Gun to my head predictions...

[Dave85]

Check the stats.

He's pretty consistent:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/gamelog/_/id/3934663/malachi-richardson

I guess it's a matter of judgment.

 

[cusetown1]

Teams interviewing Malachi http://www.syracuse.com/orangebaske...yracuses_malachi_richardson_at_the_combi.html
San Antonio: No. 29 (no second round pick)
Golden State: No. 30 (no second round pick)
Memphis: No. 17 and No. 57
Brooklyn: No. 55 (no first round pick)
Utah: No. 12, No. 42, No. 52 and No. 60
New Orleans: No. 6, No. 39 and No. 40
Detroit: No. 18 and No. 49
Philadelphia: No. 1, No. 24 and No. 26 (no second round pick)
Boston: No. 3, No. 16, No. 23, No. 31, No. 35, No. 45, No. 51, No. 58
Denver: No. 7, No. 15, No. 19, No. 53, No. 56
Minnesota: No. 5 (no second round pick)
Portland: No draft picks
New York: No draft picks

This decision seems a little risky based on the teams interviewing him. Pretty much hope philly gets him late first round ?

 

[Toga]

I agree that he is getting advice. Can a player have an agent without "hiring" an agent?

Exactamundo

 

[EastCoast2]

Due to the fact that he's from Syracuse, Minnesota will draft him #5

 

[FrancoPizza]

Can we get some updated prediction percentages from Jake? Anything to break up the incessant speculation about Mali's draft status.

 

[Cusefan0307]

He's pretty consistent:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/gamelog/_/id/3934663/malachi-richardson

I guess it's a matter of judgment.

My point is I think he's slightly overvalued by people here. He and Cooney had the same numbers. One "lead us to the final four". The other underperformed according to fans. I think we can replace their production next year if some of the players we have will be more consistent.

 

[br801]

Was he really inconsistent? He scored in double figures in 31 of 37 games, averaged 13 points per game and shot 35% from 3. Seems like he was there every night. Cooney was more inconsistent than Malachi was.

Mali had some poor games, but he also shot better from deep after the non-conference portion of the schedule. That is not the typical performance arc for a freshman, or most upperclassmen for that matter.

 

[Melancer46]

He's pretty consistent:

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/gamelog/_/id/3934663/malachi-richardson

I guess it's a matter of judgment.

I guess it's either he was inconsistent or he was consistently inefficient. But you're right, from month to month, he basically shot around 33% from the field each month.

 

[RF2044]

So--here's what we've learned in the last 24 hours:

• Malichi hasn't received a "guarantee" from any team to date
• He doesn't plan on staying in the draft if he won't be a first rounder
• His measurements [6-6+] were perfect for an NBA sized 2
• He hasn't hired an agent
• He has an "injured" back which is preventing him from participating in the 5 on 5 scrimmages

What'd I miss?

 

[cusetown1]

So--here's what we've learned in the last 24 hours:

• Malichi hasn't received a "guarantee" from any team to date
• He doesn't plan on staying in the draft if he won't be a first rounder
• His measurements [6-6+] were perfect for an NBA sized 2
• He hasn't hired an agent
• He has an "injured" back which is preventing him from participating in the 5 on 5 scrimmages

What'd I miss?

So I guess it wasn't such "good news" he wasn't participating in 5 on 5? Him not playing 5 on 5 is pretty much what started this "just needs to sign an agent" feeling.

 

[pearl31]

So--here's what we've learned in the last 24 hours:

• Malichi hasn't received a "guarantee" from any team to date
• He doesn't plan on staying in the draft if he won't be a first rounder
• His measurements [6-6+] were perfect for an NBA sized 2
• He hasn't hired an agent
• He has an "injured" back which is preventing him from participating in the 5 on 5 scrimmages

What'd I miss?

You missed the intricate, multi-phase ploy Malachi is orchestrating on the media and all the NBA teams.

 

[cusetown1]

What all this proves it there is a lot of speculation. Not many known knowns, and not many known unknowns.

 

[CusefanATL]

Was he really inconsistent? He scored in double figures in 31 of 37 games, averaged 13 points per game and shot 35% from 3. Seems like he was there every night. Cooney was more inconsistent than Malachi was.

Trevor Cooney scored in double figures 28/37 games, avg'd 13 ppg, and shot 35% from 3. Not sure thats a big difference based on your stats?

But both were very inconsistent IMO.

 

[RF2044]

So I guess it wasn't such "good news" he wasn't participating in 5 on 5? Him not playing 5 on 5 is pretty much what started this "just needs to sign an agent" feeling.

