Nassir Little Leaving UNC for the NBA
Photo: dailytarheel.com
UNC freshman Nassir Little wasted little time after the team’s season-ending loss to Auburn in declaring for the NBA draft. Earlier today Little announced his intentions to forgo his final three seasons at North Carolina to enter the draft. This shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone since Little has been regarded as a lottery pick all season. However, I’m not so sure that is the best choice.
I’ll start out by declaring that nobody, including myself, can say what is best for Nassir Little. Only Little and his family know what is best for him and his future. But as a Carolina fan, I can certainly give my opinion, which I’m glad to do. I think Nassir Little should stay for one more year. Here’s why:
It’s no secret that Little’s draft stock has fallen since the beginning of the season. He is as athletic as anybody and has a ton of potential, which is what his predicted high draft position is based on. He’s a raw basketball player, whose skills need to be more refined before he makes an impact in the NBA. We’ve seen flashes of excellence throughout the season that showcase his great potential. But we’ve also seen flashes that left us asking, “So he’s going to be a lottery pick?” His draft stock is based purely on potential once he sharpens his skills, particularly his jump shot. The reason why his stock has fallen throughout the year is because of his less-than substantial playing time.
Little never started, and often wasn’t even the first one off the bench, especially early in the season. There were games when he only received about ten minutes of playing time. He simply didn’t have the opportunity to showcase and refine his skills that he should’ve been given. Someone of his skillset would have started at any other program in the country and received significant playing time. But he was never granted significant time on the court consistently, and for that reason his skills and potential are still largely unknown to NBA teams. I’ve disagreed all season long with how Roy Williams handled Nassir Little. Even though he is a raw talent, he has so much of it that he could impact the game in so many different ways. Since there are other players who may be more of a “safer” bet, NBA teams will have to decide how much of a risk they are willing to take and if they are willing to be patient with a project player.
If Nassir Little came back to North Carolina, he would finally get to start and see the minutes he needs. He would make much more of an impact next year, all the while having the chance to improve his jump shot and other skills that would make him more of a polished player and less of a question mark. It’s hard telling if he’ll be a lottery pick now, or a mid-first rounder, but if he were to come back to improve and have the chance to showcase his game-skills, he would improve his draft position for next year’s draft. With what will probably be a weaker draft class next year, he could potentially be a top-5 pick. Sure, he would risk injury by coming back next season, which could drastically decrease his draft stock, but that risk is always blown out of proportion by people. If I’m Nassir Little, I’m taking that risk and betting on myself to work hard and improve to make even more money by the time next year’s draft gets here.
With all this being said, I don’t blame Little for declaring for the draft. He has the chance to make good money right now and accomplish his dream of playing in the NBA. I will never fault someone for chasing and realizing their dream. Sometimes I just think that college basketball players get a little too anxious, which hinders them from maximizing the potential of their dreams. Either way, I wish Nassir Little the best of luck and hope he represents the University of North Carolina well in the NBA.
Garett