How young is too young?

LeBron James will, most likely, be the first pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. Two other players have an outside shot of meeting David Stern before the Ohio high school phenom: Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony and Darko Milicic, a seven footer out of Yugoslavia.\nHowever, if Stern and several league owners had their way, these three men would not be walking up to the podium at the Theater at Madison Square Garden this June. Stern is looking to increase the league's minimum age from 18 to 20, either through an agreement with the players' association or in the next collective bargaining agreement.\nThere are some good arguments for increasing the minimum age for entry into the league. The number of high schoolers and college underclassmen entering the draft has rapidly increased in recent years. While Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal have become All-Stars, many have not panned out with the immediate dividends expected from first round picks. \nThe number one pick of the 2001 draft, Kwame Brown, is in his second season since forgoing college and only averages 23.2 minutes and 7.9 points per game. There is also Omar Cook, who came out of St. John's after his freshman year, was a second round pick, got cut twice in his first six weeks in the NBA and now plays in the National Basketball Development League. Perhaps some more time in college would've helped these players round out their skills. \nWhile Stern's plan might make some sense, it isn't the answer. What would happen to James, who would be ineligible to play college ball? Or Milicic, who has been playing professionally in Europe for several years and is prepared to take the next step? What would the impact on the NCAA be if it were flooded by even more athletes only there to bide time until they can be drafted?\nStern merely wants to keep certain players who are not ready for prime time out of the league. However, to do so he should take the dramatic step of implementing a true minor league for basketball. Minor leagues are the very reason that baseball and hockey clubs draft 18-year-olds -- they have a system in which these youngsters can develop and hone their skills before making it to the top-flight. \nTo implement a minor league would not be too difficult. There is currently the framework of the NBDL, a developmental league owned by the NBA that has eight teams that play in the South. In 2004 the NBA will have 30 teams when a new expansion side in Charlotte begins play. Adding two teams to the developmental league at the same time would give the NBA the opportunity to affiliate three of their teams with each NBDL team (who currently have no affiliations). Each NBA club could have three roster spots on their NBDL affiliate to which they could allocate players who need more preparation before playing in the NBA. Also, the NBDL could be used for conditioning assignments, as MLB teams sometimes use their minor league clubs. Instead of trying to get a recently injured player into the line-up at the NBA level and having him come back in a game that could mean something, he could be sent down to the affiliate for a couple of games in order to get some game action.\nOf course, there would need to be changes to contracts (to implement two-way clauses in rookie deals like those in baseball or hockey and to place some conditions on rehab assignments), and the impact of the system on the salary cap would need to be resolved. But these are steps worth taking for the best interest of both the league and the players, and could be resolved in the negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement. \nIt would benefit the NBA to truly address the problem and not just bar younger players. Such a step does not do anyone any good.