In the era of LeBron James, talented high school players get special attention from NBA scouts and lots of publicity from the community of basketball fans.

All of this tends to inflate expectations of how much these young men can accomplish early in their playing careers.  

But teams know that their development will take time.

"There are some very talented players in this year's Draft, but you'll have to wait for most of them to develop," Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld said. "A lot of players like Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal and Kevin Garnett have become stars, but it took time. Nobody stepped in besides LeBron James and had major influence out of high school."

While NBA executives understand the pitfalls of prematurely bringing young players into the pro game, these diamonds in the rough have a strong appeal to teams after the excellent success of several young guns.  Brimming with potential and possible futures bright enough to alter the course of a franchise, these prospects are a tempting proposition on Draft night.

"Most of us wish these players would go to college to get more seasoning and to mature emotionally and physically," Grunfeld said. "But it's hard to pass on a kid in the Draft."