Is Dion Waiters making the right decision?

[Orangeyes]

http://blog.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2012/03/syracuse_basketball_links_is_d.html

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Best decision for whom, is the question. If it means getting his family out of where they live, then yes.

 

[orangehomer]

i don't think he is going to be a dominant nba player like wade or somebody, so i don't really see how much it helps him to come back to college and try to dominate games for 35 minutes. i think he found his role, a bench scoring/energy guy, hopefully it is enough to make him a living.

 

[dollarbill44]

i don't think he is going to be a dominant nba player like wade or somebody, so i don't really see how much it helps him to come back to college and try to dominate games for 35 minutes. i think he found his role, a bench scoring/energy guy, hopefully it is enough to make him a living.

I think this is how a lot of college guys think, but I think it's short-sighted. Dion could improve his overall game quite a bit in the next two years by staying in college and then go pro with a very complete game. SU will be patient with him, an NBA team likely will not.

Look, he will make a lot of money going pro now, no doubt about it and he will be able to help out his family, so it's not a bad choice for him to go pro now, I just think with a lot of these guys coming out early that they could do even better if they stayed in school for another year to work on their games and improve their chances of getting meaningful minutes early in their careers and getting on the A-list of players rather than languishing on the bench.

 

[Marsh01]

The only part of these "decisions" that drive me absolutely crazy are when these kids say "It's been a dream of mine to play in the NBA" so that is why I am leaving. Bullsh1t. You want to get paid plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that. Just come out and say it. Screw this I have a dream crap. No you dont. You want money and if the NBA didnt pay anything or pay well your dream would suddenly be non existent and you would never leave early.

I would actually stand and applaud a kid who admitted this.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Dions not a lock for the first round...just seems rational to stick around and try to play himself into a lottery pick.

I can understand Fab Melo because of his size and skills but how many athletic two guards with an inconsistent shot declare for the NBA Every year?

 

[RandygoCuse]

Even from his perspective, I don't think he is. If he were in the same position as Carmelo or even Flynn, I would say go for it. Even if he turns out to be a bust, going as a lottery pick means big bucks. However, he is looking to be a mid to late first round pick. He'll play for a lot less money (although he has a better chance of playing for a contender, something no other Cuse player is doing). .If he were to come back, he could work on his game, lead the team, and most importantly (to him) improve his draft stock. Does this make him selfish or pig headed? Leaving now puts him in a situation more like Donte Green No, I just think he's not making the wrong decision.

 

[Knicks411]

The only part of these "decisions" that drive me absolutely crazy are when these kids say "It's been a dream of mine to play in the NBA" so that is why I am leaving. Bullsh1t. You want to get paid plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that. Just come out and say it. Screw this I have a dream crap. No you dont. You want money and if the NBA didnt pay anything or pay well your dream would suddenly be non existent and you would never leave early.

I would actually stand and applaud a kid who admitted this.

Well it's essentially saying "it's been a dream of mine to get paid a lot of money to play basketball". I feel like it's implicit in saying they have dreamed of playing in the NBA.

I guess if you are trying to say there is something inherently awesome about the NBA or it's some noble goal to play basketball in the NBA, then sure, but I feel like everyone knows what they mean.

 

[FortyFourCT]

This is not an easy question to answer. He is making a very short-sighted decision, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is the wrong decision. He has 2 options. (1) Go to the NBA now, get drafted late first round, make some money. The risk here is that he falls to 2nd round and doesn't make money. Option (2) Stay in school for another year or two and improve draft position and make some obscene amount of money, give yourself a better chance to have a long NBA career and make money his kids can't spend. The risk here is that he gets hurt, or gets exposed and never makes it and makes no money in the NBA.

So, if somebody told me today, here is a million dollars guaranteed. Take it or wait a year or two and I'll give you a 80% chance of $10,000,000 and a 20% chance of nothing, what do you want to do? I would probably take the mil.

 

[Fly Rodder]

I have a dream to get f-ing paid.

There's no question in my mind that Dion is doing the right thing. If you have the ability to get paid, a lot of money, to do something that you're currently doing more or less for free ... get paid. The NBA draft is 50% potential and 50% accomplishments. Dion is going pro based on what scouts have seen and what his potential is. There's always a risk of backsliding because of injury or when your game gets exposed with another year of free basketball (e.g., Kris Joseph). There's no guarantees that Dion doesn't tear an ACL or breaks an ankle or maybe he just doesn't get better.

As of now, his potential is getting him mid first round up to lottery pick. Take the money, don't look back. The NBA chews these kids up and spits them out and there's a lot of risk to coming back to SU for another year.

 

[HOFCeluck]

I have a dream to get f-ing paid.

There's no question in my mind that Dion is doing the right thing. If you have the ability to get paid, a lot of money, to do something that you're currently doing more or less for free ... get paid. The NBA draft is 50% potential and 50% accomplishments. Dion is going pro based on what scouts have seen and what his potential is. There's always a risk of backsliding because of injury or when your game gets exposed with another year of free basketball (e.g., Kris Joseph). There's no guarantees that Dion doesn't tear an ACL or breaks an ankle or maybe he just doesn't get better.

As of now, his potential is getting him mid first round up to lottery pick. Take the money, don't look back. The NBA chews these kids up and spits them out and there's a lot of risk to coming back to SU for another year.

Waiters is projected more late first round, and at this point he's more likely second round than lottery.

There's going to be a lot of talented players in the draft this year thanks to last years holdouts.

