... that out of all the players on our roster, D James will have the most success at the next level. No disrespect to DJ Augustine or anyone else on the team, but I just see a special something in James.
I was thinking to myself yesterday, that he was the first to take full advantage of GJ in the line-up. The addition of GJ to do the dirty work has left him the opportunity to really expose the other teams SF. I was not sure how well he would handle the 3 spot because of his shooting behind the arc. Seems like he is really flourishing there. He could be gone at the end of the year with Augustin.
i'd be shocked if we didn't lose both DJ and damion to the draft next year. both are studs, and both will make some noise in the NBA.
I think Damion fully intends to test the NBA waters after this season. He nearly said as much after last season when Kevin left. I still believe that Damion has some work to do on his game, but I am preparing myself for life without the two DJs next year.
It is downright amazing how good his jump shot is now. it's not like he is just hot right now either. It's mechanically sound and looks smooth. Really a testament to how hard he must have worked this offseason. That being said, I think there are a lot of guys like him in the Assoc, so i'm not sure he's going to dominate like Aldrige. He would definitely benefit from another year here IMO. I just don't know what we're going to do at the point next year without Augustin. Hope Dougy is the real deal and Brown can help.
If he can learn to handle we will be absolutely ill...and absolutely gone, lol. The guy has a god's body.
He'll be better than Mason. I think he could have a career like Josh Howard, plays the 3 and when the team wants to go small can play the 4. Like Howard he can rebound really for a 3. He can also block shots fairly well. Passing wise he probably won't ever be as a good as Howard but he's offensive game is better. His mid range game is very developed. Will make him a hot commodity whenever he decides to come out.
Damion is lookin really good the last few games and I agree about his shot looking really smooth now. His 3point shots and long jumpers seem more and more effortless.
slow down guys He's made incredible strides this year, no doubt. However, his size and (potential) game is a dime a dozen in the NBA. He's played well the last 4 games which makes it understandable that everyone is annointing him to the NBA, however he'll need to sustain this pace the entire year to even be considered a second round lock next year. He still has a looong way to go before we legitimately talk about him leaving early. however, to the question in the original post....I can't disagree with you that he definitely has the potential to make the largest impact in the NBA
SLX will do his own bragging on this, but even though the guy is 6-8, he's been taking one for the team by playing inside for the last year and a half. With Johnson playing in the post, he's now showing that he's much more comfortable on the wing. I can't think of anyone, when he signed, who believed that James would be a four-year guy.
as long as he maintains his improvement I agree with you, but am not yet ready to say he's leaving after his sophmore year and is a second round lock I do understand, however, that him "improving" has a lot to do with the fact that he's now on the wing vs. banging inside with larger guys.
We better enjoy Dj and Damion this BB season because both will be gone next year. DJ upside is hugh and the GM's already are looking at him. DJ was the main focus of his HS team and he played anywhere he was needed. He is a high energy guy and is solid in all areas except his handle could use a cross over dribble . You have not seen the true Damion yet wait until the middle of the conference schedule when I expect Damion to play more like he did in HS. Gary Johnson is also in the same mold as Damion, an all hustle guy that has a hugh upside but shorter. Barnes is right that this could be a special team. Add DJ Agustin and AJ and we can stay with anybody on any given night. So enjoy the season and the Dance.
Not in Chad Ford's Top 100 draft prospects for next year. It would be hard from him to move up to top 50 from outside of top 100 at this point. He could leave but it would be similar situations as PJ and Gibson leaving.
This story doesn't change. By and large, players don't leave when fans, coaches, or even scouts think they are ready. They leave when they think they are ready, or, when they think they should be ready. I don't look at James as anything close to a polished pro prospect... he's only beginning to show the kinds of skills that will enable him to make the jump. If he continues to improve through the season? That would be different. But thinking it's a done deal today? I'm not on that bandwagon. If an individual player can get drafted and get a guaranteed deal, that's probably in the player's best interest. However, I think all the Florida guys benefited from staying on last season. Keeping this group together next season would be a championship contender.
"James is a special player, but the comparisons of Augustin to Steve Nash and Deron Williams are legit. NBA has become a guards league that thrives on athleticism, so you can see Augustin and James exploding. But I still think Augustin will have a better career because of his position." Augustin is an outstanding dribbler/penetrator/finisher but not in the same league as Nash WRT passing. Nash is 3" taller than Augustin and quicker. Augustin's game is based on intelligence and skill, not athleticism. Augustin will be drafted in the first round. Playing D in the NBA is going to be a challenge because he is short and not exceptionally fast for an NBA point guard.
wow...so exaggerated on both sides here. James absolutely does not have a better jumper than Afflalo. probably Cook as well. I agree the jumper looks a lot better this year. BTW, it was starting to look pretty solid at the end of last year. the form is solid. dude has a really high ceiling, the size and athleticism to play at the next level. but as someone stated above, there are a whole bunch of 6'8 guys who are really athletic in the NBA. and slow down with the Desmond Mason comparisons -- specifically that DJ will exceed what Mason has done. Mason was wildly athletic at OSU and has enjoyed legitimate success at the NBA level. not all-star, but certainly a successful scorer. there would be no shame in "only" duplicating what Mason has done. I think James is a terrific prospect with lots of potential. we might see him get even better before the year is over. he's a great player right now. I've always heard he wouldn't be here long. I def wouldn't be surprised if he's a bona fide mid-to-late first rounder by the end of the year. we might not have much depth, but our starting five is really solid now that GJ is in the lineup. two more things: I wouldn't read much into James not being in Chad Ford's top 100. Ford does a great job, but it's tough to get everybody...especially with the way draft projections work nowdays. PJ Tucker was not in his top 100 at the beginning of his JR season. also...this "he really could use one more year." sans a bona fide top-5 lock like Durant, fans always say these things about players. part of going pro is coming out while there are unknowns. fans will always want these athletes to come back and work on something. see Kyle Russell, Jamal Charles and PJ Tucker.
