Way too early NBA draft thread 2021

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[The Box Office]

You picked the 2 most successful guys in the last 10 years that didn’t go to college. What did the overseas route do for RJ Hampton or Terrance Ferguson? How about Brandon Jennings who was the number 1 high school player in his class and fell all the way down to 10.

The reality is LaMelo Ball would have been as successful had he gone to college. For some guys it doesn’t matter. Regarding the college stage Zion made a name for himself at Duke. His marketability sky rocketed. He doesn’t get that opportunity in the G League or Overseas.

I'll say it. I didn't see much talent in RJ Hampton or Terrance Ferguson. Both of these kids did not show much talent consistently to make a serious blimp on my radar.

As for Brandon Jennings, he made it to the NBA. He lasted in the league for 9 years. He's a multi-millionaire. That's successful to me. Besides, he was inconsistent and didn't play defense. Back in the day, these 2 flaws showed up on his pre-Draft scouting report. I didn't take him seriously after knowing that and he NEVER fixed these. Ho-hum. So he fell down to 10 in the actual draft. Big deal. The 2009 Draft was all about Blake Griffin.

LaMelo Ball. Where did you ranked him before the Draft took place? I had him as my number one pick for a long time and declared that here in RealGM if anyone followed my posts. I knocked him down to number 3 since he was weak on defense. I had Haliburton as number one.

The reality is LaMelo didn't go to college. He went overseas. Those are the facts. I'm not going to play "What if he went to college?" because the reality is he didn't. Screw NCAA. G-League is fine. Overseas is fine.

A lot of fools here on RealGM declared him as a bust, as well as Twitter and Youtube. I didn't. I knew the entire time this kid has mad game and going overseas is going to make him better because he's going up against experienced men and former NBA pros. Just like Jalen Green did with the G-League.

As for The Suzerain laughing about Upper Deck, I don't know what to tell you. Upper Deck is a big deal. Last time I checked, they're definitely not losing sleep because they missed the opportunity to sign an exclusive deal with Frank Ntilikina. I'll reconsider my position on Talen Horton Tucker though. I would welcome THT with open arms into the Chicago Bulls.

[The Box Office]

Green actually does look like the most electric player in the draft imo. He seems like Haliburton with elite athleticism.

Nah. They're nothing alike.
- Green's athleticism, agility, hang time, and explosiveness are off the charts. Hali doesn't have those physical abilities.
- Green is a beast in one-on-one situations. Way too many moves and an expert off-ball scorer.
- I'll give the edge to Hali on defense. However, Green is not far behind.
- Green can facilitate. If the Bulls needed Jalen to play point guard, he can.
- Green is clutch as hell. Ever since he was 16; back to back State championships.

As much as I dig Haliburton, Jalen Green can do things that Hali can only dream about. J.Green can be a bust. Ok fine. I can be wrong about him. As a prospect, he's an unbelievable talent and the only one with hang time. Combined that hang time with his elite finishing dunk ability and jelly lay ups and you got yourself a stew, baby. Complete with jelly donuts.

[CoreyVillains]

New Film Sesh on Davion Mitchell who has become my favorite prospect in the draft. I get the same feelings I got with Mikal Brdiges watching Davion. Just a super tough two way competitor who is a lock to be a good pro but has some elite tools as well.

Watch on YouTube

[Am2626]

You picked the 2 most successful guys in the last 10 years that didn’t go to college. What did the overseas route do for RJ Hampton or Terrance Ferguson? How about Brandon Jennings who was the number 1 high school player in his class and fell all the way down to 10.

The reality is LaMelo Ball would have been as successful had he gone to college. For some guys it doesn’t matter. Regarding the college stage Zion made a name for himself at Duke. His marketability sky rocketed. He doesn’t get that opportunity in the G League or Overseas.

I'll say it. I didn't see much talent in RJ Hampton or Terrance Ferguson. Both of these kids did not show much talent consistently to make a serious blimp on my radar.

As for Brandon Jennings, he made it to the NBA. He lasted in the league for 9 years. He's a multi-millionaire. That's successful to me. Besides, he was inconsistent and didn't play defense. Back in the day, these 2 flaws showed up on his pre-Draft scouting report. I didn't take him seriously after knowing that and he NEVER fixed these. Ho-hum. So he fell down to 10 in the actual draft. Big deal. The 2009 Draft was all about Blake Griffin.

LaMelo Ball. Where did you ranked him before the Draft took place? I had him as my number one pick for a long time and declared that here in RealGM if anyone followed my posts. I knocked him down to number 3 since he was weak on defense. I had Haliburton as number one.

The reality is LaMelo didn't go to college. He went overseas. Those are the facts. I'm not going to play "What if he went to college?" because the reality is he didn't. Screw NCAA. G-League is fine. Overseas is fine

A lot of fools here on RealGM declared him as a bust, as well as Twitter and Youtube. I didn't. I knew the entire time this kid has mad game and going overseas is going to make him better because he's going up against experienced men and former NBA pros. Just like Jalen Green did with the G-League.

As for The Suzerain laughing about Upper Deck, I don't know what to tell you. Upper Deck is a big deal. Last time I checked, they're definitely not losing sleep because they missed the opportunity to sign an exclusive deal with Frank Ntilikina. I'll reconsider my position on Talen Horton Tucker though. I would welcome THT with open arms into the Chicago Bulls.

LaMelo Ball actually wanted to go to college. He wasn’t allowed to because he lost his eligibility. What I wish would happen is Amateurism is completely eliminated and these kids can let the Free Market Determine their earning potential. Let them be able to market their names, sign endorsement deals, get revenue from their college jersey sales, etc. There is absolutely no reason why there should be any restrictions on any of these things.

If you watch a G League Game, their brand of basketball is garbage. No fundamentals or structure. There is a huge difference between high school basketball and the NBA. It is way too big of a transition. It is watering down the NBA Game. Let these kids develop in college like all the All Time Greats did before Garnett. Shaq and Jordan each played 3 years in college and I think their NBA Careers turned out fine. Duncan played 4 years in college. The quality of the game has deteriorated because 19 and 20 year old kids are not mentally or physically ready for the NBA.

