High School to NBA G League vs OAD

[CriticArisen]

Jalen Green was the first player to sign with the NBA G League from high school under the NBA's new policy that started in 2020. He was drafted by the Rockets with the second pick in the last draft. He started the first 17 games and the Rockets went 1-16 and had lost last 15 straight. He then had a hamstring injury and the Rockets have since gone 6-0 (an aging Eric Gordon hanging in there at age 32 and $18 MM/year by the way). His playing time went to Garrison Mathews grad of Lipscomb who spent a couple seasons in the G League. The improvement is very noticeable with Mathews playing instead of Green.

I thought that the G League early entry program would improve the overall quality of college bball by reducing the number of OAD's but now not sure once NIL is fully in place and no indication that G league results in a more polished player then OAD. I haven't really looked at the likely impact of NIL on college bball but suspect it could be profound. If anyone has looked at it and has a good idea about the impact I would like to hear.

Many posters here (fpeaugh I remember specifically) were convinced that the "great" OAD Zion Williamson was an instant HOF'er/revolutionary player in the NBA. As I thought would be the case, he can't stay healthy. He is feared by the buffet restaurant owners in NOLA but not by other NBA players.

I have only been reading posts recently and think Cavanaugh has improved the quality of the board markedly but I hate to read the negative posts about players and coaches by purported IU fans. I was always complaining about Arch but I am very happy with Woodson and will continue to be happy. Finally, a coach that understands Indiana basketball.

 

[Chicago-bound Hoosier]

Jalen Green was the first player to sign with the NBA G League from high school under the NBA's new policy that started in 2020. He was drafted by the Rockets with the second pick in the last draft. He started the first 17 games and the Rockets went 1-16 and had lost last 15 straight. He then had a hamstring injury and the Rockets have since gone 6-0 (an aging Eric Gordon hanging in there at age 32 and $18 MM/year by the way). His playing time went to Garrison Mathews grad of Lipscomb who spent a couple seasons in the G League. The improvement is very noticeable with Mathews playing instead of Green.

I thought that the G League early entry program would improve the overall quality of college bball by reducing the number of OAD's but now not sure once NIL is fully in place and no indication that G league results in a more polished player then OAD. I haven't really looked at the likely impact of NIL on college bball but suspect it could be profound. If anyone has looked at it and has a good idea about the impact I would like to hear.

Many posters here (fpeaugh I remember specifically) were convinced that the "great" OAD Zion Williamson was an instant HOF'er/revolutionary player in the NBA. As I thought would be the case, he can't stay healthy. He is feared by the buffet restaurant owners in NOLA but not by other NBA players.

I have only been reading posts recently and think Cavanaugh has improved the quality of the board markedly but I hate to read the negative posts about players and coaches by purported IU fans. I was always complaining about Arch but I am very happy with Woodson and will continue to be happy. Finally, a coach that understands Indiana basketball.

regarding your last paragraph and CMW- we all want to see IU in the top 10 instantly, but have to give Woodson some time. He's sweeping up the dust from the past 10-20 yrs, something that can't be cleaned up overnight. Not just players, play style, recruiting perceptions, etc....but also apathetic fan base that has been lulled to sleep, in an era where the IU students have too many options (and not really a driven desire to watch IU play) to fill up AH each and every game. As someone who grew up watching IU play in the late 70s thru early 90s, it still pains me to see thousands of empty seats in the Hall. But that's where we're at today, and it won't change overnight.

 

[.Gerdis]

regarding your last paragraph and CMW- we all want to see IU in the top 10 instantly, but have to give Woodson some time. He's sweeping up the dust from the past 10-20 yrs, something that can't be cleaned up overnight. Not just players, play style, recruiting perceptions, etc....but also apathetic fan base that has been lulled to sleep, in an era where the IU students have too many options (and not really a driven desire to watch IU play) to fill up AH each and every game. As someone who grew up watching IU play in the late 70s thru early 90s, it still pains me to see thousands of empty seats in the Hall. But that's where we're at today, and it won't change overnight.

Good thoughts.

yes, our staff will need time as they are trying to change/instill a new culture. Much about the game has changed from the 70s-early 90s, as far as how long kids play for a program, which will make the culture change a greater challenge IMHO.

 

[VanPastorMan]

Jalen Green was the first player to sign with the NBA G League from high school under the NBA's new policy that started in 2020. He was drafted by the Rockets with the second pick in the last draft. He started the first 17 games and the Rockets went 1-16 and had lost last 15 straight. He then had a hamstring injury and the Rockets have since gone 6-0 (an aging Eric Gordon hanging in there at age 32 and $18 MM/year by the way). His playing time went to Garrison Mathews grad of Lipscomb who spent a couple seasons in the G League. The improvement is very noticeable with Mathews playing instead of Green.

