D.J Wilson trending up in multiple NBA mock drafts per Wolverine 247

Submitted by mGrowOld on

General consensus around here was Wilson made a mistake keeping his name in the draft but 6 of 7 NBA mock drafts think otherwise.  From the 247 article:

BleacherReport — 24th, Utah. Prior — none.

Sports Illustrated — 24th, Utah. Prior — 28th.

NBADraft.net — 25th, Orlando.  Prior — none.

DraftExpress — 27th, Brooklyn. Prior — 30th.

SB Nation — 29th, San Antonio.  Prior — 17th.

NBC Sports — 30th, Utah. Prior — none.

Only the Sporting News mock had him falling outside of round one and they rated him as the 30th best prospect available.  Although time will tell it seems that people outside of our little community of experts think he's making the right choice in leaving.

http://michigan.247sports.com/Bolt/DJ-Wilson-trending-up-in-NBA-Mock-Drafts-52954882

 

 

wolverine2010

May 30th, 2017 at 11:59 PM ^

Need help. I am getting married July 1 and unfortunately I live in South Bend and my pictures will be in ND stadium. I am looking to buy a custom football jersey where I can get my name and a specific number on it. Problem is I cannot find a 2XL jersey on any sites. Is there anywhere out there that anyone knows of that does this?

stephenrjking

May 31st, 2017 at 12:15 AM ^

What do you need the custom number for? If M-Den is out of stock, there probably won't be a restock until new shipments come in for the next season. No idea when those come, but it's a bit late to hope they'll be in on time. If you can accept a #1 or a #4 and have a local print shop do a custom job, that might be the way to go. 

ska4punkkid

May 31st, 2017 at 7:10 PM ^

My wife is a wedding photographer and unless you are really big ND fans, or if the photographer is just using the old architecture in the stadium and no one will know it's actually ND stadium, I don't get the location. But to each their own!

stephenrjking

May 31st, 2017 at 12:13 AM ^

I don't know that there was consensus. Sure, a lot of people thought it was a mistake, but a lot more (like me) weren't positive and figured it was wise if he gets taken in the first round.

I wanted him to come back because I think he could've blown up next year, but the tools that equip him to do that also equip him to be a solid NBA player, and if some late-30s guy with no basketball management or playing experience can see that, so can NBA people who have been immersed in the game their whole lives.

The verdict will be rendered on draft day, but if he gets a first-round pick, I think he's made the right choice. 

gremlin3

May 31st, 2017 at 12:36 AM ^

1. Teams learn what we have heard: Utah has promised they will take DJ with one of its picks--24 or 30

2. Teams feign interest in DJ to force Utah to take Wilson with #24. Result is Utah gets Wilson + 30th best player instead of Wilson + 24th best player.

I am an evil genius!

remdog

May 31st, 2017 at 12:41 AM ^

It looked like a bad decision. But current projections suggest it is a good decision. I think people were reacting based on prior information but opinions were still mixed based on uncertainty. Most thought he was first round caliber if he chose correctly. I would bet the consensus would be in favor of his decision if he goes in the first round.

Marley Nowell

May 31st, 2017 at 1:12 AM ^

I thought he made the right move. Unless he totally blew up next year the NBA harshly judges players who "stay in cookies too long" and "don't have upside." His D&3s skill set makes him a perfect Stretch PF in the NBA that someone will take in the 1st Round.

bronxblue

May 31st, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^

His defense was fine, but he rebounded at a rate per KenPom (16.4) quite low for a guy with a huge wingspan and athleticism. And when he played top teams, his rebounding suffered even more. He's a good player and I think he'll get a shot to be a rotation player in the NBA, but he has holes in his game that could hurt him going forward and he isn't enough of an offensive Dynamo to offset for them.

TrueBlue2003

May 31st, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^

it was excellent.  And yes, rebounding is a ? but Michigan had an interesting rebounding philosophy the last couple years with Walton being so good.  They'd just ask the bigs to box out (which obviously DJ didn't always do) and let Walton grab the board.

DJs overall success will depend on motor and focus.  If he plays hard and smart, he could be an all-star because he has the talent.  But if he doesn't, he could be out of the league in three years.

bronxblue

May 31st, 2017 at 9:42 AM ^

His defense was fine, but he rebounded at a rate per KenPom (16.4) quite low for a guy with a huge wingspan and athleticism. And when he played top teams, his rebounding suffered even more. He's a good player and I think he'll get a shot to be a rotation player in the NBA, but he has holes in his game that could hurt him going forward and he isn't enough of an offensive Dynamo to offset for them.

Everyone Murders

May 31st, 2017 at 7:34 AM ^

I was among the throng that thought he should come back, but glad to see these projections.  I hope he's able to put on some weight, sustain his intensity, and have great success in the NBA.

I still think he could have been a lottery pick had he come back, but am hoping he goes in the first round into a team that will properly develop him.  Great to see a good kid have good prospects.

UMICH1606

May 31st, 2017 at 8:17 AM ^

Well 90 percent of the UM fanbase is pretty clueless about basketball, basketball recruiting, and the NBA. It shouldn't surprise anyone that their hot takes are always wrong. UM fans don't really care about basketball. Crisler isn't the home court advantage that it should be.

