with all the possible shooters we have next year it will open the middle up nicely for him should he choose to return!!! Pj could be a top 25 pick because no one will be able to double team him. Hopefully he makes the best decision for him, would like to see this kid dominate the paint next year!
PJ Washington
- Thread starter Bucky89
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PJ reminds me of montrezl Harrell from UofL.
I think PJ is a little more advanced in the post than Harrell was at this stage. Harrell had a little bit better motor and may have been just a tad more athletic.
I think PJ is a little more advanced in the post than Harrell was at this stage. Harrell had a little bit better motor and may have been just a tad more athletic.
Harrell had a much better motor than PJ. That dude went hard the whole time he was on the floor. Wasnt very skilled but was a great college player because he played so hard.
Here is the thing. The NBA wants guys like PJ to be 3-point threats. So if he returns to school, it will be with one thought in his head. "The NBA feedback told me to improve my perimeter game, so I need to showcase my perimeter game."
That's the only downside to testing the waters. You find out what the NBA scouts want to see, and that doesn't always jive with the role your coach has in mind.
I totally agree with the notion that PJ could be an All American level player if he just stayed in the paint and outworked everyone next year. But if he returns, I expect PJ to play a lot more facing the basket to drive or shoot from the 3pt line.
Montrezl is making it as an NBA player... Maybe not an all-star, but he's sticking. If PJ could have a motor like Montrezl did/still does, he could stick in the NBA, too.
We haven't seen what PJ can do. He has an outside shot he needs to get confident with, he has strength and length to play a college 4, and better length of a Draymond green to play small ball 5.
In NBA he is a 3-D type player as long as he shoots the 3....that said, op is correct,he won't be double teamed as long as our shooters make shots...he is one we need to return, him jv, wg, and Hami as well
In NBA he is a 3-D type player as long as he shoots the 3....that said, op is correct,he won't be double teamed as long as our shooters make shots...he is one we need to return, him jv, wg, and Hami as well
Totally agree with this I wasn’t even thinking about that scenario. Honestly I don’t know how good of a shooter he could even be his form isn’t the greatest and he don’t elevate when he shoots aa much as he should!! Actually I believe SKJ could have been a good shooter with a little more work his mid range shot always looked good
Seemed like Harrel played taller than P.J. to me like his arms were super long. I seen P.J. dunk a few times like that and his pinky probably limited that somewhat.
And Harrell was able to go in the first round as a junior by staying around the basket and playing to that strength despite being basically a 6'7 center. He did hit a few threes is junior year but I don't think he shot it well from outside exactly. Wish someone would get this through PJ's head
Harrell had 7'4 wingspan to pj's 7'3. Harrell had a 9'1 standing reach to pj's 8'9.
So yeah that's a 4 inch difference on standing reach. Guess that means pj's shoulders sit lower on his body than Harrell's?
I can't find Harrell's vertical anywhere. Hard time believing he's topping pj's absurd 43'5" vert.
It comes down to his workouts at the combine and what he’s hearing. If it goes well and people see the upside, we could lóse him early- just the way it is these days. Would he get better if he came back, yes. Would he make more money for his career in total by coming back- more uncertain. And therin lies the rub.
PJ is almost the last guy standing . We need him to stay but I'd guess ... he gone . And we get to start over .
Hate giving anything UL any compliments, but Harrell was an absolute beast. PJ has a long way to go but the potential is there. Will it be realized at UK, professionally somewhere, or not at all is the question.
Hoping PJ comes back, but, if we can return Richards, Greene, Gabriel and Vanderbilt, that's still a pretty solid returning nucleus to build around.
With a better motor, PJ will be a VERY good sophomore at UK. He has the quickness, power and leaping ability to dunk on guys on nearly every move to the basket. He just needs to WANT IT on every possession. However, he's an undersized 4 that will need to improve his outside shooting to be effective at the next level and that is likely what he will hear from the scouts.
Thats actually a good comparison. 6'7 powerfoward with freakish wingspan. I dont care that the UK combine said he has mad hops, I saw nothing from him that said 43" vertical during the season, but he's definitely no Dakari Johnson either. Harrell did well because he played with intensity. Intense PJ is tough to beat, but we only ever saw flashes. He comes back and shows it more consistently and he can be a player Harrell could only dream of being.
It is indeed a pretty good comparison. And, fwiw, Harrell had a damn nice season this year, averaging double digits for the Clippers (usually as a way-undersized center). He's doing well in the League.
But Harrell played three years in college, and even then was only a second round draft pick. He didn't try to bolt after only one season, as PJ is apparently trying to do.
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They were? What happened to them?
Got cut off during his pinky surgery.
He was projected as near or just outside of the lottery after his sophomore year but he bought a bill of goods from Pitino, returned, and cost himself some serious money. He may have ended up slipping some anyway but probably not out of the first round entirely.
He wasn't at his peak stock but rather already past it.
I believe PJ Washington will return to UK for his sophomore season because doing so will vastly improve his draft stock. Washington’s dad is a basketball coach, and a very smart guy. Washington is a much better player than most of our fans recognize. There are still some rough edges to his game, and he is recovering from a broken finger. Next year, Washington will be an offensive focus in the lane for UK and a 1st round NBA draft choice. Whereas, if he comes out this year, he would be a late 2nd rounder. So Washington and his family will make the smart decision.
You said he reminded you of Harrell and turned around and told why they are the complete opposite.......
Wow!
That is super easy to say, but we know that draft projections don't mean much compared to combine work and the interviews. He may have slipped to same place.
No, that's NOT what he did. Pointing out a difference between two players does not mean they are "the complete" opposite. You realize no two players are identical, right? Players can be similar while still having some differences.
And there plainly are similarities between PJ and Harrell--both undersized big men around the same height, both guys with freakishly long wingspans and excellent athleticism, both guys sorely lacking perimeter skills, who play down low and play bigger than their height largely because of said freakish wingspan and athleticism.
But the main difference between the two that I've noticed is motor. I recall Harrell being one of those perpetual-motion type guys flying all over the place on defense. PJ does not play with that same level of energy.
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I agree, Harrell had was one of the more raw powerful guys that either UK or UofL has had recently. He was a beast. I almost felt sorry for him having to go up against some of those UK front courts while he was at UofL. Especially the 2015 team. He just continues to be more "raw" and still has yet to develop a real game.
PJ at times seems to be explosive but he has a real issue getting lift on his shots in the lane and relies on positioning his arms and using his body for space. He doesn't have Randle's spin moves or Boogie's real power, but he is young. He can shoot fairly well and if he can show a consistent shot and hit a few threes, he will have a pro career. But if he cannot stretch the court, at his size, he has no pro future, especially when Boogie is out their now raining threes. Randle would be nearing a max contract if he could hit threes!
I was talking about how he typed the vertical to be 43 feet and 5 inches high. 43.5 inches is very high though, and everybody gets rim stuffed at some point. LeBron, Deandre Jordan, Michael Jordan, doesn’t matter. Literally happens to everybody that dunks a lot.
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