The NBA rule preventing HS players from jumping to the pros is awful and not helping either the pro game or the college game....

Tags: nba

The NBA rule preventing HS players from ju...

Expires: 22-Mar-2007 13:45

smithala

4 Votes
57%

When I see the NBA All-Star game and more than half of the STARTERS are straight out of HS, I wonder how this new rule is benefiting anyone. Will the NBA game get better by a great HS going to one year of college? NO. Will the college game improve by having a person who should be in the pros playing in college? NO. Are the HS who have to go to college for a year actually benefiting from being the BMOC for a year and then going to the pros? NO. It's not like they are learning how to manage millions of dollars by that one year. Not like they are learning how to deal with hangers-on while in college. Not like they are really developing their game while in college.

If they are good enough to play in the pros, where a GM wants to draft them, why stop it. Especially when you see the success of the LeBron's, Garnett's, Kobe's, J. O'Neils, and the many others who I am missing. Sure there are those who don't live up to the expectations, but I'm willing to bet that the 3-4 year college players failure rate is a great deal higher - Jay Williams, Cory Alexander, Marcus Fizer, etc.

Let's do away with this silly rule. Knowing that the players aren't going to college for the college experience like us average joes. Let's let them make their millions now and stop trying to force our ideals on them. It's not helping anyone. S

Wolverine

3 Votes
42%

I'm responding to Smithala on this instead of Roscoe, because he posted first...happy to take both of you punks on.

The NFL has been doing this for a long time, essentially forcing players to wait until after their junior year before entering the NFL Draft. Pro football is a bit different from Pro baskeball in that body maturity is even more important, but I think the same basic principles apply here.

What started happening with the NBA was that NBA teams were being forced to gamble more and more every year on High School players because if they didn't, some other team would. With the 3 or 4 year guaranteed rookie contracts in the NBA, teams would end up locking up a large chunk of there salary cap on a guy that was several years away from playing at a high level...or might never be ready, like Darko (the Pistons could have had Wade dammit!).

The NHL and MLB have very sophisticated minor leagues and farm systems that nurture and progress the raw talent before these guys start taking up roster space...and salary cap room. If you want to go back to allowing HS kids to go straight to the pros, you also have to argue that there needs to be a minor league system too...which you haven't done.

Lastly, I would actually argue that the age limit should be raised another year or two, almost like they have in the NFL. Then the college teams would at least get these guys for a little bit longer and they wouldn't be one year wonders. The level of play in College and Pro would be raised. As a fan, that's what I want. If a kid or two loses out on some money, boo hoo. There are many professions that require trade schools or long educations before the big cake is earned...like becoming a doctor.

ReadComments

Roscoe (voted for smithala)

17-Mar-07 14:24

The true solution is to make the developmental league as organized and sophisticated as the MLB farm system. Each NBA team should have a farm system from which they can develop talent and call up guys when needed or wanted.

TheColonel

17-Mar-07 22:49

I'd love to see the NBA require two years of college. A couple questions though. What about the guys who can't meet meet a minimum academic level and what about international players?

Wolverine (voted for Wolverine)

18-Mar-07 19:42

You have to make it an age minimum versus a college commitment. It's the only way to do it with International players in the mix. Either 20 or 21 years old is what it should be.

hayriot (voted for smithala)

19-Mar-07 11:02

My objection to the one-year rule is more basic: it's not fair to deprive adults of their right to seek employment. That's true even if doing so would make college basketball more entertaining. And isn't it a bit obscene that college basketball coaches make millions in salary and endorsement deals while their players make nothing? Last time I checked, college coaches were free to come and go where they pleased . . .

tailfins (voted for smithala)

19-Mar-07 21:22

The issue is pure marketing. Durant is going to be a huge star next year. Meanwhile, no one knows who Martell Webster is. Durant is going to sell a ton of jerseys and a ton of tickets next year for some team that right now probably isn't a big draw at all. The NBA needs this. Its terrible for the kids (like Oden) who could go super high in the draft right out of HS, but who are forced to risk their livelihood for free playing for college. The colleges make huge money off the kids, the college coaches make huge money and the NBA makes huge money, but the kids are stuck having to abide by the BS standards of the NCAA scholarship guidelines. It's unfair, but it works for the people running the system, so that's really all there is to it. There's no way it's going to change - the kids just have to deal with it.

SmackDaddy

19-Mar-07 21:39

I have an important question for tailfins: is that a squirrel holding a shotgun???

Moose (voted for Wolverine)

20-Mar-07 21:54

Amen, Wolverine. Although on the flip side, I agree a bit with smithala. The old system they were pretty much on a 0-2-4 schedule, meaning you either went straight out of HS, after your sophomore year or after your senior year. Sure there were exceptions (like if you win a national championship, etc.), but that was the general rule. Now you have guys go to college for one year, where they play in a system where it is not necessarily in the coach's best interest to allow the player to put his best game forward--he has a system in place, returning players he is already invested in, etc. The coach can limit a players minutes, etc. I could go on.

In the end, I think there are enough issues of unprepared HS athletes with stars in their eys being chewed up and washing out of the NBA. Getting a year of college is best in the long run...at least they know what to expect if they ever want to go back to get a degree.