Sam Dekker burst onto the national scene in March as he helped lead the Wisconsin Badgers to the NCAA Championship game. Capitalizing on the best play of his stellar college career, the junior made the wise decision to declare for the NBA Draft shortly thereafter – his stock was as high as it could possibly get.
It’s easy to see why, too. Dekker averaged 19.1 points per game in the tournament facing the likes of North Carolina, Arizona, Kentucky, and Duke, flashing the all-court offensive prowess and underrated athleticism that makes him a perfect fit on the wing for the modern NBA. And most importantly, he shot 40.5 percent from beyond the arc despite misfiring on all six of his long-range tries in the title game.
The lack of a consistent jumper is what kept Dekker from making the jump to the league earlier than this season. And if his spring performance and obvious confidence in his jump-shot is any indication, those concerns will prove a thing of the past as the next chapter of his basketball life begins.
In a highly amusing post for The Players’ Tribune, the 21-year-old filled out his NBA ‘job application.’ Notable sections include Dekker comparing his game to that of Gordon Hayward and Trevor Ariza, and his guess at a forthcoming 2K rating: “100 (76 probably idk).” But the highlight, undoubtedly, was the Sheboygan, WI native’s crunch-time play-call.
That doesn’t exactly look the most efficient shot possible. The lack of off-ball movement after Dekker receives this theoretical pin-down is troubling, too.
But you can’t make it in the NBA without self-assurance. Dekker, as if we didn’t already know clearly has that attribute in spades. We’ll find out soon if he possesses the basketball chops to back it up at the highest level.
[Via The Players’ Tribune]
