No

not even close.

No.

Cmon guys, dont sit on the fence.

I'll add my "No" to that too...

Is he getting invited to training camp?

1. He won't get a contract
2. See number "1" above.

I thought number 2 was a really good point, Mick.

I think he will get a contract as he has the body type that some teams love to develop. Perhaps they see him as the next Bynum type and will give him KAJ to work with and get some moves to match his athleticism

No, because he is as old as Andrew Bynum is already.

Majok is not young.

No. No. No.

24 is young in basketball.

Second what anon above said.

Australia has a ridiculous opportunity with the sheer volume of Sudanese refugees coming into this country to develop some freakishly long basketball talent. And if it continues to cost so much just to play competitive ball, people in housing commissions - where many refugees end up - aren't going to get a chance to play now are they?

600 or so bucks a year (150 bucks rego - $10-15 a game) just to play is more than lots of people can justifiably afford.

24 is two years older than Kevin Durant.

No, it is not young. He doesn't have a chance with his age and how raw he still is.

The Lakers rarely sign their second round picks anyway. Last year was an exception because they got some steals late in the draft.

Comparing your average player to a superstar isnt really a good way of doing it. Majok is still young for a basketballer, where the peak is generally late 20s early 30s.

Agree that he is very raw for his age though.

24 is too old for a player with those skills. I'd say Heck, 22 is too old for a player of those skills.

If you get an international big who is 24 or older you expect someone who is ready to contribute, not someone who is five years away from an NBA level skillset.

I would say that point is 26.

I don't think his age will matter, he's just not good enough for the lakers or the boomers

Yeah, we're not really talking about Majok re the age thing, more in general. Obviously the Lakers see him as at least a slight prospect though, so he has an opportunity if he improves enough.

Cant see it happening myself but who knows?

If majoke gets an NBA gig then the lakers scouts need to be sacked

I heard he's trying to sell himself as a SF (he obviously lacks the height & strength to be an NBA 4).

Which gives him even less of a chance, considering they'll be expecting ball-handling and shooting.

Age wouldn't come into it in my opinion, after watching him in Perth and travelling with the team on a Sydney/Wollongong road trip last year it is hard to imagine that he is of NBA calibre. Without having an intimate knowledge of him personally, it appears on face value as though he has all the physical attributes required to be a good player but nowhere near the mental capability and work ethic that it would also require

just my opinion

If he gets an NBA gig I'll say the gods must be crazy.

He's a potential 10th/11th man in the NBA but not a Boomers candidate yet

Training tool at best in NBA

How many organised, competitive games has the guy even played in?

Seriously? And I don't mean professionally, I mean IN TOTAL - at any level.

I don't think it's many...

That's probably why the Lakers consider him a prospect. He has been playing the 5 in Slovakia, so I am not sure how far the SF experiment has come along.

I hope he continues to improve and become a really good player and realise his athletic ability. However I have been saying that for the past 3 years now and whilst he continues to improve, it is not at the rate that will get him to where one would liek him to be at to become a great player.

he oly picked up a ball at 16 i think from memory so hes only been playing a short time so he will do Ok. He can definately block shots and outrun most bigmen on the court so who knows. good luck to him i say.

If 24 is old for a basketball player then sheesh everyone should just give up now then! Sounds as bad as the fashion industry.

Evidently the Lakers don't scout in Australia.

Wonder what they used to decide that draft pick...Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?

to 341701, I kind of was trying to say that in my post above but I think you better explained it

If you are 24 and have no basketball skills whatsoever, yes, you should give up.

Hakeem Olajuwon didn't pick up a basketball until he was 16 either.

But instead of being a diva and declaring for the NBA draft after sitting on UCONN's bench for a year, he worked his butt of in college and never stopped adding to his game until his prime.

Hard work is all it takes when you have a frame like that, and he doesn't want to put it in.

