All-time All-ACC NBA Mock Draft
By Ynal Al-Ouri
James Worthy’s stats from college do not show just how good he really was. He averaged 14.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. Worthy had a multitude of post moves, that allowed him to score relatively easily against most of his opponents. He also came up big in huge moments, which is why he helped lead the North Carolina Tar Heels to a National Championship, and was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player that season as well. He had good size for the forward position at 6-foot-9, and he had the ability to play both small and power forward. Worthy was also one of the best finishers at the rim during his playing days, running the floor exceptionally well for a big man, and finishing strong almost every time.
His ability to excel in transition will certainly fit very well in today’s NBA. Big men seemed to be getting more athletic than ever these days, so Worthy was way ahead of his time and was helping revolutionize the way scouts looked at the position during his playing days. Worthy certainly could have put up bigger numbers if he wasn’t teamed up with a few great players, but it was a testament to his willingness to do whatever it takes to help his team win games. Worthy wasn’t much of a threat from the outside, which is a common occurrence now for most of today’s big men. However, the rest of his game is polished enough that it most likely wouldn’t even matter if he never developed one during today’s NBA.