11/05/24
June 21, 2005
Espn is reporting that NBA labor agreement is close.: The agreement would include an age limit of 19 among other items.
posted by daddisamm to basketball at 10:16 AM - 20 comments
I wish the age limit were 20. Take a look at this year's list of early entries. The competition for 60 selections is insane, how can all these kids be ready? At the very least you can get a season or two with the new plan at the next level. Charlie Villanueva (Uconn) was entered in the 2003 draft as a HS senior. It became clear that he wasn't going to get drafted so he went to college for 2 years and now he'll be a first round pick. He's still not ready (IMHO) but at least he's progressed enough to be a legitimate pick. Forcing these kids down a similar path is good for them, their families and the NBA. Plus it always wierded me out to have a 17-year old kid hanging out with a team mostly 10 years older than them. Remember your first week at college...can you imagine your first road trip?
posted by YukonGold at 11:48 AM on June 21, 2005
Funny what a time limit and how people think of what hockey has done to make people talk. I've heard football is mumbling and grumbling too. Who's next? Will it ever end?
posted by dbt302 at 01:08 PM on June 21, 2005
I have to admit, there is a part of me that wants the NBA to go through with the lockout, if only to give the NHL a window to start reparations with the casual hockey fan on this continent.
posted by chicobangs at 01:46 PM on June 21, 2005
Sounds like the team is final. Press conference is scheduled for later today.
posted by daddisamm at 02:05 PM on June 21, 2005
oops should be saying "sounds like the deal is final"
posted by daddisamm at 02:06 PM on June 21, 2005
Im glad the NBA at least raised the age limit to 19. Not every young person is going to be Lebron, Kobe, or Garnett. Ifeel that theveterans that have been in the league should not get pushed out if they still have game. As long as the the drug issue the NBA is very relaxed, especially with POT. Hopefully these two parties can come to an agreement soon enough for next season.
posted by Rage Rod 74 at 02:11 PM on June 21, 2005
Age limits are awful. And they are most certainly not in place to protect the players. However, I am beginning to see a point here with such a short bench, teams really can be drafting holes into their team - and it is a difficult task to predict future ability, hell all these young guys have 'upside'; they're 18, and it's not like hockey where you can draft an 18 year old and keep him in the minors until he's ready. That said - teams should be able to make the decisions they want. Why protect fat old bench players earning big dollars for past glories? If they're good enough, they'll get jobs. And really, is 19 any different than 18? Does that year save us from immaturity in any way? Is that even an issue? Personally, 18, 19, 40 it doesn't really matter - your still going to draft busts, gems and cocaine addicts. But all in all what the L needs is a minor league system. An age limit seems to just half-help take the problem away for another year. The real problems - poor coaching, no minors, etc. seem to never get mentioned.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 03:18 PM on June 21, 2005
I couldn't agree more, Weedy. It has always seemed, to me, like an odd concept to tell someone they need to go to college to work on their game. Last I checked, you can't major in Basketball in college, officially anyway, (although, I guess, there's always Phys. Ed. or sports management). It seems that there should be some sort of alternative like being able to draft someone to the minor leagues like in baseball or hockey. That being said, as an NBA fan(the only one I know, really) I'm happy there won't be a lockout.
posted by srw12 at 03:42 PM on June 21, 2005
i think they should have minor leagues but i think i would like to see more college ball players in college they learn how to defend these kids cant even pass the ball right we dont want to see another darko in the nba he havent shine yet they should have age limit at 20 and have low income hs students in minor league if they cant afford college
posted by defrag3x at 07:10 PM on June 21, 2005
uhh,if it was'nt for the pot they'd really be killin each other.I also fail to see who's bussiness it is,but the smoker..Of all the problems in the sport and world in general pot is the least of the problems we have.........
posted by maclmn at 09:17 PM on June 21, 2005
Sounds like there will be four Random drug test through out the season under the new agreement. The NBA's relaxed attitide towards drugs is a problem-especially pot.
