Blitz

By making people who are going to leave after one year stay a second? How so?

Since when has anyone given a shit what the NCAA thinks? Especially basketball, being dragged around by its collective hair while the football cavemen stagger toward the biggest pile of money to burn. They'd have to raise the NBDL salaries considerably. Remember, minor leaguers get huge signing bonuses which helps make the decision easy. Not sure if the owners would be willing to pay for that, especially with high school players being pretty hit or miss. That's the point though, they can either enter the draft and play basketball for two years for dirt cheap, and then jump into the NBA after facing considerably weaker talent, or prove themselves in college for two years against legit competition (not to mention gain national exposure) and probably get paid more. (I'm looking at you Kentucky.) The idea isn't really to make going from high school to the NBA easy, it's to push players to play in college and refine their skills. However, every once in awhile there's that player like LeBron or Dwight that you KNOW is going to be a monster in the league. You can draft him, have him under team control, and ride your luck that you can improve the team enough in two years to make noise when the player arrives after his NBDL time. If you don't, he'll probably end up bolting for a bigger market once he's a free agent. What Blitz is proposing is similar to where I've been the past several years. Players need to understand there's an opportunity cost to either choice. Owners would probably be okay with paying for a hefty signing bonus if they think there's a chance to groom a player the way they want to for two seasons. The only problem is that some teams would be angry that their players aren't being used the way they want them to be, since you'd have players under rights to several different teams playing on a single NBDL team. Only way around that is for each NBA team to have its own D-League affiliate, and that is definitely a major hurdle, probably too big to get over. If MLB can manage to maintain five-six minor league affiliates per team, surely the NBA could figure out a way to provide each team with just one.

They'd have to raise the NBDL salaries considerably. Remember, minor leaguers get huge signing bonuses which helps make the decision easy. Not sure if the owners would be willing to pay for that, especially with high school players being pretty hit or miss. That's the point though, they can either enter the draft and play basketball for two years for dirt cheap, and then jump into the NBA after facing considerably weaker talent, or prove themselves in college for two years against legit competition (not to mention gain national exposure) and probably get paid more. (I'm looking at you Kentucky.) The idea isn't really to make going from high school to the NBA easy, it's to push players to play in college and refine their skills. However, every once in awhile there's that player like LeBron or Dwight that you KNOW is going to be a monster in the league. You can draft him, have him under team control, and ride your luck that you can improve the team enough in two years to make noise when the player arrives after his NBDL time. If you don't, he'll probably end up bolting for a bigger market once he's a free agent.

I wonder if the NBA could ever go to a rookie system like the MLB has. Rookie contracts are 4 years currently, IIRC. Adding two more years of team control could help, but I'm sure the player's union would never go for it. Maybe there could be benefits for reaching certain points, like if you become an All Star during your rookie contract, you're given a ___% raise in your contract. If the team doesn't honor that raise, you're able to hit FA earlier. I'd also love to see the NBA bring back the ability to draft high school players. The caveat here, is that the player must play two seasons in the NBDL. This will coincide with the rule that players that are in college must stay until their sophomore year, but when drafted, can go straight to the NBA. The cons of drafting a high school player is that you lose two years under his NBA contract, meaning you'll only have control of him for four years. The pros of staying in college is two-fold, they can develop their game slower than they would be forced to in the NBA and also it helps the NCAA with a little continuity.

Yea, I remember reading an article that said when basketball comes back to Seattle, they would have the rights to the SuperSonics. I guess that's why it's not the Oklahoma City SuperSonics, even though I think there are plenty of reasons they wouldn't name the team that. I agree that the run Memphis made last year created a buzz. Going to a Memphis game is quite an experience, too. They definitely embrace the culture there in Memphis. Before the game and during halftime they have a band that plays blue-sy/rock-n-roll music, which is kinda cool. They stadium is right in the middle of downtown, which I always enjoy a lot more than one out in the middle of nowhere. Now that Callipari is gone from Memphis, maybe more fans are turning their attention to pro basketball instead of college. In a somewhat related note, I'd love to see the NBA expand after relocating New Orleans to Seattle and stabilizing the Kings' situation. While they're being hit hard with a failing economy in a couple of markets, I think teams in Vancouver and Mexico City are potential gold mines. I'd love to see Nash retire and then help bring the NBA back to his hometown. I think Vancouver could get behind him as either a co-owner or just upper management. Mexico City is intriguing because the NBA would be breaking new ground as far as major USA sports goes. They'd beat the other two major sports there (sorry NHL) and it's less than a three hour flight from Dallas, so it's not extremely out of the way. At the least it's an interesting scenario to think about.

