harden

bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#31
#31
This is just a theory, but lets say your Harden and Washington at the five spot gives you a rock solid guarantee that they will take you when thier turn comes. If your Washington you don't want him to risk injury by doing a bunch of worthless workouts. At the same time you can't preclude him from trying to move up higher if possible. So Washington puts some conditions on their promise. Interviews only, and no workouts.

Harden has a reputation as a good charactor guy. There has to be a reason he would risk offending the rest of the league.
 
bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#32
#32
VF21 said:
I guess my objection is the same as it was when I heard about Avery Johnson's attitude. I view it as a privilege for them to be close to attaining something wanted by so very many yet actually achieved by so few. I guess that's just not the way some of them look at it...
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I understand where your coming from, but I don't think it applies here. I remember when my dream was to play in the major's one day. I practiced every spare moment I had. In the summer, I was up at the crack of dawn and I didn't stop when the sun went down. I would be under a street light bouncing balls off steps to improve my reflexes.

My point is that these athlete's work very hard to get where they are. Its not an accident that their as good as they are. Think how many thousands of college basketball players that there are, and to be ranked in the top 100, and maybe still never have a chance of seeing an NBA floor shows how difficult it is to be a top five pick. Some of these kids came from horrible backgrounds and found possible salvation in basketball.

So I wouldn't call it a privilige for them, anymore than I would call it a privilige for a top student out of law school getting to go to one of the top firms. Because he earned it. Just as I think they earned it. As for me, at the time I played, I loved the game so much I would have played for nothing. But then I was stupid.:)
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#33
#33
To whom much is given, much is required...

Yes, privilege probably wasn't the right word as I agree they have earned what they're received so far. BUT...they have also been given a gift, a chance to enter an elite group of athletes known as NBA players. And with that gift comes, IMHO, a responsibility to be a part of the process. And that means doing what Jason Thompson did last year -working out for a number of teams and giving his all every single time.

I don't blame the players so much as some of the agents ... remember Bonzi? He lost out on an incredibly lucrative contract because his agent convinced him he could do much better.

These kids are unproven potential assets, not guaranteed stars.

/end of rant
 
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VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#34
#34
bajaden said:
This is just a theory, but lets say your Harden and Washington at the five spot gives you a rock solid guarantee that they will take you when thier turn comes. If your Washington you don't want him to risk injury by doing a bunch of worthless workouts. At the same time you can't preclude him from trying to move up higher if possible. So Washington puts some conditions on their promise. Interviews only, and no workouts.
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I might be wrong, but wouldn't that be considered tampering? I don't think teams can make arrangements like that with players before the draft...
 
Vlade4GM

Vlade4GM

All-Star
#35
#35
VF21 said:
To whom much is given, much is expected...

Yes, privilege probably wasn't the right word as I agree they have earned what they're received so far. BUT...they have also been given a gift, a chance to enter an elite group of athletes known as NBA players. And with that gift comes, IMHO, a responsibility to be a part of the process. And that means doing what Jason Thompson did last year -working out for a number of teams and giving his all every single time.

I don't blame the players so much as some of the agents ... remember Bonzi? He lost out on an incredibly lucrative contract because his agent convinced him he could do much better.

These kids are unproven potential assets, not guaranteed stars.

/end of rant
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They haven't been "given" anything, they want the NBA and the NBA wants them. It's completely mutual.
 
VF21

VF21

Super Moderator Emeritus
SME
#36
#36
Um, yes they have been "given" something but to argue the point would get into a topic we don't discuss here. You do know where the quote is from, right?

I'll leave it at that. I don't expect everyone to agree with me. And having you disagree with me really feels normal anyway.

:)
 
bajaden

bajaden

Hall of Famer
#38
#38
VF21 said:
I might be wrong, but wouldn't that be considered tampering? I don't think teams can make arrangements like that with players before the draft...
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I don't know if assuring someone that you'll pick him if he's still there could be called tampering. I mean a lot of the non commited players don't commit until a team or teams tell them that they'll be picked in the first round. One must remember that were talking about verbal promises, not written one's. So there is an element of trust there.

I can remember players saying that they had a promise from a team and that the team reneged on its promise when another player they didn't expect fell to them. So it can be a dangerous game to play at times. I would think that the higher you go up the draft board, the less chance of a team reneging.
 
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