This is a fantastic article!

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Some players would go to Europe or China and make 250,000 to 1,000,000 a year vs playing in college for three years. That is not chump change and it is a major difference maker more high school players are exploring.

True.

But the goal of those players is not to play in Europe or China.

A guy like Trajan Langdon ( former Duke star ) is an Euroleague basketball legend . . . and that dude was flat out garbage in the NBA.

Yeah, he showed that he could make an open jumper, but he couldn't guard anybody on the NBA. And he couldn't create his own shot. But in the Euroleague, where you don't have high flying, freakish athletes who can shut you down defensively or blow past you with a simple dribble-drive, he turned into a superstar.

For those of you who want to praise these International players, and think that going that route is the way to go, here is our very own ACIE LAW and JOSH POWELL playing on Josh Childress' old team Olympiakos, vs CSKA Moscow, with Sonny Weems, Sasha Khan, and our new assistant coach Quin Snyder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqoSGgTZHj4

It's a different game folks. And until the NBA goes to playing that style of basketball, the vast majority of Europe's best players shouldn't even set foot in the NBA. Mirza Teletovic up in Brooklyn was supposed to be their big man sharpshooter, and he was flat out garbage last season. The year before, he was hailed as "the best player in Europe".

So the best player in Europe couldn't even find minutes on a Brooklyn squad desperate for outside shooting?

The thing the Spurs have done, is find good International talent ( specifically at the guard positions ) who can put the ball on the floor and score off the dribble. Parker, Ginobli, Barbosa ( who they drafted then traded to Phoenix ), Dragic, and even Nando de Colo are all guys who can put the ball on the floor and go right to the rim. They're also good enough athletes to be able to take and make shots off the dribble and knock down open jumpers.

But even Nando can't see any time in these playoffs

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Congrats to Acie . . . 2 time Euroleague champion

So do we bring him back to the Hawks to play the backup PG for us, because he's learned the "fundamentals" of International basketball?

[Guest Walter]

Congrats to Acie . . . 2 time Euroleague champion

So do we bring him back to the Hawks to play the backup PG for us, because he's learned the "fundamentals" of International basketball?

I imagine Acie would do well in a BU ph role in the nba now.Having said that, I get some of your point. The article touches on that too. Fundamentals aren't seen in the AAU in part they weren't taught by middle and HS coaches. The article comments on how many European coaches have to be educated if not certified suggesting a baseline training in technique. I would argue AAU does little to help that and the egos...Having said that, the Spurs do it so well that their team of 2nd rd international picks beats our team of freakish athlete lottery picks. Tha t should say something there.W

[KB21]

I imagine Acie would do well in a BU ph role in the nba now.Having said that, I get some of your point. The article touches on that too. Fundamentals aren't seen in the AAU in part they weren't taught by middle and HS coaches. The article comments on how many European coaches have to be educated if not certified suggesting a baseline training in technique. I would argue AAU does little to help that and the egos...Having said that, the Spurs do it so well that their team of 2nd rd international picks beats our team of freakish athlete lottery picks. Tha t should say something there.W

I think that point is getting missed here too. The AAU basketball racket only amplifies the issue we have with coaching in this country right now. Coaches are too lenient and will allow players here to do too much one on one and not enough team play. It's straight from the playground, and playground basketball has no place in basketball as a whole. It is junk. Playground basketball is junk.

International players aren't out there trying to show off like a bunch of playground And1 style players who have no skills.

[MaceCase]

Never heard of Ricky Rubio have you, KB?Perhaps even Manu (even though he is an Argentine)? Look at how bad he's struggling now that he can't physically do the athletic things that he used to be able to do, fundamentals be damned.I agree that American systems overemphasize the "athlete" over the "player" and even the "individual" over the team but the Euro systems overemphasize the "fundamentals" because they simply don't have the athletes. The same is even true in soccer where the top stars and even teams are from the Americas and play a similar "street ball" form of the game that allows them to overcome even the best tactically and fundamentally sound opponents that lack the individuals to match them.I think we all agree that it may be harder and not worth the time to coerce even 50% of the potential out of some raw athletic freshman/high schooler who thinks "he have it all" or the "weight of the franchise rests on his shoulders" than it is to get some Euro who will play to 100% of his ability but when you DO get that guy to realize half of his potential he's beating out that maxed out Euro 99% of the time his playground background be damned.

[NBASupes]

I think that point is getting missed here too. The AAU basketball racket only amplifies the issue we have with coaching in this country right now. Coaches are too lenient and will allow players here to do too much one on one and not enough team play. It's straight from the playground, and playground basketball has no place in basketball as a whole. It is junk. Playground basketball is junk.

