Trae and the NBA

[SoonerinNC]

Will be interesting to see how Trae adapts to the game against West Virginia. He would be the first to tell you that 8 turnovers and 8 for 22 shooting was not his best game.

I know this will create some fury from some fans for not labeling everything Trae does as perfect. He will probably go down as the best Sooner basketball play ever, but is still a freshman and has room to grow.

If he does not show that he can handle the thugball better than he did last night he could drop out of the top three or five draft choices. If that is the message he gets from the scouts he will probably return for his sophomore year. If they still are talking number one or even number two he will go because there is not much to gain by returning.

Frankly, if I were the team with the #1 choice I would take him no matter what. I would never let that kind of talent slip through my hands.

 

[sperry]

Will be interesting to see how Trae adapts to the game against West Virginia. He would be the first to tell you that 8 turnovers and 8 for 22 shooting was not his best game.

I know this will create some fury from some fans for not labeling everything Trae does as perfect. He will probably go down as the best Sooner basketball play ever, but is still a freshman and has room to grow.

If he does not show that he can handle the thugball better than he did last night he could drop out of the top three or five draft choices. If that is the message he gets from the scouts he will probably return for his sophomore year. If they still are talking number one or even number two he will go because there is not much to gain by returning.

Frankly, if I were the team with the #1 choice I would take him no matter what. I would never let that kind of talent slip through my hands.

He is gone. Don't try to trick yourself, and enjoy him while he's here.

 

[oudna]

Will be interesting to see how Trae adapts to the game against West Virginia. He would be the first to tell you that 8 turnovers and 8 for 22 shooting was not his best game.

I know this will create some fury from some fans for not labeling everything Trae does as perfect. He will probably go down as the best Sooner basketball play ever, but is still a freshman and has room to grow.

If he does not show that he can handle the thugball better than he did last night he could drop out of the top three or five draft choices. If that is the message he gets from the scouts he will probably return for his sophomore year. If they still are talking number one or even number two he will go because there is not much to gain by returning.

Frankly, if I were the team with the #1 choice I would take him no matter what. I would never let that kind of talent slip through my hands.

Nah. Thugball doesn’t translate to the NBA game. He’s not going to return to work on that.

 

[Max Power]

There is a reason why you don't see any Huggins guys in the NBA

 

[tmeyer3307]

I would draft Carter pretty high this year. I know he won’t go lottery, but man he’s a player. Does everything well.

 

[WTSooner]

Frankly, if I were the team with the #1 choice I would take him no matter what. I would never let that kind of talent slip through my hands.

There are a lot of other potentially really good players in this draft.

 

[AdaSooner]

Re: Trae and t

If Trae returns it will be because he’s having the time of his life and doesn’t want to leave. He may also feel he has a lot more to accomplish as a student athlete at OU. You only get one chance. That opportunity is over the moment you sign with an agent. His life will be strictly business from that point forward.

I doubt if that is what will happen, but I wouldn’t rule it out entirely. I’m not as convinced as some seem to be that he is all but gone at the end of the season. As hard as it is for most people on this board to believe, money does not mean the same for everyone. There are also ways to guarantee Trae’s future without signing an NBA contract. Call me crazy if you want. If I’m wrong, that won’t bother me either.

 

[thebigabd]

He's likely to win National Player of the Year, and he has gotten attention from NBA execs, national media, NBA stars like Steph Curry and Lebron James, etc. He is at the height of his value, and it would really be a poor decision to risk injury or a sophomore slump of some kind and come back.

He is likely getting some good advice, but he can't really raise his profile any more than he already has.

It's like if I was in school as a computer science major, but I was already insanely talented at software development and Apple or Microsoft offered me some $250,000 a year gig... I would take it and work on my degree part-time.

 

[jaymOU]

Love Carter now. He will not be an NBA starter. His D style will not translate. Not good enough on offense, but I’d love to have him, but he is a second rounder at best.

 

[oudna]

Love Carter now. He will not be an NBA starter. His D style will not translate. Not good enough on offense, but I’d love to have him, but he is a second rounder at best.

Hand-checks will be called consistently

 

[sperry]

Carter is also 32 years old, so the upside is limited.

 

[DenverSooner]

I don't get people that say Trae didn't handle things welll. He scored 20 points in the second half and put a bunch of guys in foul trouble. He figured it out.

 

[coolm]

I don't get people that say Trae didn't handle things welll. He scored 20 points in the second half and put a bunch of guys in foul trouble. He figured it out.

I dont think he handled it that bad. The strength of his game also lies in the offensive efficiency he creates and that went a bit by the way side as he forced some shots. He also had a bad night at the charity stripe. Other than that it's pretty much what I expected to happen.

 

[SoonerSpock]

I think the media is way over playing Trae. I see him drafted in the lower half of the first round and no where close to the lottery. Physically he is not ready to play against the Russell Westbrook's of the world. His effectiveness at the next level will take a major step back.

Give him another year to elevating his game and add 10 pound maybe even 15 would help immensely to the point that he could move up in the draft as much at 10 spots and that could mean an additional $10 million in guaranteed money.

 

[thebigabd]

I think the media is way over playing Trae. I see him drafted in the lower half of the first round and no where close to the lottery. Physically he is not ready to play against the Russell Westbrook's of the world. His effectiveness at the next level will take a major step back.

Give him another year to elevating his game and add 10 pound maybe even 15 would help immensely to the point that he could move up in the draft as much at 10 spots and that could mean an additional $10 million in guaranteed money.

Hogwash.... and, if what is holding him back is body development he could literally work on that full-time as a pro. He wouldn't have to go to class, study, write papers, etc. He would just be in the gym.

He could put on 10 pounds just in the summer between the draft and the NBA regular season.

The national player of the year, and NCAA leader in points and assists isn't going to fall out of the lottery.

 

[sperry]

I think the media is way over playing Trae. I see him drafted in the lower half of the first round and no where close to the lottery. Physically he is not ready to play against the Russell Westbrook's of the world. His effectiveness at the next level will take a major step back.

Give him another year to elevating his game and add 10 pound maybe even 15 would help immensely to the point that he could move up in the draft as much at 10 spots and that could mean an additional $10 million in guaranteed money.

You are just dead wrong. It's not a subjective thing, it is a fact: if Trae declares, he's going in the top 10.

 

[chuckb]

This article from The Athletic today has him going 3rd overall. You probably have to be a member in order to read it.

https://theathletic.com/205405/2018/01/08/2018-nba-mock-draft-doncic-and-ayton-emerge-as-1a-and-1b/

 

[oudna]

I think the media is way over playing Trae. I see him drafted in the lower half of the first round and no where close to the lottery. Physically he is not ready to play against the Russell Westbrook's of the world. His effectiveness at the next level will take a major step back.

Give him another year to elevating his game and add 10 pound maybe even 15 would help immensely to the point that he could move up in the draft as much at 10 spots and that could mean an additional $10 million in guaranteed money.

Not happening

 

[BruinSooner]

Hogwash.... and, if what is holding him back is body development he could literally work on that full-time as a pro. He wouldn't have to go to class, study, write papers, etc. He would just be in the gym.

He could put on 10 pounds just in the summer between the draft and the NBA regular season.

The national player of the year, and NCAA leader in points and assists isn't going to fall out of the lottery.

This. NBA drafts 19 year olds based on potential. He can gain 10 lbs in college or working on it full time as a pro. The IQ and skill set are there. He's a lottery pick.

 

[Stikboy]

If Trae is a lock to go this year shouldn't we see some movement on the recruiting front for an '18 point guard?