Would you go pro after one year of college?

[nolaslim213]

What's the difference between him developing his game in college versus doing it as a job with the world's best developing your game. Just bc you stay in college doesn't mean you'll be a better player. Tyrus Thomas made TONS more money coming out early rather than staying.

And Hassan Whiteside didn't, and Wesley Matthews didn't, and the list goes on and on. There are examples for both sides. The OP asked for an opinion, and I gave him mine. There is no right or wrong here. It's subjective, and you guys are chastising me for my subjective way of handling the situation.

Message boards can be so draining sometimes.

[nolaslim213]

I don't agree. This isn't the NFL. Name people that have stayed in the last 5 years that were juniors or seniors that are tearing up the league? Milsaps? If anything leaving early helps you because less of your game has been showcased and there's more allure. I know we're not going to come to a conclusion here, so i'm going to stop now lol.

Good

And I can't remember if you were in this group or not, but there were a lot of guys on this board saying that Rivers was a bust, and he should have stayed in school another year to develop his game.

[BallSoHard]

And Hassan Whiteside didn't, and Wesley Matthews didn't, and the list goes on and on. There are examples for both sides. The OP asked for an opinion, and I gave him mine. There is no right or wrong here. It's subjective, and you guys are chastising me for my subjective way of handling the situation.

Message boards can be so draining sometimes.

Yeah but Slim, Hassin and Mathews weren't top 5 picks. That's what the question was geared around, not a late first or potential second rounder. The argument is so much different there and I would completely agree with you. The fact that it's top 5 you don't have much room to go up from there.

Now i'll stop

[Inner_GI]

The injury premise is a bad one IMO. You brought it up, so I entertained it, but you can't base your decision around an unpredictable injury. What if you don't get injured, and it pays off? See what I did there?

lol...

How about learning and improving your game in the NBA with the best instead of some lame league like the NCAA? Please tell me how playing against NCAA competition is better than learning from the best? Austin Rivers has shown a lot of improvement before injury. I doubt he gets that at Duke, where they basically tell him to chuck shots.

[Inner_GI]

Yeah but Slim, Hassin and Mathews weren't top 5 picks. That's what the question was geared around, not a late first or potential second rounder. The argument is so much different there and I would completely agree with you. The fact that it's top 5 you don't have much room to go up from there.

Now i'll stop

Exactly the whole premise was based on being a top 5 pick. I think it's a no brainer, if you are a top 5 pick most likely its better to start learning and developing an NBA game instead of playing NCAA competition.

[nolaslim213]

Yeah but Slim, Hassin and Mathews weren't top 5 picks. That's what the question was geared around, not a late first or potential second rounder. The argument is so much different there and I would completely agree with you. The fact that it's top 5 you don't have much room to go up from there.

Now i'll stop

Whiteside was projected into the lottery, which was the premise of my 1st post. And I just realized that I kept saying Wes Matthews, when I really meant Wes Johnson haha (#4 overall, left early, isn't even on the team that drafted him anymore).

Anyway, it's all good. It's really hard to come to neutral ground on a topic as subjective as this. Well just agree to disagree. No big. I still hate you though

[Inner_GI]

Yea it's all subjective, but if it's me personally, I'm taking the money and hitting up the school thing later.

[nolaslim213]

Exactly the whole premise was based on being a top 5 pick. I think it's a no brainer, if you are a top 5 pick most likely its better to start learning and developing an NBA game instead of playing NCAA competition.

If you are ready to go to the NBA, then I agree wholeheartedly. If you aren't disciplined or mature enough to work hard, be to practice on time, learn the offense/defense, etc.., then it's a bad idea IMO. That's what my whole argument is based upon.

Take a kid like Rivers, for example. He wasn't ready for the NBA in terms of his game, but he was ready in terms of maturity and work ethic. In that case, I'd say it was the right thing for him to do because he went to a coach that is going to develop him at a slow pace, and he has the work ethic and discipline to put in the necessary work to get better. Many freshman aren't like that, though.

[luckyman]

You are comparing apples and oranges. Accounting and basketball are totally different fields where the applied skill set is totally different.

You are thinking too hard bro. It's the same thing. You could just as well have some sort of brain accident or health issue that no longer allows you to be an accountant. You could just, for some reason, suck at being an accountant and get fired by PwC. Apple, meet apple.

It's the same and neither gives any long-term guarantees.

[nolaslim213]

You are thinking too hard bro. It's the same thing. You could just as well have some sort of brain accident or health issue that no longer allows you to be an accountant. You could just, for some reason, just suck at being an accountant and get fired by PwC. Apple, meet apple.

It's the same and neither gives any long-term guarantees.

