Scheyer in the NBA?

[CMARTZ]

Does anyone know whether or not Scheyer is considering playing professionally? No one ever talks about his NBA potential but it seems like he'd do all right, provided that he bulk up a bit.

[speedevil2001]

Does anyone know whether or not Scheyer is considering playing professionally? No one ever talks about his NBA potential but it seems like he'd do all right, provided that he bulk up a bit.

well he has 1 more year at duke to improve his stock.
but right now i believe scheyer can make an nba roster as a shoot guard. get drafted in the second round.

Who in the league is scheyer comparable too? he is not a dunleavy or redick. maybe like a jon barry or john paxon. maybe they just have their first name in common.

im surprise its going to be scheyers senior year already. not sure if he made his mark on the duke program just yet. this will be his year. i would like to see him be a more agressive scorer and create a bit more, rather than pick his spots.
i dont know what he career averages are but 16ppg, 4 apg. 4 rpg 35 min during his senior year sounds about right. 2nd team all acc.

[flyingdutchdevil]

well he has 1 more year at duke to improve his stock.
but right now i believe scheyer can make an nba roster as a shoot guard. get drafted in the second round.

Who in the league is scheyer comparable too? he is not a dunleavy or redick. maybe like a jon barry or john paxon. maybe they just have their first name in common.

im surprise its going to be scheyers senior year already. not sure if he made his mark on the duke program just yet. this will be his year. i would like to see him be a more agressive scorer and create a bit more, rather than pick his spots.
i dont know what he career averages are but 16ppg, 4 apg. 4 rpg 35 min during his senior year sounds about right. 2nd team all acc.

As much as I love Scheyer and believe that he is the second, if not most, important asset on next year's squad, I just can't see him in an NBA jersey.

Scheyer brings a lot to the table - a decent shot, decent defense, great leadership, great passing - he is Mr. Versatility on our team. And, as we know, versatile players get drafted all the time - Jeff Green, Derrick Brown, Shane Battier. That said, what these players have in common is size, strength, and above-average athleticism (I personally think Battier is more athletic that people give him credit for). Scheyer has decent height, some athleticism and little strength. The best example I can give is during the Nova game, when he went to the rim and was frequently blocked by an UNDERSIZED team. In the NBA, Scheyer would never be able to drive. On top of that, his shot alone can't get him drafted.

I hope Scheyer proves me wrong, gets draft and succeeds in the NBA. I really do. However, as of right now, I just don't see it.

Remember, just because a player is a huge asset to a team does not mean that he will be drafted and play in the NBA (not to mention succeed).

[heyman25]

I think Scheyer might make it. However I agree that Singler and Scheyer have to be fantastic for Duke to go far in The post season.

[BlueintheFace]

A SG that is a bit undersized, a bit too slow, lacks explosive jumping ability, and will be 22 if he declares... I'd be surprised if he went in the 2nd round, but I'd be rooting for him all the same.

[yancem]

I'd be curious to hear Jumbo chime in on this thread. He posted several times on this subject during Scheyer's freshman and sophomore seasons. He seemed to think that Scheyer was well regarded by nba scouts and that he would be playing in the league when all was said and done.

I wasn't nearly as confident then and probably am less so now. Scheyer is a very good college player and may have the chance of being a bench contributor in the nba. The problem is that his growth curve has been relatively flat. He came into college with a well rounded game and a broad skill set. Since then he has developed a deeper understanding of the game but I can think of any areas of major improvement. His shot, dribbling, passing and defense have improved incrementally but nothing jumps out.

Contrast that with Redick. He came in pretty much as just a shooter but left a complete scorer. His defense and overall conditioning improved dramatically. Scheyer I think came in ahead of Redick in all areas except pure shooting but is for the most part the same player he was as a freshman. A very good player but I think he will need to have a real breakout senior season showing major improvements in some or all areas of his game to work his way into the first round.

[dukeENG2003]

A SG that is a bit undersized, a bit too slow, lacks explosive jumping ability, and will be 22 if he declares... I'd be surprised if he went in the 2nd round, but I'd be rooting for him all the same.

His best shot is to try and make it as a PG. He's certainly got a lot ot work on to make it at that position, but its his best shot.

He's got shooting, he's a decent passer, and his defense is actually pretty decent. I'm not sure if he could keep Tony Parker or Chris Paul in front of him, but who can. . . I can see him going undrafted but making it somewhere as a backup PG. Think about it this way. Anthony Johnson is in the league as a backup PG for the Magic. What skills does he posess that Scheyer doesn't? What about Shannon Brown? Jose Barea? Anthony Carter?

