Fast-tracking NBA prospects from high school to the pros as quickly as possible is big business. John Calipari has made a living doing just that, basically morphing Kentucky’s basketball program into a feeder system for the draft lottery.
Not all coaches share Calipari’s affinity for the one-and-done, however.
One of those detractors is Boston Celtics bench boss Brad Stevens, who just a few months ago drafted a Kentucky product in 19-year-old swingman James Young. Young spent one season in Lexington, Ky., before making the leap, and while the Celtics are excited about his potential, he’s played more minutes in the D-League than in the NBA as a rookie.
Meanwhile, Marcus Smart, who played two seasons at Oklahoma State before the Celtics selected him sixth overall, has been the team’s No. 2 point guard since training camp. Smart has missed Boston’s last seven games with an ankle sprain but could return to action Friday against the Chicago Bulls.
Stevens said Sunday that he’s “been impressed with (Young’s) maturity and his approach” this season, but when asked for his opinion about the one-and-done trend, the former college coach gave an interesting response.
It’s not just a matter of youth for Stevens, who said he’s fine with players entering the draft right out of high school if they so choose. If they do opt to pursue a college career, however, Stevens says they should have to stick around on campus for a bit.
“My thoughts on the rule have always been — my personal opinion, not to say it’s right — has always been that you can go out of high school, or you should go (to college) for two or three years,” Stevens said before the Celtics’ 94-88 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. “I just think that when kids are 18, they can do a lot of things. They should be able to go pro. And at the same time, if they’re going to go to school, I think it’s best for the development of them and the best for everybody if it’s a little bit of extra time.”
This proposition is similar to the rule for the Major League Baseball draft, which players can enter straight out of high school. Even after being drafted out of high school, players can still attend college instead, but they cannot re-enter the draft until after their junior years.
Stevens & Co. believe Young eventually will contribute at the NBA level — they wouldn’t have drafted him so high (No. 17) if they didn’t. But for now, grainy video of Young doing things like this for the Maine Red Claws will have to suffice:
Photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
