Experts weigh in on former Syracuse forward CJ Fair’s chances in the NBA

Syracuse forward CJ Fair dunks against UConn
CJ Fair wasn't selected in the 2014 NBA Draft

Former Syracuse guard Tyler Ennis was taken with the 18th pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. We sat down with NBA TV’s Jared Greenberg and NBA Scout Ryan Blake to get each of their takes on his NBA future.

About our panel:

  • Jared Greenberg is a co-host of NBA.com Fantasy Insider with 10-year NBA veteran Dennis Scott, and also serves as a host for NBA TV’s GameTime on Thursdays during the regular season. Follow @NBATVJared
  • With over 30 years of scouting experience, Ryan Blake is a much sought after speaker and scout. Blake is one of the foremost advisors that many turn to, having annual interviews with major publications, internet draft websites as well as being a regular guest on NBA-TV, Co-hosting the Draft Preview and a longstanding commentator on the D-League Draft. Follow @HoopsHighway

» Related: Experts weigh in on Jerami Grant’s role with the Philadelphia 76ers

Syracuse forward CJ Fair dunks against UConn
CJ Fair wasn’t selected in the 2014 NBA Draft

The Juice Online: Do you see CJ Fair catching on with an NBA team, or do you think he’s going to have to make his way in the D-League?

Jared Greenberg, NBA TV: Two things, number one, it’s good to see he got on a summer league roster. To me, following the Dallas summer league team as closely as I do, and having covered the summer league the last few years, I’ve seen what a summer league has done for a guy like a Jae Crowder, who is now a regular rotation guy. There’s a difference between what a guy’s perception is publicly, but it’s another to understand the perception of the player through the organization that he’s involved with, how they view him. A guy like Crowder, he used summer league to really help him. And you mentioned the D-League, which is so crucial for a team like the Mavericks who rely on so heavily on their D-League team. Donnie Nelson, the GM, looks at that to be so important to what they do. If he has a strong summer, Donnie Nelson, Rick Carlisle and Mark Cuban are going to find a roster spot for him.

Ryan Blake, NBA Scout: This is such a deep draft, and it has a lot of quality players. Hopefully he comes in with a chip on his shoulder and shows he can knock down his shots and play defense. That’s where he’s really going to show Dallas that he has some value. There’s so many young men here that have skills and ability that he’s going to need to differentiate himself. He’s got a lot of competition out there, but if he focuses on winning, it can definitely make an impact on Dallas.

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About Wes Cheng 2907 Articles
Wes has worked for Rivals.com covering the New York Knicks, as well as for Scout.com covering Syracuse athletics. Wes has also been a contributing writer for the South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), for SportsNet New York (SNY) as a news desk writer covering all of New York professional sports, and reported on the NBA and MLB for the New York Sportscene. A native of Long Island, New York, Wes graduated from Syracuse University in 2005 with a degree in journalism. Contact him at wes[at]sujuiceonline.com.