Around the League: The Offseason

[The Bobster]

The NBA isn't in business to make the college game better and shouldn't be concerned with what players entering the draft early do to the quality of play in the NCAA, it's main concern should be guaranteed contracts to young players who don't pan out.

But on the flip side, if an 18-year-old like LeBron James or Amare Stoudemire shows that he's capable of playing, he should have an opportunity to play.

There are plenty of ways to allow players to declare for the draft and still give teams time to evaluate them before giving them huge contracts. Another option would be to have players become restricted free agents at age 23 no matter when they come out of college - so the players who decide to stay in school are not penalized.

[Mori Chu]

I think there should be no option to go straight from high school to the NBA. It's too tempting to GMs to draft these idiot high school kids before they are ready. The penalty for missing out on a Lebron/Kobe is too great; every top HS phenom will get drafted straight into the NBA with reckless abandon.

They need to just force them to stay in college for 2 years, or give them the option to go straight from HS to D-League (G-league) if they want. Most players would choose the former I think.

[In2ition]

I'm for letting them come to the nba sort of, but not being eligible to be drafted. That way they still have to wait 2 years, but get the training required and wanted by the teams. Then after 2 years of either G-League or college experience, they become draft eligible. This will help college, G-League and the NBA by giving them the extra experience and maturity they need.

[Indy]

And I really don't see how it's the job of the NBA to fix the problems in the NCAA.

This. Stop the extreme exploitation of these kids for old rich white guys.

[Indy]

I think there should be no option to go straight from high school to the NBA. It's too tempting to GMs to draft these idiot high school kids before they are ready. The penalty for missing out on a Lebron/Kobe is too great; every top HS phenom will get drafted straight into the NBA with reckless abandon.

They need to just force them to stay in college for 2 years, or give them the option to go straight from HS to D-League (G-league) if they want. Most players would choose the former I think.

A) This sounds a lot like "she was asking for it... didn't you see how she was dressed? I couldn't help myself" Why is it the league's job to take away choices so that bad employees don't make the bad choices?

B) I still don't get why it makes sense to force workers to work for free. Indentured servitude.

C) Why would most 18 year olds choose to work for free when they could be making 4x what the average first year college grad makes?

[Mori Chu]

A) I just want a good product in the NBA and NCAA. And direct-to-NBA would be bad for both leagues. I don't get the "she was asking for it" analogy and I don't have any tolerance for rape culture.

B) 2 years in NCAA doesn't mean I think NCAA athletes should work for free. I don't mind if the NCAA came up with some kind of revenue sharing for basketball players.

C) They could go to the D-League if they want. Whatever the D-League pays, fine. But I think a lot of them would stay in college even if the NCAA paid less.

[Shabazz]

There has never been a more successful group of players than the "direct from HS to the NBA" group. In terms of percentage of hits vs busts, superstars, stars, starters, role players - it outperformed college freshmen, sophs, juniors and seniors. You could argue that the development time is longer for that group, but I think players develop better as benchwarmers in the NBA than they do as starters in college.

[Bruiser]

A) I just want a good product in the NBA and NCAA. And direct-to-NBA would be bad for both leagues. I don't get the "she was asking for it" analogy and I don't have any tolerance for rape culture.

B) 2 years in NCAA doesn't mean I think NCAA athletes should work for free. I don't mind if the NCAA came up with some kind of revenue sharing for basketball players.

C) They could go to the D-League if they want. Whatever the D-League pays, fine. But I think a lot of them would stay in college even if the NCAA paid less.

I am sorry for chiming in but I find it hard to disagree with this point of view. You got to fight a little and proof youself for your right to be at the very top. I think that is what sports and competitions are about and that is just the way it should be.

[carey]

Why is it the league's job to take away choices so that bad employees don't make the bad choices?

I don't know but the CBA is full of rules protecting bad owners & GMs from themselves.