[Wingy]

I haven't watched him enough to say anything other than you can't help but love the way Davion Mitchell defends. It's probably a lazy, easy comp (and I haven't seen it)...but is Marcus Smart in the realm of reality if you have to comp him to someone?

[Almost Retired]

New Film Sesh on Davion Mitchell who has become my favorite prospect in the draft. I get the same feelings I got with Mikal Brdiges watching Davion. Just a super tough two way competitor who is a lock to be a good pro but has some elite tools as well.

Watch on YouTube

For what we need he's my favorite as well. Just his energy, focus, determination, BBIQ...too many of our guys are just too outwardly passive. We need a spark plug and this kid would be perfect. His year over year improvement portends well for his future. The kid works on his game. He wills himself to get better in areas he is deficient at. And that defense will translate. That defensive footwork. He is the type of player that when you add him to the mix he elevates the game of those around him. He's not going to last past the 6-9 range in my opinion.

[The Box Office]

LaMelo Ball actually wanted to go to college. He wasn’t allowed to because he lost his eligibility. What I wish would happen is Amateurism is completely eliminated and these kids can let the Free Market Determine their earning potential. Let them be able to market their names, sign endorsement deals, get revenue from their college jersey sales, etc. There is absolutely no reason why there should be any restrictions on any of these things.

And that's why the G-League is here. It's not going anywhere. G-League, and anything outside of NCAA, IS Free Market.

If you watch a G League Game, their brand of basketball is garbage. No fundamentals or structure.

? Wha? I disagree.

There is a huge difference between high school basketball and the NBA. It is way too big of a transition.

No kidding. The G-League is an alternative to NCAA. There are 1000s upon 1000s of kids emerging from NCAA who did not reach the NBA.

It is watering down the NBA Game. Let these kids develop in college like all the All Time Greats did before Garnett. Shaq and Jordan each played 3 years in college and I think their NBA Careers turned out fine. Duncan played 4 years in college. The quality of the game has deteriorated because 19 and 20 year old kids are not mentally or physically ready for the NBA.

The kids can develop in the G-League or overseas, too. They do NOT have to exit G-League after one season. And they still get paid. G-League pays for the kid's scholarship and provides training and mentoring that NCAA does not provide. NCAA doesn't pay a dime either. Again, screw NCAA. The names you name dropped are once in a lifetime players. They would have done fine if they didn't attend NCAA and went to G-League instead.

As for the quality of the game deteriorating, do you mean that the players today shoot too many threes? Yea I agree, the trend sucks, but that has nothing to do with alternative basketball leagues. The NBA was trending that way since the mid 2000s.

[Am2626]

LaMelo Ball actually wanted to go to college. He wasn’t allowed to because he lost his eligibility. What I wish would happen is Amateurism is completely eliminated and these kids can let the Free Market Determine their earning potential. Let them be able to market their names, sign endorsement deals, get revenue from their college jersey sales, etc. There is absolutely no reason why there should be any restrictions on any of these things.

And that's why the G-League is here. It's not going anywhere. G-League, and anything outside of NCAA, IS Free Market.

If you watch a G League Game, their brand of basketball is garbage. No fundamentals or structure.

? Wha? I disagree.

There is a huge difference between high school basketball and the NBA. It is way too big of a transition.

No kidding. The G-League is an alternative to NCAA. There are 1000s upon 1000s of kids emerging from NCAA who did not reach the NBA.

It is watering down the NBA Game. Let these kids develop in college like all the All Time Greats did before Garnett. Shaq and Jordan each played 3 years in college and I think their NBA Careers turned out fine. Duncan played 4 years in college. The quality of the game has deteriorated because 19 and 20 year old kids are not mentally or physically ready for the NBA.

The kids can develop in the G-League or overseas, too. They do NOT have to exit G-League after one season. And they still get paid. G-League pays for the kid's scholarship and provides training and mentoring that NCAA does not provide. NCAA doesn't pay a dime either. Again, screw NCAA. The names you name dropped are once in a lifetime players. They would have done fine if they didn't attend NCAA and went to G-League instead.

As for the quality of the game deteriorating, do you mean that the players today shoot too many threes? Yea I agree, the trend sucks, but that has nothing to do with alternative basketball leagues. The NBA was trending that way since the mid 2000s.

My whole point is if the NCAA completely eliminated Amateurism then there would be no need to have all of these outside the box avenues.

Regarding the G League the quality of play is garbage and it doesn’t translate to the NBA game as you are making it out to be. For example a guy like Antonio Blakeney can average 32 ppg in The G League but can’t do anything in the NBA. Can you explain why he looks like a superstar in the G League but isn’t even good enough to be a rotational player in the NBA?

By quality of the game deteriorating I’m not talking about shooting too many 3’s. I’m talking about 19 and 20 year old kids that are not developed physically or mentally and are saturating the league when they should be developing in college. For example Jordan came into the NBA as a superstar because he developed during his 3 years at North Carolina. We look at Kobe and he needed 3 years to get to his superstar level. All of these prep to pro players coming in brought down the quality of play because they were not ready yet for the NBA Game.

[Hold That]

LaMelo Ball actually wanted to go to college. He wasn’t allowed to because he lost his eligibility. What I wish would happen is Amateurism is completely eliminated and these kids can let the Free Market Determine their earning potential. Let them be able to market their names, sign endorsement deals, get revenue from their college jersey sales, etc. There is absolutely no reason why there should be any restrictions on any of these things.

And that's why the G-League is here. It's not going anywhere. G-League, and anything outside of NCAA, IS Free Market.

If you watch a G League Game, their brand of basketball is garbage. No fundamentals or structure.

? Wha? I disagree.

There is a huge difference between high school basketball and the NBA. It is way too big of a transition.

No kidding. The G-League is an alternative to NCAA. There are 1000s upon 1000s of kids emerging from NCAA who did not reach the NBA.

