i do agree with what your saying as it relates to issues like this in the non basketball world but as someone who runs a business, i look for the most qualified person, not my friend nor the most connected person. while in some instances you have to make decisions that might leverage you in the future, i think for basketball purposes, you have to WIN. bottom line and if you arent getting the best player, then really what are you doing? you have to at least leave no stone un turned in searching for talent.

now i know you cant compare the league in the 70’s to what it is now but back then, guys were getting offers and looks based upon who they bustin on the street. would a guy like joe hammond really get the lakers and mitch kupchak to come to the park today and offer a deal if a current day joe existed? probably not, and i ask why not? if a guy can go, you look and see whats what. you bring him in for a real workout and explore it. all i’m saying is give these brothas overseas a shot. the game has changed yes, but talent is talent, and the goal is to put the best 12 man roster you can and the best 5 out there, not potentiall the best 5 or the best 5 in 3 years.
i think sham’s case is also about politics, rumors etc.. i also know sham and can say without a doubt that desire wasnt the issue in terms of returning to the L.

i dont agree. sham and cheyne are great examples of guys who were there and never got a legit shot for a variety of reasons. if you think NBA jobs are not about nepotism, or who you know , then i will inform you that its true. i watched cheyne in summer league a few years back and he looked good. i mean, not to be a starting PG but you cannot tell me that he couldnt be a 3rd PG in the league somewhere. he ran sets effectively, played d, even made some jumpers which is his weakness. there are tons of 3rd PG in the league who are worse and he could play over. same with sham. you telling me that after his stint with the wizards and doing well overseas, he couldnt get a legit look as a 3rd PG with anyone? but when teams like to give spots to guys who arent playing but are good league guys(brevin knight) or tight with the front office or potential future coaches(later eric snow), they are taking up a spot from these guys. i’m not saying every guy from NYC who is talented should be in the L. i’m just saying there is quality overseas and its not all young guys who are 22 and under that we have never heard of. you telling me a team can draft some guy in teh second round from france, congo, russia, serbia etc.. because he is 6′9, weak, can shoot and 22 but wont ever play and cant give someone a legit shot who is producing solid numbers who is homegrown but playing overseas. its not fair is all i’m saying.
if you thinks its not a game being destroyed, how does a former sports reporter get a job as an NBA GM? the guy self admits to never having played basketball yet can make 4 1st round draft picks. danny ainge can make his son a scout for the boston celtics after playing at BYU? there are lots of people in basketball who are there because of their families or who they know, not because they know about the game. basketball decisions are made daily by people who dont know the game which is why its not always fair. sorry for the rant again, just wanted to clear up my position.

that is why i said look at more euro players because they have developed. thats my argument because i agree that HS players are not the rule, but the exception. the game takes time to develop. i’m only saying that its ok for stern to hype the hell out of the kids when it works but at the same time extend the age and not allow kids to declare by forcing to go the college route. he is saying go, develop, mature but if you are really, really nice, its ok. so the guys that go and develop in college and overseas, get left out. that is my only point. its a confusing message.

Stick to the script.

PG:Barrett/Show/Cook/N.Brown/Skip/Tinsley
SG:Yatta/S.Burtt/Homicide/L.Stephenson/R.Artest SF:Quinton Hosley/M.Glover/SFX/L.O PF:Harrington and he’s peaked. I don’t know any bigs.

This team would get crushed by 50-60 pts by the top teams in Euroleague.

While that crew would be a great team at Rucker that could have a chance to beat the Eastern Conference Champion Magic outdoors, they would get destroyed by 30 or more in an arena.

The outdoor dynamic is one that NBA pros should experience at least once in their careers. I know more and more of them really appreciate the skill of outdoor basketball and I watched Ron Artest shoot his highest NBA percentage from 3-pt range last year by becoming a dedicated outdoor shooter. Now the Lakers will benefit from his improvement.

Nelson –

I think David Stern and the NBA have a solid plan in place to develop players. While I feel your argument concerning the two direct high school to pro players in the finals is relevant, the overall numbers of kids declaring early from HS and not making the league was alarming enough for Stern to hike the age.

Also, the majority of high schoolers take three to four years to get to the double-digit scoring range in the NBA. It’s the rule not the exception.

Take a look at the 2005 draft.

The best players of the H.S. group were Monta Ellis, Andrew Bynum, Martell Webster, Louis Williams, and Andray Blatch. Monta went double-figures his second year, Bynum his third year, while it took Williams and Webster three years to become low double-digit scorers.

Danny Granger, who did his 4 years of college, came and in his second year instantly hit 14 ppg and is now an All-Star caliber player.

One pick later Gerald Green, who struggled straight out of HS, is out of the league with all his athleticism.

Granger comes in mature and ready to play against men, while it takes most high schoolers two years or more to get their games right and adjust to the physical play of the league.

In the 2004 draft besides Howard, Telfair has yet to reach double-digits as a scorer, Robert Swift averages 4 ppg, Dorrell Wright averages 5 ppg, and Sean Livingston’s starting over.

On the other hand, the Big 3 – Josh Smith, J.R. Smith, and Al Jefferson are all double figure scorers, with Jefferson looking like an All-Star next year, JR having strong potential to have a Danny Granger-like breakout year, and Josh developing into one of the games premier power forwards.

It’s taken them 5 years to get to a high level of game. Would it have been accelerated if they went to college for a year or two? Maybe.

All three are a year younger than Brandon Roy with great upsides. The key is measuring their desires to continue to improve as players.

My pick for Roy-like improvement is Smith who now has a dedicated “chip” guard in Billups to get him space and encourage him to work hard to improve.

he watches his finals of Kobe(NO College) vs Dwight Howard(no college) and rashard lewis, turkoglu also no college become the marquee attractions. in the draft we have tons of underclassman coming in without proving their worth. Ricky Rubio while a decent young player is not going to come in and contribute as much as say a guy who is done with college and has spent 2 years overseas and is dropping numbers and is physically mature. ricky rubio is barely 180 punds, who can he guard. why not give these guys overseas a legit look? they are mature having spent time in a foreign country, they know the game as professionals, they are good team guys,you dont have to worry about them, yet they stay overseas without getting legit looks. while they do get good money in certain places, why cant a team like say the knicks or clippers who struggle with the players they have open the door to a player like yatta or the countless others over the years who flourish in europe but come home again forced to play their way into vet camp.

C’mon david stern, your league is watered down with young potential talent. let the grown men play. dont destroy the game i grew up loving so much. basketball is not only about potential, or athletics, its about the combination of athletics, skill, creativity combining in the ultimate expression of concrete poetry. please dont kill my game david stern, let all of the talent in, not just ricky rubios, demar derozans of the world, give guys like yatta a real supportive chance to show what they can bring to the table as a pros pro. you got teams drafting kids who cant bench press 185 pounds once. you tell me who they are going to hold down in the post. this is a joke, its sad… sorry for the rant.