Austin Rivers Reportedly Leaving Duke to Enter NBA Draft
The allure of bright lights and big paychecks was far too much for one of the best talents in college basketball. Austin Rivers is going to the NBA.
Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports reports Duke Blue Devils standout Austin Rivers is going to sign with an agent and enter the NBA draft, ending his tenure with the storied program after only one year.
As the report states, Rivers is widely expected to be a lottery pick in the draft and would therefore be due a sizable salary heading into the NBA.
There is no questioning his talent nor his ability as a young man that can grow into a formidable player at the next level. Rivers averaged 15.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season, which are very solid numbers for a freshman.
Rivers had been tasked with leading a very good team and playing with the pressure that comes with wearing the Duke Blue Devils jersey.
Through it all, there is only one moment that will really stick out from his stay at Durham. Rivers hit the winning shot against the hated rival North Carolina Tar Heels on February 8th.
With good numbers and an iconic moment already on his resume, it's hard to imagine that the son of Celtics head coach Doc Rivers would stay after one year.
But that doesn't mean that he shouldn't.
Rivers has big issues with his shot consistency and that will be under a microscope headed into the NBA.
I love his tenacity and the way that he plays with no fear, especially when he drives to the hole. However, his shooting woes will be highlighted by oppositions that are able to close out on him.
This is one Duke star that would have benefited greatly from one more year to hone his shooting touch and land in the top-5 of draft picks.
As of now, his NBA career is an uncertain one as he enters with very real pitfalls in his game.
