[IlladelphParticipant]

I have to spread the love for my man Tyler Ulis.  After watching him play extremely well in summer league, I have to wonder how he slipped to the 2nd round of the draft.  True, he is very short for an NBA player, and true it is just summer league but damn.  He played very well.  The Suns have to be seriously pumped they got a 2nd rounder who is going to play in the League for a very long time.

Now, I know that in the pre-draft workouts he did well.  I know that everyone loved his interviews at the combine and during pre-draft visits.  And, I know that coming from Kentucky he is pro-ready.  So how could he have fallen to the second round?

I heard no major arguments against him until about 10 days before the draft.  I mean, his height is not something anyone could be surprised about nor is it anythinghe could change, so what could have knocked him from a potential lottery pick to 2nd round afterthought?

Was it the rumor that circulated just before the draft that his hips were somehow injured?  It was unclear exactly what the concern was, but there were a lot of stories about his hips.  All seaosn long I hear nothing about his hips, and then all of a sudden he has bad hips?  Seriously?  Ok.

Here is what I think happened.  I think that although GMs really liked his game and his mind, the fact that he is just so short scared them off.  I mean the Suns are smart to pick him in the 2nd round because if he turns out to be as good as I think that he will be, everyone will give them credit for drafting a "steal".  But, if he busts out and winds up playing in Tel Aviv in a couple of years, then no one will care because he was a 2nd rounder.  It’s interesting though that even though he wasn’t a first round pick, the suns gave him what is essentially a late first round guaranteed contract of over 1 mill a year.

[surveParticipant]

 size dont mean sht in some cases.  this kid is as gritty as they come and a true leader.  Isiah was right, he is gonna be pushing those other guys in practice.

yeah, short guys sometimes dont make it but look at those that do….

Muggsy and Spud

Michael Adams, Dana Barros, Isaiah Thomas, all became All Stars.

also, for anyone who has met Iverson in person….they can tell you he is NOT 6′ tall.  

 

I dont know about the hips, but it hasnt seem to affect him in SL.  he was one of my favorite college players and definitely the heart and soul of that UK team and willed them as far as he could.  because of his all around game, in the right scenario, wouldnt be shocked if he made an All Star team like the aforementioned.  draft position doesnt really matter and he may have landed in a better position anyway.  with E Bled’s durability concerns and Knight being dangled in front of other teams, I think Ulis has the perfect opportunity to prove himself in PHX.

 

 

 

 

[surveParticipant]

 size dont mean sht in some cases.  this kid is as gritty as they come and a true leader.  Isiah was right, he is gonna be pushing those other guys in practice.

yeah, short guys sometimes dont make it but look at those that do….

Muggsy and Spud

Michael Adams, Dana Barros, Isaiah Thomas, all became All Stars.

also, for anyone who has met Iverson in person….they can tell you he is NOT 6′ tall.  

 

I dont know about the hips, but it hasnt seem to affect him in SL.  he was one of my favorite college players and definitely the heart and soul of that UK team and willed them as far as he could.  because of his all around game, in the right scenario, wouldnt be shocked if he made an All Star team like the aforementioned.  draft position doesnt really matter and he may have landed in a better position anyway.  with E Bled’s durability concerns and Knight being dangled in front of other teams, I think Ulis has the perfect opportunity to prove himself in PHX.

 

 

 

 

[surveParticipant]

 size dont mean sht in some cases.  this kid is as gritty as they come and a true leader.  Isiah was right, he is gonna be pushing those other guys in practice.

yeah, short guys sometimes dont make it but look at those that do….

Muggsy and Spud

Michael Adams, Dana Barros, Isaiah Thomas, all became All Stars.

also, for anyone who has met Iverson in person….they can tell you he is NOT 6′ tall.  

 

I dont know about the hips, but it hasnt seem to affect him in SL.  he was one of my favorite college players and definitely the heart and soul of that UK team and willed them as far as he could.  because of his all around game, in the right scenario, wouldnt be shocked if he made an All Star team like the aforementioned.  draft position doesnt really matter and he may have landed in a better position anyway.  with E Bled’s durability concerns and Knight being dangled in front of other teams, I think Ulis has the perfect opportunity to prove himself in PHX.

 

 

 

 

[high floorParticipant]

Lookin like a steal. And he sure doesn’t look injured so far this summer regarding his hips.

People forget that players like Chris Paul, Jameer Nelson, & Ty Lawson (pre-DUI) are all star or near all-star caliber players, under 6ft tall.  Ulis is going to contribute next year, and become a household name in NBA circles before his next contract extension.

