Wise Man, Dumb Decisions: Developing The G League

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James Wiseman is one of the most intriguing and versatile big man prospects to be recruited since Anthony Davis. But none of that will matter, because this happened:

Just like that, after just one game, a promising college career has been cut short, all because NBA legend-turned-Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway helped Wiseman move to the Memphis area ahead of his hiring.

This is the NCAA, folks.

Personally, I’m sick and tired of seeing players punished because they were given a helping hand en route to their success.

It’s time for a change.

It’s time for the NBA G League to become North American basketball’s official farm league—for journeymen and undrafted prospects alike.

Much has been discussed about lowering and raising the draft eligibility age. Do high schoolers have the right to play in the NBA?

Should they? Should we demand players have more seasoning before entering the league? Is that the responsibility of the player or the drafting team?

What if we decided to fix the NBA Draft process once and for all?

Here are two things, I believe, that should take place first:

  1. The G League officially expands to 30-32 teams in order to accommodate either the NBA’s current makeup or the league’s final expansion—hopefully Seattle and either Las Vegas or Louisville. Each team has an official minor league affiliate.
  2. Now a fully-fledged minor league, the G League opens its doors to players that would, under the NBA’s current draft eligibility rules, be formally ineligible for the NBA Draft.

In this scenario, franchises would be able to draft, then sign a high school-aged (no younger than 17) prospect to the maximum-allowed G League deal, where the prospect (if not eligible right away) will be able to play with the team’s minor league affiliate in order to develop and season until they are able to seamlessly transition into the NBA.

In other words, athletes would be able to choose between playing amateur ball at a certain college on scholarship and playing for a G League at a certain scaled undrafted prospect salary.

As a side-note, let’s assume here that by this point, G League salaries are considerably more lucrative than they currently are (an inevitability with the continued growth of the NBA), so G League players, while not necessarily living in NBA (or WNBA)-styled max-level penthouses, aren’t exactly steeped in poverty either.

This would mean that a talented prospect like RJ Hampton wouldn’t have to move to Australia to play basketball and be paid for his services, nor would someone like Darius Bazley have to take a year off from basketball just to make money.

Players like James Wiseman (or even Zion Williamson last season) would be creating a buzz all around the G League, bringing more fans into areas not normally visited by major franchises.

Under this plan, a prospect’s draft rights could be moved around the league (like any unsigned draft pick’s rights) via trade throughout the G League, but only if traded to another NBA team.

What are the benefits of this idea?

Prospects are able to develop in an NBA-ready environment without being exploited by an already engorged and prohibitively expensive college system here in the United States.

Prospects are taught how to be professionals in an expanded version of the Rookie Transition Program. Prospects are also able to develop under the watchful eye of the franchises that initially drafted them, until they are ready to contribute at a high level.

As a result, players aren’t forced to subject themselves to an outdated collegiate athletic system that only aims to enrich itself, and can instead focus on the very craft to which they’ve consciously dedicated their lives. Think of development squads under international soccer clubs.

I would imagine that this balanced approach might be able to appease both sides of the debate, while growing the league on both ends.

Interest in G League franchises will spike exponentially, and the NBA’s footprint in non-NBA markets will continue to grow with increased attention now dedicated to exciting new talents.

G League markets will be able to get an exclusive glimpse at the NBA’s future prodigies, and parts of the country too far away from NBA venues will be able to fall in love with the game of basketball all over again with competitive play.

Either way, it’s time for the NCAA to stop profiting off the talents of hundreds of talented young athletes.

More on this as it develops…

—

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Boca Raton, Ricky J. Marc is an alumnus of the Obama White House and Cornell Paris Institute, a former Legislative Aide with both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, and a graduate of St. Thomas University with a Juris Doctor and Master of Science in Sports Administration.

He currently resides in Paris, France. Follow him on Twitter @RickyJMarc.

Five Reasons, Five Deals: Who’s Moving?

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This has been quite the offseason, hasn’t it?

We saw Zion Williamson go #1 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans, an injured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving spurn the New York Knicks for the upstart Brooklyn Nets, reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Paul George team up with the Los Angeles Clippers, Russell Westbrook depart the Oklahoma City Thunder to reunite with James Harden in Houston, and Team USA finish a disappointing seventh-place at the FIBA World Cup of Basketball.

