Otto Porter in:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...heading-to-nba
I hope he falls to the Pistons
I guess it depends on priorities and how you spend or take care of your money. He would make 2.8 million over 3 years as the 30th pick instead of 3.7 million as the 20th pick but if he had a great senior year with his father, ended up as one of the top 10 all-time NCAA scorers with around 3000 points (he is currently at 2216 after scoring over 800 each of the past two years) to become a college basketball legend, it might be worth the risk that he doesn't get that second contract or improves enough to get drafted as high or has a better chance of getting a second contract. There are a lot of people who could do quite well with a start to their career with over a million dollars in the bank if he was a great saver.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope declares:
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebask...eaving-for-nba
So have more than 50 undergraduates been told they will be one of the top 14 picks in the draft yet?
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club
Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. - Winston Churchill
President of the "Nolan Smith Should Have His Jersey in The Rafters" Club
Although stated half in jest, this is still a great point. Someone upstream posted early entry is not a crisis due to only 9 being drafted last season. Well, actually that highlights the problem. The number of early entrants each year goes far beyond the amount of draft spots available. A very large amount of kids throw away the remainder of their college careers after being sold a bill of goods by fraudulent hangers-on telling them how great they are, only to go undrafted. They blow their chance to have a great college career and leave a meaningful legacy in college while also failing to get the college degree that most are going to actually need to succeed in life. Instead they end up in the D-League making peanuts, or in the Middle East/EurAsia leagues somewhere making peanuts in a miserable life before finally giving up and coming home. The number of failed outcomes far out number the number of success stories where guys make it to the NBA, stick there, and make real money.
Yet every year we see it over and over again. This year will be even worse because so many are calling this the worst draft ever, so even more marginal kids who are nowhere near NBA ready physically/mentally/basketball skill set wise, will be convinced to come out when they have no business doing so. We, the basketball/sports society both media wise and "advisors" have sold these kids a bill of goods. The reality is that for every Noel Nerlens (who will make it but certainly is no guarantee to ever sniff an All-NBA team) there are hundreds of William Avery's who should stay in school all 4 years, get their degree's, and go into the draft, mentally, physically, and basketball skillset ready to have a fighting chance to make it, but ultimately get bad advice and end up both throwing away what would have been an awesome college career and legacy, and failing to make it to or make it but not stick in the NBA. They are left with no degree, and no ability to make life sustaining money playing the game they have loved since birth.
The latest hot "one-liner" being fed to these kids is "you need to go now son to maximize your position in the draft". Too many are buying it.
I have no issue for the Anthony Davis' of the world choosing to be one and done. Those type kids are locks to make it big. If they want to give up college and go that is fine, but if like a Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, many others, etc, those guys choose to enjoy 3 or the full four seasons of college such that they get a degree, leave a legacy as an all time college great, and then go be great NBA players, I applaud that too. Last I checked, all of those guys are multi-millionaires with enough money in the bank to both last a lifetime, and pass down to relatives to secure their futures as well. So in my mind, they did not cost themselves a damn thing by enjoying 3 to 4 years of college.
But it's the marginal kids that throw that away on bad guidance and end up with nothing on either end (college or professional) that just bothers me to no end.
I have a hard time getting too upset over this situation. Let's be honest. How many of these kids would even be sniffing a college campus if it weren't for their ability to play basketball? Their ultimate goal is to make it to the NBA. While you and many others may have fond memories about your time in school for many of these kids it's a necessary evil. I also think it's unfair to point out the number of early entry busts, as even if kids do stay the whole four years, the number of available bodies is far more than the NBA needs.
Are some of these kids getting bad info? Yes, you're probably right about that, but what can we do about that, since many of these so called advisors are in some cases family members. If your own family doesn't have your best interest at heart, who will?
I did add my comment half in-jest but I am glad that you pointed out many things that I have always thoought about the draft. Up until now having more players declare for the draft and having more selection come draft day is a good business model for an NBA GM. Some one above you in the draft may make a mistake if there are not enough good players to draft. However, the NBA may want to start to notice that every year seems to be the "weakest" draft ever and more and more drafted players end up in the D league. The reason is the analogy that Jay Bilas has used about over-fishing a pond. After so many years of players entering the draft early the talent pool is getting worse and worse. I would even argue that Anthony Davis and Nerlen Noels have or are about to make a mistake going into the draft early. They will definitley have a long career but they have holes in their games that might keep them from being all-stars or getting that 2nd great contract. if you look at the draft 15-20 years ago the top draft pick was almost always an all-star right away and had very few if any holes in their games.
1998-1994 (15-20 drafts ago) was a bit of a mixed bag for top picks. You had clear successes in Duncan and Iverson sandwiched by Joe Smith and Michael Olowokandi, and Glenn Robinson leading that off (an all-star twice, but not right away and someone who had only a fair career). You could make an argument that the past five years of Rose, Griffin, Wall, Irving, and Davis is, at the aggregate level, better than the 5 from that window.
Just be you. You is enough. - K, 4/5/10, 0:13.8 to play, 60-59 Duke.
You're all jealous hypocrites. - Titus on Laettner
You see those guys? Animals. They're animals. - SIU Coach Chris Lowery, on Duke
My take on it is this -- if your ultimate goal is to be a professional basketball player, then if you can make an NBA team, and therefore practice with an NBA team, or even make a D-League team or a a high level European team, you'll improve your game (for what the pros need in a player) more than you will if you stay in college. Simple time on the court and access to coaches make it so. The NCAA limits hours that the coaches can be with the players. I think the only reasons to stay in college, for basketball related reasons, are media exposure (which can be a boost) and depending on the draft from year to year, it may also make sense to go or stay from a $$ perspective.
There are a million, non-basketball, reasons to stay in school. And I think most people that choose to stay, from very borderline cases like Rasheed (who might get a first round grade this year), to guys like Shane and JJ, and even HB after his freshman year, do so because they are enjoying themselves. And there is a whole heck of a lot to be said for that.
The bolded quote is what I am not sure is true in the NBA, although it may be true in the D league. In the NBA you have 3-4 games a week and travel days in between. The coaches are probably more concerned about the game plans for the next opponents. If you come into the league with limited offensive moves, the coaches may not want to teach you how to improve your offensive game. They could always get someone with better offensive skills in the next draft or through a trade or free-agency. In addition, if you do get on the court during a game it is to use you best skills not to improve skills you don't have. For example, if you are a great shooter and can't drive the coach is putting you in the game to shoot. If you drive and miss a few shots you are back on the bench. In college on the other hand if you are one of the best players you will stay on the court even if you go out of your comfort zone and try new things. College coaches may not have any other options.