Jakarr Declaring?

I just like how for the majority of the season, alot of posters on here did nothing but bash the kid and say how terrible he was, but now that he is leaving, they are almost begging him to come back.

Is he making a big mistake? Possibly, but I guess time will tell. Maybe he just isn't the school type, and would prefer to work on his game all the time and play for little money rather than sit in a classroom learning about American History.

At the end of the day, he is an adult and he is making an adult decision, and as fans we should support his decision.
 
It not shocking to me even though the staff expected everyone back. Walter Berry had lead everyone to believe he was coming back only to change his mind at the deadline.

It comes down to it doesn't matter what we think or whether or not he got good advice. It comes down to what the player thinks and what he wants to do.

Casey Jacobsen played for Stanford a few years back and decided to apply for the draft after his junior year. The reason was that it didn't matter if he went after his junior year or waited another year, he was projected to be drafted upper mid to late first round either way, so why wait if he wanted a shot? The first contract is slotted/capped. It is the second one that player's who show promise who make a nice salary jump, so it is one more year of potential earning.

There are no slam dunks in the draft as everyone has flaws in their game. Of course you have some with higher ceilings, are more advanced, more talented and less flawed. Jakarta at times looked like he regressed while at other times his 12 - 15 footers were deadly. No doubt I believe another year would have helped and yes it is a big lost especially with no one readily apparent to replace him. That makes four open scholarships.
Click to expand...

You don't think Lavin had a clue? If not, he should have. Not that it would have changed anything.
Click to expand...

I don't believe I stated that he did or didn't have a clue. I am sure he knew the possibility existed that Sampson and/or Jordan might not stay (let alone Obekpa). Sampson also is quoted in Newsday as having discussed this with his family and Lavin. And you are right, it wouldn't change anything either way.
Click to expand...

When you said "staff expected everyone back" I took that to mean that they didn't know, but as we agree at the end of the day it wouldn't have mattered much as I'm sure Lavin was targeting available big men regardless. Only advantage is lure of PT now.
 
I just like how for the majority of the season, alot of posters on here did nothing but bash the kid and say how terrible he was, but now that he is leaving, they are almost begging him to come back.

Is he making a big mistake? Possibly, but I guess time will tell. Maybe he just isn't the school type, and would prefer to work on his game all the time and play for little money rather than sit in a classroom learning about American History.

At the end of the day, he is an adult and he is making an adult decision, and as fans we should support his decision.
Click to expand...

Well said.
I am of the opinion that some people here would complain about the taxes they would have to pay after winning the mega millions lottery.
Many just love to complain. It annoying to read but it is what it is.

Be happy for the kid. While I was never in love with his game, he represented the school well while he was here.

Best of Luck JS
 
People have been telling Sampson he was an NBA talent since high school and he believes it. He was always going to leave early. After not qualifying and having to do the prep year, he probably just thought he was behind schedule. He always struck me as the kind of kid who would have never come here is the NBA age limit wasn't in place.

We underachieved this year and Sampson was a huge part of that. I'll always root for him to succeed and hope he does make the NBA someday but as a St. John's player I was done with him after the Providence game. He showed zero effort or heart. He was losing 50/50 balls and he wasn't going up strong when he had the ball under the basket. He got the ball after a Harrison miss down 1 after coming all the way back and he tries to finesse it back up and got blocked. If he exploded and initiated some contact and went up strong he was at least going to the line to tie and take the lead. And we never got closer. Summed up his whole sophomore year.
 
I hope Sampson gets some sort of contract but if he makes a pro roster next year or any year Auda of Seton Hall and Reynolds of Xavier who both handled him like a rag doll must be lottery picks.
 
Yeah because Harkless' dream is dying and the 13 other players Lavin has put in the league.

You could give John Wooden's Sampson for two years and the results would have been the same. Some guys have the "It" factor and some don't. That is why only a selective few play well in the NBA.
Click to expand...

Harkless was coached by Dunlap.
Click to expand...

Harkless was a top 20 pick the second he measured at 6'8 1/2 in October before being coached.
Honestly, Sampson would have had a hard time getting drafted next season and he'd be a year older. Look at al the 67+ talent next year. Nothing like I've ever seen.
 
