Rick Pitino says he sees eight who will be NBA players on this year's team. Pitino hype, confidence booster, or real deal. Who do you see?
Eight NBA players?
- Thread starter Toppercard
- Start date
I'm just trying to figure out who the 8 would be...I'm going to guess that at least 2 are freshman
Mitchell
Adel
Probably 5 sophs
Johnson
Mahmoud
Stockman
Snider
Onuaku
The other being Lee as a fifth year senior I would guess...heck idk
Mitchell
Adel
Probably 5 sophs
Johnson
Mahmoud
Stockman
Snider
Onuaku
The other being Lee as a fifth year senior I would guess...heck idk
Interesting, was just being told by zipp and another guy on the other thread that Rick never said this.
Wrong again, and still. You WERE asked to "Can you provide ANY evidence to support your claim that Coach Pitino has ever called any UofL player "Shaq Stone", "the next Jamal Mashburn", or "X player is the best player I've ever coached"? And...you could not. Nobody told you Pitino did not say anything about having 7-8 NBA players.
Actually, I don't give a damn about the NBA or most pro sports, so I could care less.
BUT...
If I'm going to appreciate the debate, someone needs to define what an "NBA player" is. Or better yet, what Pitino meant by the remark. Otherwise, you don't know what you're debating.
"Elite program", my a$$...
I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure he said something along the lines of 8 pro players. NOT necessarily NBA. In this case, I think he may be right. To answer the question
"Do you two believe there is 8 NBA players on next season's UL roster? "
Simple Yes or No.
NO, I don't see anywhere near 8 NBA players on this years team...but I do believe this year's team is going to be very good, and make at run at the COLLEGE NC, and this is what I want. I already can't wait for the 15/16 season.
GO CARDS!!!
"Do you two believe there is 8 NBA players on next season's UL roster? "
Simple Yes or No.
NO, I don't see anywhere near 8 NBA players on this years team...but I do believe this year's team is going to be very good, and make at run at the COLLEGE NC, and this is what I want. I already can't wait for the 15/16 season.
GO CARDS!!!
Pre 2009 Zipp: "Tubby can't develop players. The only ones he gets that are halfway decent take 4 freakin' years to get to the league."
Post 2009 Zipp: "Pitino lite doesn't develop players, they're already NBA ready when they get there, he can't coach, not a good X's and O's coach, etc."
So now we're here in 2015 and we get this: "
"I don't give a damn about the NBA or most pro sports, so I could care less."
or this: "If I'm going to appreciate the debate, someone needs to define what an "NBA player" is."
...the spinning, talking in circles....it's obvious.
Post 2009 Zipp: "Pitino lite doesn't develop players, they're already NBA ready when they get there, he can't coach, not a good X's and O's coach, etc."
So now we're here in 2015 and we get this: "
"I don't give a damn about the NBA or most pro sports, so I could care less."
or this: "If I'm going to appreciate the debate, someone needs to define what an "NBA player" is."
...the spinning, talking in circles....it's obvious.
IU has a really good business school so I'm not surprised. Though the discussion might be over the heads of a fanbase, who mostly clean out barns and crawl into holes looking for coal.
I listen to 680 and 790 all day so I'm not even sure which one I heard it on. So this is strictly second hand info. I just thought it was interesting. 7 footers always have a chance to become journeymen in the NBA so I counted those two immediately. Didn't even try to figure out who else he might have been referring to. This thread has nothing to do with Kentucky or Cal...just the inner workings of Rick Pitino.
Seems to be a lot of confusion in this thread about what Pitino actually said. So here is what Pitino said to Sporting News:
Pitino sees Rozier and Harrell, who were both voted to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference second team, as leaders for another wave. “They’re very aggressive people,” Pitino said. “They’ll stick in the NBA, and I think we are just scratching the surface. I’ve got a lot of guys right now, seven or eight guys on the team, who aren’t one-and-dones but will play in the NBA someday.”
It is pretty clear, given that the entire article and the specific context of the comment is about players in the actual NBA (e.g., Rozier and likely Harrell), that Pitino was talking about the actual NBA.
We all know coaches (especially Pitino and, yes, even Cal) are prone to hyperbole when it comes to their respective programs, so I will leave it to others to debate the merits of Pitino's prediction. I will say that I find it unlikely, but you never know.