And then came Jimmy.

Has the dust settled yet? Probably not.

We are now one month into the season, regular season or otherwise. Even with all of the movement and turmoil, we would be remiss if we didn’t take into consideration the possibility that we might still see some eyebrow-raising deals get done this season that, quite frankly, should happen for the sake of the players involved.

With that in mind, here are five transactions worth expecting at some point this season.

 

Beantown Love

When Kevin Love first arrived in Cleveland, it was essentially to serve as the Cavaliers’ counterpart to the Miami HEAT’s Chris Bosh for a returning LeBron James. This was something that definitely wasn’t smooth sailing at first, and that is something Love himself would admit to.

However, the acquisition ultimately paid off at the best possible time: Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, when he was successfully tasked with preventing the unanimously-selected 2016 NBA MVP Steph Curry from sinking a game-tying three, resulting in the city of Cleveland celebrating its first sports championship in more than five decades.

But that was then, and this is now. Three years later, that championship Cavs team is no more, LeBron James has since sought greener pastures in Los Angeles with the Lakers, and Kevin Love now finds himself surrounded by a rebuilding roster of prospects and D-League acquisitions.

Now 31 years old, Love’s days of championship contention, if he remains in Cleveland, are more than likely done for good. For an All-Star caliber player like Love to spend his twilight years on a perennial lottery team would be a waste, and it’s obvious that he still has much more to give.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jDXfMFEJ0g

Why Boston? For starters, Love has been linked with the Celtics dating back to his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves. A deal involving the perennial All-Star’s move to Beantown would allow him to compete at a high level on one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams for the foreseeable future, while serving as a formidable running mate for the likes of Kemba Walker and the improving wing Jayson Tatum.

Though they lost Kyrie Irving and Al Horford this past summer, there are worse things in the world than replacing them with a more teammate-friendly Walker, Love, and continued growth from Tatum.

Lastly, the Gordon Hayward signing has been a failure for Boston, and that’s no one’s fault but circumstance. Hayward, after signing with the Celtics in the summer of 2017, fractured his tibia on Opening Night against the Cavs, and hasn’t been the same player since.

Combine that with the development of Tatum and Jaylen Brown in his absence, along with the continued play of Marcus Smart, and it’s clear that there’s no real place for him anymore in the rotation.

A deal centered around Kevin Love and Gordon Hayward makes sense for both sides, as the Cavs would receive a veteran swingman to aid with the development of their own wings.

 

Denver: Making A Beal

For those of you that have subscribed to episodes of the Five On The Floor podcast in the last few months, you’re likely well-aware of all the hoopla surrounding Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and recent reports concerning an extension with his home team. No, he’s not coming to Miami. Womp womp.

Let’s not sugarcoat it—with backcourt mate John Wall not scheduled to return to competitive basketball for another year and Beal currently entering the prime of his career, the Wizards don’t look to be an ideal situation for an All-Star guard of Beal’s caliber to compete at the highest level.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgM0doVU_5A

Why Denver? Without question, the Denver Nuggets look to be a team on the rise right now, revolving around the likes of All-Star center Nikola Jokić and a collection of talented wings. In order to acquire Beal, it will likely take one or more of those wings (plus filler and picks) to satisfy the Wizards’ need to facilitate their continued rebuild.

This is a situation that, we believe, can be as fluid as the sides are willing to let it, so long as Beal makes his desire clear and the front office is willing to work with him. Combining Beal with Jokić and Denver’s remaining depth could immediately transform them into a serious contender in the Western Conference.

 

Di-On The Move: A Motor City Malcontent

Dion Waiters’ days are numbered in Miami.

Beyond a two-month period in 2017 when Waiters had HEAT fans thinking of another clutch shooting guard as the team went on that now-infamous 30-11 run in the second half of the season, Waiters’ HEAT career has been a disappointment, marred by poor shot selection, a debilitating ankle injury, “Dion Weighters” memes, and sulking at the end of the bench over his perceived role in the offense.

Combine this with the apparent emergence of rookies Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn, as well as the arrival of Jimmy Butler, continued steady play of Goran Dragić, and Justise Winslow’s establishment as the team’s point guard of the future, and it’s clear that Waiters’ time is up with this team.

