Darius Bazley Pulls Pin on Syracuse; Jumping Straight to G-League

Finally, there's gonna be a real-life case study for a really annoying situation that needs a practical solution.

A high school hotshot is ready to turn pro in something other than college basketball.

17-year-old phenom Darius Bazley -- 18 in June -- has decommitted from Syracuse and declared for the NBA's G-League draft.

That's surprising. Who knew there was a G-League draft?

 

There will still be an abundance of navels to be gazed and details to sort, but now we have a living, breathing trailblazer to scrutinize before he has a chance to be a Trail Blazer. Or whomever.

Every damn highlight reel in cyberspace will confirm that someone showed Bazley where the rims are.

 

It remains to be seen how dude's 6-9, 180lb frame does when the dirty work of defending is factored into the equation, but that's one of the intriguing reasons why this move will be closely monitored.

Not to mention how he handles travel, significantly more games, and the diverse objectives of his teammates.

 

Anyone who's taken a hard look at the EuroLeague and the top tiers in nations like France, Spain, and Turkey may have a legit quibble about the G-League being deemed the world's second-best.

Still, even this is academic until Bazley and a few more high-ceiling prepsters put this and other avenues -- such as the Australian Basketball League's alternative Next Stars program -- to the test.

What's not academic is they'll be assured of their money being put on the table instead of passed under it.