Hamidou Diallo to Test Waters (UPDATE: DIALLO TO RETURN TO UK)

[George]

Can anyone here speak to the difference in the development process during a season at Kentucky vs. a season in the D-League? I'm all for Diallo playing here next season, but it does seem strange to think he'd become a better NBA player by playing in college, as opposed to playing in the NBA's developmental league.

Do NBA GMs just toss their guys into the D-League and watch what happens, or do coaches and trainers from each organization spend quality time with those players to help them improve?

[Joneslab]

Cal and his staff would be much more equipped to develop young players than the D-League.

Same with Coach K and Self and Roy Williams and a bunch of these college coaching staffs. American college basketball is still the best instructional league in the world. All the future pros are here or in the European/South American/Asian professional leagues. You've got rosters in the D-League made up entirely of guys who'll never step on an NBA court.

But a risk w/r/t development is that you fall into a James Young situation and don't even play in the D-League. You're a guy who sits on the end of an NBA bench as you bide your time and hope a couple of guys leave so you can take their spot. That's the twilight world where you see a lot of these players fizzle.

[Joneslab]

Having said all that, the obvious--and massive--drawback of American college basketball is that you come to UK and you're still a college student.

You play in the D-League and you still are working under that NBA contract if you're a first rounder. Your whole family is set up. You might be playing for Coach...Googling...Eugene Burroughs of the Delaware 87ers, but you're doing it while making first-round money.

[George]

I wish I hadn't watched this. I really like his game.

[85 Fly]

I heard on the telecast that "two-way players " make $75K in Dleague. Cal was saying Hami needs to weigh out too would he be willing to be the Dleague for maybe couple years? The travel & hotel not top-notch like NBA.

[J.Jennings]

Hami should just take out a insurance policy for protection and come back to Kentucky and develop. Yes he will make money in the D league buy why not enjoy being a kid while you still can? I don't think any of us UK fans would let him starve whie he's at Kentucky, he would be okay long enough until this time next year....

[Friendsofcoal]

You're too funny! You want me to buy you a Rolls Royce today or wait another year?

[Friendsofcoal]

If he gets a first round gauarantee then I'm sorry but he's gone and I can't blame him one bit.

[TrueblueCATfan]

^ heck no I do not blame him one bit......this is their dream

[Lighthouse]

Hey Matt,

[Matt Dillon]

Hey Matt,

Me or Matt Colvin?

[SBCatMan]

For somewhat "selfish" reasons, I'd love to see Diallo come back. I keep reading about his freakish athleticism and I'd really like to be able to watch him for a year just to witness those skills. However, given that his alleged weakness is his lack of "feel for the game" and his "shooting," I am not sure that the team would not be better served by the experience and proven 3-point skills of Cam Johnson, especially if he stayed for his remaining 2 years.

[Joneslab]

For somewhat "selfish" reasons, I'd love to see Diallo come back. I keep reading about his freakish athleticism and I'd really like to be able to watch him for a year just to witness those skills. However, given that his alleged weakness is his lack of "feel for the game" and his "shooting," I am not sure that the team would not be better served by the experience and proven 3-point skills of Cam Johnson, especially if he stayed for his remaining 2 years.

This is assuming that Cam Johnson will be the kind of all-around player who won't hurt you in other areas.

Some guys shoot the lights out but they aren't beneficial in any other way. Diallo might be a mediocre shooter but such an explosive defender/rebounder/whatever that he negates the poor shooting.

And a lot of athletes are branded as bad shooters and it sometimes doesn't turn out that way. I heard Malik Monk was a poor shooter all last summer.

[DA#23]

^ Might is the operative word. Doesn't matter what is under the hood if you can't drive. With Monk we saw a guy that could have been a much better all around player in college than he was, even though he was just a freshman. Measurements help you gauge a player's potential. But their ceiling and actual ability is far more complex.

As has been said ad nauseum, we still haven't seen Hamidou play college basketball. I thought Monk would have been able to will himself into far more "power moves" than he did on offense, and I thought he and Fox both could have been playing solid defense with the occasional WOW play that resulted from good instincts combined with a little extra human ability.

[Joneslab]

Monk was pretty much what I thought he would be, which was a superhuman freak on the offensive end.

Re: defense: freshmen generally struggle defensively. Monk was also physically weak. Had also picked up that habit in high school of leaning on that two-power-dribble-then-pull-up jumper from 17 feet, which wasn't really a weakness. That move and shot was mostly devastating.

Still the guy was a second-team All-American. If we get Diallo back and he replicates that then he'll be a top five pick next year.