NBA-expatriates: Return to sender
As I noted in my previous blog, Europe isn’t the answer for all out-of-work NBA players during the lockout. That much was clear in the New York Times article I linked.
But I’m not convinced it’s a great deal for the Euro teams that land NBA players, either. Most of the players are mid-level-or-below Americans.
Deron Williams is the biggest star playing overseas right now. But there are a lot of issues. For instance, his chronically tender wrist, which never seems to quite get healed, no matter how many procedures he has. Then there is the matter of effort. I didn’t see his first game in Turkey, but the box score showed that he went 2-10 from the field and scored 11 points in 23 minutes, with five assists and four personal fouls.
That’s not up to normal D-Will speed. I know he played only half a game, but I’m guessing that except for an occasional spurt of energy, he won’t be giving 100 percent for a team that pays a fraction of what he makes in the NBA. Why go all out and risk injury?
In fairness, Mehmet Okur went a respectable 6-11 from the field for 12 points and five rebounds in 31 minutes in his game.
Still, I figure it’s just a matter of time before NBA players cave in and take the best deal they can get with the NBA. Europe may even thank the league for taking them back. Nobody goes all-out during warmups.