As he continues to develop...is CJ Fair eventually going to play in the NBA?

[MyMeloMyMan]

The only missing piece is a consistent jump shot to keep defenses honest. He doesnt have that one "WOW" skill that screams NBA... but, there is room for do-a-little-bit-of-everything guys like him on an NBA bench.

He really has the perfect size to play SF in the league. I could see him have a sneaky NBA career like a John Salmons. A guy you didn't necessarily think would be an NBA player... but, just worked hard and was always in the right place at the right time and got there.

 

[orangefan13]

I say probably not after four years at SU. Maybe after some D league.
But, he will have the work and hungryness of Rick Jackson and Kristoff types.
The guy is always hungry. KJO should learn from him.

 

[NovaOrange]

I still believe CJ doesn't fully trust his knee I think next year CJ will take the biggest step forward excluding Michael Carter Williams which to me means he will get drafted in the mid to late first range after his senior year

 

[Marsh01]

seeing the improvement in his shooting from last year to this year I think the potential of him to be a great college player is within his reach. I do think he plays in the NBA.

 

[newmexicuse]

The only missing piece is a consistent jump shot to keep defenses honest. He doesnt have that one "WOW" skill that screams NBA... but, there is room for do-a-little-bit-of-everything guys like him on an NBA bench.

He really has the perfect size to play SF in the league. I could see him have a sneaky NBA career like a John Salmons. A guy you didn't necessarily think would be an NBA player... but, just worked hard and was always in the right place at the right time and got there.

I am a huge CJ fan & have made a million positive post about him, but as of right now, I do not see his skillset translating to the next level.

A big thing with CJ was his HS injury that set back his athleticism considerably. Supposedly he was very elite athletically prior to that injury. During his time at the Cuse his athleticism seems to be gradually returning. If that trend can continue for two more years he may well by that time have next level skills, but as of right now, the answer is no.

Regardless, he is the type of player who will work hard and continue to improve. His J will only get better, and one can see his mental approach just by watching the improvement in his rebounding since the Gtown board fiasco. He is also improving his off the ball motion & seems to get open more & more frequently. He is a very heady player with a great inate feel for the game.

 

[jekelish]

It all depends on how his jumper develops. It's inconsistent at best right now, and while he has improved he's got a long way to go. I don't think he's big enough or strong enough to be a Shawn Marion type 3, and he sure as hell doesn't rebound well enough to fit that role. If he could become a scrappy rebounder and lockdown defender with a solid jumper, he could absolutely play in the NBA eventually. No way is he 6-8 though, by the way. Probably closer to 6-6.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I think CJ has a sneaky legit chance to find himself on an NBA roster at some point in his professional career.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

As I look at the guys coming off the bench at the SF slot in the NBA...it assures me that there is a place for KJO and likely Fair as well, at the next level.

Now, if CJ never does develop a good jump shot.. then he has Euro written all over him.

 

[The General]

Yeah, if he was really 6'8, maybe. But he's not.

He's my favorite player on this team though. Just goes to work.

 

[moqui]

despite hitting the occasional open jumper (and his percentage is not that great), he has no real offensive game outside of 10 feet . . . at the end of the day, he is an undersized 4 who can thrive at the college level and especially in the Syracuse system, but he does not have the size to play a 4 nor the varied offensive skill set to play a 3 at the next level.

I think his ceiling is Damone Brown, another undersized 4 with limited offensive skills but who did manage to scratch out a semblance of an NBA career in parts of 4 seasons, so, yeah, there is a chance, but it isn't a great one and it isn't likely to be a memorable or lengthy NBA career.

 

[MikeSU02]

despite hitting the occasional open jumper (and his percentage is not that great), he has no real offensive game outside of 10 feet . . . at the end of the day, he is an undersized 4 who can thrive at the college level and especially in the Syracuse system, but he does not have the size to play a 4 nor the varied offensive skill set to play a 3 at the next level.

I think his ceiling is Damone Brown, another undersized 4 with limited offensive skills but who did manage to scratch out a semblance of an NBA career in parts of 4 seasons, so, yeah, there is a chance, but it isn't a great one and it isn't likely to be a memorable or lengthy NBA career.

