This year’s upcoming NBA draft class is expected to be the best since 2003, which headlined players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwayne Wade. Some of the anticipated freshmen in this draft have been described as having a multitude of praiseworthy adjectives.
Players, such as Andrew Wiggins, have been dubbed as “the next LeBron James,” while others, like Jabari Parker, Tyler Ennis and Julius Randle, have been described as “freshmen phenoms” and “can’t-miss prospects.”
We wonder, though, are we tossing these terms and phrases around too easily? Are these upcoming freshmen really “can’t-miss prospects” for which NBA teams should have tanked their seasons? Or would another year of college do justice for the players, the NBA and college basketball?
Upperclassmen players, such as Doug McDermott (26.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG) of Creighton University and Bryce Cotton (21.8 PPG, 5.9 APG) of Providence College, displayed levels of dominance throughout their seasons. They were, for the majority of the season, unable to be guarded; they were completely dominant.
I’m not sure about the rest of you, but “dominant” is not a word I would used to describe this year’s college freshmen class. Extremely talented players, they were, at times, the best players on the floor; however, they lacked the consistency of the previously mentioned upperclassmen. I was under the impression that another year of growth at the college level would do them more good than harm.
Does Andrew Wiggins really have what it takes to be a star?
When I think back to dominant college freshmen — or absolute freshmen phenoms — I think of players like Kevin Durant, who averaged 25.8 PPG and 11.1 RPG at the college level. He was the first freshman to win the National Player of the Year award — and rightfully so. His performance during his only college season was one of the most memorable in recent college basketball history.
Even though his Texas Longhorns lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament, there was never a doubt in anyone’s mind regarding who was the most dominant player on the floor every night. Durant never took games off, or even sat out plays; he always left it on the floor.
Now I ask, can the same be said about Andrew Wiggins, who prior to the season was dubbed “the next LeBron James”? A stat line of 17.1 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.5 APG should not automatically turn a player into a “can’t-miss prospect.”
Should Joel Embiid have stayed in college another year?
The next freshman who would also benefit from another year of college play is Joel Embiid. Granted, I understand he is a 7-foot-tall, 250-pound center, who averaged 11.2 PPG and 8.1 RPG, along with a nice 2.6 BPG.
Again, however, I think we should reflect before calling him a “can’t-miss prospect.” Embiid, as a prospect, must be compared to a guy with a similar stat line and a “dominating” freshman season: Greg Oden. Greg Oden was a 7-foot-tall, 280-pound Ohio State University freshman, who averaged 15.7PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 3.3BPG!
Oden put up better numbers across the board on a team that included other future NBA players in Michael Conley and Daquan Cook. He went number one overall in that draft as a freshman and was never able to put together a complete 82-game season in his career.
The injury bug seems to have already hit Embiid with a stress fracture in his back that prevented him from even taking part in the NCAA tournament. I understand he is a physical specimen who you can’t help but admire because of the high ceiling, but can you call him a can’t-miss prospect that should go number one overall? History says no.
Can Jabari Parker prove to be the best of his class?
Jabari Parker was the number-one-rated high school player in the class of 2013 (until Andrew Wiggins reclassified and took over the spot). He, unlike the prior freshmen I mentioned, had a very strong freshman campaign with 19.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 1.2 APG. However, his knock came in his potential last game of his college career against Mercer.
He went 4-14 from the field, finishing the game with only 14 PTS and 7 REB in one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA tournament, as his Duke Blue Devils lost to Mercer. This reminds me of another past can’t-miss college freshman: Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse University.
Carmelo Anthony averaged 22.2 PPG along with 10 RPG and 2.2 APG. He also completed his freshman season with a dominant performance during the national championship game of 20 PTS, 10 REBS and 7 ASST, which led Syracuse to its only national championship.
Having a freshman season end in such a way justified any doubt of whether Carmelo should have entered the draft in 2003. Jabari Parker’s potential final game in college ended miserably against a team he shouldn’t have lost to. Again, Parker did have a great freshman season, but for the sake of legacy and his legitimacy as a player, he shouldn’t end his college career on that note.