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Message: [QUOTE="IthacaBarrel, post: 212820, member: 363"] The thing about guys like Cooke, while I am sure he would have benefitted from going to college, the cream will rise to the top and talent and natural athleticism will win out, unless you have a great feel for the game as Carmelo and guys like Pirece do, like this happens all the time, street agents, runners, etc etc. Paul Harris would have been drafted as a 19 year old HS senior but when undrafted 3 years later, I just think that Cook's game depended on athleticism and being stronger and faster than everyone, as did Harris'. I think if Cooke went to college, his stock would have gone down considerably as did Harris. You can't get by on just being a ridiculous athlete in the NBA unless you are 7 foot If you watch Melo and Lebron, even from day one they just had a tremendous feel for the game, how to get in position, etc etc. Where a guy like Warrick was a ridiculous athlete who did not develop until he was 19-21, he is a far better athlete than Cooke ever was. To me Carmelo always had that Larry Bird, Bernard King, Gervin, Paul Pierce type old man game fixed in and a tremendous feel to go along with his natural athleticism ( even at Cuse), but I will say this after watching Melo for the first few times, I always saw him as a better basketball player than an athlete, I was never blown away buy his athleticism. ( speaking in elite NBA standards here not for average joes) He is a good athlete in the NBA but not great by NBA standards . Lebron to me is both a phenomenal athlete and basketball player, freak athlete for his size. But Carmelo is just such a savy scorer like some of the old school NBA guys, Bird, King, etc. even yesterday I was just amazed so to how he works to get open, he made so many backdoor cuts versus Pierce it was great to watch. Anyone who doesn't like the NBA should have watched Pierce and Carmelo battle in the 4th yesterday, it was a thing of beauty. Two hall of famers with such great feel [/QUOTE]

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