Quote:
Originally Posted by Altor
Even the low level pro ball championship games don't offer the same prestige and draft raising possibilities of a good Sweet Sixteen game.
|
True enough, the point was not what would be in the best interest of a few players. My point was the NBA does not require a year of college, as the article states it does. Most of the complaining about the NBA rule has been of this caliber; either poor research or poor wording. David Stern has made his point clear, and I agree with it. The onus is not on the NBA to fix any issues the NCAA is having. They were having issues with academic infants playing college basketball long before the NBA rule was put into place.
If the NCAA wanted the problem solved, they could do it with academic standards. The fact is, they don't, because this rule gives them two things:
1. A chance to let their fans watch the John Walls and Carmello Anthony's of the world for one year.
2. The ability to blame the NBA for their own failure to address what many consider a problem.
Personally, I don't really consider it a problem. College coaches will shy away from these guys for the same reason they are careful with Juco players. Their short tenure makes them a quick fix to what in many cases is a long term problem.
Players were doing "one and done" before the rule, too. Carmello Anthony and Ricky Davis (Iowa) are just two examples. Neither of those players ever intended to stay past their freshman season, the way I recall.