Silk Wilkes...now that's a blast from the past! I've seen a few mock drafts saying the Lakers will pass on Ball if available...no way!! A definite hitch in the shot but he's a pass first guard that passes very well, plays good D, makes his teammates better and an LA story. What else could the Lakers ask for?
Silk was one David Thompson all-world SF performance away from winning 3 NCAA titles in a row and then moving on to NBA ROY and member of the GSW association champions...like Magic moving from Sparty to LAL for the two-level exacta.
Magic still gets all the glory for the title clinching switch to center vs Phila in '80 but LAL doesn't win that game without a Silky 37/10 contribution. I'm also sure he had a hand in the Doctor's face a few times to hold him to 27 that night.
Best quote from John Wooden about the ideal college player: "I would have the player be a good student, polite, courteous, a good team player, a good defensive player and rebounder, a good inside player and outside shooter. Why not just take Jamaal Wilkes and let it go at that."
The wild thing about Wilkes...it took from 1985 when he retired until 2012 to gain induction into the Naismith HOF...a 2x NCAA and 4x NBA champion. I hope TO could be that patient to wait for Canton to call!