LSU: Tim Quarterman A Draft Steal Or Get Real?

There’s only one problem when it comes to one-and-done players.

It’s that the players who don’t enter the NBA Draft after their freshman year are looked at as less than because they didn’t make the jump. However, that’s not the case. Players are not less talented because they decide to stay in school another season before they start their professional career.

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Before the one-and-done culture was created in the NCAA, the best players would stay in school for three or four years and let their games mature in college instead of coming into the league as a raw talent.

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That’s why players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan stepped in for their respective teams from day one and changed the landscape of their franchises. Each of these players was able to come into the league with a mature foundation in their game and didn’t lack the fundamentals that made them into Hall of Fame players.

One of those who people also feel might be a game changer at the next level is LSU’s point guard Tim Quarterman. Ironically enough, Quarterman doesn’t sport the No. 25 when he plays on the court, but every game he plays in he impacts at least 2-5 categories in the box score.

Quarterman knows how to pass well, he rebounds well for a point guard, he defends at a high level, he’s very intelligent and he has somewhat of a scoring ability. People are starting to look at LSU’s point guard as a first round pick because of the way he plays on the court. In his sophomore season, Quarterman doubled or tripled his numbers in all statistical categories. He finished the year averaging 11.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game.

That’s why a lot of NBA scouts and general managers are now thinking of Quarterman as a future NBA draft steal because his productivity was such an increase that everyone took notice. Everyone’s looking for the next Russell Westbrook, a player who fits all of the measurables of point guard and was undervalued at the collegiate level.

For Quarterman, the measurables are real. He’s a tall guard who stands at 6’6″ and a 190 pounds. If general managers are looking for him to become the next Westbrook though, they need to start holding their breath.

Quarterman compares to another lanky 6’6″ guard with a bad jump shot but a great pass-first ability, Michael Carter-Williams. Like Carter-Williams, Quarterman is known for his ability to rack up triple-doubles. In fact, last season he gobbled up one of them but almost captured six more before the year was over.

Now entering in his junior year playing with teammates like Ben Simmons, Antonio Blakeney, an improved Jalen Jones, and a shooter like Paul Hornsby, the Bayou Bengals should be considered one of the favorites to win the Southeastern Conference.

Mar 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; LSU Tigers guard Josh Gray (5), Tigers guard Tim Quarterman (55), and Tigers guard Keith Hornsby (4) look on during the second half against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Consol Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Now let’s say for hypothetical purposes that Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin had both decided to stick it out at school for one more season before leaving to the NBA. If those two would have came back for their junior seasons with the roster that LSU has this season, they would have been one of the heavy favorites for the NCAA championship.

Going back to reality, because Mickey and Martin both decided to leave for the NBA, next season the offense is going to rely on Quarterman’s shoulders a lot more. As Elfrid Payton found out last season, players can’t come into the league and expect to dominate a game without having a jump shot or some type of scoring ability. Sure it’s possible to dominate a game without a jump shot as Rajon Rondo has done for his career, but not everyone’s Rondo.

Right now, many general managers are high on Quarterman’s potential as an NBA player because of the size and somewhat because of his skill. However, he’s going to need a really impressive junior season, especially in the scoring column. That type of improvement in his game and more in particular on his jump shot could have him in the lottery.

Quarterman’s being projected as an NBA steal, but is it way too early to start labeling him with such high standards?

D’Joumbarey A. Moreau covers basketball for @HoopsHabit. You can follow him on Twitter @DJoumbarey.

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