Jordan Nesbitt enters the NBA draft

[HoosierPal]

The deadline for college underclassmen to apply for early entry is April 24. Players who elect to declare will have until the NCAA deadline of June 1 to withdraw from the draft to maintain their college eligibility.

[Dr. Holly Hills]

To be honest, I was a little surprised to see Nesbit “declare” for the nba draft.  Without him AND Perkins, that would be a large gap to fill.  I’m stoked for Perkins coming back, but I would also welcome Nesbit back too (if that’s what he wants).  He is not good enough to play in the NBA.. right now anyway.  He could come back and most likely start and/or get more minutes at the beginning of the year until Perkins gets .  Or hell, he could put it all together and be a superstar.

However, I have definitely been guilty of falling in love with recruiting stars and unrealized potential.  
 

 

 

 

[Old guy]

11 hours ago, Slowry said:

I wonder if he got a reality check on where he thinks he is versus where he really is as far as the NBA goes.

This is something that everyone needs from time to time. If this is what happened, it may be a very good development for SLU.

[HoosierPal]

https://590thefan.com/radio-shows/press-box/

Segment 2 with Frank C - 5 min in, referenced earlier in another thread, suggests Nesbitt won't be back.  Earl said we still have a lot of wings.

BenFred in today's Chat on Nesbitt said:

NBA prospects? I would say slim to none at this point. He didn't look like a starter very often at SLU and had a bad habit of making head-scratching decisions in crunch time. Looks to me like a nudge out, as much as a jump toward the pros. He should probably transfer to another program and try to develop there.

[someoneelse]

2 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

https://590thefan.com/radio-shows/press-box/

Segment 2 with Frank C - 5 min in, referenced earlier in another thread, suggests Nesbitt won't be back.  Earl said we still have a lot of wings.

BenFred in today's Chat on Nesbitt said:

NBA prospects? I would say slim to none at this point. He didn't look like a starter very often at SLU and had a bad habit of making head-scratching decisions in crunch time. Looks to me like a nudge out, as much as a jump toward the pros. He should probably transfer to another program and try to develop there.

I'd say it's Perkins doing the nudging out (his playing time) more than anyone else.  Nesbitt probably 'knew' that Perkins was coming back.

[NH]

I think people are really off about this Nesbitt thing. He was one of the most promising freshman we’ve had in a long time. His departure has created holes on the roster. His teammates liked him and he had the chance to be an all-conference player as soon as next season.

Is he misguided if he thinks he’ll actually be picked in the NBA draft? Absolutely. Can we replace him through the portal? Probably. But he was not going to have a problem getting minutes next year if he stayed. And his departure makes our team worse. 

[HoosierPal]

31 minutes ago, NH said:

Is he misguided if he thinks he’ll actually be picked in the NBA draft? Absolutely. Can we replace him through the portal? Probably. But he was not going to have a problem getting minutes next year if he stayed. And his departure makes our team worse. 

I don't know if we will be better or worse without him.  I don't know who else is coming in (or leaving) the program.  What I know is that in 14 of his 35 games, (33 starts) he scored 5 or fewer points including two shut outs.  That isn't the consistency we need from a starter. 

[NH]

4 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

I don't know if we will be better or worse without him.  I don't know who else is coming in (or leaving) the program.  What I know is that in 14 of his 35 games, (33 starts) he scored 5 or fewer points including two shut outs.  That isn't the consistency we need from a starter. 

As MBMs we love to talk about offense, offense, offense. How many points did he score, how many shots will he get, what offense do we run, etc. But our defense has been getting worse for several straight years, and Nesbitt was one of our best defenders. It is rare that a freshman is tasked with guarding the other teams best player, but that’s often what Ford did with Nesbitt. That is what we will miss most, more than his offense (which was improving).

[GOSLU68]

Nesbit should come back he and Hargrove gave us good minutes a some exciting plays. If he practices he may improve his shooting and passing. He could be a top assist man if he widens his field of perception about what defenders are capable of.  This can be a real distraction for classroom habits- he will have to take care and put himself in a position where he can come back

[AnkielBreakers]

1 hour ago, HoosierPal said:

https://590thefan.com/radio-shows/press-box/

Segment 2 with Frank C - 5 min in, referenced earlier in another thread, suggests Nesbitt won't be back.  Earl said we still have a lot of wings.

