Friday Roundtable: Best/Worst Ways for Being Kicked Out of the NBA's Rookie Transition Program

Shabazz Muhammad is for the kids. (via his official Twitter account)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: The NBA dismissed Minnesota Timberwolves guard Shabazz Muhammad, the No. 14 pick in April's draft, from the Rookie Transition Program for violating rules by bringing a female guest into his hotel room. Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur were similarly kicked out for having women and marijuana in their room in 2008. What would be the best and worst reasons for being booted from the program?

Alex:
To avoid the gruesome, the worst reason for being kicked out of the program would have to do with being coerced by an active player speaking to the rookies. Whether drugs or the fairer sex were involved, the situation's largest blemish would be the involvement of someone entrusted by the Association to warn the rookies of potential dangers in the life of a professional athlete. The rookie(s) dismissal would be a subplot to the public relations fiasco of an older player — one who should know better, by all accounts — swaying a freshly minted NBA draftee into an act that would have him removed from an official program.

The best reason for conceivably being removed from the program would involve numerous women, excessive bottles of champagne, and adding gobs and gobs of bubble bath material to a jacuzzi, causing a massive overflow that spreads into the hallways and congests traffic throughout the entire floor. Bonus points for happening in a room on the first floor and making any unassuming lobby guest a very confused patron.

Fred:
Getting kicked out of the Rookie Transition Program for any reason is inexcusable. Did nobody watch ESPN's special on broke athletes? The NBA is trying to help their future athletes through this program, so to be sent home? Incredibly disrespectful to the league that will soon be giving you a few million dollars.

However, if there was a "good" way to get kicked out Shabazz picked it. So maybe he did pick a beautiful lady over his job, but I think it's something everyone can relate to.

Kyle:
First off, for those of you who are gamblers, Muhammad had to be the clear favorite to be kicked out of the rookie transition program, with odds as low as 4/1. If a player is going to be kicked out of the program, he better go all out. It only lasts four days, so if a player gets kicked out for something minor that he could have easily waited for, then it looks sad. Muhammad will have to complete the program next year, and will face a fine, so a worst reason for having to suffer those consequences were if the not-allowed woman was a family member just visiting or if Muhammad missed a curfew (I'm not sure if they have curfews, just an example) for running out to buy allergy medicine. He can't be expected to think about basketball with itchy eyes. If he's going to break a rule, get something more out of it than allergy medicine.

If a player is going to suffer those consequences, make it worth it. He needs to say, "This sucks I have to do this again, but that was a hell of a time." Muhammad should have gotten a rapper who happen to be in the area, maybe Drake or Nas, to have a private concert in his room. He could have flown in the Minnesota Timberwolves dance team and mascot to come celebrate with him and don't even try to be sneaky about it. Go ahead and invite all the other rookies, veteran players there to speak to them and members of the NBA who are running the program. When the NBA officials go into the room to stop the party, they find the mascot working as a bouncer and asking for a $20 cover, Drake is in the middle of his song "Hold On We're Going Home," the dancers have turned the room into a rave and Muhammad is sitting around a table gambling with three businessmen and loses the his third-year salary and Flip Saunders' car in a bet.
 
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Friday Roundtable: Most Important Rookie, 2014-15

Which rookie will have the biggest impact on their team next year? (sikids.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Which member of the NBA's incoming rookie class will have the biggest impact in 2013-14?

Alex:
Not Shabazz Muhammad. Is that too general? Fine. It's coming from left field, but my pick is Jeff Withey, the No. 39 overall selection. The Portland Trail Blazers' center position is far from settled with last season's 80-game starter J.J. Hickson on the free agent market and sophomore Meyers Leonard still a work in progress. No way will Withey be the starter, but he could certainly be making an argument for himself by the All-Star break. Leonard had a strong first year and is on course to be better in 2014-15, but Withey is a fantastic paint protector with the length and positioning to block any short-range shots by opponents. He did as much in two years at Kansas, including a breakout redshirt junior season in which he played a major role in the Jayhawks' march to the NCAA Championship game. Portland's shaky history with big men makes this a leery choice, as does the fact that Withey will play significantly fewer minutes than most rookies, but his intangibles -- inherent footwork and ideal size for shot-blocking -- are things that can make quickly associate a player's name with a team's culture and reputation. It happened in 2012-13 with Larry Sanders in Milwaukee despite questions about his consistency and ability entering the season, not to mention the Bucks' anomalous frontcourt situation. Given even a glimpse at an opportunity, Withey could quickly establish himself as one of the NBA's premier defensive big men, and with Damian Lillard feeding him in the post, he could cause enough commotion on the offensive side of things to warrant a look at a bigger role.

