« Reply #48 on: February 17, 2014, 05:03:42 PM »
WD they can only play NBA basketball IF an organization decides they want to give them a job. If an organization wants to give them a job they should be able to accept it if they want to.
And if they are allowed, NBA teams will have to take the gamble that they work out based on them playing in high school.
How does that help the NBA? How does that help the teams? How does that help the fans?
I don't care if the NBA dreaming players have to wait two or more season to get there as long as they are better trained when they get there. Where there is actual pressure on them to improve their craft. Where over hyped 18 year old drop from a top 5 pick to the 2nd round because teams get to actually scout them for a long period of time against a higher level talent.
I just don't see the downside for the fans.
Well instead of looking at the downside for the fans, look at the downside for the players.
Exactly. Any NBA rookie contract can mean the world to some of these guys, and I don't like the plantation mentality of forcing them to work without pay in the college system for years.
What the commish might do is some sort of contract that eases teams playing them in the d-league for their first year or two. Then they can be paid what their market value is, but teams don't have to put them out as an NBA product before their ready.
So teachers, doctors, lawyers are "forced" to not only work without pay in college but they have to pay boats loads of money for their training. Most of these NBA eligible athletes are already getting a free ride scholarship. A rookie contract might mean the world to them but they shouldn't just be given a rookie contract, they should have to prove they are ready to handle NBA level of work.
You mean by, say, convincing an NBA GM to draft them?
"Playing well in college" isn't remotely the same as "proving you can handle the NBA", because plenty of guys convince GMs to draft them with their college play and it turns out that they really can't handle it.
And then there are players like Adam Morrison who become top 3 picks because of their college stats and have no business even being first round picks.

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