I'm not saying he's a lock by any means, just saying that with his good work ethic, his shot (and ability to take that shot off the dribble, not jsut a spot up shooter), reliable ball handling, decent passing ability (needs to work on this though), above average height for the position, and decent defense he's got a chance.

[flyingdutchdevil]

His best shot is to try and make it as a PG. He's certainly got a lot ot work on to make it at that position, but its his best shot.

He's got shooting, he's a decent passer, and his defense is actually pretty decent. I'm not sure if he could keep Tony Parker or Chris Paul in front of him, but who can. . . I can see him going undrafted but making it somewhere as a backup PG.

Considering that Scheyer isn't great at driving or finishing at the rim, PG sounds a little out of the question.

What Scheyer needs to do is gain a lot of weight, work on his shot, and work on penetrating.

[CDu]

I agree with most of these posts. I think Scheyer has a chance to get drafted in the second round, but is unlikely to be more than a role player at best.

He has the right height for the SG spot, but lacks the explosiveness and the strength for the position. And he doesn't have any particular skill that stands out at the NBA level besides free throw shooting. And I don't know that he can draw enough fouls at the NBA level to make that skill useful.

Yancem's post sums it up. Scheyer has progressed at a relatively flat rate. I think much of that is due to athleticism/explosiveness. Scheyer came into college with a very advanced understanding of how to score, but lacking in strength and explosiveness.

He certainly has enough athletic ability and creativity to make his game work at the college level, as evidenced by his very productive career at Duke. But I don't think he has the athleticism/explosiveness to make that game work as a SG in the NBA.

I certainly hope I'm wrong. I always like to see Duke guys make it in the NBA. But I just don't see it.

[CDu]

His best shot is to try and make it as a PG. He's certainly got a lot ot work on to make it at that position, but its his best shot.

He's got shooting, he's a decent passer, and his defense is actually pretty decent. I'm not sure if he could keep Tony Parker or Chris Paul in front of him, but who can. . . I can see him going undrafted but making it somewhere as a backup PG. Think about it this way. Anthony Johnson is in the league as a backup PG for the Magic. What skills does he posess that Scheyer doesn't? What about Shannon Brown? Jose Barea? Anthony Carter?

I'm not saying he's a lock by any means, just saying that with his good work ethic, his shot (and ability to take that shot off the dribble, not jsut a spot up shooter), reliable ball handling, decent passing ability (needs to work on this though), above average height for the position, and decent defense he's got a chance.

Those aren't really good comparisons. Shannon Brown is an explosive athlete who plays primarily off the ball alongside Kobe Bryant - not PG. Anthony Johnson is a pure PG with a 3:1 assist:turnover ratio. Barea is extremely quick and is a pure playmaker at PG. Anthony Carter was at one point a very quick, pure PG who has now aged into a savvy veteran pure point guard.

Scheyer doesn't really have much in common with those guys. If he somehow developed into a pure PG, maybe he could fit into the Anthony Johnson mold. But I don't think it's likely that a guy who has been as pure a wing player as Scheyer has been is going to morph into a complete PG at the NBA level.

[CDu]

Considering that Scheyer isn't great at driving or finishing at the rim, PG sounds a little out of the question.

What Scheyer needs to do is gain a lot of weight, work on his shot, and work on penetrating.

I'd agree with this. Richard Hamilton is the prototype here. If Scheyer can get a faster release on his shot and get a little stronger, he could be a poor man's version of Hamilton. He's shorter (and doesn't have Hamilton's wingspan), not as strong, and less athletic, and doesn't have the quick release on the shot (especially off the dribble) like Hamilton. But that's the type of game Scheyer will need to emulate I think.

[Wheat/"/"/"]

One of my favorite Duke players destined for Europe or coaching.

Simply not athletic enough for the NBA.

[SupaDave]

Just about all of you guys are WAY off and not only underestimate coaching in the NBA but also Jon's basketball IQ.

Facts:

Jon can shoot
Jon can draw fouls
He's more athletic than you think
He's listed as 6'5 - so he's tall enough
Guards in the NBA are getting old - fast
Teams are using the inside-outside game increasingly more

And you guys are forgetting about folks like Kirk Hinrich, Kyle Kover, Andre Miller, Smush Parker, Luke Ridnour, Sam Cassel, and Daniel Gibson who are all limited in some way but are all still in the NBA. John has many of the skills of the aforementioned and many that they don't - one of which will be his coachability.

[dukelifer]

Does anyone know whether or not Scheyer is considering playing professionally? No one ever talks about his NBA potential but it seems like he'd do all right, provided that he bulk up a bit.

