Mayo Going Pro

A couple of days ago you might have noticed that USC guard OJ Mayo declared his intentions to enter the NBA Draft this June.

The much ballyhooed high schooler would have been a Top 5 pick last year had he been allowed to enter the draft, and not much has changed. The problem with Mayo is that he is a bit undersized for a shooting guard and might have to be moved to the 1 to play in the NBA. That seemingly would be a good thing for the Heat, who I believe are pretty set at the 2 position with some guy named Dwyane Wade.

However, I question Mayo's ability to lead a team at point guard in the NBA. There's no doubt the guy has superior talent and is a great scorer. However, he is nowhere near the rebounder or playmaker that Derrick Rose is. If Miami gets the shaft and is stuck with the 3rd or 4th pick, Mayo will be on the board and Riley will have a serious decision to make. I'm not entirely sure picking Mayo would be the best option in that scenario.

Not that he won't be a productive player at the next level, but there are several problems, including character issues, with risking a Top 5 selection on a guy like Mayo. After the Top 2 selections, there really is no clear-cut #3 guy. If I were the Heat, I would be bribing the hell out of the NBA to get one of those top 2 picks.