I don't want to be called a hater, but I think we need to discuss what Kris Joseph's prospects ACTUALLY are for the NBA. I've seen his name anywhere from late 1st to mid 2nd in the past few days, and I think it's time we admit that his NBA prospects aren't as bright as they once were.

To me, this seems a lot like Rick Jackson, though I do believe Kris will be drafted this year. But the situation is somewhat parallel. Let me explain:

We loved Rick Jackson. We watched him mature into a dominant center in the Big East. He got in tremendous shape, anchored the back of the zone, and turned into the defensive player of the year in the conference. His stats were fantastic, and his impact on the team was huge. He was not an overrated player for SU. He was properly rated as a fantastic player and key contributor for a team that was close to top 10 for a good chunk of the year.

Ultimately though, Rick never had the elite skills to be an NBA big man. He got by on mostly guts and guile in the Big East - outworking guys for rebounds and willing his way to the basket for putbacks and layups. He had little to no real post moves though, and Marquette exposed that by doubling him throughout the 2nd round tourney loss. He had no answer. If you can't deal with Marquette's defense, you're gonna have a hard time dealing with NBA defenses.

If Rick was taller he could be a true center. If he was a little more skilled in the post, he could be a power forward. We were mostly all shocked on draft day that he never got a shot, but we were just blinded by the player we saw at Syracuse, and not the player he could become at the next level. Or at least I was.

Which brings me back to Kris. Joseph had a fantastic career in Orange, averaging 10.5 points, with at least 13.5 for the past two seasons. He also pulled in 4.5 rebounds per game over the four years combined. He shot OK from three (33.1% for his career) and pretty good (I think) from the field (44.8%). He has an NBA body at 6-7 and 210 pounds. He also has the assertiveness to get to the basket that makes him appear to be an NBA prospect.

But I have serious doubts about King Jaffy Jo. What is he elite at? It's not his shooting, which has been average at best for most of his career. It's not his speed, which has seemed to slow with his multiple knee injuries. It's not his first step either, which just doesn't seem to be quite as explosive as Dion's or some other elite players in the nation. It's not his dribbling, which has been a point of frustration for the past few years. He definitely didn't seem like an elite defender, and if he is, he didn't get to show it in the zone.

I don't know. Maybe I'm being too harsh. I love Kris Joseph, and I hope he makes all the money in the world and has all the success in the world. But I just don't see why an NBA team would want to pick him. If you were an NBA team, why would you take a chance on him?