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When it comes to the NBA draft, it takes just one team to fall in love with you. But one NBA scout, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said he thinks Florida forward Devin Robinson would be best served to return to school for his junior season.
The 6-foot-8 Robinson announced he’s putting his name into the NBA draft without an agent. Robinson will go through predraft workouts and has until May 25 to decide whether to return for his junior year or keep his name in the draft.
“He’s a talented guy who has some tools physically,” the scout said. “I don’t think he’s ready. He’s a guy who could be taken in the second round, based on his physical tools, based on the upside.”
Robinson averaged 9.0 points and 5.6 rebounds as a sophomore, up from 6.4 points and 2.8 rebounds in his freshman season. Though Robinson answered first-year coach Mike White’s charge to crash the boards more, there were still some SEC games in which the 195-pound forward was physically overmatched. Robinson also played with an inconsistent motor, which resulted in him being benched in favor of teammate Justin Leon in early January. But Robinson regained his starting spot at small forward in February and closed the season strong, averaging 9.9 points and 4.5 rebounds over his last 10 games.
“He hasn’t done anything on the court that merits being taken, but again, some will look at his physical tools, his leaping ability,” the scout said. “All teams now have D-League affiliates so he is someone who could be stashed and developed.”
The scout doesn’t blame Robinson for at least checking his draft status, “it doesn’t cost anything for him at this point and he’ll have a chance to show his skills and get an honest assessment of his stock.”
The scout is higher on the prospects of Florida senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who led the Gators in scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.3 rpg) for the second straight season. The website DraftExpress.com projects the 6-8 Finney-Smith as a late second round pick (49th overall to the Indiana Pacers) in its latest mock draft. Finney-Smith has been invited to play in front of NBA scouts at the Porstmouth (Va.) Invitational, a predraft tournament for college seniors, from April 13-16.
“He’s a solid second round pick and if he plays well in Porstmouth and in other events, he can work his way into the first round,” the scout said. “He’s a two-way (inside-outside) threat. He’s an excellent rebounder. I think he’s unselfish. When he played under Billy Donovan he handled and passed the ball. Billy trusted him to make decisions and he made good decisions. A player with that size on the ball can be a threat. He can play multiple positions and he can guard multiple positions.”
Source: GatorSports.com - Hoops Scoop
