New G-League Pathway is a Win For Most (and a Draw for College Hoops)

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Elite high school talent now has an incentive to stay in the states and not play college basketball. The G-League and NBA revamped their pathway program in an attempt to make sure the LaMelo Ball-to-Australia situation doesn’t happen again. Players can now earn legit money ($500k-plus for the best of the best, per ESPN) and not have to travel out of the country. Top prospect Jalen Green already pulled the trigger, passing up tons of major college offers, to become the program’s guinea pig/trailblazer.

It’s not like these kids will just get thrown onto some random G-League roster, however. Instead, they’re going to be put in the program with one another and be nurtured for the NBA life that awaits them. Per ESPN, they will learn from top coaches with G-League oversight and play a 10-12 game schedule that won’t count in the official G-League standings. Sam Mitchell, the ESPN report states, “is expected to be considered as one of the candidates to lead the team.”

“The primary objective will be assimilation and growth into the NBA on several levels — from playing to the teaching of life skills.” (via ESPN)

The new program is certainly a win for the players. Traveling to a country that speaks a different language can’t be fun at 18, and it takes you off the map a little bit. Playing here in the states and already being in the NBA pipeline is far more intriguing, especially when the money is flowing. It’s almost like an intern program; learn the ropes at a reduced wage then hopefully show off enough to earn the big bucks and a full-time gig.

For college basketball, they will be missing out on some players, sure, but not all of them. Never forget that Zion Williamson loved his time at Duke. Would he have taken this route if he had the chance? Maybe, but some kids still dream about playing big-time college basketball and the value a place like Duke has on a player’s brand is incalculable. Zion isn’t Zion without Duke, let’s face it. If he was tucked away in the G-League pathway and not on ESPN every night jamming on dudes, he wouldn’t have had the same fanfare. This is the angle college programs need to take when going after talent. Sure, you’ll be missing out on *some* money during that first year, but if you’re good enough, you’ll always have a home in (insert college town) and you’ll grow your personal brand by being in the spotlight.

*see ‘The Scheme’ on HBO*

If you’re not a top-end prospect and expecting the mega-bucks from the G-League, college hoops still seems like the better option. You get everything college hoops has to offer (free education, experience, etc.) and it’s not like the NBA is going to stop paying attention. Even with the G-League option, plenty of players will be drafted out of college, and not just one-and-dones. If 20 guys take the new road, that means 20 guys in college will get a bigger platform. No matter what, there will always be guys earning NBA paychecks the old-fashioned way; upperclassmen playing well and getting noticed (recent examples being Eric Paschall, Kyle Guy, and 20 other juniors and seniors drafted in the 2019 NBA Draft).

Overall, the new program is a win for most and, in my opinion, a clean draw for college basketball. The money will help a lot of players and their families, the G-League will get a much-needed boost in popularity, and for college hoops, the impact won’t be anywhere near severe enough to make people stop watching.