Illini in the Pros

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#101      

Bigtex

Bigtex
DFW
Bigtex
HensonHall71 said:
In fairness, I think Kofi could be a very good rebounder in the NBA as well - he dominated in college and would be one of the biggest players in the NBA as well. The Drummond comp is not that far off - if this was 2012, Kofi would have been a lottery pick. Kofi was far more advanced offensively around the basket than Drummond was coming out of college - but I do think Drummond has a wingspan and athleticism advantage which makes the difference and why Drummond has been able to stay effective for 10 years in the NBA

The story is not over for Kofi though, I can see him finding an NBA team and being a good player down the line - his work ethic and untapped parts of his game can improve enough for him to be an NBA player IMHO
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To be determined. IMO Kofi is not quick enough/quick reaction athlete for NBA. Being a good college rebounded doesn't automatically mean good NBA rebounder.
 
#102      

One Man Fast Break

O
One Man Fast Break
10 years ago is not that long ago... I *really* doubt he goes from a Lotto Pick to a guy that is not on a roster in a mere 10 year span. You probably gotta go back like 30 years to when guys like Kevin Duckworth were doing their thing, and size was basically everything, for Kofi to really be in an era where he'd be really highly valued like that. I'd love to see Kofi to find success, and maybe he still will get his shot in the NBA eventually, but we gotta accept the reality that teams had three years of college tape to view, the entire NBA Draft evaluation process which includes a Combine and Individual Team Workouts, with scouts dissecting every player top to bottom, and then NBA Summer League for NBA teams to evaluate Kofi. And coming out of all of that, nobody wants him as of right now. It doesn't mean it is necessarily the end of the road, but there is a reason for that and at this point, the odds are firmly stacked against him.
 
#103      

Mobi

M
Mobi
ChiefGritty said:
Shoot, you're right.

You can't be an UFA until after 3 years in the league. A second round pick can sign a deal that makes them an UFA at the end (a first rounder cannot), but Ayo's deal wasn't long enough.

So the Bulls will have the right of first refusal on an deal Ayo agrees with another team. That could get tricky.
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Or the Bulls can give Ayo a new contract before he hits RFA? I suppose, right? With Ball's knee still a big question mark, can they afford to lose Ayo assuming he plays well?
 
#104      

bartwa

B
bartwa
Ransom Stoddard said:
I'm a worrier. I'm worried that Ayo's going to play himself up into a trade prospect once Ball is healthy, and I'd love to see him stay in a prime role for the rest of my life with Chicago.
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How old are you?
 
#106      

bartwa

B
bartwa
It was cool watching Ayo put the same skill set he had at Illinois on display at the NBA level successfully. I wonder why other pro teams didn’t think his talent would translate.
 
#107      

the juiceman cometh

T
the juiceman cometh
HensonHall71 said:
In fairness, I think Kofi could be a very good rebounder in the NBA as well - he dominated in college and would be one of the biggest players in the NBA as well. The Drummond comp is not that far off - if this was 2012, Kofi would have been a lottery pick. Kofi was far more advanced offensively around the basket than Drummond was coming out of college - but I do think Drummond has a wingspan and athleticism advantage which makes the difference and why Drummond has been able to stay effective for 10 years in the NBA

The story is not over for Kofi though, I can see him finding an NBA team and being a good player down the line - his work ethic and untapped parts of his game can improve enough for him to be an NBA player IMHO
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Kofi could well make it to the NBA some day but if we're being honest with ourselves it's going to be more of a Brandon Paul or Malcolm Hill sort of path to the league. We're like a week away from the G-League season starting and I can't find any confirmation he's even going to be playing for Utah's affiliate.
 
#108      

Calvin

C
Calvin
Bigtex said:
To be determined. IMO Kofi is not quick enough/quick reaction athlete for NBA. Being a good college rebounded doesn't automatically mean good NBA rebounder.
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I was reading an article a while back from NBA scouts saying rebounding is one of the better metrics at translating. And in his limited summer league stint, he had great numbers.
 
#112      

IlliniShelt

I
IlliniShelt
Ransom Stoddard said:
Young enough that Ayo should be playing well into his 40s.
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I'm sure he will be playing well into his 40s but it will probably be pickup at the park or with his future kids in the driveway. I hope he does okay well into his 40s but usually the guys who do that are either seven feet tall or are elite 3 point shooters. Ayo can shoot but he's not an elite shooter from long range.
 
#113      

Goillinikobd

Goillinikobd
Southeastern US
Goillinikobd
IlliniShelt said:
I'm sure he will be playing well into his 40s but it will probably be pickup at the park or with his future kids in the driveway. I hope he does okay well into his 40s but usually the guys who do that are either seven feet tall or are elite 3 point shooters. Ayo can shoot but he's not an elite shooter from long range.
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Ayo can shoot but he's not an elite shooter from long range.
yet

fixed it for you
 
#114      

IlliniFaninHoosierLand

IlliniFaninHoosierLand
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
One Man Fast Break said:
10 years ago is not that long ago... I *really* doubt he goes from a Lotto Pick to a guy that is not on a roster in a mere 10 year span. You probably gotta go back like 30 years to when guys like Kevin Duckworth were doing their thing, and size was basically everything, for Kofi to really be in an era where he'd be really highly valued like that. I'd love to see Kofi to find success, and maybe he still will get his shot in the NBA eventually, but we gotta accept the reality that teams had three years of college tape to view, the entire NBA Draft evaluation process which includes a Combine and Individual Team Workouts, with scouts dissecting every player top to bottom, and then NBA Summer League for NBA teams to evaluate Kofi. And coming out of all of that, nobody wants him as of right now. It doesn't mean it is necessarily the end of the road, but there is a reason for that and at this point, the odds are firmly stacked against him.
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Kofi would have been a lottery pick 20 years ago but that's because the NBA is different back then as compared to now. I've posted multiple times on here why he's not an NBA talent so I'm not going to repeat it again. But a lot of people on here need to come to terms with the fact that Kofi is just not an NBA talent in today's game.
 
#115      

TCTORNADO

TCTORNADO
TCTORNADO
IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:
Kofi would have been a lottery pick 20 years ago but that's because the NBA is different back then as compared to now. I've posted multiple times on here why he's not an NBA talent so I'm not going to repeat it again. But a lot of people on here need to come to terms with the fact that Kofi is just not an NBA talent in today's game.
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I just forwarded your post to Danny Ainge.
 
#122      

billybaroo

billybaroo
Pebble Beach, CA
billybaroo
Joel Goodson said:
Kofi v Godzilla
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I'm picturing a promotional video with Kofi trampling a really fake looking miniature city. Please make it happen...

Destroy Slow Motion GIF by HBO Max
 
#125      

Baskins Tiger

Baskins Tiger
Baskins Tiger
Ya, Ayo needs to add a full stop shot fake to his fast break. Some of these other NBA players are fast too.
 
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