Last night the NBA held its annual draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.  Of the 30 players drafted, 16 of them were international players.  But let’s take a deeper look at the problem with this year’s draft.

This year, as well as many other years, we saw an increasing number of underclassmen being drafted.  But are they ready?

Several years ago the NBA along with the NBAPA came up with a plan to stem the tide of high schoolers entering the league.  You had to be at least 1 year removed from high school to enter the draft which led to players enrolling in college for one year then bolting for the NBA.

This has had a negative impact on both the NBA and the NCAA.  First off, you get guys in the league who aren’t ready to play “grown man” basketball, and it has watered down the quality of the game.  This is why you have so many teams with low shooting percentages, high turnover rates, and guys who throw temper tantrums on and off the court.

Secondly, it’s having a negative effect on the college game.  While March Madness is still an extraordinary phenomenon, fans like myself no longer have players to follow for more than a season at a time.

By no means am I saying that these guys should be banned from making money, but there has to be something done about the influx of “not ready for prime time players” in the NBA.

One solution I propose is to utilize the D-League (DEVELOPMENTAL LEAGUE) similar to how the MLB uses minor league baseball.  Allow these guys to come into the league, but if they’re not ready, sit them in the D-League until they are.

If a guy doesn’t want to go to college let’s use the D-League as a viable alternative.  Let these young guys go to a league where they can actually hone their skills before they make it to the big club.  After all, college is not for everyone.

I would much rather see guys like Buddy Hield, Kris Dunn, and Denzel Valentine get drafted, rather than guys who have only gone through a 1-season audition and may never live up to their “potential”.  Not to say that these upper classmen are sure things, but at least you’ve seen the body of work, and know what you’re getting.