Projected as a mid- to late-second-round pick after leaving Kansas a year early to enter the NBA Draft, Wayne Selden Jr. remained mostly silent in the days following what had to be a disappointing night for the 21-year-old guard, who watched from afar as 60 other players realized their dreams of being drafted into the world’s best basketball league.
In perhaps an even more surprising development for the undrafted Selden, no news regarding a free-agent deal or summer league assignment popped up for him after the June 23 draft, while his KU teammates Perry Ellis, Brannen Greene, Jamari Traylor and Hunter Mickelson filled out summer rosters for various organizations.
A week after posting a photo on Instagram of what looked to be a shot taken inside the Memphis Grizzlies’ locker room, Selden finally took to Twitter Friday afternoon to share what has been on his mind, as a pro basketball player in limbo.
> “You know, I was real frustrated when
> I didn’t hear my name called on draft
> night,” Selden wrote in the note he
> posted, along with the hashtag:
> TrustTheProcess. “Something I worked my whole life for, something I dreamed
> of. But I didn’t just work to hear my
> name called, I worked and continue to
> work to have a successful NBA career.
>
> “After draft night, I felt like
> everything I worked for was a waste
> and got real down,” Selden continued
> in the note. “But now as I sit back
> and put everything into perspective,
> I’m truly blessed to be in this
> position I’m in. I know there are
> others out there that would kill to be
> where I’m at.
>
> “Growing up coming where I’m from, all
> we wanted was an opportunity, a
> chance,” Selden added. “And the
> Memphis Grizzlies did just that by
> giving me a chance. God bless.”
#TrustTheProcess pic.twitter.com/WyGmkYeWX5
— Wayne Selden Jr. (@WayneSeldenJr) July 15, 2016
According to [The Commercial Appeal][1], Selden will be a non-roster player with the Grizzlies, meaning he’ll be a part of their preseason training camp in the fall, and the organization will decide from there how or if they want to move forward with the former KU guard, who averaged 13.6 points and shot 38.3% from 3-point range during his junior season.
Selden is not playing for the Grizzlies’ summer league entry in Las Vegas, a couple months removed from [a “small” meniscus tear][2] in his right knee, which kept him from participating in drills and scrimmages at the NBA Draft Combine. So he can’t even use July as a springboard for something bigger a few months from now.
Obviously, this path to the NBA isn’t an easy one. Nor is it what Selden envisioned when he decided to leave Kansas a year early. But if the thoughts highlighted in his note are genuine, he at least now has harnessed the right approach to work toward making that dream come true.
Although, as the Commercial Appeal’s [Chris Herrington’s projected Grizzlies depth chart][3] highlights, Selden truly will have to impress Memphis to stick around, because they’re not desperate to add a wing. The Grizzlies already have Tony Allen, Troy Daniels and Jordan Adams at shooting guard, and Chandler Parsons, James Ennis and Vince Carter at small forward.
The process and timeline for Selden reaching the NBA appear to be lengthy. Perhaps now that he understands that, he’ll become even more inspired to make it happen.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHnJfaoDfrG/
[1]: http://www.commercialappeal.com/sports/grizzlies/pick-and-pop/Pick-and-Pop-A-look-at-the-Grizzlies-roster-and-NBA-landscape-as-free-agency-ends-386976631.html
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2016/may/10/report-knee-injury-sidelines-wayne-selden-jr-combi/
[3]: http://www.commercialappeal.com/sports/grizzlies/pick-and-pop/Pick-and-Pop-A-look-at-the-Grizzlies-roster-and-NBA-landscape-as-free-agency-ends-386976631.html