Why Detroit? From what we’ve seen, Miami’s tried to move Waiters for quite some time now, with no takers. This is no surprise, especially considering the glut of talented or developing guards on many rosters throughout the league. Detroit, however, may become the first, especially after losing starting point guard Reggie Jackson to a back injury this past week. Now is not a good time to lose guard play.

Detroit, a team that has been built to not only qualify, but compete in the postseason, cannot afford to let this injury set them back in an Eastern Conference that could realistically send you to the lottery as early as December (ask the 2016-17 Miami HEAT and the tanking debate that happened then).

 

OK-CP3: The Point God Stands Pat

Yes. That’s not a typo. We don’t expect Chris Paul to wear another uniform besides his current one this season.

This was the man whose supermax contract (one he helped engineer) made the Russell Westbrook-to-Houston trade possible, traded to Oklahoma City where he played half of a season as a member of the then-New Orleans Hornets in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His return there is almost poetic.

Why Oklahoma City? Before we condemn CP3 to a life sentence in Basketball Siberia, let’s take a good look at the roster that the Point God-not-named-Justise has been tasked with leading this season. No, seriously, let’s look at it.

PG: Chris Paul – Dennis Schröder

SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Hamidou Diallo
SF: Terrence Ferguson – Darius Bazley
PF: Danilo Gallinari – Mike Muscala
C: Steven Adams – Nerlens Noel

At the time of this article, the Thunder are 2-4 after six games. Do we expect some sort of barn-burning run by the Thunder this season? That would depend on CP3’s health and his ability to elevate the level of play of the others around him. Players like Adams, Ferguson, Gallo, SGA, and even the young Bazley could really become something cohesive enough to emulate what the Clippers were able to accomplish last season.

Are we the only ones that are interested in seeing what CP3 could do for Shai, Ferguson, Gallo, and Adams over the course of the season?

It’s still early, but this situation in OKC is worth monitoring.

 

A Crossover Melodrama: Who Signs First?

Carmelo Anthony’s post-Rockets free agency saga is well-documented, so there’s no need to rehash it here. Jamal Crawford’s, however, is a bit more peculiar.

Granted, Crawford, unlike Anthony, has, alongside Lou Williams, revolutionized the Sixth Man role in the NBA, doing much of his damage from the bench. Crawford has started one (yes, one) game in the last three seasons and a total of 34 out of 438 games in the last five, having last played for the Phoenix Suns.

He’s also 39 years old. Most players don’t last past age 35 in the NBA. Vince Carter, currently aged 42 and in his final season with the Atlanta Hawks, will turn 43 next January.

Could it be that his age is scaring teams off? We suspect that it has more to do with perceived talent than age at this point. If Crawford can’t play, he can’t play.

But he came off the bench last season and averaged 7.9 points and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 39.7% from the field and 84.5% from the free throw line.

Oh, and this happened:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze2tDw4WVZo

Yes, your eyes didn’t deceive you. A 39-year old Crawford really dropped 51 points on the Dallas Mavericks last season. On a recent episode of NBA Hang Time with Sekou Smith, Crawford stated that he’s still ready and willing to contribute to a team that is willing to utilize his services.

While we’re not as optimistic about Anthony’s chances, we believe that Crawford will likely sign onto a team during the latter stretch of the regular season, a likely contending team seeking veteran bench help after the Trade Deadline and All-Star Break. We believe that will surely take place, as it’s hard to pass up Jamal Crawford’s abilities for too long. Even if it could be his final season.

Look out for teams like Milwaukee, Los Angeles (Lakers), Detroit, Houston, Toronto, Dallas, Portland, and perhaps even Denver if our aforementioned Beal deal goes down.

Ultimately, we never truly know what will happen in terms of major transactions this season, but we believe that these five instances are worth looking out for; in the event that they do happen, don’t forget where you heard it first.

Stay tuned for future episodes of Five On The Floor.

—

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Boca Raton, Ricky J. Marc is an alumnus of the Obama White House and Cornell Paris Institute, a former Legislative Aide with both the Florida House of Representatives and Florida Senate, and a graduate of St. Thomas University with a Juris Doctor and Master of Science in Sports Administration.

He currently resides in Paris, France. Follow him on Twitter @RickyJMarc.