posted by daddisamm at 11:45 PM on June 21, 2005
But all in all what the L needs is a minor league system Don't they have one? No, it's not the CBA...it's the NCAA. An organized NBA minor league system isn't gonna provide these kids anything except for some payment system. But, it's never gonna be the millions of dollars they're seeking now...an NBA team isn't gonna pay a minor leaguer 3-4 million/year and get nothing out of it. Just like all the teams who passed on Scott Boras' clients in the MLB draft last month. Why pay a kid all that money to work through the process of maturing into a top-level player?
posted by YukonGold at 08:50 AM on June 22, 2005
I hate the age limit. People who go to college ought to be going to get a degree - if they choose to play sports they are "student-athletes", not the other way around. Rules like this will clearly convince highly rated basketball players to spend a year (or two) at a university when they have no real desire to go. Contending that "oh well everyone ought to go to college anyway" is simplistic - if we're so convinced as a society about the value of a college education we'd force the poor to go to college, and not the extreme minority of high school basketball players who will be getting rich in the NBA in a few years anyway. This makes money for the NCAA and protects the older veterans in the league by whoring out the 18 year olds good enough to be drafted in the NBA to the NCAA.
posted by chmurray at 08:54 AM on June 22, 2005
An organized NBA minor league system isn't gonna provide these kids anything except for some payment system. Right, but that's far more fair than the indentured servitude kids endure for a "scholarship" in football and basketball. Take a fair portion of kids in college just to get to the NBA, put them in a minor league, maybe pick up some small-time TV contract and you've got kids making a living instead of slaving for the NCAA.
posted by yerfatma at 09:28 AM on June 22, 2005
the 18 year olds good enough to be drafted in the NBA Ok, so it hurts 2 or 3 players because you know not all of those high school kids are ready to play in the NBA a majority of them aren't going to get drafted. kids making a living instead of slaving for the NCAA Yes, the NCAA makes a lot of money from college basketball, it's not fair that the athletes don't see any portion of it. But, the players in question here the top 1% of college basketball make that money back in droves. Doesn't Dick Vitale screaming, ranting and raving on national TV have some kind of effect on draft status. Maybe the scouts see through all that, but I have to think that the exposure of ESPN and the NCAA tournament helps a kid stand out and ups that draft standing.
posted by YukonGold at 09:44 AM on June 22, 2005
I think a lot of kids go to college now because they're not one of the 2 or 3 good enough to get drafted. But they're not interested in being students, not really, they want a chance to develop their skills in order to be drafted 1-4 years down the line. So I think a minor league would be useful to them, more so than faking the student part of student-athlete. After all, in baseball and hockey there are reasonably meaningful college and minor league systems and player go pro from both. I'm not sure why basketball hasn't been able to have a successful minor league though the CBA lasted quite a few years.
posted by billsaysthis at 12:31 PM on June 22, 2005
An organized NBA minor league system isn't gonna provide these kids anything except for some payment system Exactly, they would be getting paid to play ball instead of having to pretend to be a student. its really just a case of owners saving themselves from themselves.
posted by srw12 at 01:10 PM on June 22, 2005
Even with fewer teens in the draft, the new CBA stretches rosters from 12 active players to 14, although contract lengths will be shorter. Including rookie contracts which go from 3 years to 2. As for minor leagues, the NBDL's age limit is now 18. Players with less than 2 years in the NBA will be eligible to be "sent down" to the D League. I have yet to read how the NBA has designated D League teams to NBA clubs.
posted by lilnemo at 02:57 PM on June 22, 2005
Shockingly, it looks like the new deal will benefit the Knicks (see the comments as well).
posted by yerfatma at 11:31 AM on June 23, 2005
I really dont know what to think of the age limit. Fringe veterans may like it as may protect thier jobs. I would like to see what they are going to do with the drug testing program,,,