I thought that the G League early entry program would improve the overall quality of college bball by reducing the number of OAD's but now not sure once NIL is fully in place and no indication that G league results in a more polished player then OAD. I haven't really looked at the likely impact of NIL on college bball but suspect it could be profound. If anyone has looked at it and has a good idea about the impact I would like to hear.

Many posters here (fpeaugh I remember specifically) were convinced that the "great" OAD Zion Williamson was an instant HOF'er/revolutionary player in the NBA. As I thought would be the case, he can't stay healthy. He is feared by the buffet restaurant owners in NOLA but not by other NBA players.

I have only been reading posts recently and think Cavanaugh has improved the quality of the board markedly but I hate to read the negative posts about players and coaches by purported IU fans. I was always complaining about Arch but I am very happy with Woodson and will continue to be happy. Finally, a coach that understands Indiana basketball.

I think the theme of your post got me thinking about how important it is to have a serious mind that desires to work hard to be the best they can be. Charles Barkley was big when he entered the NBA and it was Moses Malone who took him under his wing to get him to lose weight and to be serious about his craft. I think a kid who goes the G League route or the NIL/OAD route can all be very good if they are serious about it.

 

[CriticArisen]

I think the theme of your post got me thinking about how important it is to have a serious mind that desires to work hard to be the best they can be. Charles Barkley was big when he entered the NBA and it was Moses Malone who took him under his wing to get him to lose weight and to be serious about his craft. I think a kid who goes the G League route or the NIL/OAD route can all be very good if they are serious about it.

I agree about working hard and Barkley did. My main feeling about RMK is that I am grateful to him (besides enormous respect of course). He put together great teams that I enjoyed watching play as much as any teams in my life. I respect the man greatly but in my view he made three notable basketball mistakes in his great coaching career. 1) Not realizing what he was losing when Bird hitch hiked back to French Lick 2) Cutting Barkley from the Olympic team 3) Starting Scott May with a broken arm against UK in the 75 tournament.

Barkley had an extremely good Olympic trials but had the dispute with RMK about his weight. In truth Barkley was too free spirited for RMK and did showboat a bit at that time with his unusual talents. He did make the all rookie NBA team after three years at Auburn. The story was an Auburn assistant coach saw him play in the state tournament and told Sonny Smith-There is a fat kid here that can really play. . Barkley must hold the world record for funny nicknames. He said the only time he worried about his weight was before his daughter's wedding. She married a Jewish man and so he as a parent was to be carried around in a raised chair by other wedding attendees (pandemic of hernias).

My point was something else though. The G League early entry was intended as an alternate path for players marking time until an NBA contract rather than OAD. They could make $150K and then enter the next draft. In college (in theory) they would earn nothing and then enter the next draft. Now with NIL they can enter college and have earnings while waiting for draft eligibility. If I were a poor kid and my earnings were equal then I would choose OAD because of the media exposure and other positives associated with a year of life on campus.

On the NBA side if I saw no benefit from G League early entry to assist in making a franchise important multi million dollar draft decision, then of no advantage to that side either.

But, I understand that this season there are a couple agents that specialize in identifying exceptional high school talents and signing them to long term management contracts. This then includes a year of G League and serving as their long term Agent through their draft while providing the player and his family immediate benefits.

I am just curious how NIL will play out. Will the wealthy alumni of various schools engage in bidding wars for high school players? Will Stanford and Harvard battle it out for national championships each season? Ivy League will now be the premier basketball conference? The big state schools will have massive Go Fund Me accounts? I haven't read the actual NCAA provisions and so best I know the sky is now the limit for the best high school players.

I just saw this, non-profit to pay each UT offensive lineman $50K/season NIL starting next season-

Nonprofit to offer UT Austin offensive linemen $50,000 annually

Every Texas Longhorns offensive lineman on scholarship will get $50,000 annually for use...

www.chron.com

 

[Bloom.]

Jalen Green was the first player to sign with the NBA G League from high school under the NBA's new policy that started in 2020. He was drafted by the Rockets with the second pick in the last draft. He started the first 17 games and the Rockets went 1-16 and had lost last 15 straight. He then had a hamstring injury and the Rockets have since gone 6-0 (an aging Eric Gordon hanging in there at age 32 and $18 MM/year by the way). His playing time went to Garrison Mathews grad of Lipscomb who spent a couple seasons in the G League. The improvement is very noticeable with Mathews playing instead of Green.

I thought that the G League early entry program would improve the overall quality of college bball by reducing the number of OAD's but now not sure once NIL is fully in place and no indication that G league results in a more polished player then OAD. I haven't really looked at the likely impact of NIL on college bball but suspect it could be profound. If anyone has looked at it and has a good idea about the impact I would like to hear.