It is watering down the NBA Game. Let these kids develop in college like all the All Time Greats did before Garnett. Shaq and Jordan each played 3 years in college and I think their NBA Careers turned out fine. Duncan played 4 years in college. The quality of the game has deteriorated because 19 and 20 year old kids are not mentally or physically ready for the NBA.

The kids can develop in the G-League or overseas, too. They do NOT have to exit G-League after one season. And they still get paid. G-League pays for the kid's scholarship and provides training and mentoring that NCAA does not provide. NCAA doesn't pay a dime either. Again, screw NCAA. The names you name dropped are once in a lifetime players. They would have done fine if they didn't attend NCAA and went to G-League instead.

As for the quality of the game deteriorating, do you mean that the players today shoot too many threes? Yea I agree, the trend sucks, but that has nothing to do with alternative basketball leagues. The NBA was trending that way since the mid 2000s.

My whole point is if the NCAA completely eliminated Amateurism then there would be no need to have all of these outside the box avenues.

Regarding the G League the quality of play is garbage and it doesn’t translate to the NBA game as you are making it out to be. For example a guy like Antonio Blakeney can average 32 ppg in The G League but can’t do anything in the NBA. Can you explain why he looks like a superstar in the G League but isn’t even good enough to be a rotational player in the NBA?

By quality of the game deteriorating I’m not talking about shooting too many 3’s. I’m talking about 19 and 20 year old kids that are not developed physically or mentally and are saturating the league when they should be developing in college. For example Jordan came into the NBA as a superstar because he developed during his 3 years at North Carolina. We look at Kobe and he needed 3 years to get to his superstar level. All of these prep to pro players coming in brought down the quality of play because they were not ready yet for the NBA Game.

That’s an easy argument to explain. If you know anything about the G League then you know that even G League coaches are auditioning. The 15th man on a NBA team will likely get the green light every G League minute he plays from a G League coach. Those coaches are not about developing as much as they are about winning. G League is way more competitive and harder to play than the NCAA. It’s closer to a pro system than what college ball will ever be. And it’s more ruthless than what college ball will ever be. You will get cut you will get replaced by next week let alone next year(like in college).

Every guard in the NBA is capable of dropping 30 pts on any given night. Now put them in the G League against former college stars who couldn’t make it in the league and they’ll look like superstars. That’s not an indictment on how bad the G League is but a sign on HOW COMPETITIVE the actual NBA is. There’s not a player in the G League who wasn’t the man at his school otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten a G League spot to begin with.

Jalen Green and Kuminga were playing against guys who dropped 25+ in college and also were playing against guys who had 5-7 year NBA careers that fell out of rotation for whatever reason. College ball is not a better system than the G League, by no means. College ball provides you better exposure.

[Am2626]

And that's why the G-League is here. It's not going anywhere. G-League, and anything outside of NCAA, IS Free Market.



? Wha? I disagree.


No kidding. The G-League is an alternative to NCAA. There are 1000s upon 1000s of kids emerging from NCAA who did not reach the NBA.



The kids can develop in the G-League or overseas, too. They do NOT have to exit G-League after one season. And they still get paid. G-League pays for the kid's scholarship and provides training and mentoring that NCAA does not provide. NCAA doesn't pay a dime either. Again, screw NCAA. The names you name dropped are once in a lifetime players. They would have done fine if they didn't attend NCAA and went to G-League instead.

As for the quality of the game deteriorating, do you mean that the players today shoot too many threes? Yea I agree, the trend sucks, but that has nothing to do with alternative basketball leagues. The NBA was trending that way since the mid 2000s.

My whole point is if the NCAA completely eliminated Amateurism then there would be no need to have all of these outside the box avenues.

Regarding the G League the quality of play is garbage and it doesn’t translate to the NBA game as you are making it out to be. For example a guy like Antonio Blakeney can average 32 ppg in The G League but can’t do anything in the NBA. Can you explain why he looks like a superstar in the G League but isn’t even good enough to be a rotational player in the NBA?

By quality of the game deteriorating I’m not talking about shooting too many 3’s. I’m talking about 19 and 20 year old kids that are not developed physically or mentally and are saturating the league when they should be developing in college. For example Jordan came into the NBA as a superstar because he developed during his 3 years at North Carolina. We look at Kobe and he needed 3 years to get to his superstar level. All of these prep to pro players coming in brought down the quality of play because they were not ready yet for the NBA Game.

That’s an easy argument to explain. If you know anything about the G League then you know that even G League coaches are auditioning. The 15th man on a NBA team will likely get the green light every G League minute he plays from a G League coach. Those coaches are not about developing as much as they are about winning. G League is way more competitive and harder to play than the NCAA. It’s closer to a pro system than what college ball will ever be. And it’s more ruthless than what college ball will ever be. You will get cut you will get replaced by next week let alone next year(like in college).

Every guard in the NBA is capable of dropping 30 pts on any given night. Now put them in the G League against former college stars who couldn’t make it in the league and they’ll look like superstars. That’s not an indictment on how bad the G League is but a sign on HOW COMPETITIVE the actual NBA is. There’s not a player in the G League who wasn’t the man at his school otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten a G League spot to begin with.

Jalen Green and Kuminga were playing against guys who dropped 25+ in college and also were playing against guys who had 5-7 year NBA careers that fell out of rotation for whatever reason. College ball is not a better system than the G League, by no means. College ball provides you better exposure.

Regardless of whether the G League has more overall talent than College it doesn’t make it a better option for 19 and 20 year olds to develop their game. You said it yourself that coaches have an agenda to try and win games. It’s not an environment where they are primarily focused on developing players.

At 19 and 20 those are some of the most important years in basketball development for a high level basketball prospect. This is both mentally and physically. There is such a big difference from high school to the NBA. College actually provides a good transition between high school and the NBA. They should be developing against guys their own age not guys that are much older and are at a different point in their lives.

