Posted by playa2:

Posted by Bippity10:

Posted by playa2:

Posted by Marv:

so a guy shouldn’t get to play in the nba if he's been found to have shady friends? no one should take a chance on him?

Everybody should get the chance to play, but the teams who has that policy should not go after players who aren't what they look for in a professional.

So if they do and as bip said and it backfires , don't make it sound like it's all on the players.

Sure the players have a responsibility to act professional once they come to the association, but management including scouts really need to dig deep when drafting or trading for a particular player too.

Some of these players don't show signs until they become pro, but others have red flags written over them in the 9th and 10th grade.

If AAU coaches and colleges go after these kids early and discover things about them, the pro's can get a background check from them if they really care about their franchise not getting a bad name.



[Edited by - playa2 on 29-02-2008 16:51]

Playa: I was at the prep school level so of course it's not the same thing but I go through a similar dilemma. When I'm looking for players I sometimes will take a shot on a troubled kid because I think I can get through to him. I think it's my situation that can turn him around. IT's a tough decision to make. I see the troubled past but I think it will be different when they get here. You take a chance. You explain to the player what is expected and that you try to help them. Sometimes they still go in the wrong direction. The fact that I gave them a shot, I pay the consequences by losing my PG or SF or center. I am responsible for this loss. But the fact that they made a poor choice and got into trouble is their issue. Their issue is far more important than mine. By choosing to hang with the wrong crowd, or do the wrong things, I just lost a PG. They lost a chance. So yes, I do place more emphasis on the players than I do the corporate suits. These guys shouldn't be hanging out with murderers or drug dealers or anyone else.

You grow up poor and get a chance to make it right, make it right.

I get what you are saying , but to me it only applies to the amateur ranks.

When you invest in anyone on a professional level you don't take too many chances with your investment if the bottom line is your company's name being stained.

Perfect example is the knicks franchise, no other owner in the league with class and dignity would put up with the embarrassment Isiah has put the franchise thru without making a wholesale change like Portland trailblazers did and what Larry Brown wanted to do here in NY.

I don't disagree with you on that. I think franchise's are responsible for the image and style that they want to put forth. It's their responsibility to find guys that fit whatever culture they are trying to put forth. That's why, like you, I don't feel bad for Larry.

But I also look at it from the perspective of Williams and Daniels and hope they learn some kind of lesson from this so they don't find themselves in a situation that they can't get out of. Maybe the best lesson for guys like this is for NBA general managers to stay away from them, period. But I don't see that ever happening