[Indy]

There has never been a more successful group of players than the "direct from HS to the NBA" group. In terms of percentage of hits vs busts, superstars, stars, starters, role players - it outperformed college freshmen, sophs, juniors and seniors. You could argue that the development time is longer for that group, but I think players develop better as benchwarmers in the NBA than they do as starters in college.

This. Do the analysis and then tell people they shouldn't be allowed to work in the league until they go do something else to potentially end their career early.

[Indy]

A) I just want a good product in the NBA and NCAA. And direct-to-NBA would be bad for both leagues. I don't get the "she was asking for it" analogy and I don't have any tolerance for rape culture.

B) 2 years in NCAA doesn't mean I think NCAA athletes should work for free. I don't mind if the NCAA came up with some kind of revenue sharing for basketball players.

C) They could go to the D-League if they want. Whatever the D-League pays, fine. But I think a lot of them would stay in college even if the NCAA paid less.

Wasn't saying there was any tolerance for that culture. Sorry for the insinuation. I meant that it shouldn't be up to the other party to stop the teams from making bad choices. It seems like you were blaming the league for allowing their owners to select players they shouldn't select. Seemed very backwards to me.

And until the NCAA pays their players, I think forcing them to play there for 2 years for free is ridiculous. The NCAA doesn't need more money, and neither do the coaches who make their money on the backs of free labor.

[Indy]

A) I just want a good product in the NBA and NCAA. And direct-to-NBA would be bad for both leagues. I don't get the "she was asking for it" analogy and I don't have any tolerance for rape culture.

B) 2 years in NCAA doesn't mean I think NCAA athletes should work for free. I don't mind if the NCAA came up with some kind of revenue sharing for basketball players.

C) They could go to the D-League if they want. Whatever the D-League pays, fine. But I think a lot of them would stay in college even if the NCAA paid less.

I am sorry for chiming in but I find it hard to disagree with this point of view. You got to fight a little and proof youself for your right to be at the very top. I think that is what sports and competitions are about and that is just the way it should be.

You should never be sorry for chiming in. You should chime in more. Even if you are wrong.

If you have already proven yourself enough where an NBA team wants to use their pick, and guaranteed millions of dollars on you, what else do you have to prove?

[Superbone]

This is a pretty cool interview with Kwame Brown:

http://hoopshype.com/2017/06/02/kwame-b ... -and-more/

[carey]

https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/872878674944466944

Game of Zones finale.

[Superbone]

That was great. Thanks.

[carey]

https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/status/873190577952747520

[carey]

http://deadspin.com/steve-kerr-lays-on- ... 1795966954

“They’re all right, they would kill us. The game gets worse as time goes on. Players are less talented than they used to be. The guys in the ‘50s would’ve destroyed everybody. It’s weird how human evolution...goes in reverse in sports. Players get weaker, smaller, less skilled. I can’t explain it.”

[Superbone]

https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/status/873190577952747520

Cool!

[carey]

"We're not ready to go there yet," said Silver. "We had a conference call with the competition committee earlier today, and as I had said the other day, where we're heading is the adoption of a set of guidelines that will be in place for next season which will strongly recommend that the extent players are rested, they're rested at home and not rest multiple starters on the same night.

"Let's see how that plays out.

"I'm reluctant to get into the business of directing these great coaches on minutes because players are often injured during the season but not to the point where they otherwise can play but maybe shouldn't play but it's a function of league doctors versus team doctors on how healthy a player is and whether it's appropriate the player be out on the floor on that night.

"I would like to come up with a system that relies on the good faith of our teams that the extent rest is necessary and it's done in an appropriate way."

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/24 ... -For-17-18

[JCSunsfan]

https://twitter.com/AP_Sports/status/873190577952747520

Cool!

Stupid. They drop wrestling which is a classic Olympic sport and add 3 on 3 basketball -- a form of basketball that is not played in any real league anywhere. How idiotic.