Solving the "problem" of HS players declaring for the draft

The issue with HS players jumping stright to the NBA is a touchy subject. The suits working for the NBA and Player's Union have a hard time coming up with a solution. Besides that you just might have something there. Drop an email to Stern and who knows.

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take it one day at a time

 

This idea is a good one and seems to make sense. However, in order to deter HSers, the difference will have to be large enough which probably means the rookie scales will have to be changed somewhat. Only problem is that implementing this would be pretty complicated as there would have to 4 or 5 different salary slots for each draft pick. That would mean close to 150 salary slots for first rounders instead of 29.

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I know not everyone will agree with me, but I consider this a non-issue.

Any ball player good enough to go in the draft from high school should get paid whatever the schedule provides, irrespective of their lack of college. We're talking about a process that impacts no more than 5 or 6 high schoolers per year. If we add the college players who come out early, it impacts maybe 20 or so per year.

If a player's skill or potential justifies his being drafted, it justifies his being paid at a commenserate level.

I just don't buy into the argument that somehow any debt is owed to college basketball.

However, the development of skills is a legitimate concern. If the league had a functioning minor league, like baseball does, players could still be paid full salary while allowed to work on their games.

Players in slumps or coming back from injuries could do likewise. Guys like Matt Maloney could be sent down to re-group, instead of being let go. The NBA needs the ability to send players down to the CBA for playing time and progress, just as MLB does.



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Don't worry. Aelliott can handle it.

 

I agree with Pinetree; if the player is good enough, then who cares if he went to college or not?
Sure if someone wants an education then they should get themselves to college, but there's absolutely no evidence to suggest that playing 4 years of college basketball makes someone a better player (a recent article on nbatalk.com shows that underclassmen and HS'ers produce better numbers than seniors in their rookie seasons).

If there is a spate of HS'ers getting drafted who just don't make the cut, then GM's will stop drafting them. Simple as that. But if I was a GM and could take a player who was a little raw, but give them experience against the best players in the world and get them up to "NBA standard" in a year or two then I'd do it! All rookies (seniors included!!) make "rookie mistakes" and it takes a few seasons to get yourself fully adjusted to the NBA.
I'd rather have a player realising his full potential at 22-23 then at 26-27 - gives your franchise a little bit more time to build around a player don't you think?

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These are all very good points. On the other hand, if the NBA, like any other employer, wants to put age limits into place, why should they not be allowed to?
If you check Sunday's want ads, you will find many ads requiring that an employee be of a certain age to apply. Almost all jobs of any kind of responsibility require some college, if not a degree of some kind. If we were to come across a high school kid who had the where-with-all to memorize medical books and journals, should he be allowed to practice medicine without going to medical school?
Personally, I have nothing against high-schoolers entering the draft. If it is diluting the overall skill level of the league, it isn't the player's fault, it's the teams that are dafting them.
j


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