NBA: 30 best careers from players who skipped college

30 best careers from players who skipped college – 18. Amir Johnson

Without ignoring players such as Moses Malone who scouted the territory, Kevin Garnett is viewed as the start of the decade of high school players going to the NBA. On the other end, Amir Johnson has the distinction of being the final high schooler drafted into the NBA, at least for now.

Many of Johnson’s peers struggled or failed upon entering the league, but Johnson made decisions that set him up for success. He was drafted late, 56th overall, and joined a veteran Detroit Pistons team with a rotation stocked for postseason success, in the midst of making six straight Eastern Conference Finals. Johnson did not have a soft spot in the rotation, and Detroit was not focusing significant team resources on developing teenage second-round picks.

Johnson took that in stride. He moved to Detroit with his mom, asked frequent advice of Pistons veterans, and tried to stay away from the Detroit nightlife scene. Other prep-to-pro players balked at the idea of playing in the “minor league” but Johnson asked for it so that he could get playing time. He put in the work, kept the right perspective, and survived when so many others didn’t.

That led to a long career, 14 years in the league despite never being an explosive offensive player. He fought on the boards, played solid defense and earned his rotation spot at every stop. He became a regular starter with the Toronto Raptors and later the Boston Celtics. He ranks 13th among all candidates for this list in win shares. He didn’t fill up the box score, but he was a part of winning teams. For a late second-round pick, Johnson had a very successful career.