Darius Morris Leaning Towards Entering 2011 Draft
The title says it all. This would kill the team if he were to leave early. Lets hope he stays and develops so he can be a lottery pick.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
He's not at all NBA ready. He needs to develop his shot and his left hand before he can be considered an NBA prospect, IME.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:07 AM ^
Pleeeeasseeee stop with the "no left hand" nonsense! You take what the defense gives you. If Darius can go right he'll go right. If he must go left he'll go left, and he'll do so without losing vision or turning the ball over.
Stu Douglass is an example of somebody with subpar ambidexterity. He dribbles competently with his right hand, but as soon as he's forced to go left he puts his head down, loses sight of the court and his teammates, gets trapped, and turns the ball over. Darius, not so much.
February 22nd, 2011 at 10:58 AM ^
No one is talking about dribbling. They are talking about his left-hand shot, which he pulls out about once every three games. He will be in position for a left-handed shot, and he'll roll right around the defender and take the fade-away shot with his right hand instead of the layup with his left. That's not nonsense.
February 22nd, 2011 at 1:50 PM ^
You're allowed to have a dominant hand and still be a successful basketball player. Darius's right hand is dominant and he prefers to finish with it, but he has the ability to finish left when necessary. And really we don't even need Darius to be able to finish left as well as he finishes right. As long as he can beat a defender going left he'll continue to draw fouls or draw help defense and create space for shooters.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:36 PM ^
for doing this to me today, sarahgoblue.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^
I'm sorry. I'm upset about it too. This is the first I've heard of him thinking about it much less leaning towards doing it.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:16 PM ^
Next time, do the board a favor and add "Rumor" to the title. You phrased it as though Darius himself said it.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
February 21st, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
even if he stays a year. Doesn't really have that explosive athleticism that you see from PG. More of a steady PG with good vision and passing ability. Much like Andre Miller v. 2.0.
He's projected at early 2nd round so he could very well climb up to mid to late 1st round by next year.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:10 AM ^
I agree his lack of explosiveness separates him from 1st round PGs. Thank you so much for not saying he isn't good enough for a lottery pick because he doesn't have a left hand.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:20 AM ^
You do realize Andre Miller was a lottery pick right? 1st round 8th pick 1999 draft, as a senior.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
The link has this quote
An additional year could allow him to develop into a first rounder.
No matter what happens, I do not see him being a lottery pick. There is a big difference between a 1st round pick and a lottery pick.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:50 PM ^
and there is little difference between a non-lottery first round pick in the mids and one in the late 20s.
All 1st rd picks get guaranteed contracts - 2nds do not.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:39 PM ^
people will post anything to get a few hits.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:39 PM ^
No offense to Darius, but does he realize he doesn't have a left hand yet. I don't really believe this after seeing Manny go undrafted.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:57 PM ^
...and then become a starter for Cleveland.
Fixed it for you.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^
...the team that just broke its own record for longest losing streak.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:09 PM ^
I'm a Cavs fan, and I love Manny, but he became a starter after several injuries. He also began starting when Byron Scott wanted to send a message to underperforming starters.
However, after watching Manny, I do believe he has a role in this league as instant offense off the bench. He has the ability to get into the lane and could produce results with the 2nd unit, kind of like Jamal Crawford was.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:46 PM ^
Yes and now that the Cavs are healthy again Manny has been inactive for recent games.
February 21st, 2011 at 3:42 PM ^
This right here is why Darius should stay in school, beyond all the obvious reasons.
February 21st, 2011 at 11:47 PM ^
Do you actually watch the games or just listen to the announcers? Darius has a left. Stop being stupid.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^
Noooo. Although, I would like the Pistons to get him in Round 2 if he did..but nooooo. Darius, you are not ready.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:44 PM ^
I doubt he is "leaning" at all, but if the draft boards have him as a seond rounder then he wouldn't be crazy to go. I mean it isn't like he is going to be a lottery pick even if he stays four years so there isn't much of a difference between second round and mid-first round...
Really strange that they said he was "leaning." He has never said anything about the NBA draft as far as I have read.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^
difference between 2nd round draft pick and middle first round draft pick is a lot of guaranteed money vs. no guaranteed contract, I would say that still means a lot even if he can never become a lottery pick
February 21st, 2011 at 1:45 PM ^
What the heck is the source on Morris 'leaning' towards entering the 2011 draft? Says who?
I don't think there's any debate, he's certainly not NBA ready and he'd be doing a great disservice not only to himself, but to the improvement of our basketball team. We've seen enough of this the past few years in both football and basketball with Manny and Donovan Warren, I can't deal with this again...
