High School, College and the NBA

The Washington Wizards made NBA history last night by selecting a player just out of high school first in the draft. Kwame Brown out of Brunswick, GA was the first of 3 players selected out of the first four with no college basketball experience. Whether Brown becomes a star NBA player or not remains to be seen. He certainly wouldn't be the first number one pick to fail to live up to his billing, but as a player coming directly out of high school, he will be scrutinized every step of the way during his career. By picking Brown first the Wizards upped the ante in the argument whether or not players coming out of high school should be able to declare themselves ready for the NBA draft. It is an argument that has been going for decades, but in the last five years, with the increase in the number of high school seniors foregoing college, the argument has intensified.

I don't personally see any problem with a player coming out of high school and straight into the NBA. I mean a lot of kids come out of high school and go directly to work. Many simply can't afford college, while some just aren't ready for it. I'm a case in point for that one. I went to college right out of high school, but failed miserably because I just wasn't ready for more school. I'd had 12 straight years of it and was ready to work full time and make some money so I could hang out with my friends and be afford to go to concerts, races, movies etc.

However, let me temper the fact that I don't see a problem with these kids skipping college, with the thought that each of these individuals are different. Are all kids coming out of high school ready for the NBA or to go to work? No way. Are some ready? Absolutely. I look at Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant as examples of players who skipped college and are now highly successful NBA players. In fact they are stars in the league. I look at Jermaine O'Neal for our own Indiana Pacers and see a guy who three years into his career is on the verge of becoming a star. Then I look at our other Pacers who were drafted right out of high school, Al Hairrington and Jonathon Bender. Pacer president Donnie Walsh has sung the praises of these two and their talent, but their on court performances tell a different story. Erratic play begetting inconsistent minutes has been the MO for both players. Where Garnett, Bryant and O'Neal have shown the maturity necessary to become successful in the NBA, Hairrington and Bender have not.

And don't get me wrong, a player with four years of college playing experience may not make it in the NBA either, but the odds of him being able to handle the “real world” of an NBA player is much greater than a high schooler. Teams draft these high school players based on potential. After all, a really good high school player can look like a man amongst boys in a varsity game. But he will be playing against men in the NBA and there is no reference by which to base the pick on. College players at least have the advantage of being taught the game for one to five years longer. It gives them the chance to mature mentally. I don't think anyone can deny the fact that physically, some high school players are ready for the pros. The mental aspect will be the largest area of concern.

The NBA will continue to draft high school players as long as one each season can “make” it in the league. There are some who want the league to impose a minimum age of 20. The players union will challenge that and will win. As long as you can get a job at 18, then the NBA will not be able to shut out the under 20's. If they think they can implement such a rule I would ask them to check out the PGA's loss in the Casey Martin case. Sure that was an American With Disabilities Act decision, but the PGA held that as a private organization they weren't to be held to the same laws. The NBA will suffer a similar defeat if they try to pursue a minimum age rule. So I guess it comes down to each teams comfort level and how much “baby-sitting” they are willing to allow their coaching staffs to do. The Pacers have shown they will tolerate a certain measure of youth to help plan for the future. But I, for one, am glad to see they picked up a couple of players last night with at least some college experience. Not because I think they will be better than any of the other players, I just think they will be better than Harrington and Bender.