[valentine]

Everyone knows Walls & Patterson are gone after the season..there’s a 99.9% chance DeMarcus Cousins is gone..Bledsoe chances of leaving are 50/50..Now there’s word that 6’10 freshman center Daniel Orton is thinking about testing the waters..Orton really doesn’t want to leave Kentucky just yet..But he wants to go thru the process to see what he needs to work on..And hear what scouts are saying about his draft position if and whenever he decides to come out..His friends are telling him his stats would be better, if he wasn’t playing behind Cousins & Patterson..But Orton is a smart kid ,he knows his time to start is coming..And being a part of a championship team is the most important thing right now.. Rumor have it that Orton is excited over the idea he might be the number 1 overall pick next season..So he wants to do everything he can to make that happen….

Personally i don’t know about him going number 1 next season..But watching him play in limited minutes this season..He will be 1 of the best big men in college next season with Cousins gone…Unlike most centers these days..That want to hangout on the perimeter jacking up 3’s..Orton is an old school back to the basket center..He’s more comfortable in the paint….An excellent passer & shot blocker…But needs to work on his conditioning and become more polish on offense…..I hope he returns to Kentucky and continue to improve..Becuz the NBA is full of unpolished big men…

[gregoden08Participant]

In college next year? I doubt that. I like his game, but he is very raw and gets in foul trouble every game.

[pistonsmanParticipant]

No he better stay in college. He is a good player he should see what he is like next year at this time. He is a good player. He needs to stay in, if he was to come out he would not get much time and either have to go to the D-League or over seas. So he just needs to give it one more year then he should be good enough to come out. He is going to get more playing time next year. So he will have nore time to show what he can do.

[PlatypusParticipant]

He’s all defense no offense
if he declares he’ll be a Varejo/ Ben Wallace / Perkins type

[JNixonParticipant]

He needs to work on his offensive game before he thinks about the NBA. He’s gotten some moves since the beginning of the year, but they’re not NBA-caliber and he’d be nothing more than a Kendrick Perkins type in the NBA….He should return for his Sophomore season and not even really think about the NBA.

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Varejao is NOT a defensive player.. He’s a 100% flopper. Don’t even mention his name with Ben Wallace and Kendrick Perkins.

[NashyMingParticipant]

I think the main reason for any prospects that are not ready but would consider going to the NBA this year is because of the CBA. Nobody knows what’s gonna happen but it is quite certain that the players would have to take a paycut from top to bottom. There is also the uncertainty of a lockout in 2011~2012 season. It really sucks for the 2011 draft class, so a lot of prospects would think twice before going back to school.

I actually read that the NCAA has made a rule change that basically eliminate the idea of testing the water. It seems not a lot of people are aware of this though. The timeframe of deciding to stay in / get out is going to be very short (not exactly sure how long).

[Mr.Knick 32Participant]

Ooooooo…I like this post.

I do think Orton could be the 1st pick next season but similar to how William Buford was the the 2nd pick in 2010 draft in the preseason ( Thought I forgot?) Orton will level out by season end.

[MagikKnickParticipant]

I like him based on the flashes hes shown, needs to develop an offensive game as everyone said..

Staying next year would be great for him, gives him an idea of how good he can be in extended minutes without Patterson and Cousins, if he succeeds….his stock is sure to rise..if not, he’ll continue to develop as a junior and senior

If he declares and gets drafted, Calipari is gonna strike recruiting oil…

[Meditated StatesParticipant]

Orton needs to slow his roll and go back to school he is not ready.

[sheltwon3Participant]

This would not be a good time to do this, he is only 6’10” and may wind up a power forward in the NBA. He should at least get a full year to start or get major minutes then decide.

[the I in winParticipant]

true he is only 6’10” but he is a very big 6’10” and uses his size to his advantage on defence. I would like to watch him and cousins go at it in practice. Not sure if he has a chance to go 1st overall next year but being the first big off the board is a realistic goal.

Also his offensive game is behind his defensive but he isn’t as bad as Wallace, Varejao, or Perkins. He has a soft touch and isn’t a terrible shooter, just doesn’t have great footwork or moves. He is either taking a little fading jumper or your basic hook shot.

As for Varejao on D, he is an average defender but a great flopper and works harder than most players are willing to. Not saying he is good but he sure effective.

[UKWildcat_11Participant]

He is a good defender, but one thing that makes me mad and what he needs to work on is goaltending. Discipline on when it will be a block or a free 2 points.

[weballin.netParticipant]

Orton must stay at Kentucky to be the top dog for a year. He’s a bit small at 6-10 for a center but has good wingspan, so the NBA will take him only if he’s able to compensate like Mohammed or Magloire, past Kentucky centers who made it at 6-10

http://www.weballin.net

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

“I think the main reason for any prospects that are not ready but would consider going to the NBA this year is because of the CBA. Nobody knows what’s gonna happen but it is quite certain that the players would have to take a paycut from top to bottom. There is also the uncertainty of a lockout in 2011~2012 season. It really sucks for the 2011 draft class, so a lot of prospects would think twice before going back to school. ”

They pay basketball players abroad too. If there is going to be a lockout, then I have little doubt that any agent worth his salt will have a backup plan ready for his clients.

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/03/winderman-draftees-wait-until-2011-no-checks-until-2012.php

Winderman used Monroe as an example. If Monroe returns for his junior year and then decides to go pro, what would stop his agent from telling teams that if there is going to be a lockout, we want Greg playing and making money. This means that we are going to take that deal from Real Madrid or Panathinaikos and you can buy it out after one year when the labor unrest is over. Too many people continue to ignore the growth of the game abroad and that guys who are playing in Europe and Asia aren’t working as waiters to make ends meet. Maccabi Haifa gave money to a 17-year old who never played above high school, who is going to make the argument they won’t be willing to give Daniel Orton or Avery Bradley a year.

Also, this would not be the first time there has been a lockout. Take a look at the ’98 draft. A lot of money was made from that draft class, so it isn’t as if those guys were damaged greatly damaged by a six month lockout.

[NashyMingParticipant]

If there’s an NBA lockout, there would so many decent players that may make themselves available to the European team. I am not sure if rookies can actually get much chance of fighting off veterans for the money. Also, you wouldn’t know how they would change the rookie scale after the next CBA. There’s too much money on the table for any kid who thinks they would be 1st round picks to pass up.

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

First of all, veterans have made money. Second, they have union obligations. Rookies would have the contractual flexibility to go to Europe should they urgently need to make money. Michael Olowokandi went to Italy during the lockout before the 1998-99 season.

Changes to the rookie scale are not at the center of CBA negotiations. The scale will probably take a hit like everything else, but like with everything it is the second contract that truly matters and whether a person declares this year or in 2011 they will be impacted in the same way by the next CBA on that front. It is ridiculously stupid to think that guys should rush into this draft for fear of 2011. The worst financial decision will always be entering the league before a player is ready, because it is the fastest way out of the league. First round picks get two years guaranteed and second round picks get nothing guaranteed. Heck, it is much safer to stay in school and take out a loan than risk ending up making $1,200 a week in the D-league.

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