He would have to play the 3 in the NBA. He would get crushed trying to play the 4. I don't see it. I love CJ and think he is a great program player that can really put up some nice numbers. But he would really have to develop his jumper to get a look in the NBA.

I mean, if Moten could only last three seasons in the NBA, I don't think CJ can make a roster.

 

[LAOrange]

If Wes Johnson is having a difficult time, KJo and CJ don't stand a chance. I don't think KJo will even make second round unless he screams in the tournament.

 

[BuffOrange]

despite hitting the occasional open jumper (and his percentage is not that great), he has no real offensive game outside of 10 feet . . . at the end of the day, he is an undersized 4 who can thrive at the college level and especially in the Syracuse system, but he does not have the size to play a 4 nor the varied offensive skill set to play a 3 at the next level.

I think his ceiling is Damone Brown, another undersized 4 with limited offensive skills but who did manage to scratch out a semblance of an NBA career in parts of 4 seasons, so, yeah, there is a chance, but it isn't a great one and it isn't likely to be a memorable or lengthy NBA career.

Agree with all this. Somewhere around Jim Burr blowing calls and just behind death/taxes is CBB fans grossly underestimating how freaking hard it is to make it in that league. NBA 3's are some of the best athletes in the world.
Not that Fair is this, but how many undersized/fat #4s have people tried to compare to Barkley over the years? It's 20yrs later and there's still been no Barkley Vol 2.

 

[thebigeast44]

CJ is one of those guys who is solid at all aspects of the game but is not special in any one. I remember reading somewhere that to make it in the NBA, you have to be special in at least one area. I don't see that with CJ.

As for Kjo, he simply does not have the handle of a good SF in the league. They will both get a look and could play a bit in the league but their future is in Europe or somewhere else in the world. I wish them both the best and will enjoy the remainder of their careers here at SU.

 

[Bornorange]

Absolutely the best Syracuse player since Melo to go to the NBA. You can not coach instincts, size and smarts, and he has them all.
Always difficult to judge any Syracuse players man to man defensive skills, but does it matter in the NBA.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

This is how I view it:

I'm going to make a rough assumption that guys 9 through 15 on most NBA rosters are pretty much equal as players, and there is another X number of players that could land on one of those spots but for whatever reason aren't in the league. The ones that are have ended up there because a team invested in them (draft pick), they're young and have some upside, they fill some niche role, they play for cheap, they have an appealing contract situation that makes them some kind of an asset, the coaching staff/GM are high on the player for whatever reason, etc. and the ones that didn't just didn't have those same things going for them.

Anyway, the context the player ends up with matters. I mean geez, we have a guy in Lin that was the 4th point guard on Houston's bench now making headlines about how Melo is going to have to adjust his all-star caliber game to fit with Lin's style.

So I'm not as concerned about projecting CJ's talent or strengths and weaknesses. I think a lot of guys have a shot, if they can land in the right situation for them. I think CJ can be one of those guys. I'm not saying he will definitely get a chance to be an NBA player like Waiters and Fab will, but it's not impossible for me to envision him landing on an NBA roster as one of those 9 through 15 guys.

 

[The General]

His problem is his size. If he's only 6'6? Just isn't athletic enough to play the 3. Or big enough to compensate for his lack of athleticism. Think of an NBA 3 that he compares to.

If he can develop a consistent J, become a lock down defender or if his athleticism continues to return (from his HS injury), he has a chance. But those are big ifs. You gotta be able to do something well to fill a roster need. As a 3? It's be s scorer. Or a defender. Maybe a jack of all trades.

He is getting better and better though. And more explosive. He has a chance. Possible but not likely. Though if Luke Walton can be an NBA 3? Why not?

 

[TinyManInside]

Weird thing about CJ's height - I think that the kid is actually about as tall as he is listed, but if you see him side by side with Joseph or Southerland, you can see that he gets s height boost because he has a really long neck... I was standing courtside before the UConn game and he was talking with Joseph - he actually looked about an inch taller than Joseph but his floor-to-shoulder height was about 1-2 inches less. Weird observation...

