Posted: Mike Couzens
Former college basketball players have circled one date: June 24th. The NBA Draft. A day when guys can stop living off SUpercard and start living on their brand new AmEx black card.
It’s also a day where the life of former Syracuse guard Andy Rautins could become a lot easier, or a lot more difficult.
There are only fifteen roster spots an NBA roster, and some have projected Rautins not getting selected in the draft. If he doesn’t get drafted, he can then try and sign on as a free agent somewhere or decide to play overseas.
Rautins just had a workout with the Knicks at their downstate practice facility alongside former Jayhawk and Jonny Flynn nemesis Sherron Collins.
“I played the one all day today,” Rautins said. “I handled against Sherron Collins, I’m trying to make that transition from the two to the one a little bit so I can prove to teams I’m more valuable as a combo guard and I feel like I’m more than capable of playing the one in the league.”
The Fizz absolutely agrees.
The Knicks are in need of a point guard with Sergio Rodriguez signing a contract to play in Spain and because Chris Duhon simply won’t cut it anymore.
However, the leading draft boards don’t see things in Andy’s favor at the moment. Rautins is projected to go undrafted according to both DraftExpress.com and NBADraft.net.
His father Leo, however, says Andy has a lot of things going for him Рincluding playing for a team that didn’t have the highest of expectations last year at SU.
‚ÄúHe led a team that nobody thought would do anything this year to their best regular season in school history. The biggest thing you‚Äôre hearing from NBA people, is that the fact he knows how to play and has experience, but he also shoots the s— out of the ball.‚Äù
Well said, Leo. The Fizz can’t argue with that one.
The younger Rautins also would seem to be a perfect fit for the Raptors – and not just because he’s Canadian.
