PG Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies)

[mdtrackman]

I would take Conley Sr's words with a grain of salt. Granted, they don't sound good at first, but it really is necessary to consider the fact that it is his job to say the things that he's saying. He could very well just be testing the waters here; by generating publicity, he might just be seeing how high Conley could go, and if they are really high, he might go.

But if they aren't high, I think it's very possible that he stays- and Oden, too.
Of course, there's every chance they leave .

[jwinslow]

Added attention for Jr's decision may equate to a larger persona. Greg is already a star, Mike is still growing into one. He went from good frosh to standout PG to lottery pick. Whatever he decides, MC Sr may be helping his marketability for whenever he declares.

If Jr holds a presser last thursday to announce he's returning, it wouldn't be a big deal nationally. If he announces with Greg, even fewer notice.

If Sr plays up the lottery status & shoe endorsements, it may enlarge his persona for either year, and may come in handy if he's facing other strong candidates in Mayo, Gordon, etc.

[WoodyWorshiper]

I guess I've misssed something over the past week. When did Conley actually start to consider leaving? I've read interviews he's given stating how he's going to lobby hard to Oden to stay for another year, now he supposedly on the brink of leaving? One interview to a Indy paper actually had him say how it was going to be hard for him next year "when Greg leaves" which he immediately rephrased to "if Greg leaves." I'm not getting this one.

[Hubbard]

Originally Posted by WoodyWorshiper

I guess I've misssed something over the past week. When did Conley actually start to consider leaving? I've read interviews he's given stating how he's going to lobby hard to Oden to stay for another year, now he supposedly on the brink of leaving? One interview to a Indy paper actually had him say how it was going to be hard for him next year "when Greg leaves" which he immediately rephrased to "if Greg leaves." I'm not getting this one.

There was a quote that eluded to it, let me see if I can dig that up. Also most experts/draft analysts say he's going and have had him in all the mock-drafts, most as a lottery pick.

[jwinslow]

Originally Posted by WoodyWorshiper

I guess I've misssed something over the past week. When did Conley actually start to consider leaving? I've read interviews he's given stating how he's going to lobby hard to Oden to stay for another year, now he supposedly on the brink of leaving? One interview to a Indy paper actually had him say how it was going to be hard for him next year "when Greg leaves" which he immediately rephrased to "if Greg leaves." I'm not getting this one.

Most of his comments were made without all of the facts. (Note: most of this is a regurgitation of many ExclusiveClothes posts on various boards).

Conley was shielded from the draft hype during the season. Going into the year, the draft wasn't really a tangible option. While he was busy in the NCAA tourney, his stock soared.. and reached lottery pick level.

Now that he's digested everything, he is faced with a whole different decision. Besides the explosion of potential money (both from the NBA and endorsements), he now has to evaluate the risk of returning. This year he's the #1 PG. His play/marketability could decline, or he could be just fine but watch Mayo steal his draft slot/endorsements.

Mike & Greg are also humble guys who rarely give themselves the credit others do. Mike entered the season with little reason to focus on the draft. In the regular season, he played well, but still was just another good guy to consider in the first. It seems that it wasn't until March where Conley truly separated himself, and did it on a large enough stage to also bring marketability to the table.

[crazybuckfan40]

Let me first start of by saying the Mike Conley is one of my favorite players to watch, and if he goes to the NBA I will follow his career, and if there was ever a guy that I would love to don a Cavalier uni it would be him...

With that said otis and lilbuck will be the first to tell you he doesnt have a great jumper, and that is from college 3 point range, so that would lead to about no NBA range...I do believe that he will develop that, but right now that could hurt your team...He can attack the rim and get there, but so could guys like Rajon Rando, Jordan Farmar, Marcus Williams, and they are all playing, but were all drafted lower in the first round and IMO all have better NBA bodies than Conley and all stayed more than just 1 year of college...The main reason why a guy like Rando fell was he didnt have a jumper...

Then the last thing I want to address is all the endorsement talk...With guys like Oden, Durant, Brewer, Green, Wright, and Wright I wouldnt put Conley in that list in terms of marketability...Oden to most is known as Oden's wingman, and is not a superstar...I mean even Wade didnt get anything coming out of college until after he blew up, and he is only with Converse...

Durant is going to get the big dollars thrown at him from Nike if he hasnt already, Oden will get commercials...

They arent going to throw $$$$$ at a player who still has a lot to prove...

All this of course is JMO, but it honestly seems like this is how it is every year...

Player A hears he is a first rounder and will gets lots of deals...And the truth hits him in the face when draft day comes he goes either late first, doesnt get the endoresments and is left sitting on the end of the bench come season time...This point is not necessairly directed at Conley and I understand that money talks and there is the risk of injury, and some guys would rather improve their game while getting paid, but you would have to think that so many of these guys would improve their stock and everything else if they would just come back..

I still think that there is a chance that Conley and Cook could not hire an agent(Conley Sr.) and decide to pull out of the draft and come back...

[schwab]

Originally Posted by graveyard.roses

I think Conley Sr. will be remembered as a villain around town, for years to come. I personally think that he's one of the main driving forces urging Mike and Greg to enter the NBa.

Riiiiiiight. I can just imagine it now, when I'm 45 and my kid is working on his own future, I am seriously going to look back and think, man, just what we could have been if it weren't for that Mike Conley Sr. That crazy old S.O.B. totally ruined OSU's future right then and there by sending his future Hall of Fame son and his son's famed 7' teammate to the NBA, where they would surely be soon gobbled up by older, stronger, and of course faster (SEC speed) players. What a mistake, and what a shame that the Buckeyes have since not recovered.