Kyle:
For those of you who say you called Damian Lillard as NBA Rookie of the Year, you're a bunch of bold-faced liars. But that's what wep0-oooooooooo love about the NBA. Picking which rookie will have the best season does not necessarily mean picking the player who will have the best career. We're looking at who can come in and have an immediate impact on their team and the league, and I think Otto Porter has a good chance of doing this.

Porter is not the most athletic rookie or the rookie with the most potential. Yet Porter has good size as a small forward, at 6'8", and while he isn't the best shooter in the class, he knows how to score. He may not stand out in one particular area of his game, but he is a strong all-around player and can make an impact in many aspects of the game. Washington also has John Wall as the face of the team, removing pressure from Porter and giving him a talented point guard to play alongside. Being only 20 years old, Porter has time to develop further, but seeing as most of the players came into the draft as freshmen or sophomores, his age shouldn't be much of a factor and Porter is regarded as an intelligent player anyway. If he can continue to improve his 3-point shooting and rebounding, he should have a solid rookie campaign.


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Draft Profile: Shabazz Muhammad's Tenuous Stock

In the run-up to the 2013 NBA Draft on June 27, the BDD staff will be profiling several projected lottery picks and other draft entrants. Next up: Shabazz Muhammad.

The former No. 1 college recruit has questions to answer before the June 27 draft. (tucsoncitizen.com)

Position: Shooting Guard/Small Forward

School: UCLA

DraftExpress Projection: No. 9 in the first round, No. 9 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Synopsis: Shabazz Muhammad came into this past season as the No. 1 recruit in the nation, and will enter the NBA as a lottery pick. However, there are certainly questions about Muhammad as he begins his professional career. While he showed some potent offensive skills, his defense, at times, left something to be desired, and there are questions about his motor and character. The combination of his talent and offensive skill set and his questionable motivation and defensive intensity makes Muhammad one of the more compelling prospects to track in this year’s NBA Draft.

There are plenty of positives about the former No. 1 recruit, mainly on the offensive side. He has the ability to get to the rim and is very good about moving without the ball to get open for his shots. He’s a very aggressive offensive player, averaging 18 points per game at UCLA, and puts a ton of pressure on opposing defenses to always know where he was on the court. Muhammad also showed a well above-average jumpshot, knocking down nearly 40 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. DraftExpress also pegs Muhammad as an excellent offensive rebounder, as he consistently crashed the glass effectively for second-chance buckets. A major plus to Muhammed’s offensive game is he takes care of the ball, turning it over less than two times per game. He will need to work on his ball handling at the next level, as he will struggle to get his own shot against NBA-caliber defenders otherwise. Overall, Muhammad has a very polished, all-around offensive game.

Muhammad is not without flaws, however. His defensive performance is largely tied to how involved he is in the offense. When he’s in a rhythm and consistently getting shots to fall, Muhammad’s energy on the defensive side of the court is good. When he misses a few shots or simply goes a couple of possessions without touching the ball, his attention to detail and intensity on the defensive end tend to slip. He also doesn’t generate a lot of turnovers, which will make it interesting to see how he translates to the next level defensively. His athleticism has been called into question as well by those at DraftExpress, so it will be interesting to see how all these factors affect Muhammad’s transition to the NBA. There is also a cloud of drama that has hovered over his head since before he ever put on a UCLA Bruins jersey. Before ever playing in an NCAA game, he had issues with his eligibility. As the season went on, a major story broke about how Muhammad’s age was falsified. Finally, the Bruins of UCLA, led by Muhammad, took a tough first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, which led to Ben Howland’s firing. All of these factors, combined with the questions about his defense, could lead to Muhammad’s slide in the draft.