Many posters here (fpeaugh I remember specifically) were convinced that the "great" OAD Zion Williamson was an instant HOF'er/revolutionary player in the NBA. As I thought would be the case, he can't stay healthy. He is feared by the buffet restaurant owners in NOLA but not by other NBA players.

I have only been reading posts recently and think Cavanaugh has improved the quality of the board markedly but I hate to read the negative posts about players and coaches by purported IU fans. I was always complaining about Arch but I am very happy with Woodson and will continue to be happy. Finally, a coach that understands Indiana basketball.

No question NIL makes college more attractive to the "get paid" crowd. So we will see more OADs, which is fine with me. I've long been a believer the NBA should not allow players to enter immediately because it compelled to college, which also compelled them to get somewhat decent grades in high school.

Granted, the G-League is a viable option for those who are good enough athletically, that and this stupid Overtime Elite "league", there will be kids who exit high school and forego their college status without any education. I bet the college graduation rates for OADs end up being a lot higher than those who never go.

I've also long since said we'll rarely, if ever, hear about the ones who don't make, who then lack the education to have a great job. I don't mean to undersell trade work, but there is a ceiling to that type of work.


The idea that a kid like Jalen Green was somehow going to greatly benefit from being in the G-League vs. his peers in college was also silly. There is diminished returns on development on a more than regular basis. Most of these college players are in the gym daily with far more practice time.

College kids are playing against teams that scout and prepare. Teams that have defensive schemes. There isn't any or much of that in the G-League, at least if the scores are any indication. G-League teams don't travel as well either.

While there are some colleges which have dumbed down their systems to accommodate OADs and transfers, G-League systems are extremely dumbed down.


College is still the way to go.

 

[ufo33]

NIL has rendered the G-League obsolete

 

[IUNorth]

Now that the horse is out of the barn with NIL…why doesn’t the NCAA work to tap into one of the biggest advantages their members have…professors, classes, and curriculums designed to teach and better their students.

Yes, you can come to our schools and play sports, and be famous, and make however much money you can doing it…but for that, you will go to classes and you will get decent grades. The great thing about it though, is those classes will make you better at whatever your chosen professional path is. Even if it’s the NBA, or NFL, or whatever.

I think they’re wasting an opportunity to put some teeth into the importantance of being a student athlete.

 

[Lucy01]

Now that the horse is out of the barn with NIL…why doesn’t the NCAA work to tap into one of the biggest advantages their members have…professors, classes, and curriculums designed to teach and better their students.

Yes, you can come to our schools and play sports, and be famous, and make however much money you can doing it…but for that, you will go to classes and you will get decent grades. The great thing about it though, is those classes will make you better at whatever your chosen professional path is. Even if it’s the NBA, or NFL, or whatever.

I think they’re wasting an opportunity to put some teeth into the importantance of being a student athlete.

That doesn’t win championship’s.

 

[IUNorth]

That doesn’t win championship’s.

Yeah...and it doesn't help them make money probably.

I'm just trying to think of ways for the NCAA to remain relevant. NIL, as much as its rendered a lot of the regulatory side of the NCAA useless, might have saved the NCAA's existence.

I'm always looking for ways to thrive though, not just exist.

For instance, Indiana should have a Sports Marketability major or minor. A group of classes that can be tailored for a kids likely duration at IU, that would include classes like Finance, Health and Nutrition, Business Ethics, Public Speaking, Sports History, etc...

Kwame Evans...here are the opprotunties you'll have with NIL deals and money if you come play your year at IU. But lets look at the career earnings of guys like Steph Curry versus guys like Kyle Lowry. They've both been all stars a lot, they've both won NBA titles...but Steph is worth a billion dollars because he's more marketable! We have a world class curriculum to help you learn how to manage your career, and maximize your personal market.

I've not heard of schools officially doing this yet. I think if done correctly, and tied in with NIL opportunities, it could be an enormous recruiting tool.

And touches on what my point was with NCAA and their member institutions.

 

[ams66]

Now that the horse is out of the barn with NIL…why doesn’t the NCAA work to tap into one of the biggest advantages their members have…professors, classes, and curriculums designed to teach and better their students.

Yes, you can come to our schools and play sports, and be famous, and make however much money you can doing it…but for that, you will go to classes and you will get decent grades. The great thing about it though, is those classes will make you better at whatever your chosen professional path is. Even if it’s the NBA, or NFL, or whatever.

I think they’re wasting an opportunity to put some teeth into the importantance of being a student athlete.

When the student players are earning more money than the professors and deans, it may be hard to convince them that academics are worth the effort.