Tuesday, April 10, 2007

What others are saying

By J-W Staff Reports

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Word of Julian Wright's decision to put his name in the NBA Draft spread quickly Monday.

NBAdraft.net lists him as a No. 9 pick of the Sacramento Kings, while draftexpress.com has him as the No. 8 pick of the Seattle SuperSonics. ESPN's Chad Ford has Wright listed seventh in his top-100 draft possibilities. The seventh pick goes to Portland.

Here are excerpts from what some are saying:

Chad Ford, ESPN.com: "As we wrote several weeks ago, Wright would be taking a pretty significant risk by waiting another year. If he struggled to improve his consistency or his offensive prowess, scouts might quit talking about his upside and might start tearing apart his game next season. When you factor in injury, that's a lot of risk for a guy currently ranked No. 7 on our Top 100. After Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, Wright may have the biggest upside of anyone in the draft. He also has significantly more risk than some until he develops a more consistent jump shot and finds a position."

Gary Parrish, CBSsportsline.com: "I still believed Julian Wright. He told me he'd spend next season at Kansas, and I believed him. I knew better than to believe him, and I didn't want to believe him. But Bill Self told me to believe him, that if I talked to him I'd believe him. So I talked to Wright, and Self was right. I believed him. So much, in fact, that I wrote a column last July lauding Wright for representing everything that was good and proper about the American basketball player. And guess what now? Wright is entering the NBA Draft. Two weeks ago he was '100 percent sure' he would not enter the NBA Draft. But at a Monday press conference he stated he would indeed enter the NBA Draft. Meaning I'm 100 percent sure I'll never again trust another talented underclassman. Never. Ever. As long as I live. I won't get fooled again."

draftexpress.com: "Julian has shown enough over the last two years to cement himself in the top ten of this year's draft no matter how poor his workouts could possibly go. His combination of size, athleticism, and perimeter skills along with his great motor make him unlike any other prospect this year's draft has to offer."

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The ex-Jayhawks in NBA front offices (Kevin Pritchard, Portland; R.C. Buford, San Antonio; Milt Newton, Washington) cannot comment on Wright in accordance with NBA rules.

How last year's early-entrant picks fared

In 2006, 37 players from U.S. colleges applied for early entry into the 2006 NBA draft, 16 were chosen in the first round, and six were lottery picks. (In the NBA, 16 of 30 teams qualify for the playoffs. The other 14 teams, or teams that have acquired draft picks from those teams in trades, enter a lottery for the first selection. The lottery is weighted, the team with the worst record having the best chance to land the first pick.)

Here's a look at how the rookie seasons of the six 2006 early entry lottery picks are going, starting with the highest selection:

2. LaMarcus Aldridge, Texas: Averages nine points and five rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game for Portland.

3. Adam Morrison, Gonzaga: Averages 11.9 points and three rebounds in 30.2 minutes per game for Charlotte.

4. Tyrus Thomas, LSU: Averages 5.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game for Chicago.

8. Rudy Gay, UConn: Averages 11 points and 4.5 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game.

9. Patrick O'Bryant, Bradley: Averages 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.4 minutes per game for Golden State. Has appeared in 16 games. Played 25 games for the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Developmental League and averaged 12 points and 9.6 rebounds.

14. Ronnie Brewer, Arkansas: Averages 4.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game for Utah.

Wright's Career at KU

Comments

kcmostwanted (anonymous) says...

just heard that Aldridge has Heart Problems....that sucks because they said it could be career threatening....

Anyways, Wright a lock for top 10 pick??? I thought he said 10-15??....maybe he should have said 5-15 instead..

But best of luck to him...and regarding Brandon Rush, I think he should spend lots of time developing his slashing/dribbling skills... I think he can be very similar to Brandon Roy who was drafted in the Top 10 as a Senior last year!!

I'm not giving up on Rush because he just has all the right tools to be a Very Good Pro....

April 10, 2007 at 3:05 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

lee3022 (anonymous) says...

No Aldridge has a minor defect that has already been corrected and he is expected to resume playing in a few weeks.

Brandon Rush is listed on Draft Express at 21 in the 1st round but they also list Arron Afflalo at 4 in the 2nd round and Afflalo gave Rush all he could want in the regional final. Must be that upside thing.

I agree that Julian was risking another year being exposed if he still could not shoot from distance. I wish him the best. Today Draft Express has Julian going 8 behind Corey Brewer. As a Portland fan and as much as I like Julian I would hope Portland drafts Brewer in the 7th spot if they go for a small forward. The intrigue of both these two players is their amazing versatility creating matchup problems for the opponent.

April 10, 2007 at 5:02 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

crooner (anonymous) says...

I hate to agree with Doyel, but he's right; at least for this basketball fan, Julian's declaration is the end of my doe-eyed perspective on players saying the right thing.

I still absolutely support him in his decision, though. Go Julian! Go KU!

April 10, 2007 at 6:43 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

doolindalton (anonymous) says...