Dylan

May 31st, 2017 at 9:22 AM ^

I've always felt it's because we are used to being the best / at the best for everything and it's a tough pill to swallow knowing we will never be an elite, blue-blood, basketball school pulling-in five stars every year.

Hard to be as excited for a lesser product than what is in the huge stadium next door.

UMICH1606

May 31st, 2017 at 8:20 AM ^

This same thread happened when GR3 left. They had it again when he fell to the 2nd round. His next contract will be 80 plus million dollars. The only mistake GR3 made was leaving a year too late.

bronxblue

May 31st, 2017 at 8:48 AM ^

I never spoke ill of him leaving, but (a) these are just projections, and unless he has a deal in place with Utah there is still some uncertainty of where he'd be drafted, and (b) he could have stayed and, with improvement, gone in the lottery. Yes he'll get paid, but there are strong arguments to be made that he took a risk.

WorldwideTJRob

May 31st, 2017 at 8:58 AM ^

The odds of him going in the lottery next year are slim to none. 5-6 of the spots are locked by Porter Jr., Bamba, Ayton, Sexton, Bridges, and Diallo. Then you have to sprinkle in a few international prospects we've never heard of and some freshman that may play better than expected. This is the modern NBA draft, they care less and less about what you do on the floor especially if you are an upperclassman. They're looking for the next 18-20 year old star who can be the cornerstone if their franchise for the next 15 years.

WorldwideTJRob

May 31st, 2017 at 8:51 AM ^

He made the best decision for himself, most of the people upset are just doing so because he would've made our team better next year. DJ will be 22 if he entered the draft next year I doubt his stock would rise that much higher regardless of what he did in the floor for us next year.

StephenRKass

May 31st, 2017 at 9:07 AM ^

I'm happy for DJ. Sorry for Michigan, but think he made the right decision. When you look at projected first round guys, they are mostly freshmen, with a few sophomores and juniors sprinkled in. I don't recall a single senior projected to go in the draft. Unless you clearly don't have a chance to go in the first, or love school, or have other options, this appears to be the right decision. Even if he is the last player in the first round, there is guaranteed money, right? For most of us, that chunk of change would make a difference.

uncle leo

May 31st, 2017 at 9:07 AM ^

But someone on UM Hoops who is one of the "tapped in" posters said that Cam Johnson is visiting on Friday. 

Again, no idea how much truth, but that would be nice.

Stay.Classy.An…

May 31st, 2017 at 9:25 AM ^

I just don't get people caring so much about kids leaving early for the draft (NBA or NFL). Anybody that thinks DJ would some how "benefit" from another year at Michigan are being very short-sided. Based on his draft projections, he can earn between 1.1 million and 976,000 thousand dollars with slight increases every year for 3 years. Which is more money than most of us will see in our lives. He can come back and finish his degree whenever he wants, so the education argument is pointless. Secondly, we are most often the first ones to say "if you don't like to compete, then we don't want you". So when a kid wants to compete against the highest level of competition in the world, all of sudden he's wrong and not thinking it through? I know fandom makes us all say and do things that aren't always appropriate, but there is a huge difference between "not wanting" him to go (because I didn't want him to either) and he "shouldn't go" (which he absolutely should go). 

AlwaysBlue

May 31st, 2017 at 10:12 AM ^

he won't take the path of many athletes, blow his money and wash out in a few years. The knock on DJ is lack of consistency and strength, two things he could have addressed either way he went. Had he stayed and improved them he most certainly would have gone higher next draft. Judging by his comments he knows he will need to if he's going to have any NBA success.

Stay.Classy.An…

May 31st, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^

and, he has a better chance of improving both strength and consistency in the NBA. He can focus literally all of his time on getting bigger and stronger, working on his post game and his outside shot. My only real disagreement with you is how far up he would have moved in the draft to make coming back to school worth it. IMO, it would have been worth it to earn an extra million dollars up front, so he would need to be drafted in the top 11 (per the 16-17 numbers) in order to achieve that. 1) I don't think he does that if he comes back based on a boatload of talented one and dones entering the draft next year. 2) He has already been injured and is putting himself at real risk (albeit, for a big reward) of getting hurt and then having teams shy away from him because of the "injury bug". 

Craptain Crunch

May 31st, 2017 at 10:13 AM ^

As Michigan fans, we will obviously be selfish in hoping that these kids stay and continue to help the team. But putting oneself in their shoes, one would do EXACTLY what they are doing if the potential to not just go pro but make a boat load of money was staring us in the face. It is easy to nit pick on a message board but has anyone on here had to ever go through the decisions that DJ has had to make over the last few months at the same age? I highly doubt it. 

CarlosSpicyweiner21

May 31st, 2017 at 10:49 AM ^

Do you understand why they are saying it is a mistake? Most feel he isn't near strong enough to play enough. Sure he can get a basic rookie contract and make money. Most felt he could use another year of building size and proving his year wasn't a fluke. He could have played into the lottery.

cletus318

May 31st, 2017 at 11:34 AM ^

Most rookies aren't ready to play major minutes early, especially for a good team, and that will have nothing to do with his contract. Truth be told, the major money is in the second contract anyway. As I said before, DJ will turn 22 next year. Go see how many players that age have gone in the lottery over the past decade, and then compare the ones who did to Wilson as a college player. DJ would have to make an unprecedented leap to get into the lottery.