Bill Fitch coached the Celtics to a world championship and is among the winningest coaches in NBA history. His advice for Tyus Jones is stay at Duke and not declare for the NBA Draft as a college freshman.
The 2015 NBA Draft will be held June 25 and college underclassmen must declare for the draft at least 60 days prior. Jones—chosen the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after leading Duke to the NCAA title last Monday night—will in the days ahead counsel with family members and others about whether to leave college after one season.
Mock NBA drafts have Jones listed as a first round pick. Draftexpress.com projects the former Apple Valley High School point guard being selected No. 21. First round draft choices receive guaranteed money, and the NBA’s predetermined compensation scale results in the No. 21 pick receiving $1,210,000 as a rookie, according to Draftexpress.
Fitch, who coached the Gophers before a long NBA career that ended in 1998, still closely follows college and pro teams. He didn’t hesitate when asked about Jones’ future. “Mentally and physically he’s better off where he’s at (Duke),” Fitch told Sports Headliners.
Jones is only 18 years old and turns 19 in May. Although the Duke website lists him at 6-1, 190-pounds, he is probably smaller. Another year or two of college basketball won’t make him taller but a weight program can make the Blue Devils point guard stronger and eventually better equipped to deal with the grown men in the NBA, some of whom are nine inches taller and 100 pounds heavier. A strong and more mature body can also help any player deal with the physically demanding pro schedule of 82 games.
The mental challenges for Jones and other young players come both on and off the court. There’s a lot to learn about basketball, including a new system of X’s and Os, and adjusting to teammates, and probably sitting on the bench instead of starting. Off the court, there are the temptations of the NBA life that can include too many social interactions with the wrong kinds of people.
Fitch said Jones faces a backlog of NBA talent that the Minnesota teenager would have to compete with for playing time. He implied there are young players who are already waiting for court time, or guys starting that shouldn’t because they’re not ready. His advice for Jones is don’t get caught up in grabbing the NBA money too soon. “A guy is always going to be worth what he is now, or more,” Fitch said.
It’s been Jones’ dream to play in the NBA but Fitch doesn’t think there is a single league team that will use him immediately as a starter. “There are too many (players) sitting in the league that have talent at that position,” he said.
Jones scored 23 points, including 19 in the second half, to lead Duke to a 68-63 win over Wisconsin on Monday night. He showed in the championship game and during other big moments this season he delivers when the pressure is the biggest. He’s an extraordinary playmaker and more accurate outside shooter than often given credit for, but he needs to become a better defensive player and could have a difficult time against taller and more physical NBA point guards.
Jones will no doubt seek the counsel of Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski about leaving school early. Coach “K” has coached five national championship teams at Duke and two Olympic gold medal teams led by NBA players. He is the right man to give Jones advice. Before coaching Jones this season at Duke, he watched him play in high school and AAU ball. Jones and other top American high school players scrimmaged against the 2012 Olympic team so Krzycewski knows his freshman point guard well.
Jones is part of a super freshmen group at Duke that includes center Jahlil Okafor and forward Justise Winslow. Okafor is likely to be the first or second player taken in June’s NBA Draft, while Winslow is projected in the top 10 for sure. Those teammates are close friends, dating back to AAU days. Okafor has declared for the draft and Winslow could soon. Their decisions will influence Jones and his thinking about the future. The three played so much together for different USA national basketball teams that they are far from your typical freshmen when it comes to experience.
The first 14 players chosen in the NBA Draft are known as lottery picks because of the lottery system determining the order of first round selections. Lottery picks receive guaranteed money that can be three to four times more than late first round choices get. Lottery picks are also likelier to receive more playing time than late selections who can one day find themselves riding a bus in the NBA Development League.
A back road bus experience in the basketball minors is a long way from Duke and the glory of a national championship.
Worth Noting
Jones was surrounded by family while leading Duke to the national championship in Indianapolis on Monday but unfortunately Dennis Deutsch, his mom’s father, died last year. Jones revered his grandfather and it would have meant so much for Dennis to be in Indianapolis.
Minnesota-based Jostens will certainly be a contender to secure the order for Duke’s national championship rings. The company provided the 2010 national title rings for the Blue Devils. Former Gophers captain Al Nuness secured that order working for Jostens and will be involved again this spring soliciting business from Duke. Nuness and Krzyzewski knew each other as high school basketball players in the Chicago area.
Fitch thought highly of three Final Four teams—Duke, Kentucky and Wisconsin. “I think if you played it over any one of the three teams could win it (the title),” he said. “Kentucky without a doubt had a little more talent. Duke a little more coaching.”
Although the Spurs have struggled this season, Fitch likes the chances of the defending NBA champions emerging from the Western Conference playoffs and advancing to the Finals. That championship matchup could be Spurs versus Cavs.
David Cobb, the Gophers record setting senior running back last season, will have his Pro Day at the University of Minnesota on Monday. Cobb had a quad injury and missed the Gophers Pro Day last month attended by some of his former Minnesota teammates and NFL personnel evaluators.
The Oakes family from Jordan, Minnesota can be described as the state’s “first family” of pitching. Patriarch Todd Oakes is in his 17th season as Gophers pitching coach. Oldest son Tyler pitched for the Gophers and is now pitching coach at North Dakota State. Middle son T.J. also pitched for Minnesota and is head baseball coach at Legacy Christian Academy in Andover. Youngest son Tanner, a senior at Augsburg, is one of the best pitchers in the MIAC and Division III.
The Wild set home franchise attendance records this regular season, drawing 779,974 for 41 games with average attendance of 19,024. All games sold out, with 31 exceeding 19,000 in attendance. Official Xcel Energy Center capacity for hockey is 17,954 but standing-room-only tickets allow for additional capacity.
Draftsite.com projects 6-5 center Amanda Zahui B. will become the second player selected in the WNBA Draft next Thursday. Tulsa has the second pick but the Lynx no doubt would like to move up from No. 11 and choose Zahui B., who announced earlier this week she will enter the draft and give up her final two seasons of eligibility with the Gophers. The Lynx are looking for more size behind backup center Janel McCarville, the ex-Gopher. Any franchise in the WNBA will welcome Zahui B. who twice last season approached 30 rebounds for coach Marlene Stollings’ team.