Bonton declares for draft
- Thread starter Coug4life34
- Start date
I think there is a date where you have to pull out of the draft to retain college eligibility. IDK what the date is this year.
Likely he has been told by NBA that there is a decent, ok chance for some team to take a flier pick on him in 2nd Round, or for him to sign a undrafted FA deal, or for him to go G League, otherwise if the NBA hadnt told him that, he likely wouldnt have declaref for the NBA draft.
G-League tops IMO. He’s a marginal prospect at best somewhat like Franks. Of course Franks had the shooting potential. I hope Bonton gets a shot though. Given enough time he could defy the odds and carve out a role.
Very few posters said CJ would be drafted so I’m going to reserve judgement. Regardless, he should be able to make a good living playing basketball for the next 10 +-years playing basketball if he stays heathy.
He will need to change some things but it only takes one team that sees something and gives him a shot.
I think CJ has a tough row in the NBA. I was surprised he got drafted. Of course I was surprised Klay got drafted in the first round so what I think doesn't mean much. 🤔
CJ may not be back with the Blazers, but like Baynes, he has shown enough in limited minutes to go beva back up somewhere else in the NBA. His game high, again in limited minutes was about 18 points in a game. He's had about 1,2,3 more games where he has had about 12 to 14 to 16 points, again in limited minutes. And he has averaged about 6,7,8,9 ppg in limited minutes. His points per minute efficency has been ok decent. He has shown he can play at the NBA level, so while he might end up going from the Blazers to some other NBA Team, I doubt he will be out of the NBA, and have to go overseas, etc.
Worst case scenario, and I doubt that even this happens, is he ends up on a G League Roster.
Klay being drafted 1st round, shouldnt have been a surprise. It was obvious from his collegiate play that he was a 1st Rounder, 2nd round at worst.
It was somewhat of a shock that Klay went as a LOTTERY pick.
But not only was there his collegiate play, but there was a LOT of talk by SPORTS Media, Experts, Ken Pom(Not saying specifically Ken Pom), types, ETC, that had Klay penciled in as a 1st Rounder.
Even tho these guys are sometimes wrong. They are right a lot, and usually have their good reasons, why they pick, project, extrapolate, predict, pencil in, etc, Klay, others as Lottery, 1st Rounders, Prospects, etc.
There has been some rumors, talk from the pundits, experts, sports media, that have said that Bonton might go as a extreme flier as the last pick of the 2nd Round, Sign a undrafted frer agent deal, go G League.
Same was said about CJ, who was Projected from about last pick of 1st round to mid pick of 2nd Round. He Slid a little to bottom of 2nd Round.
If one pays attention to the talk, etc, they wont be surprised when Coug Players get drafted.
And WSU fans need to stop thinking they know more then the Pundits, experts, sports media, etc, that project WSU players to make the NBA, and as Fans, stop thinking WSU players wont make the NBA, because they the fans think they know more then Sports Media, Pundits, Experts, etc.
The 3 things that are standing in tbe way between Bonton and the NBA is 1. NBA Freakish Athleticism: Nothing he can do about that.
2. Taking Wild, Circus Shots,
3. Dribbling in to deep
4. Getting Airborne, and then have no place to go with ball, whether thats passing, shooting, because having no passing option, no shot options.
5. Not passing good enough.
At 6ft 3 in, and great Athleticism, but no NBA Freak Athleticism, Bonton is a little like a poor mans version, type of Allen Iversion, but without the ability to break defender ankles.
Bonton can drive, defend, lay ups, dunk, floaters, runners, circus shots, mid range, 3 point shooter, create his own shot, and can pass, play SG, PG, as a combo guard.
Those things would serve him well in NBA, but the NBA would need Bonton to be more of a PG, and take good care of ball, not turn the ball over a lot, and make good PG passes, assist.
The NBA needs Bonton, PG's to be able to send a DIME pass to the perfect place to a big man in the post, to set up the post player to score.
The NBA needs Bonton, a PG, to be able to drive, dish to either a cutter, or a kick out to a 3 point shooter.
The NBA needs Bonton a PG to execute the Pick and Roll to perfection.
If Bonton or any other PG, cant do those thing, they will either not make it to the NBA, stay in NBA, an or will be benched.
At 6 foot 6, Kyrie Erving couldnt pass that well, and was more like Bonton is now, except the athleticism part(NBA Athleticism)
And he Kyrie Erving had to learn to do those things.
Now Kyrie Erving is a awesome, amazing passer.
Likewise Bonton has to learn to do these things, if he can, does learn to do those things, there is a possible place, role for Bonton in the NBA.
Bonton cant do anything about his lack of NBA Athleticism.
But Bonton can learn to do the things he needs to do, and to learn to not do the things he shouldnt do.
This a part of the reason why Bonton has been penciled in as a possible extreme flier pick as the last pick of 2nd Round, by a couple, few, some, sports media, pundits, experts, etc.
And that is probably why the NBA probably told him that he would either probably be either a bottom of 2nd Round Pick, a signed undrafted free agent or G League, that then probably what caused Bonton to declare for the draft.
And its probably best for WSU that he moves on from WSU, as WSU is very Deep, and needs to develop a lot of players, that WSU would have a hard time developing, if Bonton came back, started.
Now if WSU werent so deep, and didnt need to develop a lotvof players, then Bonton coming back, would probably give him a better chance to be drafted.
But since WSU is so deep, Bonton wont score, develop as much, and thus probably wont help him get drafted as much.
So its probably the best for Bonton and WSU both that Bonton moves on.
From the official stats, CJ played in 30 games this year and averaged 2.3 ppg. He had one double digit scoring game when he pumped in 15 points. Otherwise, his high game was 5 points....which he did twice. CJ really didn't get much of a chance to do a lot with Portland....shot only 38% FG and 20% on 3-pointers. I'm thinking with the big changes the Blazers are going to make (starting with a new coach and wanting to win now while the Lillard window is still open), Elleby won't be on the roster next year. I hope he is and/or I hope he makes another NBA roster. But if I have to place a bet, he'll be overseas next year. Time will tell.
Glad Cougar
I doubt that he will be overseas. He will probably be on a G League Roster at Worst. G League is becoming the NBA's Minor League. And just like MLB calls up and send down players to and from the Minor League, NBA is either starting to do or doing the same thing.
CJ is good enough that he'll be sent down to minor league G League at worst.
this is such a classic mik post... he says there are 3 things holding him back; and then lists 5. we know mik was not hacked today :>)
