Am2626 wrote:12footrim wrote:cheese318 wrote:
Go ask Mitchell Robinson. Not comparing the two because Zion is on another planet talent wise but they were both top20 talents coming from HS. Mitch left school over some issues with WKU (pretty sure someone was getting paid in his family) and he never played college ball. His agent didn’t help by not permitting private workouts prior to draft night and he became a great 2nd round pick for the NYK. If he played in college I think he would have been a lottery pick
Zion has already cemented himself as the #1 pick 20 games ago, he really doesn't need to play another college game to reach his goals of being #1 with a fat shoe contract. That said I've seen how the Duke student body and fans treated him he's a god there and sometimes the experience is just priceless. But yeah if he blew out his Achilles or something like that it might cost him. Risk reward. I wouldn't play again but I'm not an 18 year old who probably thinks he's invincible.
I wonder if Shaq thought the same way before deciding to play 3 years in college. Injuries are part of the game. You can’t just wrap yourself in bubble wrap. This is a mild knee sprain and he’s Day day. People are blowing this out of proportion. If Zion quits now should Barrett quit? How about Cam Reddish. Where does it stop? Why even play the game? For people using the let them come out of high school and make the age limit 18, a high school senior can decide to quit after his junior year. Don’t play your senior year so that you don’t get hurt. This has become a complete joke.
Shaq is a different era, most players routinely went to school for 3 years and there were always rules that prohibited a under 18 year old from going to the NBA much like everything in our society restricts minors. The reason many of these guys play college basketball is only to position themselves for the NBA draft (and to a lesser degree build a brand with a college fanbase), if those guys feel like they have their stock cemented where they are comfortable honestly the most pragmatic thing to do is sit out (practice too) until they can get drafted and sign that first contract. Playing to better your stock or get drafted is really the only intensive or than the personal experience and they have the first locked IMO.
I think the minutes restrictions and resting games is the biggest farce in the game but the difference is these players haven't signed a contract yet and have no life changing money. If something bad happens then they realistically could be working a day job for a living or something like many former can't miss.
The one and done rule is so wrong and if I were advising a player I would suggest playing overseas like Mudiay who got like 1.2 million dollars. Now he's not any good and was never going to be any good regardless if he played at SMU. Collecting that 1.2 million considering he might not make 20 million in his career was substantial. That's the thing people forget for a lot of these guys a year could be one of their only earning years they give away. Take the money, and even if you do bad overseasons like T. Fergeson then teams can talking themselves into he was playing with grown men excuses and you are hiden rather than potientally getting exposed by college kids.