People have been telling Sampson he was an NBA talent since high school and he believes it. He was always going to leave early. After not qualifying and having to do the prep year, he probably just thought he was behind schedule. He always struck me as the kind of kid who would have never come here is the NBA age limit wasn't in place.

We underachieved this year and Sampson was a huge part of that. I'll always root for him to succeed and hope he does make the NBA someday but as a St. John's player I was done with him after the Providence game. He showed zero effort or heart. He was losing 50/50 balls and he wasn't going up strong when he had the ball under the basket. He got the ball after a Harrison miss down 1 after coming all the way back and he tries to finesse it back up and got blocked. If he exploded and initiated some contact and went up strong he was at least going to the line to tie and take the lead. And we never got closer. Summed up his whole sophomore year.
Click to expand...

I also feel Sampson bolted because he always thought he'd leave early, and felt he was behind schedule after the prep year. I don't think it's the best decision for him, but i wish him luck, nonetheless.

The play you're talking about is the steal by Harrison. Jordan gave Sampson the ball on the break, and he went up soft and was stuffed.
 
Yeah because Harkless' dream is dying and the 13 other players Lavin has put in the league.

You could give John Wooden's Sampson for two years and the results would have been the same. Some guys have the "It" factor and some don't. That is why only a selective few play well in the NBA.
Click to expand...

Harkless was coached by Dunlap.
Click to expand...

Harkless was a top 20 pick the second he measured at 6'8 1/2 in October before being coached.
Honestly, Sampson would have had a hard time getting drafted next season and he'd be a year older. Look at al the 67+ talent next year. Nothing like I've ever seen.
Click to expand...

+1
Moe was recruited at 6'6, when he grew and showed up on campus his outlook changed dramatically. From that day forward scouts were looking at him. Also, he was a real college freshmen, 17yrs old at the time.
 
Yeah because Harkless' dream is dying and the 13 other players Lavin has put in the league.

You could give John Wooden's Sampson for two years and the results would have been the same. Some guys have the "It" factor and some don't. That is why only a selective few play well in the NBA.
Click to expand...

Harkless was coached by Dunlap.
Click to expand...

Harkless was a top 20 pick the second he measured at 6'8 1/2 in October before being coached.
Honestly, Sampson would have had a hard time getting drafted next season and he'd be a year older. Look at al the 67+ talent next year. Nothing like I've ever seen.
Click to expand...

@bill: Agree.

@Marillac: It didn't take long to see that Harkless had an NBA-like game. I just thought he was gonna stay 'til his sophomore year. Those beliefs were practically gone after we played Duke.

The same game where Musberger and Vitale (particularly, Musberger) were slobberin' all over Moe.
 
Yeah because Harkless' dream is dying and the 13 other players Lavin has put in the league.

You could give John Wooden's Sampson for two years and the results would have been the same. Some guys have the "It" factor and some don't. That is why only a selective few play well in the NBA.
Click to expand...



I think this is absolutely true. Everyone likes to knock Omar C, but the truth is - Omar didn't have a long productive career because he could never shoot well enough to be an NBA point guard. He didn't fail because he came out early, he failed because he couldn't shoot.

Same goes for Jakarr. Should he stay? Yea, probably. But either way right now he's not going to be an nba player. So over the next 2-3 years he has to improve his range and bulk up considerably. Whether he does it here or in Europe or the d-league, doesn't matter much. If he does it - an NBA gm will notice and he'll have a job. If he doesn't, well - he'll struggle on the outskirts of professional basketball. Either way the odds are against him. The only difference is if he chose to spend the next few years here, he would leave with a college degree.

There's something to be said for NBA teams having more patience with top draft picks etc etc, but at the end of the day you are either going to have NBA-type skill or you aren't. And if you don't, you won't have a job.
 
...and as fans we should support his decision.
Click to expand...

No.

I enjoyed Jakarr's time here. He seemed like a good kid and a good player. Despite what some say, I thought he improved his game from frosh to soph, especially his shooting. His 15-18 footer off the pick and roll and from the top of the key against a zone were the two most consistent offensive moves among the entire team this year. And his D on McDermott at the Garden was memorable.

That said, this is not a good decision.

Jakarr is a tweener forward , which just one step away from the worst NBA-hopeful's position, the tweener guard.

