This Is What Is Wrong with the NBA Draft

Every year, the NBA draft occurs. I am shocked at the increasingly amount of players attempting to wiggle their way to teams they prefer, or teams with markets that would create more exposure with them.

While the players have some input the new wave of potential NBA players are not versed in the strategic positioning games of the NBA and often go along with the process, thinking it's best for them.

This year our ‘poor victim’ is Ricky Rubio and his puppet master Dan Fegan. Last year it was the ‘chairman’ Yi Jianlian again controlled by Dan Fegan. What I find is interesting is that heavily hyped international players have been signing with US based agents and have been holding teams hostage.

Congrats to former Bucks GM Larry Harris for selecting Yi, despite Fegan’s obvious attempts to get him to a larger market.

U.S. College players do not generally have this type of leverage unless they are the conscious best player in the Draft (Blake Griffin this year) so why should a International player dictate where he should be playing especially when there is NO guarantee  about what type of player they will become.

In the case of the Bucks, Yi’s selection eventually allowed them to acquire an All-Star in Richard Jefferson. Another notable international player Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors did not attempt to get selected by the Toronto, Portland or go to Chicago he simply went along in the process as he was just hoping to land with an NBA team.

Going back over 10 years when drafting international players was not all the rage it is now, Dirk Nowitzki was overjoyed to be selected by the Bucks (then traded to the Dallas Mavericks). While it was a different time for the league, draftees simply did not carry themselves in the way they do now.

I’m sick and tired of unproven players like Rubio, and Yi attempting to influence what team picks them. Most of us don’t have a choice to pick our employers and sports stars are afforded this wonderful privilege: It’s called free agency...Not the NBA Draft. 

Rubio and Yi before him are/were rookies entering into the NBA and haven’t done anything (Yi) or haven’t been drafted to do anything (Rubio) to justify all of this posturing that is going on. I hope that the NBA comes up with some new rules to limit this type of posturing with potential draftees across the board.

This does not mean that American players are without fault (DeMar DeRozan not wanting to workout for Toronto, Hasheem Thabeet getting ‘injured’ the day of his workout with the Grizzles) but they are more compliant with the system in place than international players are.

Dan Fegan has slowly strengthening his hold on the draft as more incoming international players are signing with his firm. Easily I could see Fegan attempting to be the Scott Boras of the NBA with his manipulation of the current draft system.

For those players that believe that dictating what team drafts them is a right, I will correct you.

Playing in the NBA is a privilege and judging by players NOT being paid by their European counterparts in the various leagues internationally I suggest you treat the NBA as a privilege as if you are ready to give your best, you’ll end up in Europe quicker than you think.