Lydon and Malachi on Boeheim’s Army a bad sign?

[Scott11]

I was wondering if anybody else was bummed out to see that Tyler and Malachi are planning on being on Boeheim’s Army? To me it seems that if those guys are willing to play in the tournament it is likely that their NBA prospects are slim and none. Which brings me back to when they left early. I know that a lot of people feel that everyone who goes in the first round made the right decision to leave. But when Lydon and Malachi left it was pretty evident that they had a lot of room for improvement. I’ve made this argument about Tyler Ennis as well. I know that a guaranteed three years as a first round pick is more than most people will make but I still feel that the life-changing money is in the second contract and that guys who get picked in mid to late first round are low hanging fruit to get cut after their first or second year. When guys are not physically ready go to the league they set themselves up to fail.

It is totally different than Tyus or Elijah Hughes. Those guys had accomplished all they could in college and needed to go. They were men in men’s bodies and likely as skilled as they can be as far as college development. Conversely Lydon needed to continue to develop his body, his shot in his low post game. Malachi needed to develop his game off the bounce as well as his d. Ennis had the body of a teenager, not grown ass man

I recognize that the NBA in large part drafts on potential. But in order to stay in the league you have to have a certain amount of strength, athleticism and skill. And when guys like Tyler and Malachi and other flame out so quickly it doesn’t help our program because during recruiting other programs will point to professional flame outs from Syracuse.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Well it means they aren’t in the NBA right now.

 

[cuse10]

As I mentioned in the TBT 2020 thread, I don't know how to feel about them being in the tournament this soon. They (and their camps) have to live with the decisions that were made, not me.

 

[721Comstock]

Tyler Lydon career earnings (so far) - $3.5 MILLION DOLLARS.
Mali Richardson career earnings (so far) - $4.5 MILLION DOLLARS.

They are both 24 years old.

I would love to have "flamed out" like that by age 24.

Neither has any student loan debt, and they can go back and finish their degree at Syracuse for FREE whenever they want (see: John Gillon's recent Masters degree).

 

[OttoinGrotto]

BJ Johnson played in TBT and then was on a two way after that I think.

 

[Cusefan0307]

Lydon had some bad luck with injuries. If he plays well maybe he can sneak it into something.
Mali was an inefficient player at Syracuse and remained inefficient when he went to the pro's. He cashed out at the right time.

 

[jdubs30]

We went to a FF with no NBA players and on the way there beat 2 teams with a VERY good pro (Sabonis, Brogdon)

 

[NineOneSeven]

We went to a FF with no NBA players and on the way there beat 2 teams with a VERY good pro (Sabonis, Brogdon)

Those 2 are 2 of the most underrated players in the NBA, on the same team no less!

 

[OttoinGrotto]

We went to a FF with no NBA players and on the way there beat 2 teams with a VERY good pro (Sabonis, Brogdon)

I'm really surprised by Sabonis. I saw quite a few of his games in college. He wasn't impressive to me and I thought got a lot of hype due to his dad.

 

[EastCoast2]

Just curious why you think Malachi and Lydon would be better basketball players at age 23 if they stayed in college one extra year.

 

[EastCoast2]

Lydon had some bad luck with injuries. If he plays well maybe he can sneak it into something.
Mali was an inefficient player at Syracuse and remained inefficient when he went to the pro's. He cashed out at the right time.

This.

Look at Malachi's college stats: Malachi Richardson College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

I LOVED that 2016 team, but Malachi 100% made the right move by cashing out with a 1st round pick. No telling what happens with 12 more months of "exposure". It's two-sided risk. Could be play as an AA and be a lottery pick? Maybe. Could he play worse and drop to the 2nd round? Maybe. Could he tear an ACL and effectively end any NBA dreams? Maybe.

NBA GMs get paid a lot of money and have smart people running models trying to inform them which "risks" to take. Age is a significant factor. Mali was 20 years old, I believe.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Tyler Lydon career earnings (so far) - $3.5 MILLION DOLLARS.
Mali Richardson career earnings (so far) - $4.5 MILLION DOLLARS.

They are both 24 years old.

I would love to have "flamed out" like that by age 24.

Neither has any student loan debt, and they can go back and finish their degree at Syracuse for FREE whenever they want (see: John Gillon's recent Masters degree).

