Originally Posted by
Turk
I beg to differ. I think Supa Dave made the same point upstream, and I beg to differ with him, too. The NBA isn't all that interested in player development. That's why they went to the 19 minimum age rule that established the one-and-done. The NBA would set the league age at 20 and be glad to let the NCAA cash in on (I''m sorry, I meant "developing") their pool of unpaid labor if they could get away with it. The NBA is all about minutes and contracts. If you're not getting minutes, you're not getting better. If you have a contract, you can do what you want until it's time to worry about the next one. Lastly, you can make a nice career in the NBA with one major-plus skill and absolutely nothing else. For example, I'm thinking of Mike Miller (3 pointers), JaVale McGee or Slammin Sammy Dalembert (shotblocking), Reggie Evans (rebounding), and in years past, Ben Wallace, Bruce Bowen, etc.
Sure, there might be more practices because the season is longer, but it's such a grind the practices aren't really for instruction. A few NBA teams who do want to develop players (e.g. Dallas, San Antonio) are investing into D-league teams, but they're the exception. It's not unusual for mid or low first round picks to cash their 3 year rookie deal, ride some pine, and then wash out of the league.
To use your example, Austin's not going to get better working against Rondo, because Rondo's only going at half speed. The real development at the college age is in the weight room - the player growing into his body, getting stronger, and (hopefully) maturing as a person. If Austin doesn't have a left hand now, he's not going to get one over the summer.
The reason people are so divided about Austin is because his NBA career has such a wide range of possibilities. Sure, he could make a couple all-star teams, or he could have a rank-and-file / journeyman career like JJ, Duhon, or GHenderson. Lot of room in between, too. That's why the right team with the right mix of players is so important. For example, if Austin winds up in Sacramento, he might as well be in Azkaban for all the good it will do his career...