BGleas

If TJD were to leave and end up with a 2-way contract, he'd most likely play in the NBA next season and make 6-figures doing it. Sure, he'd also play in the G-League, but he'd be working in an NBA system with NBA level coaches (not saying Woodson isn't an NBA level coach, more alluding to the system and the rest of the staffs) and he'd get at least some time with the NBA club he's with to prove himself. I mean, Sam Hauser had a 2-way contract with the Celtics and played in 26 games for them and has been dressed for playoff games. Juwan Morgan was a 2-way player and started two playoff games that year for Utah. Is it an easy road? No. But most 2-way guys at least get a shot. It's an easier road than 20-30 years ago when there wasn't a G-League or 2-Way contracts.

Agree on Bates. It would be huge if he makes a big leap. With that said, I also don't think Bates ascending would really impact Galloway's minutes. Lots of perimeter minutes between XJ, JHS, Bates, Galloway and Kopp.

Agree that his minutes will decrease, how much will depend like you said on how well he shoots and also how much a guy like Bates improves.

There's a lot more to the game than shooting, and Galloway does almost all of the other facets better than any wing we have. There was a reason we were winning until he got hurt, then we won when he came back from the wrist, then went on a swoon in February when he hurt the groin, and then finally started winning again when he came back in March. The guys wins. The guys plays good defense, is our best play maker in transition, plays with pace, and creates and finishes at the rim. He'll keep his regular 6th man minutes and pick up some of Phinisee's minutes. I really can't see any scenario where his minutes go down. Bates will fight Kopp for the other wing minutes with Galloway in the mix there as well, and JHS will pick up Stewart's minutes and probably some of Phinisee's as well.

Like I said, I think he's the 6th man. I also don't consider him a "shooting guard", if that's even a thing anymore.

He already warrants significant playing time. He was in most of our best lineups last season.

Like I said, I think Galloway's attributes are probably best as the 6th man, so if he made a leap I could see Bates grabbing a starting spot next to XJ and JHS. If Bates doesn't make a huge leap, then you have Galloway and Bates getting minutes behind XJ, JHS and Kopp (who will play less minutes whether he starts or not). Plenty of guard/wing minutes for both Galloway and Bates. But again, I see very few, if any, plausible scenarios where Galloway's minutes go down. Outside of shooting, he does so many other things at a high level.

I will be extremely surprised if Galloway's minutes go down next year. I see very few plausible scenarios where that happens. He was one of our most important players last season. There was a reason he was often in our closing lineups and a reason things went south when he was injured. I tend to think his talents are best suited in a 6th man role, but I also think it's more likely he starts than his minutes go down. He's so important to what IU does and I think having JHS along with XJ actually helps him.

It's a mixed bag at worst probably. Zeller's freshmen year IU went to the Sweet Sixteen Yogi's freshmen year IU won the Big Ten and went to the Sweet Sixteen Vonleh's freshmen year team clearly wasn't very good JBJ's freshmen year IU went to the tournament Bryant's freshmen year IU won the Big Ten and went to the Sweet Sixteen Then you have Langford and TJD, though wasn't TJD the Covid year where IU would have made the tournament if it wasn't canceled? So you have 5 tournament apperances (counting TJD's year), 3 Sweet Sixteen's, and two Big Ten Titles out of those 7 seasons. Given IU's recent history that's actually pretty good!

I hear what you're saying, but not sure about the comments on freshmen, especially JHS. I don't see why we wouldn't count on JHS as a contributor? Outside of Kristian Lander, every 5* recruit IU has had over the last decade+ has been an immediate contributor/starter from day 1. Zeller Yogi Vonleh JBJ Bryant Langford TJD All 5*'s, several ranked right around where JHS is ranked and all immediate, day 1 starters and contributors.

Spot on. Draft guarantees are not given out willy nilly.

All good, thanks! On your point though, that's exactly how it happens. Again, I agree he doesn't have any guarantee now, it's way too early, but if we're approaching the deadline (I think 6/1l and he still hasn't pulled out of the draft then my assumption will be he either has a guarantee or his agent is working the channels to get one. It tells me at least one team he's worked out for is expressing enough interest that he's at least not ready to pull out yet. Again, not today or even the next week, but if he's still in as the deadline approaches. I think if TJD ultimately stays in the draft then he either has a late 1st round or high 2nd round guarantee or at least enough interest/intel that he's extremely confident he'll go in that range.

I mean, there's not an ironclad rule book. I also don't think it's often where you're seeing guarantees at the like pick 53. It's generally in the first round into the first 5-10 picks of the 2nd round. Have teams made a guarantee and then backed out? Sure, it's happened, but for the most part teams stick to it. GM's are playing the long game for the most part. They have relationships to maintain with players and agents, etc. For example, these players quite often share agents. So while ticking off a player like TJD by guaranteeing him at pick 28 and then not taking him might not seem like a big deal, but what if TJD shares an agent with an upcoming free agent on your team that you want to resign? What if TJD shares an agent with a couple free agents that you're getting ready to target when free agency opens in the week or two after the draft? The NBA is a small world and getting a reputation as someone that doesn't negotiate in good faith is not something GM's want.

I don't claim to know everything or have all the answers, far from from it. But between the two of us, I'm am the one that has literally been in the draft war room multiple times with an NBA team and attended numerous pre-draft workouts. Doesn't make me right, but I'm comfortable with my experience on this topic. Not sure why you felt the need to be so aggressive or condescending?

At the 60th pick you're probably better off going undrafted. I don't TJD is staying in the draft if 60th is the best he can do.

I agree that it is too early in the process, as we haven't had the combine yet and pre-draft workouts are just beginning to get scheduled, so it's very early in the process. With that said, NBA teams give draft promises fairly often and almost always stick to them. It's very bad form in the NBA for a team to get a reputation for not following through on draft promises.

Yup, especially if he rides his decision out right up until the deadline. If he does that, then it tells me he's fishing for a promise from a team, which happens all of the time in the NBA.

Right. Kopp and Stewart losing minutes the last few games was because Galloway and Phinisee were back. Had nothing to do with Geronimo.

Even crazier!

Would be absolutely shocked if this happened, but man it would be fun to see Izzo's head explode if it did.

I'll go with the white team winning that one, since you're running a 3-bigs lineup on the red team :)

Well documented that I don't believe JG is a wing, but I'm done with that debate, can't take an entire offseason of that. With that said, JG is not getting wing minutes over Galloway. I'm not saying Kopp is what we need either, I just wouldn't think Kopp would stay if Bates, Galloway and JG are all hoping him in the lineup.

I'm 43. If I had his earnings today I would retire. I don't mean sit home and watch Judge Judy all day, but definitely would not be working for anyone else. I'd be in complete control of my time and the type of things (work included) that I spend it on.

Hey, make him a wing! Just having some fun guys :)

I would be interested in your analysis that makes you think JG is a good perimeter defender? I've had this conversation several times with @btownqb and we can both speak on exactly where he struggles and why he isn't as of now.