How happy a person is with his earnings still has something to do with the potential for those earnings. “Flame out” is always contextual.

 

[General20]

Just curious why you think Malachi and Lydon would be better basketball players at age 23 if they stayed in college one extra year.

I think they'd be worse basketball players. From what I see you get better eating, sleeping, living pro basketball than you do having to go to school and having restrictions put on the amount of time you can practice in college.

 

[JDubbin]

Brad Wanamaker leveraged his TBT exposure/success into a contract with the Celtics a couple years ago.

 

[Scott11]

Just curious why you think Malachi and Lydon would be better basketball players at age 23 if they stayed in college one extra year.

Good question and I understand your point. But I think physically being ready when you go into the league is critical to having staying power just as much as having basketball skills.

 

[Scott11]

Tyler Lydon career earnings (so far) - $3.5 MILLION DOLLARS.
Mali Richardson career earnings (so far) - $4.5 MILLION DOLLARS.

They are both 24 years old.

I would love to have "flamed out" like that by age 24.

Neither has any student loan debt, and they can go back and finish their degree at Syracuse for FREE whenever they want (see: John Gillon's recent Masters degree).

Again I understand that is a lot more money than most people make. But after taxes it is hardly generational money or not have to work again money. Contrast that to the $$ that Dion waiters and Jeremy Grant earned on their second contracts. And Jerami may have given away millions of dollars by going in the second round instead of waiting a year when he would’ve clearly been a lottery pick.

 

[Cusefan0307]

I don't think theres a chance in hell that Malachi ends up on a roster if he stays another year, but then again I didn't think Brissett would see time with Toronto this year. They were two of the most inefficiency players we've ever had and somehow they turned it into NBA dollars.

 

[Brooky03]

Again I understand that is a lot more money than most people make. But after taxes it is hardly generational money or not have to work again money. Contrast that to the $$ that Dion waiters and Jeremy Grant earned on their second contracts. And Jerami may have given away millions of dollars by going in the second round instead of waiting a year when he would’ve clearly been a lottery pick.

There is no chance Grant would have been a lotto pick if he came back.

 

[jgeorge322]

while they may have made the right move, no denying its a fall from grace.

 

[jgeorge322]

There is no chance Grant would have been a lotto pick if he came back.

no chance? that's not really accurate.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

There is no chance Grant would have been a lotto pick if he came back.

Why not? He could have been dominate [sic /s].

 

[OttoinGrotto]

But after taxes it is hardly generational money or not have to work again money.

Don't be that guy.

 

[patcuse]

Just curious why you think Malachi and Lydon would be better basketball players at age 23 if they stayed in college one extra year.

I think its more to do with your window of opportunity over time. They say a basketball athlete peeks at age 27. If you try to make the NBA to early and don’t make it even though your still getting better. You may never get the opportunity again. So staying in college later moves that window closer to 27 and gives you a better chance.

 

[EastCoast2]

Good question and I understand your point. But I think physically being ready when you go into the league is critical to having staying power just as much as having basketball skills.

Yes and no. Of course a player will be more "physically ready" as 23 year old senior vs. when they were a freshman, but don't you get more physically ready when basketball is your profession? Access to world class trainers, facilities, dietitians, etc. There are literally Olympic athletes in the NBA vs. only allowed so many hours/practices in college. I don't think Malachi has an NBA body now, 4 years later, so I doubt he'd have one by the end of his hypothetical sophomore season.

I mentioned this before but it's worth repeating - staying in school is 2-sided risk. Every year you stay in college and show your physical growth and basketball development, is one year that NBA scouts don't have to guess and project. Both your upside and downside change - your range (ceiling/floor) converges.

Players improve their draft status to the extent they "exceed" expectations for development. If Malachi was a projected late 1st round pick as a freshman, but returned as a sophomore and was expected to score 18 ppg, and he did that, why would a team draft him higher? If he went crazy and scored 23 ppg in the ACC, he'd be picked higher. If he scored 13 ppg like he did as a freshman, he'd drop, likely into the second round a.k.a. NBA purgatory.

 

[Scott11]

Don't be that guy.

I don’t know what that means, unless you are opposed to facts and reality.. I do know Dion is making twice as much this year as those 2 made in their careers.