Preps to Pros

[Unholy Turkey]

One thing that is conceived a lot is that if you go to College before you go to the NBA, rather than coming straight from High School, you're going to be a lot more skilled in some areas.

Even though this is true, we still have some athletes that have came from High School to have good NBA careers like Kobe, Garnett, or LeBron.

How do you think these such players would have been if they went to college to play? Would they be better, or worse, or would it not affect their abilities at all?

[JMarkJohns]

I don't think the argument is long-term success, but immediate impact. The majority of the preps-to-pros didn't justify their pick position, and even those that did ultimately, a good number of them did so years into the future, and some on different teams than those drafting them originally.

I think college definitely helps these talents acquire a better foundation of skill, which enables them to step in and contribute significantly as a rookie. Would Garnett, Kobe and LeBron be any better now than they are currently for having gone to college? Doubtful, but many more are.

And, the primary reason for the rule wasn't for the benefit of the players, but the benefit of the teams drafting in the lottery. One year vs. high level collegiate or international talent gives scouts/GMs more time to scout and better judgment on the players so they are less likely to waste a high lottery pick on a Brown or Diop. The rule's primary purpose was to protect the owners from thinking that every athletic 7-footer or every athletic wing would be the next Garnett or Kobe.

[23LeBronJames23]

Those players were too good for college

[Unholy Turkey]

Those players were too good for college

Ok then... what about the more moderately successful people like T-mac or Jermaine O Neal then?

[Culburn369]

I'm always amazed that the pro leagues are permitted to mandate any college requirements. It's such a rip off of the athletes. Frankly, its an outrage.

[23LeBronJames23]

Ok then... what about the more moderately successful people like T-mac or Jermaine O Neal then?

Tmac and Oneal arent succesfull as KG, Kobe and LeBron