Should there be a age restriction in the NBA?

[VlaDiv]

You can't really measure potential. It's a relative abstract thing. An 18 year old might have more than a 24ish guy who redshirted or something, but how can you be sure? A 7'5" guy like PAvel seems to have it, but does he? Maybe Bernard Robinson is the next michael jordan, maybe Gary Payton will be an all-star again, you can't tell the future for sure, you can only makes general predictions.

[Bill Russell]

Thanks for the link Alexboom, it is very good

Bring more if you can

[Bang]

You know, I used to be pro age limit until two exceptions walked in.
LEBRON JAMES and AMARE STOUDAMIRE. Maybe college would've helped them, but just look at how good they are! I know they are really "exceptions" but where do you draw the line? There are high school players that can succeed early, and if they want to risk failure and do that, sure, go ahead.

[NNpF]

The HS kids these days are costing coaches their jobs!

It's not the kids fault. If the GM is stupid enough to draft a player for potential then fire the coach because he can't succeed with a team full of players with potential then it is the GM's fault, not the players fault.

And I don't think there should be an age restriction, it's not like the NBA forces the players to enter the league, they choose to leave college and then a lot of them know that they might rot on the bench until somebody gets injured. Also last year a high schooler saved the league, and many All-Stars came out of high school. So there should not be an age restriction in the NBA.

[J@3]

I don't necessarily think there should be an age limit, I mean you'd be denying people the opportunity to set themselves up for life financially. One prime example is Shavlik Randolph. He probably would've been a lottery pick if he declared for the draft after H.S, but he went to Duke instead and by the looks of things he's not exactly setting the World on fire. He can still make the NBA but the chances are he would've had a higher draft position out of high school.

LeBron and Amare are pretty rare. But I think that's why there shouldn't be an age limit. Who's to say if LeBron or Amare went to college that they wouldn't have become distracted with other things and dropped their game, or had some sort of career altering injury? You never know what's going to happen, and if your life long dream is to make the NBA why wouldn't you do what you can to get that dream? So many players have had shots at the NBA out of high school but messed all of that up at college, I just think if people want to skip the whole college process then that should be their choice.

[Alcoholic]

I don't think there should be an age limit. I think as long as you pass high school you're eligible for the NBA. Now let's say some young guy gets skipped ahead a bunch of grades, and wants to play in the NBA. I say let him try, I'm not guaranteeing he's gonna be picked or anything like that. I think it's partly the GM's fault for not scouting out the players well enough. Oh look, this guy is 6'9", straight out of high school, we got the 3rd pick, let's take him. Then on the other hand look at this. This guy is 6'6", straight out of high school. He was already picked, but I've seen this guy work. He works so hard, jumping up and touching the top of the backboard and whatnot. I'll do whatever it takes to get him... I hope you see my example. There's good players and bad players, you just have to know who to pick.

[alexboom]

One prime example is Shavlik Randolph. He probably would've been a lottery pick if he declared for the draft after H.S, but he went to Duke instead and by the looks of things he's not exactly setting the World on fire. He can still make the NBA but the chances are he would've had a higher draft position out of high school.

This is a good example to show how an age limit could improve the level of the NBA. If Shavlik Randolph can't really make it in NCAA, he would have been a burst in NBA if directly drafted from High School, but he would have lured and misleaded every scouts, and taking the place on an NBA roster of a more experienced NBA player who could have brought higher PPG at a better FG%

Look at Darko Milicic: he's a good prospect but right now, his place is certainly not in NBA.

And think about Michael Jordan: if at his prime the trend was to skip College, like Kobe did, Jordan would have been drafted around the middle of the first round, and would have certainly started his 3 or 4 first years only as a prospect, averaging 10 PPG, shocking, isn't it?

[John-John Joe]

This will sound odd coming from a Kobe and LeBron fan, but YES there should be. The age limit should be the legal drinking age in America, 21 years old. I'd delve into why but I'm as tired as a hooker on payday because I've been swamped with homework!

I'll just either edit this post tomorrow or quote it and reply later but note that I stand FIRMLY by these views.

[J@3]

This is a good example to show how an age limit could improve the level of the NBA. If Shavlik Randolph can't really make it in NCAA, he would have been a burst in NBA if directly drafted from High School, but he would have lured and misleaded every scouts, and taking the place on an NBA roster of a more experienced NBA player who could have brought higher PPG at a better FG%

Not necessarily. What if the coaching he recieved in the NBA actually made him improve, as opposed to college which has seemingly stunted his development? Again you never know what's going to happen in basketball

[John-John Joe]

This will sound odd coming from a Kobe and LeBron fan, but YES there should be. The age limit should be the legal drinking age in America, 21 years old. I'd delve into why but I'm as tired as a hooker on payday because I've been swamped with homework!

I'll just either edit this post tomorrow or quote it and reply later but note that I stand FIRMLY by these views.

I'm a firm beleiver in an age limit as well as the NFL ruling that requires rookies to have at least 3 years of college under their belt before declaring for the draft. In fact, I was so nervous that Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett would win a court decision that would have abolished this rule.

