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Mary Ann Chastain/AP/
South Carolina's Devan Downey
GoGamecocks.com
Downey hopes to follow Robinson's lead
USC standout is eager to prove that his short frame can fit into the NBA
Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks jumps over Dwight Howard during the slam dunk contest at NBA All-Star Weekend basketball Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009, in Phoenix. Robinson won the competition.
Matt York/AP
Four years ago, the New York Knicks had their eye on a 5-foot-9 point guard who left college after his junior season. Nate Robinson had a lot of detractors because of his height, but a Knicks assistant who hailed from Columbia was among his supporters.
“I told people that I’ve seen a lot of athletes in my lifetime, and he is the most amazing athlete that I’ve ever seen,” said George Glymph, the former longtime coach at Eau Claire High.
Glymph was among the staff members who recommended the Knicks get Robinson. They did, engineering a draft-night trade to get the guard, who was picked No. 21.
Since then Robinson has proven the detractors wrong despite being the NBA’s shortest player. He averaged 17.2 points per game this season, won the slam dunk contest at the All-Star Game and has appeared on David Letterman.
Now another diminutive but athletic underclassmen has entered the draft. Devan Downey may not stay in — the South Carolina junior has not hired an agent — but whenever he does, Robinson will be his inspiration.
Downey is the same height as Robinson, but does he have the same chance?
Glymph, who is now out of the NBA, saw Downey play several times at USC. Glymph is impressed by Downey but said the key this month will be whether enough NBA teams bring him in for a workout. Because of the economy, some teams may be reluctant to fly in players who are not sure first-rounders.
Downey already has been snubbed by the NBA, which invited neither him nor teammate Dominique Archie (who also declared early without hiring an agent) to the scouting combine later this month.
Downey did work out for Oklahoma City last weekend, along with Archie.
“If he can (get some workouts), he’s going to turn some heads,” Glymph said of Downey.
Small guards are always fighting for respect when it comes to the draft. Before Robinson, the last player shorter than 5-10 to go in the first round was 5-3 Muggsy Bogues in 1987. Other players, such as the 5-5 Earl Boykins and 5-7 Mister Jennings, went undrafted but played several seasons in the league.
Ryan Blake, the assistant director of NBA scouting, said Downey has some “high-quality aspects” to his game but also some concerns. Besides his height, the scouts want to know whether Downey will be able to hit his outside shot consistently, defend one-on-one and pick up a bigger player on a pick-and-roll.
Robinson was able to do that.
“Nate’s a freak. You have to have some freakiness in you,” Blake said. “You’re going to have an NBA skill. And then you’re going to have to surround that with the mental abilities of playing the game. (For Robinson) it was the quickness, the excessive athleticism, the shooting ability and so forth. Sometimes it can’t just be the one thing, it has to be a multitude of things.”
At this point, Blake does not expect Downey to be a first-round pick, and he believes underclassmen not expected to go in the first round should return to college. The exception is someone such as Boston’s Glen Davis, who was a second-round pick out of LSU two years ago and has become a key player.
Then there are Downey’s intangibles. Ken Potosnak, a USC assistant during Downey’s sophomore year, did some regional scouting for pro teams this past season. He believes Downey has two factors in his favor: big-shot ability, which he showed this season; and the capacity to adjust to different coaches and styles.
“Most players learn from and play for one or two coaches maximum during their college career. Devan was recruited by one head coach and has played for three others,” Potosnak said. “When he chooses to go to the next level, those experiences will serve him well.”
Glymph thinks Downey can play in the NBA. But he does not know if the point guard will get a chance, at least this time around.
Glymph believes Downey’s chances will come down to one thing: Can he carry his own physically against the bigger players? Robinson did that, and the pro scouts were sold.
“Nate is a physical phenomenon. That’s going to be the thing for Devan,” Glymph said. “The proving point for him is can he take the physical punishment. Because everything else I think he has.”
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