2017-2018 College Basketball / '18 NBA Draft Thread

[ivysixer2000]

Let's not for get that these are American kids that probably don't want to spend a year in a foreign place away from home, with language issues, etc...
There isn't currently a better place for their basketball development than a college in the US.

They need to figure out someway to give division 1 athletes a basic stipend, and insurance against catastrophic injury, and those things should be able to be worked out by the NCAA.

Pay athletes something akin to a good college kid age job, like $15 an hour for all practice, games, and travel time.

I really think that there is a deal to be made here for no straight from highschool entry, and 2 years in college or elsewhere before draft eligibility.

It's a no brainer benefit for the NBA, and the NCAA, and it will benefit the vast majority of the kids too.


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I know noone wants to see college basketball decrease in excitement. But they should be catering to the kids, not the NCAA...baseball doesn't, ask yourself why basketball does.

Kurkmaz made money last year, why couldn't Fultz make money?? The NCAA should never really be involved in paying kids, $15 dollars an hour isn't enough.....they get paid that right now for jobs they never even show up to.

We are talking about money they are worth, an actual contract. The NBA needs to step up and just have a real minor league here in the USA.

Korkmaz made money in Europe, and any college kid is free to do the same if that is what they choose. Korkmaz is also 21, and I'm talking about 18, and 19 year old kids.

This whole "pay them what they are worth" stuff is BS. If colleges could pay kids to play for them then what is to stop colleges from fielding completely professional teams? Who gets hurt in that case?

You take a small school that wants to increase their profile so they spend 100k per person on their team. You don't think that you could find 12 grown men that would take 100k to play for a college team, and then make that team compete with the best amateur teams in the country? It would destroy the game within a few years.

The vast majority of college players would benefit from 2 years of college/European Seasoning before going to the nba. Still, I don't think that the argument should be based on what is best for the elite prospects. I think it should be based on what is best for the NBA, the NCAA, and the NBA players association. Those three groups will come together and make an agreement. There is no group that represents the 18 year old Lebron James so he has no voice.

Just like the NBA and the players association had to come together and set the rookie wage scale. Remember what was happening before then when Glenn Robinson wanted $100 million just to accept going to the Bucks at number 1. The powers that be need to negotiate a deal in collective bargaining, and I think that it will eventually happen, and will be good for the game.

You can't tell an 18 year old kid what he can or can't do because it is a free country, but you CAN decide what is legal for entering the NBA.

I understand what your saying, but Korkmaz is 19, he turns 20 next month. Fultz is also 19, only reason why I mentioned it.

Seasoning and getting paid for that seasoning are 2 different things for me. If the guy flops, he can still go to college, but he can't get those years back of college if he gets hurt or if scouts think he sucks so he drops in the draft.

Korkmaz got paid last year at the same age as Fultz, just saying there is something wrong with that (although Fultz is an exception cause he just turned 19, unlike most people from college here in this draft).

[Ericb5]

I know noone wants to see college basketball decrease in excitement. But they should be catering to the kids, not the NCAA...baseball doesn't, ask yourself why basketball does.

Kurkmaz made money last year, why couldn't Fultz make money?? The NCAA should never really be involved in paying kids, $15 dollars an hour isn't enough.....they get paid that right now for jobs they never even show up to.

We are talking about money they are worth, an actual contract. The NBA needs to step up and just have a real minor league here in the USA.

Korkmaz made money in Europe, and any college kid is free to do the same if that is what they choose. Korkmaz is also 21, and I'm talking about 18, and 19 year old kids.

This whole "pay them what they are worth" stuff is BS. If colleges could pay kids to play for them then what is to stop colleges from fielding completely professional teams? Who gets hurt in that case?

You take a small school that wants to increase their profile so they spend 100k per person on their team. You don't think that you could find 12 grown men that would take 100k to play for a college team, and then make that team compete with the best amateur teams in the country? It would destroy the game within a few years.

The vast majority of college players would benefit from 2 years of college/European Seasoning before going to the nba. Still, I don't think that the argument should be based on what is best for the elite prospects. I think it should be based on what is best for the NBA, the NCAA, and the NBA players association. Those three groups will come together and make an agreement. There is no group that represents the 18 year old Lebron James so he has no voice.

Just like the NBA and the players association had to come together and set the rookie wage scale. Remember what was happening before then when Glenn Robinson wanted $100 million just to accept going to the Bucks at number 1. The powers that be need to negotiate a deal in collective bargaining, and I think that it will eventually happen, and will be good for the game.

