According to one NBA scout, Tyler Ennis’ decision to declare for the NBA Draft wasn’t a bad one.

“I’d be surprised if he’s someone that washes out,” the scout said. “That certainly doesn’t seem to be his make-up.”

Ennis declared for the draft Thursday after posting 12.9 points and 5.5 assists per game as a freshman at Syracuse. He becomes just the third player in program history to leave after his first season, and is being projected by some as a lottery pick.

“I think he plays really calm. I think he plays with a good sense of pace,” the scout said. “Doesn’t get sped up, doesn’t get rushed. Doesn’t turn the ball over or make bad decisions. I think that’s really what got you excited about him in the first place.”

The scout said that there are still several areas Ennis can improve in to be highly successful at the NBA level.

His jump shot needs fine-tuning. His 6-foot-2, 180-pound build could be strengthened. And his individual defense could be improved — though the scout did praise his instincts.

And all of those tweaks can be made at the professional level.

“He’s a lot more likely to do that in the NBA, being coached on defensive fundamentals than being at Syracuse playing the zone,” the scout said.

Currently, Ennis is slotted as the third point guard behind Australian combo guard Dante Exum and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart on most draft boards.

The scout agreed with that listing, but said that he could see an older, more experienced guard — like Connecticut’s Shabazz Napier, Providence’s Bryce Cotton, Louisville’s Russ Smith, Iowa State’s DeAndre Kane or Michigan State’s Keith Appling — rise late in the process.

“I don’t feel like it’s a particularly strong group of point guards,” the scout said.

More than anything else, Ennis’ future success comes down to talent level and desire, the scout said, not whether he left SU after this year or next.

He has the talent level to play in the NBA, the scout said, unlike one former Orange guard.

Said the scout: “If a guy left college and then failed in the NBA, it’s probably because he either wasn’t that talented or didn’t have that high a desire to be a good player, or a combination of both.

“A guy who just isn’t good enough like Sebastian Telfair or Jonny Flynn, if they had stayed four years or no years, I don’t think it really would have mattered. They both kind of just weren’t good enough, weren’t talented enough.”

Published on March 28, 2014 at 6:26 pm

Contact Stephen: sebail01@syr.edu | @Stephen_Bailey1