Will Trayce Go Pro?

[Honkyman]

The college fan base almost always believes it is too early for a player to go pro. But if an NBA team is willing to draft a player after only one year of college and pay him lots of money,  the case against going to the NBA is usually not as persuasive as the case for going.  I hope TJD has the kind of year that teams want to draft him high in the first round.

 

[fwgreenway]

For some reason I think he might go the Cody route and stay 2 yrs. If he develops the outside shot and right hand this year then maybe not so much as far as staying.

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

99.99999999% of kids aren’t ready to leave. In case anyone wanted to know, basketball is by far the most difficult sport to go pro in where you have a1 in 11,000 something chance of making it. He needs to stay about 3 years. Simply to refine some skills.


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[MikeRoberts]

I'm not even going to think about this and give myself a headache.  We aren't even a third of a way through his freshman season and people are starting to panic that he is a one and done.  Just going to enjoy the whole season as best I can and then worry about who goes and stays after the season is over.  We are getting the cart ahead of the horse here.

No panic, just a legit question Stu poses that is a highly debatable topic and an important one for us. He is a very important piece to our puzzle - this topic isn’t going away, I’m sorry you won’t be engaging in the conversation until April


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[BottomLine]

52 minutes ago, MikeRoberts said:

No panic, just a legit question Stu poses that is a highly debatable topic and an important one for us. He is a very important piece to our puzzle - this topic isn’t going away, I’m sorry you won’t be engaging in the conversation until April


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Just saying the discussion is a bit premature and there are plenty of other things to discuss.  I'll monitor and comment it I think I can add anything significant.  He is certainly a talented young basketball player and I'd love to see him back next year and see him grow.  I'm just not enamored with the rush to get to the next level, unless you are a guaranteed lottery pick. Have seen too many young players get a big head and poor advice and then flame out.   I understand the get the money and run attitude.  I also understand the philosophy of going early and getting to that second contract as a free agent sooner.  That is where the real money is to be had.   However, if you try to jump to the NBA too soon, you run the risk of never getting to that second contract.  I just not excited about over evaluating our players (all Hoosiers do that) and then worrying all year whether they are going to jump ship.  Jackson-Davis is not a complete player yet.  The time for evaluation, in my eyes, should be much closer to the end of the season

[monskisprodigy]

Have thought about this quite a bit...I think he could probably go, but hope he stays 2 years. If he does go, losing a guy like Garcia becomes a whole lot more painful. 

[Napleshoosier]

Not yet! Maybe next year.


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[BtownStrength]

My completely uninformed opinion: Trayce tests the waters this year, gets feedback, and returns. He develops a killer jump shot and gets physically stronger. He averages 22 points 12,rebounds and 3 blocks per game in his sophomore campaign, leading us to a Big Ten Championship and thena Final Four. In the NCAA championship game, he puts up 40 and 20, looking like a young Wilt leading us to a 105-53 win over Maryland. The 2002 heartbreak is avenged. Trayce is then selected with the #1 overall pick and becomes a stellar ambassador for the IU brand during a freakishly successful NBA career. 

Who knows though, just a guess. Anything could happen

[HoosierAloha]

My completely uninformed opinion: Trayce tests the waters this year, gets feedback, and returns. He develops a killer jump shot and gets physically stronger. He averages 22 points 12,rebounds and 3 blocks per game in his sophomore campaign, leading us to a Big Ten Championship and thena Final Four. In the NCAA championship game, he puts up 40 and 20, looking like a young Wilt leading us to a 105-53 win over Maryland. The 2002 heartbreak is avenged. Trayce is then selected with the #1 overall pick and becomes a stellar ambassador for the IU brand during a freakishly successful NBA career. 
Who knows though, just a guess. Anything could happen

I believe he’ll average about 8 assists per too. He’ll have teams triple and quad teaming him.


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[cchuntsman]

Like many have said, he needs to work on his jumper  and perimeter defense, but he also hasn’t shown he can use his right hand in his post moves.  No way he goes any sooner than late first if he leaves after this year.  He’ll be back.  

[Bobman1]

Part in IU’s favor is that Trayce seems to be very Indiana and Hoosier oriented. He’s definitely looked at Cody Zeller and seen the jump he made after another year of school. He’s also extremely close with Armaan and also Leal and Galloway.

I think if TJD realizes the importance of him staying another year and sees a potential tourney run in store for year 2 he’ll stay. That’s without mentioning his jumpshot that an NBA 4 needs to have.


