Yago Colas, a professor of McGary's during his time at Michigan, staunchly disavowed any character concerns during a nicely penned piece that served both as a pro-McGary and anti-NCAA missive.
Among the highlights—and I'd recommend reading the whole piece in its entirety —is the following quote:. This isn't a league that will punish McGary for a drug violation more than necessary.
It's one that will allow Nick Calathes to resume playing for the Memphis Grizzlies as soon as he's done serving his game suspension. It's one that banned J. Smith for five games after he tested positive for marijuana for the third time, but also the same one that allowed him to continue suiting up for the New York Knicks as soon as that suspension had run its course.
Will Calathes and Smith have any trouble finding the work their on-court performance justifies? Absolutely not.
Well, the answer is slightly different for Smith, who is a repeat violator of the unwritten "don't do it if it's stupid" rule, but his public perception still didn't exactly decline because he violated the drug policy. Maybe McGary's draft stock will lead to more questions in the lengthy interview process prior to the festivities on June But that's it. He made a mistake, and he's already proven to be quite accountable for his actions.
If anything, it's possible accountability could turn into a green light rather than a red flag. Am I advocating for drug use? Absolutely not, though I am unwilling to change my perception of a year-old kid based on one relatively minor mistake when the NBA has shown it's more than willing to pay quality basketball players who have committed or been accused of far worse crimes. Contained in the last sentence, though, is part of the red flag that actually matters.
McGary will be 22 years old by the time his name is called out by Adam Silver or Mark Tatum, should a team take a chance on him in the second round. Age is often a big factor in the NBA draft, with younger players possessing a distinct advantage over their older counterparts. However, the Michigan product isn't just an older prospect; he's a veteran—compared to his one-and-done competitors—who has already missed a lengthy amount of time with back issues.
And back issues are giant warning signs when it comes to big men. McGary was named a preseason AP All-American and was a member of the preseason All-Big Ten team, but that was before a lower back condition knocked him out for almost the entire season. For those suggesting McGary is a victim here, or that Michigan was being picked on by the NCAA -- 76 student-athletes were given a one-year ban for failed drug tests this academic year. No one was being picked on.
McGary knew the rules, and he chose to break them. No one else. For McGary, it's a lesson. A tough lesson, at the end of a cruel year -- a year where he opted to bypass millions of dollars for another season at Michigan, only to have it derailed due to a back injury requiring surgery.
He spent the year watching his team win a Big Ten title without him, and march to the Elite Eight -- again, without him. It was a lesson he handled with courage, as he opted to admit and explain his situation publicly, rather than hide from it -- a path many, many athletes and universities opt to take today.
As a player at Michigan, McGary's legacy will be a bit all over the map. He was a ballyhooed recruit, the No. His freshman season began slowly, but ended with an explosion -- as he blossomed into the star of the NCAA tournament, almost overnight.
His play in March will never be forgotten by Michigan fans, and it shouldn't. Trey Burke was the face of that team, to be sure. But when that tournament ended, if you didn't know who Mitch McGary was, you were living under a rock.
Less than a month later, he said the NBA could wait. And from there, everything started to crumble. He injured his back over the summer. He tried to play, but couldn't. He opted for surgery in December, and lived with hordes of strangers offering their opinions on how he'd screwed up his life and his draft stock and his future.
And last month, in less than the time it took to write this sentence, he took a risk that ultimately ended his college career. McGary only started 12 games in two years at Michigan. He played in He finished his career with an average of 7. But he also leaves with a Final Four appearance and a Big Ten championship ring. Off the court? He'll be remembered for this mistake, this lapse in judgement. And he'll likely be remembered as a player who only really lived up to his seemingly limitless potential for a six-game stretch in the spring of But that's not all.
He'll also be remembered as a player with endless loads of energy. Looking at the numbers, it's hard to argue that point. The freshman is averaging It's hard to imagine McGary's stock getting much higher than it is now, and considering this draft is rather weak, he may be better off coming out. It's also worth nothing that he's old for a freshman at 20 years old, so he may want to come out as soon as possible. On the other hand, McGary could return to school and be considered one of the top two big men in next year's draft along with Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein.
DraftExpress currently has McGary going No. A lot could hinge on Monday night's national title game.
0コメント