NBA: 30 best careers from players who skipped college

30 best careers from players who skipped college – 7. Amar’e Stoudemire

One of the difficulties in scouting high school players was determining how their bodies would develop. That was not a problem with teenage Amar’e Stoudemire, who was already filled out like a professional player while in high school. Athletically, he had no equal in his class, but question marks about his fundamentals and commitment plagued him up to and through the 2002 NBA Draft.

Even so, Stoudemire dropped to the ninth pick. Of the players drafted ahead of him, only Yao Ming made an All-Star roster. Yet again, the uncertainty and potential ridicule of missing on a high school prospect loomed large.

It worked out for Stoudemire, who hit the ground running for the Phoenix Suns and became the first player drafted straight from high school to win Rookie of the Year. He and Suns point guard Steve Nash became one of the most devastating offensive duos in the sport.

Stoudemire would make six All-Star rosters and was a five-time All-NBA selection. At different times in his career, he led the league in 2-point field goals (three times) and free throws. His smooth game off the pick-and-roll was nearly unstoppable by opposing defenses.

He illustrated to NBA teams why it was so important not to make blanket statements about high school prospects. Some were clearly not ready, be that physically or mentally, to step into the league. They either flamed out or took time to mature. Others, like Stoudemire, were NBA-ready from the jump. If Stoudemire was an illustration of this, LeBron James the next year was a building-sized mural.