C Byron 'B.J.' Mullens (Levanga Hokkaido Sapporo - Japan)

[LitlBuck]

the matchup vs a guy like johnson is a mismatch. we dont have a four. johnson isnt a center. granted mullens got some buckets on the other end dropping what 17? 18?

Sometimes, I think you and I are watching different games but I know that it is not true. You have even stated in a prior post that B.J. needs to work on his footwork amongst other things around the basket. I am not just talking about the game against Purdue but even Tisdale dropped a few points over him on "one-on-one" match ups. I realize that Johnson would probably not play the 5 is the NBA but that is all the more reason you should not be getting points in the paint when Mullens is guarding him.

how many times did he get the ball in offense last night? twice? and it was two or three vs iu.

I agree that he does not get the ball down low as often as I would like also but sometimes when he does get the ball down on the low blocks he seems to force shots. That's just my opinion.

In hindsight, where you have really thought Redd was going to be as good as he is currently when he left early. I certainly did not think that he was NBA ready by any stretch of the imagination and I don't think that there were many people who did. He certainly did not have the outside shot that he has developed. The other guys that proved themselves before even coming to Ohio State in some ways but Michael was a completely different story.

 

[Buckeye Nut]

Really, Mullens would guard other centers? Wow, I thought for sure he'd be the one chasing Rip Hamilton around screens. Mullens got eaten up on the block by Johnson just making post moves. Guys in the NBA are bigger, stronger and have better moves. All I'm saying is he can't even guard Mike Tisdale right now, so he's not anywhere near ready to take on Yao, Shaq, Bynum, Z, Howard, etc. He's going to need to improve significally to be able to hold his own against any NBA center in nine months.

 

[Buckskin86]

B.J. Mullens a solid sixth man for Ohio State Buckeyes
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Doug Lesmerises
Plain Dealer Reporter

Columbus -- B.J. Mullens vanished a week ago, washed away in a crimson wave at Indiana, and Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta wasn't surprised.

"I didn't have a good feeling about B.J. playing real well against Indiana because he didn't have a good couple practices leading into," Matta said.

Tuesday night against Purdue, Mullens was back to his old ways, scoring 17 points against the Boilermakers, mostly on dunks, and once again establishing himself as probably the best sixth man in the Big Ten.

With former Buckeyes such as Matt Sylvester and Daequan Cook, Matta liked the idea of bringing an offensive threat off the bench. The only difference this season is the scorer isn't an outside shooter but a 7-foot freshman who never had come off the bench before.

"I love it," Mullens said. "Me coming off the bench is probably the greatest thing for the team. Coach is doing it for a reason. I bring an electricity to the game, so me coming off the bench, I bring a little pull for the team."

B.J. Mullens a solid sixth man for Ohio State Buckeyes - Cleveland.com

 

[Colvinnl]

Does anyone else think Mullens is uncomfortable posting up? He moves around well but does not seem to go to the paint until he knows someone is going to feed him the ball. Maybe it is just not his game yet (or maybe I am totally off?).

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Does anyone else think Mullens is uncomfortable posting up? He moves around well but does not seem to go to the paint until he knows someone is going to feed him the ball. Maybe it is just not his game yet (or maybe I am totally off?).

He is not uncomfortable, it is just hte offense and how it is run...He has his times in the paint and also as the big man he has his time setting screens, flashing high and letting Turner try to get into the lane without him clogging it...

Watched Mullens yesterday with Mark Titus and he was shooting the ball very well from behind the arc...I was very suprised...He could very well end up a patrick Ewing type with the 18 foot jumper...He needs to work on a little bit of a face up game to shoot over smaller players and have a nice little jumper off the glass from about 8-10 ft...

 

[billmac91]

I have heard many times that Mullens is going to be one and done:(. Physically and athletically I think he might be ready to go to the NBA if you do not include strength. He also is not a very good defender on a one-on-one situation in my opinion and seems to get lost sometimes even when we are playing zone. I know that the NBA is basically all offense but I just wonder with the lack of minutes that he is getting and the fact that Johnson and Tisdale really had their way with him if he is ready to go.

