NBA Draft

I know the Draft isn't until the middle of June of but I figured I would throw some ideas into the mix. The deadline to officially put your name in the draft just passed on May 8th and a few guys decided to pull their names out and a few put their names in. It's a very interesting balance that these guys need to find in order to put themselves in the correct position for them to be the most successful.

It seems like every year a boatload of kids declare for the draft to try and figure out where they stand with NBA personnel. It's not a perfect system by any stretch of the imagination but it's what is in place. I'm not a fan of the whole draft process because of the way it's structured. I don't have an issue with guys going straight from high school to the pros. If you are good enough to play in the NBA you should be given every opportunity to play there. I think the NBA should change the age minimum rule and let the high school kids go if they want and then force the kids that go to college to stay there a minimum of two years. This one year system is extremely flawed.

MLB lets you get drafted after high school, after JUCO, and then after your third year of college. There are a couple of rules in the mix as well and that system works for them. They also have a great minor league system that allows these kids to develop over the course of time. The NFL doesn't allow you enter the draft until three after your high school graduation. Both MLB and the NHL make you automatically eligible for the draft based off your year in school or age. So, if you are aren't drafted then you are eligible to be signed by any team.

There are quite a few horror stories about guys declaring and not getting drafted or not getting drafted where they can get guarantee money. There has been a couple of high school guys that thought they were ready for the big time and according the NBA they weren't. These guys were Korleone Young, Ousmane Cissi, and Tony Key. I believe Young was at least drafted by the Pistons but didn't make it. There have been a fair share of college guys that have left early and didn't get drafted as well. It's a tough balance for these guys as with many of them, their family is relying on them for financial support and they have no other choice. Sometimes, too many people are in their ear and telling them our great they are. In reality, they aren't ready at the time or will never be ready.

Two example of players leaving early and then not getting drafted where they wanted are Gilbert Arenas and Carlos Boozer. Both of these guys were drafted in the second round. And obviously, they have had successful NBA careers and have made teams look stupid for not drafting them. Being a second round pick could be better for you financially because you wouldn't be locked into the rookie salary cap and are able to get to free agency quicker. The major issue is that the contract isn't guaranteed, so the team isn't locked in to your contract.

There have also been some times when a player didn't leave early at the right time and it ended up costing them a chance to make significant money in the NBA. Brett Nelson is a perfect example. He was great as a combo guard at Florida during his sophomore and his stock was really high. He choose to head back to school and eventually never played in the NBA. He still had a great college career but he could've had an extreme amount of money and didn't get anything. Sometimes you have go when the fire is hot.

Five potential lottery picks decided against heading to the the draft this year. John Henson and Harrison Barnes from UNC, Terrance Jones from Kentucky, Perry Jones from Baylor, and Jared Sullinger from Ohio State all decided that another year of college would do them good for their development. I think if you are a lottery pick it's a no brainer to leave college. These guys all thought differently and I commend them for it. It will make next year's draft very good one.