Age restrictions in the NBA

[tominator89 0]

If you can die for your country, then you should be able to play professional basketball.

[Rendclaw 0]

Two words.

 

Korleone Young.

 

I have mixed emotions about it because if you go with the farm system, you could have a LeBron-level talent slogging it out in the minors for 2-3 years, but at the same time something need to be in place to teach the younger players the fundamentals of the game (for those that are willing to listen, anyway).

 

To me the problem is the families, friends and gravy-trainers of a high school prospect filling the kid's head with visions of being the next Jordan, Magic, etc., and the kid buys into it, and he decides to jump to the NBA and he gets washed out after its made painfully apparent that he is a boy playing amongst men.

 

In his own way, LeBron has made things worse, though its not his fault that the kid is just a sick, sick talent. He is the ultra-rare exception that he has such loads of ability that he can play with grown men, but he is the moon that middle and high school kids are shooting for, and the scenario starts all over again.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I think that if a player is good enough to play in the NBA, by all means let him play. I don't think its a particularly smart move to draft high schoolers, but there should not be restrictions on them.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

for the record I mean a real minor league, like if a guy like LeBron is going buck at age 19 then he can get called up to the NBA instead of slumming it untill he hits some minimum age.

[Precious Roy 0]

Brown, Outlaw, Ebi, Perkins and Chandler are busts. Curry also is to some extent. If Robert Swift and Sebastian Telfair continue at their shit pace they will be busts. JR Smith and Josh Smith are just dunkers, they have really no basketball skill at all aside from that, so I would consider them to be just another couple of Darius Miles clones.

 

The Celtics really like Kendrick Perkins, and have had the luxury of bringing him along slow, so he's hardly a bust. Chandler and Curry are major reasons for the Bulls looking like a playoff team this year, so it's hard to call them busts either. Swift and Telfair are ROOKIES, how the fuck can you call them busts already?!? And ditto JR and Josh Smith. Jermaine O'Neal was "just a dunker" when he came out, I don't hear anyone calling him a bust.

 

Bottom line, if you're good enough to play, and a team wants to draft you, then it's all good. If a team makes a mistake and drafts a guy who doesn't have what it takes, if they push a guy who into a role he isn't ready for, or if they mishandle a guy and don't provide the proper environment for them to develop that's THEIR fault, the team's, not the system's. When practically half of the top of the line players in the league jumped straight from High School it's hard to say the system is broken.

 

EDIT* and Charles "Bo" Outlaw went to college, unless you're talking about another guy with the same name....

[UZI Suicide 0]

double post

[UZI Suicide 0]

Brown, Outlaw, Ebi, Perkins and Chandler are busts. Curry also is to some extent. If Robert Swift and Sebastian Telfair continue at their shit pace they will be busts. JR Smith and Josh Smith are just dunkers, they have really no basketball skill at all aside from that, so I would consider them to be just another couple of Darius Miles clones.

 

The Celtics really like Kendrick Perkins, and have had the luxury of bringing him along slow, so he's hardly a bust. Chandler and Curry are major reasons for the Bulls looking like a playoff team this year, so it's hard to call them busts either. Swift and Telfair are ROOKIES, how the fuck can you call them busts already?!? And ditto JR and Josh Smith. Jermaine O'Neal was "just a dunker" when he came out, I don't hear anyone calling him a bust.

 

Bottom line, if you're good enough to play, and a team wants to draft you, then it's all good. If a team makes a mistake and drafts a guy who doesn't have what it takes, if they push a guy who into a role he isn't ready for, or if they mishandle a guy and don't provide the proper environment for them to develop that's THEIR fault, the team's, not the system's. When practically half of the top of the line players in the league jumped straight from High School it's hard to say the system is broken.

 

EDIT* and Charles "Bo" Outlaw went to college, unless you're talking about another guy with the same name....

I'm sure every team likes their rookie or they wouldn't draft him. I probably shouldn't call him a bust yet but he definitely has done nothing of note.

 

Chandler is a bust, IMO. He's in his 4th year now and is only a decent player at best. He can rebound and defend good enough, but he shows no potential to ever get much better on the offensive end. As far as Curry, he's developed into a solid player, but he's nowhere near the dominant "Baby Shaq" he was hyped to be. He also puts no effort into rebounding or defending.

 

I said Swift and Telfair aren't busts YET but are well on their way. They are following the same formula of the other busts(little to no playing time, and when they do get on the floor just completely sucking ass.) JR Smith and Josh Smith aren't busts yet either, but like I said, are basically Darius Miles clones, they have no game at all aside from dunking. They can become better in the future but are on a path right now to bustdom.

 

And I was talking about Travis Outlaw.

