"They're not happy with the current system," he said. "And I know our teams aren't happy either, in part because they don't necessarily think that the players coming into the league are getting the kind of training that they would expect to see among top draft picks in the league."
That's NBA commissioner Adam Silver, and it's an interesting perspective from a guy who has overseen NBA drafts filled with college players eager to get out of school and on with their lives.
It's an interesting push and pull from the fan's perspective. Guys like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant flourished almost immediately in the league, and didn't have even a single year of college play. On the other hand, recent players (like Ohio State star D'Angelo Russell) have shown a lot of promise, but a clear need for more coaching and experience before they could reach their potential. It's possible that generational players like LeBron have given people a skewed view of how successful a player can be in the NBA right out of high school, and it's also possible that there's been a dip in viable NBA talent.
On "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" last week, Silver said he's "rethinking" his position on the age limit. He called the process "half and done" for freshmen who turn pro after their first seasons on campus, suggesting the players in that pool fail to make academics a priority.
"I don't think it's fair to characterize them as going to one year of school," Silver said on Cowherd's show.
Silver also warned of the problems the age limit creates for all parties, including college coaches and athletic directors who've complained to him about the rule. He cited the change from two "one-and-done" players in the initial 2006 NBA draft to nearly two dozen projected to secure contracts in this summer's NBA draft.
Either way though, it seems like things are in for a change. That might benefit college and NBA coaches, but maybe at the expense of the individual player.
