In the 2012 NBA Draft three Syracuse basketball players were drafted. Dion Waiters exceeded most expectations of fans and experts and was selected fourth overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Fab Melo and Kris Joseph were selected later in the draft by the Boston Celtics. Had Scoop Jardine not injured his foot last week there was an outside chance that the Orange would have had four players drafted. I still suspect a team will give Scoop a "look," whether or not he can make an NBA team remains to be seen. I think it is a good time to look back on the Syracuse career of the three drafted players.
Both Dion Waiters and Fab Melo made huge gains from their freshman seasons to their sophomore seasons. These were different types of gains, but gains nonetheless. Dion Waiters had all of the talent in the world coming out of high school, but Dion did not always act maturely. As a freshman Dion pouted frequently on the court and on the bench. Dion was also not the best team player, instead looking to make himself look good not the team. To be successful at Syracuse Dion needed to come back for year two with a new attitude. To the excitement, and probably surprise, of most Syracuse fans Dion came back as a sophomore with a completely new attitude. Dion did improve his game on the court, but most importantly for his own and team success he improved his game off the court. Dion accepted and excelled in his role and proved to be one of the most valuable members of the team.
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| Dion Waiters |
When Dion decided to enter the draft many fans weren't sure it was the best idea. Some saw him falling to the end of the first round like Donte Greene a few years ago or Percy Jones this year. More realistic fans realized that the NBA Draft is a complete crapshoot. Despite promises and back room dealings, no one every really knows who is going to be drafted and when. One thing is sure Dion had the type of season both on and off the court that got teams to notice him. Had he returned for his junior season he may have seen his future start to melt away like Jared Sullinger. Sullinger would have been a Top 5 pick after his freshman season. He decided to stay for his sophomore season and ended up getting picked 21st and suddenly become known as being injury prone. Dion made a great decision and regardless of how his NBA career turns out can be financially set for years to come (if he is smart with his money).
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| Fab Melo |
Fab Melo came to Syracuse as a project. As a freshman he started almost every game, but had limited production in most games. In the offseason he got into better shape and worked at many of the fundamental skills an NCAA player needs to be successful. Melo had one of the greatest one year improvements that I can remember in Syracuse history. I believe Melo has just begun to scratch the surface of his true potential. Given the time to develop Melo can be a very good NBA center, if he continues to work hard. Melo is much more athletic than all but a few players his size. If he can harness that athleticism he can have a long and successful NBA career. If only Melo had shown the same dedication and work ethic consistently in the classroom the Syracuse fan base would be still be celebrating their second championship.
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| Kris Joseph |
Kris Joseph had an excellent career at Syracuse. When he is on his game he has the athleticism, work ethic and skills to be a very good NBA player. Unfortunately, while at Syracuse Kris disappeared for long stretches during games. He did not consistently step up when his team needed him. When and if Kris can add consistency to his game and avoid disappearing he can be an excellent professional. As a Syracuse fan and fan of what Kris meant to the SU program, I hope he uses his skills to have a long career.
I believe all three of these guys have the tools necessary to be NBA players. I don't know the NBA game well enough to predict their success, but they have earned the chance to show their new teams what they can do.
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