What are the board's thoughts on Brandon Jennings?

[DawgatAuburn]

He's the high schooler who can't get into Arizona so he is going to Europe to play for a year before declaring for the draft.

Personally, I would rather see guys do this than go to college for a year. As fun as it was to watch Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose for a year, it basically turns the term student-athlete into a bigger farce than it already is. If a program has too many of these, there are also long-term APR ramifications. So to Mr. Jennings, I say ciao, and good luck in Euroball where fundamentals and shooting actually matter.

 

[lanceharbor7]

Not letting him go the NBA route is restriction of trade. Yaaay for capitalism! Yaaay for globalization!

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

school to be a doctor, or a company requiring a college degree to be in sales. That said, good for him. He'll get good experience and make some money.

 

[lanceharbor7]

What educational requirements are there to run fast, jump high and put a ball in a hole.

 

[8dog]

I feel sure that I could've done many of the starting jobs in this world well before I got a degree.

What education does one need to sell? To be a banker?

 

[DCReb.sixpack]

There are just certain life skills that you learn in college that you can't get anywhere else.

Aside from that, hell, take a +@%%!*@ business class, to learn how not to give all your cash to your posse, and be broke by the time your 32.

 

[Porkchop.sixpack]

justified. It's about whether they can set their own rules. Playing for the NBA isn't a right. Hell, if the NBA wants to set stupid *** rules, run their business into the ground, etc., that's their business.

You said it is a restriction of trade, not whether they were being stupid or not. Restriction of trade = no. Stupid = debatable.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

hell, I never even took a single business class in college. They aren't saying you have to go to college. They are really just setting a minimum age. Lots of jobs have a minimum age. Why can't football or baseball players turn pro after one year?

 

[MasterDawg]

come up with that curriculum. Call it Professional Sports Management or something. Give these guys public relation classes, finance, investment, marketing, business, and then develop some classes (hopefully with the help of the NFL, NBA, MLB and respected sports agents) that will honestly teach them what to look out for. I know x number of student athletes will be going pro in something else, but seriously set this up to be a life skills program. That way if they go pro or just go to work they will not only have a degree, but some basic skills to get through life and be productive and maybe run a business. Colleges use athletes to get ahead far more than athletes use college to get ahead. Maybe this would even things out. I am not in favor of this being the new diploma mill program though.

 

[fishwater99]

Is he the guy with the big fade hair-style?
I wish him all the luck in the world.

I also hear our own Renaldo Sidney is going to go to Europe after his senior year.
This is going to be the new "thing" to do, get used to it.

Colleges are about to miss out on the great one and done'ers.

 

[mstateglfr]

i say its pretty cool to see.
its gonna be a tough asjustment for him over there. he is a talented PG, but he doesnt play how FIBA international teams play. he is flashy, he plays out of control at times, and he is a risk taker. add to that the fact that those Euro coaches value experience in the backcourt over 'potential', and he will have a tough adjustment ahead of him.
but im sure he has plenty of people in his group that have told him all this already.

right now, i absolutely think this will hurt him in the long run when compared to going to Arizona for a year and showcasing his talent against players his age all while playing the sort of game that he excels at.
Durant wouldnt be where he is today had he played just as well as he did at Texas, but played overseas. the amount of press he received thru the year, the national awards he won, the constant highlight reels, it all added up to hype one the draft came around.

Euro guards are gonna go after Jennings hard. he is going to have to learn how to play smart fundamental ball, and all while being under the pressure of a Euro coach who stereotypically has damn near zero tolerance for a player learning on the court.

good luck to the guy. he is talented, but he isnt anything like the top few PGs from this most recent draft, itll be tough for him.

 

[lanceharbor7]

See Bill Gates, Jim Kramer, Michael Dell, etc... Setting an arbitrarily high minimum age (changed thrice in the last ten years) to perform a job a 17 year old can perform is silly. I applaud Jennings for exposing the system for being as hypocritical and flawed as it is. You can go pro at 18 in baseball (younger if not American), 14 in Soccer and 15 and 16 in basketball. I don't think the NBA's rules would stand up in court if challenged.

 

[seshomoru]

I don't think this will become a regular thing. The exposure you get in college counts for a lot. Then again, he's getting a lot of exposure now. However, will we remember him when next year's draft rolls around? Will teams pick him over a guy that went the NCAA route for a year? In other words, would Rose have been the number one pick if he went and played on some Spanish team as opposed to leading Memphis to the championship game? Who really knows, but I think most players good enough to do the one year thing will take their chances winning a bunch of games at a prominent basketball school.

Personally, I'd do what he's doing, but that's because I like money and travelling to Europe. Of course, if he can't qualify, that makes the situation a bit different. Prep school or a large European contract? Hmmm... fairly easy decision for me that could have been made by a lot of players long before this. However, the fact that none have just shows the power of publicity.

 

[Bulldog Backer]

I have seen Brandon Jennings play, and he is a special talent with the round ball. There is no question that he could play in the NBA or in professional basketball in Europe. The question is whether he can handle being 18 and be able to resist all the temptations which exist in Europe. Europe has a much more permissive society than does the USA. He could be seduced by all the easy sex, the GREAT German beer, the excellent French wine, the wonderful Italian food, the great Spanish Paella. Gee, and I wondered why I have been wanting to go back to Europe?

 

[maroonmania]

the way I understand it is they want you at minimum one year removed from high school. I don't believe you necessarily have to go to college that one year. So their thinking is that this is essentially a "maturity" requirement. I can certainly understand it too because throwing 18 year old kids into the NBA life traveling around the country with a lot of guys that are upwards of 30, most of whom having more vices than brains, can be a recipe for major problems for the 18 year old who is much more physically mature than mentally mature.

 

[mstateglfr]

See Bill Gates, Jim Kramer, Michael Dell, etc... Setting an arbitrarily high minimum age (changed thrice in the last ten years) to perform a job a 17 year old can perform is silly. I applaud Jennings for exposing the system for being as hypocritical and flawed as it is. You can go pro at 18 in baseball (younger if not American), 14 in Soccer and 15 and 16 in basketball. I don't think the NBA's rules would stand up in court if challenged.

good grief man, an organization(and its union) actually does have the right to decide this sort of thing.

an 18 year old basketball player isnt being shut out of all professional basketball, just the NBA. they can still play in the CBA, ABA, Euroleague, DLeague, etc.

i noticed you didnt mention how old a player has to be to go pro in the NFL...</p>

 

[AssEndDawg]

I don't think the NBA's rules would stand up in court if challenged.

So all we really proved here is you don't know jack **** about the law.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

nm

 

[8dog]

to "1 year of college", you would be okay with it?