Augustin and James need to stay!

V

vy2005

250+ Posts
After watching this Memphis game both of these guys will be pros but they really need to stay another year to work on their game. DJ found out what it's like to go up against an NBA ready top 5 pick in Rose today and what's to come and more at the NBA level. I really hope they stay another year because they both will be that much better with another year of work.
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DJ may need to work on his game to be a dominant player in the NBA but if he can get drafted in the lottery regardless of how much he needs to work on his game, he should leave.
 
Hopefully today weighs heavily on their decision. I really hope they both stay, this team could be sick next year it both stay.
 
I love DJ- absolutely love him. But at his diminutive size he is going to run into this problem very often in the NBA. I don't know that staying another year really helps his game, but it will certainly help his draft position.

I'd take 3 or 4 other point guards in this years class ahead of him (I'm not saying that there were 3 or 4 guys with better college seasons, just that the draft is about potential).

Next year, he's the first point guard I take, and it's probably not particularly close. He could go from guaranteed lottery pick to top 6 or so I would bet- as the incoming freshman class is not supposed to be the calibre of the last 2 classes.

Damion James has no business going pro this year. I'm not saying he will never be an NBA player, but he's not super huge and he's going to have to play the 3. He needs to dominate, in my opinion, before he comes out. He's made big strides this year but has been inconsistent at times. Next year he could put it all together and be an all american and make himself some cash.

All that being said- this is my opinion only, and if either or both of them leave I will wish them all the luck in the world and start following box scores of 2 more NBA teams.

I've already got the Lakers, Bucks, Magic, Raptors, Cavs, Blazers, and Sonics that I follow. The more horns in the league the merrier, but I'd like to see both these guys stay 1 more year and really maximize their draft position.
 
TJ needed to leave because he was going to be the first PG drafted. DJ will be at best the third, so staying can only help his draft status. I won't complain if he leaves though.
 
Ditto. And let me add, just in general, ALL PLAYERS NEED TO STAY. Period. Exclamation point. End of story.

Everywhere, every year, every player. Elevate the game, earn your full scholarship, make it rewarding for the coaches, school and fans everywhere.
 
TJ left in part b/c the company that was insuring him while he was in college wouldn't continue to cover him. His spinal condition definitely came into play there.
 
Hu-


that would be awesome and fun and I'd love to see that, but I disagree with you. College is more about earning a paycheck for the vast majority of students. I don't see why athletes should be held to a higher standard.

So when you've maximized your earning potential it's tiime to leave.

It's just that 99.7% of students need the degree to maximize that earning potential. Such is not the case for basketball players so I wish them no ill will if/when they go.
 
This is a very deep draft. Unless I was top 8, I'd stay for one more year. I think you improve your position as long as you don't go downhill in your play. There aren't that many great players in this draft, but 20 or so very good players. You don't see that often.
 
the thing is, improving your draft position isn't really a great financial benefit, unless you can move WAY up. the difference in money between the 1st and 6th pick is the same as between the 6th pick and 30th pick. and since augustin isn't moving up to the 2nd or 3rd pick or anything like that, any extra money would probably just be canceled out by missing out on a year's paycheck and delaying the first big contract by another year.

as for augustin, i almost feel like he might need to go if he's getting picked in the mid-first round before his inability to finish at all in traffic becomes too apparent. whether he's throwing his body into the defender to draw a foul, or doing it to avoid the block, or trying a difficult reverse or double-pumping to avoid the block, he just does not finish. how many layups did he get blocked/miss today? at least 4 or 5. and it's been happening all season. unfortunately the players don't get shorter and less athletic when you get to the NBA.

while rookie contracts are only 2 years guaranteed now and you might wanna be more prepared when you get there, if you show anything at all they're not going to get rid of a guy counting only 1 or 2 million against the cap. show anything and you'll get your chance for 3 or 4 years and then get a shot at a big contract. so it's hard to see it not being in augustin's best interest to leave. although it wouldn't be a big mistake if he stayed or anything.

as for james, he's got nba athleticism and strength and has even added a (somewhat inconsistent) jump shot but he does have tweener size. without the driving and off the dribble game of a small forward or the size and strength of a power forward, he'll have trouble, but when you move and jump like he does and play hard and even have a jumper, there's a place for you in the nba.

like augustin, i don't see moving up in the draft helping him much financially but again it wouldn't be a big financial mistake to come back either.

neither is risking a 20 million dollar initial contract and a lot of endorsement money to come back to college here.
 
I think another year would be great for the both of them....with that said I think DJ is gone. James I dont know, 50/50. Ide like to think he stays, but there is a good chance he might leave too.

I sure as hell didnt think Jamaal and Jermichael were going to leave either.
 
Sure we beat Kansas and aggy, teams with bigger guards, but I would hardly consider any of those guards NBA guys. Rose is the type of guy DJ would be going up against in the league almost every night. Both him and James need another year...I'm just not counting on it.
 
For those of you saying DJ needs another year, I'm not so sure about that. Obviously Rose outclassed him physically, but there's nothing another year on the 40 acres is going to do for Augustin in that regard. I think he's as ready as he's ever going to be for the NBA. I think his basketball skills and instincts are good enough for the NBA now. He needs to get his money. He'll be a solid borderline starter good backup type for 10 years or more. I don't expect more because of the physical limitations. He needs to get that first contract out of the way and make more as soon as possible.

James I think will leave if the NBA Scouting Agency gives him a first round grade. From what I've read over the years, it seems like he's just had that NBA itch since high school, and is just looking for someone to tell him it's time.

I will be shocked if either of them are back, quite frankly. That will suck, but Barnes will successfully reinvent the team without them. That I am sure of.
 
Unless the UT trainer has some discovered a miracle herb to make DJ grow to say 6'3", there's really no need for him to come back, though I hope he does of course.
 
DJ is not staying and I don't blame him one bit. Take the money. It drives me nuts that if you get a real stud in basketball, he's one (possibly two) and done.
 
I wouldn't say DJ needs to stay just because he had a bad game in the elite 8 when we got knocked out. LaMarcus Aldridge got thoroughly dismantled in his final NCAA Tourney game and most of us looked at that as evidence he should stay, but he's turned out to be a very good NBA player. DJ will probably leave unless he wants to take a good shot at a National Championship before he goes pro.

Damion should stay though. He is not an NBA small forward. He's currently a power forward who can shoot from the outside, but other than that he doesn't have much in the way of wing skills, especially on defense, where he's far better in the post than on the perimeter but in the NBA he'll be matched up with perimeter guys.

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