Mike DeCourcy makes some pretty good points about what Jeremy Tyler is trying to pull off by dropping out of high school and going to a European basketball finishing school. For us, Brandon Jennings is a cautionary tale. Certainly the last we heard of Jennings, he sounded depressed and bewildered. One of the adjustments we neglected to list last time is touched on by DeCourcy: why should European coaches care about an American kid's plans? Shut up, play defense, and give the ball to the guys who are going to be here for more than a year or two. For all the talk of a superior development system, self-interest still rules: the coaches want to win (and keep their jobs) and they may not be as ready to train a young import as that young player might think.
There is one adjustment too, which might be a long-term advantage. Top-level players get their butts kissed to an amazing degree. Our guess is that for those guys who go to Europe as teenagers, that won't be happening nearly as much. Most high-level American players have to wait until their career is over to experience that deflation. Every so often you hear about someone who has gone through it early and really profited from it. Not a pleasant side benefit, but a potentially useful one.