I wonder if these guys have been watching the same player I have. Julian is a decent college player but he inconsistent, certainly doesn't have the perimeter skills to play guard, has a limited range on his jump shot and doesn't have a position in the NBA. Where are you going to play him? He is not as advanced as Drew Gooden was when he jumped. Oh well, it's their money.

April 10, 2007 at 7:13 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KUMatt2001 (anonymous) says...

Seems college basketball is going the way of most Pro Sports... athletes can say or do whatever they want because it's all about that individual and doing "what's best for them and their family." Nothing else matters at all, and it's perfectly fine.

Huggins can leave K State, Bill Walker, and all the fans hanging out to dry while he heads back to his hometown. Julian can promise 100%, then go back on that promise two weeks later and we're all supposed to be proud of him.

Wow Julian. Thanks for gracing us with your presence for two years. We should consider ourselves so fortunate.

Maybe I'd feel a little different if his opening statement of the press conference was "First of all I'd like to sincerely apologize to everyone for the statement I made two weeks ago, after the UCLA loss, I was not in a position to comment... etc. etc." But after listening to him and Self stutter and bumble around up there, and say " I thought about it and talked to my family and this is my decision" I can't help but have a sour taste in my mouth.

But if this is the kind of publicity Self wants to lure in more recruits so they can do the same thing, then so be it.

April 10, 2007 at 9:19 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jackhawk (anonymous) says...

Here's a thought: how about a moratorium on all talk about who's going, who's staying, until after the NCAA Tournament? All that talk is distracting to everyone involved, and, as we have found out, even the player involved really doesn't know until he has had time to sit down and really study it. I guess the reporters would have to work to do some "real" reporting instead of just writing conjecture if we had such a moratorium so my idea is probably a bad one.

April 10, 2007 at 9:31 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

justinryman (anonymous) says...

How can you fault a man to take a job in his hometown? How can you fault a kid19 or 20 to have a chance to make millions?

If you had the chance to take your dream job in your hometown where you are a local hero you would do it. If you were 20 and had the chance to leave college for your dream job and a chance to make millions you would do it!!!

Stop making such a big deal of these things, this is not 1972, its 2007 its the way things are now. Just like indoor plumbing and microwave ovens.

April 10, 2007 at 9:32 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

kitley (anonymous) says...

He can't dribble, can't shoot, and is underweight. I guess that leaves room for upside, but I have potential in all those areas too.

April 10, 2007 at 9:55 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KUMatt2001 (anonymous) says...

Good one, Justin.

There is a little more to these situations than taking millions or not, moving home or not.

That's what I have a problem with. Apparently it is all about these individuals and they don't owe anyone anything. Julian doesn't owe us fans, or his teammates, or Bill Self anything at all. He can make commitments like "I'm 100% sure I'll be back next year" and he doesn't have to own up to his words at all. How about pay back the school and program that allowed you to become a better player and get national exposure by sticking around one more year and trying to win a National Championship!? Huggins, how about showing a little gratitude to the school that took a chance on you, gave you everything you could ever want, fans who got their hopes up, by staying more than one year and actually coaching your #1 recruiting class! What about your promise, that 'we'll beat KU this year at home'? Not only did they not win, but he'll never beat KU at home because he only tried once!

(never thought I'd be sticking up for K State, but they really got sh*t on!)

April 10, 2007 at 11:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

emeryhawk (anonymous) says...

I won't stick up for Huggins, because I think he was in the wrong to leave, but I will defend Wright. The idea that he has to pay Kansas back is bogus. Fans benefited from having a great player play for their team; and Julian benefited from playing for a team with great media exposure, incredible fans and tradition. The US is the only place in the world where semi-pro athletes aren't getting paid. When you look around the world, most serious athletes start getting paid by their clubs at around 16 years of age. The university athletics system, however special it is, is unique to the US for a reason: most of these guys play at a level where people are willing to pay a lot to see them (anyone try to buy tickets for the Elite 8?), but where they aren't paid a dime. Granted, they are given scholarships, are adored by students and fans, and have a cushy life on campus, but that doesn't change the fact that they are the lifeblood of a major industry and are still considered amateurs.
I'm not saying we should start paying college players, but I think it's unreasonable to single out a player who has worked his whole life at perfecting his game, who practices for hours every day in addition to being a student, and who gives his all for his school when on the court, just because he decides--or other people decide for him--that he has reached a level where he can be paid millions to play the game he loves. College athletics is a reciprocal relationship, the fans get to enjoy watching great players and the players get to enjoy playing for and attending a great school. We lose out when he leaves two years early, but he loses out too by not getting to spend two more years playing at Allen Fieldhouse (something you can't buy!). Julian Wright doesn't owe me a thing as far as I'm concerned. It was great watching him at Kansas and I wish him the best in the big leagues.

April 10, 2007 at 12:51 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jhawkdan42 (anonymous) says...

kumatt2001 Are you trying to tell everyone if giving the chance to earn millions doing the thing that you love you would turn it down to keep going to school,classes, tests etc.... wake up! No one in their right mind could turn that down. I wish they would all stay, but we knew from the beginning a lot of our Mac D All Americans would only be here for 1or2 years. We need to enjoy them while they are here and let them go when THEY feel the time is right, NOT you or me or any one else.

