North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Josh Powell's Options
6/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 27, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-After entering his name in the NBA Draft, NC State's Josh Powell had to endure the agony of not hearing his name called. Now the former Wolfpack center must look at a wide range of options as he considers what will be his next move towards professional basketball. As Powell no doubt found out during Thursday's draft, the NBA can be as cruel as it is lucrative. One thing is for sure: there is no turning back for an underclassman who decided he was ready for the big time after finishing strong in his sophomore season.
"I think it's difficult to change someone's mind when they believe they're going to have a financial opportunity that most people will never have" said former NC State guard Chris Corchiani, whose pro career took him from the NBA to Europe. "It's hard for them not to jump in the water and start swimming. The sad case is like Josh, who was getting some awful information. There are the Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James stories, then there are the Josh Powell stories where if he would have stayed in college a couple of more years he would have been able to write his ticket."
But hindsight is 20-20. After being advised by most NBA people that he would be better off staying at NC State for at least one more year, Powell, as Corchiani said, couldn't be swayed once he envisioned the big financial carrot dangling in front of him.
Now comes a new challenge.
"Right now he needs to try to get invited to a camp where he'll have an opportunity to make a team," Corchiani said. "He needs to go and play in as many summer leagues as he can possibly play in. There's no question he'll get invited to camp; he just needs to put himself in a situation where he has the best chance to make a team."
Although his sophomore numbers--12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game--weren't necessarily eye-popping, Powell's late surge in the postseason certainly grabbed the attention of scouts and opposing coaches. Showing improved skills to match his undeniable athleticism down the stretch, Powell averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds over his last nine games.
Standing 6-9 with an impressive vertical leap, Powell is indeed a stunning athlete. But 6-9 athletes in the NBA these days are a dime a dozen.
"Josh needs to work on his skills, that's why having two more years at NC State and having coach Sendek continue to work on his ability would have put him in that first round," Corchiani said. "Unless you're a lottery pick and a team is going to invest in your future, your opportunity to improve is much better in college."
If the NBA doesn't work out right away, Powell could conceivably consider the NBA Developmental League or even the overseas option, which is--in most cases--more lucrative than NBADL. But according to Corchiani, the competition in foreign countries now is much greater than it was when he first broke in.
"It's more complicated now," Corchiani said. "Back when I went there, overseas basketball was kind of an unknown. A lot of players opted for the CBA and were a little nervous about going overseas. Now if you don't make it to the NBA, the European teams are flooded with American players. Getting on a team isn't as easy as used to be."
For now, Powell must overcome the disappointment of draft night and focus on his next choice, another decision that will certainly have a major impact on his future. And hopefully, he'll be receptive to good advice when he gets it.
