Ament needs at least another year

#76
#76
TheMookieMonster said:
The only reason he isn’t a guaranteed Top 5 pick is that he just happens to be in arguably the deepest draft class in the past 25 years. Any other season someone with his age, tools, height, athleticism, and production is in a draft he’s going Top 3-5 easily. It’s not hard to see why people think he’s a Top 10 pick.
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College shooting is such a small sample size. If Nate hit one more shot a game, (20 2’s, 10 3’s) you’re now talking 48/40/80 splits for a 6’10/215 guy at 18 and everyone is talking completely different
 
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#77
#77
6’10 and long arms is why and could grow more. It’s not due to his motor or explosiveness. Nor is it for his defense, which is kindof laughable to say it is tbh. He’s been picked on all year by guards outside or in post if he plays the 4. He’s rarely on balance on defense when guarding with shoulders well in front of his hips which is why he gets put on skates.
There’s a reason teams targeted him on the defensive end and it’s not because he’s a good defender. Too slow to guard 1-3 and too light to guard down low.
 
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#78
#78
zjcvols said:
College shooting is such a small sample size. If Nate hit one more shot a game, (20 2’s, 10 3’s) you’re now talking 48/40/80 splits for a 6’10/215 guy at 18 and everyone is talking completely different
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Totally agree. His shooting percentages also haven’t been done any favors by the lack of depth on this team, which makes it easier for him to be the focus of the defense. He had a slow start, but he was phenomenal for a 6-week stretch prior to his injury against Alabama.
 
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#80
#80
zjcvols said:
People simply do not understand how much better training you get with NBA teams than college. It’s not a shot at any college program or coach, but the training/nutrition/data/tech/time you get is leaps and bounds better than what any college program can afford
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You can say it until you are blue in the face, but…
 
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#81
#81
Skooter said:
6’10 and long arms is why and could grow more. It’s not due to his motor or explosiveness. Nor is it for his defense, which is kindof laughable to say it is tbh. He’s been picked on all year by guards outside or in post if he plays the 4. He’s rarely on balance on defense when guarding with shoulders well in front of his hips which is why he gets put on skates.
There’s a reason teams targeted him on the defensive end and it’s not because he’s a good defender. Too slow to guard 1-3 and too light to guard down low.
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I disagree with the assessment. He has not been picked on this year. Hes struggled to defend high level guards but that’s expected. DREB%, steal percentage and close out rates, which project to the NBA, are good for his size and position. Hes not a Thompson twin, but he absolutely can be a more than adequate defender at the next level.
 
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#82
#82
TheMookieMonster said:
Totally agree. His shooting percentages also haven’t been done any favors by the lack of depth on this team, which makes it easier for him to be the focus of the defense. He had a slow start, but he was phenomenal for a 6-week stretch prior to his injury against Alabama.
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Also playing out of position in college with three non shooters on the floor for about 90% of his minutes.

Cam Boozer wouldn’t be shooting 40% from 3 on this team lol
 
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#83
#83
zjcvols said:
I disagree with the assessment. He has not been picked on this year. Hes struggled to defend high level guards but that’s expected. DREB%, steal percentage and close out rates, which project to the NBA, are good for his size and position. Hes not a Thompson twin, but he absolutely can be a more than adequate defender at the next level.
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That’s fine. People see different things. Actually though I believe nba scout has his defensive rebounding as below average, likely partly due to him getting pushed under the rim when trying to box out. I recall one game him playing at the 4 and giving up ft rebounds because he was bodied underneath the goal.
IMO he has a lot to improve on to guard 3 or 4 in the NBA, including getting his butt down and better balance, as well as shuffling his feet instead of crossing them which gets his hips turned. Good offensive players will see hips turned on a defender and change direction or pace and have them off balance. NBA will give him time to work on that whereas Barnes and co don’t have time needed to spend on it.
All that said, I hope he balls out tomorrow and is a lottery pick.
 
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#84
#84
zjcvols said:
Also playing out of position in college with three non shooters on the floor for about 90% of his minutes.

Cam Boozer wouldn’t be shooting 40% from 3 on this team lol
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Yep. Boozer has a more mature body than Ament as well at this point in his development, but he’s surrounded by talent so makes it a lot easier on him.

I just hate that Nate got hurt right before the most important stretch of this season. Really puts a ceiling on what this team can likely accomplish if our only other reliable shooter than JG is gimpy.
 
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#85
#85
zjcvols said:
Also playing out of position in college with three non shooters on the floor for about 90% of his minutes.

Cam Boozer wouldn’t be shooting 40% from 3 on this team lol
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And I’ll also add that coming back to college he loses that mystery box factor that causes guys like him to be so highly touted in the first place.

If he comes back and improves a little bit and not a lot, his draft stock could very well fall.

Teams don’t draft the player you are now, they draft the player you are gonna be in 4-5 years. Shaving a year off that changes tha math a lot and it’s usually in your favor to go while you can
 
#87
#87
Giannis took 4 years in the NBA before he fully developed, as it’s been pointed out if a team invest in you at that level the development is so much better than college.

Ament will be far better in 3-4 years if that time is spent in the NBA compared to staying in college. The desire to stay in college can’t be to better his game, because that’s simply not going to happen at the same level as being in the NBA. His draft stock will likely never be higher than this year.
 
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#88
#88
If he truly loves college ball like a lot saying and he has Mendewahl helping with added strength he definitely can return and make more money moving up on top 2 or 3 in 2027 draft. I have a feeling he is definitely considering it and NIL helps as well. Barnes knows another year in our strength program would be awesome for him.
 
