by Wisconsin State Journal

Given the number of kids playing basketball in this country, that seems like an awfully small number. It's just about right, however, if you examine our system of developing players and the way it has evolved.

That system is not just flawed, it's broken. It simply doesn't work. It's not benefitting the sport in general or, more important, the players themselves.

Instead of turning out well-rounded, team-oriented players, it is mass producing players who, while physically gifted, have little knowledge of the game's fundamentals or the basic tenets of team play. Often, those players fail to maximize their talent or their earning potential.

The old system - high school to four years of college to the NBA - wasn't perfect, but at least the developmental process was directed by professional coaches at the high school and college levels. Now, prep basketball has been devalued by the rise of the relatively unsupervised AAU basketball program in the spring and summer and the complicity of college coaches in making AAU ball the focal point of a player's development.

Of course, not all AAU basketball is detrimental to a player's well-being. For the most part, however, AAU basketball has risen to prominence because it downplays tedious skill development and feeds upon the single-minded desire of the players and their advisors to earn a scholarship and get on the fast track to the NBA.

During the summer, kids spend too much time playing games and not enough time practicing and working on their fundamentals. And since the emphasis is on creating stars and impressing college coaches and NBA scouts, summer basketball has degenerated into a me-oriented style of play instead of a team-oriented style.

The result is plenty of gifted players but few who have any understanding of the game.

This is not one man's opinion, either. Lately, the shortcomings of our developmental system have come under harsh criticism from many fronts.

In a recent story about Milwaukee Bucks draft pick Brandon Jennings, an AAU legend who played one season in Italy rather than attend college, Chad Ford of ESPN.com quoted a prominent European general manager.

"Like many of the Americans we see come to Europe, he just doesn't have a great feel for the game," the GM said. "No one ever taught him how or when to pass. Speed and athleticism are fine, but I want a point guard who puts the team above their own individual game. I don't blame the young man for this. He is just the product of a corrupt development system that is ruining American basketball."

It would be easy to dismiss that as the rants of some European Johnny-come-lately except for one thing: He's right. Our system is corrupt.

AAU basketball started as a summer diversion to help top high school players develop by competing against top players from other cities and regions, but has since morphed into a money-driven free-for-all in which high school coaches are kept out of the loop, shady characters flourish and everyone has their hand out.

Shoe companies sponsor teams as they try to nurture relationships with future NBA stars. Agents, flesh peddlers and college coaches flock to AAU games because there are fewer restrictions than there are in the winter. AAU coaches often are basketball know-nothings and coaching wannabes in search of a future payday.

Unfortunately, the style of basketball played in the summer is so one-sided - all offense, no defense - that it is hurting the players' development, not helping it. Worse, it creates a sense of entitlement among the players, who resist coaching when they do get to college or the NBA.

In a recent Wall Street Journal story, Miami Heat rookie Michael Beasley said his rougher-than-expected transition to the NBA was due in part to the poor preparation he had coming up. He said no coach at any level had ever asked him to play defense.

"I've honestly never seen anyone play defense in AAU," Beasley said.

The problem is, the people surrounding these players keep telling them the quickest way to the NBA is to run up and down the floor and score lots of points during the summer and later in college, a notion that is so misguided it's laughable.

The NBA wants two-way players who can fit into a team concept. Instead, what they're getting is bad basketball players from a bad system.

Contact Tom Oates at toates@madison.com or 608-252-6172.

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