[Precious Roy 0]

So, because Chandler isn't Kareem and Curry isn't Shaq they're BUSTS?! Sorry dude, they're fine players, and again, it's THE BULLS fault for taking them so high. Have they lived up the THE BULLS expectations? No. Are they top 4 in the draft type players? Not exactly, but lots of college kids get drafted high and don't pan out too. The Bulls gambled on em, they live with the consequences, plus these guys are like 22, 23 years old right now, they've still got another DECADE at least in the pros. Just because these guys aren't the second coming doesn't mean you should make excuses for the GM who was stupid enough to draft them high and then change coaches and playing styles a dozen times before they even hit legal drinking age.

 

I said Swift and Telfair aren't busts YET but are well on their way. They are following the same formula of the other busts(little to no playing time, and when they do get on the floor just completely sucking ass.)

 

Yeah, and Jermaine O'Neal didn't get any meaningful run until his FIFTH FUCKING year, after he left the team that drafted him. Rashard Lewis wasn't getting any time til his third year. T-Mac was playing 15-20 minutes a night his first two years. This same "formula" you've used to identify busts applies to guys who are all-stars right now, making your observations relatively meaningless.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

Josh Smith averages almost 2 blocks a game, rebounds very well and is an effective slasher. He's hardly just a dunker, although I'd agree that he has no jump shot. I don't hold that against him at this point in his career because unlike a lot of guys, he rarely takes long jumpers, he knows what he can do now and does it.

 

Swift needs minutes and he ain't getting them on that team, so I'll give you him to this point.

 

Telfair has been good for 10 points and 6 assists on average every night since getting in the starting line up. Not bad for a small point guard.

 

J.R. Smith can flat out score when he gets minutes and he's been getting them lately in New Orleans. I'd never call him an all around player, but he can score and in a variety of different ways, whether it be dunking, mid range shots, slashing or even threes, which he can hit.

 

Curry and Chandler together are one mean 1-2 punch, but I'd agree they both have holes in their games. I can go either way with them being a bust or not up to this point. They are winning though.

 

So yeah, the age limit is bullshit. If a team thinks he's good enough, then let them go. Going to college hardly matures a lot of guys, yes for some it's a great help, but a lot of athletes get pampered like you wouldn't believe in the college system. They're hot shit on campus, thats hardly gonna curb their egos. And at the end of the day, an asshole is gonna be an asshole regardless of what you do to him. Latrell Sprewell is a 34 year old man I believe and he makes some of the most consistently immature comments I've ever heard. Age is nothing, it just depends on the person.

[Cuban Linx 0]

On Telfair, we should be able to get a good idea on if he'll be a bust or not now that he's taken over as the starter for the Blazers, averaging about 11 points and 7 assists in 35 minutes a game doesn't look too bad so far, though he's not exactly in a position to succeed with half his teammates either injured, not caring anymore, or both.

[Guest Vitamin X]

If you can die for your country, then you should be able to play professional basketball.

Personally, on a sidenote, I believe they should raise the limit for being in the armed forces to 21. It's a hell of a life decision to make coming right out of high school.

[UZI Suicide 0]

So, because Chandler isn't Kareem and Curry isn't Shaq they're BUSTS?!  Sorry dude, they're fine players, and again, it's THE BULLS fault for taking them so high.  Have they lived up the THE BULLS expectations?  No.  Are they top 4 in the draft type players?  Not exactly, but lots of college kids get drafted high and don't pan out too.  The Bulls gambled on em, they live with the consequences, plus these guys are like 22, 23 years old right now, they've still got another DECADE at least in the pros.  Just because these guys aren't the second coming doesn't mean you should make excuses for the GM who was stupid enough to draft them high and then change coaches and playing styles a dozen times before they even hit legal drinking age. 

 

I said Swift and Telfair aren't busts YET but are well on their way. They are following the same formula of the other busts(little to no playing time, and when they do get on the floor just completely sucking ass.)

 

Yeah, and Jermaine O'Neal didn't get any meaningful run until his FIFTH FUCKING year, after he left the team that drafted him. Rashard Lewis wasn't getting any time til his third year. T-Mac was playing 15-20 minutes a night his first two years. This same "formula" you've used to identify busts applies to guys who are all-stars right now, making your observations relatively meaningless.

 

But see that's the problem. They do nothing for the first 4, 5 years of their career. They could go to college for a couple of years and come in ready to play right away.

