I know there's been a lot of talk league-wide about where this guy will end up going in the draft. He's undeniably one of the most explosive players in the draft, as evidenced by his high point per game average. I mean, when people are saying that you're the best NBA prospect to come out of Indiana since Isiah Thomas (the player, not the exec) you know you're on your way to super stardom. There's no question about whether or not the talent is there, but there are still some things that are unanswered about his game.
Of course, there's always going to be the question of how the relationship with his coach affected his play this season. He'll probably try and say otherwise, but there's no question that it affected his play late in the year. Then there are those that say he's not fit to play the two guard at the NBA level. Others say that he falls in love with the 3 point shot too much. And let's not forget about the ever-persistent turnover criticisms. Critics say he simply won't be effective at the next level if he's turning the ball over as much as he did this season while only averaging 2.4 assists per game.
The negatives that surround him will be hard to ignore come draft day, but his upside will be impossible to look past either. Even with all the drama surrounding his coach, his scoring numbers (22.4 PPG) were remarkably high, and his shooting percentages (54% from the field, 42% from 3 point land) were equally impressive.
Needless to say, Calbert Cheaney is one of the most intriguing prospects out there this season.
Personally, I think he'll turn out alright. Maybe not an All-Star, but he'll hang around for a few years. But let me tell you something, that point guard out of Memphis is going to be something special. You heard it here first.