BenFred in today's Chat on Nesbitt said:

NBA prospects? I would say slim to none at this point. He didn't look like a starter very often at SLU and had a bad habit of making head-scratching decisions in crunch time. Looks to me like a nudge out, as much as a jump toward the pros. He should probably transfer to another program and try to develop there.

Ben Fred is massively biased. The unwritten statement is transfer to Mizzou. If Nesbitt transfers, 3rd school in 3 years, with his current history, he would be branded a malcontent. Any coach would fee like they cannot rely on him and they will play someone else if they can. I would tell him that there is too much risk. Don’t follow Biedsheid and Gordon. Find a way to temper your hopes and expectations and fight through from where you are. Or jump straight to the pros and he could try to fight thru the G league. Also high risk. Smartest move is clearly to stay and prove yourself.

[VeniceMenace]

18 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

I don't know if we will be better or worse without him.  I don't know who else is coming in (or leaving) the program.  What I know is that in 14 of his 35 games, (33 starts) he scored 5 or fewer points including two shut outs.  That isn't the consistency we need from a starter. 

True...but a lot more goes into team performance than the quantity of points each player scores, obviously. JNezz helped in other ways and showed flashes of brilliance, agree he can be more consistent game to game.

[slufanskip]

51 minutes ago, NH said:

I think people are really off about this Nesbitt thing. He was one of the most promising freshman we’ve had in a long time. His departure has created holes on the roster. His teammates liked him and he had the chance to be an all-conference player as soon as next season.

Is he misguided if he thinks he’ll actually be picked in the NBA draft? Absolutely. Can we replace him through the portal? Probably. But he was not going to have a problem getting minutes next year if he stayed. And his departure makes our team worse. 

I agree with this. I'm on record as saying the NBA thing is really silly, but I agree with what you're saying and believe he has promise. I highly doubt we'll be better because he's gone. I hope he returns. 

[rgbilliken]

Nesbitt reminds me of this quote I heard from Bill Self 10 years ago re: Tyshawn Taylor:

“He can make plays you can’t coach, then he can make plays you wonder if he’s ever been coached. But that’s him. I’m glad we got him.”

[Fraz]

27 minutes ago, AnkielBreakers said:

Ben Fred is massively biased. The unwritten statement is transfer to Mizzou. If Nesbitt transfers, 3rd school in 3 years, with his current history, he would be branded a malcontent. Any coach would fee like they cannot rely on him and they will play someone else if they can. I would tell him that there is too much risk. Don’t follow Biedsheid and Gordon. Find a way to temper your hopes and expectations and fight through from where you are. Or jump straight to the pros and he could try to fight thru the G league. Also high risk. Smartest move is clearly to stay and prove yourself.

This is where I’m at as well.  There is a 0% chance he gets drafted.  I’m fine with him doing workouts and getting feedback but he’s not a top 60 NBA talent (not yet).  Could he go G League at this point in time? I’d say it’s 50/50.  I like to use Goodwin as the measuring stick.  Nesbitt isn’t half the player Jordan is right now and Jordan doesn’t have an NBA contract.  Could you argue Nesbitt has a higher ceiling?  I think you could.  However, I really think itd be an uphill battle for Nesbitt professionally at this point in time.

If he does come back which I think is his best route, you don’t want to be 3 schools in 3 years guy.  Which means staying on the Bills and getting 25 minutes a night is the best move.  I’m a little biased because I want him on our team, but I honestly think it’s in his best interest 

[Compton]

31 minutes ago, HoosierPal said:

I don't know if we will be better or worse without him.  I don't know who else is coming in (or leaving) the program.  What I know is that in 14 of his 35 games, (33 starts) he scored 5 or fewer points including two shut outs.  That isn't the consistency we need from a starter. 

It's a fair critique. And JNez certainly struggled to find his offensive role and rhythm much of the time. But I think it also speaks to him not playing selfishly. He made his share of ill-advised drives into traffic - as many Freshman will - but more often made the pass to keep things moving through Yuri, Gibby, or Fred's hands.

