This time of year it is hard to focus on the NBA game as the college kids take center stage in March. The NCAA tournament is in progress and that has basketball fans watching brackets, buzzer beaters and who is going to be a good NBA pro.
Basketball betting pundits note how the teams that are going to be in the lottery are watching closely as each potential draft prospect can use the tournament to raise their stock in the June draft. Of course this could all be a mute point if the whispers amongst NBA Betting pundits of a NBA lockout are true.
But let’s forget all that negative stuff and focus on who looks like they are ready to dominate the NBA game once their college dreams are over.
The two hottest names that are being talked about are Kemba Walker out of Connecticut and Jimmer Fredette out of BYU. Both are electrifying and both can take their teams on their back.
Fredette is the nation’s leading scorer who has range starting once he crosses half. Walker has gotten better as the season has gone on and had that amazing run in the Big East tournament where he led his team to five wins in five days.
But this is where the NBA game can be a whole different world. Fredette is a dominant college player, there is no question there. But does his game cross over to the NBA? He will have to use his court sense and amazing shooting ability that to get him over the hump as he will always be up against more athletic players. There have been enough NCAA scoring machines that have vanished in the NBA game over the last several years that a lot of teams may pass on Fredette.
Walker however looks like he is ready for the NBA now. His size could be an issue but the NBA rules play into his strengths as there is less hand-checking and more space to operate. He is a winner and a competitor and could really help an NBA team right away.
The NCAA tournament is the perfect time for NBA scouts to evaluate talent before June. When you have a player in for tryouts, you can’t see how they are during crunch time. You can’t see how they lead a team and you can’t see them elevate their game.
You can’t judge a player on stats alone, you need to see them competing at the highest level and that is what March is all about.
Filed under: NBA Tagged: | Jimmer Fredette, Kemba Walker, NBA
