John Wooden once said, “Be quick, but don’t hurry.”
Now I’m pretty sure the Wizard of Westwood wasn’t talking about college players declaring for the draft early, but in Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook’s situation, his advice is spot on.
On Thursday, both Love and Westbrook announced their intentions to declare for the NBA Draft. While neither will hire an agent immediately, both will probably be playing professionally next season, barring injury.
As hard as it may be for UCLA fans, this is the right decision for both of them. It’s the right time for Love and Westbrook, and they each have the opportunity to thrive at the next level.
In Wooden’s words, this is not a hurried decision. They each have taken the right steps in determining their choices, and it’s their time to go.
For Love, his announcement to turn pro was about as surprising as the ending of “Titanic.” He was pegged as a one-and-done before he ever came to Westwood and his All-American season only elevated his stock.
Some critics say that Love could improve his defense as well as his physical shape by staying another year in college, but that’s beside the point. Defense in the NBA has practically become reserved for specialty players like Bruce Bowen and Ben Wallace. If Love can just play average defense in the league, he’ll be fine. And if his conditioning is really a factor, whatever team drafts him can get him on a treadmill.
The big knocks on Love are that he isn’t tall enough to be a center in the NBA nor athletic enough to become a star player. Staying another year won’t get him any more athletic than he already is, and I’m pretty sure he’s done growing. He’ll do well in the NBA with his scoring ability and old-school understanding of basketball fundamentals.
For Westbrook, his choice to take his high-flying act to the pros comes with more of a twist than Love’s announcement. In the NCAA Tourney, Westbrook showed his capability to play lock-down defense as well as score against the best teams in the country. He’s a freakishly athletic Monta Ellis-type who is looking to be a lottery pick in next month’s draft.
Although Westbrook did not say that he will absolutely be leaving, don’t count on him being in Westwood this time next year. At his press conference on Thursday, he said that if he would be taken as a top-20 pick, he “might not be coming back.” The chances of his stock dropping below that? Not likely.
These days, NBA teams draft on potential alone and Westbrook has that by the boatloads.
Now some say that these announcements, along with the possibility of Darren Collison and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute also declaring, are a bad sign for UCLA’s program ““ a sign that something is wrong when so many players with eligibility remaining are eager to leave.
It’s not.
These players have the opportunity to fulfill a dream now. A dream that, economically speaking, would be absurd to pass up. It would not be fair to ask them to stay any longer.
Although the basketball team would be an absolute juggernaut next season if players stuck around longer, this program will be fine. UCLA has the finest collection of talent practically lining up on Bruin Walk ready to play here for the next couple years, and this program will remain a national power as long as Ben Howland wants it to be.
As hard as it is, be happy for Love and Westbrook. They’re making the same decision anybody would make when looking at millions of dollars. They’re just playing the game.
They’ve both had phenomenal careers in Westwood and they’ve made the right choice to move on.
Remember that.
E-mail Feder at jfeder@media.ucla.edu.