For many years now, the one-and-done rule forced prospects to spend a year in college after which they could come to the NBA. However, things seem to be taking a different direction since there is no right way to enter the NBA Draft anymore. Well, it looks like the days of every American prospect playing in the NCAA are coming to an end if we are to go with the number of players that have skipped college without affecting their NBA stocks. Even the best players seem to be doing this also.
Currently, close to four of the top five picks in the NBA Draft 2020 could already be done with college basketball. For instance, R.J. Hampton and LaMello never played even once though they were still part of NBL’s Next Star Program in Australia. Many might say the best prospects no longer need the NCAA anymore since they are already taking their careers into their own hands. Nevertheless, forcing kids to play in the NCAA would give NBA teams like New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers valuable data about their level of performance against high-level competition. They will therefore avoid making mistakes at the top of the NBA draft.
All these changes can be attributed to the fact that players are getting wise to the systems. Â Some already think NCAA is not for everyone considering there are different paths to the NBA. In the 2009 draft, Brandon Jennings made it to no.10 despite skipping college and playing overseas. Another notable prospect who followed in his footsteps is Emmanuel Mudiay after joining China in 2014. The NBL, based in New Zealand and Australia, is already making going overseas much more viable by increasing their draft stocks.
The Bottom Line
It is with no denying that players are now forcing change on how they make it to the NBA. This might not come as a surprise since they are figuring out how to make use of the one-and-done rule to serve their own interests. They can head overseas, sit out a year or even shut themselves down whenever they need. What we are trying to imply is that there is no right way to enter the G league anymore. The NBA draft has always been hard to figure out and it is expected to get harder even in the years to come.
