Calipari

[PcketknfNiels]

He's great. He's like a pro wrestling villain. I don't know how anyone takes this clown seriously.

He's like a real life Bobby Heenan

 

[storrsroars]

I didn't get around to reading the NYT's piece on Cal until this morning. But after reading it, I've come away with the conclusion that Cal is indeed brilliant. Not as a coach, but as a guy who finds the loopholes, creates a niche, sells the heck out of it and glosses over the flaws with spin that would make the White House press corp envious.

If he's destroying college hoops (and it appears so), it's only with the tacit blessing of both the NCAA and NBA.

In one sense, he's a true American success story, not unlike other capitalists who've embraced a slash-and-burn methodology to get where they're at, damn the consequences. I imagine that if there's a Venn diagram out there of two circles with Calipari fans in one and Trump fans in the other, there's a huge overlap.

 

[Kembacity]

Just to touch on everyones wishes that the NCAA/NBA would allow players to jump straight to the pros again...

I don't agree with that, but I do agree with the alternative brought up by I believe Mark Cuban not that long ago. His thought was rather than allowing kids to jump right to the pros, they could play in the D-League, but not be draft-able until however long the time period is that they need to not go 'pro'. This way, rather than either having to go to college if they really have no plans for higher eduction, or go overseas at 18 and deal with a lot of issues they don't want to, they could play basketball in the United States, they could play with good competition that is just shy of NBA level, work on their game, make decent honest pay that would allow them to provide for their families a bit and handle some of that burden.

Then when the 1 year or 2 years (wherever that rule is at that time) is up, they can be drafted by an NBA team.

The only problem is deciding what NBDL team gets these players, but they can put together some shady draft for that, its just a little minor detail

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Just to touch on everyones wishes that the NCAA/NBA would allow players to jump straight to the pros again...

I don't agree with that, but I do agree with the alternative brought up by I believe Mark Cuban not that long ago. His thought was rather than allowing kids to jump right to the pros, they could play in the D-League, but not be draft-able until however long the time period is that they need to not go 'pro'. This way, rather than either having to go to college if they really have no plans for higher eduction, or go overseas at 18 and deal with a lot of issues they don't want to, they could play basketball in the United States, they could play with good competition that is just shy of NBA level, work on their game, make decent honest pay that would allow them to provide for their families a bit and handle some of that burden.

Then when the 1 year or 2 years (wherever that rule is at that time) is up, they can be drafted by an NBA team.

The only problem is deciding what NBDL team gets these players, but they can put together some shady draft for that, its just a little minor detail

That's seems like a good idea in theory ,especially if subsidized by the NBA,
The downside is College basketball would be changed drastically.
The quality we have grown accustomed to would be substantially diminished.

How many kids would still be playing for us if there were a paying alternative?
Any change usually is accompanied by unintended negative consequences.
What would the current basketball landscape look like if this change occurred?
What are the benefits?
What are the negative effects?
In retrospect the majority of college players have little shot at earning a substantial income . Their best hope for their betterment is education.
Because these kids are currently exploited by college coaches doesn't preclude fixing the current system.
The problem is every sought after kid and their parents have NBA dreams.
It starts in jr. High.

 

[Kembacity]

That's seems like a good idea in theory ,especially if subsidized by the NBA,
The downside is College basketball would be changed drastically.
The quality we have grown accustomed to would be substantially diminished.

How many kids would still be playing for us if there were a paying alternative?
Any change usually is accompanied by unintended negative consequences.
What would the current basketball landscape look like if this change occurred?
What are the benefits?
What are the negative effects?
In retrospect the majority of college players have little shot at earning a substantial income . Their best hope for their betterment is education.
Because these kids are currently exploited by college coaches doesn't preclude fixing the current system.
The problem is every sought after kid and their parents have NBA dreams.
It starts in jr. High.

I really don't think the change would be that glaring. I highly doubt the majority of high-level recruits would choose this path. First off, the coaching attention they will get is going to be completely different. Choosing a college coach who you think would be a great motivator and teacher for you, vs having some coach that a team selects and who doesn't care what you blossom into is much different.

I think that this would only be the route for 1) most kids whose families are in dire need of financial help and have a clear route to the pros rather than "could be" a pro, and 2)kids who don't have the grades and will find being a college student too much pressure and work to keep up with

There are tons of kids who I think see the 1-3 years they are in college before the pros as a real chance to be a kid, have regular normal friends, go to class, be a part of a school's community before being thrust into this world where eyes are on you all the time and your time is planned with games/practice/training for the most part

 

[storrsroars]

I really don't think the change would be that glaring. I highly doubt the majority of high-level recruits would choose this path. First off, the coaching attention they will get is going to be completely different. Choosing a college coach who you think would be a great motivator and teacher for you, vs having some coach that a team selects and who doesn't care what you blossom into is much different.

I think that this would only be the route for 1) most kids whose families are in dire need of financial help and have a clear route to the pros rather than "could be" a pro, and 2)kids who don't have the grades and will find being a college student too much pressure and work to keep up with

There are tons of kids who I think see the 1-3 years they are in college before the pros as a real chance to be a kid, have regular normal friends, go to class, be a part of a school's community before being thrust into this world where eyes are on you all the time and your time is planned with games/practice/training for the most part

Since you mentioned coaching, for the D-league to really be an attractive alternative, wouldn't they have to get higher-profile coaches themselves?

There's 18 D-league teams. I think I've heard of 3 of the coaches from some distant hoops memory and/or an old Steve McQueen movie.

 

[Kembacity]

If kids are going to be very selective about who they play for, they'll have to pick college I think. What coach did Mudiay play for this year?

I dont know any DLeague coaches, but I think Quin Snyder was one before he started coaching Utah

 

[Joobie]

Coaches of 38-0 teams are by definition bad coaches.

Except for GENO, right?

 

[David 76]

It would, ideally, give an optiom to kids who don't qualify for college or who just aren't interested in college as well.

 

[2Husky]

If they made more of an investment in D-league it would become more of a destination. I think it would attract a lot of the top talent too, especially if d-league players got called up to the nba on a regular basis. There would be a big advantage over college, in that your full time job would be playing basketball. Practice time (with coaches) wouldn't be limited like it is in college, and you also don't have to pretend to take your online basket weaving class. I would think it would attract a)bad students b) marginal first rounders who want the extra time to improve their game. So it may leave the top talent in college and hollow out some of good but not great players, and end up making the college game even worse.