From a lifestyle perspective 19 and 20 year olds aren’t even legally old enough to drink. If you end Amateurism and let these kids sign endorsement deals and market their name college provides the best venue for them develop, make money, and transition to be an adult. Colleges have more resources and can easily develop a curriculum of personal finance, managing financial wealth, and other lifestyle skills that are important to young adults that are about to get a financial windfall.

You only get one chance to be a kid so there doesn’t have to be this rush to make them adults before they are ready. Also I’m sure every basketball player wants to get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. The NBA isn’t going anywhere for them and most of the high level prospects will enjoy several years in the NBA. Their basketball careers actually would end up being longer and better if they come in more developed. Regarding risk of injury in college both Baron Davis and Dwayne Wade and serious injuries in college yet they came back while in college and both had long NBA Careers.

[Michael Jackson]

The large amount of money that these players could miss out of because of injury though is huge. I know you cited Wade and BD but there are many examples that didn’t work out. Say you go back for a soph - sr season and you tear an acl... you can drop from lottery to late first or second and not have a guaranteed contract. Obviously everyone would like to see better finished products coming into the NBA but the money is so big. MPJ dropped because of his back issues, for him it worked out. Then you have like every other player the Trailblazers have picked. It’s just not realistic to think a top prospect is going to pass on a huge payday, it would be near impossible for me to justify it if I were in their shoes, unless say I was Bronny and I already had wealth and could take the extra time to hone my game in and risk injury.

[Hold That]

My whole point is if the NCAA completely eliminated Amateurism then there would be no need to have all of these outside the box avenues.

Regarding the G League the quality of play is garbage and it doesn’t translate to the NBA game as you are making it out to be. For example a guy like Antonio Blakeney can average 32 ppg in The G League but can’t do anything in the NBA. Can you explain why he looks like a superstar in the G League but isn’t even good enough to be a rotational player in the NBA?

By quality of the game deteriorating I’m not talking about shooting too many 3’s. I’m talking about 19 and 20 year old kids that are not developed physically or mentally and are saturating the league when they should be developing in college. For example Jordan came into the NBA as a superstar because he developed during his 3 years at North Carolina. We look at Kobe and he needed 3 years to get to his superstar level. All of these prep to pro players coming in brought down the quality of play because they were not ready yet for the NBA Game.

That’s an easy argument to explain. If you know anything about the G League then you know that even G League coaches are auditioning. The 15th man on a NBA team will likely get the green light every G League minute he plays from a G League coach. Those coaches are not about developing as much as they are about winning. G League is way more competitive and harder to play than the NCAA. It’s closer to a pro system than what college ball will ever be. And it’s more ruthless than what college ball will ever be. You will get cut you will get replaced by next week let alone next year(like in college).

Every guard in the NBA is capable of dropping 30 pts on any given night. Now put them in the G League against former college stars who couldn’t make it in the league and they’ll look like superstars. That’s not an indictment on how bad the G League is but a sign on HOW COMPETITIVE the actual NBA is. There’s not a player in the G League who wasn’t the man at his school otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten a G League spot to begin with.

Jalen Green and Kuminga were playing against guys who dropped 25+ in college and also were playing against guys who had 5-7 year NBA careers that fell out of rotation for whatever reason. College ball is not a better system than the G League, by no means. College ball provides you better exposure.

Regardless of whether the G League has more overall talent than College it doesn’t make it a better option for 19 and 20 year olds to develop their game. You said it yourself that coaches have an agenda to try and win games. It’s not an environment where they are primarily focused on developing players.

Which is why if a teenage kid excels in a G League environment you probably should take notice. Especially if this kid is the number one scoring option or becomes that due to the coach desperately trying to win games. Also these coaches are being evaluated on how they develop this young High School talent on top of wining games. What situations they are putting them in to win. I’d much rather deal with that than deal with a college coach who’s gonna have job security REGARDLESS if you flame out or not. That’s not the case for G League coaches as the NBA wants this program to succeed. So the “ignite” coach is under immense pressure to put these kids in the best situations so the NBA can show they are doing the right thing.

At 19 and 20 those are some of the most important years in basketball development for a high level basketball prospect. This is both mentally and physically. There is such a big difference from high school to the NBA. College actually provides a good transition between high school and the NBA. They should be developing against guys their own age not guys that are much older and are at a different point in their lives.

This is so backwards. Most advance kids that are good enough to even make the NBA and shown pro level talent at early ages almost never train or practice against kids their own age UNTIL the high school season roles around. Understand only 25 of the best recruits get a G league invite out of High School. Not the top 50 or the top 100 but the top 25. The cream of the crop. There’s no better way to prepare you for the league than to be around pros. There’s no better way to prepare you for the physicality of the NBA than to be in the G League. I’d rather go against Jarret Jack than Mark who’s a senior that has no shot in the NBA and has a better shot at being my accountant.

From a lifestyle perspective 19 and 20 year olds aren’t even legally old enough to drink. If you end Amateurism and let these kids sign endorsement deals and market their name college provides the best venue for them develop, make money, and transition to be an adult. Colleges have more resources and can easily develop a curriculum of personal finance, managing financial wealth, and other lifestyle skills that are important to young adults that are about to get a financial windfall.

These young men are about to be multi million dollar investments. They are getting a head start on how to manage money, what to do with their free time(because they don’t have class), and how to be a pro. You will not learn how to be a pro in college but you will learn that in the G League. I don’t get this argument it makes no sense to me. You want these kids to be mentored by a 22 year old who don’t know Jack squat about life? Or be mentored by a 28-35 year old teammate who’s likely played in europe college and a couple of NBA call ups? You think they can’t take a finance online course while in the G League? You think these one and dones are really going to be gurus on how to handle a million dollars after just one year of being on campus? Again you are missing the point that the nba is targeting the one and dones, the ones who really don’t give a damn about a degree to begin with. And these kids are going to NBA finance courses the NBA provides. You need to read up on the from high school to G League program and see what the package offers cause it sounds like you have no idea honestly. The NBA isn’t just throwing these kids in the G League without a great support system and having them take classes on finance and decision making that specifically pertains to them and their situations on what they’ll face as future NBA players. That is better than some random class in college that they’ll half way pay attention too and likely won’t complete because they’ll declare for the draft by March and stop attending class before the college year is over because they are one and dones.

