Josh Okogie to hire agent and stay in NBA Draft

GT_EE78

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If he's not 1st round he's coming back
hope so ,,that's what cjp recommended (like most coaches say nowadays) but i haven't read anything that indicated Josh agreed with that ...
has anyone read anything that suggested there could be family finance issues???
 

slugboy

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I remember James Forrest going from being a late first rounder/early second rounder to staying for one more year and not making it to the NBA.
If he has a chance to play, there are lots of reasons to go early.
 

CLM

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Unless the NBA guys say go back to school, I am thinking we are going to lose him. Just feels like that at this point.
 

SidewalkJacket

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ATL drafting JO would be my only consolation if he leaves. The Hawks can afford to take a flyer with their 3rd 1st rounder or their early 2nd rounder depending on how their top two picks go.
 

YJMD

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He may still have projections that are all over the place come draft time. Unless he gets some pretty solid reassurance of selection from some teams, I think that kind of uncertainty will push him back for another year. I don't think he's the type to get a big head about him because one or two sources are high on him.
 

YlJacket

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He may still have projections that are all over the place come draft time. Unless he gets some pretty solid reassurance of selection from some teams, I think that kind of uncertainty will push him back for another year. I don't think he's the type to get a big head about him because one or two sources are high on him.

Yep - that is what happened with Tony Bradley last year. He was all over the place but after workouts got "assurances" that he would be a first round pick from 2 teams if he was there when they drafted. You have to be really careful to parse the validity/reliability of who is giving you the assurance but that is what will get JO to stay in the draft - if he does get any such assurance.
 

RamblinRed

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FWIW, on a yearly basis 50-60 players are told by clubs they are first round draft picks and if they are there when the team has a pick they will take them. Alot of teams will tell this to multiple players. it's sort of a game the teams play. They convince a kid to stay in and if he does they can wait until the 2nd round to take them.
 

orientalnc

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FWIW, on a yearly basis 50-60 players are told by clubs they are first round draft picks and if they are there when the team has a pick they will take them. Alot of teams will tell this to multiple players. it's sort of a game the teams play. They convince a kid to stay in and if he does they can wait until the 2nd round to take them.
I think this is widespread. I cannot remember the player's name, but SI had an article a few years ago where a player went back to a team GM at a game and asked why he was not taken in the first round, as promised. The GM told him their roster dynamics were changing and he had to take someone else. The player asked, "What changed?" The GM just said the player needed to forget about it. To the GM it was not a big deal.
 

smokey_wasp

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hope so ,,that's what cjp recommended (like most coaches say nowadays) but i haven't read anything that indicated Josh agreed with that ...
has anyone read anything that suggested there could be family finance issues???

Fwiw, Ken's recent article suggested that the Okogie family is well educated and successful. I believe Josh's brother when he says that Josh is 100 percent going to base his decision on feedback from scouts and draft prospects. The only open question is how good those prospects need to be, in his mind, to make the jump now vs. waiting.
 
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orientalnc

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I understand why the NBA wants to see these guys play in a "kinda" game situation, but a shirts and skins scrimmage is unlikely to demonstrate the skills required for joining a real team. However, I will probably turn it on to see how well JO plays.
 

tbglover

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I understand why the NBA wants to see these guys play in a "kinda" game situation, but a shirts and skins scrimmage is unlikely to demonstrate the skills required for joining a real team. However, I will probably turn it on to see how well JO plays.
I could see that type of forum being a situation where JO may not stand out. He's not great athletically, he's not the type to just chuck up shots nor is he a shot creator and he's not a great defensive player though he has great potential there. I could see him being just a guy in that type of atmosphere.
 

slugboy

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I understand why the NBA wants to see these guys play in a "kinda" game situation, but a shirts and skins scrimmage is unlikely to demonstrate the skills required for joining a real team. However, I will probably turn it on to see how well JO plays.

It’s got to be better than the team visits that they just completed. Their NCAA and European footage should be better though.
Does Houston even do invites any longer? (I think they decided they misled the scouts more than the visits helped)


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bos

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Teams often tell players they would take them if they're available even if they won't. One of the documentaries I saw when NBA got rid of HSers being able to enter was focusing on this exact problem. HS kids far too often believed these lies and ruined their careers.
NBA teams would prefer a stronger draft, so why not tell a prospect to stay in? If they can get Okogie in the 2nd round this year and have him earlier, it's much better than spending a 1st rounder next year. However, a lot can change for Okogie between this decision is made and draft day so he may not be drafted at all depending how it plays out.
 

kg01

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Teams often tell players they would take them if they're available even if they won't. One of the documentaries I saw when NBA got rid of HSers being able to enter was focusing on this exact problem. HS kids far too often believed these lies and ruined their careers.
NBA teams would prefer a stronger draft, so why not tell a prospect to stay in? If they can get Okogie in the 2nd round this year and have him earlier, it's much better than spending a 1st rounder next year. However, a lot can change for Okogie between this decision is made and draft day so he may not be drafted at all depending how it plays out.

Agree with all this.

I've said all along that a team could end up falling in love with Okog and he could end up in round 1 ... or he could end up undrafted altogether. Combine and individual workouts will mean a lot for him despite the fact that we all kinda recognize that he could use more time in college. Emphasis on "could". There are some organizations that will develop him far better than any college could. Which is why he could ultimately decide to stay in even without a 1st round promise.

ETA: I tried to warn folks he could be gone even if not in round 1 but they all called me a crazy man. Well, to be fair, they called me crazy for other reasons but still ... wait, what was I talking about again?:bored:
 

AE 87

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Agree with all this.

I've said all along that a team could end up falling in love with Okog and he could end up in round 1 ... or he could end up undrafted altogether. Combine and individual workouts will mean a lot for him despite the fact that we all kinda recognize that he could use more time in college. Emphasis on "could". There are some organizations that will develop him far better than any college could. Which is why he could ultimately decide to stay in even without a 1st round promise.

ETA: I tried to warn folks he could be gone even if not in round 1 but they all called me a crazy man. Well, to be fair, they called me crazy for other reasons but still ... wait, what was I talking about again?:bored:

Good for you. When I think of all the things people call you, I think it's great that you politely summarize them as "crazy"
 
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