I say let 'em stay in school and only be allowed in the league at 21 because it is a sure fire way to improve the quality of play. The league is already overridden with a bunch of "athletes" and not enough basketball players. There just isn't the time for coaches to teach these young players the basic fundamentals they should have learned before setting foot on the NBA hardwood.

Aren't we sick of seeing a bunch of kids in the NBA draft that we have no idea about how they really play? Granted, this past draft we had two college stars in the top 3 picks but these days that a rarity. I want to see thess kids stay in school and let their game and personality mature. Just imagine if Livingston went to Duke and played under the great tutelage of Coach K? He'd be better off.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, I know; who's to tell a kid not to get his cheddar ($$$) right? Phuck it, instill the game limit so they don't have a choice. It's no secret why the number one league in America in the NFL, they are strict about the guidelines with their draft. The NBA should follow suit because the game is so beautiful when it's played the right way.

[J@3]

I guess putting myself in their position, I personally wouldn't want to go to college. I know everyone goes on about how important it is to get an education, but I've never enjoyed being in a school system and I wouldn't like being "forced" to attend college purely so I could live out a dream. Especially if I was good enough as a player to be in the NBA. Maybe they could impliment a 3rd round in the draft, with a non-guaranteed contract just for high schoolers to enter there. I know most people would think that would encourage more high schoolers to declare, but if they made it a low non guaranteed contract I don't think they would be so quickly to enter.

[alexboom]

I guess putting myself in their position, I personally wouldn't want to go to college. I know everyone goes on about how important it is to get an education, but I've never enjoyed being in a school system and I wouldn't like being "forced" to attend college purely so I could live out a dream. Especially if I was good enough as a player to be in the NBA.

In the player's sight the age limit is clearly not an advantage, but for the sake of the NBA and the quality of the game, an age limit should be clearly an improvement.

Maybe they could impliment a 3rd round in the draft, with a non-guaranteed contract just for high schoolers to enter there. I know most people would think that would encourage more high schoolers to declare, but if they made it a low non guaranteed contract I don't think they would be so quickly to enter.

The NBA's currently speaking of shortening the draft to one round, to avoid 2nd rounders with one or two years contracts to leave their original team if they shine (like Gilbert Arenas or Carlos Boozer).
A 3rd round for High Schooler wouldn't be a good idea in my opinion. Think of High Schoolers who don't make it in the NBA: they are no longer able to play in College, it's like they destroyed their own career as they are no longer able to get a diploma while playing bball.


Indeed, I think that the real solution is to make the NBDL a true development league, I mean, teams draft High Schooler with high potential, and if they're not good enough for the NBA at the moment (like Darky Darko), they are moved for a year or two in the NBDL where they could get playing time and learn a lot from a dedicated coaching staff. Then, everybody's happy as we can enjoy the LeBron James's without suffering from the Darko's.

[J@3]

Think of High Schoolers who don't make it in the NBA: they are no longer able to play in College, it's like they destroyed their own career as they are no longer able to get a diploma while playing bball.

False.

For starters, as I said not everyone would want to go to college. If they don't get drafted the chances are most of them wouldn't be overly bothered, because...

How many high schoolers come out, don't get picked or whatever and go and make good money playing overseas? It happens. Just because they're not earning millions of dollars doesn't mean they can't make a good living playing ball elsewhere. The pure fact that they were considered for the NBA gives them a reputation oversea's. I mean it's possible for a good import to go to a small basketballing nation like Australia and earn $100,000+ a year. That might not sound much when you consider the minimum NBA salary is like $500,000. But it's a hell of a lot better than the $30-40,000 they'd be making if they completed college and got a job doing whatever.

You've got to remember alot of these kids don't know anything other than basketball. Not all of them are academically sound, and not all of them would be able to go through college and use iit to their advantage anyway. Not all basketballers are dumb, but alot of the guys out of high school aren't exactly the sharpest tools in the drawer.

[allamerican08]

Age restictions have nothing to do with $ they make! From spectator's point of view.
I dont give a dam about their education
I dont give a dam about how struggling their family is ( it may seem cruel)
I dont give a dam about their potentioal
I dont give a dam about the shoes they will advertise!

High schoolers are wahts WRONG with the NBA!
I am sick and tired of hearing "they have a young team and a good young nuecleus" when the avv age is 24! (for that team)
Ther has to be a time when a team hust cannot use "young" as an ecscuse to loose every year.
You have to look at Pros and Cons of young players in the NBA, not just HS, but anyone below the age of 23-24.
Yes there is Kobe, T-mac, KG. They are the Pros of the NBA. (Not even)
But how many young players destory the team, because some idiot GM builds a MultiMillion Dollar Franchise around a "kid".

Why take players for the future, when only a handfull of players stay with thier drafted team more then 6 years. You keep the player while he's young and shit, then he comes to a diffrent team because "its time for a change" and your team is back in ht lottery.

Why do team are so eager to take young players who havn't proven a thing, but are reluctent to take players who have played agaist the world and proven themselfs? Eg Darko, N.Ticksvily, etc!

Take players who can play now, who can communicate, who can play the game. Make them learn the game somewhere else, not on the world's second biggest stage!