Kentucky Wildcat Basketball: John Calipari needs to tell these freshmen they do NOT have the experience for the NBA
By Paul Jordan
As we recall. John Calipari had five players selected in the first round of the NBA draft and he called that event “the biggest day in the history of Kentucky’s program”. Granted, he took some fire for that comment but in a way he was right. Because John Calipari has followed up that recruiting class with two more top rated recruiting classes and already some Kentucky fans are feeling some angst over another NBA draft depleted roster.
Let’s face it. Last year’s five players in the first round of the NBA event is a huge recruiting draw for high school players. With that class, Calipari made the bold statement that Kentucky is the path to the NBA and that John Calipari is the coach to get the players there. And John Calipari has not been shy on his feelings about sending players to the pros. He has said that if he feels a player is ready for the NBA, he will recommend that he go to the NBA, regardless of is he is a freshman or not.
And let’s be honest. John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Patrick Patterson were dominating last year and it was obvious they they were ready to move on. And the BBN accepted that without too much rebuttal. A 35-3 season made it hard to argue the fact that these three could not really improve their draft stock by staying one more year.
And as of right now, Terrence Jones is ranked as the 6th pick in the upcoming NBA draft and Brandon Knight is right outside the draft lottery at 16th. According to what Calipari has said in the past, he believes that if a player can be drafted in the NBA lottery, he would probably encourage them to go pro. But what is John Calipari going to say this year if Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight come to him and ask his advice on the NBA.
Is he going to pat them on the back, give them a firm handshake, thank them for their contributions and wish them good luck in the NBA? Or is he going to sit them down, look them in they eye, and tell them that they really do not have the experience to jump into the NBA? If John Calipari truly believes in developing players into the best they can be, he will tell them that they both need to remain in Lexington next year.
Let’s be honest. Both Knight and Jones can go and make millions in the NBA next year … if there is a NBA season. But being drafted in the NBA draft is not a guarantee of success. As Johnathan North texted me yesterday, the NBA draft is primarily based on potential, so of course, they are going to drool over Knight and Jones and offer them an invite into the league. But as of right now, neither player has the experience to succeed in the pros.
Yes, I know, Wall and Cousins were freshmen as well. So were Bledsoe and Orton. But I think that Bledsoe and Orton getting drafted were the fallout of the 35-3 season. If Kentucky were 17-7 last yer and looking at a ten loss season, there would not have been the buzz to sweep them into the draft as well. So how can I saw that Wall and Cousins were ready for the pros when Knight and Jones are not?
Look at the experience that team had. They dominated and led their team to a 35-3 record. And we knew from the very beginning these two were destined for just one season in Lexington. John Wall had a game winning shot in his very first game. DeMarcus Cousins had the next biggest basket of the season against Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament. Cousins and Wall were money and this team was clutch in key situations. We had the 2 point win over North Carolina. The three point thriller over UConn at the Garden. They had the big road wins over Florida, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State. And even though they lost at Tennessee, they bounced back and crushed the Vols by 29 points just three weeks later. They won the regular season SEC Title, the SEC Tournament, and earned a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight.
Wall, Cousins, and Patterson proved themselves ready for the NBA by not only being great individual players, but by being a great team and going 35-3. And not to bash this team, but there will be no SEC regular season title. Aside from Louisville, there is not a string of key road wins or instances of this team taking control down the stretch to pull out a close game. And it’s too be expected. Freshmen traditionally do not step in and lead their teams to 35-3 records. Last year’s team was an anomaly. This year’s team needs another years seasoning.
I know that some of you will look at the numbers and tell me that Terrence Jones is ready because he averaged more points than Cousins (17.6 to 15.1). But look inside the numbers and see that Cousins played seven minutes a game less than Jones and averaged more rebounds (9.8 to 9.0), and had a much better shooting percentage than Jones (55.8% to 44.8%). Cousins was fearless in big games and on the road and had that “refuse to lose” attitude. Remember when he took on the entire crowd in Starkville last year? Terrence Jones is getting his numbers, yes, but he has not become a team player. He may get drafted as a top six pick in the NBA, but if he wants to go to the NBA a complete player and stay in the NBA, he needs to stay in Lexington.
Likewise for Brandon Knight. Knight is basically playing out of position and he probably will not be a point guard in the NBA. Why not stay an extra year, when you have Marquis Teague playing the point, and he can showcase his true skillset as a two guard?
It’s not like Jones and Knight are that far from being the elite players they need to be to make the jump to the NBA. If this team had scored 14 more points in four road games this year, we would be 20-4 and both Jones and Knight would be in the top 10 of the mock drafts. But this team did not win those games and no one has stepped up to be the leader to take the team to the next level.
I have not given up on this team yet though. Let’s say Kentucky wins out the rest of the season and defeats Vandy and Florida at Rupp and Tennessee on the road. And they win the SC Tournament. And earn a 3 seed in the NCAA and advance to the Sweet 16. If that happens, it may be a different answer if Knight and Jones come to Coach Cal and ask him about the NBA.
But for right now, the way this season is playing out, the only answer Calipari should have about NBA hoop questions for Knight and Jones should be “One more year, son”.
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