Here's the deal: I don't claim to have any insight into Mali's decision making process, but I do think that some of the conclusions around here have been knee jerk reactions to incomplete information. I believe Richardson when he says that he doesn't have a first round guarantee. I HOPE that he's telling the truth that if it doesn't look like he'll go in the first round, he won't stay in the draft.

I honestly believe [and again, just to qualify, I point out that this is just my opinion based upon what we've heard] that he would PREFER to go, if he had his druthers that he'd stay in the draft, and that he expects that he will be a first round pick, but I don't think that him staying / going is quite set in stone as some have concluded.

The information he gets from the NBA committee is going to be very, very important IMO.

If this were a pros and cons list, then there would be several items on both sides of the ledger [his height measurements are a step out the door]. Too close to tell at this point.

 

[RF2044]

What all this proves it there is a lot of speculation. Not many known knowns, and not many known unknowns.

Agreed.

 

[cusetown1]

Here's the deal: I don't claim to have any insight into Mali's decision making process, but I do think that some of the conclusions around here have been knee jerk reactions to incomplete information. I believe Richardson when he says that he doesn't have a first round guarantee. I HOPE that he's telling the truth that if it doesn't look like he'll go in the first round, he won't stay in the draft.

I honestly believe [and again, just to qualify, I point out that this is just my opinion based upon what we've heard] that he would PREFER to go, if he had his druthers that he'd stay in the draft, and that he expects that he will be a first round pick, but I don't think that him staying / going is quite set in stone as some have concluded.

The information he gets from the NBA committee is going to be very, very important IMO.

If this were a pros and cons list, then there would be several items on both sides of the ledger [his height measurements are a step out the door]. Too close to tell at this point.

I agree with all of this.

 

[br801]

You missed the intricate, multi-phase ploy Malachi is orchestrating on the media and all the NBA teams.

A photo of Mali at the Combine yesterday:

 

[Toga]

You missed the intricate, multi-phase ploy Malachi is orchestrating on the media and all the NBA teams.

 

[MSOrange]

What all this proves it there is a lot of speculation. Not many known knowns, and not many known unknowns.

Thank you Donald Rumsfeld.

 

[cusetown1]

Thank you Donald Rumsfeld.

Thanks for not leaving me hanging too long.

 

[AlpharettaCuse]

Trevor Cooney scored in double figures 28/37 games, avg'd 13 ppg, and shot 35% from 3. Not sure thats a big difference based on your stats?

But both were very inconsistent IMO.

Didn't say there was a big difference, just said Cooney was more inconsistent, which is true. Malachi was in double figures just a about every night, which is pretty consistent. He didn't shoot well every night, but 3-point shooters rarely do.

 

[two3zone]

Kind of silly and useless to compare a 5th year senior with a true frosh. Why not compare G as a frosh to Mal as a frosh. Seems to me that G got a LOT better. Why would anyone think that Mal wouldn't? Makes no sense at all. It is commonly thought that players make the largest jump between the freshman and sophomore years.

Because some guys get better and some don't?

 

[orangenirvana]

So--here's what we've learned in the last 24 hours:

• Malichi hasn't received a "guarantee" from any team to date
• He doesn't plan on staying in the draft if he won't be a first rounder
• His measurements [6-6+] were perfect for an NBA sized 2
• He hasn't hired an agent
• He has an "injured" back which is preventing him from participating in the 5 on 5 scrimmages

What'd I miss?

I don't understand these draft "guarantees."

Unless a team has the #1 overall pick, how can any team make a guarantee to a player? What if a player they have rated ahead of him is available?

NBA GM: "I guarantee we'll choose you..." *cough* *intentionally long pause* *fake sneeze*

Prospect: "You're choosing me? Wow, that's amaz--"

NBA GM: *whispers* "...if you're the top rated player on our board during our pick."

Prospect: "--zing. Wait, I'm sorry...did you say something?"

NBA GM: "What?"

Prospect: "While I was talking it sounded like you just whispered something out of the corner of your mouth while rubbing your face."

NBA GM: *stares blankly*

Prospect: "Um...ok - so...you just gave me a guarantee, right?"

NBA GM: "Yep. Sure did. Next prospect!"

Prospect: "Wow...goodbye college!"

Seems disingenuous to me.

 

[Briancuse]

This just isn't true at all. Guarantees are important for the guys that are in the situation exactly opposite of Simmons or Ingram.

Teams sometimes don't know where they are going to day of the draft let alone now.

 

[MikeSU02]

Teams sometimes don't know where they are going to day of the draft let alone now.

We can agree to disagree.