Empty the Bench

By: Zachariah Blott

With the NBA Finals underway and the draft looming, it’s worth noting how little the Lakers and Magic have gained from college-tested players this year, especially those who attended universities that regularly produce basketball talent. (Sorry, J.J. Reddick.)

With top high-school players’ getting massive exposure during AAU seasons and more and more scouts trekking through Europe in search of the next Nowitzki or Parker, it’s not difficult for NBA franchises to get to the top while still taking chances on unproven players who flash raw talent that could blossom someday down the road.

Let’s take, for example, the NBA’s top two teams of 2009:

Orlando Magic

Orlando’s top six players have a combined 5 years of Division 1 college experience between them, with one player accounting for 4 of those. Overall, their chief contributors are comprised of two high-schoolers, two international players, and two with small-time Division 1 ball under their belt. Here’s the breakdown:

High School
- SF Rashard Lewis – Second high-schooler taken (early second round) in the 1998 draft (Al Harrington, #25).
- C Dwight Howard – First pick of the 2004 draft after some debate over whether the top pick should be young, upstart Howard or the proven Emeka Okafor. Safe to say at this point that Orlando made the right pick, no?

International
- PF Hedo Turkoglu – 16th pick of the 2000 draft out of Turkey at the age of 21; second international player taken in that draft (Jerome Moiso, France, #11 pick).
- G/F Mickael Pietrus – 11th pick of the awesome 2003 draft out of France at the age of 21; second international player taken (punchline: Darko Milicic, Serbia and Montenegro, #2).

College
- PG Rafer Alston – 1 year of D1 basketball at Fresno State after 2 years at two different community colleges; drafted in the second round of the 1998 draft, seven picks behind Lewis.
- SG Courtney Lee – 4 years at Western Kentucky University; drafted with the 22nd overall pick of the 2008 draft.

A look at the lack of college experience for LA after the break….

Los Angeles Lakers

LA’s top six average a full year of college each, but again, 4 of the years come from a single player. Overall, their top-six players are two high-schoolers, one international, and three with D-1 basketball experience (the pinnacle being a single year at UCLA)

High School
- SG Kobe Bryant – 13th pick of the loaded 1996 draft; first high-schooler taken in the draft.
- C Andrew Bynum – 10th pick of 2005 draft; second high-schooler taken that year (Martell Webster, #6).

International
- PF Pau Gasol – Third pick of 2001 draft at the age of 21; first international player taken in that draft.

College
- PG Derek Fisher – 4 years at Arkansas-Little Rock; drafted 24th in the 1996 draft.
- SF Trevor Ariza – 1 year at UCLA; second -round pick (43rd overall) of the 2004 draft.
- F Lamar Odom – 1 year at Rhode Island; fourth pick of the 1999 draft.

As for the big-time college players? Orlando’s J.J. Redick played 4 years at Duke, while LA’s Luke Walton logged 4 years at Arizona. Both do see the floor; neither will ever be mistaken for an impact player at the NBA level.

So will Ricky Rubio (international), Brandon Jennings (high-schooler playing international ball), and B.J. Mullens (1 year at Ohio State) eventually be cornerstones for future champions? Will Tyler Hansbrough (North Carolina, Sr.) and Sam Young (Pittsburgh, Sr.) ever play significant minutes for a contender? Only time will tell, but this year’s champion, at least, definitely will not be one that depended on proven college talent.

Zachariah Blott is an English teacher in Portland, not an Amish Charles Dickens character.

Possibly Related Content:

1. Conference Finals Trends to Watch for in the NBA Finals (or Why I Was Wrong)


2. John Wall is Really Fast, Quick, Athletic, etc.


3. Greg Oden Officially a Trivia Question Answer


4. NBA Photo Friday – Keep an Eye on This Kid


5. High-Schoolers Not Always Ready for NBA