Guts Check: Head over Heels for Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler

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Welcome back to Guts Check. A weekly Miami Heat column aimed at bringing readers my perspective on all the hot topics surrounding the team. You can expect a regular balance of sourced information, analysis and an expression of the soul of the Heat fan base. In the name of Trusting the Spocess, let’s call these weekly columns position-less.

Since we last touched base:

  • Heat beat the Hawks 112-97 & 106-97 in a home and home series.
  • Dominated the Houston Rockets from start to finish in a 129-100 route on Sunday.

Let’s review a few of my key takeaways from the undefeated week of Heat basketball that was.

Jimmy Butler: The Human Embodiment of Heat Culture

“The group of guys we have is the group of guys I want to play with.”

That was one of many quotes from the recent interview with Yahoo’s Chris Haynes.

Jimmy Butler has Heat fans ready to run through brick walls for him at this point.

I would argue that no player in Heat history has arrived on the scene in Miami and become as endeared by (and connected to) the fan base as Jimmy. Not Alonzo, not Timmie, not even Dwyane or Lebron James. Shaquille O’Neal was endeared by all, but for far different reasons.

Jimmy resonates with this fan base because he brings to life the things even the most cynical of Heat Culture critics tend to scoff at. The doubters who scoffed, have largely been left to praise. Butler reinforces so much of what the organization has built its reputation on. He talks and walks the Miami Heat way. Pat Riley has found his next Alonzo Mourning.

Whether it be winning that introductory press conference alongside Riles, to posting 3AM workout videos with Heat rookie sensation Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler has been incredibly vested to the success of the team since day one. Fans notice the way Butler goes out of his way to prop up the young players he is surrounded by. He chose this group, because they approach the game the same way he does.

Speaking of Herro, Heat fans wanted as many reasons to embrace the Bucket Bros as they could find. Being co-signed by Butler was the icing on the cake that allowed fans to fall firmly in love.

 

This all goes back to one thing. Jimmy Butler has all the guts. He is exactly who this organization needed. His arrival was perfect timing for both player and team.

Heat fans were desperate for a star, literally any star, to come to Miami and remind them this organization mattered. Not only did they get a star, they got one who is reminding the NBA that the Heat matter, but especially in all the ways the Heat view as most important.

Erik Spoelstra appears rejuvenated, and we can understand why.

Coach Spo looks like a man who has had a 235 lb. weight lifted off his shoulders. He just has a different look in his eyes when he talks about this group. He likes this team and all its elements. (well, almost all of them)

As we watched the team this week, we saw multiple players put in position for major contributions. Spoelstra finally has a roster that fits the way he wants to play, and it shows in the way Spoelstra has been able to mix and match lineups and tinker on the fly as he finds combinations he likes best.

Although they all feel like they involve Bam & Jimmy don’t they?

The Heat’s potent bench depth is surely going to be a needed boost on Western Conference road trips against high powered offenses, such as the one that starts in Denver tonight and ends in Los Angeles against Lebron’s Lakers on Friday.

Spoelstra having the ability to go full “mad scientist” on the rest of the league with 3 or 4 cyborgs on the court at all times is a distinct advantage he was not awarded in recent seasons.

Most of all though, Spo looks reinvigorated and rejuvenated. In my opinion, it has a lot to do with who has relocated.

Quick Hits:

  • The Heat continue to quietly communicate that Dion Waiters is available via trade. The Detroit Pistons, who have a further depleted back court with the injury to Reggie Jackson, is a team that continues to be mentioned according to a source. The Charlotte Hornets are also a team to watch as a willing trade partner it if means securing an asset.
  • Marvin Williams and Jae Crowder, both players the organization has shown interest in previously, are potential targets that could entice the Heat to eventually package an asset (such as Derrick Jones Jr.) with Dion Waiters to find the shooting guard a new home. Such a trade would likely need to involve a third team, and the Heat prefers not to surrender any asset in such a move at this time according to a source. The reemergence of James Johnson would also cool off any interest in Williams or Crowder for the time being.
  • Although the Heat remain open minded to all trade scenarios, the team is by no means actively pursuing any major trades at this point, according to a league source. The team, as expected, is pleased with its 5-1 start and prefers to be patient. Check back in mid December, when more than half the league will become available via trade due to free agent restrictions that lift on 12/15, as that seems to be a more realistic reevaluation date for trade options.