Clint Jackson has an article up on
the high school players most likely to go. He lists DeSagana Diop as being
almost certain to leave, and also thinks there's a strong chance Ousmane Cisse
will as well. Both would be making a significant mistake. Both should get there
eventually. But neither is a skilled player, and there are dozens of
players in the NBA who hang around for a dozen years or so because their skills
are more refined than others. Think of John Crotty, Danny Ferry, Steve Kerr, Ron
Harper, John Sally, among others. There are a ton of guys like that, and
hundreds who had more talent who washed out. It's their right to go early,
but if you're unprepared, you might as well give it up.
We've thought of comparing it to doctors coming out of medical school early,
but you know what the right comparison is? Ballet. A brutally competitive art
form, people dedicate their lives to it, dance for decades, and never even
get close to the big time. Can you imagine an unformed prodigy trying to
take a job from a great dancer? Or even just an excellent dancer?
The reason the dancers, and the NBAers, got there, is because of a remarkable
discipline. That lesson is not well understood, and the NBA, once a proud league, is being ravaged as a result.