Obviously no surprises here. Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas were all passed over by NBA teams in this year’s draft. Sure some thought after Duke won it’s fourth national championship, both John Scheyer and Brian Zoubek would get some consideration, but let’s be honest, it was still unlikely. Two great months of basketball wasn’t going to erase Zoubek’s struggles and when Scheyer missed three weeks of NBA workouts because of mononucleosis, there was no chance.
Having said that, Andy Rautins of Syracuse gets drafted, but Jon Scheyer doesn’t? Now I’m starting to understand why the New York Knicks are one of the worst franchises in sports. Anyhow, so what happens now?
Scheyer was reportedly picked up by the Washington Wizards to play in their summer league, even though Jeff Goodman says Miami. While the chances are still slim that he could make it onto Washington’s roster, don’t forget DeMarcus Nelson went undrafted in 2008, yet was signed by Golden State and become the first player in the history of the NBA to go undrafted, but start on opening night. He only ended up playing 13 games before being sent back down to the D-League.
As for Zoubek, he will be joining the New Jersey Jets. First, the reality check. Six months ago if you told me that Brian Zoubek was going to have any shot at the NBA, I would have laughed in your face. No shot. He would have got called for traveling when he signed his deal. This just goes to show you how great he was down the stretch.
Brian will never be a starter-worthy center in the NBA, but with his size and rebounding ability, if a team is patient enough to let him develop some sort of offensive game, there is no reason why he couldn’t be a career backup.
As for Lance Thomas (we can’t forget about Lance), he did get some workouts with teams like the Nets and Bobcats, but he was not only not going to be drafted, I doubt he’ll be signed. While any franchise would appreciate his energy and grit, he hasn’t show the basketball skills needed to play at the next level. At best, he could land overseas, but I wouldn’t expect to ever see Thomas in a pro uniform. Sorry Lance, we’ll never forget what you did bring home Duke’s fourth title.