As a SF, he has shown no ability to create his own shot, drive with consistency, pass with effectiveness or defend with cajones.

As a PF, he is weak (replay in your mind the block at the end of the Cuse game). He doesn't rebound well. He has no low post game. And he's short.

It would be a minor miracle if he were drafted in the 2nd round. The D-League is unkind, the MLB minors without the fat signing bonus.

A vagabond life in Europe could be great if you're able to get to a top tier team. But if you're not good enough, you'll find yourself playing for the sort of low-level teams he played against this summer. No guaranteed money, teams on the verge of bankruptcy and small towns in the far reaches of Europe that can be far more podunk than quaint and sophisticated.

The better option was to come back for his junior campaign, work hard over the summer in developing hi SF skills and hopefully have a season that could slip him into the late first round of a much weaker draft. That is likely the only shot at guaranteed money he would ever have in professional basketball.
 
...and as fans we should support his decision.
Click to expand...

No.

I enjoyed Jakarr's time here. He seemed like a good kid and a good player. Despite what some say, I thought he improved his game from frosh to soph, especially his shooting. His 15-18 footer off the pick and roll and from the top of the key against a zone were the two most consistent offensive moves among the entire team this year. And his D on McDermott at the Garden was memorable.

That said, this is not a good decision.

Jakarr is a tweener forward , which just one step away from the worst NBA-hopeful's position, the tweener guard.

As a SF, he has shown no ability to create his own shot, drive with consistency, pass with effectiveness or defend with cajones.

As a PF, he is weak (replay in your mind the block at the end of the Cuse game). He doesn't rebound well. He has no low post game. And he's short.

It would be a minor miracle if he were drafted in the 2nd round. The D-League is unkind, the minors without the fat signing bonus.

A vagabond life in Europe could be great if you're able to get to a top tier team. But if you're not good enough, you'll find yourself playing for the sort of low-level teams he played against this summer. No guaranteed money, teams on the verge of bankruptcy and small towns in the far reaches of Europe that can be far more podunk than quaint and sophisticated.

The better option was to come back for his junior campaign, work hard over the summer in developing hi SF skills and hopefully have a season that could slip him into the late first round of a much weaker draft. That is likely the only shot at guaranteed money he would ever have in professional basketball.
Click to expand...

Everything you said is spot on. But unfortunately he is listening to people that don't have a clue and may in the end not have his best interest in mind.
 
...and as fans we should support his decision.
Click to expand...

No.

I enjoyed Jakarr's time here. He seemed like a good kid and a good player. Despite what some say, I thought he improved his game from frosh to soph, especially his shooting. His 15-18 footer off the pick and roll and from the top of the key against a zone were the two most consistent offensive moves among the entire team this year. And his D on McDermott at the Garden was memorable.

That said, this is not a good decision.

Jakarr is a tweener forward , which just one step away from the worst NBA-hopeful's position, the tweener guard.

As a SF, he has shown no ability to create his own shot, drive with consistency, pass with effectiveness or defend with cajones.

As a PF, he is weak (replay in your mind the block at the end of the Cuse game). He doesn't rebound well. He has no low post game. And he's short.

It would be a minor miracle if he were drafted in the 2nd round. The D-League is unkind, the MLB minors without the fat signing bonus.

A vagabond life in Europe could be great if you're able to get to a top tier team. But if you're not good enough, you'll find yourself playing for the sort of low-level teams he played against this summer. No guaranteed money, teams on the verge of bankruptcy and small towns in the far reaches of Europe that can be far more podunk than quaint and sophisticated.

The better option was to come back for his junior campaign, work hard over the summer in developing hi SF skills and hopefully have a season that could slip him into the late first round of a much weaker draft. That is likely the only shot at guaranteed money he would ever have in professional basketball.
Click to expand...

You said it all in a nutshell! A me first player that was a liability in many of our offensive sets. Scores points but like Harrison disappears often and plays poor defense because he only looks for his offensive opportunity.
 
While I am sad to see Jakarr gone, I think this might be the right move for him. Clearly Lavin isn't developing the players here, so why wait another year and not get much better. He didn't drastically improve his game from year one to year two, so there is no guarantee that he will get that much better next year. Give him a year under NBA development and he will benefit more from that. I also think age had a factor in it. He just turned 21 this past week. Being a 22 year old prospect isn't as attractive for scouts and NBA teams. Hopefully it all works out for him, as I wish Jakarr the best of luck!
 
