James. Wade. Bosh. Scheyer?

Could Jon Scheyer go from National Champion to World Champion?

This weekend Scheyer traveled to Las Vegas to begin the summer league season with the Miami Heat. The former Duke guard went undrafted in the most recent NBA Draft which makes him a free agent, signable by any team.

“It’s obviously a possibility, but for me I’m just trying to take it one day at a time,” Scheyer, who won a national championship at Duke last season, said during an interview on “The Waddle and Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000.

Scheyer has many things going for him to make the Miami team.

One, he is a three-point shooter. A perfect role player on any team, especially on one where the three stars are going to draw more than their fair share of attention on the offensive end. Scheyer is a smart enough player to find open spaces on the floor when teammates get in trouble and good enough to knock down the open shots. He shot 38% from three-point range last year.

Two, he is a free agent. As an undrafted player he could be brought in cheap. With the majority of their cap space eaten up by 6-3-1 the Heat are going to need some cheap players. He will fit the bill.

Three, he is a smart player. Scheyer wasn’t the most athletically gifted player in the ACC, yet was runner-up as ACC Player of the Year. He wasn’t beating people off the dribble or breaking ankles out on the perimeter, yet scored 18 points per game and had a 3-to-1 turnover to assist ratio. How?
He outsmarted them. Picking and choosing his spots to score, also knowing when to get teammates involved. Scheyer knew what his team needed to win games, more importantly he knew what his couch needed from him. Co-captain of a Duke team, yeah, you need to be smart to get the ‘C’ from Coach K.

Four, he is a team player. Last year’s Duke team was the ultimate team; no superstars, everyone knew their role and they performed them perfectly. That was the only way they were able to win it all.
The Heat are going to need players like that, people whose only interest is in winning the game, not trying to get what they think they deserve. With three All-Stars on the team there is going to be a shortage of opportunities for the others. Guys who moan about not getting enough touches or minutes aren’t going to help this team.

If Scheyer does make it onto the Heat he is going to have to make the transition from being in ‘The Big Three’ to being ‘and the other guys.’
He shouldn’t have any problems, after starting all but one game his freshman year he was asked to come of the bench as a sophomore. He did so without question and turned in a great season, third in minutes, fourth in points, third in assists and the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team.

Once it got late into the second round, Scheyer was actually hoping not to get drafted.

“When it got to be about the last half of the second round, I was somewhat hoping I wouldn’t get drafted because I knew there were options out there for me, Miami being one of them.”

Where ever Scheyer ends up that team is going to get a proven leader, a team player and a champion.