meloshouldgo wrote:Is the G-League the new name for the D-League or is it something different? I am at a complete loss with the Burke,Jack and similar signings.
There's a lot of actual push/pull to fringe NBA players.
IIRC, Mike George of Excel aka ESM reps Burke. So let's say George is tight with Coach X at the college level. And highly touted recruit XYZ is going to said college because it's his hometown. Any NBA franchise might decide it's good to stay in George's good graces/radar, as he'll have the lead into said prospect via his coach. Given the player can be cut easily, it's not a huge deal to the team anyway because the preseason and summer league ,you sometimes just need warm bodies.
Sometimes the franchise is doing a more powerful agent a favor, or an entrenched member of the basketball community a favor ( i.e. Lance Thomas and Coach K, Coach K kept Thomas' name out there and his Team USA influence has helped previous Duke guys get a few more opportunities. It's good for fringe guys like Thomas and its good for Coach K's recruiting efforts, i.e. he's going the extra mile for all his guys, so he will for me)
Sometimes it's as simple as an agent wants to bang a players sister. ( Has happened before....ugh...)
Many times, fringe agents rely on more powerful agents to kick them down business, contacts or even straight up cash money. In exchange, the fringe agent might sign a highly touted prospects brother, or cousin, or teammate, someone who can influence him, but the more powerful agent can't be seen "slumming" with a non prospect.
Many fringe agents NEED at least one active NBA guy on their client list, or guys looking at them will say, he's not helping any real NBA players, so how can he help me? Many fringe agents make their money by forwarding, not the name fringe guys, but the 50 you don't hear of, into "extra training" or "mentoring" or whatnot, for a fee, milking the extra fringe's players family or social network or whatnot. Gives us X thousands of dollars and we'll have your son/cousin/grandson/whatever, train with Coach X, who specializes in this and that, and can help get you son into the NBA.
My observation and personal experience in pro sports has a sadly, really f**ked up dark underside to it.
Sure, you can be an intern on my coaching staff. Just blow me. Yeah, get on your knees and blow me. ( Has happened )
I won't fire you from your assistant job, just let me bang your wife ( Has happened)
Yes, you are on this staff now, because you are my drug hookup ( Has happened)
Invite some of my former college players to your NBA camp, etc, and I'll give you all the inside dirt on how to screw over another coach I'd like to see removed as a rival ( Has happened)
It's not just Harvey Weinstein, anytime power and money and fame are involved, people just do some really f**ked up sh*t. I'm not saying this all applies specifically to Burke, but sometimes the personnel move isn't about actually building the best team possible on the floor right then and there.
It's easy, at a distance, to question why a fringe guy might do PEDS. It's another ballgame to understand why a guy who has no chance will do PEDS just to have sniff at being a more name fringe guy.
Not every signing makes sense at a team level, but it might at a sports interpersonal/political level.
If Lance Thomas played anywhere else but Duke, he might not be in the NBA right now. Sometimes it comes down to one thing. One move left instead of right. One second fast instead of late. Avon Barksdale was right, how you never gonna be slow? Never gonna be late?
