Is LJ NBA-ready?

[drquigley]

I may be one of the few who think LJ will declare for the NBA draft and has a game that is much better suited for the NBA than it is for college ball, especially as it is practiced byJT3. Also, losing Pryor and not getting Waters will make life miserable for LJ if he returns to GU since he will be our only scorer and will be swarmed all year. So why should he return? Will he?

[daytonahoya31]

Starting this thread is a pretty obvious attempt to keep piling on JTIII.....So I hope the mods just merge this into the JTIII coaching discussion, which is the resident pile on JTIII thread

[iowa80]

Mar 13, 2017 20:16:23 GMT -5 daytonahoya31 said:

Starting this thread is a pretty obvious attempt to keep piling on JTIII.....So I hope the mods just merge this into the JTIII coaching discussion, which is the resident pile on JTIII thread

I don't usually do motivations, but it's worth pointing out that the good doctor raised this point in the other thread and received some light pushback on LJ's readiness.  I assume that he felt that it was worth exploring on its own.  How this is part of the III "pile-on" is not obvious to me in the least, although I'll grant speculation as to his leaving doesn't solve anything.  In terms of the question as asked, my opinion is that he's not "NBA-ready," and has a body-type and skillset that is rife with competition from very skilled players.  He'll have problems with small forwards and IMO doesn't have the offensive chops (yet) to play the 2. 

[Elvado]

Answers:

No and yes.

[eagle54]

I'd bet if he's not ready then he transfers and sits out one to get a chance to be on a remotely successful team. Another year here with either a new coach or the same isn't going to help him personally.

[drquigley]

"Can't we all just get along". Geez, I just asked a simple question. If the last 6 weeks hadn't happened it would still be a good question and a topic for discussion.

[eagle54]

Mar 13, 2017 22:05:16 GMT -5 drquigley said:

"Can't we all just get along". Geez, I just asked a simple question. If the last 6 weeks hadn't happened it would still be a good question and a topic for discussion.

Damn those 6 weeks.  However, they do change Peak's outlook for next year since he won't have a cast to support him next year as it currently stands.  

[beenaround]

I just think he is not tall enough to play small forward and his guard skills are not quite good enough for the league. He does have the hops and body for the league, which means there is hope, if he can somehow greatly improve his outside shot and handle. He is also not a great defensive player by any means, which is a way a guy like him could make some teams.

The NBA also devalues players who play all four years, unless they are too good to pass up. Honestly, from an NBA standpoint if he comes out now, he is probably late second or undrafted free agent...which normally ends up in D league or Europe. If he could improve his shooting next year at GU....perhaps he would get more serious consideration. Of course he could also work on his game in D league and get his chance with a call up.

Tough call.

[joey0403p]

I think his shot mechanics are really bad and would think that would hurt his chances, however a team could easily think they could correct the mechanics and if he were practicing everyday then it will improve.

That said what is his position in the nba? 2? I think he would need to work on his handle as well as the aforementioned shot.

I think there are plenty of players in the nba like him, so I think he could make it. But it comes down to getting in the right situation for you, and someone taking a chance on you.

Unfortuetly sometimes guys on really successful teams get benefit of the doubt. Ie Steve Blake. He had a longer nba career than Juan Dixon or the big guy from that md team. I still remember him playing in college. He wasn't that good. He was lightening fast and got the "can manage a team" moniker. In the nba he became a serviceable open shooter. But if he had been on bad team no way he gets a shot.

I don't think peak transfers though. He would be too old by the time he got out. I think he leaves for the pros (nba or euro) if he needs / wants to start making money. If he stays I would think it's because he wants to work on something that helps him get drafted in first round (or he really wants degree)

[cosmopolitanhoya]

Will he leave?

99% that he will leave, seeing where we are going to be next year with all the graduations, transfer, and de-commit

Is he NBA ready?

He has potential to be Jimmy Butler-clone, but he needs to work on his handle/shooting form to create his own shot at the NBA level and he is not there yet. He wont be in the league right away, as he wont be drafted in the first round, but he definitely has a potential to make it in through summer league/D-league/10 days contracts and establish himself.

[HoyaFanNY]

he can't defend in college without fouling. he's was a terrible 3pt shooter this year. he is very aggressive off the dribble but is out of control at times. no way he gets drafted. best bet is to get into the summer league and try to get into the d league.

