Gasol and Young Rookies

["Stathis Avgoustiniatos" <eavgoust@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gasol, 10th or 11th player in his European club?  If I'm not mistaken, you
are totally wrong.  Gasol was already a star in Spain.  Maybe you are
confusing him with Tskitishvilli who was indeed getting about 10 min per
game with his Italian team.

Most players who come from Europe (I'm not saying "European" to include
Ginobili) and make a big career in the NBA were already huge stars in
Europe.  Sabonis, Marciulionis, Petrovic, Stojakovic, Ginobili were all
MVP-caliber players in Europe.  Gasol and Parker were great.  There are very
few exceptions, like Nowitzki and Milicic, who came to the NBA too young to
have a chance to reach such status in Europe, and this follows the NCAA
trend.  But when you draft someone so young, you are bound to have a low
star return.  For every Kobe, McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal, and LeBron James
there are/will be probably at least two American high-school first-rounders
who will never attain star status in the NBA.  Why should that be an
exception for European players who are drafted so young?

Btw, I find it absurd to prohibit anybody playing in the NBA because of his
age.  If the teams and the NBA deem that this is a bad practice, let them
exhibit some self-restrain.  Or let them establish special free-agency rules
for young players.  But prohibit them from playing?  Is that what the US
mentality about individual rights and the US constitution stand for?
Protect the interests of those who will make the mistake to go to the NBA
when they are not ready by taking away the frredoms of those who are more
capable?  When the Stanfords and the Harvards are taking GRAD students who
are 14 years old nobody even considers prohibiting the practice because
these kids lose their youth or because they run the danger of disappointment
and failure.  Especially when we are talking about adults (>18 yrs old)
nobody should even consider prohibiting them from getting a job in the NBA.

Stathis