid has improved and matured by leaps and bounds....

Is he on Jamison's level at the moment?....No, but I'm not willing to sell this kid short, based on the improvement and maturity that I've seen this year, and believe me when I say that I have been one of Brice's biggest critics until this season... However,I now believe that he is going to score every time he touches the ball inside, and that's the same feeling that I used to have when Jamison was playing his final year in the baby blue....Prior to this season, I never felt that way about Brice Johnson's game....

Hopefully, Brice will continue to progress and mature because we need him to do just that to have a chance to cut down the nets at the end of the season...

 

[dadika13]

If I am a NBA GM there is no way in hades I take Ingram before I take Brice.

...and that's why you're not an NBA GM. Ingram is going to be a stud. Brice will be a role player. Ingram is on a 9 game stretch that is better than Kawhi, Carmelo, Wiggins, Durant in college. He's 6'9 and has a wingspan similar to Durant, and bigger than Giannis, Kawhi, Paul George to name a few. You simply cannot pass up the chance to get the next Kawhi or Paul George.

I will also be willing to bet many many theoretical dollars that Brice goes after #14 (where Henson was drafted).

I love the guy but taking him in the top 5, no matter what your team needs, is insanity.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Ingram is going to be a stud.

I don't agree with that. That is, if he leaves duke after this season. I don't think he'll ever average 15 ppg in the NBA. His body needs serious work and sure, you can bring up KD (and you predictably do later in your post), but Ingram is no KD. Not even close.

Ingram is on a 9 game stretch that is better than Kawhi, Carmelo, Wiggins, Durant in college.

That's not true. In the last 9 games, Ingram is averaging 20.6 ppg, 8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 2.1 blks per game, 1.9 stls per game and he's shooting 52%. I didn't feel like searching for the game logs for all of the guys you mentioned, but below are links to both KD's Texas season game log and Melo's Syracuse season game log. I didn't extract any 9 game samples from either of those, but at first glance, I can pretty much tell that Ingram's last 9 games haven't been better than either KD's or Melo's worst 9 game stretch during their freshman seasons.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/60085/gamelog - KD
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/30074/gamelog - Melo

Furthermore, Ingram's 9 game stretch that you're lauding consisted of Buffalo, GA Southern, Elon, Long Beach St and Boston College. That's 5 of 9 teams that have virtually no chance of matching up with duke's talent level. Whereas with KD and Melo, you'll find by looking at the links I provided, that their better games were later into the season when they were matched up with more quality teams. Could Brandon keep his pace going and end up being as productive throughout an entire season as those two were? Maybe. But I doubt it. And I sure as hell wouldn't go comparing Ingram to either one of those guys at this point just because he had a few nice games against weak competition.

I will also be willing to bet many many theoretical dollars that Brice goes after #14 (where Henson was drafted).

Let me check my theoretical bank account and see what I could theoretically wager. I said earlier in this thread that right now, I like Brice on the tail end of the lottery. If he comes crashing back down to earth over the next several games, maybe I'll change my tune. But even then, I think Brice has shown enough to be in consideration for a lottery pick.

I love the guy but taking him in the top 5, no matter what your team needs, is insanity.

Other than the strong vehemence in which you state that, I think I agree. I mean, I'm not sure I'd call it "insanity", but Brice is not top 5 talent. But who knows? If he continues to put up the kind of numbers he's been putting up recently, and other guys get exposed or injured, I guess it's possible.

 

[DSouthr]

...and that's why you're not an NBA GM. Ingram is going to be a stud. Brice will be a role player. Ingram is on a 9 game stretch that is better than Kawhi, Carmelo, Wiggins, Durant in college. He's 6'9 and has a wingspan similar to Durant, and bigger than Giannis, Kawhi, Paul George to name a few. You simply cannot pass up the chance to get the next Kawhi or Paul George.

I will also be willing to bet many many theoretical dollars that Brice goes after #14 (where Henson was drafted).

I love the guy but taking him in the top 5, no matter what your team needs, is insanity.

And that is why you could never work for me...

You tell me Ingram is going to be a stud, well OK then is he a stud right now? Because if he is not and you are so certain then please share with me the winning mega bucks lotto numbers, I will be glad to cut you a healthy % of the winnings. A man that can see the future like that should find sharing the lotto numbers a simple task or test of his skills...

