The Rockets have adopted an incredibly effective strategy for drafting and signing young players--they take players with significant experience at the college level. The young players who have been instrumental to their success in the series (Aaron Brooks, Carl Landry, Shane Battier (sorta young), and Chuck Hayes) all played 3 or more years of college ball. WIth the exception of Shane Battier, none of them were first round picks and yet all of them are playing like studs. I don't understand why NBA GMs shy away from the old dudes in the draft. Sure these draft picks aren't sexy, but they're way safer than drafting dudes like DeAndre Jordan based on potential. When was the last time one of these "project picks" panned out?Take this draft for example. Courtney Lee, the young Magic stud from Western Kentucky, played 4 years of college, setting the school's all time scoring records and playing in 128 games. Before the draft, scouts sang his praise describing him as a "safe pick". Yet he was taken after such "project" picks as Anthony Randolph, Javale McGee, Alexis Ajinca, and Marreesse Speights. NBA big wigs need to learn from their mistakes, sure taking a chance on a young, athletic, baby faced prospect might pay off, but it probably won't. College is where these players learn how to play basketball. College coaches are teachers, NBA coaches are strategists. All this being said, I can garuntee that players like Darren Collison, Sam Young, Dejuan Blair and Ty Lawson are going to find permanent rolls on whichever teams draft them. And to players like Jrue Holliday, BJ Mullens, and Demar Derozen, let me suggest that they get their asses out of the draft and back into the classroom.
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