2003-2004 NBA Thread - Page 21

KSigkid · #**301** 06-25-2004, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by valkyrie
Ben Gordon!!! Maybe there is a reason to care about the Bulls again.

Am I the only one who thinks Orlando made a mistake?

I don't know...I mean Howard has talent, but I'm a huge UConn fan, so I'm biased in my belief that they should have taken Okafor.

I'm glad Gordon went so high - apparently he had some lights out workouts in the weeks entering the draft; now the Bulls have a pretty young backcourt of Hinrich and Gordon to go with Deng at the 3. If Curry and Crawford can somehow get their act together (like Jermaine O'Neal did) that's a very young nucleus to build around.

With Dallas getting Devin Harris, it has to mean something up with Steve Nash; Harris is ready to play now, he's not some high school guy they can stick on the bench for a couple of years. Could it mean he's on his way to LA?

Should be interesting to see how it all turns out.

sigtau305 · #**302** 06-26-2004, 11:55 AM

The Cavs picked Luke Jackson from Oregon. I don't know if he could help us in the long run. made me wish we protected Jason Kapono from the expansion draft.

valkyrie · #**303** 06-26-2004, 01:59 PM

I have to say that after watching the draft, I've really changed my opinion and am in favor of some type of age limit for the NBA. It really sucks for the fans that some of these teams are taking guys that aren't going to be ready to play for years. If these young kids went to college instead, we'd have more exciting college games and we'd get to know the players better -- as dedicated a fan as I am, I'm not about to try to keep up on high school players around the country, so when they enter the draft, they're really unknown to me, and I'd guess most people.

If the trend of taking players right out of H.S. continues, it's going to be bad news for just about everyone, especially the NCAA. It's as if college hoops are becoming an afterthought almost, and I personally find many of the college games better and more entertaining than pro games.

cuaphi · #**304** 06-26-2004, 03:10 PM

Exactly. There was a great deal of discussion of Sebastian Telfair being taken over Jameer Nelson. The general agreement is that it's because Jameer Nelson is a known commodity but less likely to improve as significantly as Sebastian Telfair. But on the flip side, Telfair won't be ready to start for another couple of years so why didn't he just go to Louisville and study with a good coach? The answer, of course, is money. Why go to school if he can be a millionaire now.

I agree that it would be better for everyone in the long run if he had to go to school for at least a couple of years. Kids like Telfair would have a chance to grow as a player then come into the NBA more likely to make an immediate contribution to his team. The team gets a more mature member and the kid gets the chance to experience college ball.

One last thing. I can't help but worry about LeBron and Carmelo. They were obviously ready to play at the NBA level but there is so much pressure put on them at such a young age. You get the impression that, like any other situation involving huge amount of money, NBA politics gets ugly. We're throwing 18 years olds straight into a shark tank and hoping they know how to swim.

sigtau305 · #**305** 06-28-2004, 05:17 PM

I agree with both of you. There's should be some type of age limit for the NBA. With the success of Lebron James, every kid is going to think "If Lebron can do it without having to go to college and make money, I can too." The sad part is that not everyone has enough basketball skills/ I.Q. level to compete on a night in/night out basis. Money talks in any level, be it on a professional level or what not, and the NBA is no different.

College Basketball will continue to take a hit unless some changes are made.