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Can Ahmad Nivins have an NBA career ahead of him?
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Despite his size, Nivins primarily plays below the rim.
As the NBA playoffs are in full-swing, we find ourselves about a month and a half away from the NBA Draft. Its been since 2004, when both Jameer Nelson and Delonte West were selected, since Saint Joseph’s has had a player drafted. While both of those players have gone on to moderately successful careers, (along with the possibility that West could be able to boast being an NBA champion) the question that many Hawks fans have is whether stud forward Ahmad Nivins could be drafted and also have success at the NBA level. In this article I will discuss the pros that Nivins has going for him, as well as the cons, and ultimately whether I feel he will get a chance to shine in the NBA or not.
PROS
• The Saint Joseph’s pedigree: The fact that Nelson and West have become solid contributors at the NBA level shows that when great players come through the program, that they are coached well and in a way where they are given the guidance to succeed at the next level.
• Success while being focal point: It was clear that Nivins was the focal point of the Hawks offense, as well as the focal point of all opposing defenders. Despite seeing double and triple teams due to the fact that the Hawks lacked other weapons, Nivins had his best career season and was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.
• Hard work and dedication to becoming even better: This is partially related to being the focal point of everything; but as Nivins was challenged to be everything to the Hawks team, he stepped up his game in numerous ways. Nivins has worked hard to develop an efficient 15-18 foot jump shot, as well as to become a better shot blocker. His work ethic is something that will not be overlooked by NBA scouts and GM’s.
CONS
• Not an elite athlete: Despite his success at the college level, Nivins is not an outstanding athlete by NBA standards. Even though he has an NBA-type body at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Nivins runs the floor well but does not have a jump out of the gym mentality. He struggles moving laterally on the defensive end and is not a great shot blocker for his size.
• Doesn’t play above the rim enough: Once again, despite his size, Nivins does not really show a lot of athleticism. While he has solid post moves, many NBA-level players his size play more of the game above the rim compared to Nivins.
• Team didn’t win during his dominant year: Despite being the conference player of the year, Nivins couldn’t carry the team on his back any further than the first round of the conference tournament this past season. While Nivins made an NCAA tournament appearance in 2008 with the Hawks, the surrounding cast made that more of a reality than Nivins’ performances, as he was not the number one option on that team on offense. The team’s relative lack of success in a non-BCS conference could be something held against Nivins.
DRAFT VERDICT
Ahmad Nivins probably got his best chance to improve his draft stock when he was invited to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament back in April. While Nivins did not embarrass himself during the course of the event, he was dominated in one particular game by Washington’s Jon Brockman, who himself is probably a borderline draft pick. Based on this, along with the fact that the Hawks struggled down the stretch despite Nivins success this season, I feel that Ahmad Nivins is a long shot to get drafted in the 2009 NBA Draft. However, it is very likely that Nivins will either be signed as an undrafted free agent and invited to play for an NBA team’s summer league squad, or that he will be pursued by professional teams in Europe, where Nivins could have a good opportunity to have a solid career.
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