Measuring talent is not an easy process. Teams work out dozens of players leading up to the draft, most of whom don’t hear their names called on draft night. Some of these players are familiar to us, most of them aren’t. While it can be disappointing to go undrafted, the silver lining with any undrafted rookie is the chance to pick which team they want to tryout for, granting the opportunity to join a team in need of their skill set.
The following players weren’t drafted last Thursday but will get the opportunity to make an NBA roster this summer:
Myck Kabongo
Kabongo was a five star recruit and McDonald’s All-American out of high school. Considered a pure point guard, Kabongo is considered part of the basketball renaissance beginning in Canada.
His college career was strange to say the least. Kabongo commited to Texas, then decommitted, then recommitted again. After an okay freshman year, he was investigated by the NCAA for attending a workout paid for by Rich Paul, an agent representing former Texas players Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. Initially given a year long ban, his suspension was reduced to 23 games, and Kabongo played in the final elven games of the season, averaging 14.6 points, 5.5 assists, and 5 rebounds per game.
His upside is his quickness and ability to pass the ball. He isn’t a great shooter, shooting under 30% from three, but he does show some consistency in catch and shoot opportunities. His turnover rate is concerning as well, as he averaged 3.2 a game in his college career.
Kabongo will play for the Miami Heat’s summer league team this July. A good performance in the summer league could see Kabongo make the roster, but with the Heat set on retaining Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole, Kabongo could end up spending time in the D-League, which would allow him to properly develop into the player so coveted out of high school.
C.J. Leslie
Frustrating would best describe CJ Leslie’s career. Once considered a future lottery pick out of high school, Leslie’s career show flashes of promise but ultimately failed to live up to expectations. Still, he was NC State’s leading scorer two years in a row, and was one of the best rebounders, averaging around 15 points and 7.5 rebounds a game.
One of the most athletic players in this year’s draft, Leslie unfortunately fell into the category of tweener, for at 6’9, 200 lbs, it remains unclear whether Leslie will play the small forward or power forward position in the NBA. Add in an injured shooting hand that forced him to miss pre-draft workouts, and Leslie’s stock dropped off the draft board.
Showing consistency, particularly a consistent work rate, will be important for Leslie in the NBA. Questions surrounding his desire and motivation have followed Leslie since high school, and in the NBA a lack of either tends to weed out a majority of fringe players
Leslie has signed with the Knicks, a fit that could work in his favor due to their up-tempo style of play. As a undrafted rookie he represents a low risk, high reward player for New York, and could potentially pay off as Chris Copeland and Pablo Prigioni did this year.
Keith Rendleman
Rendleman’s path to professional basketball has been just the opposite of Kabongo’s and Leslie’s. A star wide receiver in high school, scouts predicted he would chose football over basketball. Rendleman instead chose to play college ball, and took the only Division 1 offer he had to play at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Four years later, he leaves as the school’s all time leading rebounder and one of the program’s greatest players, averaging 17 points and 10.5 rebounds per game (11th best in the country).
Rendleman’s biggest strength is his athleticism. At 6,8, 220 lbs, he quickly moves up and down the court, and despite being undersized for the four position (his primary role in college), his athleticism and strong work rate down low gives him an advantage over bigger players. Scouts like his ability to catch the ball as well, he has little trouble catching the ball from errant passes. Defensively his athletic ability serves him well as a weak side defender, as he averaged 1.6 blocks per game. His length also aides him in creating steals, where he averaged just under two a game.
Where Rendleman needs improvement is his shooting ability. Because of his size he will be used more at the 3 spot, which will require him to face the basket. While he can get to the basket, his shooting from mid-range and beyond will need to improve. Free throws are also a concern. Averaging a little over seven free throw attempts a game, Rendleman shot only 59% from the foul line.
Pre-draft Rendleman worked out for the Nets, Hawks, and Bobcats, but currently he has not signed with any team. Still, look for Rendleman to be on a summer league roster this month.
Seth Curry
Curry is the younger brother of Golden State star Stephen Curry. He transferred from Liberty and played three years at Duke. This past season he averaged 17.5 points per game shooting 44% from three, making him one of the best three-point shooters in the country.
The question with Curry is whether or not his game will translate to the NBA. Curry is primarily a shooting guard, but at 6’2 he is undersized for the position. He also doesn’t possess great athleticism or speed, and isn’t a major threat attacking the basket.
Still, Curry has great instincts and fundamentals. The NBA has always had its share of players like Curry who have made a living as spot up shooters. Should Curry excel as a three point specialist, he will have a roster spot.
The Bobcats reportedly reached out to Curry to join their summer league roster, but Curry is still recovering from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his leg that will keep him sidelined this summer, which means he must hope for a training camp invite to make a roster.
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