Is He All He Will Ever Be Right Now?
Let’s be honest, the center position is one of the most difficult to judge and project coming out of college, although some will say it’s the easiest. These are possibly for the same reasons.
Most of the time, a big man’s special talent is simply that he is big. Let’s take a look at Andre Drummond, now of the Cleveland Cavaliers, for a second.
He hasn’t really developed many more skills since he came out of UCONN. He is pretty much the same guy he was from a skillset perspective.
Is he bigger, stronger, faster, and at the peak of his athleticism because he works with the best strength people, trainers, and technology in the world at the professional basketball level? Absolutely, but that isn’t development in the terms that most NBA people like to talk about.
If Carey Jr. is what he will be already, he will carve out a nice 15-year career if he wants, but is that a superstar career? I would say no. That is why you have to ask yourself, is this all he’ll ever be?
Leading the blueblood Duke Blue Devils in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots as Carey Jr. did is nothing to sneeze at, but when you’re oftentimes the biggest, strongest, and most physically imposing dude on the court, you are supposed to do that.
I can be convinced to give him a shot, he could be great. However, these are the questions that Pat Riley must ask himself before he uses the Miami Heat’s draft pick on him.