Two Sides to Every Story on the Age Limit

by DC Dave
(Cheverly, MD)

The NBA's a copy-cat league. With the expansion of the league, and the graying of the league's stars in the early 1990's, the NBA aspirated a lot of young talent into its ranks. At the advent of the rookie salary cap that made talent like LeBron James dirt-ass cheap? Everyone wanted in on that.


The owners were FULLY complicit in this, by the way. Once the Timberwolves drafted Kevin Garnett and the Lakers traded Vlade for the rights to Kobe Bryant? The chase was on for young, cheap talent.

Why? For the same reason there's always a new, fresh Hollywood starlet on the rise----it's the new "it" thing to do. And the owners who did a good job with drafting HS players or young Euros and then one-and-dones? They profited at the box office.

Problem is that whiners like the Washington Wizards that blundered on Kwame Brown helped get the one-and-done rule instituted. And quiet as kept, there were veteran players that were more than OK with the one-and-done rule.

Simple solution for Stern here:

1) If the league's owners want college players with more experience? Then stop drafting Derrick Rose, if he's available, ahead of a guy with four years of college. If you want to make maturity and stability the priority instead of sheer talent? Then the league's owners need to PAY FOR IT. And those jag-offs want something for nothing, but hey, that's why they're rich. LOL.

2) Whatever the league's entry policy is, it has to be uniform. One world. One game. If an American-born 17 year-old can't be drafted, then a 17 year-old out of Eastern Europe can't be drafted. What does it say to a kid whose parents paid taxes in this country all their lives and then their kid goes pro, but he's got to wait until he's 18, 19 or 20 or whatever makes "NBA fans" happy? Or sportswriters? Bump that. Whatever the age-limit is for Euros, then American-born players need to be eligible for the draft at that age. Enough of the double-standard.

3) Whatever the league's entry policy is, the owners have to abide by it. If you got LeBron James, great. You were happy. If you got Kwame Brown? Your ownership and management had best keep their lip zipped about how "unfair" it was or else I'd fine them a cool million dollars AND I'd take a lottery pick from them. Just so they understand how to act on draft night the next time they're in the hopper. I'll give them two second-rounders for that pick. At the end of the second-round.

4) If the age limit goes back to 18, I'd make it harder for teams to dump a kid that young before Year 4. If he washes out, it's not JUST because the kid's a kid, it's because the guy in the Armani suit pretending to be a GM screwed up. How about this: if an NBA owner or GM cuts a player loose before Year 4, he can do so with cap relief, BUT he's got to appear on the jumbotron at every home game all year with a taped message that says "Hi. I'm the owner of the team and an 18 year-old and his agent are smarter than me. Please buy season tickets, I promise to do better next time."

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Sep 23, 2013
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RE: Two Sides to Every Story on the Age Limit
by: Dennis Berry

C Dave, you are right about the NBA being a copy cat league. That can be said for every sports league. When one team wins, others try to do what they did in hopes of the same results.

Look at the 2008 Boston Celtics. They went and traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to go along with Paul Pierce forming a "Big Three." Then they won a championship. So now teams and players are wanting to form their own "Big Three" in hopes of winning.

As far as drafting young unproven players, the NBA used to stay away from this. Until Kevin Garnett showed that some young players could play in the NBA, and this opened the gates. Teams had to start taking a chance on young players, so they would not miss out on a good player.

For every Garnett or LeBron James that has success, there is a Kwame Brown or Leon Smith that does not.

The NBA has to enforce an age limit to keep GM's from drafting high school players. If they increase the age limit, it only helps players to develop the skills more and gives teams more time to scout players.

What I can never understand is the fact the the NFL has a three years removed from high school rule and you rarely here complaints about it. Sure Maurice Clarett unsuccessfully challenged the rule, but you never hear people complain. The NFL age limit rule gives players time to fully develop before entering the NFL, so they are ready to compete.

I never understand why other sport leagues to do see the success of the NFL and their high level of play and try to copy it.

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