Here's what Nick Calathes excels at and why NBA teams will draft him:
1.He sees the floor as well as any 6-foot-6 player can.
2.He's a point guard, and he's 6-foot-6.
3.His shot is getting better and his shooting range extends out to the NBA 3-point line.
And here's why they will pass on him:
1.He is not a top-notch athlete. Chandler Parsons jokes he can't even jump over one of the Alligator's weekday editions.
2.He won't ever be a great one-on-one defender because of that lack of athleticism.
3.His shot isn't at an elite level and he doesn't have a quick release.
Now, can Calathes improve on those strengths? Yes, but he is already at the elite level in college. There are very few players who see the floor as well as he does, and there is nobody who has his size to go with that playmaking ability. If teams are looking for a playmaker in the draft, Calathes will be one of the first they think of - whenever he leaves UF.
And what about those faults? Calathes isn't turning into an exceptional athlete or a shut-down defender. Those aren't areas he was blessed in.
That is why he's ready for the NBA after this year.
If Calathes wants to stay at UF and have a shot at making a deep tournament run, good for him. It won't hurt his draft status or how he'll play in the NBA.
If he's ready, however, to be financially set for the rest of his life, then let him go to the NBA. He's got skills teams can use, and those aren't going to get much better at the college level. His skills will get better when he's playing with NBA players who will force him to study the game even more.
Nothing against UF strength and conditioning coordinator Matt Herring, but NBA coaches can help Calathes add more muscle and fine-tune his shot more when he doesn't have to worry about that Man's Food test.
So, Mr. Kegler, I kindly ask you to grab your iPhone, step down from your hill and realize just how silly you are.
