[Ghost01Participant]

This point was brought up by Bill Simmons.

Many people (including myself) have said its obvious Irving should go pro. This draft is weak, and he probably cant go any lower than number 2, and he doesnt want to have any further injuries take place to lower his draft stock.

However, when you look at the fact he only played in 8 games before returning for the tourney, and with a lockout looming the possibility of a 40-50 game season next year is still in play, wouldnt the smart move for his ceiling be to stay one more year at Duke? play on the overwealming favorites with a superstar freshman in Rivers? Im not sure if i totally buy into this, but i would like some thoughts…

[Im Your FatherParticipant]

If he comes back it will be because he loves Duke and wants to stay there and play with Austin Rivers. I don’t think you can really make an argument for it being a smart business decision, but sometimes there are more things at play than just money. That being said, there is almost no chance that he comes back to Duke next year and the staff is assuming that he’s gone.

[Ghost01Participant]

Im not talking about business. Ofcourse its a better business move for him to go pro now. But in my opinion, hes not ready to be an NBA point guard. How many 1 and dones have flurished as a rookie PG other than D Rose? Remember Mike Conley?

[Ghost01Participant]

Im not talking about business. Ofcourse its a better business move for him to go pro now. But in my opinion, hes not ready to be an NBA point guard. How many 1 and dones have flurished as a rookie PG other than D Rose? Remember Mike Conley?

[omphalosParticipant]

Damn I hate lockouts… we shouldn’t be asking these sorts of questions. If we don’t get a 2011-2012 season I’m going to be pissed.

Irving should go now, he’ll be of real value to any team he goes to (barring the Wizards, who won’t draft him of course). Also, it’d be a bit awkward with Rivers, Quinn Cook and Irving sharing a backcourt.

[ajk004Participant]

A shortened NBA season is a lot longer than a college season.  For player development sake he’s looking at more minutes and an elevated level on competition by going pro.

[PaulsJayhawksParticipant]

Curry and Dawkins in the backcourt too. That would be very crowded.

As for Irving wouldn’t it be fair to say that almost everybody would benefit by staying in college though, when it comes down to it you HAVE to look at as buisness cause thats what this decision is. A) He is top 3 100%. 2) He does have an injury all he can do is hurt it again.

You bring up Conely but forget to mention Wall…he’s doing okay as a 1 and done pro.  Theres cases of both sucess and failures.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

…..

[Ghost01Participant]

Conley was what…number 4? He should have stayed. Again, if your talking in terms of money, yes he should go. Im talking in terms of reaching his full potential. Going to cleveland and backing up/dealing with Baron for a year is really not going to be make him much better…

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

 Who says he is going to Cleveland urbanofeverything? The draft order has not been determined yet and wont be until mid may. For now its all just speculation about which team he will go to. He could go to the Kings for all we know and have great first year. All we know right now is that Irving is either going 1 or 2 but to which team, well we will just have to wait until mid may to find out.

As for me I think he is going pro. But Rivers is one of his best friends and the fact that he only played 8 games this year is going to factor into his decision. It won’t be as easy as, "Oh I’m ranked in the top 3, I have to go pro."

[OhCanada-Participant]

There is no gaurentee he is going one or two to say that is silly. if Cleveland gets the 1st pic kand grabs Barnes, then Washington grabs 2nd he is not going 1 or 2. Also Minnesota could very well pick Kanter over Irving. Nothing is written in stone, and everything really starts to happen after the lottery draft.

[B-ball fanParticipant]

 Why should he have stayed.  He was drafted forth overall in a weak draft for pgs.  If he had stayed he would have cost himself money, and even if he was driven by fame or an altruistic desire to make people like urbanoveverything happy, he probably wasn’t going to become a much better player by staying.

[Ghost01Participant]

B-ball fan- because look at his first two years in the league and explain to me how he better benefited from that as opposed to owning fools at Ohio State.

And you are just drving home my point guys. Hes not a guarantee top 3 pick. This draft class sucks and thats the only reason hes that high anyway, i just tihnk he could get so much better and you are also right, its not just "Im suppose to go top 3, im leaving".

Again, i tihnk hes going pro. I just dont think its his best move.

[M.GarveyParticipant]

NBA should have a two year rule:

I hate it in theory (corrupt NCAA, schools making millions off kids while they cannot have even a PT job)but dont mind it in reality (better product in NCAA and NBA)

[jaysmith1987Participant]

Conley isn’t the chris paul everyone expected him to be but he is a good starter on a playoff team not quit a complete bust just wasntf a strike gold pick and he’s still young let’s not forget chauncey billups early career wasn’t much better. Worked out good for him.

[Malik-UniversalParticipant]

i  have mixed feelins about him declaring

theres one part of me sayin go pro becuz this draft is weak and he will probably be a top 5 pick

but then again he didnt look impressive against michigan and he has only played in like 10 games

so going back to school will give him more experience… theres always a chance he can end up like a mike conely

not sayin mike conely is a bust tho

or maybe he can end up being something way better

who knows at this pt.

[Ghost01Participant]

Universal hit all my points right on the head.

Thers nothing wrong with Mike Conley, but if you watched him in the 2007 NCAA’s, he was special. And he went pro and settled for being mediocre. I just dont want Irving to make that same mistake.

[OhCanada-Participant]

I have a prediction, Irving becomes an average or just good player in the league who plays an all around solid game and gets forgetten after his sophmore year similar to the way Conley did. He is an average athlete, who frankly just uses his skills and IQ to get by in the NCAA level, he doesnt dominate, and really he needs the proper system in the NBA to fourish. I think if he lands in Cleveland or Minnesota he will have a very similar to Conley. If he lands in Sacramento or Toronto he has a higher oppurtunity for success but still will be a pretty average star.

Hes just going to be another good NBA player everyone forgets about.

[The lake show2]

if conley stays then his weaknesses probably would have gotten exposed and he probably would have dropped. Smart business move but maybe not as smart as far as development because he would have been more prepared. Then again you can probably be more prepared practicing against a starting NBA point guard then you would dominating you’re teammates. I can see both sides and im not sure if there is a right or wrong answer.

 

Watching Mike Conley that year he looked special but theres a chance that he might have looked less special the next year without Oden and Cook and Lewis. Having good teammates liek that can make you look very good even if you are good and not having those guys could make you look worst then you really are.

[The lake show2]

What you just described is the same thing Paul did. He played well in the system and didnt really dominate and wasn’t super quick or athletic but he used his skill and basketball IQ to out play guys

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