Caseloads
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Tuesday, May 13 Right or wrong, early decisions have been made
------------------------------------------------------- By Andy Katz ESPN.com
A few high school players declared with an eye on next year's potential 20-year-old age limit. A number of college underclassmen are making the jump to get a free tryout at the all-expense paid Chicago pre-draft camp.
Some still, and will, go back to college by withdrawing their names from the NBA's early-entry list by June 19. Some players, however, declared for the draft with no choice of returning because of academic eligibility issues. Others are simply getting poor advice.
Monday was the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft. Several names on the list were expected, while some are simply testing their draftability over the next month. It's not a bad move, considering the NCAA has given players the option to play in Chicago's camp (June 4-9) without a penalty upon return to school.
Those who don't sign with an agent, and don't see their stock rise in scouts' eyes, must sooner or later face facts in the coming weeks. And, if they refuse to do so, and don't withdraw from the draft by the deadline, then their decisions could be viewed in a different light. The bottom line: Players have to prove they're making the right move by becoming one of those all-important 29 first-round picks.
But, for now, here is our take on the decisions made by underclassmen over the past month -- both good and bad -- after discussing each player's situation with more than a few NBA teams:
Good Decisions As the desire of every NBA team, LeBron James' choice to skip college is easy.
LeBron James, St. Vincent-St. Mary HS (Akron, Ohio): Please, James had no choice. He was and still remains the clear choice to be the overall No. 1 pick in the June 26 draft. Even if he wanted to go to college, he couldn't because he wouldn't have been eligible. James broke amateurism rules over the past few summers, according to numerous NCAA sources. But, college was never in the LeBron equasion. James is probably the biggest consensus No. 1 in years.
Carmelo Anthony, Fr., Syracuse: Anthony won the NCAA Tournament. He was the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four. He's a likely top three pick. Why shouldn't he have declared? Anthony said it himself when he told the assembled media in Syracuse that he had nothing left to do for the Orangemen.
Chris Bosh, Fr., Georgia Tech: Bosh didn't deliver an NCAA Tournament berth to Yellow Jacket fans -- let alone a championship, like Anthony -- but he still had no choice by to leave after one season in Atlanta. Bosh will likely land somewhere in the top five, and it makes sense for him to go in this draft. Sure, he could be better in the post and become more of a physical presence. But how much higher could he go? No. 1 or No. 2 isn't out of the question next season, when he would likely go against Emeka Okafor as the top post player out of college. But being No. 4 isn't so bad, is it?
T.J. Ford, So., Texas: Ford won the national player of the year (Wooden, Naismith, ESPN.com) and didn't have more to prove individually. He got the Longhorns to the Final Four and could have come back for a repeat visit as well as more awards. But he is likely going to go in the top five in this draft. Why not go now if that's the case?
Chris Kaman, Jr., Central Michigan: Get to know Kaman, he's now the best American-based big man in the draft when UConn's Okafor decided to stay with the Huskies. Kaman delivered Central Michigan into the NCAA Tournament and that helped his stock, too. Kaman could have gone a few spots higher if he returned for a senior seasn, but he's a lock for the top 10 and that's why he had to declare.
Dwyane Wade, Jr., Marquette: Wade won Conference USA player of the year and then led Marquette to the Final Four. He has family pressure to deliver financially with a wife and child. He has given more to the Eagles than they have to him, so he had little choice but to declare and stay in the draft. He's a lock for the lottery, which is why this decision can't be questioned.
Jarvis Hayes, Jr., Georgia: Hayes made the right decision to declare, considering the Bulldogs face more sanctions in the wake of alleged academic violations. Hayes also is a likely lottery selection, which makes his decision more palatable. He's leaving his twin brother, Jonas, behind but he can make up for it with a financial reward the family will no doubt enjoy.
Luke Ridnour, Jr., Oregon: Ridnour could go higher in 2004 if he returns to Oregon. And while his spot in the lottery isn't assured, he didn't make a poor choice. He's one of the top point guards in the draft and he's got a legit chance to play his way up if he works out well over the next month. Oregon would have been back in the NCAAs next season, but he might have hit some senioritis if he had returned.
Michael Sweetney, Jr., Georgetown: Sweetney's stock is rising and he's done well the past two seasons in proving he can be a legit low-post scorer. Sure, he might have been able to move up a few more spots next year, but he's still probably would have been a back end of the lottery player. So, why not declare when there is a buzz about him?
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