You only get one chance to be a kid so there doesn’t have to be this rush to make them adults before they are ready. Also I’m sure every basketball player wants to get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. The NBA isn’t going anywhere for them and most of the high level prospects will enjoy several years in the NBA. Their basketball careers actually would end up being longer and better if they come in more developed. Regarding risk of injury in college both Baron Davis and Dwayne Wade and serious injuries in college yet they came back while in college and both had long NBA Careers.

That sounds sweet and beautiful but understand this. The ones who get invited to the G League are considered one and dones. It’s clear they are not going to college to be a scholar. One year of college will do absolutely nothing for them when they can’t even be a “normal kid” on campus because they are a high profile recruit with all eyes on them anyhow. Wade wasn’t a high level recruit coming out of high school so he wouldn’t have gotten a G League invite anyhow so he doesn’t apply. baron was and what if he didn’t look the same? It’s not like he was being financially compensated. Let’s say baron played in the G League his first year got hurt. He doesn’t have to declare for the draft because he took the G League route his first year. He could do what he did in college, rehab and come back for another year in the G League. With way better training better doctors and pro mentorship of players who had to rehab through injuries. He’d also have a full ride paid scholarship from the NBA to fall back on for ANY college of his choice if he decides to pursue a degree. That’s part of the G League package as well. The college route is riskier than the G League route. The G League puts money in your pocket, offers better training, offers better medical staffs, AND pays for all your college if you decide to go to the university as well. I’d trust a kid who’s had some pro level experience through the G League with a multimillion dollar contract than a kid coming out of college. And that’s what this is about, these kids are investments, this is the life they are pursuing.

[StunnerKO]

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[Am2626]

That’s an easy argument to explain. If you know anything about the G League then you know that even G League coaches are auditioning. The 15th man on a NBA team will likely get the green light every G League minute he plays from a G League coach. Those coaches are not about developing as much as they are about winning. G League is way more competitive and harder to play than the NCAA. It’s closer to a pro system than what college ball will ever be. And it’s more ruthless than what college ball will ever be. You will get cut you will get replaced by next week let alone next year(like in college).

Every guard in the NBA is capable of dropping 30 pts on any given night. Now put them in the G League against former college stars who couldn’t make it in the league and they’ll look like superstars. That’s not an indictment on how bad the G League is but a sign on HOW COMPETITIVE the actual NBA is. There’s not a player in the G League who wasn’t the man at his school otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten a G League spot to begin with.

Jalen Green and Kuminga were playing against guys who dropped 25+ in college and also were playing against guys who had 5-7 year NBA careers that fell out of rotation for whatever reason. College ball is not a better system than the G League, by no means. College ball provides you better exposure.

Regardless of whether the G League has more overall talent than College it doesn’t make it a better option for 19 and 20 year olds to develop their game. You said it yourself that coaches have an agenda to try and win games. It’s not an environment where they are primarily focused on developing players.

Which is why if a teenage kid excels in a G League environment you probably should take notice. Especially if this kid is the number one scoring option or becomes that due to the coach desperately trying to win games. Also these coaches are being evaluated on how they develop this young High School talent on top of wining games. What situations they are putting them in to win. I’d much rather deal with that than deal with a college coach who’s gonna have job security REGARDLESS if you flame out or not. That’s not the case for G League coaches as the NBA wants this program to succeed. So the “ignite” coach is under immense pressure to put these kids in the best situations so the NBA can show they are doing the right thing.

At 19 and 20 those are some of the most important years in basketball development for a high level basketball prospect. This is both mentally and physically. There is such a big difference from high school to the NBA. College actually provides a good transition between high school and the NBA. They should be developing against guys their own age not guys that are much older and are at a different point in their lives.

This is so backwards. Most advance kids that are good enough to even make the NBA and shown pro level talent at early ages almost never train or practice against kids their own age UNTIL the high school season roles around. Understand only 25 of the best recruits get a G league invite out of High School. Not the top 50 or the top 100 but the top 25. The cream of the crop. There’s no better way to prepare you for the league than to be around pros. There’s no better way to prepare you for the physicality of the NBA than to be in the G League. I’d rather go against Jarret Jack than Mark who’s a senior that has no shot in the NBA and has a better shot at being my accountant.

From a lifestyle perspective 19 and 20 year olds aren’t even legally old enough to drink. If you end Amateurism and let these kids sign endorsement deals and market their name college provides the best venue for them develop, make money, and transition to be an adult. Colleges have more resources and can easily develop a curriculum of personal finance, managing financial wealth, and other lifestyle skills that are important to young adults that are about to get a financial windfall.

These young men are about to be multi million dollar investments. They are getting a head start on how to manage money, what to do with their free time(because they don’t have class), and how to be a pro. You will not learn how to be a pro in college but you will learn that in the G League. I don’t get this argument it makes no sense to me. You want these kids to be mentored by a 22 year old who don’t know Jack squat about life? Or be mentored by a 28-35 year old teammate who’s likely played in europe college and a couple of NBA call ups? You think they can’t take a finance online course while in the G League? You think these one and dones are really going to be gurus on how to handle a million dollars after just one year of being on campus? Again you are missing the point that the nba is targeting the one and dones, the ones who really don’t give a damn about a degree to begin with. And these kids are going to NBA finance courses the NBA provides. You need to read up on the from high school to G League program and see what the package offers cause it sounds like you have no idea honestly. The NBA isn’t just throwing these kids in the G League without a great support system and having them take classes on finance and decision making that specifically pertains to them and their situations on what they’ll face as future NBA players. That is better than some random class in college that they’ll half way pay attention too and likely won’t complete because they’ll declare for the draft by March and stop attending class before the college year is over because they are one and dones.