 

Chandler and Curry are busts to this point. If you are taken that high you are expected to be an elite player. Chandler is barely decent and Curry is just OK. They MIGHT turn out to be great and just need more time like Jermaine O'Neal, but that's the whole reason for the age restriction being needed. These guys pollute the league sucking ass because they have no idea what to do and should be playing college ball. They're all slashers who can't shoot and can't play defense they really have brought down the quality of play in the NBA.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

College ball helps those that want to be helped. If a player wanted to be in the NBA in the first place and gets told "No! You're too young!" and is forced to go to a college, I just don't think it's gonna be too productive. You're gonna have an angry, unsatisfied and in some cases poor basketball player who is gonna try to put up the best stats he can in his one year of college ball. He's not gonna play team ball, he's not gonna be a leader, he's gonna go out and try to be a top 10 pick by taking a lot of shots. I just think it's a bad idea to send a hungry individual who might have a family to support to a place he has no desire to be

 

And at least in one way, I think the college game hurts the NBA. I dunno how many of you have been on a college court, but that three point line becomes real tempting when you realize how close it is compared to what the NBA uses. It's made a few big men decent jump shooters and poor post players frankly.

[Precious Roy 0]

College ball helps those that want to be helped. If a player wanted to be in the NBA in the first place and gets told "No! You're too young!" and is forced to go to a college, I just don't think it's gonna be too productive. You're gonna have an angry, unsatisfied and in some cases poor basketball player who is gonna try to put up the best stats he can in his one year of college ball. He's not gonna play team ball, he's not gonna be a leader, he's gonna go out and try to be a top 10 pick by taking a lot of shots. I just think it's a bad idea to send a hungry individual who might have a family to support to a place he has no desire to be

 

And at least in one way, I think the college game hurts the NBA. I dunno how many of you have been on a college court, but that three point line becomes real tempting when you realize how close it is compared to what the NBA uses. It's made a few big men decent jump shooters and poor post players frankly.

good points all-around

 

I just see this age limit thing as a way to protect GMs and owners more than the players. The idea that players need college to develop is antiquated, and the reality is that the best players now are the ones that develop in NBA practices rather than in college.

 

There does need to be a better screening process and more caution when it comes to taking high schoolers, but it's a work in progress, the methods of determining who will make it have become more refined since KG came out and every year it's more of an exact science, and I'll keep harping on it, but mistakes are on the GMs, not the players who get drafted higher than they maybe should be.

[Ripper 0]

The problem is that college basketball and NBA basketball are two completely different games. College players that come into the league take years to really help their team unless they are some freakish talent, just like the High School players.

 

To call Chandler and Curry bust is...well...laughable. They are two of the major pieces to a winning team, and Chandler is quite the defensive standout, and seeing as he has always said his goals were to lead the league in rebounding and win defensive player of the year, he never intended to be a offensive threat. Curry has turned into a offensive threat, which he was supposed to be. To call people bust for not being hall of famers when they were picked high isn't really fair, seeing as there are dozens more high picks that played 4 years of college that didn't really make a impact at all (Christain Latner, Danny Ferry, Pervis Ellison, Acie Earl, Rex Walters, Joe Smith just to name a few. And there are literally dozens more from just the lottery over the past few years). Telfair has played very well as a rookie. Honestly, i have to question if a person has been watching basketball at all if they call Josh Smith(an incredible shot blocker and very good rebounder) and J.R. Smith(very good all around game) "just dunkers" or call Darius Miles(good all around game) "just a dunker" either after his year in Portland(ignoring outburst at coach). Brown, Outlaw, Ebi, Perkins...none can really be called a bust. Ebi was the 26th pick in the draft. There is no such thing as a 26th pick draft. They are a gamble pick anyway, and he has been injured. Travis Outlaw went at the 23rd pick and in Portlands recent youth movement when he has been getting quality minutes, he is averaging about 14 points a game. To be fair to Kwame Brown, Michael Jordan and Doug Collins set him back about 2 seasons. Kedrick Perkins was the 27th pick of the draft. Once again, if youget ANYTHING from a player taken that high in the NBA draft, you did a good job. Such "great" players as Corie Blount, and Byron Houston were drafted there, and that is what you expect. A Jamal Tinsley is a rarity.

 

If there were more High school to NBA bust than there were sucesses, then okay, I would conceed, but they aren't. More of them are good/decent players. Something that doesn't want to be admitted but will eventually have to be, the highschoolers are a more sensible pick that alot of the college guys.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

A college career is also four more years to get injured, thus wrecking one's chance at the pros.

[Guest MikeSC]

How about a simple list of ALL the high schoolers who have made themselves available to the draft?

 

It seems illogical to assume that you'd know the names of the high schoolers who weren't drafted.

-=Mike

[CanadianChris 0]

Why is everyone so up in arms about an age limit on NBA players, but no one says anything about all the 18- and 19-year olds that get drafted by Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League every single year?

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Why is everyone so up in arms about an age limit on NBA players, but no one says anything about all the 18- and 19-year olds that get drafted by Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League every single year?

Primarily because those leagues have minor league systems. Also, MLB has the unique issue of players coming in from Latin America.

