Andy Katz Thinks I’m Wrong
Contradicting my bold prediction from the other day, ESPN’s Andy Katz today blogged about DeVon Hardin, which I’ll quickly summarize:
Point : Cal’s DeVon Hardin has scheduled workouts after the June 18 deadline to withdraw from the NBA draft.
Counterpoint : But the Cal coaching staff told ESPN.com Wednesday that the move was done just in case he keeps his name in the draft.
Blah blah blah, background on Hardin, etc. etc.
Final thought : There is a sense among those in the NBA that Hardin may jump since he is projected to be a late first-round pick and is coming off an injury-riddled year.
Is this something significant? Maybe, but I doubt it. Even if he intended to return to school, Hardin would be wise to schedule workouts after the date, just to leave all his options open. What if he decides to stay in the draft and has to hastily schedule a bunch of workouts in the 10 days before the draft that he didn’t think would be necessary? Furthermore, even if he’s just using the process to get an NBA opinion of what parts of his game need work, he’ll get a more honest opinion from NBA scouts and executives if they think he’s going to stay in the draft.
Honestly, at this point, I’m not sure what Hardin’s going to do. If he thinks he’s a guaranteed late-first-round pick, I can see him staying in the draft, and he might get such an indication at upcoming workouts. Still, I hardly see Katz’s new tidbit as tipping the scales one way or the other. We’ll know for sure in 11 days, so try not to lose too much sleep over it.
