Austin Rivers isn't ready for the NBA, but that hardly matters these days.
The Duke freshman guard reportedly has decided to enter the NBA Draft and soon will hire an agent. He's expected to be a lottery pick in June's draft, even though he could use more seasoning at the college level.
And that's not just a basketball deal.
Maturity and personal growth are important issues for young men who must deal with the issues presented to NBA players: the lifestyle, travel, managing money, choosing handlers and friends, and so on. It isn't always about how good someone's crossover move is or the effectiveness of a drop-step move.
Rivers has game. He has big-time game and is probably more suited to an NBA style of play than college. He didn't always take to Duke's structure this season. Instead, Rivers resisted it too much to where it was a detriment at times, particularly late in the season.
This isn't suggesting Rivers is a bad player; his motor just ran different than that of his Blue Devils teammates. In part, it's because he was more talented and was really the only player on the roster capable of creating his own shot. Goodness knows he bailed out Duke on some awful possessions and gave the Devils the memorable win at North Carolina.
Rivers has an amazing crossover move and dribbles the ball low to the ground so he rarely gets picked. His body control when in the air is impressive, and he's adept at getting shots off or getting fouled around the rim despite going up against much taller and thicker players — he led Duke in free-throw attempts with 184. He also can shoot well from the perimeter despite having an odd release and follow-through.
The son of former NBA player and current Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers also possesses a high hoops IQ. He knows the game. He can speak its language and recognize its nuances.
But too often he appeared to fight against it — and certainly the manner in which Duke wanted to play. With that came a recklessness that isn't typical of Duke players. Rivers had eight more turnovers than assists on the season — not what a successful team expects from its primary ball-handler.
Rivers averaged 15.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and was named first-team All-ACC. But Duke dropped three of its final four games, including a blowout loss at home to UNC and a shocker to No. 15 seed Lehigh in the NCAA tournament. In those four games combined, Rivers shot 37 percent (20 for 54) from the field — including making just 5 of 24 3-point attempts — and had seven assists and 10 turnovers.
Despite his youth and deficiencies as a point guard, Rivers looks set to take his substantial talent to the NBA — where, who knows, he may be coached by his father. Regardless, maturity and personal growth are imperative for Rivers to maximize his chances at future success.
