Steve Davis: Diamond Stone And Robert Carter Jr. Blew It
I don't care what they say, Diamond Stone and Robert Carter Jr. made colossal mistakes by leaving Maryland early for the draft.
These are the kinds of mistakes that ruin careers. What were they thinking, or who were they listening to? Diamond Stone had the worst body fat at the NBA version of the combine. That should have been enough to make him realize, I better get in better shape. Instead, he stuck with his original decision and ended up getting drafted 40th. So, he doesn't get a guaranteed deal now. Had he come back for Maryland, it's hard to imagine he wouldn't have improved a lot and been drafted significantly higher and likely made millions more. Now, he might follow in Jordan Williams' footsteps and be out the league in 2 years.
As far Carter... ditto. He knew he wasn't going to be a first round pick. And he doesn't want to play in Europe. Does he really think he has a good chance of making a roster as an undrafted rookie? Seems unlikely. He isn't drafted because teams don't think he's good enough. I just don't get why he didn't return to Maryland and try to get better by playing. Now, if he wants to get better, he'll have to do it by watching, or by playing someplace not in the NBA. He could have done that at Maryland.
