Sorry to make your heart jump Nate! :wave: Here is another opinion. Most NBA scouts have SL as the first PG taken. Gonna be hard to turn that down.
Preps to pros? Eddy knows
January 21, 2004
Greg Stewart
gstewart@pjstar.com
High school basketball fans aren't the only ones lining up to see Shaun Livingston play.
Livingston and Central played to standing-room only crowds recently at Richwoods, Central and Quincy, and Monday helped the River City Shootout draw one of its best crowds in recent memory.
Along with Joe Fan, NBA scouts are also coming through the doors. Representatives from 29 NBA teams were in St. Louis for the KMOX Shootout, more were in Marshall County, Ky., the Raptors and Hawks were at Friday's game against Manual, the Spurs were rumored to be in Quincy and Bulls general manager John Paxson was supposed to be in Peoria for the RCS.
More will certainly follow, and by the time Livingston plays in the McDonald's All-Star Game on March 31 in Oklahoma City, every team in the league will have a detailed analysis of the 6-foot-7 phenom.
"I'm not even trippin' on that," Livingston said as he bounced out of the Central gym Friday, more concerned with meeting his friends at Agatucci's after a big win over Manual.
With two months left in his senior season, and four months until graduation, Shaun is just trying to enjoy life as an 18-year old. But as he continues to post jaw-dropping performances, the speculation mounts on whether Livingston will spurn Duke and go to the league.
"It was hard for me so I can imagine what it's like for him," said another Illinois prep who took that path three years ago, Bulls center Eddy Curry from South Holland Thornwood. "But I would imagine he has a strong base at home and good coaches in Peoria. He'll make the right decision."
After Curry fended off critical questions from the Chicago media following his inconsistent performance in Saturday's loss to the Knicks, he seemed happy to talk about something other than the Bulls' struggles. His advice to Livingston?
"Right now, he should just finish strong and try to take his team as far as they can go," said Curry, who shared the court with Livingston when Thornwood waxed Richwoods in the 2001 Class AA quarterfinals. "After he's played those games, he can sit down and really make a good decision on what he wants to do. At that point, he should have a pretty good idea what the outcome would be if he came out."
While merely speculation at this point, it is assumed Livingston would be a top-10 pick if he entered the 2004 NBA draft. Dwight Howard, a prep senior from Georgia, is considered a lock for the top spot. Josh Smith, a senior at Oak Hill Academy committed to Indiana, could also be taken high. Other big men are ready to go, but the current college ranks seems devoid of can't-miss guards. Someone with Livingston's tantalizing potential could be too good to pass up for a franchise willing to wait on a kid who needs a couple more years of physical development.
"While they acknowledged Livingston needs to get stronger, (two NBA scouts) said he has the size and talent to make an immediate impact as a point guard in the NBA," said Roy and Harv Schmidt of Illinois Prep Bulls-Eye.
The Charlotte Observer published a story saying Bernie Bickerstaff, GM of the expansion Charlotte Bobcats, is considering Livingston with the No. 4 pick.
Just as he did with his college decision, Livingston isn't saying much. He's shrewd, and it's almost what he's not saying that has some concerned. Responding to a Duke fan site asking whether he was considering a jump to the NBA, Livingston said: "I've heard a lot of talk about it, but no one's heard me say anything different since I committed."
Not exactly solidifying his commitment.
"I think Shaun really wants to go to college," Central coach Chuck Buescher said.
Probably so, but when players are super-sized like Curry or super-skilled like Livingston, it raises the question: Are high school players with NBA-ready skills almost prisoners to their own talent? What's the tradeoff between foregoing what could be the best years of your life, your formative college years, for guaranteed millions in the NBA?
Darius Miles, the 1999 Illinois Mr. Basketball drafted out of East St. Louis by the L.A. Clippers, once said he was "lonely" in the NBA. Despite having more money than he knew what to do with, he wasn't yet old enough to go out with his teammates and spent most of his time on the road sitting in luxury hotels playing video games and ordering $20 cheeseburgers from room service.
"You can say no," Curry said. "If you have a dream of going to college and playing basketball then of course you could say no to the money."
But Curry didn't say no. He passed on a commitment to DePaul, was taken fourth overall by the Bulls and signed a four-year contract reportedly worth $12.53 million.
"I wanted to go to college, but I wanted to go the NBA a little bit more," he said with a smile. "I like my situation."
Based on what Curry and other in the top 10 got, it's not unreasonable to project a similar contract in this year's draft to be worth between $16 and 20 million, especially for a coveted point guard.
To those fans squeezing in to see Central defend its Class AA state title, get your autographs while you still can.
- Greg Stewart is a Journal Star sports reporter. Write to him at 1 News Plaza, Peoria, IL 61643. E-mail gstewart@pjstar.com or call (309) 686-3202.
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