EUR - Top European coaches want curb on NBA talent drain

ATHENS (Euroleague) - Two of Europe's legendary basketball coaches on Thursday called for action to prevent the continent's leading youngsters from leaving too early for the NBA.

Tau Ceramica coach Bozidar Maljkovic and Panathinaikos boss Zeljko Obradovic, speaking ahead of their Euroleague Final Four games, expressed frustration over the stymied development of players who left Europe and received little or no playing time in North America.

"Some players go to the NBA without having a good career in Europe, with their talent not at full potential," Maljkovic said.

"Players don't enjoy and instead leave too early, and it's a shame. It's is a problem that European basketball and the NBA must solve, but I prefer the Euroleague compared to the NBA, where serious basketball is not played until it is play-off time."

Among the youngsters whose careers have not taken off are Carlos Delfino of Argentina and Darko Milicic of Serbia.

Delfino, 24, was one of European basketball's brightest talents at Fortitudo Bologna in Italy but signed for Detroit and in two seasons has struggled to get minutes on the floor and hardly made an impact.

Darko Milicic, a seven-footer, was drafted by Detroit second overall in the NBA draft behind LeBron James in 2003 but spent most of his rookie year on the bench. He was traded to Orlando last year but has yet to develop into a force.

Obradovic, who led Yugoslavia to the world title in 1998 and coached them at the 2004 Athens Olympics, said: "Some players decide to go to the NBA, but some young players miss the opportunity to be in our teams. The Euroleague is an excellent competition, I really believe it."

Zoran Planinic, the Croatian national team point guard, spent a few seasons in the NBA with New Jersey but returned this year.

He said he valued his experience.

"I think it is a different situation for every player," he said. "For me, it was good to go, I didn't play a lot of minutes but I played behind one of the greatest point guards in Jason Kidd.

"I wanted to come back to Europe and show what I can do. I am still young. I am here in Tau with a good coach and I can still learn.

"For every player it's different. Some go and do well; some fail."

Last year, the NBA raised the minimum age requirement for the draft to 19, a move principally aimed at ensuring that American players spent at least one season in the college system rather than going professional straight from high school.

Jeff Taylor, Athens
FIBA