February 21st, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^
This feels like an aribtration hearing, where we suddenly have to hammer out all of our own player's flaws to make it look like he's really not that good. I have to agree with most that D Mo is not NBA ready just yet. I think he probably knows this, and therefore whoever wrote this is full of shit
February 21st, 2011 at 1:47 PM ^
but I'd still request that TomVH hold me. Hold us all.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:53 PM ^
Did not see that one coming.
I would be very surprised and think Darius would be making a poor choice if he were to leave. Maybe after next year, but in my mind I had him pegged as at leats a 3 but probably 4 year player. He just does not strike me as an NBA point guard. Hopefully he does not listen to whoever advised Donovan Warren and Manny.
Well if he does go, lets hope Trey Burke is Big 10 ready.
Edit: Did anyone else realize Lucas and Summers are not even in the top 100. I am not shocked, but thought I would see their names somewhere on the list.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:52 PM ^
This one article has been making the rounds (it's from Saturday morning). Who is Aran Smith, and why would he know anything about Morris's leanings when none of the local media has reported anything?
February 21st, 2011 at 1:53 PM ^
he's NBADraft.net's main prospect analyst, he does a pretty decent job generally of projecting the draft and analyzing underclass talent, but I don't think he has any qualifications or inside information about who is thinking about declaring early for the draft..
February 21st, 2011 at 2:00 PM ^
I would avoid panicking until there is further confirmation.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
He's an asshole, sir.
I know that; what's his name?
That is his name, sir, Asshole, Major Asshole!
February 21st, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^
This is where the internet is dangerous.
If you click on the link, this site is from some random NBA Draft site of which there are many. This guy might be credible and he might be in his moms basement. I have no idea. It doesn't appear he has any actual information.
He quotes noboody and we have not heard 1 thing about it in any local newspapers or blogs.
It makes little sense considering where Darius's game is at and the fact there is a good chance the NBA won't be playing much next season due to the lockout.
Despite all the logic this thread will have 100+ replies speculating about Morris's game.
Congrats internet you win today. Despite nothing happening you made it happen.
February 21st, 2011 at 4:49 PM ^
He posted the stupid article at 4:27 a.m.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^
why the hell would darius morris enter the draft and jump straight into a labor strife between the nba and the nba players union. there's a very real possibility that there won't even be an nba season in 2011-2012.
morris is smarter than that. sorry, but its just doesn't make sense for him to leave. sophomores don't leave school early to be second rounds picks in the middle of a potential lockout.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:15 PM ^
somehow you know he is smarter than that? Maybe he isn't
February 21st, 2011 at 3:17 PM ^
he goes to michigan. not ohio state.
February 21st, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^
I'm not sure why everyone thinks he can't become a lottery pick. Evan Turner had a Hell of a senior year and became one. I think he was top 3. Anyway, I think this speaks more about JB's relationship with him. It's common knowledge that the two of them don't get along much like how he was with Manny. It would speak very loudly about how JB and his star players get along.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:00 PM ^
JB helped make Morris who he is.
Many coaches and their star players don't always see eye to eye. But they still respect each other.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^
Do you have anything to base that on other than the little rift they had in December that caused Morris to not start one game?
February 21st, 2011 at 2:06 PM ^
So...you're starting a baseless rumor in a thread based on another baseless rumor. Congratulations. Oh, you talk frequently with Darius and Beilein and have amazing insight into their relationship? Fantastic!!
February 21st, 2011 at 4:52 PM ^
Last word that I heard on that was it has all been figured out. IIRC, I heard that on WTKA on an interview with Sam Webb and one of the asst. coaches.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^
The author of the source article hasn't spoken to Darius, FWIW. Take it with an epic grain of salt.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:13 PM ^
How the hell can you say he's leaning to the NBA when you haven't even talked to the kid? What has journalism come to?
February 21st, 2011 at 4:25 PM ^
is calling this journalism. This is no different than two guys standing around the water-cooler saying "I heard D-Mo was going pro", except there are now several billion people who can hear the conversation.
You wouldn't consider it journalism when it's two guys at the water cooler, so no reason to consider it journalism now (and therefore the fault lies with the OP considering it credible enough to post and fret over, rather than the author throwing conjecture around as substantiated fact)
February 21st, 2011 at 2:14 PM ^
Who would neg you for saying this?
February 21st, 2011 at 2:23 PM ^
I think there are a group of people that just like negging people for the hell of it right now, especially since it doesn't matter.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^
Who would someone neg somebody for asking why they negged someone? Think of the children.
February 21st, 2011 at 2:37 PM ^
There you have it. Delete the thread, or at least include this in the OP.