You only get one chance to be a kid so there doesn’t have to be this rush to make them adults before they are ready. Also I’m sure every basketball player wants to get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. The NBA isn’t going anywhere for them and most of the high level prospects will enjoy several years in the NBA. Their basketball careers actually would end up being longer and better if they come in more developed. Regarding risk of injury in college both Baron Davis and Dwayne Wade and serious injuries in college yet they came back while in college and both had long NBA Careers.

That sounds sweet and beautiful but understand this. The ones who get invited to the G League are considered one and dones. It’s clear they are not going to college to be a scholar. One year of college will do absolutely nothing for them when they can’t even be a “normal kid” on campus because they are a high profile recruit with all eyes on them anyhow. Wade wasn’t a high level recruit coming out of high school so he wouldn’t have gotten a G League invite anyhow so he doesn’t apply. baron was and what if he didn’t look the same? It’s not like he was being financially compensated. Let’s say baron played in the G League his first year got hurt. He doesn’t have to declare for the draft because he took the G League route his first year. He could do what he did in college, rehab and come back for another year in the G League. With way better training better doctors and pro mentorship of players who had to rehab through injuries. He’d also have a full ride paid scholarship from the NBA to fall back on for ANY college of his choice if he decides to pursue a degree. That’s part of the G League package as well. The college route is riskier than the G League route. The G League puts money in your pocket, offers better training, offers better medical staffs, AND pays for all your college if you decide to go to the university as well. I’d trust a kid who’s had some pro level experience through the G League with a multimillion dollar contract than a kid coming out of college. And that’s what this is about, these kids are investments, this is the life they are pursuing.

So why is there even an age limit? Why not just let high school juniors or even younger jump to a professional league? It’s been reported that Emoni Bates would have gone number one in each of the last 2 NBA drafts had he been eligible.

[Am2626]

That’s an easy argument to explain. If you know anything about the G League then you know that even G League coaches are auditioning. The 15th man on a NBA team will likely get the green light every G League minute he plays from a G League coach. Those coaches are not about developing as much as they are about winning. G League is way more competitive and harder to play than the NCAA. It’s closer to a pro system than what college ball will ever be. And it’s more ruthless than what college ball will ever be. You will get cut you will get replaced by next week let alone next year(like in college).

Every guard in the NBA is capable of dropping 30 pts on any given night. Now put them in the G League against former college stars who couldn’t make it in the league and they’ll look like superstars. That’s not an indictment on how bad the G League is but a sign on HOW COMPETITIVE the actual NBA is. There’s not a player in the G League who wasn’t the man at his school otherwise they wouldn’t have gotten a G League spot to begin with.

Jalen Green and Kuminga were playing against guys who dropped 25+ in college and also were playing against guys who had 5-7 year NBA careers that fell out of rotation for whatever reason. College ball is not a better system than the G League, by no means. College ball provides you better exposure.

Regardless of whether the G League has more overall talent than College it doesn’t make it a better option for 19 and 20 year olds to develop their game. You said it yourself that coaches have an agenda to try and win games. It’s not an environment where they are primarily focused on developing players.

Which is why if a teenage kid excels in a G League environment you probably should take notice. Especially if this kid is the number one scoring option or becomes that due to the coach desperately trying to win games. Also these coaches are being evaluated on how they develop this young High School talent on top of wining games. What situations they are putting them in to win. I’d much rather deal with that than deal with a college coach who’s gonna have job security REGARDLESS if you flame out or not. That’s not the case for G League coaches as the NBA wants this program to succeed. So the “ignite” coach is under immense pressure to put these kids in the best situations so the NBA can show they are doing the right thing.

At 19 and 20 those are some of the most important years in basketball development for a high level basketball prospect. This is both mentally and physically. There is such a big difference from high school to the NBA. College actually provides a good transition between high school and the NBA. They should be developing against guys their own age not guys that are much older and are at a different point in their lives.

This is so backwards. Most advance kids that are good enough to even make the NBA and shown pro level talent at early ages almost never train or practice against kids their own age UNTIL the high school season roles around. Understand only 25 of the best recruits get a G league invite out of High School. Not the top 50 or the top 100 but the top 25. The cream of the crop. There’s no better way to prepare you for the league than to be around pros. There’s no better way to prepare you for the physicality of the NBA than to be in the G League. I’d rather go against Jarret Jack than Mark who’s a senior that has no shot in the NBA and has a better shot at being my accountant.

From a lifestyle perspective 19 and 20 year olds aren’t even legally old enough to drink. If you end Amateurism and let these kids sign endorsement deals and market their name college provides the best venue for them develop, make money, and transition to be an adult. Colleges have more resources and can easily develop a curriculum of personal finance, managing financial wealth, and other lifestyle skills that are important to young adults that are about to get a financial windfall.

These young men are about to be multi million dollar investments. They are getting a head start on how to manage money, what to do with their free time(because they don’t have class), and how to be a pro. You will not learn how to be a pro in college but you will learn that in the G League. I don’t get this argument it makes no sense to me. You want these kids to be mentored by a 22 year old who don’t know Jack squat about life? Or be mentored by a 28-35 year old teammate who’s likely played in europe college and a couple of NBA call ups? You think they can’t take a finance online course while in the G League? You think these one and dones are really going to be gurus on how to handle a million dollars after just one year of being on campus? Again you are missing the point that the nba is targeting the one and dones, the ones who really don’t give a damn about a degree to begin with. And these kids are going to NBA finance courses the NBA provides. You need to read up on the from high school to G League program and see what the package offers cause it sounds like you have no idea honestly. The NBA isn’t just throwing these kids in the G League without a great support system and having them take classes on finance and decision making that specifically pertains to them and their situations on what they’ll face as future NBA players. That is better than some random class in college that they’ll half way pay attention too and likely won’t complete because they’ll declare for the draft by March and stop attending class before the college year is over because they are one and dones.