Pitino sees Rozier and Harrell, who were both voted to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference second team, as leaders for another wave. “They’re very aggressive people,” Pitino said. “They’ll stick in the NBA, and I think we are just scratching the surface. I’ve got a lot of guys right now, seven or eight guys on the team, who aren’t one-and-dones but will play in the NBA someday.”
It is pretty clear, given that the entire article and the specific context of the comment is about players in the actual NBA (e.g., Rozier and likely Harrell), that Pitino was talking about the actual NBA.
We all know coaches (especially Pitino and, yes, even Cal) are prone to hyperbole when it comes to their respective programs, so I will leave it to others to debate the merits of Pitino's prediction. I will say that I find it unlikely, but you never know.
Absolutely not.
Yes - Donovan Mitchel
Probably - Deng Adel, Damion Lee, Ray Spalding (supplosedly has NBA size and athleticism)
May get a look in free agency at some point - Onuaku, Mahmoud, Johnson, Snider
I thougt Pitino said he saw 7-8 guys who will play professional ball because of their work ethic. What did he say directly following the comments you posted above, Shawn?
According to the quote in the Sporting News article/interview (as I posted above), Pitino was talking about Rozier and Harrell sticking in the NBA because they have an aggressive mentality. Then he said UofL currently has 7 or 8 guys "who aren't one-and-done but who will play in the NBA someday." I posted the link to the article (see the highlighted "Sporting News" link), so you can read what comes next, although the subject changes. I suppose it is possible Pitino was misquoted or that he misspoke, but his quote was included in various articles, including one by the Courier Journal, and he has yet to say otherwise.
Definitely right about the use of hyperbole from these guys. I don't agree that there are 7-8 NBA players on the team. Pro players- as in overseas or maybe just D-league type of players- maybe. I do think many of these guys could make a nice living playing pro ball somewhere though once their college careers are over. However unless Pitino clarifies- or maybe that is exactly what he meant to say- I'm not sure if he just misspoke and meant pro basketball players in general (Not necessarily NBA) or is just saying more hyperbole to build confidence in the bunch of new guys coming in.
There should be no confusion, because none of those things are exclusionary. The courier just doesn't like that they all apply.
"Elite program", my a$$...
He has said for a while now that he likes the core of big guys currently on the roster.Two of those guys(Mango and Onuaku) have shown ability at different times,although hardly on a consistent basis.I''ll assume those could be 2 and throw in Stockman because of his size,Spalding for reasons listed earlier.That's half of the 8.
I'll take the other half from the rest of Deng,Mitchell,Lee and Snider-Lewis as a coupled entry.Key word being potentially.
Hyperbole,maybe but I don't have a problem with it.He's telling guys that don't have bullets by their names that hard work is worth something.....potentially.
I'll take the other half from the rest of Deng,Mitchell,Lee and Snider-Lewis as a coupled entry.Key word being potentially.
Hyperbole,maybe but I don't have a problem with it.He's telling guys that don't have bullets by their names that hard work is worth something.....potentially.
In all seriousness, I'm not a fan of the new/younger player hyperbole Pitino sometimes uses. I think it places undue pressure on a kid to live up to Pitino's publicly stated expectations. It's one thing to say those type of things to a player privately to show your confidence in him or express your expectations, but it's another to put it out for public consumption.
Coach Pitino was asked about this on The Ville a couple days ago. He definitely said 7 or 8 will go on to play pro ball followed by how you can have a great career playing overseas.He went on to give a few examples mainly Larry O'Bannon.
Agree 100% about the instances in the past where CP has publicly named guys and its adverse effect on those guys.This one may be a little different because he calls out a group without naming names.
I really think he is pushing buttons at this earliest stage of this team to inject some confidence.Will it work as opposed to naming individuals?Stay tuned....I think we'll get a peak in these summer exhibitions.
I think he just likes the players, the program, and his job in general.
Pressure is not on in the summer. Especially not considering the run he's been on. Pressure isn't on the players either. The team is not projected to be top tier.
This is a time to build guys confidence. He's been doing it this way for years.
Once the season starts he provides a much different outlook.
Pressure is not on in the summer. Especially not considering the run he's been on. Pressure isn't on the players either. The team is not projected to be top tier.
This is a time to build guys confidence. He's been doing it this way for years.
Once the season starts he provides a much different outlook.
