Mathews will succeed in the nba. His d and freak athleticism will translate and he’ll get burn early if he brings energy.
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Man, sly, I hope so. I don’t think I’ve ever rooted harder for a U-M kid to succeed.
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I’m relatively young and I haven’t seen too much, but Matthews I think will be an all time favorite for me for a long time!
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Really pulling for all three, Poole could go early, Iggy could be a tweener, Charles has no fear but needs development at the next level. I say he goes to the Warriors on a two way.
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Charles has been amazing for us. So talented and yet so humble and hardworking. Team player all the way. Hope he gets drafted but I think he is going to be ok no matter what happens.
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Some kids get it, large view. Charles always has.
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I’m really pulling for the guys too. I’ve watched Stanley Johnson stand in the corner and miss three after three. I think Charles has more potential than Stanley.
I haven’t seen any info on Poole, I assume he must shoot well in the drills to cement a draft spot ?
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How is Poole grading out in the step-back-jumper-then-fall-down-like-you-were-fouled drills?
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Respectfully, a moot question. A+++
Let’s ask Harden.
From Jonathan Givony](https://twitter.com/DraftExpress)
Charles Matthews looked like arguably the best defender from the four teams in the competitive action. Has tremendous physical tools, gets in a deep stance, covers ground impressively staying in front of guards, and can put a body on bigger players. Helped himself w/out scoring.
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How do you know he didn’t?
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I don’t know that it would have even been wise to start a coaching search at that stage. But one thing we know he didn’t do was take some basic steps to protect his players, assistant coaches, and the program in general. Like being in touch with Beilein throughout the process, warning the players, or having a Wojbomb plan. It’s not like any of this was impossible to anticipate. It’s not too much to ask a good guy like Beilein to take an hour to pitch in on that.
Even from a selfish perspective all that makes sense. Any Michigan AD knows knows brainfart coaching-search decisions cement a negative legacy. Everybody remembers Bill Martin on a sailboat, but fewer mention what a great coaching search he conducted when he brought us Beilein. If you’re interested in your own job security and longevity, you don’t want to see a well-reported BQ piece about how everyone was shocked despite having plenty of time to prepare. It makes a ton of sense to be in Ann Arbor and in touch, becuase you know this is coming and you’d failed to even put a buyout in the contract. Makes no sense to be a continent away.
But that’s the Michigan athletic department for you. This kind of at-odds-with-your-own-goals behavior goes back a long way.
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The public info out there suggests he didn’t make a move until the Woj bomb dropped. If he was working back channels he would have indicated as much, obliquely, just to cya. Instead we hear that he had developed a list last year. While we don’t know for a fact that he didn’t act on Beilein’s tip, the info out there strongly suggests that he didn’t.
The whole point of search firms is to make discreet inquiries on behalf of anonymous high major suitors. That didn’t happen until Monday, at which point the cover was blown.
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That makes sense, sure.
Also, in the spirit of covering all your bases, if you’re Manuel you know how much Michigan’s culture values coaches that retire in their jobs rather than moving on. You win yourself job security by helping to make that happen. It costs you nothing to at least try, and Spath’s tweets suggest that Beilein would have been prone to being convinced. It’s not illegal, unethical or unprecedented in the recent history of Michigan athletics for an AD to beg a coach to stay.
Hack,
How is he supposed to approach the players? I want to agree with you but just dont see where an AD calls players into his office and says coach “may be leaving” or is “exploring other options”.
Does anyone think that would go well? Be well received?
I am thinking not a chance… in fact that decision would probably be slammed harder than letting it play out. The narrative would be AD undermines coach and goes behind his back leading to his departure.
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Fair enough – good question. I agree about the players at that early stage, but the assistants are another thing. He could have asked Beilein to tell his assistants as well and ask them to spend an hour drafting a what-if plan to make those early phone calls and whatnot. Likely those assistants probably already knew, or weren’t going to be surprised. Or you could convene a meeting or conference call with Beilein and his assistants at the same time so you aren’t seen as meddling. Something like that.
But, overall, the guy is one of the highest-paid public-sector employees in the state, and he’s in a job that requires a considerable amount of leadership and soft skills. There’s a limit to the extent to which common sense and normal-workplace behavior applies to the specific workplace dynamics at play here, but to an extent they do, and its a reasonable expectation for a guy in that situation to do better.
(Or maybe it isn’t, given the post-Canham history of the AD and its effectiveness.)
Every contract should require a what-if plan, and be constantly updated, at least before every off-season.
If the o/u on Michigan players being taken in the upcoming NBA draft is 1.5, what would you take?
Over, Iggy for sure and I think that Both Matthews and Poole have a > 25% chance