April 10, 2007 at 3:39 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

klineisanazi (anonymous) says...

I can't believe people like Doyle. One incident is going to change his belief in what people say? Of couse, Julian shouldn't have been so emphatic and instead followed Rush's lead in saying he would evaluate all the facts before making his decision. But once he did evaluate it, he made his decision.
College baskeball is what it is. The top players are all trying to set themselves up for lucrative careers in the NBA. If one wants their team to compete at the highest levels, you have to be philosophical about this stuff. Otherwise, pick a mid-major team to support. If you don't you will drive yourself crazy.

April 10, 2007 at 4:35 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayCat_67 (anonymous) says...

Why even worry about mid majors? I'll bet Baker or Washburn and even Haskell B-ball tickets are pretty cheap. No nosebleed sections in their facilities either.

April 10, 2007 at 5:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

rcjhawk (Shawn Mansfield) says...

Good luck Julian, you're one of my favorites (oops they're all my favorites).

What a bunch of whiners commenting about Julian leaving early. Act like you're Kansas fans. We recruit the best and when the NBA calls they go. Because we recruit the best. When they're gone, we reload with more just like them. If you want loyalty, go to Missouri or K-State.

What's the point of college? To get a job. Doesn't get much simpler than that.

If you could get a job, and make 7 figures, without finishing your degree, you'd most likely be gone too. The ones who wouldn't don't get the offer, so their opinion is worthless. That's the way it works. Go to college, get a job, and work until you retire.

Stop being selfish because you want the team to come back and compete for the NC. It will anyway, just like every year since 1990 (with maybe a couple years' exceptions). We may not always win it, but we always compete for it. Even if everybody else leaves early. Because we're Kansas, dammit.

Good luck Julian, I wish I was you. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

April 10, 2007 at 6:56 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KUMatt2001 (anonymous) says...

All I'm saying is that it would have been very honorable to say at the beginning of the season, "I'm going to be here for three years and finish college" and at the end of the season to say, "My decision hasn't changed. I 100% will be back here next year" and two weeks later, actually say the same thing!

Is it too much to ask for someone to keep their word?

And don't act like you've never heard an athlete say, "I've made a commitment to my teammates, the university, and the fans and I intend to keep it. We've got some unfinished business to take care of next year." All you have to do is look at Florida. Every year there are players that COULD enter the draft and they don't. They have a great college career and become stars in the NBA. I guess I really thought Julian was that kind of person.

Also, if I looked at Julian's game and thought, now there's a polished player who dominated all season long. He has nothing left to prove at this level, he's ready and needs to move on. But that doesn't seem to be the consensus.

April 10, 2007 at 7:38 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jimjhawk1 (anonymous) says...

We all hate to see our players leave early for the NBA, but the type of recruits that Bill Self gets are going to be here 1-2 years most likely, and then move on if they are able to make the $$. Gosh, If my son was a lottery pick, I would encourage him to go, play 5-7 years, and then finish his degree. It is likely that Julian has been given a gurantee that he will go as a lottery pick, and that is wonderful for him. Look at Matt Leinert, and what it did for him to stay another year. Go Hawks!

April 10, 2007 at 11:42 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

nanuq (anonymous) says...

Julian Wright is in no way ready to play in the NBA. I think he was as surprised as anyone to see himself listed in the lottery picks. I can't blame him for going, but I don't see this ending well. Fennis Dembo?

April 11, 2007 at 12:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

speedy (anonymous) says...

i judge julian by the phoenix suns roster. julian could not get any playing time! he cannot shoot! if you cannot hit 3pt shots as well as drive and score in close you do not play.
julian will end up on a poor team either n.w. or s.e. area and never be heard from but rarely. he needs at least one more year and will never get it. hes made a BIG mistake believing the agents etc.
that said i will follow his career too. but how often do we hear of gooden, collisen, vaughn, etc. only paul pierce was ready. b. rush could be another pierce if he stays another year at least.
sure i,d like the money but sitting at the end of a bench is not fun.

April 11, 2007 at 10:44 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaw7621 (anonymous) says...

Hey speedy,

You left out Hinrich there. And what about Simien down in Miami.

It's fair to assume Julian will be on a low quality team to start. It's not fair to assume what his level of skill will ultimately be. No one knows. I think the point about him actually being able to hurt his value by staying is well made, and Julian HAS to listen to the money. Now, he can turn 100% of his time to his game, and who knows where that will take him. I for one, wish him well.

April 12, 2007 at 10:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mhart123 (anonymous) says...

I think the fact Julian Wright is gay and that John Amaechi came out... has allowed Julian to come out... both figuratively and literally.

April 13, 2007 at 1:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

fljayhawk (anonymous) says...

Its been a few days since Julian announced that he's going pro. I've been watching the numbers and it looks like Julian's worth could be dropping. More and more forwards, with better stats and more consistancy have been opting into the draft. Julian your worth is dropping at this point in time. Time to reconsider.

April 14, 2007 at 7:31 a.m. ( | suggest removal )