Posted on Thursday 15 May 2008
Last year, they changed the NBA draft rule to force young men to go to college for one year before putting their name in the draft. A player can get drafted into the Army, but he can’t play his trade in the NBA without a year of college. Who are you kidding? David Stern is so self serving. And for what 12 players? That’s how many freshman put their name in the draft this year. This rule brings on a whole new set of problems for guys who don’t really want to be in college. Ian O Connor wrote a great article on the potential problems.
12 freshman declared themselves eligible, but that wouldn’t necessarily be the number from this class that would have declared last year if there weren’t a age-limit rule.
You might be interested to read a column I wrote about this subject, where I go back and look at recent history to see how high school players performed in the pros.
http://www.bullz-eye.com/paulsen/2007/0221.htm
I have mixed feelings about the subject, but I’d like to hear why you say Stern is “self-serving” on this issue.
Why can a high school player go to the pros in major league baseball? Answer, because they have a minor league farm system.
Why does David Stern want a guy to go to college for a year? Answer, so that the NBA doesn’t have to spend money on a farm system.
And don’t tell me David Stern is about education. What he does want, however, is a more finished product/player on and off the court. That is what a college farm system does.
Do you think Kevin Durrant or Michael Beasley will ever get their degree?
Call it what it is–a farm system.
Or let them get drafted out of high school like the MLB.