Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney declared for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent today, which probably set off a minor panic in the 540.
And it shouldn't right now.
Because Delaney's decision makes perfect sense.
Since he's a junior, he can declare, get a few workouts in and then return to school if he so chooses with no penalty whatsoever. That's because the draft rules allow a player to enter and then withdraw one time in their career.
That process has an annoyingly trite colloquialism associated with it, and you won't see it here. But the point is, any credible junior who hasn't entered the draft before has every incentive in the world to find out what they can about their pro prospects.
Think of it like this. Let's suppose every year for three years, you had the option of getting to test out a huge, flat-screen TV for six weeks and you could return it without paying a penny at the end. Let's also suppose you like big TVs, and eventually wanted to build your entire family room around one.
Now pretend you didn't use that option the first two years.
So why wouldn't you do so the third year, unless you really, really, really knew you had no interest in buying the thing (or no ability to purchase it) ?
It's sort of like that.
If there's even the chance for one workout against future pros, one chance to receive feedback about what is needed to improve a player's chances of ultimately sticking with an NBA team --- whether it's in six months or a year and a half --- and it comes at virtually no price, then a guy should pursue it.
That's why Delaney made the right decision this week, and why several juniors (like Maryland's Greivis Vasquez a season ago) should be lauded for making a mature decision in an effort to take stock of their talent when afforded the opportunity.
The real choice won't come until the May 8 deadline for withdrawing from the draft approaches. That's a tricky decision, the determination of right and wrong to remain unknown for some time.
But not this. For a guy like Delaney, who led the ACC in scoring this past season, it's an easy, calculated and rational choice.
Exploiting an opportunity to collect information about the future isn't a cause for panic. It's a smart move, and Delaney is neither the first nor the last to take advantage of such a favorable option.
Comments