Moving to the NBA
Apr 23, 2009
Ty Lawson made the right decision to leave early. His stock may be a little higher than last year which should get him drafted within his goal of top 15.
Wayne Ellington may have made the right decision. No player played better in March and early April than Ellington. His shot was money but he showed improvement in areas that NBA folks felt he needed to improve in - defense and rebounding.
But the buzz for Ellington isn't the same as it is for Lawson. And neither has created the stir that Davidson's Stephen Curry has.
I actually heard one media person say he would think about taking Curry No. 1 overall instead of Oklahoma's Blake Griffin. Now that's the definition of a man crush.
Curry over Griffin? Really? I couldn't pull the trigger on that one.
As for Tyler Hansbrough, his stock was higher after his freshman/sophomore season than it is now. Which leads me to what you already know - the NBA will take potential over proven in the lottery slots. "Upside" is the word you'll hear a lot until the draft in June.
For Hansbrough, it may work out better. He could be picked lower and be on a better team. I believe Hansbrough will be a solid pro for a decade; not an all-star but a solid contributor.
Lawson and Ellington said it was hard to leave North Carolina. Hansbrough didn't have a choice this year but they all leave as national champions.
On the eve of the title game in Detroit, Ellington and his family sat at the table next to us at dinner. We exchanged hellos and the only advice I had for him was don't eat the seafood. I didn't want him to chance getting sick before the biggest game of his life.
This was a fun North Carolina team to cover. Particularly Hansbrough, Ellington, Green and Lawson. I hate they won't be around next year but they have earned the right to get paid and deserve every dollar that comes their way.
