Loaded Chicken Sandwich

Athletically? I couldn't really tell you off the top of my head. I just think it's a bad point against guys who are good at basketball or a guy like Edey who brings something completely different, his size. It's something that gets used, though is getting replaced by the "he can't shoot" thing. Which I also really really hate in the NBA. As if somehow now coaches can't figure out how to get guys into spots on offense that can't shoot.

Sure, but how many 7+ footers hold their own against guards in the NBA? Sure Edey would be screwed. But so are Zubac, Valanciunas, Nurkic, Gobert etc. NBA guards are just good. He'd probably get out under a microscope but he'd get torched like any other big man on the perimeter. Cody Zeller is one of the fastest 7 footers I've seen and it ain't like he could ever keep up.

Off the top of my head Kyle Anderson and Boris Diaw are/was about as unathletic as it gets. Both super high IQs. Does Edey fit into that? I don't know. He definitely knows how to use his size. He's Yao Ming Lite. I'd think that has a place in the league somewhere. I do think he's an upgraded version of Boban(who randomly dominates at times when he's in).

I think a lot of NBA executives feel the same way about Edey as fans do. We can hate Purdue and everything but the dude isn't Tacko Fall or like any of Purdues past big men. He's waaaay better and that seems pretty clear. It's also clear that the NBA has without a doubt gone away from specialist. Athletic or not. Edey would kind of be in the specialist category as he'd have a very specific role. But I do think he could contribute. It takes a creative coach, one I don't think the NBA really has anymore or maybe the coaches have just forgotten what it was like before just heaving 3s.

It's an extreme example but he and Luka have proved the athletic part of scouting is very overrated. Look at the amount of bust there have been just because they are going after raw athletes with potential. It's pretty common obviously. And the dudes who "have no place in the NBA" like Jokic or even Draymond Green, turn out to be really good. Simply because they just know basketball. There are obviously super athletes like LeBron, Kobe or MJ . But their Ball IQ are off the charts as well.My point is, if dudes are good at basketball and have IQs, there shouldn't be a reason they aren't in the league and be able to find a place. I personally believe it's a problem with the league itself.

Okay... I'm confused here. I literally said he's the best player in the league. He's also incredibly unathletic. Slow, can't jump, isn't explosive etc. The opposite of what teams look for. Yet, his skill makes it all not matter. You don't have to be athletic to be good at basketball and succeed.

Yes. Which throws out any points about a players athleticism in the NBA. Skill itself can take one pretty far.

Yea I do watch. And Jokic is one of the most unathletic people I've watched play basketball in my life. Everything he does is at a max of 5 inches off the ground.

Good players are taken 2nd round often. Athleticism or lack thereof is really no excuse considering the best player in the league is Nikola Jokic and not too far from him is Luka Doncic. Hulls and Edey aren't on the same level. Hulls was a great shooter but Edey is arguably the most dominant of this century.

Kansas 98 Indiana 70

I would question why any players from IU are getting any NIL money from other schools. Even from IU.

It's still an advantage at the rim. Teams won't be feeding him in the post obviously but looking at room protectors that aren't exactly Speedy Gonzalez like Gobert, Kessler or even big bodies like Zubac, Nurkic and Valanciunas. Edey surprisingly had some decent agility scores at the combine last season. Will he find a spot in the NBA? No clue. But it's a pretty ridiculous time in the sport when really good basketball players can't find a spot, considering how some mediocre and worse players can find a spot.

Every title team has a dude that doesn't stuff the stat sheet but is a great glue guy. All great teams do. But CJ Gunn? Plenty of those too. We've had them. Great athletes who couldn't perform. Guys like Hanner and Geronimo. Hell if Ethan Morton can have a role on arguably the best team in the nation the last 2 seasons, I think Leal could on a team who is on a path to miss the NCAA tourney.

They don't have to beg for guys who can just play and know basketball. Because they have had them. We have had a guy like Gunn. It didn't work. He's at Maryland now. He's at Western Kentucky now. He's at Missouri now.

Leal doesn't need to have a great handle. He just needs to be in the right spots and have enough handles to keep the ball and take a few dribbles. He doesn't have a worse handle than Gunn. Only thing Gunn has on Leal is athleticism. But that athleticism is basically useless because of Gunns inability to just play basketball.

Yes, I think someone who understands the game more than anyone else on the team, someone who doesn't need the ball, someone who makes quick reads and passes and moves the ball(something this team can't do), someone who knows the system... Like we've been begging for dudes like Leal. To just have one. Purdue, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Virginia etc always have a guy like it and we want one. We have one and refuse to play him.

Think about being a coach and not playing a kid who will help you win and instead play a kid who isn't ready and hurts you while he's on the floor in the name of "potential." That's a bad coach.

In all seriousness, Gunn hasn't proved to be better than Leal. Anytime Leal has been on the floor, he's looked better than Gunn. And Gunn has his moments, but it's almost always followed up by a really bad play that negates the good.

Leal > Gunn Until Gunn actually proves otherwise.

None. But I do a Top 25 weekly and I'm assuming that's what he's mentioning. I am harsher on IU at times. Though I give in to my biases as much as anyone else would. Used for the tourney? I don't know. But Indiana isn't anywhere near a tourney team at the moment.

Correct. I have a higher standard for IU most of the time.

I mean as of now? Yea. Unfortunately, our numbers really really really suck. And the only two teams worth a mention have wiped the floor with us. Out of the entire bunch, Nebraska looks like the only team closest to "on the fence." And I don't even think they'd be a tourney team right now. Big Ten is sitting in a super rough place. Personally, I'm happy it is. The conference can only underperform for so long before someone with a brain in the B1G leadership realizes changes are needed.

That shouldn't be too difficult. Lucas was good at kickoff return. Absolutely horrid at punt return. Terrible as a RB. Meh as a WR.

The field has got to be pretty poor to get 8 in. Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Ohio State, Wisconsin look like the best bets. Without great Big Ten schedule showings... Michigan? Nope. Iowa? Nope. Michigan State? Nope. Rutgers? Nope. Penn State? Nope. Maryland? Nope. Minnesota? Nope. Indiana? Nope. Nebraska? On the fence.

A little late today but it'll be alright.