[Ripper 0]

Why is everyone so up in arms about an age limit on NBA players, but no one says anything about all the 18- and 19-year olds that get drafted by Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League every single year?

Becaues college baseball and College Hockey aren't nearly as profitable as College Hoops. When kids don't play NCAA hoops they are taking the free money out of the NCAA pockets.

[the max 0]

Plus, players can be drafted by an NHL team and still go to college (Off the top of my head, Jordon Leopold was drafted by the Flames, but still finished his college at UM.)

[Guest Vitamin X]

Primarily because those leagues have minor league systems. Also, MLB has the unique issue of players coming in from Latin America.

Erm..

 

 

It's not unique to MLB...

[Guest MikeSC]

Primarily because those leagues have minor league systems. Also, MLB has the unique issue of players coming in from Latin America.

Erm..

 

 

It's not unique to MLB...

It's not nearly as common, though, either.

-=Mike

[Guest Vitamin X]

But you also have a slew of players who come in from Eastern Europe and now Asia as well into the NBA. It's not just Latin America, although I was using those two examples to directly refute al's claim.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

nobody complains about teens in hockey and baseball cause they play in the minors for a few years instead of fucking up the real league with thier retarded 20 foot fadeaway jumpers and brain farts on defense.

 

I must say, that was quite a sentence.

[bobobrazil1984 0]

good idea. the majority of young players have an attitude problem. A few years does wonder for maturity.

ANy player that is a great player at 18 will still be great at 20, possibly even better. Line's gotta be drawn somewhere, i'm in favor of the limit. There is absolutely zero downside, only the freakish possibility of an injury. THere is tons of upside though.

[2GOLD 0]

I think the NBA needs a minor league system of sorts but I'm not much for the age restriction. However, I think the NCAA should NOT ban players who enter the NBA draft if they have never played a game of college. Doesn't seem right to me.

[alfdogg 0]

13 players declaired themselves eligible and 9 of them: Garnett, Bryant, McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal, Rashard Lewis, Al Harrington, Darius Miles, Jonathan Bender and DeShawn Stevenson all remain in the league contributing to their teams in some way

I beg to differ.

[Ripper 0]

13 players declaired themselves eligible and 9 of them: Garnett, Bryant, McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal, Rashard Lewis, Al Harrington, Darius Miles, Jonathan Bender and DeShawn Stevenson all remain in the league contributing to their teams in some way

I beg to differ.

Okay...would be contributing if not for knee injuries. I don't think injured players count.

[Vern Gagne 0]

News on a possible minor league system for the NBA.

 

espn.com

 

NBA commissioner David Stern said Monday he's "optimistic" that the NBA and the players' association can work out a deal that would turn the National Basketball Developmental League into a true minor league.

 

In a teleconference call with reporters, Stern said the league has proposed the issue as part of ongoing collective bargaining negotiations with the players.

 

"The absence of a firm-footed, successful development league is something that has gnawed at me over the years," Stern said. "I'm not here to say that's a guaranteed outcome of our collective bargaining, but I am here to say this it's something that has been put forth by us with some forcefulness and now we'll have to await the outcome of collective bargaining."

 

Under the proposed model, NBA teams would be allowed to send their young players down to an affiliated NBDL team.

 

"I hope our development league ultimately will be a place where youngsters could be assigned in their early years in the league," Stern said.

 

"In a perfect world, I personally would like to see a 15-team development league where, let's say, two teams could share a development team."

 

A call to players' association spokesman Dan Wasserman late Monday night was not returned.

 

Stern also revealed Monday that the NBA has tied a proposal for a 20-year-old age limit and the elimination of the injured list to the proposal for a true minor league. However, he wouldn't speculate on the chances that an age limit would be passed as part of the new agreement.

 

"I think the two [the age limit and the NBDL] could work independently," Stern said, "but they've been proposed collectively."

 

Once the league and the players' association agree on a new collective bargaining agreement, Stern said he'd try to move as fast as possible to implement the new league.

 

In possible preparation for an agreement, the NBA announced on Monday the addition of four new NBDL teams in Tulsa, Albuquerque; Fort Worth, and Austin. The addition of four new teams in the southwest marks the NBDL's first expansion outside the southeast and appears to be the surest sign yet that a true minor league is in the wings.

 

Currently the league has teams in Columbus, Roanoke, Asheville, Huntsville, Fayetteville and Fort Myers. The expansion to Fort Worth is the first time the NBDL has set up shop in a major city with an NBA team nearby.

 

On Monday, Stern said he's trying to develop a "national footprint" for the league and that there is a possibility that NBDL teams could be placed in larger cities if the Fort Worth team is a success.

 

Stern mentioned New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Detroit as possible homes for NBDL teams in the future. The commissioner said that he's already received interest from investors in those cities and expected to have discussions with them in the future.