On the night of the NBA draft, DePaul forward Cleveland Melvin’s Twitter feed was active.
Melvin tweeted four times June 27 Š—ê the night of the draft Š—ê with two tweets of his own and two retweets. Both retweets and one tweet from Melvin himself indicated that Melvin would be in attendance at Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn for next year’s 2014 draft.
“Around this time next year I’ll b seeing @CM_Blessed12 (Melvin’s Twitter name) in NYC with a suit and tie on looking spiffy,” tweeted @DaeSparksBHM.
Melvin tweeted: “Good luck to my bro @ShaneLarkin0_ (former University of Miami basketball player Shane Larkin’s Twitter name) in the NBA draft tonight!! Your dreams with come to a reality in a few hours!! I will meet you there soon…”
The sad reality is, unless he drastically improves his game this summer, Melvin will not be one of the 60 prospects to hear his name called on draft night.
For someone who plays power forward and is only 6-foot-8-inches, Melvin would be undersized in the NBA at his position. Unfortunately for Melvin, he hasn’t played enough for the small forward position to show he could be an effective stretch player either. Players like the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard and the Nuggets’ Wilson Chandler have proven their effectiveness in the NBA by being able to be a stretch forward, which allows them to play either position that adds spacing on the court and gives teams better open looks.
However, it’s not just size that is going against Melvin – it’s his game.
“When you look at 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 guys in the NBA right now, what you’re going to see a lot is guys who can play defense and guys who can shoot the corner three,” Matt Kamalsky, the director of operations for DraftExpress.com, said. “Playing for DePaul, he’s not going to get the opportunity to spread out to the wing because they need him to produce around the rim. (Melvin) kind of does a little bit of everything, (but) doesn’t do one thing particularly well Š—ê except maybe finish at the basket.”
Kamalsky helps run DraftExpress.com, which evaluates prospects for the NBA draft. This year, DraftExpress named 55 out of the 60 prospects that would be drafted. On the site, DraftExpress ranked Melvin as the 73rd best junior in the nation last season. Additionally, Kamalsky said that Melvin will not be on their top 100 prospects for 2014. ESPN insider and draft expert Chad Ford excluded Melvin from his top 100 list as well.
The lack of recognition seems strange when one considers that Melvin was once named Big East Rookie of the Year in 2011. If Melvin goes undrafted, he would be the first Big East Rookie of the Year not picked since 2007’s Scottie Reynolds of Villanova University.
“I think (the Big East award) is as much of a testament to him seizing the opportunity (of playing time) than as much as it is an indication of him being a good prospect,” Kamalsky said. “I think the challenge for him has always been filling a role of the ‘go-to guy’ on a team that isn’t necessarily built to support that. He’s not really surrounded by a bunch of high-efficiency shooters, a bunch of guys that can deliver him the ball and create shots for him. He’s not necessarily a guy that’s going to create his own shot himself.”
Besides Brandon Young, DePaul’s other scoring option, Melvin has had to lead the offense. By no means has Melvin had a bad DePaul career. He ranked seventh in points per game in the Big East last season and posted a player efficiency rating of 21.7, which anything above a 15 is considered good. By the end of his collegiate career, Melvin could be DePaul’s second all-time leading scorer.
Melvin’s draft potential isn’t all doom and gloom either. Kamalsky mentioned that with the right improvements, Melvin could work his way up to the second round.
“It could be a challenge for him, but it’s not out of the question if he becomes an effective 17-foot shooter over the next few months and the course of next season,” Kamalsky said. “We’ve seen guys become substantially better as shooters over one summer – not many, but it’s not out of the question.”
Melvin has the luxury of playing in a conference where scouts will notice him. The Big East and the change it has undergone will have scouts closely eyeing the conference. If Melvin can improve his game and have big games against elite teams like Georgetown or Marquette, scouts will remember his name.
Ultimately, Melvin’s success as a pro prospect comes down to whether the Blue Demons make the necessary steps in 2013. The team can’t be another two- or three-win team in the Big East under Coach Purnell Š—ê it needs to win.
The addition of Billy Garrett Jr. adds another point guard that can score. The combination of Garrett and Young could create a backcourt that will get Melvin the ball in the right places this year; he will have the opportunity to capitalize. DePaul’s new big men should also draw attention away from him, creating easy buckets.
Likewise, DePaul’s success also depends on how Melvin improves this summer. With a better supporting cast and an improved game, Melvin could be one of those players who actually improves the teammates around him with his play. He has experience playing under this system and he needs to lead those around him. If Melvin starts playing like a can’t-miss NBA prospect, who knows how much better the Blue Demons will be?
Most players who play college basketball have the dream of hearing their name called on draft night. With Melvin’s future on the big stage still unclear at this point, it’s time to put in the work and assure people he’s draft material.
Go out and earn it.