well, he sure looks trimmer, quicker, stronger, faster, and just better overall fitness from a year ago to be sure. Begs to the imagination of what it would be like for these guys to play more than just one year of college ball. But all we have to credit for that is the NBA's system of restricted earnings against players in their first 3 seasons. Never again will there be a time when the best new talent plays college ball for more than just a year, or maybe less. This is not the fault of any college program or any player. As John Calipari has repeatedly stated, it isn't his rule.
I have written many posts about my recollection of those days, when the general public, basketball fans, etc., agreed with the notions of persons like Charles Barkley who espoused his bitterness when Glen Robinson signed his then rookie-record 10 year, 70 million dollar contract after being drafted as the #1 pick out of Purdue. Those were 1994 dollars, and with the Milwaukee Bucks of all franchises. Barkley was able to sway the public opinion, by arguing that the process of a rookie negotiating evenly with his new employer for an earnings package was unfair to league veterans. The NBA general manager corps. were happy to agree with him, and implemented the rookie scale cap. Two decades later, the #1 pick in the draft still earns less . . . much less. And now the path to profitability includes the strategy to maximize the number of players on league rosters restricted by the 3-year rookie scale. NBA employers are happy to offer to them jobs. And clearly, a good strategy for young players is to complete the "apprenticeship" at the earliest age possible, in order to be able to negotiate that first open contract at, say, 22 - 23, instead of, say, 25 - 26, as fewer remaining years are available the older the player becomes. This is just simple math that even an 18 year old can do.
For any persons in the general public who agreed with Mr. Barkley at the time - who accepted the argument that Glen Robinson's contract and process of negotiating in good faith with his new employer was corrupt and greedy - those are the people who are responsible for why players like Karl Anthony Towns do not stay in college or, prior to the "one year removed rule," (implemented 2006 if I recall correctly) often did not play in college at all.
