2011 NBA Draft and Offseason Blog

Written by Paul Banks of the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
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2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Kentucky's DeAndre Liggins Made Right Decision in Entering NBA Draft - June 10


Every year I scratch my head at several underclassmen who decide to leave school and enter the NBA Draft early; and this year was no different. Most people felt that way about DeAndre Liggins' decision to leave Kentucky after his junior season. However, when you look at Liggins' situation with his personal life and how things likely would have shaped up on the court at Lexington next season, his choice to turn pro makes sense even though there is a real possibility he will not get drafted on June 23.

Liggins was not a star at Kentucky, as he was fifth on the team in scoring this past season averaging 8.6 points per game. He will never be a star in the NBA. However, despite being overshadowed the past two seasons by freshmen like John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones, Liggins felt now was the right time to leave school and pursue his dream of becoming a professional basketball player.

When dissecting Liggins' decision to turn pro, two things come to mind. He became a father this past season and now has to support a family (including his fiancee). Also, with the extremely talented batch of recruits coming to Kentucky next season, there was no guarantee that Liggins would see more playing time than he did this past season.



The Wildcats figure to be loaded on the wing with Doron Lamb, Darius Miller and Terrence Jones all returning along with the addition of McDonald's All-American Michael Gilchrist. Calipari's outstanding reputation as a recruiter is a huge reason for his success as a coach, but it has worked against Liggins.

"We had other guys who more highly recruited than me, so (Coach Calipari) would rather live with their mistakes than my mistakes," Liggins said at the NBA Draft Combine. "But I have the chance to show people I can do more than I did at Kentucky. Coach Cal recruits one-and-done guys, but he also makes them work for their playing time."

Liggins earned his playing time due to his ability to blend in with those one-and-done players. His biggest asset to the Wildcats was developing into one of the best defenders in the SEC. Versatility played a major part in that as Liggins was able to guard multiple positions depending on the nightly matchup.



While defense is a huge strength for Liggins, his offensive abilities are in question with his transition to the next level. He shot the ball well from three this past season (39.1% which was up from 31.8% his sophomore year), but he never showed consistency in attacking the basket. Still, Liggins feels he can hold his own in the NBA.

"The whole thing with me is confidence," Liggins stated. "I have to have the confidence that I can play offense. I didn't have the ball in my hand a lot but I think my offense improved greatly the first two years and this year it improved again. Coach Cal gave me this confidence. That's what I love about him."

If Liggins is drafted, it will most likely be in the late second round which does not guarantee him a contract or a spot on an NBA roster. In fact, it may actually be beneficial for Liggins to not get draft so he can pick which team has a need for depth on the wing and try to earn a spot as a free agent during training camp. If not, Liggins will likely have to make a living by playing ball overseas.

Whichever path he ends up taking, Liggins is prepared to scratch and claw his way to the next level.

"I wanna be the underdog, my whole life," Liggins said. "I've got nothing to lose here. I'll put it on the line and give it my all."



Recent NBA Draft and Offseason Blog Entries:

2012 NBA Draft Outstanding Trades - 12/25
2011 NBA Offseason Winners - 12/23
2011 NBA Offseason Losers - 12/23
2011 NBA Free Agency Signings Analysis - 12/22
2011 NBA Free Agency Signings Analysis - 12/20
2011 NBA Free Agency Signings Analysis - 12/16
Chris Paul Trade Analysis - 12/15
2011 NBA Free Agency Signings Analysis - 12/14
2011 NBA Free Agency Signings Analysis - 12/10
2011 NBA Free Agency Signings Analysis - 12/9
Five Players Likely to Be Traded After NBA Lockout - 7/7
2011 NBA Free Agency: Allan Houston Rule - Southwest Division - 7/6
2011 NBA Free Agency: Allan Houston Rule - Northwest Division - 7/5
2011 NBA Free Agency: Allan Houston Rule - Pacific Division - 7/3
Cavaliers-Kings Trade Recap - 7/1
2011 NBA Free Agency: Allan Houston Rule - Atlantic Division - 6/30
2011 NBA Free Agency: Allan Houston Rule - Central Division - 6/30
2011 NBA Free Agency: Allan Houston Rule - Southeast Division - 6/29
2011 NBA Draft Trade Recaps - 6/25
2011 NBA Draft: Bobcats-Kings-Bucks Three-Way Trade - 6/24
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: How Kyrie Irving Compares to John Wall and Derrick Rose - 6/23
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Is Kyrie Irving Ready to be a Franchise Point Guard - 6/23
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Kemba Walker is the Most Undervalued Player in the Draft - 6/23
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Is Derrick Williams a Power Forward or Small Forward? - 6/22
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Wait, Kansas' Marcus and Markieff Morris are Twins??? - 6/21
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Jordan Hamilton Using Yoga to Help His NBA Draft Stock - 6/18
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Tristan Thompson Benefits from Weak Draft Class - 6/17
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Kawhi Leonard's Versatility is His Biggest Asset - 6/14
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Chris Singleton is a Lottery Sleeper - 6/13
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Where Does JaJuan Johnson Fit in the NBA? - 6/11
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Kentucky's DeAndre Liggins Made Right Decision in Entering NBA Draft - 6/10
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Should a Marijuana Arrest Affect NBA Draft Stock? - 6/9
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Nolan Smith Has Different Identity On and Off Court - 6/7
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: John Wall Mentoring Darius Morris - 6/5
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Brandon Knight Worth Third Overall Pick? - 6/2
Rumor: Cavs, T-Wolves, Pistons Discussing 3-Way Trade - 5/29
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Josh Selby Putting Kansas Behind Him - 5/28
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Marshon Brooks Rising Up Draft Boards - 5/26
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Alec Burks Connected to Bobcats - 5/24
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Combine Measurements - 5/21
Thunder Really Likes Kyle Singler? - 5/21
2011 NBA Draft Combine Coverage: Day 1 - 5/20
2011 NBA Draft Lottery Odds Breakdown - 5/16
2011 NBA Free Agents - 5/3
NBA Offseason and Draft Blog - Home

