Tyler Ennis is attempting to make the most of his professional career while avoiding risks by choosing to leave the Syracuse University men’s basketball team.

On March 27, the freshman point guard announced he would leave SU early and declare for the 2014 NBA draft. Ennis is the third basketball player ever at SU to leave for the NBA after his freshman year, after Donte Greene in 2008 and Carmelo Anthony in 2003. Ennis started every single game for the Orange this year, helping lead the team to its record 25-0 streak and launching onto the national stage with his 35-foot buzzer-beater shot against Pittsburgh.

Now is the perfect time for Ennis to declare for the draft, while he still has momentum behind him. Ennis is also still young with the potential for longevity in his professional career, which makes him more valuable to NBA programs. In a profession where careers are limited by athletic constraints, each year is significant.

If Ennis stayed another year at SU, he would risk injuries and losing momentum, which could be detrimental to his ultimate goal — getting to the NBA.

While some can argue Ennis should stay in college to finish his education and receive his degree, it makes sense for him to leave early for the NBA.  In the same way a student would leave college early for a desirable job offer, Ennis is taking the most direct route to the big leagues.

His skill set can easily carry over to the NBA, where he can also improve as a player. Instead of staying at SU, where Ennis has to balance classes with training for games, he can improve more quickly in the NBA by working with the league’s trainers and dedicating more of his time to basketball.

Similar to Carmelo Anthony — the two both being standout stars at SU — Ennis’s skills ensure he will survive in the NBA. An NBA scout told The Daily Orange he would be surprised if Ennis didn’t play well once he reached the NBA. “That certainly doesn’t seem to be his make-up,” the scout said.

Ennis made the best decision he could in his position, taking the opportunity to benefit his professional career.

Published on March 31, 2014 at 10:02 am

Contact: opinion@dailyorange.com