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Message: [QUOTE="kirbivore, post: 1638896, member: 952"] From ESPN insider by C.L. Brown It's simple math, really. When players are determining whether they should turn pro, one NBA executive who deals with player personnel wants them to be truthful in answering a couple of questions. How many times were you the best player on the floor? In how many games did you dominate your peers? If those numbers, over the course of an average 30-game season, aren't reaching into the 20s, then it doesn't add up to declaring for the draft. "What's the rush?" the executive told ESPN.com, speaking under condition of anonymity. "Why not take another year in school to let your game mature? Too many guys are coming out before they're ready." To be fair, he didn't single out only this year's freshman class. There also were plenty of upperclassmen contemplating making the jump who he felt still needed another year of college. But in focusing on the freshmen, he said there were only a handful who he believed didn't need to see a sophomore year. LSU's [URL='http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3907387/ben-simmons']Ben Simmons[/URL], even on a short list, was the only player who didn't come with a caveat. Kentucky's [URL='http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3936299/jamal-murray']Jamal Murray[/URL], California's [URL='http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3917376/jaylen-brown']Jaylen Brown[/URL], Duke's[URL='http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3913176/brandon-ingram']Brandon Ingram[/URL] all have manageable flaws, but flaws nonetheless. "All those mock draft boards you see out there, they don't have a real pick," the executive said. "They're putting some bad information out there." What he thinks is a bad idea is having a player like Kentucky center [URL='http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3936296/skal-labissiere']Skal Labissiere[/URL] listed as a lottery pick when he's only been playing around 11 minutes a game since being taken out of the starting lineup. The 7-footer, who was ranked No. 2 overall in the [URL='http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings/_/class/2015/order/true']ESPN 100[/URL], averages 7.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. "What do you think that translates to in our league?" the executive said. "It hasn't amounted to much for [URL='http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3133600/cliff-alexander']Cliff Alexander[/URL]." Alexander averaged 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds for Kansas last season. He was ranked No. 3 in the [URL='http://espn.go.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings/_/class/2014/view/terrific25/sort/rank/order/true']Class of 2014[/URL] but struggled to be effective before missing the final eight games of the season because of an NCAA inquiry that looked into his family receiving impermissible benefits. Alexander declared and went undrafted before signing as a free agent with the Portland Trail Blazers. He battled knee problems in the preseason and has played a total of seven games this season. Alexander hasn't appeared in a game since getting a minute against the Hawks on Dec. 21. "It's a cautionary tale," the executive said. "These guys want to rush and leave college so bad, but they have to think about the situation they could be rushing into." [I]Every Wednesday, 15 freshmen will be ranked based on the week they had without regard to one-and-done potential or where a player projects in the 2016 NBA draft. Check back each week, as the order is sure to change and different names will emerge:[/I] [IMG]http://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/183.png?w=110&h=110&transparent=true[/IMG] [B]9. [URL='http://sports.espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/3934663/malachi-richardson']Malachi Richardson[/URL], , [URL='http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/183/syracuse-orange']Syracuse Orange[/URL][/B] [I]11.3 PPG, 2.7 RPG[/I] Richardson scored a season-high 23 points, including six 3-pointers, in a 73-65 loss at Virginia. [/QUOTE]

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