I mean... That's a stretch. A big one, IMO. I get what you are saying, but you are getting into technicalities instead of playing the odds. Most accountants in the world don't retire due to a random brain injury.

I'm not an accountant, so I can't speak on the issue first hand, but I would wager that if you are trained by a company to do their job, you can do it. It's crunching numbers. There is a process, and you follow it. It's way more straight forward than something as fluid as basketball. That's why I called apples and oranges.

[Mythrol]

You always take the sure money. You don't risk your body on a second year. Look at Greg Odom. If he had stayed another year in college he wouldn't have gotten anything because his legs would have given out.

"Long term earns" is stupid BS because its all fictional and tons of circumstances could change that could effect your "plans". What if your third year of college a family member has a stroke and you have to stop school and take care of them? Always take the guaranteed money. It's stupid not to.

[Eman5805]

Gotta say, I'd take my chances. Hell. If I'm that talented, I'd know it. Unless I had a freak Anthony Davis like growth spurt and went from like a 2 or 3 star guy to top player in the nation, I've been getting heavy attention since middle school if not by high school.

I've had a lengthy interview with Bernard Griffith not that long ago, former St. Aug basketball coach, now with Dillard University. He told me scouts know who the talented kids are very early on and few slip the net. It's why the guys who think they're NBA bound and super hot stuff are so delusional.

I'd know for a while that I've got NBA bound talent and if everything else about me is the same, I'd be planning my future accordingly. And among that is knowing that going back for degrees is always an option. I'd take the NBA route, see how far I can go, and come back later on as necessary.

I'd definitely go one and done.

[UNO Gracias]

I stay in school. The NBA is cut throat, and that degree in actuarial science, accounting, engineering, or economics from Tulane will open more doors than my 4 years riding the pine in the NBA.

Watching that 30 for 30 "Broke" helped me realize that very few athletes have it all together, and even fewer have anything to fall back on. Degree and bolt.

[nikkoewan]

I take the guaranteed money. You never know what freak injury can turn you into a normal student and graduate.

The people that bash athletes coming out to get paid are jealous, in my opinion. They are making the smart decision for themselves and their families. A top 5 pick can earn like 15 million dollars on their first deal.

This. I'd be smart about that 15 million though.

[Kibner]

I stay in school. The NBA is cut throat, and that degree in actuarial science, accounting, engineering, or economics from Tulane will open more doors than my 4 years riding the pine in the NBA.

Watching that 30 for 30 "Broke" helped me realize that very few athletes have it all together, and even fewer have anything to fall back on. Degree and bolt.

Its not like staying a scholarship athlete will make that person more mature, responsible, etc. No more so than getting an job in the NBA forces similar (if not greater) personal growth. And the NBA gives you enough money to get a four year degree at the college of your choice.

I guess I just really don't see a downside to taking the guaranteed money from the NBA. It puts you in the best position for your present (money) and future (money, best development staff in the world).

Sent from my DROID3 using Tapatalk 2

[NOLa.]

Yes

[NinthWardJay]

I bet Julian Wright wish he stayed in school that one or two extra years LMAO

[Eman5805]

I bet Julian Wright wish he stayed in school that one or two extra years LMAO

I seriously doubt coming out later would've helped. He just didn't care much about getting better. Cared about his bonzai tree or whatever he was on about.

[UNO Gracias]

Am I getting my degree at Texas/ Michigan/ USC/ Vandy or the like? Because if it is from a lessor tier school (Like LSU, UNO, Texas Tech, etc.) then yeah I am going to leave because I can always get into those schools. But if it is a Michigan, Harvard, Texas, etc then I stay the full 4. I probably couldn't get into those schools without my basketball ability, so even after my NBA days are done they wouldn't take me. The connections you would make at those schools would reach further than jumping from college to the pro's after a year or two. In school Incan screw up in anonymity, in the NBA everybody knows your business.

The NBA offers no guarantees, even that contract isn't guaranteeing you "x" dollars, as you have taxes, dues for your union, etc. eating away at your check. Not to mention family, friends, etc. eating away at HUD money.

I guess I don't see the point in leaving early unless you never planned on going to school anyway, nor do you plan to in the future.

[Mythrol]

It's a whole lot easier to invest 10 million and make money then to invest 10 thousand or even 100 thousand and make money. You take the guaranteed when its offered and then you invest wisely. There are few doors a college degree will open that a few million dollars won't and there's plenty more doors that can only be opened with money and not a college degree.

[UNO Gracias]

Like I said, depends on which school you are attending.

Watch that 30 for 30 "Broke" it's not just a catchy name. Athletes blow through money on some stupid ish, and without that education, after their playing days are over the majority of them are broke and a joke.