Maybe I am being selfish because I would like for him to stay another year and show people how good he really can be on the college level.

I think you're forgetting that NBA GM's aren't drafting these guys to play tomorrow. DeAndre Jordan didn't start for most of the year at Texas A&M last year, yet was taken by the Clippers in the first round. I think Jordan averaged 6 PPG.

GM's aren't looking at production from 1 & done players....they are looking at potential and skill set.

If Mullens leaves, he is without a doubt a first rounder, so I expect him to be gone. He gets off the floor quicker than any 7 footer I can remember on the offensive end. He plays much slower defensively, but the potential is there to make him at least an average defender in 3-4 years. Which would make BJ 22 or 23, with years of NBA production in front of him.

 

[Jaxbuck]

I think you're forgetting that NBA GM's aren't drafting these guys to play tomorrow. DeAndre Jordan didn't start for most of the year at Texas A&M last year, yet was taken by the Clippers in the first round. I think Jordan averaged 6 PPG.

GM's aren't looking at production from 1 & done players....they are looking at potential and skill set.

If Mullens leaves, he is without a doubt a first rounder, so I expect him to be gone. He gets off the floor quicker than any 7 footer I can remember on the offensive end. He plays much slower defensively, but the potential is there to make him at least an average defender in 3-4 years. Which would make BJ 22 or 23, with years of NBA production in front of him.

I know what you are saying is correct but it's a big reason why I hate the NBA and what it has done to CBB.

This kid isn't dominating his level, he isn't even starting for a fringe top 25 team, yet he's a stone cold lock to be a one and done-first round pick. You have just got to be kidding me. He isn't developed enough yet to start in college and somehow that equals first round pick in the NBA. It just boggles my mind.

So instead of CBB fans being able to recognize the same players from one year to another and see some great dynasty's/matchups we get to start all over again next year because someone is willing to pay millions for these type of guys to be nothing more than role players in the NBA.

I know all the reasons why it happens and you can't blame the kids for taking the money but none of that makes it any less stupid or annoying. Sorry for the rant but this is just one of those things that fails the logic test so badly it gets to me.

 

[billmac91]

I know what you are saying is correct but it's a big reason why I hate the NBA and what it has done to CBB.

This kid isn't dominating his level, he isn't even starting for a fringe top 25 team, yet he's a stone cold lock to be a one and done-first round pick. You have just got to be kidding me. He isn't developed enough yet to start in college and somehow that equals first round pick in the NBA. It just boggles my mind.

So instead of CBB fans being able to recognize the same players from one year to another and see some great dynasty's/matchups we get to start all over again next year because someone is willing to pay millions for these type of guys to be nothing more than role players in the NBA.

I know all the reasons why it happens and you can't blame the kids for taking the money but none of that makes it any less stupid or annoying. Sorry for the rant but this is just one of those things that fails the logic test so badly it gets to me.

I agree Jax,

but if you're an NBA GM, would you rtaher draft Tyler Hansborough who has reached his ceiling, and will be nothing more than a spot starter and 6th or 7th man, or a guy like BJ who can develop into a good NBA center??

For all Hansborough has done at the college level, I'm 99% sure BJ will get taken before Tyler should BJ enter the draft.

 

[MaxBuck]

Please don't anyone break out the old, tired "not ready for the NBA" diatribe.

The fact is, almost no rookie is "ready" when he starts out. The question is, which rookies will learn the quickest and become "ready" the earliest. One-and-dones are, IMO, no less likely to ramp up on the learning curve quickly than any other draftee. Centers, though, typically develop more slowly than most other positions (point guard perhaps excepted).

 

[Jaxbuck]

I agree Jax,

but if you're an NBA GM, would you rtaher draft Tyler Hansborough who has reached his ceiling, and will be nothing more than a spot starter and 6th or 7th man, or a guy like BJ who can develop into a good NBA center??

For all Hansborough has done at the college level, I'm 99% sure BJ will get taken before Tyler should BJ enter the draft.