There is a level of hatred, anger, and malcontent that has been reserved for Ater Majok in Australia.
It is quite disturbing.
Some consider him a failure. Failure of what?
Here is a guy that came to a new country from a war situation. He had to learn a new culture and a new language. He adapted as best he could and though it may not be "Aussie", I have never heard him say anything negative about other players. He has exuded a confidence that you need in hardship to get you through the hard times. He has had a belief in himself that has taken him further than any other Sudanese basketball player to date. He has even gone further than other Australians who were priviledge to have the economics to play junior representative basketball and garner a scholarship to the AIS.
Yes he went to the USA, played a half season at UCONN, played in the played in Europe, played in the NBL, was drafted in the 2nd round as the 2nd to last pick, and is now playing in Europe. Yes the hype machine of the US pumped him up and he bought into some of it (but remember he is navigating western culture) but never have I heard him say anything in the press that is negative towards Australian Basketball, its coaches, or its players.
Where does this hatred come from? Ater Majok has taken the road less traveled and has had success and failure along the way. This is brave on his part.
This nation has been married to the "tall poppy" syndrome within itself. It is time for a divorce.
Ater has paved the way for other African players to leave Australia without the economic means to seek scholarships overseas. The numbers are increasing. Some may fail and some may succeed but the mere attempt is a success based on the hard journey most of them have had.
Best of luck Ater. For me and many others, your journey and your bravery in trying to change your life and the life of your family is valiant and a success in itself.

The responses have been largely directed at something like this:

if ater majok gets a contract with lakers will he be number 1 pf for the boomers

The NBA is different in certain aspects than the NBL. One thing Ater Majok does and does well at every level is block shots. Blocking shots also encompasses changing shots and offenses.
There are guys that are paid good money to just come in for 10 mins a game to spell a starter as a defensive stopper. Given his potential to stretch the defense, he would not be offensively inept as some of the African players that have had careers as defensive players in the NBA.
Given that Brett Brown is in the NBA, I think he will keep Ater on his radar because I have not seen anybody in the NBL with that combination of length, athleticism, and defensive potential. The offense will come in time. If anyone out there has his stats in Europe this year, please post his points, rebounds, block shots, and %'s.

I dont like this "hatred for Majok" argument. Most of the comments are simply saying he hasnt produced and he hasnt worked hard enough to maximise his outstanding physical tools.

Personally I think he is extremely raw with a high ceiling and still learning the game, but as an example didnt really do himself any favours in his time in the NBL, disenfranchising teammates.

But the "hatred" thing, Redhage, Ballinger, Mills, Bruce, Heal ..... the list could go on and on of the players who cop it from fans. That's just the reality, I am sure it doesnt bother them. The comments on Majok arent something unique, some people just think he isnt living up to his potential.

For the most part, I agree with paul regarding posters attitude towards Majok. Most are knowledgable fans whose opinions are based on assessments of his mostly underwhelming performances to date and the numerous controversies that have surrounded him implying a lack of professionalism that seemingly hinders his ultimate realisation of his potential.

There are however numerous examples of posters who are expressing something more than that. There is at least one anonymous troll who has blatantly hated every post with Majok's name (anonymously, of course) over the last few years. So there is some merit to the defensive posts above. I just dont think that all Hoops posters need to be tarred with the hate brush.

Personally I hope Majok has all the success in the world. If he succeeds, we gain an Australian player with physical tools unmatched by few if any Boomers in history. If he fails, well nothing lost.

That is true, but anonymous haters arent exactly something new on here.

@ Stoptheviolence:

Ater Majok has gone further than any other Sudanese player?

Manute Bol & Luol Deng come to mind...

I completely agree his frame and defensive potential are amazing.

Whoever has been giving him advice/management, on the other hand, is boneheaded.

Paul, I did qualify my post with a strong ending giving credit to those who encompass the Aussie spirit of giving it a go ("For me and many others, your journey and your bravery in trying to change your life and the life of your family is valiant and a success in itself.")
Where I don't agree is where people have made baseless comments that Ater Majok does not work hard enough. From all the reports I have read, his work ethic is off the charts. Yes he did have 1 or 2 times that he missed or was late for practice and/or a weight session in Perth. Other than that, no other team in the US, Australia, or Europe have reported any issues in terms of missing practice or having a negative attitude towards an organization or its members.
Aussieboomers, I can't say Ater has had underwhelming performances based on the fact that we many agree that he started the game late and is raw. On the contrary, I feel this is why he has been give the opportunity rather than others who have potentially hit their ceiling. I do agree that there has been controversy surrounding Majok, but being the first Sudanese from Australia to go this far, it warrants to an extent some analysis as the data available is based only on his accomplishments.
Mick, the content of my post implies that I am referring to Sudanese players who have left Australia. I cannot compare his success to that of Luol Deng and Manute Bol.

The comment is "baseless" because working hard and not being on time or missing a workout session are mutually exclusive events.

If you were to say he lacked discipline one could initiate a conversation as such. Then your argument would of course have to be justified over the life span of Majok's current career in relation to others in the same venue.

I am glad you qualified your statement. So what you were really trying to say was that Majok did not work hard during the minutes he was late for the 1 training session and did not work hard during the 1 weight session he missed.
Hmmm....anti-Majok propaganda.

I'll let it rest as you have not refuted the factual content on my post and has yet opted to play the "Propaganda Card". Good on ya mate!

Is Ater Majok the #1 PF for Boomers?

http://www.sportingpulse.com/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=192061263&client=0-189-12314-119318-369909&ocompID=119318

Majok wouldn't be the PF in an NBL First Team, Second or Third team.

Why the Lakers drafted him? We don't know, it was one helluva surprise.

#1 PF for Boomers? He wouldn't even make the Boomers Olympic squad.

It's not hating, it's just an outright silly question because at this time he evidently is not good enough. Does he have the potential to a Boomer representing Australia in world champs or Olympics in the future? Maybe, we'll see how he develops.

Is Majok as a 3-man idea still around? It reminds me of when Anstey wanted to be a 3 when he didn't have the jumpshot, nor the quickness, nor the handles. Goorj actually entertained that idea for a while. Soon Anstey realised that he wasn't a 3, nonetheless continued to improve on his long range shot, and used his tough mental attitude to great success on the court.

I suppose it's possible that Majok could do an Anstey and continue to develop through his 20s, but right now he is still very raw and lacks the tough mental attitude that made Anstey one of the best Aussie bigs of the decade.

good on him, i think he is improving by looking at his team position in Europe and the score he is adding to the team, apparently his one of the top 3 players on the team, all the credit goes to Australia :)

He may not been to the top player (L.James, K.Bryant) but he is something better than most Australian players :)

he started at an older age, and he learned so much, our Australian culture, our language and basketball.

Ater will be somewhere near the future, and yes he can the the no.1 spot, it may be not this year but near the future (1-4 years)

God bless him

I have known the guy for a few year, very good person and funny. majok some times has he's days but I know one thing for sure Majok is the hardest working person I know and will naver backdown.

One question: if majok is all u guys say he is he is that he is this, don't u think the lakers investigated him before drafting him. Know and reading up on the NBA draft team do background cheaks on u from birth and ask everyone about u.

I know for a fact that majok was late and miss training because of the way the management Wes treating him. It was not because he was late he was trying to prove a point.

If I was in Majok' s shoes I would do what he did and by him being drafted he has nathing to loss

Youre right Jim, NBA teams would never draft someone with questions about their character.

Lolz @ paul.

Jim, I am intrigued. How exactly was the Wildcats management treating Majok poorly, pray tell?

This thread is quite humerous...

Anonymous above, you're combining two post to make your argument. One from Jim and one from another anonymous which was me. I forgot to put my name in before I submitted.
You are plucking out pieces to fit your propaganda.
Keep trying and the best of luck.

I am having too much fun at your expense to let go right now. You should review the context of your post so I don't have so much fun correcting you.
You use the plural form of training and practice. Do you have any FACTUAL EVIDENCE that show multiple misses of weight training and being late for practice about Majok.

The care factor to this thread I would have to say is a 0!!
Bump