I forgot about their 2nd first. That seals the deal. As long as Cleveland doesn't balk at the idea. It seems like a no brainer, RG3 would be the biggest star they've had on that team since Jim Brown. But it's the Browns, so I wouldn't be surprised if they find a way to screw it up. Not hard to image "The Draft" added to all their depressing sports moments.

I wouldn't count out Washington moving up in the draft, either. Washington, Cleveland and Miami are all looking for a new quarterback and there could be a massive frenzy on trying to acquire RGIII based on his ridiculous Combine.

Houston has a strong fanbase, or at least used to. I went to a few games and that place was raucous. I think the Grizzlies could be in that group, but I have no doubt that the Hornets will be the next franchise moved, and Seattle seems like the most likely destination. NBA 2011/12 Attendance

The Hornets wave hello.

Three point contest was one of the best I can remember. Dunk contest will always suck until LeBron and the crew get their head out of their butts. Seriously, they do it to avoid injury? Who has ever been hurt in a dunk contest?

There's a great slate of games on today/tonight and I'm getting pumped for conference tournaments. Kentucky looks like the early favorite to cut down the nets, but crazy things happen every March. I'm about to settle in and watch Arizona-UCLA, and I'm hoping they pull it out and make it to the tournament because they're one of my annual "gonna make it one round further than everyone thinks." Arizona and Michigan State are uncanny at screwing up my brackets every year.

You can switch it to the more classic "one button for power/one button for contact" swing. I still struggle hitting because I'm impatient and swing at the first or second pitch everytime. (Kinda like in real life... .)

There isn't a college basketball topic, so I'll just ask in here... Does anyone else think Marquette is a joke for suspending three of their players for the first half, and then another for the second half of tonight's game against West Virginia? To me, if you're going to suspend a player, it should be for at least a whole game. Benching a player for just a half is basically saying "You're in trouble, but we need to win, so you're gonna come in during the second half and bring us back." Putting collegiate athletes above the "law" is just what they need. [/sarcasm]

The last five minutes was just for show. Obviously most of the game lacked defense, but it was only the end that turned into a dunk contest between John Wall against everyone else.

I've played The Show since 10, and it's fantastic. RTTS mode is a beast, but I suck at hitting and always use a pitcher.

So Chuck's team is taking it to Shaq's. Dominant leads throughout the game, but I'm gonna assume it ends closer than it is right now.

His version of facial hair? I looked at a few pictures and didn't notice any scars.

I think we expected Odom to be able to give us something down low. Granted, he isn't a center, but he is 7'0 and can rebound. Just tonight we were playing Brandan Wright at center down the stretch. Yikes.

How badly do the Mavs miss Tyson Chandler in the paint? When we're relying on Dirk to man the middle in a key game against the Lakers you know it's pretty bad.

I just took one that was in the low 70s. Lord have mercy on me.

How much harder are the UFC fights than WFA? I'm already tired of defending my Featherweight WFA title, but am kinda intimidated by the UFC fighters I get offered who are 85-87 OVR compared to me, 67 OVR.

Wasn't that a charge? .

Chuck has a pretty good team, too. Is this the first year they have done something other than Rookies vs. Sophomores? I didn't watch anything last year and like this new draft-style better.

You just asked a D'Antoni coached team to play defense. I think offensively they will be able to compete with the likes of Miami and Chicago, but when it comes down to late game scenarios those two teams will just clamp down and own the Knicks. I wouldn't be surprised if the Knicks came calling Phil Jackson about a possible reunion as a coach, or at least some sort of consultant role. I know Phil has said he's done, but if he has the itch and his old team calls with a loaded roster...

I think Amare fits the style New York wants to play more than Dwight. If Lin starts to run the pick and roll or pick and pop with Amare, with 'Melo spreading the floor from the arc, the Knicks could be sick. Amare has a much better jump shot than Howard. I think if the Knicks were going to trade someone it would be 'Melo, even though I don't think that will happen, either.