You nor anyone else knows if Ingram will ever become a star. I have stated many times he has big time talent but how about you cut out the Durant, Paul George nonsense. It hurts your case, it doesn't help it, right now Ingram's names does not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as those 2 guys. Do you want to discuss or do you want to lob silly nonsense because you struggle to defend your point of view? Ingram has the talent, yet again I say, but how that talent developes is still a strong question mark. Now if you are impressed by those programs he has played well against it has been a very weak string of competition. Let's see how he plays against the top half of the ACC before we annoint him Durant for how he plays against the bottom dwellers...

Personally, I prefer him to leave for the NBA this season, I don't want that talent to really blossom and duke to get the benifit of it. Kid's body has to fill out before we can see what he really has in his future.

 

[dadika13]

http://www.libertyballers.com/2016/1/11/10748668/brandon-ingram-nba-draft-good

Use that link for everything you said about him not being as good as KD, Melo's worst 9 game stretch. Numbers don't lie.

Again, no one is saying that he's KD or PG13 right now. What you do though when you are a REAL NBA Gm is that you draft based on current production and ceiling. Right now, with the exception of Ben Simmons, there is no player with a better combo in college basketball.

Also, you mention 5 of the bad 9 teams...how about the other 4 games. 3 in the ACC (two road games) and Utah.

God I feel dirty for talking this highly of a Duke player but to dismiss him as not a top 5 talent in this draft is just plain foolish. I'm just glad you're not running the front office of my favorite team.

 

[Bubspub88]

Before he is anointed can we see him him play against some of the stronger and bigger conference teams? Not saying he won't be a stud but I doubt wake Vt or BC are in top half of any league stats

 

[gunslingerdick]

http://www.libertyballers.com/2016/1/11/10748668/brandon-ingram-nba-draft-good

Use that link for everything you said about him not being as good as KD, Melo's worst 9 game stretch. Numbers don't lie.

Again, no one is saying that he's KD or PG13 right now. What you do though when you are a REAL NBA Gm is that you draft based on current production and ceiling. Right now, with the exception of Ben Simmons, there is no player with a better combo in college basketball.

Also, you mention 5 of the bad 9 teams...how about the other 4 games. 3 in the ACC (two road games) and Utah.

God I feel dirty for talking this highly of a Duke player but to dismiss him as not a top 5 talent in this draft is just plain foolish. I'm just glad you're not running the front office of my favorite team.

1 - Why is your link good but the two I provided weren't?
2 - Ok, so he's got a good combination of production (small sample size against inferior competition) and a high ceiling. That and a couple of dollars can get you a cup of coffee.
3 - In the other 4 games - against Indiana, VT, WFU and Utah (certainly not Murderer's Row), he's averaging 18 and 6. I wouldn't call those remarkable numbers. And why are we totally discounting the eggs he laid earlier in the season? - you know, when he went 1-6 against UK and for 5 points and 1 rebound against Georgetown? Do those not count?
4 - I'm not dismissing him as a top 5 talent in this year's draft. In fact, I think I stated in an earlier post in this thread that I was pretty sure he'd be selected in the top 5. I'm just saying that I'm not a believer in his abilities...yet. Maybe at some point he'll impress me. But he hasn't done so to this point in the season. He's a nice player that should have a 10+ year career in the NBA. But an all-star he is not. I will stand by that statement until proven wrong.

As far as being the GM of a professional basketball team, I will agree that I'm not front office material. I'm going to guess you're not either if you're arguing with me on a message board. The proof will be in the pudding. This debate won't be settled for another 5 years or so.

 

[TraBuch]

I feel like even if Ingram scores 20+ a game for the rest of the season, there will still be people that point out how much he struggled in the first seven games of his college career, completely discounting the fact that he'll be the youngest player in the upcoming draft by a pretty wide margin and it was kinda expected he'd struggle until he got used to the college game, like he did in high scool.

And sure, he "only" averaged 16 and 6 against Utah, VT, and WFU (Not sure why you're throwing a 24 point game against Indiana into that group), but are you just ignoring the fact that he also averaged over 4 blocks and 2 steals a game in those three games?