Improving The Draft Format

You’re kind of ignoring the players’ interest here, for powell, the situation is completely different: he has worked his butt off to become a better player, why should he not have the say where he wants to play or how much he will be paid? 

There are ways that teams can secure their second round picks for longer, they can stash them, they can sign them for a year and then sign them for a long contract before they reach their prime. This is something you cannot do with first round picks.

It’s certainly not easy to do, but that is what separates a great GM from an ok GM — being able to get the most out of your picks without paying out wads of money.

 I think they should have a wheel like the one on the Price is Right have a representative from each team have a turn spinning the team that the wheel lands on the most gets the top pick seconds most gets 2nd pick and so on..this way the game will stay competitive all year long because the odds are completely random.

The NBA draft should really be three or four rounds these days with all the internationals declaring.

Bill Laimbeer, Mark Eaton, Kurt Rambis, Frank Brickowski, Craig Hodges, Craig Ehlo, Sedale Threatt, Sabonis, Spud Webb, Sam Mitchell, Chris Dudley, Anthony Mason were all take in the third or later rounds of NBA draft.

In more recent years Jeremy Lin, Udonis Haslem, Raja Bell, Avery Johnson, Jose Calderon, Brad Miller, David Wesley, John Stark, Bruce Bowne and Ben Wallace all went undrafted since the introduction of only two draft rounds….

 It’s that simple.

 I like where you’re going, but I don’t think thats the true problem, but ill get into that in a minute. 

 I think you kind of answered your own question of how to improve the draft format. The draft format is fine. It adds excitement, and forces teams to try and be competative in FA because they aren’t guaranteed a top pick unless they are literally the worst pick. This helps the players out a lot imo. I actually don’t mind the NBA draft, and think two rounds is appropriate, and any more would be over kill. But you mentioned the extended roster for the DLeague, and I think that is where the focus has to be. 

What they need to do, and are doing, is add more emphasis to the D league. I think baseball does it right with their minor league system, and because of that its rare to have prospects go under the radar, as literally anyone with skill gets a chance to showcase their abilities. The problem with the NBA and this system is obviously College basketball. 

The fact that these young players are forced to go to school is what hinders the NBA and its youth developement imo. first we had highschool players like Telfair who had no place being drafted where he was, and now you have overhyped freshman and overlooked upperclassman coming out of college. I think if they got rid of the 1 and done rule, put more emphasis on actually developing the D League into a legit minor league organization, you would see a lot more player growth, and be able to spot talent more easily. 

Both leagues have their issues. College hides a players weaknesses, while the Dleague hides a players skill level. Thats why we have MVP’s like James Young and Anthony Randolf. Combine the two, get good coaches in the Dleague who try to win and not just get their guys showcased, and I think you would see a much better product. As it stands now, college dominates this aspect of the game, and they do a pretty piss poor job of developing and teaching these guys. 

 2nd round picks aren’t guaranteed contracts so teams tend to offer lesser terms. There is nothing to stop them putting a player on a 4 year deal with options in the teams favour. The Kings did this when they drafted Whiteside in 2010 although he didn’t pan out as an NBA player in his time there.