But it does bring out an extremely important question: What will Kelly Olynyk do next?
There have been stories circulating in the media already with regards to this question. In fact here is one now. There has been nothing that would constitute a solid lead or definitive source let alone solid anything from Olynyk himself but the media may be onto something.
What indeed will Kelly Olynyk do next?
I'm not someone with any first had knowledge on the situation but I would think that Kelly would have to go. He would just have to and here's three reasons why I think so ...
The Air of Mystery
Right now as it currently stands before the Draft workouts and guys start dropping their names into the player pool, Olynyk is an intriguing pro prospect. As someone who's watched him through his summers working with Canada Basketball during training camps and national teams I would have never thought that he would have had this kind of impact. And this came out of relatively nowhere when you consider that he was one year removed from bench warmer status before his red shirt season. In truth, he has some very good skills in a very big body and he has really only shown his new game for one college season. He has shown that he can play at a high level and one year of that against the teams that Gonzaga's played this year is enough to project him into the Draft lottery.
There is an air of mystery that surrounds him and I think this works to his advantage in this situation. Staying another year more than you really need to could be disastrous for one's Draft stock no matter what happens. Ask Scotty Thurman, Isaiah Canaan or even his teammate Elias Harris. The air of possibility is what will keep the teams drooling at the ideas they have envisioned in their minds of what he can do and more importantly what he can potentially become. Another year of the same performances, an injury or worse a potential brick of a season could cause the mystery to evaporate (right Elias?) making him just another prospect. This cloak of mystery has served several European players well and seen them into the high first round of the NBA Draft (ahem, Darko, Andrea, ahem) and even a few Americans (ahem, Patrick O'Bryant) and it can do the same for Kelly.
The Degree
From what I understand, Olynyk has already graduated and has his degree from Gonzaga. I think it's in accounting and I hear he got that degree in December of 2012. He's already received his education and has not academic ties to hold him down. Unless he plans to pursue his master's degree in number crunching, which he could very well do, he really has no reason to hang around on that front. In my mind, a guy who really has a desire to stay in school to get educated will do so but when the diploma is in hand, and often times it's not in those cases, the decision to go seems a little more logical.
He's Projecting in the Lottery
This is probably the biggest reason for him to leave in my mind. As of now, Olynyk's sitting on the outer edges of the Draft Lottery. He's projecting somewhere in the 12-13 range looking at Draft Express, NBADraft.net and ESPN in their mock ups with CBS Sports placing him just outside the Lottery at 15. Not bad for someone who just a year ago was not even looking like he'd get consistent minutes on his team.
The Draft is not a science but more of a crap shoot and anyone that tells you differently is the same person who stuffs their investment money into their mattress. There are so many things that factor into a players place on this Draft ladder and being placed into this area means that there are some people that are really thinking highly of you, your game and you potential to help a team. I think the most important thing about being in this area is that you, as a player, as looking at a guaranteed NBA contract as a first round selection. Kelly's Lottery spot will likely take a tumble between now and the Draft about as many times as it moves up (depending on who you talk to or read) but being put into this elite class of Draft prospects usually means that you have a guaranteed contract waiting for you to sign come June. Where in the first round doesn't matter at this point I'd say. Guaranteed is guaranteed and a hell of a lot better than non-guaranteed. The fact of the matter is that instant millionaire status has been given.
Like I said before, Olynyk's stock can rise and fall between now and June but the projection is the the most important thing right now. Outside of the financial windfall that will come with a first round contract, even before that, this whole projection is serving notice that Kelly deserves to be thought of as an elite level prospect. This thought will then filter to others and eventually the thought is now a fact which will then become a far gone conclusion. Being projected in that Lottery area is going to get him into the first round of the NBA Draft and unless he decides to go back to school or drops dead, he should be among the first 30 names called out. In today's information driven world, projection is the only other currency that matters when an athlete has shown his talent and impact and Kelly's projection into the Lottery by multiple sources is something that cannot be overlooked when he looks to make his decision.
No comments:
Post a Comment