Memo to Basketball Underclassmen: Stay In School
The NBA is facing a lockout. I think it is much more likely for NBA to miss games in 2011 than the NFL. Facing a lockout, my advice to all the underclassmen who would declare for the draft in normal years, stay in school this year, even if you would be the number one draft pick.
We are currently in the One and Done era in basketball. The NBA is basically forcing players to go to college for one year before entering the draft. The last couple of years there have been a number of successful players who just spent one year in college before being drafted. As good as these players where, none of them were the best player in the NBA when they got there. All of them needed to learn more about playing basketball.
I think the worst things these developing athletes can do is to stop playing competitive basketball while the league is locked out. I know that you can work out on your own, go to one of those sports development centers, but it is not the same as being in the context of a team. I saw a mock draft that put 8 college freshmen and 12 other underclass men in the first round. I think their careers will be better in the long run if they can stay in school while the NBA gets their business figured out.
We are currently in the One and Done era in basketball. The NBA is basically forcing players to go to college for one year before entering the draft. The last couple of years there have been a number of successful players who just spent one year in college before being drafted. As good as these players where, none of them were the best player in the NBA when they got there. All of them needed to learn more about playing basketball.
I think the worst things these developing athletes can do is to stop playing competitive basketball while the league is locked out. I know that you can work out on your own, go to one of those sports development centers, but it is not the same as being in the context of a team. I saw a mock draft that put 8 college freshmen and 12 other underclass men in the first round. I think their careers will be better in the long run if they can stay in school while the NBA gets their business figured out.
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