Young and Artis
- Thread starter King Of All Message Boards
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I really don't follow the NBA, but it seems like they invite a ton of marginal players to these events. What's the rationale for this? Hopefully Mike and Jamel make the most of the opportunity.
I hope that Rodney Pryor (formerly of Robert Morris & just played a year for Georgetown) gets into a summer league too and maybe gets picked up by an NBA team.
Shot over 41% from 3 & avg 18 PPG for G-Town this year.
Very, very few guys make it as undrafted FAs from the summer leagues to the big show. Pryor, along with Artis and Young, will make their livings overseas.
The rationale is that you can't put together summer league teams to get the two or three players you really want to see some games without bringing in enough other guys to fill up a team. It's the same reason that the MLB draft lasts 40 rounds. Those top prospects have to play against somebody.
Yea, plus its important for guys hoping to get to the D-league. If a team likes you, they'll stick you on their D-league team where you may only be an injury away.
The Globetrotters "drafted" Pryor. Maybe that's just their way of saying they signed him.
The other side benefit to the players invited to the summer league is they use that as a bargaining chip when negotiating international league contracts. Becomes a win-win for all involved.
Why would the NBA care about that? They'd rather keep those guys in the DL earning peanuts.
Lol ya that did happen.
Pryor just announced on his twitter today that he got into the Nets summer league squad.
Wish him the best.
Artis has now signed a contract with the Knicks. He'll play on their summer league team and is guaranteed spot on their training camp roster.
James Robinson has signed to play with the Spurs summer league team and Brad Wannamaker will play with OKC.
James Robinson has signed to play with the Spurs summer league team and Brad Wannamaker will play with OKC.
The Knicks gave that "deal" to Nigel Hayes and Luke Kornet also. Maybe its 3 guys competing for 1 spot?
A lot of times with contracts like this, the player gets NBA money for a year whether he makes the team or not. If he doesn't make it, he plays in the D-league for a year where he is further evaluated, but still making NBA money.
As for Wanamaker, it looks like its either OKC or CSKA Moscow for him. His Turkish team didn't qualify for the Euro League this season and he'd too good to just play domestically so he's been linked to CSKA.
Nigel Hayes was about twice the college player Artis was on a far better team, and has a true NBA body and athleticism as opposed to doughy Artis --and he's fighting for NBA scraps too. Just goes to show you how hard it is to make it.
This is why I say the NBA should expand by a lot of teams, even up to 40. Once you get past the first 8 guys on a roster, there is very little difference between the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th men and guys like Artis, Young, Wanamaker, etc. The NBA could do well in markets like Pit, KC, StL, Cincy, Seattle, LV, etc.
Golden State is the best team of all time and there is almost no difference between Mike Young and David West, between Jamel Artis and Ian Smith. There are so many good American players but not enough NBA or well-paying overseas opportunities. Heck, Lamar Patterson is now playing for almost nothing in the Puerto Rican league.
There's a large gap between good and great . Every kid who gets a D1 scholarship is good , every guy drafted in the NBA is good , but very few still make it . All products that are successful can only dilute their product so much before you get diminishing returns . Stars are what makes the league not guys on the end of your bench .
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