 

[cap2nine]

This isn't really a "right or wrong" decision scenario. It all depends upon his goals. There's no doubt that he could gain a ton by another year of school. But, its also a risk and by entering the draft he can make a much more immediate impact for his family and loved ones. It's the right decision for him because he believes it to be so. Only time will tell if it's the right decision as far as fans are concerned. I wish him all the best.

 

[orangepassion]

I think, at the minimum, he should not sign with an agent yet. This is supposed to be one of the deepest drafts in years. Some of these mock drafts aren't even accounting for the Europeans that always get drafted. he could also pick up an insurance policy to protect from injury.

 

[Knicks411]

(1) Go to the NBA now, get drafted late first round, make some money. The risk here is that he falls to 2nd round and doesn't make money. Option (2) Stay in school for another year or two and improve draft position and make some obscene amount of money, give yourself a better chance to have a long NBA career and make money his kids can't spend. The risk here is that he gets hurt, or gets exposed and never makes it and makes no money in the NBA.

There is also the risk thate he stays in school for another year, and doesn't improve his draft position. It's not a lock.

On the agent thing; I think if you declare by April 9 or something, you can't come back. You also can't work out with NBA teams until after the deadline for putting your name in, from what I understand.

 

[RF2044]

There is also the risk thate he stays in school for another year, and doesn't improve his draft position. It's not a lock.

On the agent thing; I think if you declare by April 9 or something, you can't come back. You also can't work out with NBA teams until after the deadline for putting your name in, from what I understand.

Has that rule changed? Not saying that you are right or aren't right--but didn't that deadline used to be June to withdraw from draft?

 

[kuethstheman]

Has that rule changed? Not saying that you are right or aren't right--but didn't that deadline used to be June to withdraw from draft?

Yes. It changed.

 

[Knicks411]

Has that rule changed? Not saying that you are right or aren't right--but didn't that deadline used to be June to withdraw from draft?

Yeah, it changed. I read an Andy Katz article about it, and I'm not totally sure how it works, but this is what I gathered.

The NCAA has set a deadline of like April 9. Coaches wanted to get some idea of who would be back, who is leaving, so they could possibly sign a guy in the late signing window. But the NBA deadline is something like April 29, and they don't care about the NCAA deadline. So basically, Harrison Barnes could on the NCAA deadline tell Roy Williams "I'm coming back" and then he still has 3 weeks to change his mind and go pro. (It was unsaid in the article, but reading between the lines, I think if you declare prior to the NCAA deadline, you are gone for sure).

Also you can't work out for teams until after the NBA deadline, I believe. So basically, you don't really have an idea of where you're going in the draft until after you have already decided to come out. The whole thing seems really stupid.

 

[orangehomer]

Yeah, it changed. I read an Andy Katz article about it, and I'm not totally sure how it works, but this is what I gathered.

The NCAA has set a deadline of like April 9. Coaches wanted to get some idea of who would be back, who is leaving, so they could possibly sign a guy in the late signing window. But the NBA deadline is something like April 29, and they don't care about the NCAA deadline. So basically, Harrison Barnes could on the NCAA deadline tell Roy Williams "I'm coming back" and then he still has 3 weeks to change his mind and go pro. (It was unsaid in the article, but reading between the lines, I think if you declare prior to the NCAA deadline, you are gone for sure).

Also you can't work out for teams until after the NBA deadline, I believe. So basically, you don't really have an idea of where you're going in the draft until after you have already decided to come out. The whole thing seems really stupid.

is there any way the nba could do something more like baseball, like draft the rights to a kid out of high school and if he wants to go to college let him.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

So, if somebody told me today, here is a million dollars guaranteed. Take it or wait a year or two and I'll give you a 80% chance of $10,000,000 and a 20% chance of nothing, what do you want to do? I would probably take the mil.

Well, knowing as I now know that $1,000,000 isn't really all that much money, I think maybe I'd take my 80% chance on getting ten million plus a college degree while I was at it. But that's just me.

 

[Knicks411]

is there any way the nba could do something more like baseball, like draft the rights to a kid out of high school and if he wants to go to college let him.

I don't see why they couldn't do something like that. (Though i believe in baseball, the kid can't go to school to play baseball, right? Then I believe you lose his draft rights).

Well, knowing as I now know that $1,000,000 isn't really all that much money, I think maybe I'd take my 80% chance on getting ten million plus a college degree while I was at it. But that's just me.

I think in the scenario laid out, you should definitely take the second option.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Doing second round picks get guaranteed money? I was under the impression they didn't.

 

[Upstate]

Anyone who thinks Dion drops out of the first round is ridiculous. If anything, his stock is rising fast and NBA GMs realize this, not some writer for nbadraft.net. I'd be more surprised if he isn't in the top 17 picks.

 

[RF2044]

Yes. It changed.

Yeah, it changed.

Thanks, guys.

 

[joct]

Doing second round picks get guaranteed money? I was under the impression they didn't.

If a team really likes the player than can sign them for guaranteed money, but they aren't guaranteed anything simply by being a 2nd round pick.

 

[kuethstheman]

Anyone who thinks Dion drops out of the first round is ridiculous. If anything, his stock is rising fast and NBA GMs realize this, not some writer for nbadraft.net. I'd be more surprised if he isn't in the top 17 picks.

Good point. His stock is up but was it last year there was a feeding frenzy on foreign players? Could happen again and push some legitimate first-rounders down the list, including Dion.