catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 08-03-2020 02:51 PM
EJ Montgomery’s decision to leave Kentucky after his sophomore season is a common one throughout the past decade of Kentucky basketball. Also common is Kentucky fans’ disagreement with players and when they should depart for the professional ranks.
Montgomery averaged just six points and five rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2020, but he made strides as a passer, shot-blocker and defender. His heightened tenacity on the floor and the Florida tip-in had the Bluegrass state buzzed for another star junior big man in 2021. Fans of Montgomery and the program were disappointed yet again by a player leaving before he had time to truly shine at Kentucky.
His father only added fuel to the fire.
“Why come back and waste a whole other year,” Efrem Montgomery said a few weeks after the season ended. Look, I’m going to all-out defend EJ’s decision to leave in a minute, but this quote from his dad is somewhat disrespectful to everyone involved with the program and justifiably rubbed the nation’s most loyal fans the wrong way. The worst part is Montgomery hasn’t once expressed this same lack of appreciation.
Ok, let’s get crazy: Efrem has a point! Leave out the sour word choice, but he’s right that EJ can leave for the NBA, G-League or overseas and get paid to develop just as he would’ve in Lexington. Will he develop better professionally – playing and practicing more often and against veteran competition while being paid…or as a 21-year-old in his third year with Calipari? There isn’t a certain answer.
Would that extra year of development even help his draft stock? Well, we all saw the jump Nick Richards made in 2020, and he’s still hanging on by a thread on draft boards. These two simply have limited versatility in the modern game because of the lack of a jumper (however, each has great shot mechanics and could make real improvement from distance) and their defensive limitations switching onto the NBA’s army of score-happy guards.
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