The Downbeat #1248 - The College Game Edition

Derrick Favors is quietly (as usual) having a pretty great year. There was much chatter, after he signed his contract, about whether the numbers were justifiable, or whether he would perform to that standard. To put his play in perspective, lets look at another big man, one that is highly regarded:

Joakim Noah is set to make $36.7mil over the next 3 years. When his contract kicks in, Favors will make $37mil over three years (he'll make $6mil this year). Here's a comparison of their advanced stats:

Looks pretty good, so far, and with room to improve.

If you guys follow Grantland at all (I suspect many do), Bill and Jalen have released the videos for their second "Birdmester". In the second part, Bill and Jalen discuss the 2014 draft class. Its funny how the best draft class since 2003 has gone from several sure-fire superstars, to "really deep". B&J (easier to type), pronounce that there is no franchise changing player in this draft class and that several players have "high ceilings". Then, Jalen goes on to say that most of them should return to college for a second year. Personally, I don't see how a player getting buried in a college system intent on bettering their team's standing will help any of these players. The only coach out there that seems to really run their team like an NBA team would, is Calipari in Kentucky. That's not a bash on Bill Self or Coach K, but these are coaches that run very "NCAA" systems. The reason I say this is based on observations of individual players seeming to look better in these coaches' systems, then look much less impressive in the NBA.

**Disclaimer** I don't really like college ball. Its gotten better with the new rules this year, but you won't find me watching a game with rapt attention. So, if I'm way off base, let me know. This is just the way it seems to me.

What do you guys think? Which, if any, players slated to go in the top 10, should return for a second year?

Do you guys read The Hook every morning? SBN's Tom Ziller is one of the best, so put his daily post on your morning reading list. Today he talks about one of the reasons tanking is no guarantee: The GM.

We saw a prime example of this on Friday night, in the Cleveland Cavaliers. They made a great move picking Kyrie Irving, but what about Dion Waiters at #4 in 2012 or Anthony Bennett #1 last year?

Looks like Marv might ditch the mask for good. Can I just say, I hope so? Rip Hamilton did it and it was a weird, quirky thing, but l hope Marv doesn't keep going with it.

Lots of things to discuss this week, so here's some questions from this DB:

Who is the best college coach for prepping players for the NBA?

Which college player would benefit the most from another year in school?

Which team has drafted the best in the last 10 years?

Which GM has drafted the worst in the last 10 years?