[high floorParticipant]

Lookin like a steal. And he sure doesn’t look injured so far this summer regarding his hips.

People forget that players like Chris Paul, Jameer Nelson, & Ty Lawson (pre-DUI) are all star or near all-star caliber players, under 6ft tall.  Ulis is going to contribute next year, and become a household name in NBA circles before his next contract extension.

[high floorParticipant]

Lookin like a steal. And he sure doesn’t look injured so far this summer regarding his hips.

People forget that players like Chris Paul, Jameer Nelson, & Ty Lawson (pre-DUI) are all star or near all-star caliber players, under 6ft tall.  Ulis is going to contribute next year, and become a household name in NBA circles before his next contract extension.

[ChewyParticipant]

 pop up during the draft process all the time. Isiah Austin had to retire after playing great for Baylor. Sullinger dropped from a potential top 5 pick to the 20s. Dejuan Blair fell to the 2nd round because of his knees. So medical concerns are picked up during the draft process that colleges may not even really be looking for. If they can play then colleges are happy. But NBA teams are investing millions into a player that they hopefully will have for 4-12 years. They have to look long term.

Plus the Suns signed Ulis to what is basically the equivilent of a late 1st round pick. 1 mil garunteed for TWO years plus an addition TWO years of team option. So clearly the Suns value him like he was a 1st rounder.

 

[ChewyParticipant]

 pop up during the draft process all the time. Isiah Austin had to retire after playing great for Baylor. Sullinger dropped from a potential top 5 pick to the 20s. Dejuan Blair fell to the 2nd round because of his knees. So medical concerns are picked up during the draft process that colleges may not even really be looking for. If they can play then colleges are happy. But NBA teams are investing millions into a player that they hopefully will have for 4-12 years. They have to look long term.

Plus the Suns signed Ulis to what is basically the equivilent of a late 1st round pick. 1 mil garunteed for TWO years plus an addition TWO years of team option. So clearly the Suns value him like he was a 1st rounder.

 

[ChewyParticipant]

 pop up during the draft process all the time. Isiah Austin had to retire after playing great for Baylor. Sullinger dropped from a potential top 5 pick to the 20s. Dejuan Blair fell to the 2nd round because of his knees. So medical concerns are picked up during the draft process that colleges may not even really be looking for. If they can play then colleges are happy. But NBA teams are investing millions into a player that they hopefully will have for 4-12 years. They have to look long term.

Plus the Suns signed Ulis to what is basically the equivilent of a late 1st round pick. 1 mil garunteed for TWO years plus an addition TWO years of team option. So clearly the Suns value him like he was a 1st rounder.

 

[MopgrassParticipant]

The concern was not that that he was short. It was that he was short and didn’t have the athleticism to make up for it.

Bogues, by the way, could dunk at 5’3″. Athletic guys get the benefit of the doubt, others don’t. Taller guys get the benefit of the doubt. There have been several solid prospects under 6’0″ that have gone undrafted the past few year. IT2 almost went undrafted, despite the obvious talent. Teams are afraid of taking risks and the fewer points against the player, the lesser the risk. However, that means they might miss some substantial players, because they’re too busy seeing if the player checks off all the boxes and missing the overall picture. I’m for analytics, but let’s not be so robotic about it. There’s an exception to every rule.

[MopgrassParticipant]

The concern was not that that he was short. It was that he was short and didn’t have the athleticism to make up for it.

Bogues, by the way, could dunk at 5’3″. Athletic guys get the benefit of the doubt, others don’t. Taller guys get the benefit of the doubt. There have been several solid prospects under 6’0″ that have gone undrafted the past few year. IT2 almost went undrafted, despite the obvious talent. Teams are afraid of taking risks and the fewer points against the player, the lesser the risk. However, that means they might miss some substantial players, because they’re too busy seeing if the player checks off all the boxes and missing the overall picture. I’m for analytics, but let’s not be so robotic about it. There’s an exception to every rule.

[MopgrassParticipant]

The concern was not that that he was short. It was that he was short and didn’t have the athleticism to make up for it.

Bogues, by the way, could dunk at 5’3″. Athletic guys get the benefit of the doubt, others don’t. Taller guys get the benefit of the doubt. There have been several solid prospects under 6’0″ that have gone undrafted the past few year. IT2 almost went undrafted, despite the obvious talent. Teams are afraid of taking risks and the fewer points against the player, the lesser the risk. However, that means they might miss some substantial players, because they’re too busy seeing if the player checks off all the boxes and missing the overall picture. I’m for analytics, but let’s not be so robotic about it. There’s an exception to every rule.