 

[HouseOfCuse]

I think Fair has a legit shot. People have to remember he is playing PF for us most of the time. I know the forwards in JBs zone are interchangable but really he is matching up against the other teams PF. He is going to be a SF in the pros and will most likely be the starting SF next year so we will get a better idea of what he can do. He needs to improve his jumper which he already has compared to last year. Just needs to improve further. He is also not asked to do a lot of shooting on this team with so many scoring options we have.

As far as height their are plenty of 6-6 to 6'-7" SF in the NBA. To me he compares to Josh Howard. 6'7" doesn't do anything great but is solid. drafted 29th. Good scorer and has played a good amount of years.

Don't agree with the comments that CJ isn't atheletic. Guy jumps out of the gym and has had some nasty dunks. He gets up and down the court fast.

 

[jdubs30]

For some reason I think he'd have trouble in M2M.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

If Wes Johnson is having a difficult time, KJo and CJ don't stand a chance. I don't think KJo will even make second round unless he screams in the tournament.

Wes Johnson has absolutely no motor, but he was a workout monster out of college. Great kid, good head, nice attitude, great athlete, appeared to be a good spot up shooter in college. But you watch him now and he clearly does not belong in the NBA. He literally stands in place on the court, making nothing happen off the ball. I don't have that concern with CJ, if he were to get a shot.

 

[BostonOrange]

The only missing piece is a consistent jump shot to keep defenses honest. He doesnt have that one "WOW" skill that screams NBA... but, there is room for do-a-little-bit-of-everything guys like him on an NBA bench.

He really has the perfect size to play SF in the league. I could see him have a sneaky NBA career like a John Salmons. A guy you didn't necessarily think would be an NBA player... but, just worked hard and was always in the right place at the right time and got there.

He has a loooong way to go. Handle. Shooting. Ability to finish in the paint. Rebounding. He literally needs to improve every facet of his game in a meaningful way. But...it isn't impossible. He shows flashes of being able to do a lot on the court. And he does kind of profile physically as an NBA wing. Long odds but not out of the question.

 

[jdubs30]

Wes Johnson has absolutely no motor, but he was a workout monster out of college. Great kid, good head, nice attitude, great athlete, appeared to be a good spot up shooter in college. But you watch him now and he clearly does not belong in the NBA. He literally stands in place on the court, making nothing happen off the ball. I don't have that concern with CJ, if he were to get a shot.

Minny is an awful fit for him, but you're right. Syracuse was literally the perfect fit for him and it got him millions of dollars.

 

[mikekan14]

Right now, no. However, he has plenty of time to continue to develop. His improvement from last year is almost as dramatic as Melo's so the NBA is possible.

Right now, CJ Fair = Josh Pace. They do a bit of everything and it helps that they're both left handed but not NBA worthy.

 

[Orangezoo]

I think he will get a decent NBA paycheck for a while. We are definitely seeing flashes of his athleticism and his ability to attack the rim. While Joseph has ups and can finish.. CJ when he attacks.. he is explosive off the floor from a standing jump. That alley-oop against Uconn only further proves how good his hops can be. One thing about CJ that you can't understate is his approach to the game. When you watch KJo or Wes attack the hoop they do so sometimes too quickly and get in trouble. CJ slows the game down for himself and use the shot fake and good footwork to attack using both his athleticism and skill along with patience. Patience is the key along with confidence. CJ has that uncanny sense to make the right move to the hoop and be in the right position that makes the difference between a guy who has all the tools but can't connect the dots vs the guy that can.

In the spirit of Linsanity.. watch Lin how he approaches the game. He does so quickly but measures up his opponent and makes an intelligent play and then uses skill to finish the play. CJ has this ability.. Pace had it as well but CJ is more athletically and sizewise gifted than pace and he also has a much nicer shot. If CJ continues to improve his explosiveness and his outside jumper.. he has an NBA career ahead of him.