If you were Battle’s advisor

[Forloveoforange]

Yes his extra year at Oklahoma State certainly made him “mentally ready”...as evidenced by his three game suspension for getting into an altercation with a fan in February 2014.

So you're saying this is evidence that he was ready sooner?

 

[Arangeman]

Haha, not to my point, but those sentences are structured as if one supports the other, when instead it seems to weaken it.

Anyway, I've read a few of the articles about these kids' early-career lives and I've spoken to a small handful of guys after they've left college. There are people who thrive, but I'm guessing they're in the minority - the Greg Oden stories seem to be common. It's a difficult transition from a social, community-centric atmosphere to one that's a lot more lonely and (obviously) professional.

Greg Oden is a multi millionaire. My heart does not weep for the for Greg Oden

 

[Townie72]

Trust me, I know. South Campus was a gulag

A gulag?

You get today’s prize for overstatement.

I hav e never been to a real gulag, but I have read “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch” and South Campus didn’t jump into my mind as a comparison.

 

[FreakTalksAboutSU]

I'd ask him what he wanted. If the answer is, to get paid, I'd say go now. If its anything more...get paid and be a star, get paid and win a ring...I'd tell him to stay.

 

[HOFCeluck]

So you're saying this is evidence that he was ready sooner?

It’s evidence that an extra year didn’t make him “mentally ready.”

Unless that transformation occurred in the following four months.

 

[Bayside44]

And yet Smart hurt his draft stock by staying. He was a projected top five pick in 2013. Your Malachi analogy falls a little short.

From 3 to 6? Smart is getting real money now.

Malachi went from hs ball to the NBA in two years, got hurt, traded and is a minor leaguer. He's already churn. My only point for a guy like him is get stronger and be ready. He didn't seem to be.

This chasing your dreams nonsense is nuts, kids need to be ready.

 

[Arangeman]

A gulag?

You get today’s prize for overstatement.

I hav e never been to a real gulag, but I have read “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch” and South Campus didn’t jump into my mind as a comparison.

You should start a book club

 

[Forloveoforange]

It’s evidence that an extra year didn’t make him “mentally ready.”

Unless that transformation occurred in the following four months.

I'm just saying that the tendency to be ready to play mentally with older men should increase with age and playing experience. Its too bad the NBA doesn't see it that way. So that is why the initial money thing confuses everything.

The problem is the competition with other NBA teams. Get the guy before someone else does.

 

[OrangeDW]

Has an SU player ever chosen to go pro early and gone undrafted and not gotten an NBA contract? I can’t think of one. Most have gone in the first round. Grant went in the second to the right team at the right time and made it.

It should be pretty easy for him to get the right info on if he’s going to make it or not.

 

[TheCusian]

If I were Battle's advisor, I'd suggest he gather all the info he can and then make a decision he can live with.

If I were a random message board poster, I'd applaud a great career no matter what he chooses to do.

 

[cusefan88]

if he gets a first-round guarantee he should leave and Cuse fans should be proud to see another first-rounder walk across that stage.

 

[br801]

I'm not his advisor, but I'd tell him to go to the combine and hear directly from NBA scouts to find out what the flaws to his game are so that he can put himself in prime position to get drafted.

I think he needs another year and I'm a firm believer in that regardless of where you play and your year in school, the NBA will find you. Mikal Bridges is a junior and will go in the lottery. He's just the latest player to defy the thought process of you having to leave as a freshman to maximize your potential.

GMs aren't waiting for you to develop. They'll toss you in the G-League and if you can't make that leap, they'll cut their losses. Do what you need to in order to earn that second contract which shows you have some staying power. If that means coming back another year to further refine your skill set, so be it.

You, and others here, talk about "getting that second contract" as if it were something easily achievable for lots of guys, when in fact the chances of getting even a first contract are not very good for numerous talented and very accomplished players.

 

[HOFCeluck]

From 3 to 6? Smart is getting real money now.

Malachi went from hs ball to the NBA in two years, got hurt, traded and is a minor leaguer. He's already churn. My only point for a guy like him is get stronger and be ready. He didn't seem to be.

This chasing your dreams nonsense is nuts, kids need to be ready.

The point with Marcus Smart is that he didn’t improve his stock by staying. The only things he accomplished in his extra year at OSU was tarnish his reputation, lose in the first round of the tournament (again) and lose a year of guaranteed earnings. But I’ve never been to Stillwater, or Gallagher Iva Arena. Maybe those are real awesome places worth deferring that type of earnings. I don’t know.

As far as Malachi is concerned, I would be loathe to call him “already churn” because he’s still on a NBA contract. You have no idea if an extra year getting stronger (no weight rooms in the NBA I guess) and more ready (another nebulous term used by “stay in school” advocates) would make him stick longer in the league or keep him out of the first round altogether.

