Uh oh, is Afflalo coming out?

[Russ Smith]

Arron Afflalo will hold a press conference next week to announce his intentions regarding the NBA draft. Since most players typically don't hold one if they're staying, unless they're media hounds(Afflalo isn't) the concern is he's coming out for financial reasons. If that's true hopefully he'll be smart enough to not retain an agent since I don't think he's going to be a first rounder.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I'd take Afflalo in the last third of the first round. How many guys entering the draft can play D against NBA SGs? He's very coachable and a good athlete (not spectacular by any means) so his offense will come along and you could play him right away defensively which every coach/GM will appreciate.

 

[Russ Smith]

I'd take Afflalo in the last third of the first round. How many guys entering the draft can play D against NBA SGs? He's very coachable and a good athlete (not spectacular by any means) so his offense will come along and you could play him right away defensively which every coach/GM will appreciate.

he's my favorite Bruin but even I don't see him in the first round. All you gotta do is look at his play in the tournament, with UCLA having no post scorer, teams keyed on Farmar and Afflalo and only Jordan had any success and even his was limited. Arron shot 34% in the tournament, 35 on 3's, 11.5 PPG. I agree he's a great defender but in the tournament he had real problems getting his own shot, handling the ball etc. Brewer completely dominated him in the final. I just don't think he's athletic enough to go first round, I think scouts would have to see him stay in school, improve his ballhandling, get more consistent on his jumper and then maybe he gets into the first round.

He's a terrific defender, tough as nails, I just love the kid and if he comes out I wish him all the luck in the world. But I'm assuming he's bright enough to not hire an agent, and I assume in that case he'll be back in school next year unless he has a real financial need.

Apparently UCLA has offered Russell Westbrook a guard from Leuzinger HS in So Cal (ASU is among a few other teams recruiting him) so it's possible that's because they think they might lose Afflalo. Westbrook is a fast rising senior SG who recruiting scouts compare a bit to Afflalo.

I hope he stays but it wouldn't kill UCLA if he left, they'd probably move Shipp to SG with Roll backing up, put Luc at SF, and have Aboya, Keefe, Mata and Spica(if he qualifies) as the upfront rotation. Now if he and Farmar BOTH go, I think UCLA is going to take a big step back.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

My point though is that there are a lot of players currently in the NBA that literally do nothing except play defense and most of them have nowhere near the upside offensively that Afflalo does. An NBA coach could use him in a Bruce Bowen or Adrian Griffin role and provide value while his offensive game matures. I'm sure we both have our reasons for our beliefs, some of it likely being a desire for UCLA to put up that twelfth banner and me wanting Arizona back at the top of the Pac. Like you I really like Afflalo as a player, I just hope for his sake that he doesn't have to go against Salim Stoudamire in workouts.

 

[Russ Smith]

My point though is that there are a lot of players currently in the NBA that literally do nothing except play defense and most of them have nowhere near the upside offensively that Afflalo does. An NBA coach could use him in a Bruce Bowen or Adrian Griffin role and provide value while his offensive game matures. I'm sure we both have our reasons for our beliefs, some of it likely being a desire for UCLA to put up that twelfth banner and me wanting Arizona back at the top of the Pac. Like you I really like Afflalo as a player, I just hope for his sake that he doesn't have to go against Salim Stoudamire in workouts.

Actually that's precisely my point too, Bowen is the guy I compare Afflalo to on Bruins boards. But Bowen was NOT a first round pick, neither was Griffin etc. Both guys had to work their way into the NBA, Bowen went undrafted and got waived multiple times before becoming a Spur.

Guys who play SG who were first round picks largely on defense were guys like Sprewell, Pietrus, guys who were exceptional athletes who then were allowed to develop as offensive players(although Pietrus seems to have stopped developing this year to my dismay).

of course I want Afflalo to stay for my own selfish reasons but I genuinely don't think he'd even be remotely considered in the first round if this wasn't supposed to be a weak draft. That's why so many kids are thinking about coming out, they hear it's a weak draft and think I'll go higher this year than next.

What I'm hoping happens next week is Arron says I'm coming back to school, and then out walks Jordan Farmar and says "me too." Then out walks Kevin love and he says "i'm verbally committing to UCLA, and here's my good friend Kyle Singler he wants to commit too."

 

[Russ Smith]

Daily News reports that he's delayed his announcement and is probably going to stay at UCLA. He had been leaning to filing to test the waters without an agent but the rumor is he might not even file now.

Farmar's mom says they should reach a decision late this week, he's supposedly going to test the waters without an agent.

Friday UCLA offered SG Russell Westbrook, who will be a freshman next year. Westbrooks' final 2 is UCLA and ASU, he eliminated Wake Forest and maryland apparently. UCLA offering him implies they have been advised that one of Farmar or Afflalo will leave after NEXT year, so they decided to take a guard in this class instead of waiting for next class. FYI Bruin Report Online is reporting Westbrook committed to UCLA but I haven't seen anything official yet on that.