Harrison Barnes to Iowa Energy

M

McHawkin

Well-Known Member
Not really, but I had a curious thought. Could a player of Harrison's caliber enter the NBA D-League straight out of high school?

I know that kids can't enter the NBA until 19 years old or one year after their high school graduation, but does that include the D-League?

Think about how cool it would be to have Harrison stay in Iowa and play in the D-League for the Energy rather than going to North Carolina. I'd pay to go see that. Plus he would be learning at a higher level while getting paid before he makes the jump to the NBA.
 
If you arent going to go to college you would go overseas. Going to the D-league (probably not allowed anyways since its an NBA affiliate) makes no sense. You get paid about nothing and get no exposure. lose-lose
 
I would'nt call myself an expert on the NBA, but I would tend to think that being an entity of the NBA the same rules probably apply to the D-League.
 
No, you can go straight to the D-League out of high school. Latavious Williams did it this last season. If you can handle it though, going the overseas route would probably better prepare you since you face stronger competition and Euro teams practice a lot more than D-League teams. But playing in the D-League would still better prepare you for the NBA than college basketball would.
 
Actually, I answered my own question with this article.

NBA's D-League changes for better

Seems the D-League minimum age limit is 18 years old and a kid can go from high school to the D-League (if they get drafted). The average D-League player makes $35,000 grand, which isn't too bad for a kid straight outta high school, plus they get to stay in the States. Also, as a professional athlete they have opportunities to sign endorsement deals in which they can earn even more money.

Note: This is an old article (2006), so things may be different now.
 
Last edited:
McHawkin said:
Actually, I answered my own question with this article.

NBA's D-League changes for better

Seems the D-League minimum age limit is 18 years old and a kid can go from high school to the D-League (if they get drafted). The average D-League player makes $35,000 grand, which isn't too bad for a kid straight outta high school, plus they get to stay in the States. Also, as a professional athlete they have opportunities to sign endorsement deals in which they can earn even more money.

Note: This is an old article (2006), so things may be different now.
Click to expand...

How many D-leaguers have you seen signing endorsement deals? $35k is peanuts compared to the exposure you get playing on national tv in college.
 
HawkeyeMike23 said:
But playing in the D-League would still better prepare you for the NBA than college basketball would.
Click to expand...

Do you honestly believe that? Going to college kids play in pressure packed situations in extremely tough road environements (tougher than anything in the NBA). Kids in the D-League play against NBA wash outs in arenas packed with about 500 people. Going to college, kids get to play on big stages and in big moments. Give me someone battle tested in college and march madness over someone dominating the D-League any day of the week
 
busabus114 said:
Do you honestly believe that? Going to college kids play in pressure packed situations in extremely tough road environements (tougher than anything in the NBA). Kids in the D-League play against NBA wash outs in arenas packed with about 500 people. Going to college, kids get to play on big stages and in big moments. Give me someone battle tested in college and march madness over someone dominating the D-League any day of the week
Click to expand...

Yes, the level of talent in the D-League is much greater than that in the NCAA's. I'll give you they don't face the road enviroments like they would in college, but they get a lot more practice time, they face the kind of top notch athletes they would in the NBA, they get used to the grind of traveling all the time. Plus the college game is becoming less and less like the NBA game due to the changes in hand checking rules in the NBA and how physical the college game has become. And very few, if any kids right out of high school, would dominate the D League.
 
There was a highly publicized case of Jeremy Tyler, a HS kid JR skipping his senior year of High School and going overseas to play for 2 years prior to NBA. He will be eligible for NBA draft in 2011 and was projected to be a lottery pick.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/sports/ncaabasketball/23prospect.html


However, he only made it 8 months, quit the team 5 weeks before end of season to come home. Only averaged 2 pts 2 rbs. His salary was $140,000

Ex-high school star Jeremy Tyler, 18, quits Israeli team - ESPN


Brandon Jennings from NY was the first to skip college and go overseas to play professionally for $1.2 mil. He spent 1 yr in Italy, then was drafted 10th by Bucks. Ave 15.5 pts and 5.7 assits as a rookie with Milwaukee so it turned out pretty good for him!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/s...&scp=1&sq=brandon jennings pete thamel&st=cse
 
busabus114 said:
Do you honestly believe that? Going to college kids play in pressure packed situations in extremely tough road environements (tougher than anything in the NBA). Kids in the D-League play against NBA wash outs in arenas packed with about 500 people. Going to college, kids get to play on big stages and in big moments. Give me someone battle tested in college and march madness over someone dominating the D-League any day of the week
Click to expand...

I'd still take John Wall #1 if he played and dominated in the D-League, plus I think having a John Wall or Harrison Barnes on your D-League team would increase attendance for D-League games especially in cities like Des Moines, IA, Sioux Falls, Reno, Bangor or Boise, ID where there are no pro teams. Btw, most of the guys in the D-League were the better college basketball players, so the competition is high level. I don't think there is a college team out there that could beat even the worst of the D-League teams.
 
