[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Pantherdreams

So this is a more valid argument the years the Nash or Nowitski were winning MVPS's? Or when US national mens team got smoked?

Nash's MVP awards were controversial. Many today think that Shaq for example was robbed and so was Kobe in his two years. Secondly that was the only time when the US team did not win Gold. Not Bronze, Gold. In 18 Olympics the United States won Gold in 15 of those games. I think the USA is doing just fine and most of those were at a time when not a single shot clock was in the game certainly at the high school level. There is no other country doing anything better in any Olympic sport in a similar team sport. Since pro players have been apart of the USA did not win once.

Now maybe you can explain to me what other country could match that record?

Originally Posted by Pantherdreams

As far as I can tell you feel like if the NBA wants more skilled players they should develop them, if the NCAA wants more skilled players they should develop them, and I can only assume that your reasoning then applies downward as such . . . If you have an issue in your dept you fix it. At no point to company policices, rules or the system itself need to be questioned simply for the sake of growth . . . if you are meeting your goals - status quo, when you are not change. No systemic issues to address just departmental. Dont' try to stay ahead of the curve or adopt innovations unless we have to . . .

With all due respect, I do not see the interest you claim to be an issue. USA Basketball is about as powerful a dynasty as any other in the world in any other sport. Soccer has no such rival in accomplishment as the USA Basketball teams. And the NBA and your boy Mark Cuban does not even want his players to play international basketball. So now you want the rest of the United States to change policies to fund a pro league that only benefits the owners and not the USA program. OK, that makes since. Is the NBA going to fund basketball programs like MLB does with youth baseball? If the goal is to develop players, you need to do more than change one or two rules I would think.

Originally Posted by Pantherdreams

You are right in that development can happen regardless of rule set. Development can also happen for players in the face of bad coaching or circumstances. They find ways to overcome. That doesn't mean the system shouldn't be changed to minimize faults/weaknesses or grow areas of stregtt. Winning doesn't mean you are doing it the best way possible, just better then everyone else is currently. USA has great basketball and the worlds best basketball players, does that mean you shouldn't try to make a better system or method for creating more of them.

Like I said, USA basketball and the NBA are not the same thing. Is the NBA going to change their rules to fit into the FIBA system? Even players that play International Basketball, there is a claim they must adjust a little, but for some strange reason they seem to excel.

Originally Posted by Pantherdreams

Almost every top basketball playing nation in the world has a long term athlete development plan and model except the USA they continue to trust in conflitcing AAU and School systems to generate enough athletes for the NCAA and NBA/ d-leagues to develop players. Your probably right trying to align rule sets or create a development first model for basketball as a national community couldn't possibly help.

OK but the USA is dominating in basketball professionally and internationally. And guys like Cuban talks about what the NCAA does without putting his money up to change the system. If Cuban wants players to be developed at the lower levels, invest money in the NCAA or their own programs if they want only NBA players. Players from high school only go into college because there is no such league or level allowed to play otherwise unless they go overseas. And most players will never play college, let alone some other league even if you had such a league. Not sure what interest you think NCAA has in what the NBA does and they are not getting money in return. Because even the one and done rule is an NBA concoction, not a NCAA classification or standard.

Peace