Fringe prospects see value in testing draft waters
Admiral Schofield was smiling, even minutes after being told — again — by an NBA team that he does not project as a first-round draft prospect.
The blunt feedback, this time from the Nuggets, was not a blow to the Tennessee forward’s ego. It’s precisely why he walked onto the Pepsi Center practice floor to work out for Denver this past week.
“I don’t think I’m (a firstrounder) yet, which is fine,” Schofield said. “I haven’t had a team tell me that, which is fine. … This process is to understand what it takes to be an NBA basketball player and to be a pro.”
Schofield was part of the Nuggets’ first wave of predraft workouts primarily featuring underclassmen considered to be fringe prospects, at best. But those players see the value of utilizing a relatively new NCAA rule that allows them to be evaluated by NBA teams before deciding whether to remain in the draft or return to their college program.
“If I do come back to school, I’ll be more experienced and know what this process is like,” said Charles Matthews, a major contributor in Michigan’s run to the NCAA Tournament’s national title game. “And if I do choose to stay in (the draft), I’ll feel confident giving it my all.”
This is the third year that underclassmen have been allowed to partake in private team workouts and return to school if they withdraw from the draft by Wednesday’s deadline, provided they don’t hire an agent. Ten of the 12 prospects who worked out in Denver last week fall into that category (Australian point guard William Mcdowell-white has until June 11 to withdraw and return to his professional team in Germany). Only Nevada’s Cody Martin, the reigning Mountain West defensive player of the year, was invited to the NBA draft combine.
In all, more than 130 underclassmen declared this year for a draft that has 60 total selections over two rounds. A similar number declared in 2017, before 73 withdrew before the deadline. That occurred after a record 30 underclassmen went undrafted in 2016, leaving playing in the developmental G League or overseas as those players’ only professional basketball options.
The vast majority of the NBA’S high draft picks are college underclassmen, of course. But teams host borderline prospects to get an early glimpse at players who could morph into legitimate prospects with more college experience, to identify potential candidates for summer league and G League rosters or to discover a “sleeper” pick.
“We’re looking for players everywhere,” general manager Arturas Karnisovas said during an interview on Altitude 950 Thursday. ” … The scouting is extensive, it’s everywhere. Even right now, when we’re doing these workouts, it serves us multiple purposes. It’s expanding the pool of players.”
The players, meanwhile, benefit from the critiques issued by coaches and front-office members at the sport’s highest level. Marshall point guard Jon Elmore, who also went through the process last year before going back to school, was told he needed to trim body fat and add strength to his 6-foot-3 frame. Wisconsin big man Ethan Happ knows he must add a consistent jumper to his pinpoint passing and efficient finishing around the rim. Iowa big man Tyler Cook is aiming to prove he can use his athleticism and effort to rebound more consistently than what his tape shows. Stanford forward Reid Travis learned that team personnel are curious to see how prospects compete against one another.
“If you’re making or missing shots, that can fluctuate day to day,” Travis said. “But is your energy there? Are you talking? Are you defending hard? Are you playing at a high level? I think that’s the biggest feedback that I’m getting, is that if you can show that you can bring that energy every day, there’s a spot for you in this league.”
More changes could hit the NBA draft in the coming years, primarily due to the FBI probe into the corruption of college basketball. A commission chaired by former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recommended a series of changes last month, including eliminating the draft eligibility rule that has sparked the “one-anddone” era in the college game. The commission also proposed that undrafted underclassmen should be permitted to return to school, though that would create complications regarding players contacting and hiring agents and schools deciding whether to hold scholarships for potential returnees.
For now, underclassmen will continue to take advantage of the opportunity to test the NBA draft waters. Schofield wanted to prove to the Nuggets that he could rebound, defend and convert at the basket following one or two dribbles.
He soaked up his time in Denver, a city he had never visited before. And he’ll keep smiling, even when teams deliver blunt feedback about his draft stock.
“I still got plenty more workouts to do,” he said. “I’m going to keep competing and hopefully get an opportunity. If not, I’ll go back to school and get better.”
Gina Mizell: gmizell@denverpost.com or @ginamizell