[benny15Participant]

 yeah, just to give higher emphasis on what Chewy said. his size everyone knew off could have made him slide in the 1st round, but i believe it wasnt untill the medical checks and analysis were made that pushed him to the second round altogether. and it wasnt a case of the injury being now as well, but rather long term. i read a report that came out that both he and denzel valentine might end up having short careers like brandon roy did after one of their physicals with some team or workout.

i really wanted ulis to go to the sixers cause he could be how ish smith was for them last season and maybe even better in the long term, but couldnt blame colangelo for taking the euro wings who dropped late in the first round.

 

 

 

[benny15Participant]

 yeah, just to give higher emphasis on what Chewy said. his size everyone knew off could have made him slide in the 1st round, but i believe it wasnt untill the medical checks and analysis were made that pushed him to the second round altogether. and it wasnt a case of the injury being now as well, but rather long term. i read a report that came out that both he and denzel valentine might end up having short careers like brandon roy did after one of their physicals with some team or workout.

i really wanted ulis to go to the sixers cause he could be how ish smith was for them last season and maybe even better in the long term, but couldnt blame colangelo for taking the euro wings who dropped late in the first round.

 

 

 

[benny15Participant]

 yeah, just to give higher emphasis on what Chewy said. his size everyone knew off could have made him slide in the 1st round, but i believe it wasnt untill the medical checks and analysis were made that pushed him to the second round altogether. and it wasnt a case of the injury being now as well, but rather long term. i read a report that came out that both he and denzel valentine might end up having short careers like brandon roy did after one of their physicals with some team or workout.

i really wanted ulis to go to the sixers cause he could be how ish smith was for them last season and maybe even better in the long term, but couldnt blame colangelo for taking the euro wings who dropped late in the first round.

 

 

 

[losnopesosParticipant]

Tyler Ulis has the biggest intangible you want in any teammate:  he commands respect.  Everyone on his team respects him, you can’t teach that. 

[losnopesosParticipant]

Tyler Ulis has the biggest intangible you want in any teammate:  he commands respect.  Everyone on his team respects him, you can’t teach that. 

[rtbtParticipant]

Before the draft I repeatedly stated Ulis should be a first round draft choice. He was one of the 5 best players in America. In addition to being a great player, Ulis was outstanding during crunch time. Size is imortant, but the lack of it doesn’t mean you won’t be a big success at the next level.

I remember NFL teams wouldn’t take Russell Wilson in the first round because he’s only 5 ft. 11 inches tall. Seattle got him in the 3rd round. That means every team in the NFL passed on him at least twice. Do you think they would make that same mistake if they could somehow redo the draft? 

Most of those teams who had a chance to draft Ulis, and passed on him because of his lack of height, will regret that decision.

 

 

 

  

[rtbtParticipant]

Before the draft I repeatedly stated Ulis should be a first round draft choice. He was one of the 5 best players in America. In addition to being a great player, Ulis was outstanding during crunch time. Size is imortant, but the lack of it doesn’t mean you won’t be a big success at the next level.

I remember NFL teams wouldn’t take Russell Wilson in the first round because he’s only 5 ft. 11 inches tall. Seattle got him in the 3rd round. That means every team in the NFL passed on him at least twice. Do you think they would make that same mistake if they could somehow redo the draft? 

Most of those teams who had a chance to draft Ulis, and passed on him because of his lack of height, will regret that decision.

 

 

 

  

[rtbtParticipant]

Before the draft I repeatedly stated Ulis should be a first round draft choice. He was one of the 5 best players in America. In addition to being a great player, Ulis was outstanding during crunch time. Size is imortant, but the lack of it doesn’t mean you won’t be a big success at the next level.

I remember NFL teams wouldn’t take Russell Wilson in the first round because he’s only 5 ft. 11 inches tall. Seattle got him in the 3rd round. That means every team in the NFL passed on him at least twice. Do you think they would make that same mistake if they could somehow redo the draft? 

Most of those teams who had a chance to draft Ulis, and passed on him because of his lack of height, will regret that decision.

 

 

 

  

[losnopesosParticipant]

Tyler Ulis has the biggest intangible you want in any teammate:  he commands respect.  Everyone on his team respects him, you can’t teach that. 

[Author]

Posts