Wesley Johnson and his Future

Many Cuse fans have been debating recently whether or not Wesley Johnson is going to go pro or come back for his last year of eligibility. Personally, I do not think there is a very good chance of Wes returning next season. I also think that would be the right choice for him to make. There are arguments that can be made on each side.

If Wes leaves after this season:
There is a very good chance Wes will go in the first 5 picks. This will guarantee him a substantial amount of money. Worst case scenario Wes goes in the top 12 picks. I am not an NBA scout, but I would be shocked if he dropped the way Donte Greene did when he left SU. If Wes is picked number 5 in the draft he would get a guaranteed contract of 9 million over 3 years. If Wes fell as low as 12 he would still get almost 5.5 million over 3 years. Any way you look at it Wes is going to make a lot of money regardless of how much or well he plays.

There are areas Wes can improve upon. Many fans have been quick to point out that Wes is not very good taking defenders off the dribble. This is an area that he could improve upon. It has also been said that Wes is not selfish enough. To me these are two small things. Given the opportunity to improve while making between 1 and 3 million

Another thing that Wes needs to consider is his age. NBA teams draft players based on potential. For every player like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony who make immediate impacts, there are players who don’t develop until years down the road. Wes is already older than many of the members of the last three draft classes. If he comes back for a year and is even older when he enters the NBA Draft teams may not see his potential upside. They may see him as a player who is not going to get better. That would still lead to a good NBA career, in my opinion, but his draft stock would drop.

If Wes comes back next season:
Wes may be able to help Syracuse have the type of season they had this year. He may also be able to improve on the two small parts of his game that many fans think need to be improved upon. Wes seems to enjoy college life. He seems to get along wonderfully with his teammates.

There is a chance Wes could sustain an injury. There is also a chance Wes’s draft stock could fall. The NBA Draft is different each year. Who is to say that Wes would be a top 10 pick after next season?

Final Thoughts:
I am a huge Syracuse Orange fan. I graduated from SU in 2002. Even before going to Syracuse I was a huge fan of the football and basketball teams. My points being that it would be easy for me say Wes should stay another year because of selfish reasons. However, I don’t think that would be the best decision for him. Wes can improve his game while being paid big bucks. Why would he come back? His love of college life and his teammates may make his decision tough (as it did with Carmelo and Jonny), but I think when it is all said and done Wes will make the decision to enter the NBA draft.

Syracuse fans will always think highly of Wes, regardless of his decision. Wes gave us a lot of memories and we should wish him the best in his NBA career.