My gut tells me that he will have a hard time as lacks the size and strength of most NBA players. As noted, His release is also very slow and needs to be a more consistent shooter. But that said, Scheyer moves incredibly well on the court and has an amazingly high bball IQ. He will get a serious look but he will need to find an ideal situation. He may be drafted in the second round simply because people will know what they are getting with him- a coachable kid who does not make many mistakes on the floor. I think the old time coaches will be rooting for him as they probably see a lot of themselves in Scheyer.

[gvtucker]

I wasn't nearly as confident then and probably am less so now. Scheyer is a very good college player and may have the chance of being a bench contributor in the nba. The problem is that his growth curve has been relatively flat. He came into college with a well rounded game and a broad skill set. Since then he has developed a deeper understanding of the game but I can think of any areas of major improvement. His shot, dribbling, passing and defense have improved incrementally but nothing jumps out.

When Scheyer was a sophomore, Duke experimented with him at point guard. That didn't work out at all. Scheyer never looked comfortable there, and his game suffered. As a junior, when he went to point guard, he was in complete control of the game. Duke went on its best run of the season with Scheyer at the point. Most importantly, he never turned the ball over. That is significant progress.

Looking forward, the one thing he needs to improve on is shooting. He's always been a fine scorer, but he hasn't been a consistent shooter. If Scheyer can get to the point that an open jumper is money for him, he's a solid first round pick in the NBA.

[SupaDave]

I'd agree with this. Richard Hamilton is the prototype here. If Scheyer can get a faster release on his shot and get a little stronger, he could be a poor man's version of Hamilton. He's shorter (and doesn't have Hamilton's wingspan), not as strong, and less athletic, and doesn't have the quick release on the shot (especially off the dribble) like Hamilton. But that's the type of game Scheyer will need to emulate I think.

I totally disagree. I think Kirk Hinrich is a better comparison and this is what they said about him TOO...

Hinrich was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 2003 NBA Draft with the seventh overall pick, resulting in mild surprise because he had been expected to be a mid to late first-round draft pick. Some doubted that his college game would translate successfully to the professional league, in part because he played shooting guard for his final two years in college, but was considered too small to play that position professionally. Hinrich's high selection in the draft is credited to a good workout in front of NBA team scouts

[gvtucker]

I totally disagree. I think Kirk Hinrich is a better comparison and this is what they said about him TOO...

Hinrich had much better speed than Scheyer has. They really aren't close. Scheyer also much improve his outside shot significantly to be on par with Hinrich, but that is something that I think is achievable. For the speed thing, though, there's not much Scheyer can do.

[Billy Dat]

Unless something dramatic happens next year, I don't see him being a first rounder and getting that guaranteed money. However, he'll definitely get his chance to try out for a number of teams via summer league. Unless he decided to go to Europe before giving the NBA a real shot, I am sure he'll be in training camp fighting like a mad dog for one of those coveted spots. As we've seen with a lot of guys, what happens at camp is really random - with a ridiculously small window to make an impression, you need to catch lightning in a bottle - have a few great scrimmages back-to-back right out of the gate, maybe someone ahead of you on the depth chart gets hurt, etc. Scheyer is so sneaky good in so many areas of the game, you can't rule him out. One thing that the recent generation of Duke players has shown is that they won't be pushed out of the league too easily.

[MADevil30]

I think Jon's progress this year will be a big factor in his NBA prospects. With the guard situation being what it is, he will have his hands on the ball and be will be running the offense a lot (I think last year proved that Jon is the more solid bet at PG than Nolan). If he progresses in his ability to drive and create his own shot and keeps his assist to turnover ratio as low as it was when he was running the point at the end of last season, he could have a decent shot at making an NBA roster.

One issue that might stand in his way is that defensively he seems to thrive in the zone but have a little more trouble man-on-man. Since he will never be a real scorer in the league, he will need to be solid on defense, but NBA teams run a lot more man than zone.

With a solid year I could definitely see Jon as a late second round pick with a shot at sticking on a roster and working his way up the bench. Conversely, he seems to be the prototypical European style player, so he will have that to fall back on and could have quite a productive career on the other side of the pond he chooses to go that route.

[CDu]

I totally disagree. I think Kirk Hinrich is a better comparison and this is what they said about him TOO...

Kirk Hinrich is a terrible comparison in my opinion. Hinrich was stronger, quicker, and more explosive than Scheyer. He was also much more of a pure PG than Scheyer. He's better off the dribble and a better distributor. Hinrich is a natural combo guard (maybe even better suited to be a PG than a combo guard) whereas Scheyer is a pure SG.

Yes, Hinrich played SG his last two years of college, but only because Aaron Miles was brought into the mix. It's sort of like how Jason Williams moved off the ball when Duhon came to Duke, but was still capable of playing PG.