Harty: Hard to argue with Peter Jok’s decision under the new rules
IOWA CITY, Iowa – More than anything else, Peter Jok has to do what is best for Peter Jok.
His future is his to do with how he chooses.
If Jok feels that he might be ready to play in the NBA, then he deserves the right to pursue that opportunity.
He has the full support of Iowa coach Fran McCaffery and the benefit of a new rule that would allow Jok to test the NBA draft process without jeopardizing his final year of college eligibility.
Jok released a statement on Thursday explaining his thought process.
“I would like to take advantage of the opportunity that is now presented to underclassmen in going through the process of obtaining input from NBA personnel so that I can make an informed decision about my future,” Jok said.
“For me, this whole process is for experience to see how it all works and then return to work on my game.
“It’s comforting having the support of coach McCaffery and staff. Coach will continue to be a valuable resource for me during this process. If it’s not the right time for me to make the move to the NBA, I’m excited about returning and leading our team next season.”
I will admit to being surprised when word broke on Wednesday that Jok would test the NBA draft process.
But that was my fault for forgetting about the new player-friendly rule that gives prospects 10 days after the NBA
Draft combine to remove their name from draft consideration and maintain their eligibility as long as they don’t hire an agent.
The 2016 NBA Draft combine runs from May 11-15 in Chicago, meaning the early-entry date will be May 25. Prospects will be allowed to attend the combine and go through one team workout before making their decision.
So you could argue that it’s a win-win situation for the 6-foot-6 Jok, who more than doubled his scoring average this past season as a junior from the previous season, averaging 16.0 points per game.
Jok can audition for the NBA, see where he stands and return to Iowa for his senior season if the feedback says that he should.
“I don’t think anybody truly understands the new rules and Pete is taking advantage of them, obviously, and I’m 100 percent behind him,” McCaffery said Thursday on a teleconference. “I think we all understand and know that every player that plays for me, and anybody that pretty much plays Division I wants to play in the NBA. Anybody that plays for me and anybody that I recruit, it is my desire to make sure that they get there and do everything I can to help them get there.
“Pete wants to test the waters. He wants to go to some workouts and kind of get some feedback from the NBA people. And that’s why they do it that way now. So he’s going to figure it out and go through the process and the prevailing feeling is he’ll come back and go through it next year and be in a better position to handle it next year.”
McCaffery said Jok should know where he stands with NBA scouts after going through the evaluation process.
“Because what they do is they tell you, `hey, you’re going to get drafted in the first round, you’re going to get drafted in the second round; hey, you’re not going to get drafted,”’ McCaffery said. “They tell you unequivocally what’s going to happen.
“So now you have the information that you need so you don’t have all these guys making mistakes putting their names in the draft then they can’t back to school and they don’t make the NBA and they wash out of the D League in two years.”
It’s debatable whether Jok is ready for the NBA or if he’ll ever be ready to play at the highest level.
Only players that are picked in the first round of the NBA draft receive guaranteed money.
McCaffery was asked Thursday if he feels Jok would enter the draft without being projected as a first-round pick.
“That would be a personal decision for him,” McCaffery said. “If they came back and said unequivocally you’re a late second-round pick or mid-second round pick with no guarantees, I don’t think he would go and I don’t think he should go. And that’s what I would tell him.
“But that’s his call, not mine.”
McCaffery certainly has an opinion about Jok, but he wouldn’t let it stand in the way of Jok pursuing his dream, even if McCaffery didn’t feel Jok was ready to play in the NBA.
“My responsibility it to support him,” McCaffery said. “Not to talk him out of what he wants to try.”
The new rule makes it easier for McCaffery to support Jok because McCaffery knows that his player’s future is protected for the most.
The only concern I have with the new rule is that it might cause distractions for prospects as they prepare for the NBA draft combine. What’s to stop a kid from becoming so consumed with preparing for the draft that he lets his academics suffer to the point of becoming ineligible?
“I think it’s a possibility, but I think on the back end you’ll see more guys come back and continue their education,” McCaffery said. “So I think that’s the prevailing feeling.”
The new rule puts more burden on college coaches in terms of recruiting because rosters will become more fluid in the spring as more players test the NBA waters.
McCaffery now has to re-connect with some of the prospects in the 2016 recruiting class just in case Jok might leave.
However, McCaffery won’t have the luxury of knowing Jok’s decision by the end of the spring signing period in April.
“You know what, that’s just the way it is,” McCaffery said. “Anytime something benefits the student-athlete, I’m fine with that.”
It’s hard to argue with McCaffery’s way of thinking in this case, or Jok’s for that matter.