Guys decide to enter the NBA draft for different reasons. There are the guys who know they will be lottery picks, or even guaranteed first rounders, who should make the move. Get paid, plus you develop faster when hoops is your job full time, without the NCAA trying to limit your time.
Then there are guys who may be good with just playing in the D-League or overseas, making money that they or their family need.
Arizona forward Brandon Ashley has declared for the NBA draft, but he falls more into the second category. Hopefully. He’s a borderline late first round pick at best.
PBT’s go-to man Ed Isaacson of Rotoworld and NBADraftBlog broke down Ashley’s game for us.
Ashley bounced back well this season from a foot injury that ended his season in the beginning of February last year. He’s a skilled player, especially as a perimeter shooter, though he prefers the mid-range jumper to the three-point shot. Ashley has the ability to post up similar size or smaller players, and he is an efficient scorer around the basket, though he can have trouble finishing around long defenders. Other than that, the rest of his game is basically average. Nothing really stands out, and it’s hard to imagine him playing at the 3 or 4 at the NBA level right now. He has improved as a defender, though at just 6'8, he isn’t quick enough to guard on the wing, and not big or strong enough to guard most 4’s.
Ashley could be a decent pick in the mid to late 2nd round, especially for a team with a strong developmental plan in place with their D-League affiliate, but even if he does eventually reach the NBA, it’s hard to see where exactly he could contribute unless, at minimum, he was to become a knockdown long-range shooter at his size.