If I were an NBA GM (god help me) I would be looking for similar production at a cheaper price and trade the late 1st round picks to some other team that over values them. It seems to me that there just has to be a cheaper way to get bench fodder players that will get you 10 minutes and 5ppg.

 

[Oh8ch]

For athletic 7 footers "ready" has nothing to do with it.

It is about getting the kid under contract. If Mullens comes out nobody is going to pass him up for somebody 6'8" who can step on the court day one. It is all about the upside and so long as they can project payback while he is still under contract they will rope him and brand him.

 

[Jaxbuck]

For athletic 7 footers "ready" has nothing to do with it.

It is about getting the kid under contract. If Mullens comes out nobody is going to pass him up for somebody 6'8" who can step on the court day one. It is all about the upside and so long as they can project payback while he is still under contract they will rope him and brand him.

Thats just the thing, it seems to me(and I don't follow the NBA closely at all anymore so tifwiw) that these guys seem to blossom for someone else if they ever do at all.

Seems to me that it might be a good idea to be in on the secondary market for the KK's and BJM's of the world morso than being the speculator that tries to see 5 years in the future on draft night.

Get them for a song when some other team is ready to give up on them and hope you catch lightning in a bottle. If they still don't pan out no big deal they didn't cost you nearly as much as the guy who used a 1st round pick for the same kind of production he probably could have gotten from some UDFA.

Not to get BJ's thread completely off topic but drafting on potential vs some type of demonstrable production just seems ass backward to me. I don't see JT handing out scholarships to kids who couldn't start for their high school football team.

 

[MaxBuck]

... it seems to me ... that these guys seem to blossom for someone else if they ever do at all...

... drafting on potential vs some type of demonstrable production just seems ass backward to me.

1. Mike Redd has paid back the Bucks' faith in him. I recall many Buckeye fans crying about Mike leaving, saying "he isn't ready." Many other players "blossom" for the teams that drafted them. It's better than the early-1st round of the NFL in that regard, IMO.

2. If you believe drafting on college production is a better idea than drafting on potential, it's a safe bet you won't be working in an NBA front office any time soon.

 

[Jaxbuck]

2. If you believe drafting on college production is a better idea than drafting on potential, it's a safe bet you won't be working in an NBA front office any time soon.

Not pure college production so much but being able to start for a college team would make me feel better about sinking millions on a guy.

Regardless, I signed off on the NBA a while back. Best of luck to BJ but I will never be ok with the NBA taking guys like him away from CBB so early.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

Sometimes, I think you and I are watching different games but I know that it is not true. you know the game is not on espn classic right? You have even stated in a prior post that B.J. needs to work on his footwork amongst other things around the basket. he does I am not just talking about the game against Purdue but even Tisdale dropped a few points over him on "one-on-one" match ups. true but the thing is they are not "true 1 v 1" in the zone. i agree but to some extent disagree.I realize that Johnson would probably not play the 5 is the NBA but that is all the more reason you should not be getting points in the paint when Mullens is guarding him.johnson got his points on the move. kudos to painter for his game plan.

I agree that he does not get the ball down low as often as I would like also but sometimes when he does get the ball down on the low blocks he seems to force shots. That's just my opinion.
i think its the same thing we saw with kk and oden, if you dont get the ball you see an unwillingness to give it up. im a HUGe fan of kick out, repost. we dont see much of that. if he gets the ball back out his guys can get it back in and he will get easy baskets.

In hindsight, where you have really thought Redd was going to be as good as he is currently when he left early. I certainly did not think that he was NBA ready by any stretch of the imagination and I don't think that there were many people who did. yup everyone was like what?He certainly did not have the outside shot that he has developed. couldnt hit the broad side of a barn..The other guys that proved themselves before even coming to Ohio State in some ways but Michael was a completely different story.he was a very good player coming out of west but that year he was third best in the city, let alone the state. that shows what those rankings are worth. where is kenny gregory and esteban weaver (oil change mechanic i think now?)

bold