[billiken_roy]

2 minutes ago, Fraz said:

  I like to use Goodwin as the measuring stick.  Nesbitt isn’t half the player Jordan is right now and Jordan doesn’t have an NBA contract.  I really think itd be an uphill battle for Nesbitt professionally at this point in time

However, Goodwin isn't near the natural athlete nesbitt is.  So don't forget the NBA is all about potential with the unproven players.   That's likely why Jordan is seemingly stuck in the g League.   They think he's as good as he's going to get. 

[SLUDrew]

I agree with Roy. Nesbitt is CAPABLE of doing things on the basketball court that no Billiken since Larry Hughes has been capable of. I use the word capable as I know that his actual production has been less than we would like to see, and seemingly easy to replace. 

I remember walking into that first practice and he was the first thing I noticed. He's a P6 level athlete who was playing for SLU. We don't get many of those. 

JGood has the heart of a lion and an inherent knack for positioning. Nesbitt has unreal natural ability and athleticism. Coaches and scouts are more intrigued by guys like Nesbitt because they think, maybe foolishly, that they can infuse him with a bit of Goodwin has and then they will have a truly special player. 

[Compton]

13 minutes ago, billiken_roy said:

However, Goodwin isn't near the natural athlete nesbitt is.  So don't forget the NBA is all about potential with the unproven players.   That's likely why Jordan is seemingly stuck in the g League.   They think he's as good as he's going to get. 

Either that or they think he's a promising talent that could contribute at the NBA level. He's already been called up once.

[wgstl]

Per 40 - freshman years 

 

Nesbitt     40%/34%/69% 12.7 ppg, 7 rebounds, 1.9 assists 

Goodwin   37%/23%/69%  13.8 ppg, 9 rebounds, 4.7 assists 

[Compton]

1 hour ago, wgstl said:

Per 40 - freshman years 

 

Nesbitt     40%/34%/69% 12.7 ppg, 7 rebounds, 1.9 assists 

Goodwin   37%/23%/69%  13.8 ppg, 9 rebounds, 4.7 assists 

I'm seeing Nesbitt at 6.6 rebounds and Goodwin with 4.8 assists.

[slu72]

Hasn’t Ford said JNez is a very special talent? What coach would want to give up on a very special talent, unless he’s carrying a team killing virus?  If JNez is not a virus, I’d love to have him back. He had his moments last year. 

[3star_recruit]

15 minutes ago, slu72 said:

Hasn’t Ford said JNez is a very special talent? What coach would want to give up on a very special talent, unless he’s carrying a team killing virus?  If JNez is not a virus, I’d love to have him back. He had his moments last year. 

We don't have unlimited scholarships. If we want to bring in a combo guard with that scholarship we don't have the luxury of waiting until mid June to offer Nesbitt's replacement.  The coaching staff needs an answer now. 

If it was Perkins the staff might be willing to gamble and wait indefinitely.  But only a proven star is afforded that luxury.

[WVBilliken]

4 hours ago, HoosierPal said:

I don't know if we will be better or worse without him.  I don't know who else is coming in (or leaving) the program.  What I know is that in 14 of his 35 games, (33 starts) he scored 5 or fewer points including two shut outs.  That isn't the consistency we need from a starter. 

He was a freshman and third or fourth scoring option ....

[slu72]

1 hour ago, 3star_recruit said:

We don't have unlimited scholarships. If we want to bring in a combo guard with that scholarship we don't have the luxury of waiting until mid June to offer Nesbitt's replacement.  The coaching staff needs an answer now. 

If it was Perkins the staff might be willing to gamble and wait indefinitely.  But only a proven star is afforded that luxury.

I thought JNez was having second thoughts about the NBA thing. 

[cgeldmacher]

I would be happy to have JNez come back, but I would not be heartbroken about him leaving either.  He showed flashes of brilliance and flashes of being a train wreck also. I will take the potential he has and see what happens, but he has to be willing to be patient and let his game develop.  If he is not willing to be patient, then his future on all on his own shoulders, and, frankly, I doubt he will make it to the NBA.

If I had a son who had NBA potential, which I don't, and he asked me what skills do I need to have to make it to the NBA, I would tell him shooting and defense.  There are obviously other factors involved, but those are the two biggest in my opinion.  JNez has the ability to excel at both shooting and defense, but those two attributes disappeared for him way, way to often last season.  If he comes back, or transfers, he needs to become far more consistent with his shooting and defense to turn any heads in the NBA.  I do not think his fantastic athleticism gets him anywhere yet.