Why Weren't Certain Players Drafted in the NBA Draft?

I noticed something unusual last night during the NBA draft on ESPN. Many good American players were not drafted. Yes, many fine American players were drafted. Kyrie Irving from Duke went to Cleveland with the number one pick. However, starting with the number three pick, many players drafted were from the International side of basketball. I couldn't help but wonder why players like Jacob Pullen (Kansas State), Ben Hansbrough (Notre Dame), David Lighty (Ohio State) were passed over.

Instead we saw players from Qatar, Sudan, Nigeria and Hungary. There were players with names that even the television analysts couldn't pronounce. I have nothing against these players. I enjoy the idea of the NBA going global. But, I still couldn't understand why good players were passed over.

The NBA could be on the verge of a lockout. Many of these players drafted from outside the country are future projects. That means their signings are on hold. In the world of professional sports, the economy has had a larger impact than the average fan realizes. Owners are preparing for tough negotiations. Why shell out extra money for players now?

There were many young players that left college early for the NBA draft. Agents tell them that by entering they could be making big bucks sooner. Now those players not drafted are left hanging. Why is it that these kids make such bad decisions?A player like Jereme Richmond (Illinois) now has to take his chances with finding some place to play. His days of a college scholarship are over. The NBA might just be a pipe dream.

If an agent gets lucky and one of his clients is drafted, the money for his cut is there to be made. If he isn't drafted, oh well just move on to the next possible super star.

I keep telling myself.Iit is the player that makes this final decision. "To go or not to go." In many cases, the pipe dream wins out. Everything revolves around money. I often wonder if any of these kids get any logical discussions from those advising them. It appears not.