International players aren't out there trying to show off like a bunch of playground And1 style players who have no skills.

All AAU teams don't play And 1 ball. That's an old stereotype. I played AAU many years ago. It was fairly organized, of course for some teams more than others.

[KB21]

All AAU teams don't play And 1 ball. That's an old stereotype. I played AAU many years ago. It was fairly organized, of course for some teams more than others.

Renardo Sidney is the poster boy for what AAU basketball is. He's a player that has been told he's the best since he was an 8th grade middle school player. As a result, Sidney never worked hard at his game and only tried to showcase his skill level when needed. Adidas had him move from his small town in Mississippi to LA for more exposure, which was the worst thing for a kid with no work ethic. As a result, Renardo was a very skilled player who was overweight, out of shape, and had severe attitude problems in college, to the point where he and a teammate come to blows on national television, a complete embarrassment to Mississippi State University and the SEC. Nothing was done though, because his handlers wouldn't allow it to happen.

Shabazz Muhammed is another example. He might just be the most self centered player in this draft. When he played for Team USA last year in the Hoop Summit game against the world, he dazzled with 35 points. His team lost though, because his scoring was inefficient, and he was taking shots away from teammates who would make them with higher efficiency.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Renardo Sidney is the poster boy for what AAU basketball is. He's a player that has been told he's the best since he was an 8th grade middle school player. As a result, Sidney never worked hard at his game and only tried to showcase his skill level when needed. Adidas had him move from his small town in Mississippi to LA for more exposure, which was the worst thing for a kid with no work ethic. As a result, Renardo was a very skilled player who was overweight, out of shape, and had severe attitude problems in college, to the point where he and a teammate come to blows on national television, a complete embarrassment to Mississippi State University and the SEC. Nothing was done though, because his handlers wouldn't allow it to happen.

Shabazz Muhammed is another example. He might just be the most self centered player in this draft. When he played for Team USA last year in the Hoop Summit game against the world, he dazzled with 35 points. His team lost though, because his scoring was inefficient, and he was taking shots away from teammates who would make them with higher efficiency.

So the players who are hurt by AAU outweigh the players that are helped by AAU? Because like I said, a lot of these kids will have no idea where they measure up, until the get out on the road and play the star HS players from around the country.

I'm sure you won't like this, but I wish they had something like this when I was in high school.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I'm jealous of these kids now. To think that the top players in the country have this to look forward to even after the high school games are over, is incredible. I could see this becoming so big, that they'll have to move it to a college arena. And then people will REALLY hate this.

Edited June 17, 2013 by northcyde

[TheNorthCydeRises]

The latest episode, featuring this year's teams. And this will be my last upload

I know some of you guys are just Hawks fans, and not necessarily "hoop junkies" that follow all levels of basketball. But I personally could watch this stuff all day.

[Buzzard]

True.

But the goal of those players is not to play in Europe or China.

A guy like Trajan Langdon ( former Duke star ) is an Euroleague basketball legend . . . and that dude was flat out garbage in the NBA.

You are missing my point entirely. Basketball is expanding globally and the talent pool is growing. No way you can argue I am incorrect for saying that. But I was replying to your post concerning making this rule in the NBA: You stated kids must either enter the draft after high school or stay in college for three years.

I am telling you right now if that three year rule was in place, the number of American high school basketball players going to Europe will at least triple. Its not about whether they can make it in the NBA or not; it is about them getting paid so they can get their families and themselves out of the poor/desperate situations that a lot of them are coming from.

Three years at 250,00 to 1,000,000 dollars a year could look a hell of a lot better to a underprivileged youth than a car or two under the table and three years at any college in America.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Buzzard

[AHF]

The MLB draft rule will never get imported into the NBA for a wide variety of reasons, including the fact that there are other viable alternatives to college ball or the NBADL for basketball players and the fact that most of these kids would just enter the draft immediately upon graduating high school which is exactly what the NBA was trying to prevent with their most recent age rules.

[Buzzard]

The MLB draft rule will never get imported into the NBA for a wide variety of reasons, including the fact that there are other viable alternatives to college ball or the NBADL for basketball players and the fact that most of these kids would just enter the draft immediately upon graduating high school which is exactly what the NBA was trying to prevent with their most recent age rules.

Exactly. KB wants his players to stay at Mississippi State. Where he is dropping the ball at is making kids choose between three years there or three years getting paid more money in a year than they seen in their short lifetime.

Edited June 17, 2013 by Buzzard