For all you idiots that think Kentucky would have a chance...

[sundizz]

Langston Galloway
Most Valuable honors for the third time: In 34 games, he averaged 17.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.2 minutes per game. Galloway finished his college career as the second all-time leading scorer in Hawk history (after Jameer Nelson) with 1,991 points, as well as the all-time leader in career three-pointers with 343.

Shane Larkin
Against then #1 ranked Duke University, Larkin had 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists as the Hurricanes blew out Duke by 27 points. Against North Carolina on February 9, Larkin shot 5 for 8 beyond the three-point line, had 9 assists, and delivered an alley-oop pass to Kenny Kadji off the backboard which prompted a standing ovation from Miami Heat players Dwyane Wade and LeBron James who were in attendance.[10] Larkin led the Hurricanes to the Sweet 16 in the 2013 NCAA tournament. He was also selected the ACC Player of the Year by the ACC coaches. Virginia Tech's Erick Green was the ACC media's winner.

Tim Hardaway Jr.
On January 28, Michigan was ranked number one in the AP Poll with 51 of the 65 first place votes. It marked the first time Michigan ranked atop the AP Poll since the Fab Five 1992

[sd3035]

didn't read, but Kentucky would easily make the playoffs in the D league East

[UK2K]

WCS will be DPOY and KAT SHOULD be player of the year, but none of the UK players average over 25 mpg, so he will get slighted.

Wanna know how good UK is? Kyle Wiltjer left the team last season cause he wasn't playing enough, and now he is a finalist for the Wooden Award for best player in the country. That guy could hardly get on the floor at Kentucky. :lol And now he's dropping 40 in college.

And they are better now then they were last year.

[John Tesh]

didn't read, but Kentucky would easily make the playoffs in the D league East

Well sure, in the D league East. But not the NBA East.

[sd3035]

Well sure, in the D league East. But not the NBA East.

Is there a difference?

[The_Pharcyde]

kentucky would get smacked by 20+ by any NBA team, no question

this is not even a discussion... you are a fool if you think otherwise.. every player in the NBA was in the top 1% of D-1 Bball athtletes and on top of that they made it a full time profession, something they craft every single day since the day they were drafted

amateurs vs pro's

not even a debate

[Lebron23]

I have to agree. NBA is a different ball game.

[ralph_i_el]

Kentucky would get whooped by any NBA team. Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional. They start two guards who can't shoot, and two raw, defensive big men (I'm not knocking them, they both have all-star potential). NBA teams would just pack the paint and completely stifle their offense. I'm assuming we're playing with the NBA 3 point line?

[305Baller]

Chemistry is a factor. I would like to see them play a playoff team or a lottery team at the least. I bet it would open up a lot of eyes.

[imdaman99]

If the current Knicks played Kentucky 82 times, Kentucky would go 3-79.

Men amongst boys.

[beastee]

If the current Knicks played Kentucky 82 times, Kentucky would go 3-79.

Men amongst boys.
To get 3 wins they would have to ball out of their mind, or catch opponents resting some players. The pros would be licking their chops to ass rape them each and every game.

[T_L_P]

Kentucky would get whooped by any NBA team. Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional. They start two guards who can't shoot, and two raw, defensive big men (I'm not knocking them, they both have all-star potential). NBA teams would just pack the paint and completely stifle their offense. I'm assuming we're playing with the NBA 3 point line?

NBA 3-pt line, 24 second shot clock.

These kids would be absolutely decimated. If, if they were beating every college team by a margin of 40+ points (they've had some close games with teams that would also win 0-2 games in a season), then maybe I could see this Kentucky team winning 5 or 6 games...but, as I said, that's not the case.

Put it this way: take the top 5 player from Kentucky and put them on a new expansion team, with a bunch of 9-12 men from current NBA rosters. How many games does that team win? 8? 9? Now we're replacing these NBA pros with the bench players from Kentucky.

3 wins if they're lucky. Anyone who says otherwise is a troll or a homer.

[Genaro]

This isn't even worthy a conversation IMO. UK would be crushed in the pro level.
Yes, they're great among their peers but NBA is another game. I even think that they would lose to European teams as well.

[John Tesh]

Is there a difference?

Yes. The D-League East consists of the Maine Red Claws, Canton Charge, Erie Bayhawks, Delaware 87ers, Westchester Knicks, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Iowa Energy, and Grand Rapids Drive, as opposed to the NBA teams in the East that we are more familiar with.

[oarabbus]

If the current Knicks played Kentucky 82 times, Kentucky would go 3-79.