Sorry for the heavy sarcasm, but I was hoping you were kidding to start with.

[WoodyWorshiper]

Originally Posted by graveyard.roses

I think Conley Sr. will be remembered as a villain around town, for years to come. I personally think that he's one of the main driving forces urging Mike and Greg to enter the NBa. I said on here a few days ago that I wouldn't be surprised if Conley Jr. left, despite him adamantly saying he'd stay after the title game. It's just that recent history has shown that when kids make passes and are vocal about staying that they usually will end up leaving.

Remember when Oden said don't be surprised if he stayed all four years? That was months ago, but it's humerous now when we look back.

In reading through this thread a bit closer, I think this post took alot more criticism than it should have. Why? you ask. Okay, I'll tell you.

The ONE major thing that gets lost by the majority of fans of both our basketball and football teams is that YOU as a fan love these programs much more than do the players who actually play the games. The typical "fan" feels cheated when a great player at TOSU leaves to pursue a shot at the professional level. "How could he do that to us" is a popular sentiment. Then you think to yourself about what you're going to be deprived of because this athlete chose not to be a member of the team that you love anymore.

Any names that I use in getting this point across is in no way intended to offend them or present them negatively. I love all the Buckeye players, when they're Buckeye players. After they leave, whether after 1,2,3 or 4 years, there will be other Buckeye players to love. Don't hold them to a standard that you as a fan would have set for yourself, yet I know this is a huge obstacle for many to overcome. Think of it like this, Conley and Oden grew up in Indy. Who out there thinks that they had dreams of playing at TOSU when they were 13 year old Junior High school kids. The same could be said for pretty much every player on the roster. These kids dream of playing professionally, plain and simple. Now go back to the post proclaiming that Conley, Sr. will be seen as a villain and think of those fans that can't "separate." Maybe you are one of them, maybe you aren't, but a ton of TOSU fans are, and will indeed see Conley, Sr. as that villain. This is not my feeling, this is fact. It won't be looked at by many as a move to aid these kids along in pursuing a lifelong dream, it will be percieved as a greedy move for personal gain by a man who "stole" two of the greatest talents we've had here in years away from us. Again, not my personal feeling, but a fact indeed. It isn't rational thought, but the words "rational" and "fan" don't necessarily always go together well within the context of a given sentence when you're talking about their "team." Peace.

[OSU_Buckguy]

however, there is a difference between claiming that "conley sr. will be remembered as a villain" and "some will remember conley sr. as a villain." there will always be pockets of fans at every point of the spectrum. i greatly doubt that the general regard for senior will be that he is a villain.

[WoodyWorshiper]

BuckGuy,

Maybe I should have stressed the words "around town" in this guys post. It's not a rational thought, and I didn't actually hear the guy say it was "his" feeling. C-Bus is a tough town, and I think guy's point is spot-on. This site tends to attract a more "educated" fan. Many around the "bus" are not.

[Steve19]

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Ohio State star Greg Oden will enter the NBA draft, his father told The Indianapolis Star in a story on its Web site Friday night.

The 7-foot center is widely considered a possible No. 1 draft pick, and Greg Oden Sr. said he was he was comfortable with his son's decision.


"He's the kind of kid that, even though he'll have a lot of money, he needs to do more than just basketball," Greg Oden Sr. said. "They had an exciting season, but why take the chance on him getting hurt?"

Oden and Buckeyes point guard Mike Conley Jr. led Lawrence North of Indianapolis to three straight Indiana high school basketball titles. As freshmen, they led Ohio State to a No. 1 ranking and the NCAA championship game.

Oden's mother, Zoe, told the Star, "Greg told me he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet."
The elder Oden said Conley and fellow Ohio State freshman Daequan Cook also were expected to put their names in the draft.

(continues)

[Oneshot]

Well...

Damn.

[greyscarlet]

Odd that he would tell dad and not mom. I guess mom could be a person that would give her son the opportunity to announce, where dad wants some attention. I'm taking this, along with pretty much all other info thus far, with a grain of salt.

[OSU_Buckguy]

Originally Posted by greyscarlet

Odd that he would tell dad and not mom. I guess mom could be a person that would give her son the opportunity to announce, where dad wants some attention. I'm taking this, along with pretty much all other info thus far, with a grain of salt.

though her comment is ambiguous, i'm taking it as he told her that he's not yet ready to talk to the press about leaving early--not that he's unready to talk to her about it. i'm taking this with a grain of salt, too. this grain, though, is the size of an egg.

[gost8]

Originally Posted by Steve19

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Ohio State star Greg Oden will enter the NBA draft, his father told The Indianapolis Star in a story on its Web site Friday night.

The 7-foot center is widely considered a possible No. 1 draft pick, and Greg Oden Sr. said he was he was comfortable with his son's decision.


"He's the kind of kid that, even though he'll have a lot of money, he needs to do more than just basketball," Greg Oden Sr. said. "They had an exciting season, but why take the chance on him getting hurt?"

Oden and Buckeyes point guard Mike Conley Jr. led Lawrence North of Indianapolis to three straight Indiana high school basketball titles. As freshmen, they led Ohio State to a No. 1 ranking and the NCAA championship game.

Oden's mother, Zoe, told the Star, "Greg told me he wasn't ready to talk about it just yet."
The elder Oden said Conley and fellow Ohio State freshman Daequan Cook also were expected to put their names in the draft.

(continues)

If true... good luck to all three of you. If not for the one year NBA rule I don't think we would have ever seen Oden in a Buckeye uniform, so I consider myself lucky to have watched all three of them, even if only for one season. Turn the page to the next great class we have coming in and cheer for them as loud as we did for the Thad 5 class.

:osu 2: