GEORGIA
Nicolas Claxton is the latest SEC standout to declare for the 2019 NBA Draft as the sophomore forward announced his intentions on Friday.
The South Carolina native averaged 13 points per game, 8.6 rebounds and nearly two assists for the Bulldogs. Spanning the previous two seasons, Claxton appeared in 65 games for Georgia.
The 6-foot-11 forward declared his intentions to leave for the draft with the following post on Twitter:
“First, I want to thank God for giving me this opportunity and blessing me to be in this position. I want to thank my family, coaches, and trainers for always believing in me and pushing me to be the best player and person that I can be. I want to thank Dawgnation for welcoming me with open arms. No matter what, I will always be a Georgia Bulldog for life. With that being said, I will be entering my name in the 2019 NBA Draft.”
He needs more development before he plays much in the NBA, but there are many factors that go into the pro decision. Both parties would see some benefits from him staying, but he apparently sees more in leaving. UGA won’t hurt for talent with or without him, but they’ll still feel the loss.
I’m all for kids leaving school early to turn pro if their skills warrant it. I just don’t see it with Claxton. I don’t yet see one NBA caliber skill he has right now. I hope he makes it but two more years of developing an outside shot off the dribble and ball handling could make him a top five pick. Of course he needs more size and unless he has a metabolism that is superhuman, picking up size should not be hard. I wish you well Nic.