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Post by BBFran on Dec 15, 2021 17:24:29 GMT -6
I'm still convinced PBJ is an easy first round selection. He has surely dropped from early projections. He might even slip out of the lottery if things don't improve much. That was the risk he took coming to this program: if he didn't impress in the few non-conference opportunities against decent competition, he would never get the chance to do so once conference play began, and that will doubtless give a lot of teams pause. Dropping out of the lottery is a huge financial hit. But 30 NBA teams are not going to pass on a 6'9 guy with his offensive skill, especially at his age. He'll still get drafted.
One thing I think people are really overlooking in his poor play is the emotional dynamics. His dad's job is hanging by a thread and he's supposed to be saving it. That level of pressure is just totally unfair to him. His teammates surely wonder whether they have been reduced to being mere "PBJ support staff" -- and if there's any hint of that, it's got to be horrible for him. Which is why -- and I think I said this months ago -- it makes so much more sense for a prospect like him to go to a top ten program where he can be just another star player. And remember, he's 18 years old and he has to deal with all the other stuff college and life throws at you at that age. I wish to hell for the kid that he had just gone to Duke or UCLA or someplace like that. Not because I like those teams (I certainly don't) but just because it would have kept him far away from this dumpster fire.
Because anyone who can say they are actually surprised by what has happened this season so far is, bluntly, a liar or a fool. Maybe we were all a little of both. The evidence was right in front of our eyes, and has been for going on five years.
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Post by PantherU on Dec 15, 2021 18:53:42 GMT -6
I'm still convinced PBJ is an easy first round selection. He has surely dropped from early projections. I talked to an NBA scout who thinks he's still a lottery pick, but if he slips to the 20's some good team is going to get an absolute steal. Cross your fingers he falls to the Bucks! |
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Post by ghostofdylan on Dec 15, 2021 21:17:39 GMT -6
I'm so humiliated by this program that I just can't hold it in anymore. I HATE that it has driven away so many friends who once helped form the soul of UWM basketball. Having been to many other places, that camaraderie is what set us apart! Sometimes, I sit here and wonder if I'll ever see about a dozen or so of them again. This SUCKS.
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Post by Petes on Dec 16, 2021 4:12:21 GMT -6
Channing Frye isn’t a lottery pick and that’s what pbj is. Can I hear 1 skill that he has that isn’t shooting which he hasn’t done well all year
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Post by Cactus Panther on Dec 16, 2021 8:31:10 GMT -6
Who are you referring to? PBJ? Ball handling is certainly something PBJ has not done well so far this season. Based on the hype I assume this is a skill he has.
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Post by 73withharoldlee on Dec 16, 2021 8:54:36 GMT -6
To be or not to be that is the question? Assume scouts look at a 19 year old differently than 5th or 6th year senior, let’s say Lucas at BYU. Lucas may get to play in The NBA but I bet will be a G League or Euro signee. As for Junior Baldwin, he is being mauled and getting rattled. He is coming off an injury. He is so young and talented. Let’s enjoy his growth. From what I gather, next years freshmen class is better than this one. He needs to stay healthy to be a lottery pick. That’s it. He won’t fall to The Bucks like Aaron Rogers fell to The Pack. Just my opinion.
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Post by FTA1982 on Dec 16, 2021 9:18:39 GMT -6
Channing Frye isn’t a lottery pick and that’s what pbj is. Can I hear 1 skill that he has that isn’t shooting which he hasn’t done well all year Channing Frye was a lottery pick though. |
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Post by ghostofdylan on Dec 16, 2021 9:29:10 GMT -6
PBS is now 33-60 with his own players, including a certain first-round NBA draft pick. Ric Cobb was 21-63 with his own players. That's hauntingly close.
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Post by steveisback on Dec 16, 2021 9:38:18 GMT -6
And Ric had a tougher schedule compared to what the HL has de-volved to....also shall we say even less administrative support or facility quality.
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Post by ghostofdylan on Dec 16, 2021 10:27:19 GMT -6
With UIC, Detroit, Butler and Green Bay all fairly strong, that was a golden era for the MCC. It certainly was for UIC. So, yes, the schedule was MUCH stronger.
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Post by davedome on Dec 16, 2021 19:54:12 GMT -6
There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic about this team though. Hear me out if only to prove me wrong when all the dust has settled in April.  www.milwaukeepanthertracks.com/2021/12/battering-ram.htmlPS: It looks bad now but it ain't over!! ; and Duct_Tape_Pounce I hope you mean off-season not at semester???!?!?!?!! A mid-season actual collapse of everything would not surprise me. But neither would winning the HLT with this team, and even this coach. So you're saying there's a chance? |
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Post by PantherU on Dec 17, 2021 1:32:19 GMT -6
Nah. If there's one thing that is absolutely better in 2021 than 1998, it's facilities. Not much better, not until that practice facility is built, but the Klotsche Center post-Pavilion is better than it was before. |
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Post by steveisback on Dec 17, 2021 8:45:35 GMT -6
HI Jimmy
]
I probably did not state my intent very well. What I was intending to say is that Baldwin has easier schedule than Ric had due to HL decline and also better facilities than Ric had
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Post by BBFran on Dec 17, 2021 13:37:59 GMT -6
Here's an SI story from yesterday with a mock draft in it. PBJ is still solidly in the lottery -- but the things they say about our program are just cold (and unfortunately deservedly so). If you look back at all the celebrating after he committed, and the predictions about the glory he would bring us, it seems like a bad joke now. He has drawn the attention of the national media alright, but with the way things have gone, that has just held us up to ridicule.
NBA Draft Big Board: Jabari Smith Jr. Is the New No. 1www.si.com/nba/2021/12/16/nba-draft-big-board-jabari-smith-paolo-banchero-chet-holmgren"9. Patrick Baldwin Jr., F, UW-Milwaukee | Freshman Height: 6' 9" | Weight: 220 | Age: 19 Baldwin has already become one of the draft’s most polarizing prospects, as an elite high school recruit and tall perimeter shooter marooned on a 2–8 Horizon League team. His lack of consistent production has been a concern for NBA teams, but he’s playing in a context where he hardly ever gets easy looks, due partially to opponents keying on him but also because his guards don’t really share the ball. Choosing to play for his father at Milwaukee certainly hasn’t helped Baldwin’s draft stock, but it’s unfair to blame the player for how suboptimal his circumstances have become. Baldwin is still highly skilled as a handler and passer, has a large frame and is a high-level jump shooter, though not an explosive athlete or physical defender. He has to perform against lesser competition the rest of the season to stabilize his draft range. But he still has a clear pathway to being a useful NBA role player, at minimum." By the way, he's not even close to the best NBA prospect in Wisconsin this year. The same draft board has Johnny Davis at #5. Who saw that coming? Davis looks like the best NBA prospect at Wisconsin since Devin Harris. |
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Post by ghostofdylan on Dec 17, 2021 16:05:05 GMT -6
Clearly, it's not about the team any longer (if it ever was) but about protecting/enhancing PBJ's draft position. I'd just like to see SOMETHING positive come out of this year.
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