 

[Townie72]

You should start a book club

Well at least you stopped short of calling it a Concentration Camp.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Its too bad the NBA doesn't see it that way.

The NBA is doing all right.

 

[chugg21]

Wrong again! Mikal Bridges as a soph played in all 36 of 'Nova's games, and started 33 of them. He averaged about 30 minutes/game; 10 points/game; 5 rebounds/game' 2 assists/game. He shot nearly 55% from the field and 39% from the 3 point line. Hardly a role player.

He was their 4th leading scorer and had the 7th highest usage rate on the team and you're trying to tell me that's not a role player. Either need to think or learn prior to responding. You're essentially saying Marek is a star and not a role player.

 

[Ajflood12]

He needs to go... with the talent coming in next year along with the other returners he won't have the opportunity to be the same high usage rate player he was this year (hopefully). Additionally I don't think JB's offensive strategy, or lack thereof, is going to help Battle get ready for the pros. If he comes back another year it will just give teams another year to find new weaknesses and potentially get hurt.

I agree he should go but not entirely sure he will have less opportunity next year. In theory it seems like he would have less impact but not being the entire offense should help him. also, JB leans heavily on his upperclassman and talented players with a small rotation. His minutes would go down max 2-3 min a game. Probably help his stamina and legs for jumpers. It will be way harder to key in on him every game too. Overall I get what you are saying though.

 

[Col. Bleep]

If I were his advisor I'd tell him, "Don't worry about anything. We'll figure it out when the time comes. Just go after Duke. And a 40 point night would be fine."
If his advisor tells him pretty anything else Tyus would be best served with a new advisor.

 

[HOFCeluck]

You, and others here, talk about "getting that second contract" as if it were something easily achievable for lots of guys, when in fact the chances of getting even a first contract are not very good for numerous talented and very accomplished players.

Just stay and get stronger. It’s not that hard.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Malachi's issue is he keeps getting hurt. Better to get hurt in the NBA than college.

 

[OttoMets]

Greg Oden is a multi millionaire. My heart does not weep for the for Greg Oden

Not the kind of life I'd wish on anyone: Greg Oden is still standing

 

[billsin01]

College! BMOC! 30 thousand fans! Games on TV! Who needs a silly paycheck?

I get this mindset. I really do. And, in large part it makes sense. I get it. But it's also funny to me that people don't think there's any value in that scenario. College? Fun. BMOC? That's got some awfully nice value in it. 30K fans -- Toronto's G League team broke a record by drawing 18.5K in one game this year. Games on TV? Pretty cool especially this time of year. Is the G League ever on? Again, if you end up in the NBA, life doesn't get much better. But, if you end up in the G League ...

 

[Bayside44]

The point with Marcus Smart is that he didn’t improve his stock by staying. The only things he accomplished in his extra year at OSU was tarnish his reputation, lose in the first round of the tournament (again) and lose a year of guaranteed earnings. But I’ve never been to Stillwater, or Gallagher Iva Arena. Maybe those are real awesome places worth deferring that type of earnings. I don’t know.

As far as Malachi is concerned, I would be loathe to call him “already churn” because he’s still on a NBA contract. You have no idea if an extra year getting stronger (no weight rooms in the NBA I guess) and more ready (another nebulous term used by “stay in school” advocates) would make him stick longer in the league or keep him out of the first round altogether.

Smart didn't damage himself either. He's on a good track.

Some of the jump advocates here - not saying you - want guys to go before they're exposed. Which is fair.

The flip side of the coin, which is starting to show, is a guy better have game coming out early to be a rotational player quick or be ready to be practice fodder or a G league bus rider. Not getting the impression that's the case.

And of course there is agent meddling, which messes it up for these players too.

 

[cuseincincy]

Admittedly I have not followed this whole thread but have likely read all the opinions before. So at the risk that someone else has brilliantly had the same opinion my advice would be to decide if he'd rather ride buses for a salary in anonymity or ride in jet planes, play before 25,000 fans a game and compete at the highest level of college basketball and also go to a few classes. It's a very simple question and each person makes his own decision. As far as being "ready" (which we all know doesn't matter) I will say that as a 2G I have not once seen TB display NBA 3 point range. As good a shooter as he is, his mechanics do not readily translate to adding another 4 feet onto his range (too much leg). As a PG I have not seen very much play making ability from TB either. If he stays I think he will be freed to be the player he wants to be. Right now he needs to do too much himself as he doesn't have a lot of help. The Sweet 16 run could influence him also. Either way. He could be contented that he was able to participate in a tournament and have a little success. Or, he may be having so much fun he thinks how fly it would be to be a 1 or 2 seed and have a real chance to win the whole thing. Wouldn't that be cool?!

 

[Arangeman]

Well at least you stopped short of calling it a Concentration Camp.

Bernie. It was hyperbole to illustrate a point