Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
At 20-years old, Ricky Ledo made the leap from high school to the NBA. So that’s not technically true. Ledo did spend a year at Providence College in his home state of Rhode Island. The problem is that he did not play one minute of basketball while at college.
Don’t get me wrong — this wasn’t a choice Ledo made. Coming out of high school, Ledo was a McDonald’s All-American and rated the no. 21 overall college prospect by ESPN. During his Freshman year, the NCAA ruled him ineligible to play due to not having enough credits. Hoping to get the OK from the NCAA during the second semester, he waited but never got the approval.
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Instead of playing for Providence, Ledo declared himself eligible for the 2013 NBA draft, where he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks traded his rights to the Philadelphia 76ers, before having them traded again to the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-foot- Ledo brings a viable scoring option for the Mavericks. His ability to create scoring chances for himself as well as others is a point of interest for scouts.
The Mavericks see big-time potential in their new rookie. His ability to finish around the rim is something Dallas should be able to take advantage of. Obviously, there is some concern with the fact that he wasn’t able to play all last season. However, this concern wasn’t too great as the Mavericks traded for his rights.
Dallas realizes Dirk Nowitzki will not be around for ever, and they will need to start looking to replace his scoring ability. Although it will be nearly impossible to replace him, you can help offset some of the load by getting more people who can put the ball in the basket. This is what Ledo brings to the Mavericks — someone with the ability to put the ball in the basket.
Greg Higgins is a Dallas Mavericks writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greghiggins457, Like him on Facebook, and add him to your network on Google.