Leave a comment Name Comment Verification: click on image to refresh it   Mustafa 09-08-2012 05:32 am xxx.xxx.xxx4.81 (total posts: 1) 13     16 I have watched a few Hoya games the last few years, and have seen Summers play a bit. When wahcnitg him, he looked like he was on an NBA level. He is a poised defender and has a great post up game. I have also seen him get a lot of praise from announcers about his NBA readiness. He should go now, so there is no chance he can ruin it, for example if he got injured next year if he stayed, he would get drafted a lot later. Lisa 09-07-2012 07:13 pm xxx.xxx.xxx2.12 (total posts: 2) 13     13 Why does this have to be the ONLY rleialbe source? Oh well, gj! Ebru 09-07-2012 05:19 pm xxx.xxx.xxx1.28 (total posts: 1) 11     12 I think that this is how it should be done. If you rellay believe you are a great player out of high school then go to the NBA, but if you go to college you have to stay for at least two years. Colleges spend tons of money on recruiting and then there players are one and done. BigBlueFan 08-15-2012 08:49 am xxx.xxx.xxx7.59 (total posts: 2) 17     14 Never Mind somehow I missed him. BigBlueFan 08-15-2012 08:48 am xxx.xxx.xxx7.59 (total posts: 2) 11     12 Hey Walt are you forgeting Anthony Davis??? Logan 08-09-2012 11:34 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.205 (total posts: 1) 11     11 Gonna do one for dwight? Jay 07-28-2012 04:30 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.114 (total posts: 1) 17     20 I know that Ginobili is going back to the spurs but to have him 7th behind Iguodala, Smith and Jefferson is the dumbest thing I've ever seen!!!!!!!!!!!! This the same guy who tore threw the Team USA defense of James, Durant, and Bryant.... Jim Z. 07-23-2012 08:15 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.221 (total posts: 1) 11     12 Mid first round pick? The Sixers are going to be a playoff team next year. Miguel 07-23-2012 12:08 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.236 (total posts: 1) 25     27 How are the lakers not a winner? Steve Nash brings them to at least championship contender which they weren't a year ago. They also picked up Antwan Jamison for the league minimum which will give their front court a legitament reserve. One more good move could make them the favorites over OKC. CJ 07-23-2012 07:44 am xxx.xxx.xxx4.88 (total posts: 1) 45     23 I believe you are the only on one the planet that thinks Dallas didn't completely fail in this offseason. They basically rolled the dice and crapped out. Try mixing in a little reality with your opinions once in a while, but it's your site so we get what we pay for I guess. Geiger 07-21-2012 09:59 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.110 (total posts: 1) 12     13 While Houston did have bad signings and a suspect draft, the team did what it could to set its self up for the free agency period next year..Asik has shown signs of being a solid big Guy(as you fail to mention his MPG) and Lin, while being highly overrated, is a big name that will attract a player like JSmith, Harden, Bynum etc. I don't like their moves as of right now, but with two lottery picks and possibly two Max contracts signing on this might be one of the better offseasons of all time. Love the site, keep it up. Random bypasser 07-19-2012 12:55 pm xxx.xxx.xxx9.60 (total posts: 2) 9     9 Also the nuggets need a star and Howard would be a perfect fit for them and they have shooters around him and they could still use their amnesty on Richardson Random bypasser 07-19-2012 12:52 pm xxx.xxx.xxx9.60 (total posts: 2) 25     8 Wouldnt it make sense 4 the nuggets to trade for dwight howard Nuggets trade Wilson Chandler Andre Miller JaVale McGee 2014 1st round pick 2015 1st round pick 2015 2nd round pick 2017 1st round pick Magic trade Dwight Howard J.J. Redick Jason Richardson This makes sense because the nuggets drafted Evan Fournier(SG/SF) and Quincy Miller(SF) and have Jordan Hamilton(SF/SG) and Julian Stone(PG)(who the team is really high on) waiting in the wings. It also allows the magic to dump bad salary(Richardson,Redick) and still get some great players. Win win situation. eli 07-12-2012 11:03 am xxx.xxx.xxx.133 (total posts: 1) 10     9 dont the wolves own one more 1st rounder from the jazz from the Al Jefferson trade? Mike 07-10-2012 09:58 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.150 (total posts: 1) 15     10 No mention of Ray Ray to the Heat??? Pages: 1 23 4 5 6 7

2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22

2014 NBA Mock Draft - April 25

2013 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings: C | PF | COMBO-F | SF | COMBO-G | SG | PG

2011 NBA Mock Draft - June 23

2011 NBA Mock Draft - Walt's (June 21)

2011 NBA Mock Re-Draft

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NFL Picks - Feb. 3