You can't tell an 18 year old kid what he can or can't do because it is a free country, but you CAN decide what is legal for entering the NBA.

I understand what your saying, but Korkmaz is 19, he turns 20 next month. Fultz is also 19, only reason why I mentioned it.

Seasoning and getting paid for that seasoning are 2 different things for me. If the guy flops, he can still go to college, but he can't get those years back of college if he gets hurt or if scouts think he sucks so he drops in the draft.

Korkmaz got paid last year at the same age as Fultz, just saying there is something wrong with that (although Fultz is an exception cause he just turned 19, unlike most people from college here in this draft).

I thought Korkmaz was older than that, but the principle is the same. He got paid because he was in Europe. Fultz could have done the same thing if he wanted to, but he didn't because the best place for him was in college. There is nothing wrong with Korkmaz getting paid and Fultz not getting paid since Fultz made the decision.

Let's say that they change the 1 and done rule to 2 and done. A business man could set up a new league just for the elite prospects that wanted to get paid for those 2 years instead of going to college. More power to the guy if he could make it worthwhile from a basketball sense for those guys while generating enough money to make it a viable business.

[ivysixer2000]

Korkmaz made money in Europe, and any college kid is free to do the same if that is what they choose. Korkmaz is also 21, and I'm talking about 18, and 19 year old kids.

This whole "pay them what they are worth" stuff is BS. If colleges could pay kids to play for them then what is to stop colleges from fielding completely professional teams? Who gets hurt in that case?

You take a small school that wants to increase their profile so they spend 100k per person on their team. You don't think that you could find 12 grown men that would take 100k to play for a college team, and then make that team compete with the best amateur teams in the country? It would destroy the game within a few years.

The vast majority of college players would benefit from 2 years of college/European Seasoning before going to the nba. Still, I don't think that the argument should be based on what is best for the elite prospects. I think it should be based on what is best for the NBA, the NCAA, and the NBA players association. Those three groups will come together and make an agreement. There is no group that represents the 18 year old Lebron James so he has no voice.

Just like the NBA and the players association had to come together and set the rookie wage scale. Remember what was happening before then when Glenn Robinson wanted $100 million just to accept going to the Bucks at number 1. The powers that be need to negotiate a deal in collective bargaining, and I think that it will eventually happen, and will be good for the game.

You can't tell an 18 year old kid what he can or can't do because it is a free country, but you CAN decide what is legal for entering the NBA.

I understand what your saying, but Korkmaz is 19, he turns 20 next month. Fultz is also 19, only reason why I mentioned it.

Seasoning and getting paid for that seasoning are 2 different things for me. If the guy flops, he can still go to college, but he can't get those years back of college if he gets hurt or if scouts think he sucks so he drops in the draft.

Korkmaz got paid last year at the same age as Fultz, just saying there is something wrong with that (although Fultz is an exception cause he just turned 19, unlike most people from college here in this draft).

I thought Korkmaz was older than that, but the principle is the same. He got paid because he was in Europe. Fultz could have done the same thing if he wanted to, but he didn't because the best place for him was in college. There is nothing wrong with Korkmaz getting paid and Fultz not getting paid since Fultz made the decision.

Let's say that they change the 1 and done rule to 2 and done. A business man could set up a new league just for the elite prospects that wanted to get paid for those 2 years instead of going to college. More power to the guy if he could make it worthwhile from a basketball sense for those guys while generating enough money to make it a viable business.

If your Fultz or any other college freshman, their choice is to play here for free or go to Europe. We should be making it better for them, they shouldn't have to leave the USA to make money. Most want to stay here.

Your seeing college football players sit out of bowl games, and IMO Fultz wasn't that hurt at the end of his season. The writing is right there on the wall, the season was over for Fultz, why play and hurt your draft status if you have a serious injury.

You go to college to increase your potential of making money, some of these kids just don't need college, they increase their earning potential by not getting hurt in college.

[Sixerscan]

The kids largely wouldn't benefit from a 2 and done rule. The NBA is generally the best place to develop NBA players.

The issue is that the league is annoyed by the fact that they can't always id the best prospects with only one year of college ball. So you get situations where inferior prospects get all the nbas resources.

It's a business decision by the league to get more certainty out of the draft. Any benefit to the player is ancillary. They would want to do it regardless of whether it helps the prospects.

[Negrodamus]

Aren't HSers allowed to go straight to the NBDL? Isn't that what Latavious Williams because he couldn't qualify at Memphis?

There is an option, but it's not a very good one.

