At the start of the 2020-21 season, Kentucky freshman guard Brandon Boston Jr. seen as the team’s indispensable, infallible superstar, one who would likely round out the season by leading the team on a deep NCAA Tournament run on the way to a top. -five design selection.
Unfortunately for both Boston and the Wildcats, the Five Star Prospectus freshman campaign didn’t live up to the preseason hype, averaging just 12.0 points on 36.0% shots and 30.3% from three to go with 4, 5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. . He’s had his moments – 21 points vs. South Carolina, 17 points vs. Auburn, 17 points vs. Arkansas, 18 points vs. LSU, 18 points in Georgia, 20 points vs. Richmond, 15 points vs. Morehead State – but Boston’s persistent shootings have resulted in shares of the former potential top-five design roster falling well beyond the lottery, with a few outlets even dropping him to the second round of their latest mock designs.
Even given the struggles and inconsistencies, most assumed Boston’s original plan to be a one-and-done still had the certainty that it sometime lead to his time in Lexington, all the way to the eruption of Kentucky over South Carolina in the regular season. final. After what many thought was Boston’s last home game at Rupp Arena as a Wildcat – and it was a good one too, finished with 21 points on 7-13 shooting and 6-10 from three to go with four rebounds, three assists and one bargain – John Calipari drew attention by hinting that the former five-star prospect may have a two-year plan.
When asked about Boston’s troubles and late-season turnaround, the British head coach compared his situation to Immanuel Quickley and PJ Washington, players who decided to come back for a second season to prove they were capable of doing better. to become.
“He never lost the fight. This stuff has been difficult for him. And it’s also an eye-opener to know as an individual player, man, physically that this is – I’m not where I need to be physically, ”said Calipari. “We’ve had other guys, it’s like Immanuel Quickley. Immanuel Quickley walked into my office and said, “Coach, I know you said this would be difficult.” This is after his freshman year. ‘This is much more difficult than I thought and I haven’t had a good year. But I’ll come back and you watch. No one will outsmart me. ‘ Those are the guys who should come back. That mindset. PJ Washington. That mindset. I’m not coming back to do showtime. I’m not coming back to say, “Hey, this is my team.” I am coming back because I will get better and I can accept that I was not playing the way I was supposed to. And this is much more difficult than I thought. “
He took it a step further by confirming that he will encourage his players to test the NBA Draft waters, but may not like what they hear from scouts. And if the feedback isn’t good, they can “not be delusional” about where they are as players.
“I like it when children go through the process, because the teams will not lie to them. They are going to tell them the truth. Going through the process is good, ”he said. ‘Whether it’s one of these guys. You can’t be delusional because if you are, it will catch you. You have to be real and you cannot blame anyone for your achievements. You own it. And then you say, this is what I can do and how I can get better. “
On the surface, the idea of a player of Boston’s caliber and previous status as a top-ten prospect and potential top-five recruit returning for a second season is hard to imagine, especially in Kentucky. Over the course of Calipari’s 12 years in Lexington, UK has never brought players this back, so why should that change now?
For one thing, the difference in money can be significant, and that could be all that Boston needs to hear when it comes time to make a final decision.
Looking back at the 2020 NBA Draft class and the rookie scales for each of the top 10 picks – where Boston is expected to be taken from season in 2021 – all freshman salaries were over $ 4.24 million and four-year salaries flirted with or significantly surpassed the $ 20 million reach.
- No. 1 Choice – $ 9.75 million freshman salary, $ 44.27 million four-year salary
- No. 2 choice – $ 8.73 million freshman salary, $ 39.62 million four-year salary
- No. 3 choice – $ 7.84 million freshman salary, $ 35.59 million four-year salary
- No. 4 choice – $ 7.07 million freshman salary, $ 32.10 million four-year salary
- No. 5 choice – $ 6.40 million freshman salary, $ 29.08 million four-year salary
- No. 6 choice – $ 5.81 million freshman salary, $ 26.42 million four-year salary
- No. 7 choice – $ 5.31 million freshman salary, $ 24.13 million four-year salary
- No. 8 choice – $ 4.86 million freshman salary, $ 22.12 million four-year salary
- No. 9 choice – $ 4.47 million freshman salary, $ 20.34 million four-year salary
- No. 10 choice – $ 4.24 million freshman salary, $ 19.33 million four-year salary
If we compare those dollar numbers to where Boston currently stands on the various prominent mock concepts, the difference is significant.
- NBC Sports – No. 16 – $ 3.12 million freshman salary, $ 15.09 million four-year salary
- NBADraft.net – No. 21 – $ 2.48 million freshman salary, $ 12.15 million four-year salary
- Hope Hype – No. 21 – $ 2.48 million freshman salary, $ 12.15 million four-year salary
- ESPN – No. 26 – $ 2.04 million freshman salary, $ 10.45 million four-year salary
- CBS Sports – No. 27 – $ 1.97 million freshman salary, $ 10.15 million four-year salary
- The Athletic – No. 33 – freshman salary $ 898,310, two-year salary $ 2.4 million
- Tankathon – No. 36 – $ 449,115 one-year salary (two-way contract)
For example, if the difference is the No. 16 pick in 2021 and the No. 10 pick in 2022, the risk of injury and stock taking may not be worth the million-a-year difference over the course of four seasons in the league . Should he slip into the 1920s, we are now talking about a difference of about $ 20 million from the top five design roster he was expected to have in his time in Kentucky.
Guaranteed money is important, but there is a big difference between the money that changes your life if you get selected late in the first round and the generation money you get if you hit the top five. And given that the 2022 NBA Draft is expected to be exponentially weaker than the 2021 class, it is certainly not impossible to return to that top-five status with efficient shooting, enhanced power and continued growth as a defender in 2021-22. .
When Boston returns to school and averages 18 points from 45% shooting and 35% from three to go with 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, he is back on track. And that’s a 6.0 point difference, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.6 steals per game more than he now averages, along with a 9% increase in his field goal percentage and 3-point field goal. percentage by just under 5%. All achievable jumps, and with Boston radiating undeniable confidence – he once said he wanted to be the greatest basketball player of all time – you’d think he wouldn’t be afraid to bet on himself.
Aside from the numbers and the money – and that’s certainly the most important part of it – Boston failed to get it Kentucky experience he signed up for when he dedicated himself to the program in July 2019. It didn’t get the deafening cheers of sold-out Rupp Arena crowds, the warm welcome that comes with Big Blue Madness, the quintessential spotlight and fanfare that comes with events like the Champions Classic and CBS Sports Classic, hostile road environments and packed SEC and NCAA Tournament crowds. From the floor he did not come into contact with. If anything, his experience at Sierra Canyon as a senior was with players like Ziaire Williams, Bronny James and Zaire Wade in sold-out celebrity arenas who sat on court every time he played. more ‘Kentucky’ than Kentucky was this season. That is where he thrived and ramped up his supply the first time, not listening to the sounds of dribbles, screeching shoes, and the coach’s screams through empty locations.
Improving his stats and increasing design stock can go hand in hand with things just going back to normal in the 2021-22 season.
Is it a foregone conclusion that Boston is turning down the pro route in favor of returning to Kentucky for another season? Goodness no. If Calipari hadn’t opened the door to that opportunity last weekend, I’m not sure anyone would discuss it as a legitimate opportunity right now.
But Cal opened that door, and it’s well worth exploring.