Jett Howard declares for NBA Draft

Seems unlikely the Pels swap but could happen

I know youā€™re being facetiousā€¦but, itā€™s easy - Jett has NBA size and shotmaking ability. Not many people in the world have that combination. The rest a team will be willing to develop.

Now, if Jace had declared, you might get the platitudes :rofl:

4 Likes

Yeah, itā€™s very easy to see Jettā€™s upside.

2 Likes

Seems like the obvious choice, given what his draft projections are. Although I donā€™t really understand it. There are plenty of guys who shot 36% from 3 in big ten play. People say he is a great shooter. The stats say he is a good shooter. Iā€™d bet Dug matches his 36% (Dug shot 35% this year on half the attempts) next year, on 100+ attempts.

Thereā€™s a massive difference between 36% on 100 attempts at 5-10 and 36% on 200 attempts at 6-8.

10 Likes

Itā€™s already been mentioned a few times, but the best part of Jettā€™s decision is that it happened early.

Thank you, Jett!

6 Likes

Bufkin, and lots of other guys are better players today than Jett. I think we need to remember this is about potential

A quality 6ā€™8" shooter who can shoot off the catch and dribble into his own shot - if he maxes out that potential, youā€™re looking basically at Paul George (ie, an All-NBA level player (Admittedly George is also a very good defensive player, I donā€™t see that happening for Jett)

Kobeā€™s max out is likeā€¦Jamal Crawford? Tyler Herro?

1 Like

I just pictured this:

8 Likes

I think that Jett, quite obviously (to me) made the right choice for him, and it was supported not only by his coach, a man with huge NBA connections, but his dad. I donā€™t pretend to know what is truly in the hearts of these kids, but Jett has made it obvious that it has been his dream to play in the NBA since the day mom and dad put a basketball in his hands. He literally grew up around the NBA. The most important man in his life, his dad, played in the NBA for 19 years and then coached in the NBA. The NBA is in his blood.

As has been mentioned, Jett has the size and the shooting skills to be an NBA player. Iā€™ve said before he is, certainly at times, exceptional with the ball in his hands. I have also said I donā€™t think heā€™s ready, but what do I know. The NBA entices these kids to come to the NBA before theyā€™re ready, based on the potential they have as future stars. AND the NBA will pay them $millions to come to the NBA to develop into those stars. I donā€™t like it, Iā€™d like them to stay in college longer, but ā€œit is what it isā€ to use a phrase my wife also dislikes, :wink:

I wish there was a way, and a WILL on the part of the NBA for kids to stay in school longer (my bias, I know), but the NBA doesnā€™t seem to see it that way. They want to make sure they can get these kids, these assets, when they can get them, and that some other franchise doesnā€™t pick them up next year or the year after. So, kids leave early, before many of ā€œusā€ think they are ready, and most are paid VERY well for it.

For Jett, I absolutely believe thaiswas the right decision. I base that on the ā€œfactā€ that he will be drafted almost certainly in the mid to late teens at worst, and the fact that this truly IS his dream, and the direction to which he has pointed his entire life. I wish him only the BEST that life has to offer, and I THANK him for making this decision early so that his dad and the rest of the coaching staff can now scour the portal for a suitable replacement. GOOD LUCK, JETT! ALWAYS BLUE! :blue_heart:

5 Likes

Good post Ernie. The NBA has always been the league of ā€œpotentialā€ more than the other leagues. It is also the one sport where players are far more eager to ā€œget there quickā€ even if they arenā€™t ready. MLB and NHL do draft kids out of high school sometimes but they also have no issue with multi-year college players too. In Jettā€™s case if heā€™s a fringe lottery pick you are right that they will pay him millions based on his potential and that makes the decision hard to argue with. I would argue with it if he were a second round pick since I donā€™t think thereā€™s a proven track record for those working out better than staying in college (especially with NIL). But with Jett, and sadly Kobe, they will get picked high enough to make some money without gambling on a second contract even if they need seasoning before they make an impact.

