G League to offer contracts to top high schoolers

[Troublemaker]

One way to look at it -- maybe -- is that a person making $125K isn't typically getting access to charter flights, top-of-the-line workout facilities and trainers, catered meals overseen by top-of-the-line nutritionists, 5-star hotels (I'm guessing), Hall-of-Fame coaching, etc.

You can put $125K in the bank minus taxes. Or you can live the life of a basketball millionaire for a year (before actually becoming a basketball millionaire).

[arnie]

And ESPN continuing to cash in on college b-ball: Zion specifically. ESPNU carrying random 2019 Duke games tonight and ESPN2 carried them this afternoon BC, Indiana and others.

I don’t ever recall anyone carrying repeats of random college games 2 months after season ended.

[devildeac]

And ESPN continuing to cash in on college b-ball: Zion specifically. ESPNU carrying random 2019 Duke games tonight and ESPN2 carried them this afternoon BC, Indiana and others.

I don’t ever recall anyone carrying repeats of random college games 2 months after season ended.

Whaddaya think they're going to show, videos of "u"nc athletes carrying books around and attending classes?

[JasonEvans]

And ESPN continuing to cash in on college b-ball: Zion specifically. ESPNU carrying random 2019 Duke games tonight and ESPN2 carried them this afternoon BC, Indiana and others.

I don’t ever recall anyone carrying repeats of random college games 2 months after season ended.

Well, they have a lot of network air time to fill with all those channels.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

One way to look at it -- maybe -- is that a person making $125K isn't typically getting access to charter flights, top-of-the-line workout facilities and trainers, catered meals overseen by top-of-the-line nutritionists, 5-star hotels (I'm guessing), Hall-of-Fame coaching, etc.

You can put $125K in the bank minus taxes. Or you can live the life of a basketball millionaire for a year (before actually becoming a basketball millionaire).

Preach bros.

[frb]

I don't think the money is the main issue. It's the G League competition. It's too good for a HS kid to risk being exposed against... and will the coach really invest much? the player wouldn't be attached to a parent club and virtually all the G league teams are owned directly or indirectly by their parent club.

[UrinalCake]

I don't think the money is the main issue. It's the G League competition. It's too good for a HS kid to risk being exposed against... and will the coach really invest much? the player wouldn't be attached to a parent club and virtually all the G league teams are owned directly or indirectly by their parent club.

Not only that but your teammates on a G league team are all trying to make it themselves, they’re not in a position to want to help you or build you up. And I would imagine that a 19 year old superstar making $125k is going to face some backlash from his older teammates who are making $40k. The parent club of that G league team has no motivation to help develop you either, because you’re going to enter the draft after the season and they have no rights to you.

The flip side is that you are free to earn money off endorsements. So there’s no cap on how much money you could theoretically make. But outside of Zion, I’m not sure how many of these players would command a big endorsement deal.

[Truth&Justise]

I don't think the money is the main issue. It's the G League competition. It's too good for a HS kid to risk being exposed against... and will the coach really invest much? the player wouldn't be attached to a parent club and virtually all the G league teams are owned directly or indirectly by their parent club.

Not only that but your teammates on a G league team are all trying to make it themselves, they’re not in a position to want to help you or build you up. And I would imagine that a 19 year old superstar making $125k is going to face some backlash from his older teammates who are making $40k. The parent club of that G league team has no motivation to help develop you either, because you’re going to enter the draft after the season and they have no rights to you.

Good points about competing with teammates and possibly being exposed by the level of competition in the G-League.

But I'm also curious how this plays out with regard to guys who go overseas. Are RJ Hampton's teammates on the New Zealand Breakers really invested in his success, knowing he will definitely be gone next year? What is the financial side like? Also, it seems like the Breakers' coach, whose goal is to win a championship, has less incentive to play a young guy who isn't yet ready for pro ball, as opposed to a G-League coach, who is there to develop players and implement a system from the parent club, with winning games a secondary concern.

Of course these concerns play out in college too, where coaches have to balance development with winning now, guys sometimes eschew coaching to audition for the pros, and jealousies can run rampant. However, IMO it seems like most top-tier college coaches have figured out that balancing act fairly well, and most guys understand that if you buy in and work hard at a top flight program, you'll get noticed.

Not sure I have any clear conclusion, just that these issues can play out--to varying degrees--at all levels of basketball.

[sagegrouse]

Good points about competing with teammates and possibly being exposed by the level of competition in the G-League.

But I'm also curious how this plays out with regard to guys who go overseas. Are RJ Hampton's teammates on the New Zealand Breakers really invested in his success, knowing he will definitely be gone next year? What is the financial side like? Also, it seems like the Breakers' coach, whose goal is to win a championship, has less incentive to play a young guy who isn't yet ready for pro ball, as opposed to a G-League coach, who is there to develop players and implement a system from the parent club, with winning games a secondary concern.

Of course these concerns play out in college too, where coaches have to balance development with winning now, guys sometimes eschew coaching to audition for the pros, and jealousies can run rampant. However, IMO it seems like most top-tier college coaches have figured out that balancing act fairly well, and most guys understand that if you buy in and work hard at a top flight program, you'll get noticed.

Not sure I have any clear conclusion, just that these issues can play out--to varying degrees--at all levels of basketball.

Do any other leagues have 48-minute games -- 12-minute quarters vs. 10 minutes? Forty-eight minutes creates a lot of extra playing time over 40-minute games -- the top NBA players average under 37 minutes per game.

[awhom111]

Do any other leagues have 48-minute games -- 12-minute quarters vs. 10 minutes? Forty-eight minutes creates a lot of extra playing time over 40-minute games -- the top NBA players average under 37 minutes per game.

Besides the NBA and G League, I believe that the other leagues that play 48 minutes are in Canada, China, and the Philippines. South Korea was planning on switching from 40 to 48 and decrease the number of total games, but I do not know if they followed through on that. Australia used to play 48 and then harmonized with the rest of the world.

The real takeaway is that the former players put in charge of this program by the NBA are clearly stealing their salaries at this point.

[JasonEvans]

Okay, my friend. I agree. **Shakes on it**

To review our wager:

• If at least 5 of the top 30 players (according to 247's Composite rankings) sign a Select Contract, JasonEvans wins.
• If 4 or fewer of that pool of 30 players sign a Select Contract, Troublemaker wins.
• If the NBA scraps the Select Contract, and there is mainstream media reporting that the NBA did it because they expected too few players to take the offer, then Troublemaker wins.
• If the NBA sweetens the pot of what they're offering high school prospects, it is a push between us.

I have a feeling that last one is going to save your butt, my friend. Anyway, the prize is: for one week, when we make posts on DBR, the loser will praise the winner as a genius.

Sigh... I was a year late on this but a loss is a loss. Time to pay up to the person who is unquestioningly smarter than me, Troublemaker.

[Troublemaker]

Sigh... I was a year late on this but a loss is a loss. Time to pay up to the person who is unquestioningly smarter than me, Troublemaker.

Aw shucks! "Smarter than I," says my now 90-year old grammar teacher.