Men amongst boys.

If they're lucky.

I think over/under on 2-80 is a great bet.

[Milbuck]

24 second shot clock, extended 3 PT line, physical disadvantage (I don't care how tall they are, they're kids playing against men), severe mental/experience disadvantage, skill disadvantage, etc. They would get slaughtered by NBA teams, and consistently so. It's entirely possible they go 0-82. If it was a gimmick thing, and they put them in the NBA season just for the hell of it...I could see every NBA team playing all out just to not be that team that loses to the college kids..in which case UK gets blown out 82 times.

I mean, the Knicks beat the Spurs a couple games ago. The Sixers have quality wins too. No matter how bad you think an NBA team is, there's a reason it's an NBA team. It's a completely different level. And it's not even like UK is destroying everyone they play, they've had several close games against other college teams. For all the talk of them being this freakishly dominant team, they're really not that dominant. Anthony Davis was a way better college player than anyone on UK right now...and he was a 13.5/8 player his rookie year and missed almost 20 games, even after a full summer of preparing for the NBA. You take guys like WCS, KAT, Dakari, Harrison twins, etc and drop them right this second into the NBA there's literally no way to predict how well they'll translate...much better players than them have been underwhelming or flat out sucked their rookie years. How many of those "NBA-level" players are going to reach their potential? Is there a 100% guarantee none of them are busts?

[ShawkFactory]

Given Kentucky's size and skill, it you gave them a bit to prepare and pit them against the worst few teams in the league they'd pull out 2 maybe 3. And those would be close. The NBA team would win easily in over half of them.

[BasedTom]

dat U team had so much heart

[TheMan]

didn't read, but Kentucky would easily make the playoffs in the D league East
You're either a troll or a retard...which is it?

[dubeta]

You're either a troll or a retard...which is it?

:facepalm

[inclinerator]

let's not forget the jump from 30-40 something games to 82 games

[UK2K]

How would a team of:

Elfrid Payton
Kyle Anderson
Andrew Wiggins
Noah Vonleh
Mitch McGary

do?

That's around where UK players are slated to go in this year's draft.

[IGOTGAME]

didn't read, but Kentucky would easily make the playoffs in the D league East

just look at Brooklyn or Detroit. They are a lot more talented than UK. UK has poor guard play for an NBA team. The Andrew Harrison doesn't have consistent NBA range and Andrew Harrison is undersized. That is a shitty backcourt and they would have no scoring options and their shit offense isn't creating anything against NBA players.

Comparing them to teams actively trying not to sign NBA players is funny but all you can do.

[tpols]

didn't read, but Kentucky would easily make the playoffs in the D league East

I think you're selling them a bit short.. they would've made the nba finals in last year's east. Spurs would've handled them in 6 or less imo tho

[DatAsh]

Kentucky + Lebron, how many wins?

[24-Inch_Chrome]

How would a team of:

Elfrid Payton
Kyle Anderson
Andrew Wiggins
Noah Vonleh
Mitch McGary

do?

That's around where UK players are slated to go in this year's draft.

It doesn't matter where they go in the draft. What matters is how they adapt to the NBA game. The players you're looking at from 2014 have largely been successful in the NBA so far, but rewind a year to the 2013 draft and a drastically different picture is painted as far as an equivalent 2013 team's feasibility in the NBA.

Personally I think that Kentucky would get spanked by any NBA team, but it's difficult to truly assess until we've seen how the drafted players do in their rookie seasons. If they all have fantastic years, you've got an argument in hindsight, but speculating about how well they will or won't do is pointless imo.

That said, bookmark this topic and come back in a year, if they all have excellent rookie seasons you might have a solid case that they could have won a few.

:cheers:

[Milbuck]

How would a team of:

Elfrid Payton
Kyle Anderson
Andrew Wiggins
Noah Vonleh
Mitch McGary

do?

That's around where UK players are slated to go in this year's draft.
That team would be lucky to win 5 games.

Wiggins is the best player out of that 5 by far, and his team is at 15 wins right now with waaaaay better players, actual professionals, on his team like Rubio, Martin, Brewer*, Thad Young*, Mo Will, Dieng, Pek, Shabazz, etc. Vonleh and Anderson haven't done anything this year, and McGary at best is a good rookie. Elf is good but again...good for a rookie.

All in all that team wold get destroyed on a regular basis. And again, you're ignoring the fact that you're looking at those players now, after a full summer of preparation, a training camp, the majority of the season under their belt. If you took UK's college players right this second as they are now...they'd get slaughtered.