With the No. 43 in Thursday's NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks selected shooting guard Ricky Ledo. Ledo spent one season at Providence but never played because he was academically ineligible.
NBA Draft 2013: Dallas Mavericks select Ricky Ledo with No. 43 pick
The Dallas Mavericks waited a long time to make their first pick of the night, taking Ricky Ledo with the 13th pick in the second round even though he didn’t play in college.
Ledo goes around where many have expected, in the middle of the second round. The pick was technically made by the Milwaukee Bucks, but he’s headed to the Dallas Mavericks, who see something they like in the 6’6 shooting guard.
The Mavs traded away all their earlier picks as they hope to cut cap, so an unguaranteed second-rounder in Ricky Ledo is up their alley.
Few have argued against Ledo's pedigree as an athlete and a raw talent; in fact, if he weren't such an intriguing prospect, it's difficult to imagine he'd be drafted at all given his rocky history and complete lack of game tape beyond high school and AAU ball. Coming out of high school in the Class of 2012, he was a McDonald's All-American. SB Nation's Jonathan Tjarks noted that he was also the No. 6-ranked prospect in the entire class, ahead of players like Anthony Bennett and Marcus Smart.
He measured at 6’6 at the combine, and he has excellent skills with the ball to create his own shot. He’s a versatile offensive player who can get to the basket and, with his ball skills and size, wreak havoc in the mid-range game and even from 3-point range. His skills defensively are largely unknown, but it’s thought that he’ll need a considerable amount of development on that end of the floor.
Perhaps the most frequent red flag raised when discussing Ledo has been related to his attitude. He’s been said to be a poor teammate and unwilling to change his style of play or attitude to better suit his teams -- Jeff Goodman wrote this for CBSsports.com when Ledo committed to Providence in 2011 -- so if he’s going to succeed now that he’s been drafted, it seems he’s going to have to adapt to a new lifestyle now that he’s playing among equals.
See More:
