Ever since Josh Selby graduated from high school and had the world-is-his-oyster reality of choosing which elite college program he wanted to join, nothing has gone right for the athletic point guard from Kansas. And as Selby looks upon the looming 2011 NBA Draft, he has to be wondering where everything went wrong. That's because as mock drafts and increased analysis pick up toward the NBA Draft time, Selby's stock has been falling for some time -- and for at least one draft analyst, Selby's now a second round talent.
Chad Ford is ESPN's primary draft guru (a la Mel Kiper for the NFL), and in his 6th mock draft released just today, he has Josh Selby headed to the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 37 overall draft selection near the top of the second round. Up until now, Selby was discussed as a potential lottery selection, albeit not for long, before generally finding himself from No. 17 to the Knicks all the way through the 20s with various teams selected as the destination spot. Most recently, Ford had Selby to the Mavs near the bottom of the first round to back up Jason Kidd, but it's funny how much things shift when the draft is only days away.
Ford admits that having Selby at this draft slot would be a steal for the Clips: "The Clippers have always been a team willing to take chances on young college players that didn't always live up to expectations. If Selby falls this far in the draft, he's a steal here. There's nothing to lose and terrific upside." Still, it's a long way for Selby to fall given the hype and talent on display just two seasons ago. While he didn't make good on the buzz during his short, injury-filled tenure at Kansas, he was also working in an already established system several games into the season when he returned from an injury only to never full recover all year long. It seems unfair to label Selby and not give him a chance to showcase that potential.
But that's exactly what these workouts are all about in this pre-draft season and apparently Selby still hasn't separated himself from those college woes, a sign that perhaps his issues at KU were more than just a system or injury. Then again, the Draft hasn't played out yet, so let's not call anything too soon.