Scheyer On The NBA Possibly Ending One-And-Done Restrictions

Sep 28, 2022 - 5:16 PM

As you may have heard, the NBA is considering ending the the one-and-done rule, which would allow high school basketball players to go directly to the league without waiting a year.

Frankly, we have never understood this. First, it turns the NBA into a combination of baby sitters and development programs. And secondly, as far as the union goes, it will cost some guys their job every single season. What difference does it make to LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson? Not much.

For marginal players like Jose Alvarado, Bol Bol and Isaiah Todd, or older players like Cody Zeller, Frank Kaminsky or Mason Plumlee, it could cost them their jobs. There are a lot more of those guys than there are superstars so we’ve never understood why they go along with a plan that could cost them millions of dollars but whatever. That’s their decision.

Obviously a return to going straight to the NBA out of high school would change college recruiting, particularly for Duke and Kentucky.

In Duke’s case, Jon Scheyer is well aware of the potential change and told WRAL that Duke will be ready: “We’ll be in a good position but not try to jump the gun where (we are) anticipating something. Because next thing you know, something else changes, and we just try to stay the course of what we know is real and what we know for sure is happening.”

Assistant coach Chris Carrawell always speaks his mind and he added “[w]e’re still gonna go after the top guys. To be honest with you, (there are) only a few guys that could really go from high school to the pros.”

That’s probably true but you can add to that NIL. The reason people are trying to get to the league as soon as possible is just money. As NIL revenues increase, and they will, there will be an incentive to not jump as quickly.

It’s all still rather fluid, and presumably at some point it will make more sense. That day, however, is not today. Everyone is trying to figure all of this out.