The Juice Factor could make Gibson Stay at ‘SC

Because of his age, 23, it has been widely rumored that USC center Taj Gibson, would be entering the NBA Draft at the end of this year in order preserve the few good years he has remaining. Well after his remarks in the Orange County Register, it seems as if Gibson may actually elect to remain at ‘SC for his senior season:

"“[College] is the time you got to capitalize on and have fun,” Gibson said Thursday night. “I was with O.J. Mayo the other day after (Memphis’s) win against the Clippers. Me and him talked about a lot of things. We talked about if he would have stayed. The NBA is stressful. He talked about how stressful it is, night in, night out, flying, worrying about different girls here and there, just telling me about the things that go on.“But one of the main things he said, I wish I would have stayed in college. That’s one of the things he said. Maybe (had I left) I’d wish I stayed in because the NBA is stressful.”"

It’s no secret that Gibson and Mayo had become good friends during their time together at USC so I wouldn’t find it surprising that Taj is listening to what O.J. has to say about the NBA. After O.J. was drafted by the Grizzlies last June, he actually called Coach Tim Floyd and offered to talk to any of his players that were thinking about leaving early for the pros. He said that he would advise them to stay in school, since he already felt that declaring for the draft was the wrong decision for him. During their conversation, he also emphasized that he wanted to help Coach Floyd illustrate the difficulties of being a professional to any underclassmen that wanted to follow in his footsteps.

If that is the case, I’m told by a reliable source that it is, than it would seem as if Gibson would be facing a lot of pressure to remain in school. The age issue could be a significant factor, but since he is enjoying college life and not facing any difficulties in the classroom, than staying around could be a good move. I’m sure he’s already been pondering the idea of staying in school, but O.J., who is highly regarded by Gibson and many other Trojan players, could be the deciding factor here. If “The Juice” is so certain that Gibson would enjoy a final year of college over entering the pros, than that might be just enough to make sure Taj doesn’t declare early.

But while O.J.’s opinion certainly will play a role in Gibson’s decision, his draft projection could be the biggest influence. Currently, NBADraft.net projects the Golden State Warriors to draft him in the second round with the 37th pick. Because second round picks have no guaranteed contracts, it could be risky for him to the test the waters a year too early.

All one has to do is remember what happened to Davon Jefferson a year ago. Jefferson, who was also a projected as a second round pick, performed poorly in Pre-Draft workouts, and as a result, was not even drafted. He was eventually placed on the Lakers’ summer league team and invited to a few training camps, but he was unable to earn an NBA roster spot. As a result, he playing in Israel now. That’s a long way away from Los Angeles, San Antonio, Boston, and other NBA cities.