Paul declares for the draft (Maintaining Eligibility)
- Thread starter jordkap
- Start date
Hes already coming back because the alternative is hes making Pike wait until the end of May.
Should probably edit the thread title to indicate he's maintaining his eligibility...
He’s probably just seeing if they’re any shot at it. He’ll have a small chance if his three point shot gets more consistent. Paul will probably need to get up a little to 40% on more attempts.
I myself hope Paul returns. He is a person who played a huge role in our team getting back to the NCAA after so many years. He was injured much of last season and I think he can still be a good leader and contributor.
he is taking advantage of an opportunity that most never get, if he was done, why is he maintain eligibility
id be shocked if Pike and him didnt have a long conversation
This would be huge for Rutgers. RU needs ball handlers, especially 6’7” ones. Anyone who doesn’t want this guy back is just a fool. Paul is a high level college player on both sides of the court. You know he’s coming back to win too.
NBA is all about spacing and shooting. He would need to be close to a 40% 3pt shooter to make NBA..
Prior to this season he spoke about his desire to play in the NBA. He will now get invaluable feedback from NBA scouts on where his game stands and what he needs to improve upon… while maintaining his college eligibility. I think he comes back to RU.
This is the Geo and Caleb playbook from the past two offseasons. I suspect he'll be back.
Yes this years roster did not play to his strengths at all (and cliff for what it’s worth).
PM needs shooting around him and someone to differ too late in the shot clock. With Simpson, Spencer, griffiths it looks much better.
As amazing as Caleb was and while we will miss him. Him and Paul did not mesh well on the offensive end.
Well reading can be tough for some folks…
It’s tough to judge. Both players were playing injured most of the year. Caleb did struggle shooting and Paul has always been pass first so it made things difficult on the offensive end for sure.
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Once he’s evaluated by NBA people and told what he needs to work on, what better way to show what he can do than by coming back and having a stellar year at RU?
This is horrible for the chance of getting transfers.
With Cliff and Paul uncertain how do they get anyone?
With Cliff and Paul uncertain how do they get anyone?
Coaching staff knows both guys are coming back just like they did with Caleb and geo. Neither guy has any shot to get drafted.
I think it was also a disadvantage that Caleb and Paul didn’t play any preseason games together due to their injuries. When finally thrown into the fire, we survived offensive struggles with elite defense and scoring off of our defense. Caleb was still a stud defender without Mag but the replacement made it so that our team defense wasn’t elite anymore and even when we did get steals, Mag had been one of our best transition finishers. If we end up adding 2 shooters who defend well enough to stay on the floor, Paul can be way more effective on offense.
The issue could be defense. Even if we’re “better” on offense, we will not be good enough to beat people Iowa style. Will Mag’s injury allow him to pick up where he left off? We really need it to.
Pike knows what the team’s needs are. I highly doubt he’s in the dark
And defending opposing guards at that level would definitely be a challenge
Hopefully he knows that one of the things the team needs most is lots of work on end of game situations.
I believe Paul has averaged around 35% from 3 during his career while primarily responsible for handling the ball and playmaking. Assuming Paul comes back playing more of a role as a wing concentrating on his three point shooting and without the primary burden as a playmaker, the team could have multiple three point options in Cam, Gavin and Paul. Add the mid range games of both Mag and Simpson, Cliff at the rim, another penetrating point guard via the portal who can create in addition to Simpson and Davis… and we will be a much different team offensively.
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Can’t wait to see how Paul does in the NBA! Very exciting!!
Putting aside the draft exploration by Cliff and Paul, the staff still has 2 open scholarships to use today.
McConnell > Griffiths
Miller > J. Davis
Oskar > Ndongo
Reiber > ? Open
Terry > ? Open
I'm going to assume both Cliff and Paul return and the staff is focused on getting one or two depth or role players fron the portal. Priority for me would be scoring and someone who can create on offense. 4 of 5 starter slots pretty much locked in, with Griffiths, Hyatt or a transfer vying for that 5th spot formerly occupied by Caleb.
If Paul comes back, he will play point guard (when Simpson isn’t in the game) and point forward even when Simpson is playing. The ball will be in his hands a lot. Pike trusts him. The offense should look a bit different but Paul will never play a traditional wing or forward role. The ball will be in his hands.
Paul was 2nd best 3pt avg on team this season at 37%. Unfortunately he only attempted 54 in his 973 minutes! That drove me crazy.
Compare that to Hyatt who took 147 in 200 less minutes and shot 30.6%
He also was constantly passing up wide open shots too.
I think a healthy Paul shoots a lot more last year. Both shoulders were hurt a multiple points of the season. He took more 3 point shots per game the previous year and the year before. That’s with Geo and Ron dominating the shots.
I think Pike will bring in a penetrating playmaker type point guard to start or for depth. If not, I think Simpson will be the primary ball handler for 25 or so minutes a game as we saw down the stretch of the season. If Paul is back as I expect he will play more off the ball and concentrate more on shooting and scoring.