2000-01 In Review: JaRon Rush declared early for the 2000 NBA Draft, but was surprisingly not amongst the 58 players selected. He subsequently went to the ABA 2000, where he began with his hometown Kansas City Knights. Before playing a game with Kansas City, however, he was dealt to the city in which he played college ball, joining the Los Angeles Stars. After playing just three games with the Stars, his coaches noticed alcohol on Rush's breath. After he was not selected in the Draft, Rush had been depressed and developed a drinking problem. He spent the rest of the season in rehab.

Previous Career: Rush was a much-ballyhooed recruit out of Kansas City, with his final decision coming down to Kansas or UCLA. He ended up in LA, but what wasn't known then was that his decision had been influenced by a plethora of illegal gifts from boosters, totalling almost 20,000 in value. During his freshman season, Rush was one of three first-year players starting for UCLA on the front line, along with Jerome Moiso and Dan Gadzuric. Rush averaged 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in 28 games, though he shot poorly, making just 37.2% of his shots, and a paltry 26.5% from three-point range. After his freshman series, the recruiting violations came to light, and Rush was suspended for the first 20 games of his sophomore season. After his return, Rush sparked the Bruins, making the game winner in a victory over then-number 1 Stanford, and helping lead them to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. Nevertheless, it was a surprise when he declared for the Draft after two uneven seasons.

Shooting/Scoring: Rush's scoring primarily comes inside of about 15 feet, and largely off the dribble drive. However, it's questionable whether his handling and speed are good enough to allow him to get in the lane against NBA competition. He does not posess much range on his jumper, as the 26.5% mark from the NCAA line indicates. Rush improved his sophomore season, but still is not to the point where he can consistently make an NBA three. Below-average from the free throw line. Grade: C+

Floor Game: In terms of ballhandling, Rush is probably about average for a small forward. He was above average in college and especially in high school, but he won't be able to exploit defenders off the drive as easily in the NBA. He's not much as a passer, recording less than an assist per game at UCLA. Grade: C-

Rebounding: For a small forward, Rush does a solid job on the boards. His 7.3 rebounds per game his freshman season was the second highest average for any freshman in UCLA history, trailing only Don MacLean's 7.5 in 88-89. Putting two and two together, that means he outrebounded his fellow freshman that season, starters at power forward and center, respectively. Rush does it primarily through athletic ability, notably a good vertical, and is slightly better on the offensive glass. Grade: B-

Defense: Rush has all the tools to be a fine defender at the NBA level. His quickness is good enough to stay with smaller small forwards, and he can bang in the post with bigger ones. His focus, however, can waver, giving him problems. Grade: C+

Intangibles: Though Rush posesses a checkered past with the recruiting violations and alcohol problems, they do not seem to be indicative of his true nature. It seems that if he were to get into a comfortable situation where he could gain some measure of consistency, Rush would emerge as a solid person. A hard worker, described as a scrapper by Sonic coach Nate McMillan. Grade: B

Overall: Looking at some of the players inhabiting NBA benches, it's hard to imagine that Rush isn't good enough to make a team and eventually develop into a contributor. However, he didn't really pick a particularly good place to pry his trade this season, playing with the Sonics' summer league team and going to camp with them. The Sonics are a team that already has a young starter at small forward in Rashard Lewis, and used this season's first round draft pick on Vladimir Radmanovic, another three. Thus, small forward is locked up in Seattle for years to come, and the Sonics have little need for a third stringer. Whether Rush makes the team or not is likely dependant on if the Sonics decide to keep 14 players instead of 13, which would be a surprise. If they go with 14, Rush will probably spend most of the season on the injured list with a chance to develop in practice against NBA talent. Grade: C-