The NBA Draft is always full of unknown quantities. But even among a field of unknowns, Ricky Ledo is a mystery to most teams.
That’s because Ledo, one of the top recruits out of high school a year ago, spent all of last season at Providence unable to play because of eligibility issues with the NCAA. So, in order to show off his skills, Ledo has been doing somewhat of a barnstorming tour around the NBA’s practice facilities this spring, as curious teams see what the 6-foot-6 shooting guard can do.
“I just [want to] show them that I belong and that I am more than capable of playing at this level,” Ledo said yesterday after working out for the Knicks at their practice facility. “Especially with me not playing [last season], showing I can compete and hold my own against anyone.”
Ledo, who credited both Providence head coach Ed Cooley and former Friars star God Shammgod, back with the program as an assistant coach, with helping him stay sharp while he sat out, already has worked out for several teams. Ledo said he has at least six more workouts scheduled.
He admitted having to sit and watch last season was trying.
“Yeah, it was real tough, because all you do is want to play,” Ledo said. “So it was definitely tough sitting there and practicing all the time. It was a learning experience.”
The Knicks, who have the 24th pick, are the kind of team in the back half of the first round who could choose to take a flier on a talent such as Ledo. The hope would be that giving Ledo a chance to get himself acclimated to the NBA with a small role could help him develop his full potential, much like Lance Stephenson has with the Pacers.
But Ledo said he thinks if he winds up in New York, he immediately will be able to give the Knicks help as a shooter off the bench — with a chance to develop into more than that.
“I definitely feel like I could step in and help,” he said. “Carmelo [Anthony] makes it easier, Amar’e [Stoudemire] is in the post, so you have a lot of options on this team, and it will make it easy for me to come in. I definitely feel I can do that.”