 |
| Even under Pat Ewing's tutelage Orton has struggled to adjust to NBA life |
It's that time of year when several NCAA basketball players will start declaring for the NBA draft early. They will decide that, instead of play there next 1-3 years of basketball on campus, they will head to the draft and try to make millions a few years faster than expected. For some, this works out great but for others it turns out to be a nightmare. You need an example? How about former Connecticut shot-blocker Hasheem Thabeet. After dominating in the Big East on the defensive end for three years he decided to leave for the league and was drafted second by the Memphis Grizzlies. Since then, he has gone back and forth from the NBA to the D-League and has been virtually unproductive. Every now and then talk comes up about changing the age limit rule that David Stern implemented a few years ago and I am in favor of extending the limit so that players have to stay in school for at least two years, but preferrably three.
The NBA is so watered down in talent and it's because there are too many mediocre players polluting the talent pool. It takes a special kind of player to make the jump from high school to the pros and many have tried but failed. Kwame Brown and Eddy Curry are two prime examples. We have seen too many players who could have been very successful, throw their career away because they chased the riches too quickly. After the age limit rule went into effect we have seen the one-and-done players come and go and if you blink you might miss their career (think Kyrie Irving if he leaves). Think about how successful some of these college teams could be if they could keep players in school for more than one year. Daniel Orton, who left Kentucky after just one season, hasn't even sniffed the court for the Orlando Magic this year but he could have played a major role in the Final Four team this year. There are so many players with the same story as Orton and sure they may end up successful but it takes years to get there. Tyson Chandler was drafted high by the Bulls but suffered through many years of mediocre play and immaturity before becoming the player that he is today. Had Chandler gone to college he may have entered the league a much more seasoned player and wouldn't have had to go through the long process of maturing.
Players who do decide to stay usually reap the benefits. Kyle Singler stayed one more year at Duke and was able to experience one more year of college and the Blue Devils were ranked number one for a large chunk of the season. It is my hope that more guys will that approach this year when trying to decide on their future. Tyler Honeycutt from UCLA has already declared for the draft but in the last post I detailed how good the Bruins could be because everybody returns. Why wouldn't someone want to be on a successful team and have another shot at a national championship? It boggles my mind how these guys, who will eventually get drafted, want to speed up their careers. It's college basketball and there is nothing better than that.
 |
| Curry never panned out and it took Chandler years before he figured everything out |
I propose that Commissioner Stern extends the age limit so that players have to go to college for at least two years. That helps players mature and it gives college coaches the security of knowing they have a player for at least two years. A team can be built in that span, but it is very hard for a team to come together for 35 games and win it all. We saw a very talented Kentucky team fall short of the Final Four last year and it was simply because they were too young and West Virginia was a veteran team who had been together. This year the Cats feature another great group of freshmen but some of the key figures in their tournament run have been upperclassmen, Josh Harrellson, Darius Miller and DeAndre Liggins. If Stern could get this rule passed then the college game would benefit and the NBA would definitely be helped out.
Sure, every year there is that one player who comes out early, like John Wall, and the world knows he is going to be a star. But there are more stories of failure then of triumph when it comes to early exits. Go back and take a look at some of the old recruiting classes of the 2000s and you will find names high up on those lists that you have never heard of. They decided college wasn't needed and then flopped in the NBA. It's sad to see players throw their careers away and it can easily be fixed. For the sake of the game let's hope they do.
Photos courtesy of orlandosentinel.com and photobucket.com
Its clear what needs to happen for the age limit rule, they need to make it like how the MLB has it set up to be. For those rare cases like Lebron James and KG, those kids should be allowed to leave right out of high school and be able to pursue their dreams. And for the other 99.99999% of the others, they should have to stay till after their Junior year or red shirt Sophomore year. Last week on the Waddle and Silvy show on ESPN Radio 1000, Jay Williams filled in for Waddle while he was out and told a fantastic story that supports my example well. Jay was on that Bulls team with Eddie Curry and that young group of guys and their immaturity really showed. Eddie Curry would bet tens of thousands of dollars on card games on the plane, 3 point shots during practice, and even on half court shots before games, (btw Eddie Curry is currently broke, even after signing a 60 million dollar deal years ago). While at the same time, the Spurs led by David Robinson tutoring the young Tim Duncan was taught to work hard on low post moves in the paint before games and during practice, and NOT to shoot half court shots and other ridiculous things. With a few more years to mature and learn about hard work ethic in college that could have changed Eddie Curry's career. Now there are rare cases that the player is developed enough and mature enough to make the jump out of high school but there has only been a handful of those guys in the past 50 or so years. Even Kobe would have benefited from playing college ball because those first 3 or so years for him were rough. Lebron is the one guy who I can say for sure he was good to go after high school because he had the incredible body of a man child to handle the hard knocks in the lane. Jay Billas has been hammering home the point this year that the college game is just not as good as it used to be and i agree with him. The fact is the will only be about 4 or 5 guys that will truly make an impact in the NBA their first 2 years from this years draft class. Thats an incredibly low amount from years before when an average of 10-15 guys would make a huge impact for their respected teams. David Stern needs to look into changing the age limit as a business decision as well. The NBA would make more money if players had to stay those extra few years in college to prepare more for that next stage. Right now there is at least 2-3 teams that need to be dispersed through our the league to make the league on a more even keel. With players staying in college longer, they have that chance to get better at basketball instead of sitting on the bench of their respected teams and not get a lick of playing time. Therefore those 2-3 teams would not have to be dispersed, those cities can keep their jobs, those teams sell more tickets because their team is better, and in the end the NBA makes more money. Granted it might take a couple years for this to work but in the end its all about money and always has been and in theory should work. Now, one doesnt have to stay the whole 4 years and get their degree then go to the NBA but lets remember its college basketball, college comes first.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more with you. Both leagues would benefit if players had to stay in college longer. Every year, and we are already seeing it this year, guys who have no business going to the NBA declare for the draft. Unless they are guaranteed first rounders they need to stay. What is Hassan Whiteside doing right now? Nothing! He made a poor decision and is paying for it. On top of that he also got injured and needed surgery. What gets me is that, not only do the players make dumb decisions, but the people advising them are of no help. Who is advising Jeremy Tyler? That kid skipped his senior year of high school and went overseas to fail. Now he is back and trying to make the NBA. We will see how that goes. Make these kids stay in school for their own sake.
ReplyDelete