You only get one chance to be a kid so there doesn’t have to be this rush to make them adults before they are ready. Also I’m sure every basketball player wants to get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. The NBA isn’t going anywhere for them and most of the high level prospects will enjoy several years in the NBA. Their basketball careers actually would end up being longer and better if they come in more developed. Regarding risk of injury in college both Baron Davis and Dwayne Wade and serious injuries in college yet they came back while in college and both had long NBA Careers.

That sounds sweet and beautiful but understand this. The ones who get invited to the G League are considered one and dones. It’s clear they are not going to college to be a scholar. One year of college will do absolutely nothing for them when they can’t even be a “normal kid” on campus because they are a high profile recruit with all eyes on them anyhow. Wade wasn’t a high level recruit coming out of high school so he wouldn’t have gotten a G League invite anyhow so he doesn’t apply. baron was and what if he didn’t look the same? It’s not like he was being financially compensated. Let’s say baron played in the G League his first year got hurt. He doesn’t have to declare for the draft because he took the G League route his first year. He could do what he did in college, rehab and come back for another year in the G League. With way better training better doctors and pro mentorship of players who had to rehab through injuries. He’d also have a full ride paid scholarship from the NBA to fall back on for ANY college of his choice if he decides to pursue a degree. That’s part of the G League package as well. The college route is riskier than the G League route. The G League puts money in your pocket, offers better training, offers better medical staffs, AND pays for all your college if you decide to go to the university as well. I’d trust a kid who’s had some pro level experience through the G League with a multimillion dollar contract than a kid coming out of college. And that’s what this is about, these kids are investments, this is the life they are pursuing.

To make a blanket statement that all High Level Basketball Players only care about basketball and making money the quickest and fastest way possible is simply wrong. Take a look at what is written by Jaylen Brown in the below article. In his one year in college he took a Master Level Class, was one of the best members of the Berkley Chess Team, etc. The G League wouldn’t provide him with any of those experiences. Brandon Knight took so many AP classes in High School he was academically a sophomore when he got to college. He also had a 4.0 GPA in college. John Wall said he wanted to be the first one and done player to get a college degree. KAT, Durant Jabari Parker, and Colin Sexton all maintained high GPA’s in College. Pretty much every one and done player has looked favorably in their one year in college. Jayson Tatum and Durant both speaking about how their time in college helped them become the players they now are today. See 3rd and 4th articles. The allure of getting paid is too much for an 18 year old kid to turn down but in hindsight taking the time to mature and develop physically in college paid off for Tatum.

https://www.collegeconsensus.com/features/best-educated-nba-players/

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=4640539

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2768848-those-kids-arent-getting-educated.amp.html

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/2891187-jayson-tatum-discusses-if-hed-have-joined-g-league-over-playing-for-duke.amp.html

[Almost Retired]

Current mocks seem to indicate that several players I'd like the Bulls to draft will be likely be available when they pick in the 2nd round. Most intriguing to me are Tre Mann from Florida and Isaiah Todd from the G-League. Mann fits a need for sure, and his game was really improving toward the end of the college season. And with Todd I think he can play SF with his long wirey build and at 6-10 with a jump shot he'd be able to create a lot of mismatches offensively. New Orleans has 4 Second Round picks. Unless they plan to stash 2 or 3 of them they might be interested in dealing one or two. Maybe even for "cash considerations". I'd like the Bulls to get Mann and Todd and add Ariel Hukporti as a two year Euro stash. He's nowhere near ready for the NBA, but he just turned 19. He's got the size and the athletic tools to be be an interior force in the league in 3 or 4 years.

[Am2626]

The large amount of money that these players could miss out of because of injury though is huge. I know you cited Wade and BD but there are many examples that didn’t work out. Say you go back for a soph - sr season and you tear an acl... you can drop from lottery to late first or second and not have a guaranteed contract. Obviously everyone would like to see better finished products coming into the NBA but the money is so big. MPJ dropped because of his back issues, for him it worked out. Then you have like every other player the Trailblazers have picked. It’s just not realistic to think a top prospect is going to pass on a huge payday, it would be near impossible for me to justify it if I were in their shoes, unless say I was Bronny and I already had wealth and could take the extra time to hone my game in and risk injury.

The easy solution is to completely end Amateurism. The high level prospects can make millions of dollars off their name. Let them sign shoe deals. College students are allowed to intern for companies while in college so why can’t college athletes be able to let the free market determine their financial worth?

When you look at the injury risks they can happen at any time. What if a high school senior has a serious injury? How can they mitigate that risk? Should the NBA lower the age limit because of that? The high level college athletes are insured and can recoup losses due to risk of injury. They can recoup money that way. Unfortunately injuries are part of the game.

There are also plenty of examples where high level prospects went to the NBA way too early where they were not ready and basically ruined their future. Think about Robert Swift, Korleon Young, Leon Smith, Martel Webster. All of these guys ruined their chances of an NBA Future by jumping from high school to the NBA. Since the one and done rule was implemented there have been fewer busts. The below article gives a good overview. If the age rule were raised to 20 which is what I think it should be at there would be even fewer busts and more prospects would reach their potential. The people that don’t make it would be 2 years away from a college degree and have some sort of education to fall back on. There are too many 19 and 20 year old prospects that are saturating the NBA and lowering the quality of the game. The NBA game was much more fundamentally sound before all these kids started jumping to the league too early.

The NFL requires 3 years of college and football is a much more injury prone game. Why isn’t the injury argument made in football? I would think that it is more relevant in that sport.

If MPJ came back for another year in college he could have easily moved up in the draft with a productive sophomore year. He seems to have completely recovered from his injuries by the way. Even if it took multiple years in college he still would have made his way to the NBA eventually. Instead he gets drafted and doesn’t play for 2 years. Don’t see how that is good for the NBA game.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/basketballjoe.com/articles/one-and-done-rule%3fformat=amp

[Am2626]

Regardless of whether the G League has more overall talent than College it doesn’t make it a better option for 19 and 20 year olds to develop their game. You said it yourself that coaches have an agenda to try and win games. It’s not an environment where they are primarily focused on developing players.

