David Stern wants to raise the NBA age minimum by 1 year.

[DesMoinesHawki]

I like the idea. I think the NBA and the college game could both benefit. Think of how good the college game would be if we did not have the 1 and done.

 

[jackl]

If I have to explain it to you then you have already missed the point.

Here is a short/simple explanation though:
When you look at that team, there will never be another team like that assembled. Take look at how many of those players were/are either elite and/or HOF'ers.

The NBA began to crumble after the olympic team in 2000. When the high schoolers and unproven foreign players began to dominate the draft, this started earlier, but around that time. There wern't too many stars taken when this began. You have more exceptions rather than rules. The last few years as the players have started to attend college have made the game better, the talent is deeper as they have developed or not.
Think about a player like Savlik Randolph, who would have been a high pick out of high school, but goes to Duke, is not worth they hype, still leaves anyway and is a nobody and I don't remember if he was even drafted.

It just makes sense to see these kids, again kids, against real competition not high school kids to get a better feel for who they are. Again, not all players are Kobe/LeBron/Garnett as they are on a whole different level to begin with.

Say what you want, but the erosion of the NBA coinceded with losing in the Olympics, high schoolers and foreign players dominating the draft. When people talk about how the rest of the world caught up with the USA, it is a farce. The USA fooled everyone by thinking the NBA was the deepest and most elite league in the world. It simply was not the case, but it is beginnig to change again and will do more if kids go to college for longer periods of time, or don't enter the NBA and become lottery picks when they clearly aren't ready or proven.

The NBA has been crumbling since 2000? I never got that memo.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

If I have to explain it to you then you have already missed the point.

Here is a short/simple explanation though:
When you look at that team, there will never be another team like that assembled. Take look at how many of those players were/are either elite and/or HOF'ers.

The NBA began to crumble after the olympic team in 2000. When the high schoolers and unproven foreign players began to dominate the draft, this started earlier, but around that time. There wern't too many stars taken when this began. You have more exceptions rather than rules. The last few years as the players have started to attend college have made the game better, the talent is deeper as they have developed or not.
Think about a player like Savlik Randolph, who would have been a high pick out of high school, but goes to Duke, is not worth they hype, still leaves anyway and is a nobody and I don't remember if he was even drafted.

It just makes sense to see these kids, again kids, against real competition not high school kids to get a better feel for who they are. Again, not all players are Kobe/LeBron/Garnett as they are on a whole different level to begin with.

Say what you want, but the erosion of the NBA coinceded with losing in the Olympics, high schoolers and foreign players dominating the draft. When people talk about how the rest of the world caught up with the USA, it is a farce. The USA fooled everyone by thinking the NBA was the deepest and most elite league in the world. It simply was not the case, but it is beginnig to change again and will do more if kids go to college for longer periods of time, or don't enter the NBA and become lottery picks when they clearly aren't ready or proven.

What other league has ever had anything close to the talent that the NBA has?

 

[RocknRollface]

There is even an age requirement to be in Congress. Of course, that is absurd, because the only thing you need to be elected to Congress is a child-like mind.

If by child like you mean greedy, self center, and completely irresponsible, than yes.

 

[tm3308]

What other league has ever had anything close to the talent that the NBA has?

I think perhaps he meant that the league wasn't as far ahead as many thought it was. Kind of like the SEC in football. Few deny it's the best conference, but there's debate as to just how far ahead they are.

Plus, the influx of foreign players watered down the USA's talent pool for the Olympics. No Dirk, Nash, Ginobli, etc. And that had a definite impact, as well as players turning down the opportunity.

 

[AHawk1]

http://t.co/lGaGiQx2

 

[GhostofBTT]

I think perhaps he meant that the league wasn't as far ahead as many thought it was. Kind of like the SEC in football. Few deny it's the best conference, but there's debate as to just how far ahead they are.

Plus, the influx of foreign players watered down the USA's talent pool for the Olympics. No Dirk, Nash, Ginobli, etc. And that had a definite impact, as well as players turning down the opportunity.

The USA basketball team not only failed to lose in the 2008 Olympics, but the closest anyone came to them was the Spanish team, who lost by 11. Nash didn't qualify, Ginobili and Argentina got beat by 20, and Dirk and ze Germans got beat by 49.

You seem to be stuck in a year 2000 mentality. USA basketball has been a juggernaut for some time.

 

[HawkeyeMike23]

I think perhaps he meant that the league wasn't as far ahead as many thought it was. Kind of like the SEC in football. Few deny it's the best conference, but there's debate as to just how far ahead they are.

Plus, the influx of foreign players watered down the USA's talent pool for the Olympics. No Dirk, Nash, Ginobli, etc. And that had a definite impact, as well as players turning down the opportunity.

The US losing in '04 had very little to do with the foreign influx into the NBA and a lot to do with the second part of your statement. They lost because they were a poorly assembled and poorly coached group, not because the talent pool was watered down by foreigners.

 

[tm3308]

The USA basketball team not only failed to lose in the 2008 Olympics, but the closest anyone came to them was the Spanish team, who lost by 11. Nash didn't qualify, Ginobili and Argentina got beat by 20, and Dirk and ze Germans got beat by 49.

You seem to be stuck in a year 2000 mentality. USA basketball has been a juggernaut for some time.

So the 2004 embarrassment just never happened? We didn't lose to Lithuania, and Puerto Rico by NINETEEN before that?

You might want to reread my last post to figure out what time frame I was talking about. I didn't say the NBA isn't a juggernaut NOW. But it wasn't 8-10 years ago, at least not in the Olympics.

 

[GhostofBTT]

So the 2004 embarrassment just never happened? We didn't lose to Lithuania, and Puerto Rico by NINETEEN before that?

You might want to reread my last post to figure out what time frame I was talking about. I didn't say the NBA isn't a juggernaut NOW. But it wasn't 8-10 years ago, at least not in the Olympics.

I did read your previous post, and you provided no context for the time frame you were describing. RAWR ANGRY RESPONSE POST!

 

[thejumper5]

For the record, I believe the US lost in the '04 Olympics because the best Americans chose not to play in the Olympics for a variety of reasons. Kobe was the best shooting guard in the game at the time. He didn't play. Jason Kidd was the best point guard in the league. He didn't play and the Olympic squad didn't have a true point guard. Kevin Garnett was the best power forward and reigning NBA MVP. He didn't play. Shaq was starting to slip, but he was still the most dominant "back to the basket" big man in the league. He didn't play. In all, there were 12 Americans on the All-NBA 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams in 2004. Only one of those 12, Tim Duncan, was on the 2004 Olympic team.

 

[GhostofBTT]

For the record, I believe the US lost in the '04 Olympics because the best Americans chose not to play in the Olympics for a variety of reasons. Kobe was the best shooting guard in the game at the time. He didn't play. Jason Kidd was the best point guard in the league. He didn't play and the Olympic squad didn't have a true point guard. Kevin Garnett was the best power forward and reigning NBA MVP. He didn't play. Shaq was starting to slip, but he was still the most dominant "back to the basket" big man in the league. He didn't play. In all, there were 12 Americans on the All-NBA 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams in 2004. Only one of those 12, Tim Duncan, was on the 2004 Olympic team.

You know who to blame for that? High schoolers and foreigners.

Once you turn 60, you also get to blame every problem in teh world on those things as well.