#90
#90
TheMookieMonster said:
The only reason he isn’t a guaranteed Top 5 pick is that he just happens to be in arguably the deepest draft class in the past 25 years. Any other season someone with his age, tools, height, athleticism, and production is in a draft he’s going Top 3-5 easily. It’s not hard to see why people think he’s a Top 10 pick.
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Another reason to come back to be top 3 pick next year and a way bigger contract.
 
#91
#91
zjcvols said:
I’ll do something much longer on Ament and the NBA after the season. But people who follow college basketball way more than the NBA, especially on this board, seems to have either a superstar or bust approach to the NBA when they evaluate a player.

There are 450 NBA roster spots among 30 teams. 15-20 years ago, if you had 8 good players, you were in a good spot as a franchise. You need at least 10 in today’s game and honestly you want 12. Load management, minutes restrictions, how much harder the NBA is with the pace and space. Not everyone can be a superstar. But you need role players more than ever.

Ament will not be a Dybantsa or Peterson or Acuff. But he’s 6’10 with good touch and unlike a lot of 18 year olds, plays hard on defense. That’s a valuable commodity. Teams don’t draft a guy at #8 or #10 thinking they’re drafting a star. They just need a starter. He has a lot to improve on. But you need Cam Johnson’s. You need Keegan Murray’s. You need PJ Washington’s. If Ament is drafted #9 and he becomes something like that? Thats a good draft pick.
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Another year would help him immensely. He has same body frame as Ben Simmons. Simmons needed more weight and seasoning in college and he busted.
 
#93
#93
VOL765309 said:
Nate Ament is just not up to par on several aspects of his game. I have been saying this since December, but this last performance proves it. Love his style and ability to take over a game. But his mental errors, especially in his passing game are just not forgivable. His ability to recognize an open man has really suffered in the last few games. Tonight he forgot or someone didnt inform him of shot clock and passing to a covered player on an in=bounds possession, his throw made it difficult for Gillespie to get the ball, and turnover was made. Finally Barnes realized he was going no where with Ament and took him out several minutes. His shooting skill is awesome at times, but more than fewer, he takes a bad shot from 20 ft plus. Know he has been injured, but his game decision making has suffered as well. Nate would definitely do himself a favor by taking another year under Barnes. I don't think he will be playing in the NBA nest year, even if drafted high. Probably end up in the G league.
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This is nothing more than a thread started out of a pure hopium and not any rationale or logic.
 
#95
#95
VolFreakJosh said:
Staying another year in college to get stronger when he can do that in the NBA doesn’t make much sense.
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Returning for another year would give him time not only to develop his body but also play 30+ minutes per game as the number one scoring option. I doubt he’ll come by that opportunity in the NBA without becoming phenomenal like Giannis. There are many great scorers in the NBA who will get yanked if they start trying to win one on one battles because the fans pay to see the franchise player pull that off.

Only lottery picks like Cameron Tatum and Zion Williamson get to try to be “the guy” from day one. That’s where my heart would be. Choosing on whether I wanted to be a role player for the next 3 years or if I wanted to be a Wooden Award favorite from day 1 and having a long shot of getting to be “the man” from day one in the NBA.

Ament will most likely do just fine either way.
 
#96
#96
Legion of Doom said:
Another year would help him immensely. He has same body frame as Ben Simmons. Simmons needed more weight and seasoning in college and he busted.
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Ben Simmons is by no definitely anything close to being a bust.

A bust in the pro’s doesn’t make it to a 3rd contract while making over $200m in their career.

I guarantee you no one in Ament’s camp will complain about following a similar path as Ben Simmons
 

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#97
#97
Legion of Doom said:
Another year would help him immensely. He has same body frame as Ben Simmons. Simmons needed more weight and seasoning in college and he busted.
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He can get stronger in the NBA. Fans just look for reasons that certain players should stay out of hope. There really is no good reason for him to stay an extra year. If he returned, it would be purely out of love for Barnes and the university and wanting to bring the program its first Final Four and that just doesn’t happen.
 
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#98
#98
MoCo_Vol said:
Giannis took 4 years in the NBA before he fully developed, as it’s been pointed out if a team invest in you at that level the development is so much better than college.

Ament will be far better in 3-4 years if that time is spent in the NBA compared to staying in college. The desire to stay in college can’t be to better his game, because that’s simply not going to happen at the same level as being in the NBA. His draft stock will likely never be higher than this year.
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In fact, a year of college already dropped his stock. He was more highly regarded out of high school than he is right now.
 
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#100
#100
TheMookieMonster said:
He can get stronger in the NBA. Fans just look for reasons that certain players should stay out of hope. There really is no good reason for him to stay an extra year. If he returned, it would be purely out of love for Barnes and the university and wanting to bring the program its first Final Four and that just doesn’t happen.
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It’s two pronged. He would benefit from coming back, but this isn’t the only place he’d benefit as mentioned going to the NBA and being his sole focus.

It would financially benefit him because he’d likely make more than this year and Tennessee would have to increase his deal for him coming back to be in the equation. However, he’d have more money guaranteed going pro.

Essentially the proposition is him going pro and securing the bag as a top 10 pick or coming back, making $5m+, and improving his draft stock to go Top 3. The reward there is nothing close to the risk.

One brand deal essentially wipes out the difference in guaranteed pay of being #10 this year vs Top 3-5 next year.

Pure copium by the armchair scouts here in this thread.
 
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