Which is why if a teenage kid excels in a G League environment you probably should take notice. Especially if this kid is the number one scoring option or becomes that due to the coach desperately trying to win games. Also these coaches are being evaluated on how they develop this young High School talent on top of wining games. What situations they are putting them in to win. I’d much rather deal with that than deal with a college coach who’s gonna have job security REGARDLESS if you flame out or not. That’s not the case for G League coaches as the NBA wants this program to succeed. So the “ignite” coach is under immense pressure to put these kids in the best situations so the NBA can show they are doing the right thing.

At 19 and 20 those are some of the most important years in basketball development for a high level basketball prospect. This is both mentally and physically. There is such a big difference from high school to the NBA. College actually provides a good transition between high school and the NBA. They should be developing against guys their own age not guys that are much older and are at a different point in their lives.

This is so backwards. Most advance kids that are good enough to even make the NBA and shown pro level talent at early ages almost never train or practice against kids their own age UNTIL the high school season roles around. Understand only 25 of the best recruits get a G league invite out of High School. Not the top 50 or the top 100 but the top 25. The cream of the crop. There’s no better way to prepare you for the league than to be around pros. There’s no better way to prepare you for the physicality of the NBA than to be in the G League. I’d rather go against Jarret Jack than Mark who’s a senior that has no shot in the NBA and has a better shot at being my accountant.

From a lifestyle perspective 19 and 20 year olds aren’t even legally old enough to drink. If you end Amateurism and let these kids sign endorsement deals and market their name college provides the best venue for them develop, make money, and transition to be an adult. Colleges have more resources and can easily develop a curriculum of personal finance, managing financial wealth, and other lifestyle skills that are important to young adults that are about to get a financial windfall.

These young men are about to be multi million dollar investments. They are getting a head start on how to manage money, what to do with their free time(because they don’t have class), and how to be a pro. You will not learn how to be a pro in college but you will learn that in the G League. I don’t get this argument it makes no sense to me. You want these kids to be mentored by a 22 year old who don’t know Jack squat about life? Or be mentored by a 28-35 year old teammate who’s likely played in europe college and a couple of NBA call ups? You think they can’t take a finance online course while in the G League? You think these one and dones are really going to be gurus on how to handle a million dollars after just one year of being on campus? Again you are missing the point that the nba is targeting the one and dones, the ones who really don’t give a damn about a degree to begin with. And these kids are going to NBA finance courses the NBA provides. You need to read up on the from high school to G League program and see what the package offers cause it sounds like you have no idea honestly. The NBA isn’t just throwing these kids in the G League without a great support system and having them take classes on finance and decision making that specifically pertains to them and their situations on what they’ll face as future NBA players. That is better than some random class in college that they’ll half way pay attention too and likely won’t complete because they’ll declare for the draft by March and stop attending class before the college year is over because they are one and dones.

You only get one chance to be a kid so there doesn’t have to be this rush to make them adults before they are ready. Also I’m sure every basketball player wants to get a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. The NBA isn’t going anywhere for them and most of the high level prospects will enjoy several years in the NBA. Their basketball careers actually would end up being longer and better if they come in more developed. Regarding risk of injury in college both Baron Davis and Dwayne Wade and serious injuries in college yet they came back while in college and both had long NBA Careers.

That sounds sweet and beautiful but understand this. The ones who get invited to the G League are considered one and dones. It’s clear they are not going to college to be a scholar. One year of college will do absolutely nothing for them when they can’t even be a “normal kid” on campus because they are a high profile recruit with all eyes on them anyhow. Wade wasn’t a high level recruit coming out of high school so he wouldn’t have gotten a G League invite anyhow so he doesn’t apply. baron was and what if he didn’t look the same? It’s not like he was being financially compensated. Let’s say baron played in the G League his first year got hurt. He doesn’t have to declare for the draft because he took the G League route his first year. He could do what he did in college, rehab and come back for another year in the G League. With way better training better doctors and pro mentorship of players who had to rehab through injuries. He’d also have a full ride paid scholarship from the NBA to fall back on for ANY college of his choice if he decides to pursue a degree. That’s part of the G League package as well. The college route is riskier than the G League route. The G League puts money in your pocket, offers better training, offers better medical staffs, AND pays for all your college if you decide to go to the university as well. I’d trust a kid who’s had some pro level experience through the G League with a multimillion dollar contract than a kid coming out of college. And that’s what this is about, these kids are investments, this is the life they are pursuing.

So why is there even an age limit? Why not just let high school juniors or even younger jump to a professional league? It’s been reported that Emoni Bates would have gone number one in each of the last 2 NBA drafts had he been eligible.

Regarding the G league, Jalen Green was the number 1 or 2 prospect coming out of high school and he is probably going to be drafted 4 so the G League didn’t exactly help his draft stock. The 3 guys that went to college have all jumped ahead of him. Also Princepal Singh and Kai Sotto got Select Team contracts and they aren’t even top 100 prospects so the whole only top 25 prospects are being targeted for the G League isn’t accurate.

[CoreyVillains]

Current mocks seem to indicate that several players I'd like the Bulls to draft will be likely be available when they pick in the 2nd round. Most intriguing to me are Tre Mann from Florida and Isaiah Todd from the G-League. Mann fits a need for sure, and his game was really improving toward the end of the college season. And with Todd I think he can play SF with his long wirey build and at 6-10 with a jump shot he'd be able to create a lot of mismatches offensively. New Orleans has 4 Second Round picks. Unless they plan to stash 2 or 3 of them they might be interested in dealing one or two. Maybe even for "cash considerations". I'd like the Bulls to get Mann and Todd and add Ariel Hukporti as a two year Euro stash. He's nowhere near ready for the NBA, but he just turned 19. He's got the size and the athletic tools to be be an interior force in the league in 3 or 4 years.

Tre Mann is one of the guys who I think is gonna be a big time riser on mocks come draft time. He is the kind of guy who would kill a workout.