DJ Wilson, Moe Wagner declare for NBA Draft without agents

Trey lyles has failed pretty badly. Wilson can handle better than trey and I see a better shooter and passer. Would be exactly what the jazz have been looking for IMO.

1 Like

DJ and Mo get invites to the combine, which seems to be what was expected. Quinn thinks the decisions will happen within a few days after the combine.

Couldnā€™t believe Lyles was a first rounder. He didnā€™t impress me at all while at UK.

1 Like

If weā€™re talking about next season, I donā€™t think Wilson looks good in any NBA lineup.
He may go Pro and get some seasoning, but heā€™s not gonna be ready to compete in the NBA next season

So much of the draft is on potential. NBA teams need stars so badly that they have to take shots on upside which if you leave quickly enough means how you were ranked in hs.

1 Like

Exactlyā€¦thatā€™s the problem.

1 Like

How many combine invites went out?

Around 70 I believe. Not 100% sure on that but close to 70.

I hope both come back, but I honestly donā€™t think DJ Wilson can improve his stock much by returning. He can become more ā€œNBA Readyā€ by staying ā€” get stronger and more expienced. But now that heā€™s on NBA Radars, scouts will be looking more closely at his flaws as well as his strengths ā€“ heā€™s got a little bit of the ā€œflavor of the monthā€ bump going now because of his & the teamā€™s play in March.

As many others have pointed out, the NBA Draft is more based on ā€œfuturesā€ than on ā€œinstant impact.ā€ Next year DJā€™s instant impact ability will be higher, but his ā€œfuturesā€ upside is unlikely to improve.

1 Like

In my opinion he can improve his position with another a year where he can show himself as a primary scorer, effective distributor and consistent force on the floor. The question really is does he want to hone his skills in the D-League where heā€™ll be just a guy trying to develop or return to Michigan where heā€™ll have a clear chance to be THE guy

1 Like

Agree with the philosophy, but not necessarily the conclusion. For his actual stock to improve, he would need to take the baton from Zak/Derrick and expand his numbers with expanded usage, become a leaders of this team, and be ā€œthe guyā€ to take/make final possession shots for us. he would need to drive into contact, get consistent rebounds (w/o the need for a pep talk), and not take plays off defensively.

If that all sounds extremely unlikely, then I agree with your point and he could do himself some harm. If it sounds possible, I think heā€™s guaranteed mid 1st round next year b/c his measurables wonā€™t get any worse and most peopleā€™s criticisms are about consistency and where his head is ā€“ things which can be improved upon.

i have to disagree. the downside of returning for one more year is the risk of injury, and can be partially hedged by an insurance contact similar to what Jake Butt bought. The upside is a guaranteed first round contract plus potentially more immediate playing time and career longevity.

1 Like

I think DJ is a special case. The opportunities for DJā€™s return go beyond improved strength and more experience gainedā€¦Going back to DJā€™s high school film (and we saw flashes of it last season) there is another layer of skill set that DJ can reveal that will set him apart from a lot of first round hopefuls. If DJ returns I think it will be with the understanding that his skill to create from the left side will be showcased here and there (to some extent).

I also think Simmons will be a better playmaker than Walton, which is going to help DJ shine even more.
Added to the fact that DJā€™s post up game is so horrible it is an obvious place for massive improvementā€¦

I think DJ would be smart to return.

Two things to consider about DJ. One, he is already 21 and has been in college for three years. True, this was the first year he got serious minutes, but he might not get the same ā€œpotential futureā€ bump that he mightā€™ve if here were even a year younger and certainly not if he had this year as a freshman.

Second, saying that NBA draft is all about futures is sort of true, but potentially misleading. When teams project a playerā€™s future in a draft, they have to gauge what the level of potential is - for example, superstar, all-star, starter, 6th man, etc. ā€“ and how likely he is to reach those various levels. My guess is that teams are not drafting DJ with the thought that he has a decent shot to be an all-star. Theyā€™re projecting him to be a potentially valuable floor-spacer with defensive versatility and upside. A year in college could allow DJ to show that there is a very high chance he can fill that role or even that he does have potential to be at least a second options kind of guy. In other words, heā€™s probably not a lottery guy now and a year may make it significantly more likely that he gets picked in the first round.

However, a lot may depend for him on how he shows at the combine. If he can demonstrate high athleticism, then it really may be best for him to go now. And a lot also depends on the feedback he gets. Maybe Iā€™m underselling what NBA teams are seeing in him as far as potential.

3 Likes

Not really surprised this will go to the deadline. Why declare if you arenā€™t going to workout for as many teams as possible?

1 Like

The combine ends the 14th and the deadline is the 24th so itā€™s not like thereā€™s a ton of time in between. The only complication is the 17th NLI signing date but it doesnā€™t seem like weā€™re in on '17 guys in particular except Bamba, and he can play without signing an NLI if thatā€™s what he wants to do.

Bamba will probably sign a Scholarship in Aid or Grant in Aid papers. It only binds the school to the player and not the other way around like a letter of intent. Youā€™ll hear about this type of aid when it comes to transfers because a student-athlete can only sign a letter of intent once. Most student-athletes donā€™t know this as an option. I believe Jason Kapono was one of the first to use it when he ā€œsignedā€ with UCLA.

And you can sign this at any time and arenā€™t required to sign during any of the NCAA signing periods.

1 Like
4 Likes

With the new rules, the good definitely outweighs the bad in terms of ā€œtesting the watersā€, but Nigel Hayes only being an alternate this time around (after last year playing horribly) is an illustration of the downside. If you put your name in, youā€™d best not lay an egg.

1 Like

Orā€¦if you do lay an eggā€¦you know how much better you need to get.

1 Like