Take Wes' Words With A Few Million Grains Of Salt
by Sean Keeley on Mar 26, 2010 5:23 PM EDT
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"Johnson Says He's Leaning Toward Staying at Syracuse." Hoy boy, if that's not a loaded headline...
It might actually convince some SU fans to hold out hope as well. That is, if not for when Johnson said what he said.
"Losing like this is very hurtful,'' Johnson said. "It makes me lean toward going back to school. So I don't really put too much thought about going to the next level.''
Johnson was asked if the top-seeded Orange losing this early in the tournament makes it more likely he will stay as opposed to if they had made a deep tournament run.
"Yeah,'' he said. "Nobody likes to lose, especially to lose like this, the way we played with all those turnovers. But it's really undecided (going to the NBA).''
Emotional comments made mere minutes after the most soul-crushing defeat in your entire athletic career are always to be treated with just a little bit of apprehension. Syracuse fans know this all too well.
Just last year Jonny Flynn, Paul Harris and Eric Devendorf were asked the same question. While Paul admitted for the first time that he had thoughts of leaving, Jonny continued to play coy. Meanwhile Devo flat-out said he was coming back for another year.
In other words, Wes' words are appreciated but no SU fan should really expect him to stay.
By the way, reading over that post last year reminded me of this sad Paul Harris quote that has now become downright heartbreaking:
"People would say, ‘When you get to the NBA, don’t forget me,’ " Harris said Thursday in the Syracuse locker room. "One time, a guy said it as he was walking away. I said, ‘Wait a minute. What if I don’t get to the NBA? Don’t you forget about me.’ "
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Honestly I don't see how staying another year helps or hurts.
I mean yeah, he’s old. But whenever I hear people around the draft talk about Wes, it’s that he’s a proven commodity. He sounds like the type of player that when he goes to the NBA, the team that drafts him is going to get what they see. And that is a deadly spot shooter with good high post moves and good court vision. It doesn’t sound like many people hold out on the idea of him vastly improving as he gets older. So honestly staying another year isn’t going to hurt much besides him being a year older. And quite honestly, the age of NBA players never really matters, its the amount of games played that really matters. Kobe Bryant is scoring about as much in his Age 31 season as Michael Jordan did in his Age 34 season (Age 35 would probably be more similar if Jordan didn’t, you know, retire). So if Wes does come back, I don’t see it as hurting his NBA future at all, the only thing it could possibly hurt is his draft position by maybe like 5 or ten picks, and that’s slot money besides the fact.
Unless he gets hurt...
Or some other unforeseen obstacle rears its head.
I lvoed watching Wes this year and would be selfishly THRILLED if he returned for another season. But (a) he’d be crazy to come back, and (b) as Sean pointed-out, he absolutely is not coming back.
Wes, thanks for the memories. Good luck.
"Size matters. At least in basketball." - James Arthur Boeheim
by Bernie Fine is the Man on Mar 26, 2010 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
Contract
If Wes won’t gain anything by staying he HAS to leave. The 2 year rookie contract in the NBA stipulates a non-negotiable salary. These rookie contracts are fairly low-paying. So, it would behoove the player to enter into the rookie contract when he is as young as possible. This way he’ll be done with it sooner. After the 2 years are up he renegotiate or get traded and receive a MUCH higher paying contract. Therefore, even 1 year extra in the NBA could yield literally millions of dollars. Also, this ignores any endorsements that he would get immediately.
Wes needs to do what's best for Wes
He needs to enter the draft THIS year. “Not only is he likely a top prospect, but the league could have a lockout in 2011-12, which could leave players taken in the 2011 draft looking for somewhere to play.” http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/03/26/johnson-says-hes-leaning-toward-staying-at-syracuse/
I’ve been a Syracuse fan for 33 years. This year’s team was a great bunch of kids. I would hate for Wes to lose his chance in the NBA. Wes has been in college for 4 years (between Iowa and Syracuse) and given more than we could ask. We should tell him good luck and that we will be rooting for him in the NBA.
Thanks Wes and good luck. Our door is always open. Come back and watch a game any time.
I would whole-heartedly applaud Wes if he leaves
not because I want to make Syracuse’s battle harder next year, but because he’s been such a damn good kid. I wish I had the opportunity to leave college after 4 years undergrad (instead of 9) to make millions of dollars doing a job I love (as opposed to scraping together just barely enough drinking money while whoring myself out for the man).
by TheRenegadePumpkin on Mar 26, 2010 7:04 PM EDT reply actions
BY THE WAY
I just realized this. Remember early in the year, when we were demolishing teams, and Scoop announced his return like a madman? I have vivid memories of him coming into games, slashing into the lane, hop-stepping, and dishing it to the collapsing wing for an easy bucket.
It felt like, as the season progressed, he started hitting 3’s and lost that move.
Not dwelling, not blaming, just saying… “get back on that, Scoop, ooo yea that’s hot.”
by TheRenegadePumpkin on Mar 26, 2010 7:33 PM EDT reply actions
If Wes is a real lottery pick right now
he should leave right now. Yes, the NBA draft makes a large difference between a low lottery pick as opposed to a high lottery pick, but really, how much better can he get at SU.
Go Orange(men)!
Good bye, Wes, and good luck.
He’s gotta go and, if Wes is actually considering staying, Boeheim will tell him that. He’s a surefire top 5 pick so you can keep watching him on some terrible NBA team next year. Who knows, maybe he’ll end up playing with Jonny on the T’wolves? I think he would also fit in great on Golden State with their uptempo offense.
He’s 23, done 4 years of college (graduating? sometimes that gets tricky with transfer credits) and could get a guaranteed contract for ~$15 million. There’s just no way you turn that down in any field. Especially not in basketball when one flukey landing on someone’s foot can tear up a knee and end a potentially lucrative career.
It’s been great watching him play and, don’t forget, it sounds like he had some excellent practice time last year that no doubt pushed that team to improve too.
While I tihnk Wes will leave
I also see him as the kind of kid who would stay to chase a title, I tinhk he genuinely enjoys the college atmosphere and loves playing with his teammates. The one aspect of hias game I think he needs to improve on is creating a shot by putting the ball on the ground. But either way He will be an orange forever
Would love for him to stay, but...
Let’s be real, fellow Orangemen (and women). Wes is not staying. As enticing as it is for him to be around another year, he’s shooting himself in the foot (no Plaxico) if he returns. His stock is pretty high and the money is too good to pass up.
That said, if he does come back, that excited sound you’ll hear after he makes it official will be me busting a nut in anticipation of the 2011 season.
You did wonderfully, Wes. God bless ya in whatever you do, but the Syracuse community will be forever thankful to you for what you did for the SU hoops squad. Go Orange!
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