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So this report came out last night:
New Mexico State sophomore center Sim Bhullar is entering the NBA Draft, per a source.
— Josh Gershon (@JoshGershon) April 17, 2014
Sim Bhullar's decision to declare for the draft is already garnering a lot of backlash from the media, who believe the 355-pound center is not fit enough to go through the rigors of an 82-game season without injuring himself or facing conditioning problems.
While I'm inclined to agree that could be an issue for him, his sheer size and strength should help him get out of a lot of jams (or get in a lot of jams). He probably should have stayed in school at least another year to polish his game and I really don't understand what the hurry is (I'm a little surprised he didn't considering next year is the first chance he would have gotten to play alongside his brother Tanveer in college).
If Bhullar were to be drafted, he would not only be the tallest player in the NBA, but also the first Indian to ever play as well. Bhullar garnered national attention in the NCAA Tournament when he and the Aggies took 4-seed San Diego State into overtime and seriously threatened to upset the Aztecs. However, Chad Ford of ESPN only has Bhullar ranked 138th on his "big board" of possible draftees.
In the end, I have to believe someone will pick him up even if he doesn't get drafted. It might take some D-League success before anyone will acknowledge that he has the potential to be an impact player in the NBA, but someone with a lot of picks might be willing to take the risk.
This is obviously a "big" blow to New Mexico State, who will miss his 10.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. However, the core group of Daniel Mullings (WAC player of the year for 2013-2014), Tshilidzi Nephawe (who one day I'll be able to spell correctly without looking it up), and DK Eldridge should be able to improve and carry the Aggies to another auto-bid next year. Also, Tanveer Bhullar will be eligible to play next year and should help fill the void left by his brother.