You said it all in a nutshell! A me first player that was a liability in many of our offensive sets. Scores points but like Harrison disappears often and plays poor defense because he only looks for his offensive opportunity.
Click to expand...

You misread my post. I don't think he was a me-first player at all. If he were, he would have taken a lot more than 11 shots per game - two less as a soph than as a frosh.
 
...and as fans we should support his decision.
Click to expand...

No.

I enjoyed Jakarr's time here. He seemed like a good kid and a good player. Despite what some say, I thought he improved his game from frosh to soph, especially his shooting. His 15-18 footer off the pick and roll and from the top of the key against a zone were the two most consistent offensive moves among the entire team this year. And his D on McDermott at the Garden was memorable.

That said, this is not a good decision.

Jakarr is a tweener forward , which just one step away from the worst NBA-hopeful's position, the tweener guard.

As a SF, he has shown no ability to create his own shot, drive with consistency, pass with effectiveness or defend with cajones.

As a PF, he is weak (replay in your mind the block at the end of the Cuse game). He doesn't rebound well. He has no low post game. And he's short.

It would be a minor miracle if he were drafted in the 2nd round. The D-League is unkind, the MLB minors without the fat signing bonus.

A vagabond life in Europe could be great if you're able to get to a top tier team. But if you're not good enough, you'll find yourself playing for the sort of low-level teams he played against this summer. No guaranteed money, teams on the verge of bankruptcy and small towns in the far reaches of Europe that can be far more podunk than quaint and sophisticated.

The better option was to come back for his junior campaign, work hard over the summer in developing hi SF skills and hopefully have a season that could slip him into the late first round of a much weaker draft. That is likely the only shot at guaranteed money he would ever have in professional basketball.
Click to expand...

You said it all in a nutshell! A me first player that was a liability in many of our offensive sets. Scores points but like Harrison disappears often and plays poor defense because he only looks for his offensive opportunity.
Click to expand...

'72; Agree with most of what you said, but to be fair I thought D-Lo played pretty good D most times this year and at times was the only guy getting a weakside rebound. That said, his straight up D on Fortune in BET was pretty bad.
 
...and as fans we should support his decision.
Click to expand...

No.

I enjoyed Jakarr's time here. He seemed like a good kid and a good player. Despite what some say, I thought he improved his game from frosh to soph, especially his shooting. His 15-18 footer off the pick and roll and from the top of the key against a zone were the two most consistent offensive moves among the entire team this year. And his D on McDermott at the Garden was memorable.

That said, this is not a good decision.

Jakarr is a tweener forward , which just one step away from the worst NBA-hopeful's position, the tweener guard.

As a SF, he has shown no ability to create his own shot, drive with consistency, pass with effectiveness or defend with cajones.

As a PF, he is weak (replay in your mind the block at the end of the Cuse game). He doesn't rebound well. He has no low post game. And he's short.

It would be a minor miracle if he were drafted in the 2nd round. The D-League is unkind, the minors without the fat signing bonus.

A vagabond life in Europe could be great if you're able to get to a top tier team. But if you're not good enough, you'll find yourself playing for the sort of low-level teams he played against this summer. No guaranteed money, teams on the verge of bankruptcy and small towns in the far reaches of Europe that can be far more podunk than quaint and sophisticated.

The better option was to come back for his junior campaign, work hard over the summer in developing hi SF skills and hopefully have a season that could slip him into the late first round of a much weaker draft. That is likely the only shot at guaranteed money he would ever have in professional basketball.
Click to expand...

Everything you said is spot on. But unfortunately he is listening to people that don't have a clue and may in the end not have his best interest in mind.
Click to expand...

The worst part is, they are all shooting themselves in the foot. I'm assuming most of these "advisors" get compensated as a % of the player's compensation.
 
Presser
@NYPost_Brazille: "I definitely see myself as a first-round pick." -- Sampson. #sjubb

@NYPost_Brazille: Steve Lavin said St. John's could play like Villanova next year if it doesn't add anyone. #sjubb
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top