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Cyrone Torbin said:
I think it's less about being dumb, but more just holding onto a sliver of hope they get called up to the NBA (which I guess could be considered dumb). Gaines goes to Europe, he isn't playing in the NBA right now. That is true for most D-Leaguers who get called up. Some stick, some don't, but at least they got to fulfill their dream for that 10 day contract.
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I suppose, but they're just not playing real basketball and getting paid crap. It doesn't seem terribly wise to do anything but do your best to become your best, and the D-League doesn't seem like a great place to experience the growth that teams are looking for. Teams want WINNERS! (Said in my best Mike Singletary voice). Actually seeing the world seems pretty cool/important, too.

But that's my opinion. I just don't think most people, including talent-evaluators care much for the D-League itself for finding people since it's basketball not rooted in competitive team basketball. But you make a good point.
 
NUMBERICA said:
I suppose, but they're just not playing real basketball and getting paid crap. It doesn't seem terribly wise to do anything but do your best to become your best, and the D-League doesn't seem like a great place to experience the growth that teams are looking for. Teams want WINNERS! (Said in my best Mike Singletary voice). Actually seeing the world seems pretty cool/important, too.

But that's my opinion. I just don't think most people, including talent-evaluators care much for the D-League itself for finding people since it's basketball not rooted in competitive team basketball. But you make a good point.
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You can type impressions? If that's the case, I want myself to sound like David Letterman all the time unless otherwise specified.
 
NUMBERICA said:
I suppose, but they're just not playing real basketball and getting paid crap. It doesn't seem terribly wise to do anything but do your best to become your best, and the D-League doesn't seem like a great place to experience the growth that teams are looking for. Teams want WINNERS! (Said in my best Mike Singletary voice). Actually seeing the world seems pretty cool/important, too.

But that's my opinion. I just don't think most people, including talent-evaluators care much for the D-League itself for finding people since it's basketball not rooted in competitive team basketball. But you make a good point.
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Except for the Warriors; they seem to constantly sign D-Leaguers and generally get some production out of them. Now if only they knew how to draft...
 
NUMBERICA said:
I suppose, but they're just not playing real basketball and getting paid crap. It doesn't seem terribly wise to do anything but do your best to become your best, and the D-League doesn't seem like a great place to experience the growth that teams are looking for. Teams want WINNERS! (Said in my best Mike Singletary voice). Actually seeing the world seems pretty cool/important, too.

But that's my opinion. I just don't think most people, including talent-evaluators care much for the D-League itself for finding people since it's basketball not rooted in competitive team basketball. But you make a good point.
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D-League's biggest problem is the gap between it and the NBA as far as pay goes. D-League pays as much as a job at a fast food joint. About a year ago, the maximum salary was $25,500. I don't suppose there's been a huge increase since. NBA minimum salary for a player with no experience is almost $500,000. There simply isn't a league in the US where you could play for 60 or a 100 grand a year. Either you're really bringing in the dough(half a million minimum!) or you're more or less getting food stamps to supplement your D-League salary.

Basically, unless you're not good enough to play in a third-rate European league or you have a strong belief(or an inside tip) that you will be playing in the NBA within a year, it's just not worth it. I remember last year when I was in Croatia reading about how some local team was forced to pay Antonio Graves $250,000 for playing half a season a year earlier. Who's Antonio Graves? I had to look him up, too. Played for Pitt for 4 years. Back up. Never averaged double digits in scoring. Scored 5 points per game for that Croatian team. And when you factor in taxes and whatnot, he got about as much as the NBA veteran minimum.

Obviously, though, the NBA know what they're doing here. They're not going to create a developmental league that would come even close to interfering with its own business. You don't create your own competition. A guy playing on a 10 day contract in the NBA may actually make the D-League maximum salary in those 10 days. If the D-League paid serious money, some of those players might not join NBA teams for 10 day contracts. Or at the very least, they'd have some leverage while negotiating them. And once again, why would the NBA do that to itself?
 
JimLes said:
D-League's biggest problem is the gap between it and the NBA as far as pay goes. D-League pays as much as a job at a fast food joint. About a year ago, the maximum salary was $25,500. I don't suppose there's been a huge increase since. NBA minimum salary for a player with no experience is almost $500,000. There simply isn't a league in the US where you could play for 60 or a 100 grand a year. Either you're really bringing in the dough(half a million minimum!) or you're more or less getting food stamps to supplement your D-League salary.

Basically, unless you're not good enough to play in a third-rate European league or you have a strong belief(or an inside tip) that you will be playing in the NBA within a year, it's just not worth it. I remember last year when I was in Croatia reading about how some local team was forced to pay Antonio Graves $250,000 for playing half a season a year earlier. Who's Antonio Graves? I had to look him up, too. Played for Pitt for 4 years. Back up. Never averaged double digits in scoring. Scored 5 points per game for that Croatian team. And when you factor in taxes and whatnot, he got about as much as the NBA veteran minimum.

Obviously, though, the NBA know what they're doing here. They're not going to create a developmental league that would come even close to interfering with its own business. You don't create your own competition. A guy playing on a 10 day contract in the NBA may actually make the D-League maximum salary in those 10 days. If the D-League paid serious money, some of those players might not join NBA teams for 10 day contracts. Or at the very least, they'd have some leverage while negotiating them. And once again, why would the NBA do that to itself?
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I've heard some European teams are notorious for not paying players. Also there is the whole foreign language barrier (for some countries) and lifestyle/culture change that some people probably can't deal with.
 
looking at the D-League wiki page:

"Many former NBA draftees, waived players and undrafted players have played in the NBA D-League. Some of the called-up D-League players that went on to have successful NBA careers include Rafer Alston, Louis Amundson, Chris Andersen, Kelenna Azubuike, Matt Barnes, Devin Brown, Will Bynum, Matt Carroll, Eddie Gill, Stephen Graham, Jason Hart, Chuck Hayes, Anthony Johnson, Dahntay Jones, Jamario Moon, Mikki Moore, Smush Parker, Bobby Simmons, Ime Udoka, Von Wafer, C. J. Watson, and Mike Wilks.

In the 2009–10 NBA season, a record of 27 players were called up for a record 40 times. Several of those players earned season-long contracts after being key contributors, including Anthony Tolliver, Chris Hunter and Reggie Williams (all Golden State Warriors), Sundiata Gaines (Utah Jazz), Chris Richard (Chicago Bulls), and Mario West (Atlanta Hawks)."


Oh and off the top of my head, Justin Dentman (SA Spurs), Pooh Jeter (Sac Kings), Anthony Tolliver (Minn Twolves). And Jeremy Lin (New York Knicks) and Greg Stiemsma (Boston Celtics) averaged 20+ min/game this season.
 
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