dnbman
06-29-2008, 05:12 AM
http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/news;_ylt=Anzd6wYWUJZ.doUTh0EHNWi8vLYF?slug=dw-jennings062408&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
I read this article on Friday about prep star Brandon Jennings and thought that it might give us some insight on Ajinca. Here's the part I found the most intriguing:
The question for Jennings is whether it is best for him. If the goal is the NBA, then what’s the best route?
While there is an appeal to being a pioneer, this is foremost about protecting his draft status. Even with its duplicity, the NCAA system may be best. Arizona has sent dozens of players to the NBA, including the guy Jennings would replace in Tucson, freshman Jerryd Bayless, a sure-bet lottery pick Thursday.
That said, college basketball is littered with top prospects that struggled with the system, clashed with their coach or got injured. And while the college game can do wonders for a player’s marketability, it can hurt, too. O.J. Mayo may never live down allegations he took money from an agent at USC, a small-time “crime” that’s cost him in endorsement revenue.
In terms of basketball, after talking with five NBA teams Tuesday, the consensus is there is no consensus.
Player personnel directors and scouts throughout the league, who are prohibited from speaking publicly about high school players, say that playing professionally in Europe would likely help Jennings’ long-term development since he would be competing against grown professionals. He would also have no limit to his practice time or interaction with coaches (which the NCAA has) and would have to learn and adapt to a different style of play.
He’d have to find the right coach though. And it would likely cause him to struggle at times.
Playing at Arizona would be the easy route and Jennings would likely dominate the weaker competition in 90 percent of games. So he’d look better even if he learned less.
“I think he’s better off going to Arizona because he’s playing against boys rather than men,” said one Central Division player personnel director. “The better you look, the more highly people think of you.”
Said a Central Division scout, “With Jennings I think it could go either way. If he plays well, obviously it would really help him, but if he played poorly it would be interesting to see if they would give him the same kind of leeway as young Euros get.
“Some of these young foreign players hardly play, and then get drafted on potential. It would be a little hypocritical not to give an American who chooses to go over there so young the same type of leeway.”
Said a Southwest Division scout, “We know he’s fast and great in the open court. That’s (not changing). So punishing him for trying to expand his game would be stupid. He’s a lottery pick no matter what.”
This article just reaffirmed that guys coming from Europe are playing on average against better talent. Yeah, the NCAA may provide some great marquee match-ups to evaluate talent, but NCAA players are fighting against the same strength, speed, and talent as they are in a nightly basis in Europe. Notice that the NBA personnel director says Jennings would look better, not be better.
I'm not saying that European trained players are better in any way shape or form. However, I think there's a clear difference in what we should expect a 19 year old kid to do in the NCAAs versus a professional European league.
I read this article on Friday about prep star Brandon Jennings and thought that it might give us some insight on Ajinca. Here's the part I found the most intriguing:
The question for Jennings is whether it is best for him. If the goal is the NBA, then what’s the best route?
While there is an appeal to being a pioneer, this is foremost about protecting his draft status. Even with its duplicity, the NCAA system may be best. Arizona has sent dozens of players to the NBA, including the guy Jennings would replace in Tucson, freshman Jerryd Bayless, a sure-bet lottery pick Thursday.
That said, college basketball is littered with top prospects that struggled with the system, clashed with their coach or got injured. And while the college game can do wonders for a player’s marketability, it can hurt, too. O.J. Mayo may never live down allegations he took money from an agent at USC, a small-time “crime” that’s cost him in endorsement revenue.
In terms of basketball, after talking with five NBA teams Tuesday, the consensus is there is no consensus.
Player personnel directors and scouts throughout the league, who are prohibited from speaking publicly about high school players, say that playing professionally in Europe would likely help Jennings’ long-term development since he would be competing against grown professionals. He would also have no limit to his practice time or interaction with coaches (which the NCAA has) and would have to learn and adapt to a different style of play.
He’d have to find the right coach though. And it would likely cause him to struggle at times.
Playing at Arizona would be the easy route and Jennings would likely dominate the weaker competition in 90 percent of games. So he’d look better even if he learned less.
“I think he’s better off going to Arizona because he’s playing against boys rather than men,” said one Central Division player personnel director. “The better you look, the more highly people think of you.”
Said a Central Division scout, “With Jennings I think it could go either way. If he plays well, obviously it would really help him, but if he played poorly it would be interesting to see if they would give him the same kind of leeway as young Euros get.
“Some of these young foreign players hardly play, and then get drafted on potential. It would be a little hypocritical not to give an American who chooses to go over there so young the same type of leeway.”
Said a Southwest Division scout, “We know he’s fast and great in the open court. That’s (not changing). So punishing him for trying to expand his game would be stupid. He’s a lottery pick no matter what.”
This article just reaffirmed that guys coming from Europe are playing on average against better talent. Yeah, the NCAA may provide some great marquee match-ups to evaluate talent, but NCAA players are fighting against the same strength, speed, and talent as they are in a nightly basis in Europe. Notice that the NBA personnel director says Jennings would look better, not be better.
I'm not saying that European trained players are better in any way shape or form. However, I think there's a clear difference in what we should expect a 19 year old kid to do in the NCAAs versus a professional European league.