[PhilasFinest]

Scouts/GM's get paid GOOD money to evaluate/project talent.Now we need "rules" in place to help make there jobs easier. Start holding them accountable for the selections instead of blaming kids.

Guys that play 4 years of NCAA basketball always make great pro's I guess?

I think the current setup is ok, but even the whole mandatory 1 year of college thing is kinda dumb IMO. Kids can go sign up to go to war at 17-18 years old but can't make a living playing a sport that they excel in?

Colleges pimp these kids out to sell merchandise,tickets,TV deals, etc. 1 turn of an ankle or tear of the knee and there stocks/careers can take a major hit.

Such a flawed system.

[Ericb5]

Scouts/GM's get paid GOOD money to evaluate/project talent.Now we need "rules" in place to help make there jobs easier. Start holding them accountable for the selections instead of blaming kids.

Guys that play 4 years of NCAA basketball always make great pro's I guess?

I think the current setup is ok, but even the whole mandatory 1 year of college thing is kinda dumb IMO. Kids can go sign up to go to war at 17-18 years old but can't make a living playing a sport that they excel in?

Colleges pimp these kids out to sell merchandise,tickets,TV deals, etc. 1 turn of an ankle or tear of the knee and there stocks/careers can take a major hit.

Such a flawed system.

It is still amateur athletics, and the idea of paying college athletes commensurate with the revenue that they generate(basically treating them like professionals) should be a non starter. It is a rabbit whole that will hurt kids, and schools in general. The elite of the elite are the exception to the rules.

I can see giving them some basic money in accordance with the money lost that a typical college kid would make if they weren't participating athletically, but it would have to be standard across the entire country. You couldn't have kids being paid at Kentucky and not paid at a random no name college. Someone on the swim team in North Dakota would need to be paid the same hourly rate as the football kid at Alabama, or the basketball kid at Kentucky.

The NBA should make the best decision for their league, and that means a negotiation between the parties involved, which are the owners, and the players association. The amateur kids themselves are completely irrelevant. They are used as pawns in the game, but they don't matter at all in the real discussions here. They may matter philosophically, but they don't matter in a business sense, and this is business.

If the NBA makes a rule that they can't go to the draft for 2 years, then they will have to do whatever their families think is best for them. Maybe that is going to Europe, and maybe that is going to the dleague, but the overwhelming preponderance of the evidence will take them to college which is the best chance for them.

The fact that it would be better for the college game as well is also ancillary.

[Kobblehead]

In terms of scoring guards that project as good reserves, KeVaugn Allen is intriguing. This guy can ball.

Watch on YouTube

[Kobblehead]

Why isn't this Kulboka dude getting more hype?

Watch on YouTube

19 years old, athletic and can flat out score. Currently being mocked in the 30s of the 2018 draft. Easily looks like a lotto talent, to me. This kid's incredible.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

[PhilasFinest]

Why isn't this Kulboka dude getting more hype?

Watch on YouTube

19 years old, athletic and can flat out score. Currently being mocked in the 30s of the 2018 draft. Easily looks like a lotto talent, to me. This kid's incredible.

Wow. I'd def take a swing on this kid, didn't realize he was 6'8-6'9". Looks like a wing version of Dragic.

[Kobblehead]

Wow. I'd def take a swing on this kid, didn't realize he was 6'8-6'9". Looks like a wing version of Dragic.

Yeah, he's pretty offensively impressive. Scores in a variety of ways; off the dribble, in catch and shoots, on the break, etc. The 6'11"+ wingspan is also very appealing.

[cksdayoff]

i trust kobble's judgment, he had zach collins top 10 months before all the other draft experts

[Duke4life831]

There is an increasing chance Marvin Bagley reclassifies and will be a part of the 2018 draft. The top of the draft just got even more interesting.

[Kobblehead]

To which the NCAA probably rules him ineligible and the NBA teams have to essentially draft an unproven highschool player with a Top 5 pick. I don't like that at all.

[Unbreakable99]

Read on Twitter

[europeanfan]

That's sad, best draft content will now be paywalled and mixed with the lousy Kevin Pelton analytics?

[Unbreakable99]

That's sad, best draft content will now be paywalled and mixed with the lousy Kevin Pelton analytics?

Read on Twitter

[Kobblehead]

Losing access to the measurements database stinks.

[LongLiveHinkie]

I don't think people are pissed at them for going to ESPN. They are pissed at ESPN for their Insider price. What is it $30 per year? That's insane.

ESPN Insider also doesn't have video as far as I know, so I wonder if they stop doing their video breakdowns completely.