College not necessary for NBA success

[Da Coach]

CBS Sports' Gary Parrish blogs about the top players for each team still playing in the NBA playoffs.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/6271764/15097003

Not a lot of college experience among these top players.
Here is what he finds--

TOP THREE ACTIVE REGULAR-SEASON SCORERS FOR REMAINING NBA CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDERS--

1. LAKERS

• Kobe Bryant: Zero years of college
• Pau Gasol: Zero years of college
• Andrew Bynum: Zero years of college

2. NUGGETS

• Carmelo Anthony: One year of college
• Chauncey Billups: Two years of college
• J.R. Smith: Zero years of college

3. CAVS

• LeBron James: Zero years of college
• Mo Williams: Two years of college
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas: Zero years of college

4. MAGIC

• Dwight Howard: Zero years of college
• Rashard Lewis: Zero years of college
• Hedo Turkoglu: Zero years of college

[leebiddlecome]

Its true. Anyone who says guys need to go to college to "develop" their game are just wrong. You can develop your game in the NBA better than you can in college (most of the time).

If you can play at that level it makes sense to go to the NBA. I think the guys who don't make it struggle with the off the court stuff (money, freedom, hangers on, etc.). You are working on your game all the time if you are in the NBA. No restrictions like there are in college.

[ph]

I always assumed the reason to mandate some college was more for the players that do not "make it" in the NBA (due to unrealistic expectations from agents..) It happens in all walks of life, as there are certainly a few that do not need 4+ years of college to be successful (even in business, ask Bill Gates)

Of course the counterpoint to the list above, how many years between entering the NBA and playoff success for those players?

[southpaw nothin]

I remember an SI article focused on Stephon Marbury and his older siblings. There was some speculation that he might make the jump straight to the NBA, but at that time there was basically no precedent for it being successful.

Also, early entry out of college was also incredibly rare in the early 90's, however picked up rapidly starting around '93, creating a glut of youth and inexperience in the league.

While from that class Marbury and Abdur-Rahim chose to go to college for a year, Garnett went pro, and the next year Bryant followed suit.

But for decades there were a few who had tried and had little, if any, success.

I think that certainly the changes in athleticism and training for younger players through the '80's and 90's has been a factor, I also think the late 90's for the NBA were kind of a dark period accentuated by the youth and inexperience that flooded the league, and allowed for the rapid infusion of foreign-born players.

[SFP]

If you are good, you are good and will develop into an NBA player regardless if you go to college or not. Those players with zero or little college are an example of that. Last year's NBA champs had college experienced guys;
Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rondo etc... It all depends where you are at in maturity I believe. Yes, in the NBA there is nothing holding you back from practicing but yourself but in college there is a bit more structure for you to develop additional skills and the maturity to be successful. I still believe POB just like Tim Duncan could have used 4 years of college to develop his game for the NBA.

[leebiddlecome]

Yes, in the NBA there is nothing holding you back from practicing but yourself but in college there is a bit more structure for you to develop additional skills and the maturity to be successful.

SFP, I disagree with your point here. The limitations to your development are far greater in college than in the NBA. In college there are clear limits on the number of hours you can practice, work with coaches, etc. Then, you also have to be a full-time student. Those things hinder you.

In the NBA you are basically "property" of the team. You can be at the teams training facility and working with coaches 24/7 if you want. You have workout availability all the time. Full time strength/conditioning guys who aren't also working with softball players, etc. You have cooks to prepare meals, etc.

I guarantee you there is about 100x more time to devote to player development at the NBA level than the college level. Remember, a lot goes on in the NBA besides the 81 games.

[BUBalum05]

For every LeBron and Kobe there is a Darius Miles or Jonathan Bender. Sending kids to college helps weed out some of them which keeps money in the owners pockets. There are probably more D-league stories than success stories.

[SFP]

Lee I see your point of view but in reality only the top 1% make it to the NBA regardless and sometime it take a little more time for some to mature into that 1%. For some it is detrimental in their development in letting them go unchecked with 1,000s in their pocket with little supervision. For every La Bron and Kobe there have been others that have just flunked out and that we do not even know their names anymore. Those that have made it and we can point to, happen to have the maturity and god given talent to excel.

I know that some type of, let's say military training, would have helped me realize my college years to their fullest by giving me the discipline I needed then. I graduated in 4 years but I know that I had other things in my mind back then that kept me from hitting the books harder.

[Da Coach]

There are probably some kids who are underclassmen in high school these days who have the talent to play in the NBA. Why draw the line at allowing high school graduates to enter the NBA draft?
Why not allow any kid, at any age to be eligible?

[leebiddlecome]

Lee I see your point of view but in reality only the top 1% make it to the NBA regardless and sometime it take a little more time for some to mature into that 1%. For some it is detrimental in their development in letting them go unchecked with 1,000s in their pocket with little supervision. For every La Bron and Kobe there have been others that have just flunked out and that we do not even know their names anymore. Those that have made it and we can point to, happen to have the maturity and god given talent to excel.

I know that some type of, let's say military training, would have helped me realize my college years to their fullest by giving me the discipline I needed then. I graduated in 4 years but I know that I had other things in my mind back then that kept me from hitting the books harder.

Agreed. But you are going to need the maturity and God given talent to excel either way. We can certainly point to straight from HS to NBA busts--but we can also point to numerous college to NBA busts. There is no formula that is guaranteed to work.

I do know you get more training and attention when it comes to the on-court stuff with an NBA team than you would in a college setting.

[leebiddlecome]

There are probably some kids who are underclassmen in high school these days who have the talent to play in the NBA. Why draw the line at allowing high school graduates to enter the NBA draft?
Why not allow any kid, at any age to be eligible?

I wouldn't have a problem with that. Golfers, tennis players, soccer players, etc. all have done this. Why should the NBA be any different?

[BUBalum05]

Why did I bother going to BU to get a job in construction project management? I already had the core skills--reading, writing, math--needed before enrolling. Maybe some construction firm would have hired me out of high school, paid me to develop for a few years then I'd start producing. How is this any different than the NBA requiring some sort of prerequisite?

[wily coyote]

If you are good, you are good and will develop into an NBA player regardless if you go to college or not. Those players with zero or little college are an example of that. Last year's NBA champs had college experienced guys;
Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rondo etc... It all depends where you are at in maturity I believe. Yes, in the NBA there is nothing holding you back from practicing but yourself but in college there is a bit more structure for you to develop additional skills and the maturity to be successful. I still believe POB just like Tim Duncan could have used 4 years of college to develop his game for the NBA.

SFP, I agree with you POB needed to use his 4 years to improve his game,but the timing was perfect for him. There were very few good Centers the year he was drafted. He would not have been drafted as high as he was if he would have gone 1 or even stayed his 4 years. There were more Centers drafted the next two years that would have gone before him. Thus much less $$$ equals good decision by POB.

[southpaw nothin]

Couple that with POB got hurt in that following pre-season as well. . .

He most likely never sees the lottery money if he doesn't make the jump when he did.

[SFP]

I agree about POB coming out was good for him monetarily but if money is taken out of the equation (dream land I know) POB would have been much better served staying in school. There are some players that are ready for the leap and have chosen to stick it out the 4 years because let's face it guys, those 4 years are some of the best and I bet for college players it must be that much better. The college experience! Where in the world do you get to hang out with a large population, without any real responsibilities, around the same age, with similar tastes, in great shape, at your sexual peak?