AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2007 > June > 18
Monday, June 18, 2007
Draft deadlines a drag
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You can stop crossing your fingers now if you were hoping that Thaddeus Young would put it in reverse and return to Georgia Tech. He’s going to the NBA, same as Javaris Crittenton.
I don’t have a problem the way this works for underclassmen: they can either submit their names for the draft, or not; sign with an agent, or not; if not, withdraw from the draft by a date about 10 days before the draft, etc.
But man, the timeline is absurd! This has been playing out for like two months. I realize there is a lot of fact-finding/research to be done by and for these kids, but geez … gimme a break. It seems like the whole process could be condensed to about three or four weeks.
The problem in that is two dates: the end of the NCAA season, and the timing of the NBA draft. Neither one is about to move, either. The NCAA tournament is not going to end any later (no way CBS lets the tournament run past that first Monday in April, as it it would get in the way of the Masters, which CBS also has rights to), and the NBA draft is going to stay in late June, where the sports world is otherwise at a crawl other than baseball. That’s the only way the NBA draft can hope to generate much buzz.
Ugh! At least it’s nearly over.
So, changing gears a little, would Crittenton fit with the Hawks if they don’t first take Conley?
