(Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
The NBA Draft is far from an exact science.
Scouts and executives take players based on their potential, and more often than not, they’re wrong.
Better players slip further in the NBA Draft, and so-called stars don’t live up to their potential.
There are some clear indicators of potential success in the league, whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, or in terms of mechanics.
However, there are many intangibles that come into play as well.
That’s why Stephen A. Smith couldn’t have been more wrong about his take on the 2016 Villanova Wildcats.
Ahead of the championship game, the First Take pundit claimed that the Wildcats didn’t have a single NBA prospect on their roster (via Barstool Sports).
“Villanova doesn’t have a real NBA prospect on this squad”
Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo are all players from that 2016 Nova squad that are now on the Knicks
pic.twitter.com/sjCi3bjHWR
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) June 26, 2024
Fast forward to today, and not only are four of those Wildcats in the NBA, but they also happen to play for his beloved New York Knicks.
Unsurprisingly, this clip went viral as soon as the news of Mikal Bridges joining the Knicks broke, and the fans were ruthless.
To his credit, it’s always hard to criticize anybody for having a draft-related take that aged poorly.
Every single fan has had his hopes up for a prospect that didn’t pan out, and vice versa; it happens, and it will continue to happen for as long as sports are sports.
That doesn’t make this all the less hilarious, especially considering Smith’s rants about the Knicks and whatnot.
Whatever the case, he definitely owes Jay Wright, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Donte DiVincenzo a big apology.
The post Stephen A. Smith’s Old Villanova Take Is Going Viral After Big Trade appeared first on The Cold Wire.