Well, my time as a sports columnist is quickly coming to an end, and I would be remiss not to write at least one NBA draft column. Over the past few years, a plethora of pieces decrying the state of the game have graced the B1s of the nation's newspapers.
Often the argument is that everyone should stay in school for four years and graduate and be happy. I don't buy that. Most of the time it's true. College is usually the best option. But sometimes a player is entirely in the right by spurning books for the NBA. So I offer to you a list of those who have made the best and worst decisions so far in this year's class.
The good:
Troy Murphy: Unlike a lot of the players in this draft, you get the feeling that Murphy is mature and understands what he's doing. While not the flashiest player in the draft, he has the skills to become a consistent competitor in the NBA. Throw in the fact that he isn't signing with an agent and it sounds like a good choice.
Eddy Curry: One of the myths surrounding college basketball is that every high school player will benefit from a college education. I don't get the feeling that Curry is one of these people. Some people just don't flourish in a college environment, and Curry is one of them. He is also one of the more dominant high school players in recent memory and should make a good addition to a lottery team in need of a big man.
The bad:
Jason Richardson: If there's one thing I think I learned in the NCAA, it's that Richardson needs at least one more year in college. He looked horrible in the tournament. His jump shot left him and forced his team to pursue other options (e.g. Zach Randolph, who also shouldn't be declaring for the draft). Richardson has shown the ability to improve from year to year and would have been a national player of the year candidate after one more year under Tom Izzo.
Eddie Griffin: I can't really argue that Griffin has the potential to be a great pro player some day. I don't think it will be anytime soon though. His negatives include the ability to shoot 30 percent from the field and a propensity to punch his teammates in the face.
The ugly:
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Damien Wilkins: My guess is that Wilkins is either having problems in college or has lost his mind. Wilkins has yet to live up to his own potential, let alone the ability of his famous father and uncle. It amazes me that someone who played much worse in his sophomore season than his freshman season would decide that he was ready. His stock can only go up unless he really self-destructs. Perhaps he's afraid of losing playing time to the stellar freshmen coming into N.C. State next year.
Steven Hunter: Now, we all know what this DePaul center is capable of. Oh wait, we don't. Maybe that's because he's not anywhere ready for the NBA yet and has yet to make a case for why he should be drafted. Am I supposed to be impressed by his 11 points and five rebounds per game in a weak Conference USA? He'll probably get drafted but only on the hopes that he'll be good in three years.
This does represent one of the deeper drafts in years, especially if ACC guards Joseph Forte and Will Solomon declare. Throw in a group of excellent seniors and four or five foreign phenoms and you'll probably see the future of the NBA walk across the stage on draft night. The big question is: Does anyone care?
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