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Austin Rivers made an impression in his one season at Durham. The son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers made some big shots -- including the game-winner in a stunning Blue Devils comeback in Chapel Hill to beat North Carolina in February. And he is expected to go high in the first round after declaring for the Draft. While he can handle the ball some, most scouts don't think he's going to be a one in the NBA -- though he could handle the ball and initiate offense some.
Scouts expects Rivers to be able to get to the basket and to the foul line in the pros, no matter what position he plays.
"I have him as a guard," said a Southwest Division executive. "The role is a starter/scorer, come off the bench and score. It's a nice way of saying he's not a one. But the way the rules are, with the lane opening up a little bit more, his game is more conducive to our rules. His mindset is not really to organize a group, think for the team, (but to) break a team down and get to the rim."
Said a Northwest scout: "Right now, I think he's a two. He's a talented kid. He's a head scratcher. He sees the floor. But does he really make his teammates better? I don't know that yet. And he's so young, and now you have to make a judgment, which all of us are going to have to do. When you watch him play, he's looking to score, but you can't teach too many guys to see like he can. It's not a picture-perfect shot, but it goes in there. He's got talent. But we've got to figure out what he is."
Rivers led the Blue Devils in scoring (15.5 per game), and because he was the only Duke player who could consistently break down defenses, he probably shot more than he had to. He struggled to find his shot early in the season, but became more assertive as the season wore on.
"Mike (Krzyzewski) utilized him right for where he was, but he's got some growing to do as a scorer and facilitator," said a longtime coach with ACC ties.
Defensively, Rivers isn't a great athlete. But neither was his father, Doc, who was smart, tough and physical enough to become a top-notch NBA defender. But that was 20 years ago, when the NBA's rules allowed hand-to-hand combat between guards. Austin Rivers won't have that luxury. Against Lehigh in the NCAA tournament, Rivers -- and, to be fair, all of Duke's other guards -- couldn't stay in front of C.J. McCollum, who scored 30 points in Lehigh's 79-75 win.

Mostly known as a scorer at Duke, Austin Rivers may be asked to run a few plays in the NBA.
Courtesy Duke University
"His size is the biggest issue for me," a Northwest scout said of Austin Rivers. "If he was 6-foot-5 you could live with it. I'm curious to see what he measures at. They list him at 6-foot-4 and I'm not convinced ... he has to guard those guys, too, like Ray Allen and Dwyane Wade and Landry Fields and Rip Hamilton, big guys like that. And he's smaller than that."
Rivers' pedigree as the son of a solid pro player and outstanding NBA coach is a blessing, but could also be a burden. Scouts aren't certain whether Rivers' confidence will serve him well at the next level or put a target on his back that may be difficult to escape. If Rivers, who is likely to go in the lottery, somehow slipped down to where Boston is drafting -- somewhere in the 20s -- it could provide an agonizing call for the Celtics' organization.
"He's got a lot of maturing to do," said a Southwest Division scout. "It's gonna be interesting to see how he handles an NBA locker room. Guys aren't gonna care who he is."
Said another Northwest scout: "He's probably somewhat spoiled. He's got the mindset of Michael (Jordan), where he knows how good he is -- or he thinks he knows how good he is -- and he thinks he can knock down shots any time he wants to ... I don't think he's close to anybody, but I don't think Kobe (Bryant) was close to anybody coming out of high school.
"He's got a high opinion of himself. He's Doc's son. He's grown up around the NBA. He went to a very good high school, and he went to Duke ... but the times I've talked to him, and they were brief, he seemed fine to me."
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Live Free wrote:Rivers and Barnes have been my guys since day 1. People like to overlook his talent and potential because of his ego but his intangibles are undeniable and I have no doubts he will rise during combine.

One of Rivers, PJ3, Lamb will be a Raptor

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