Do you think if VJ Pre enters the PBA right now (assuming PBA lowers its player age qualification), he will get the playing time & opportunity needed to really fast track his skills development? Maybe if he lands on teams like Terrafirma, Phoenix, Converge (which lacks quality 4's & 3's), Blackwater, he will get the minutes & opportunity but if he lands on stacked teams like SMB, Ginebra, TnT, he will most likely rot in the bench.
Spending a year or two in professional basketball with limited minutes is definitely better than spending five years in college.
For instance, if he were drafted at 19 or 20 years old, he might need time to adjust, learn, and develop in the pro environment, even if that means limited playing time. Even if he's mostly sitting on the bench, he would still be developing through practice and scrimmages while playing alongside professional grown men. After two years, he’d be just 22 years old with two years of pro experience already.
On the other hand, if he spends all his playing years in college, he’ll be 25 by the time he’s ready to enter the professional ranks.
That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll get significant minutes right away; he’ll have to earn them just like he would if he were drafted at 20. The transition from amateur to pro is different, as they say.
What if, despite spending all those years in college, he still isn't ready for the pros? He might still need time to develop and could end up sitting on the bench, just like someone who was drafted at a younger age.
Getting drafted at a young age allows more time for development without the pressure of racing against the clock.
Dominating in college doesn’t always translate to professional success. It’s been proven time and again that being a college star doesn’t guarantee a successful pro career. So if he even somehow spend all of his playing years in college and dominating them, it won't necessarily mean he can do the same thing in pro, thus, he also need to adjust and have a development while being older already.
Because if a player already dominated the previous season already? Why do they need another season for?
Best example would be KQ, he already became the MVP and Champion last S86, what is the purpose of him making a come back in S87 if not for a chance of back to back championship? Which did not happen, unfortunately, hence a wasted season for him. He got the MVP, and what difference it made? He just did the same thing he did during the S86. College accolades? does not mean a thing if he fumbles in pro.
They said that he needed that year to further hone his skills, hindi nya ba magagawa yon kung nag-pro sya? with all the technology and advancement KBL has, it would just benefit him actually.