Quote to Note: "There was some stuff that I wasn't really comfortable with. It wasn't a really up-tempo style of play, but I really enjoyed playing there... I didn't really get to show a lot of off-the-dribble stuff.” - Muhammad on Ben Howland’s system at UCLA, via CBSSports.com.

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UCLA's Youth Could Contend in Pac-12

The long wait will soon be over when the first official NCAA basketball game of the 2012-13 season will tip-off on Nov. 15. Some of our favorite players have moved on the ranks of professional athletes, new recruits have been polishing their games in gyms with recognizable logos on the court, and schools have switched conference allegiances. Through a series of conference previews, the BDD crew will do its best to prepare you for the next 4.5 months of collegiate hoops.

Ben Howland gives two (stern) thumbs up to his recruiting class. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Favorite: California Golden Bears

The Pac-12 offered a dogfight for the top position, as only four games separated first and seventh place in the conference. However, this coming season belongs to the California Golden Bears. The Bears are returning their top scorer in Allen Crabtree, who averaged 15 points per game last season. Crabtree also grabbed nearly six rebounds a game. The Bears will also have good size on the interior with David Kravish (6'9") and Richard Solomon (6'10").

Dark Horse: UCLA Bruins

The Bruins had the second-best recruiting class in the country according to Rivals.com. With young talent like Shabazz Muhammad, Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker, the Bruins will have the talent to be a challenger in the Pac-12. It’s up to head coach Ben Howland to bring it all together.

POY: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

Muhammad averaged 29 points and five rebounds per game during his time at Bishop Gorman (NV) High School. A guard with great size (6'6"), Muhammad’s talent should take over in a conference with little to show at elite levels in recent years. If Howland can harness Muhammad’s ability, the freshman will run away with this award.

Coach of the Year: Ben Howland, UCLA

With an incredibly talented recruiting class, Howland has all the tools to bring UCLA back to the prominence it’s been used to in past years. Howland is a good coach, who has brought out the best in players like Kevin Love, Aaron Afflalo, and Darren Collison. With a team infused with new talent, Howland should be the frontrunner for this award.

Newcomer of the Year: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

If Muhammed takes the POY award, he will easily take this one as well.


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NCAA Investigates UCLA Freshmen Trio

Shabazz Muhammad and two other UCLA freshmen are being investigated by the NCAA (espn.com)

Ben Howland is trying to bring UCLA basketball back to prominence.

The past few years were a whirlwind of scandal and lack of leadership — which came out in a Sports Illustrated piece — disgruntled players (Reeves Nelson) and more losing than the Bruin faithful like or are used to.

This year felt like it could be different. With Howland on the hot seat, he brought in high school phenom Shabazz Muhammad, the No. 1-rated player in his class according to Rivals.com, as well as highly recruited players Kyle Anderson and Tony Parker. UCLA received immediate buzz after the signings, and the new additions were pegged to bring the Bruins back to the top of the PAC 12.

Those dreams might be placed on hold. CBSSports.com is reporting that all three recruits are being investigated by the NCAA. Muhammad's eligibility has been questioned throughout his recruitment with inquiries about his connection to financial advisors, and he was not allowed to travel with the team to China last month for exhibition games.

Now Anderson is on the NCAA's radar for his supposed relationship with agent Thad Foucher and Parker is being investigated to see if his family received improper benefits.

The UCLA trio aren't the only freshmen who have the NCAA looking at them closely. Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel's academic eligibility was initially questioned, but even after he was cleared to play, the investigation now turns to improper benefits.

Every team wants to recruit the best players. That's how it should be. But the hype players are given at such a young age makes them more vulnerable to the persuasion of agents. These recruits can turn your team around quickly, but it also seems like these top players are being investigated more often and eventually they will not all get cleared to play. Teams will still argue the players are worth it — just don't expect it to be a smooth ride.

UCLA was hoping their talented trio of freshmen would take it back to the NCAA Tournament, but they won't win any games if they are found ineligible and are forced to stay in street clothes. It would be yet another rough patch in Howland's up-and-down tenure in Southern California.


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