I know everyone tells me how staying is a risk and that the G-League offers a full time basketball focus versus college. I also know that Franz helped his stock by staying. So did Stauskas, GR3, Webber, Burke, Morris, Jalen, Poole, etc. I wish Jett the best of luck and I hope he gets picked by a smart, patient franchise who will develop him into the best version of himself. I also wish for an impossible future where good players want to stay in college at least 2 years.

7 Likes

The best case draft scenario for an NBA team is getting a lottery talent in the second round (or late first round.) So getting that guy thatā€™s going to blow up with one more year of college.

I agree. I would love for the NBA to utilize a model like that of the NHL or MLB, but they donā€™t.

As for Kobe, Iā€™m still holding out hope that heā€™ll stay one more year, but I understand that if heā€™s got a first round guarantee this year, it would be hard for him to pass it up, and if he does, then everyone on the message boards ought to be singing his praises and bowing down to him. Obviously, I think heā€™s special and I want him to have every opportunity to be the best he can be for a lifetime, NBA and beyond! If he does opt for the draft, I will assume and expect that heā€™ll be a first round choice and I will wish him future stardom in ā€œthe league.ā€ I would guess Kobeā€™s decision may take a little longer because Iā€™m quite sure heā€™ll want that NBA feedback. By the way, Iā€™m pretty sure Juwan has a pretty fair idea as to where Kobe is in the ā€œpecking order,ā€ too, but I just canā€™t see Kobe making a decision without all the information he needs.

2 Likes

Iā€™m nitpicking here but Webber likely wouldā€™ve gone #2 (after Shaq and before Mourning) if heā€™d left after his freshman year. He was viewed by many as a generational player. But, it was rare for even sophomores to declare in that era, so I donā€™t think it was that big a consideration for him.

I do agree about the other guys, though.

Itā€™s amazing how Kevin Garnett, a would-be Wolverine, changed the landscape of college basketball and the NBA in 1995.

5 Likes

I mean, I think you need to account for the fact that the decline phase in basketball starts at a significantly younger age than in baseball. Russell Westbrook (several years into a decline phase) is the same age as the best pitcher in baseball. Kawhi Leonard, demolished by countless lower body injuries, is the same age as Mike Trout and Bryce Harper. You draft a 23/24 year old four year basketball player, you may get 4 years from them before they hit the decline phase. The two sports just demand two very different things athletically - running fast and having elastic knees is important in basketball, itā€™s virtually irrelevant for most baseball players. There are nearly a half dozen all start caliber MLB players the same age as the guy the world is marvelling at still bringing it in the NBA (Lebron).

Itā€™s not just ā€œupsideā€ etc, - thereā€™s a ton of science that shows basketball players peak 4-5 years earlier than baseball players, and most are done at an age baseball players are still close to peak performance.

And yes I know there are exceptions to this.

4 Likes

Totally agree and Iā€™m glad you posted because it is relevant and a good comment.

However, my point wasnā€™t just about ā€œget there quickā€ it was also about rushing to get to the league and then not play. You want the money if you can get it and everyone dreams of being a pro even if youā€™re the last guy on the bench. But what Iā€™m getting at is that Iā€™m still not convinced that it was ā€œbetterā€ for guys to jump to the league as a raw, unproven, inconsistent freshman than a more experienced, well-rounded, sophomore. I know Diabate is a bad example (school, NIL) but I still think that if he stayed at UM this year as our 30mpg power forward and put up good numbers that heā€™s developing more, getting drafted higher, getting paid more, and maybe having a better shot at that 2nd contract. Every situation is different and Iā€™m biased by all of the sophomores in Michiganā€™s past who improved their stock significantly - but that was sort of my point.

i actually had no idea this was the case! that is fascinating

Justin Verlander is only 34? :wink:

3 Likes

NIL should make it more attractive to stay that one more year. Like I said above, an NBA team wants to get lottery talent in the second round because itā€™s advantageous to THEM. But, NIL could give a player a chance to make some money (not as much as an NBA contract) while trying to boost their stock into next yearā€™s lottery.

1 Like

Why you little

2 Likes