“There’s nothing wrong with staying in college… You don’t have to leave because your agent wants his money or your family want to freeload off of you. It’s alright to stay in college more than one year.”
So said the occasionally adroit Charles Barkley, NBA Hall of Famer, TV pundit and ardent advocate of college basketball.
One assumes Barkley would have some stern words for the freakishly talented Thon Maker.
Maker, who was born in Sudan and played his high school basketball in America and Canada (but spent a bit of time in Australia when he was young, so is naturally a true-blue Aussie), has declared for the 2016 NBA Draft straight out of high school, deciding to forego college altogether.
That leap from high school to the NBA is one so few have successfully accomplished. For every LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, there is a horde of busts led by Kwame Brown and Eddie Curry.
So why has Maker made the decision to jump from high-school hoops to the big league?
The weakness of this NBA Draft is no doubt a factor. Aside from a couple of genuinely exciting prospects – of whom Ben Simmons is the clear leader – scouts and pundits are labelling the 2016 Draft as a pretty poor one.
Untried as Maker is, that makes a first-round selection (and the accompanying multi-million dollar contract) much more likely.
It’s not yet certain Maker will be on the board in late June. He may have declared for the draft, but the NBA still has to determine his eligibility.
The league currently has rules to prevent young prospects from skipping college; rookies must be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school to be draftable.
Maker is 19, but spent the past year at Orangeville Prep high school in Canada. Still, his camp believe Maker is eligible because he was a member of the class of 2015, but stayed on for a post-grad year.
That’s ultimately for the NBA to decide, but it’s not the biggest issue here.
The issue is that more and more players are being convinced to spend as little time as possible playing college basketball, and it’s not good for their development.
One-and-done players are becoming more common, and some players are going out of their way to avoid college altogether; Denver Nuggets guard Emmanuel Mudiay skipped college to play in China after finishing high school.
That college players – or ‘student athletes’, as they are branded by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) – are not allowed to earn a cent is a contributing factor.
“There is nothing inherently wrong with a sporting tournament making huge amounts of money,” said British comedian-cum-investigative reporter John Oliver. “But there is something slightly troubling about a billion-dollar sports enterprise where the athletes are not paid a penny.”
Shabazz Napier, a first-round pick of the Miami heat in 2014, revealed he slept through some “hungry nights” when he couldn’t afford to eat during his time at the University of Connecticut.
The NCAA found that a coach who took a player to lunch before putting him on a plane for one of his parents’ funeral to be in violation of their rules.
With such draconian laws, it’s understandable that Maker is doing all he can to avoid college.
The problem is, it’s going to hurt his game.
To be clear, Maker has some serious talent. At 2.16 metres tall, he has the size and athleticism NBA scouts dream of. He has a good outside touch and ball-handling ability.
But he’s only ever played against boys. If approved by the NBA, he’s about to play against fully grown men. The interim step of playing against partially developed amateurs would have been a handy waypoint.
And while Maker could end up being a sensation out of high school, there’s every chance he could end up like Ndudi Ebi or Jonathan Bender – two talented youngsters whose NBA careers failed after making the jump too early.
I’m not suggesting college basketballers should be given salaries comparable to the exorbitant ones so common in the NBA, but allowing student athletes to earn sponsorships, or working out some kind of small payment which makes heading to the NBA less of a financial incentive, must surely be considered.
It wouldn’t have a great effect on the bonafide superstars of the basketball world; the Kevin Durants and Kyrie Irvings of the world are still going to get themselves to the NBA as soon as possible.
But for players like Maker who aren’t instantly touted as All-Stars, it could make a world of difference to their careers.
Kaleb Taiaroa
Guest
Well Maker hasn't yet been in the D-League and has started a few games this season entirely due to injuries. He's not a flop but has a long way to go to prove that the lottery is where he belongs
pete bloor
Guest
But Curry and Leonard were both playing at less prodigious programs and weren't top 50 recruits. Maker is a top 5 recruit right? Hardly a remotely similar fact pattern. Now I'm not saying he's a lock for a glorious career - I just think having more game time, training and aligned interest will help him
pete bloor
Guest
Definitely the right move. Even if he plays D League, the likely outcome, taking the guaranteed money without The college interim step is unlikely to be a handy way point as a college coach has absolutely no vested interest in developing someone for the NBA rather they will use your current strengths to win games now. I really struggle with the concept that an elite player learns more by playing less often, with fewer practices, against worse opposition and in an environment with no vested interest in their long term growth.
Daniel Jeffrey
Editor
Well if Adrian Wojnarowski is to be believed (and he almost always is where matters of basketball are concerned), then this could be exactly what happens to Thon.
Daniel Jeffrey
Editor
I think players do still develop well in college - take the examples of Steph Curry and Kahwi Leonard. They're two of the best (some would say the two best) players in the NBA today, and both spent extended stints in college. I'd argue the reason Simmons hasn't progressed one jot this past season is because he was in a rubbish program at LSU; not all colleges are as useless for a player's development. Your last point seems to point to the value of playing in college anyway; we don't know if Maker is ready for the NBA, and he probably isn't. Playing for a year or two in college would make him better prepared for a leap to the big-time.
jimmy
Guest
Think his decision to 100% the right move, in the context of the way college basketball is set up. It would have been the right move for Ben Simmons a year ago also...his one year in college has done nothing for his skills or reputation. College isn't what it was in Barkley's day. It's hard to say players who stay only one year 'develop' and learn any more than they do in the pros. In fact, there's a good argument that the opposite is true. Young guys might actually learn more sitting on the end of of a pro bench than being a one year star in college and coming into the league with the same expectations. I'd also have to slightly disagree with the notion that the "leap from high school to the NBA is one so few have successfully accomplished". Sure, not every guy who does this is Kobe, Moses or Lebron or TMac, but very few who go through college are either. That list actually doesn't read too bad...no worse that the 'one and done' list does. There are definitely guys who crashed (eg. Blatche, Telfair, Curry etc), but also a lot of solid players who built very good NBA careers (eg. Amir Johnson, Lou Williams, Monta, Al Jefferson, JR Smith, Amare, Kendrick Perkins, Rashard Lewis, Jermaine O'Neal etc). Having said all that, and while I believe Maker is making (sorry) the right call, I think there's a very good chance he ends up being a bust. By all accounts, he's well below being even a college-standard player. His Youtube clips are great, but in games, he apparently fouls a heap, is lost on defense and is limited offensively. So for me, the question is not whether he's making the right decision to go straight to the NBA, but is he actually anywhere near ready for the NBA? That question seems much harder to answer...
Nathan
Guest
Good article.
Kingcowboy
Guest
Personally I think the best way forward is to develop the D-League. Use it like the minor leagues in baseball. Prospects like Thon can develop at his own pace while still earning a living.