Kareem critical of todays NBA players

[AboveLegit]

When asked about today’s game, he said: “Today’s players learn about the skills later than I did. They are not trained for shots between five and 15 feet. I think it affects the quality of the game, but fans seem to enjoy it.”

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=kareem-abdul-jabbar-touches-racism-issue-in-documentary-2011-05-09

 

This just strengthens my support for the age limit, the NBA desperately need to keep it.

[?QuestionMark?]

 

This just strengthens my support for the age limit, the NBA desperately need to keep it.

 

Why? There are too many 4 year college players that can't hit from that range.

 

This has not as much to do with age and more to do with the American basketball culture where everything is either going to the rim or settling for 3s.

Edited May 10, 2011 by ?QuestionMark?

[Newman]

Why? There are too many 4 year college players that can't hit from that range.

 

Yeah, but those guys don't get drafted.

 

I would say its some parts the fault of players, but mostly its a fault of general managers for not drafting properly. Too many of them focus on potential and ignore what the player can do right now.

 

Why is it that guys like Wes Matthews and Gary Neal come into the league can contribute right away but many guys drafted in the first round doesn't even make it off the bench? The answer is because those undrafted guys have to go through some levels of competition (training camp, summer league) before they can make the team while some guys in the first round didn't even do much in college, which means their skills were undeveloped upon entering the NBA.

[?QuestionMark?]

Yeah, but those guys don't get drafted.

 

Lets be honest, most seniors become seniors because they know they weren't good enough to be drafted as underclassmen. Outside of Duncan, who was the last senior that has had an all-star career?

 

I would say its some parts the fault of players, but mostly its a fault of general managers for not drafting properly. Too many of them focus on potential and ignore what the player can do right now.

 

Agree. GMs need to do a better job. But the draft has always been a crapshoot even when guys weren't declaring early. Portland is stil pissed they wasted the 1st pick on LaRue Martin with McAdoo and Erving on the board. Jeff Trepagnier and Ndudi Ebi both busts. One a senior, one a HS senior. Both failed for the same reason: Greath athletes with no other skill.

 

Why is it that guys like Wes Matthews and Gary Neal come into the league can contribute right away but many guys drafted in the first round doesn't even make it off the bench? The answer is because those undrafted guys have to go through some levels of competition (training camp, summer league) before they can make the team while some guys in the first round didn't even do much in college, which means their skills were undeveloped upon entering the NBA.

 

To be fair, Neal spent 3 seasons overseas before landing in the NBA. A lot of players, need more time to develop, including seniors. Mo Evans, Udonis Haslem went overseas and came back better players.

 

This goes back to the draft being a crap shoot. There are some things that you can't assess by watching tape or running them through athletic tests. Sometimes hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard. Guys can go to college all 4 years and never improve (Terrence Morris). So this idea that just because you go to college will mean you'll be better suited for the NBA is false. It took JJ Redick (one of the best college players ever) close to 4 years before he became a solid bench player in the NBA.