Former Hokie Jarell Eddie took part in a Pre-Draft Workout for the Washington Wizards Wednesday, hoping to impress the Wizards sufficiently into using their second round pick on him in this months amateur draft.
Eddie is also scheduled to work out for the Sacramento Kings this upcoming Saturday, and could possibly take part in other team's workouts as the draft quickly approaches(June 26th is the date). Last year, former Hokie PG Erick Green was selected in the second round of the draft by the Utah Jazz before being shipped to the Denver Nuggets on draft night.
Eddie's work out with Washington on Wednesday also consisted of Bryce Cotton (G, Providence), Roy Devyn Marble (G, Iowa), LaQuinton Ross (F, Ohio State), Okaro White (F, Florida State), and Kendall Williams (G, New Mexico).
Following the workout, Eddie said that he felt he performed well, specifically mentioning that he was able to knock down some shots, and make good plays in the competition drills. He also stressed the leadership experience that he would bring with him to the Wizards, and that he would try to soak in as much as he could from the veteran players on the team.
Looking at the Wizards roster, the wing position seems to be filled with Martell Webster and Otto Porter currently under contract (at way too much $$$) and even Trevor Ariza possibly coming back after testing free agency. Even if the Wizards do not bring back Ariza, they would most likely sign or trade for Ariza's replacement. Therefore, the Wizards seem like a tough fit for Eddie.
The Kings have last year's top pick Ben McLemore under contract and they are currently making a run to try and keep Rudy Gay on the team who has a player option for $19.3MM in his pocket; though he would only be smart to rip that up in the event the Kings offer a multi-year deal with attractive terms. Off of the bench they also have Travis Outlaw, so they seem set on wing players. Again, the chances of Eddie making either of these teams seem very slim because of the small forward depth both teams contain, but if he can put together strong, consistent workouts, he may be able to impress teams enough into giving him a chance.
Eddie averaged 13.3 points and 5.4 boards while playing 32.6 minutes a game as a senior at Tech this past season. Eddie was as streaky as a player can get, scoring in double digits in the first 11 games of the year, but then only reaching the double digit mark in nine of the last 20 games. Eddie's main struggles came against the competition in the ACC, which may worry some scouts, since that competition was the toughest he faced, and he was unable to create his own shot against quicker defenders. Often if Eddie didn't pop open off of the initial high screen, he didn't get open for the remainder of the possession.
He has proved to be an above average three point shooter (from the college distance), and he has the ability to knock down contested long-range shots, though that isn't the type of shot selection NBA scouts are looking for in most instances. He rebounds the ball well for his size and does not commit many turnovers, and he was a very reliable free throw shooter as a Hokie. He will need to be much more consistent (and less streaky) if he wants to crack an NBA roster spot, though his lack of lateral quickness will probably see him signing overseas for next season.