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Pop is probably going to let Quincy wear #21 tbh.That's one way for Quincy Pondexter to find out he's not coming back
Pop is probably going to let Quincy wear #21 tbh.That's one way for Quincy Pondexter to find out he's not coming back
That's one way for Quincy Pondexter to find out he's not coming back
John Calipari doesn’t know why Keldon Johnson dropped to No. 29 in the NBA Draft
By Jack Pilgrim on ©June 22nd, 2019 @ 9:00pm
Posted in Cats in the NBA, Main | Tagged Keldon Johnson, NBA Draft | 11 Responses
With three first-round picks, two being lottery selections, the Kentucky basketball program had yet another impressive night at the NBA Draft.© Brad Penner | USATSI
For PJ Washington and Tyler Herro, they landed right where they were projected to as late lottery picks. For Johnson, however, he had a noticeable slip to the very end of the first round.
Originally expected to be taken anywhere from the late-lottery to No. 20 or so, it was a drop that left Kentucky head coach John Calipari wondering what happened from the time the Wildcat forward tested the waters and the night of the draft.
“I’m still trying to figure out how Keldon (Johnson) – they said he was a top-10 pick when he left here and then a month and a half later he’s picked 29th,” Coach Cal said. “Knowing the draft the way I do, I haven’t spent time really going into that knowing that there are teams that you didn’t work out for and you slip a little bit and then all of a sudden you slip by those teams, and then it’s like what’s wrong with this kid?”
If you ask Calipari, though, San Antonio’s selection proved that there is nothing wrong with the former Wildcat. If a franchise as historic and well-respected as the Spurs wants you, it means you’ll be just fine in the long run.
“Because there’s nothing wrong with them and what proved it was San Antonio took him,” he said. “San Antonio is about a culture, about good kids who will compete and fight and be coached. By them taking him, it confirms who he is. But 29, I had no idea what went on and I was on the phone the whole time.”
And according to the Kentucky head coach, he didn’t have to sell anything to Gregg Popovich and the Spurs franchise. They were interested all along.
When he saw Johnson falling a bit, Calipari said he went over to the former Wildcat and comforted him, letting him know that he had “two back stops” and wouldn’t fall out of the first round.
“I didn’t sell anything. The only thing I talked to [Keldon], when I saw what was happening and knew he didn’t work out for some teams and knew where this could go, I thought he had two back stops in two different teams,” he said. “I went over to him and his family and I said, ‘Listen to me, I’ve done this a long time. You are in the NBA, you are going to be with a team. This stuff, most of it is ego, and it’s more about being on the right team. So just relax and understand that this stuff happens.’”
With the dust now settled, Calipari said he is ecstatic with where Johnson landed and the opportunity he’ll have to work with a first-class organization.
“He ends up going to San Antonio, which is the best team,” he said. “We’re talking Hall of Fame coach (Gregg Popovich), an organization that does unbelievable work developing young players, and then those guys become – you know they took a kid from Colorado no one heard about, they took a guy, (Kawhi) Leonard, that no one really knew about, so they don’t miss very often.”
It should be remembered that Calipari is a salesman first and foremost. You can't really believe what he says, tbh. His job is to sell high school kids on his (admittedly great) record of getting his one-and-done prospects picked in the first round. KJ slipping out of the first round would have been bad for business ... so, IMO, that's at least part of the reason why he's overhyping KJ's landing with the Spurs.
"We got two players picked in the lottery and one with the best organization in the NBA!" sounds a lot better than "We got two players picked in the lottery and one barely got picked in the first round despite being a preseason top 10 pick."
That said, Calipari hyped up KJ during the season too ... so it's not 100% bluster. But a lot of his post-draft comments are just that, IMO.
It's easy for us fans to temper expectations or downplay praise from actual experts but the kid has undeniable upside. Just 3 months ago, he was looked as a lottery pick. This article from March : https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/3/9/...ournament-2019 implies how fatigue might have affected his outlook. Still, that's fixable.
Amazing how talented this guy is when there is zero pressure to perform
What does that even mean?
So he only has to get used to the pressure, and there ya go.
What happened is that he worked out only with a few teams so no other team had exposure as to what he could do.
Then the pathetic Suns drafted Johnson... the wrong Johnson... Cam Johnson who is the oldest player in the draft and has a history of injury.
Next thing you know, he's Keldon Johnson is being passed on by teams that never had a look at him.
They probably are wondering if there's some information that they were totally unaware of. Maybe he's in hot water, how the did he get that $200,000 supercar?
Well, Spurs put two-and-two together and realized that the Suns made a mistake.
I was actually responding to the .gif of DePression doing the 360 layup, but didn't realize it was dude's signature and not a post
I don't know much about Keldon but believe me I'm more excited for him than I am for Luka at this point
Aha.
I was actually responding to the .gif of DePression doing the 360 layup, but didn't realize it was dude's signature and not a post
It wouldn't surprise me if Keldon is on the floor doing good things for the Spurs before Samanic is.I don't know much about Keldon but believe me I'm more excited for him than I am for Luka at this point
The Suns already had a last-name mixup with Mar'Shon and Dillon Brooks. If they somehow really did take the wrong Johnson and are just keeping quiet to save face....
I think the same unless Bertans gets moved while his stock is up.. If dude brings the defensive motor to the pros and has the alpha mindset he'll be contributing much soonerAha.
It wouldn't surprise me if Keldon is on the floor doing good things for the Spurs before Samanic is.
I remember Cal hyping Jamal Murray when he fall to 7, said Denver got the best player in the draft...
Johnson got #3 jersey?
so we have our own version
” not one not two... but 3” ?
You're back!!
I love you, Drew. Celebrity from At The Line!!
Someone's getting their drunk on!
Awesome!
Yay Drew is back!!!
Could be a call-up option once we get to 10-day season (or even sooner if the injuries continue). I expect him to be meh and at best be someone to follow during the bubble, but who knows?
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