HawkinGoferLand said:
There was a highly publicized case of Jeremy Tyler, a HS kid JR skipping his senior year of High School and going overseas to play for 2 years prior to NBA. He will be eligible for NBA draft in 2011 and was projected to be a lottery pick.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/23/sports/ncaabasketball/23prospect.html


However, he only made it 8 months, quit the team 5 weeks before end of season to come home. Only averaged 2 pts 2 rbs. His salary was $140,000

Ex-high school star Jeremy Tyler, 18, quits Israeli team - ESPN


Brandon Jennings from NY was the first to skip college and go overseas to play professionally for $1.2 mil. He spent 1 yr in Italy, then was drafted 10th by Bucks. Ave 15.5 pts and 5.7 assits as a rookie so it turned out pretty good for him.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/s...&scp=1&sq=brandon jennings pete thamel&st=cse
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's a tough transistion for high school kids going over seas. Those guys are used to being treated like gods and then they go over there where rookies in generally, and especially American rookies, aren't treated well at all. Jennings handled it well, and even though he didn't put up great numbers over there, I think it really helped his game and helped him mature.
 
While I don't know if he could do that or not, I doubt it, I do know he'd probably be the best player in the D-league if it happened. I was at the Ames/SC North game that was played before the Energy game this year. He was the best player to step on the court that night.
 
McHawkin said:
I'd still take John Wall #1 if he played and dominated in the D-League, plus I think having a John Wall or Harrison Barnes on your D-League team would increase attendance for D-League games especially in cities like Des Moines, IA, Sioux Falls, Reno, Bangor or Boise, ID where there are no pro teams. Btw, most of the guys in the D-League were the better college basketball players, so the competition is high level. I don't think there is a college team out there that could beat even the worst of the D-League teams.
Click to expand...

Well no kidding you would take John Wall #1 but youre missing a key point - there a many many reasons why the top high school players dont play in the D league and choose to go to college. Until a top high school player goes the d-league route its pointless to even have this discussion

In a fantasy world where John Wall chose to go grind it on in the D League then yes, i would still take him high in the draft
 
busabus114 said:
Well no kidding you would take John Wall #1 but youre missing a key point - there a many many reasons why the top high school players dont play in the D league and choose to go to college. Until a top high school player goes the d-league route its pointless to even have this discussion

In a fantasy world where John Wall chose to go grind it on in the D League then yes, i would still take him high in the draft
Click to expand...

The main reason is that going to college is just what you traditionally do. I don't think you can really say that playing in college makes you better, I think it's pretty obvious that playing against better competition and practicing more often would make you better. Since the new NBA age limit has only been in place a few years, I think you will see more kids go this route in the coming years.
 
I don't know...I guess getting back to my main point, it would have been cool to see H. Barnes play with the Iowa Energy for a year before entering the NBA Draft. I know chances would have been slim, since the Iowa Energy would have had to draft him, and being one of the top D-League teams chances would be nil. However, even if he went to the Springfield (IL) Armor I think it would be a greater learning experience for him being able to train more, practice more, and play against pro level competition in more games all while getting paid in preparation for the NBA. AND, Iowans would still have a chance to see him play when his team visited Des Moines, which I'm sure would attract a large crowd.
 
HawkeyeMike23 said:
The main reason is that going to college is just what you traditionally do. I don't think you can really say that playing in college makes you better, I think it's pretty obvious that playing against better competition and practicing more often would make you better. Since the new NBA age limit has only been in place a few years, I think you will see more kids go this route in the coming years.
Click to expand...

I disagree. I dont see any top flight high schoolers going to the d league route anytime soon. Traveling to town to town grinding it out or going to college, being BMOC and getting all the co-eds you want....hmmm, tough call

Not to mention the fact that most kids get paid more than $35k in college, especially if they play for Coach Cal at Kentucky :)
 
busabus114 said:
I disagree. I dont see any top flight high schoolers going to the d league route anytime soon. Traveling to town to town grinding it out or going to college, being BMOC and getting all the co-eds you want....hmmm, tough call

Not to mention the fact that most kids get paid more than $35k in college, especially if they play for Coach Cal at Kentucky :)
Click to expand...

There's always going to be the Brandon Jennings types that don't qualify, and if they don't want to go to Europe, the D-League is their only other option.
 
busabus114 said:
I disagree. I dont see any top flight high schoolers going to the d league route anytime soon. Traveling to town to town grinding it out or going to college, being BMOC and getting all the co-eds you want....hmmm, tough call

Not to mention the fact that most kids get paid more than $35k in college, especially if they play for Coach Cal at Kentucky :)
Click to expand...

If Harrison decided to go to the D-League I'm sure he wouldn't have to worry about the $35K average because his endorsement deals would put him into a six figure salary. I'm sure he would also get plenty of groupie love from the ladies and he wouldn't have to worry about classwork. Trust me, I know it is the D-League, but even lower level pro league players have plenty groupies.
 
Reeon said:
If Harrison decided to go to the D-League I'm sure he wouldn't have to worry about the $35K average because his endorsement deals would put him into a six figure salary. I'm sure he would also get plenty of groupie love from the ladies and he wouldn't have to worry about classwork. Trust me, I know it is the D-League, but even lower level pro league players have plenty groupies.
Click to expand...

Harrison like the classwork. We need to remember that some of these guys actually take advantage of the free education they are given

My main point is exposure wise players gain a lot more going to college than they do going anywhere else...and it isnt even close
 
busabus114 said:
Harrison like the classwork. We need to remember that some of these guys actually take advantage of the free education they are given

My main point is exposure wise players gain a lot more going to college than they do going anywhere else...and it isnt even close
Click to expand...

True, but tell me that a year from now when Harrison is getting ready to walk up to the podium as a lottery pick. I'd be shocked if he stays 3 or 4 years at NC.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top