[bostonfan]

I think LJ has the potential to be a good NBA 2 guard, but as others have already mentioned he needs to improve his ball handling and the consistency of his 3 point shot. He has shown steady and significant improvement for the last few years so I think he could continue to grow and become a legit NBA player. I think at this point he is at best, a 2nd round pick and that is only if he has a few great workouts for NBA teams.

With all that said I would normally think it would serve him well to return to Georgetown for one more year, but with the mess that the program has become I can't make a logical argument for him coming back to Georgetown next year, other than the value of a Georgetown degree. He could possibly transfer and get another year to play at another program which would help him, but why come back to the Hoyas with the mess they have going on now? His other option is a year in Europe or the D league and both of those can be a difficult route for a player. It really is a shame that he ends up in this position, because he has represented the school well and always played with maximum effort and is now left in a really tough spot for his basketball future.

[calhoya]

No he is not ready to enter the NBA. He cannot play any position other the guard at that level and his ball skills are still developing as is his shooting. He will be a plus defender in the NBA where the hand check fouls are not called nearly as often and he can be more aggressive. However, unless the Hoya situation clears up quickly there is no reason for him to return. He could start making a living in some pro league and further develop. LJ Peak is the reason that this fiasco needs to end soon. Players and their families need some certainty as to what the future brings. A new coach and a new system could lead to more excitement or it could be totally incompatible with the skills of the returning players.

[johnnysnowplow]

I really feel bad for the young man. One of the better Hoyas in recent years and he's really stuck between a rock and a hard place here. Incredibly tough decisions for a 21 year old kid to have to make, complicated by the fact that he has a young child to think about.

Ultimately tho, now is his shot I think. Transferring and sitting out a year is a kiss of death because now he'll be 23 when he hits the draft. Not an option. With the NBA really trying to develop the DLeague as more of a minor league than it has been, and with major sponsors like Gatorade starting to get on board, I think it's more of a legit path to the NBA than it has been in the past. And if nothing else, the NBA and other major corporations sinking money into it should mean these guys getting paid a little more.

Even if he doesn't make an NBA roster off the bat, I don't see any way it behooves him to put this off any longer. He's not going to improve his game any more at Georgetown. I think it's time for him to try to get paid and to make it his profession, where he can spend all his time focusing on improving his game. From a selfish standpoint, I don't want to see him go, but I think it's in his best interest now. Best of luck to the young man no matter his decision.

[s4hoyas]

Obviously, much has yet to be resolved, but I would love to see LJ return for his senior season as a team leader...I think he can still improve
certain areas of his game for whatever his next stop will be...and getting his GU degree could be very important to him...he's a warrior, but my perception of him is that he's a "loyalist" and would be inclined to stay if the staff stays, but not as likely if there is wholesale turnover.

[prhoya]

Mar 14, 2017 11:13:27 GMT -5 s4hoyas said:

Obviously, much has yet to be resolved, but I would love to see LJ return for his senior season as a team leader...I think he can still improve
certain areas of his game for whatever his next stop will be...and getting his GU degree could be very important to him...he's a warrior, but my perception of him is that he's a "loyalist" and would be inclined to stay if the staff stays, but not as likely if there is wholesale turnover.

I think if he stays, it's because he's loyal to the school, he's a father, would complete his education on scholarship. and a GU diploma will be huge after basketball, esp. for someone who has to take care of his family. He's not a regular 22 yr old, with no other consideration, but himself. Thus, he cannot make life decisions based on whether the staff stays or not.

[gunny]

Not trying to start anything, but I wonder how close LJ is to graduating. If he was close to graduating could he go the grad transfer route? I really hope he does whatever is BEST for LJ!

[Nevada Hoya]

I hope he stays (especially to get his degree), but with all going on, I would not begrudge him if he left.

[glidehoyas (Inactive)]

No,

[iowa80]

One of the consequences of the drafting of one-and-dones in the NBA is that four year players are now considered "old." A prime knock against Buddy Hield, for example, was that he was "already" 22 (gasp) at the time of the draft. Should AJ remain--and I think we can agree that, as a 2, he's not Hield--he'll be 22 at the time of next year's draft. On the other hand, he would undoubtedly be "the man" on next year's team, and that's likely worth something in terms of image and numbers. IMO, his shot needs work to be NBA-ready, as does his D, so the best choice may be to go the DSR route and declare without getting an agent. If his personal situation requires that he start earning, that's obviously a different story, and he should consider Europe or even China, family situation permitting.