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[Aeggie]

The way that Trayce is playing there's a chance he earns a first round grade and if he earns a first round grade, who knows? If he's going to get a guaranteed deal and a couple years to develop while collecting a pro check that's a tough deal to turn down.

Does he need to learn to shoot? Yeah, sure, if he's trying to be a lottery pick. If he's okay with going in the second half of the first round and maybe spending some time in the G league I think he has a real chance if he continues to perform well throughout Big Ten play. That's a big if but if an NBA team took a look at his FT% and convinced themselves that they could teach Trayce to shoot they wouldn't be the first team to take on a prospect with that in mind.

Trayce has been way outperforming my expectations and I think a lot of other people's as well. If he can keep it up he has a real chance to play into the first round especially after the success of smaller "bigs" like Draymond Green and now Brandon Clarke. He could come back anyway, or grade out just outside of the first round if he is more up and down in conference play but he really has been fantastic.

[Alford Bailey]

Another B1G freshmen of the week award for TJD

[Uspshoosier]

Another B1G freshmen of the week award for TJD

I believe that makes him tied with Cockburn for the most so far


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[VO5]

17 hours ago, Aeggie said:

The way that Trayce is playing there's a chance he earns a first round grade and if he earns a first round grade, who knows? If he's going to get a guaranteed deal and a couple years to develop while collecting a pro check that's a tough deal to turn down.

Does he need to learn to shoot? Yeah, sure, if he's trying to be a lottery pick. If he's okay with going in the second half of the first round and maybe spending some time in the G league I think he has a real chance if he continues to perform well throughout Big Ten play. That's a big if but if an NBA team took a look at his FT% and convinced themselves that they could teach Trayce to shoot they wouldn't be the first team to take on a prospect with that in mind.

Trayce has been way outperforming my expectations and I think a lot of other people's as well. If he can keep it up he has a real chance to play into the first round especially after the success of smaller "bigs" like Draymond Green and now Brandon Clarke. He could come back anyway, or grade out just outside of the first round if he is more up and down in conference play but he really has been fantastic.

I really don’t think there’s any chance Trayce gets to a first round grade this year, unless he somehow starts using his right hand and hitting jumpers. Trayce is 6’8 and plays center for us right now. In the NBA, he would be expected to play more like OG does right now because his post moves will not work with his height and against NBA length. This is really great for us because I think it puts Trayce here about 3 years. Of course he could always leave early, but I don’t see him gaining a consistent jumper, perimeter skills, and using his right hand in only 1 year. I love Trayce and hes already a beast in college, but the NBA would absolutely eat him alive right now. 

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

Here is what people don’t understand, Trayce isn’t going to go to the NBA to be an offensive weapon. He will clean up some messes and catch some lobs. He’s going to go to the NBA to block shots, contest shots and rebound. To play a small ball 5 and the 4 when teams want to go big.


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[VO5]

6 minutes ago, Loaded Chicken Sandwich said:

Here is what people don’t understand, Trayce isn’t going to go to the NBA to be an offensive weapon. He will clean up some messes and catch some lobs. He’s going to go to the NBA to block shots, contest shots and rebound. To play a small ball 5 and the 4 when teams want to go big.


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He needs to be a threat. Teams that go small have their 5 hitting 3s. As a small 5, no way would he be able to guard other NBA 5s on the block or on the perimeter. Not a chance he could guard a current NBA 4. There are a few 5s that exist as shot blockers and clean up guys, but they’re 7 footers with extreme athleticism. Guys like Capela, McGee, etc. he’s not tall enough to do that in the current league

[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

He needs to be a threat. Teams that go small have their 5 hitting 3s. As a small 5, no way would he be able to guard other NBA 5s on the block or on the perimeter. Not a chance he could guard a current NBA 4. There are a few 5s that exist as shot blockers and clean up guys, but they’re 7 footers with extreme athleticism. Guys like Capela, McGee, etc. he’s not tall enough to do that in the current league

He is 6-9. Capela is 6-10. And Capela can hit the broad side of a barn from just about anywhere. Tristan Thompson is the same height as TJD at 6-9 254.


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[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

Capela would eat up TJD this year.


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Capela is also in his 6th season in the NBA. Do you know what Capela did in his first season? He played 12 games.


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[Loaded Chicken Sandwich]

NBA teams often draft on potential. Who is to say one doesn’t snag TJD in the first and let him develop for a couple of years?

It’s the most likely option. Sabonis has been a very good PF this season. Dude can’t shoot outside 15 feet. He’s not a shot blocker. He can score and rebound. He scores heavily with his left.


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