Like Yao, Okafur is risking burnout

[rm365]

I've attached an article from ESPN insider regarding Okafur and the Olympics. It goes on and on about how the stats and production from all these top NBA players dropped the season following their Olympic experience, or how they were eliminated earlier than usual from the playoffs that following season, etc.
I know many of you guys have discussed how Yao could be so much better if he didn't need to report to the Chinese team during the summers, but like many of you, I always dismissed it as "Yao doesn't need rest, he just freakin needs to grow a pair". I guess this article shows exactly how much organized bball during the summer can take out of players, even the top ones.



Okafor jeopardizing fresh start

By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Wednesday, July 28
Updated: July 28
11:09 AM ET

The good news is that power forward Emeka Okafor was not seriously injured after twisting his ankle in Monday's practice with Team USA while preparing for the Athens Olympics.

The bad news, however, is that the Charlotte Bobcats may not know that X-rays came back negative and Okafor most likely will continue to play.

"We are somewhat concerned because all that basketball causes a lot of wear and tear and prevents you from being fresh at the start of the season," Bobcats coach and general manager Bernie Bickerstaff said after learning of Okafor's selection to the team in June. "We have many concerns that we want to address."

Okafor signed a $10 million contract with the Bobcats and is expected to be the cornerstone of the expansion franchise.

But he wouldn't be the first player to participate in additional summer activities and have them affect his performance during the NBA's regular season. While no one directly blames last year's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico, the fact remains that several players on that squad did experience subpar seasons directly following it.

That tournament lasted from Aug. 20 to Aug. 31 and was played in Puerto Rico as Team USA went 10-0 in competition with an average margin of victory of 30.9 points.

One loss, however, may have been rookie Nick Collison. He was the only college player selected for the squad, and after playing in eight of those games, he tore up both of his shoulders in late September and ended up missing the entire 2004 NBA season after having surgery.

Okafor is the only college player selected for this squad that has three holdovers from the team that went to Puerto Rico.

Tim Duncan led that team in scoring and rebounding then returned to play for the Spurs a few months later. But after playing in 81 games in 2003 and averaging 23.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game on 51 percent shooting while leading San Antonio to an NBA title, Duncan averaged 22.3 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in 2004 as the Spurs lost in the Western Conference semifinals.

The statistical drop may have been minimal until one realizes that he played in only 68 games last year.

Allen Iverson also played in Puerto Rico and went from scoring 27.6 points per game on 41 percent shooting in 2003 to 26.4 points on 38 percent shooting in 2004. Even more revealing is that he played a full 82 games in 2003 but only 48 games in 2004.

The list goes on.

Jason Kidd, the team's starting point guard, went from 18.7 points on 41 percent shooting in 80 games in 2003 to 15.5 points on 38 percent shooting in 67 games in 2004. Ray Allen's number stayed relatively the same, but he played in only 56 games following the qualifying tournament after playing in 76 games the season before.

Tracy McGrady went from 32.1 points and 6.5 rebounds on 45 percent shooting in 74 games to 28 points and 6 rebounds on 41 percent shooting in 67 games.

Jermaine O'Neal saw statistical drops in scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage following his Puerto Rico experience and then limped through the Eastern Conference Finals after starting all 10 games in the summer, 78 games during the regular season and 16 games in the playoffs. Elton Brand played in Puerto Rico and then fractured his foot in the first game of the regular season.

But that doesn't mean that all of Team USA's members were hurt physically. Mike Bibby, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and Kenyon Martin all went on to put up strong statistical numbers after Puerto Rico and play in a substantial amount of games. But at the end of the season, they were all either eliminated from the playoffs earlier than usual or didn't qualify at all.

Of course, there are several factors going into each of these player's 2004 performances, but the mental strain and fatigue may have been a factor.

Bibby's Kings were eliminated in the second round as he shot 38 percent from the field. Jefferson and Martin were also eliminated in the second round after the Nets made it to the NBA Finals the previous two seasons. Carter's Raptors won only 33 games despite the fact that he played in 73.

Kevin Garnett didn't play at all in Puerto Rico and he went on to win the 2004 MVP Award while pushing his team to the Western Conference Finals after it had never advanced out of the first round previously. Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant didn't play and they made it to the Finals for the fourth time in five years. Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton didn't play in Puerto Rico after being on previous national teams, but returned refreshed to Detroit and won the 2004 NBA Championship.

Now, these are all NBA veterans who know the pro game and have more developed bodies. Okafor, on the other hand, is scheduled to play his first NBA game in October with 81 to follow and a five-year contract ensuing.

In the course of eight months, Okafor will or will have already won an NCAA championship, become the second pick of the NBA draft, compete for Olympic Gold and carry the hopes and dreams of a new professional sports franchise on his already-sore back.

And not so coincidently, Collison is also expected to play his first NBA game in October.

[daNasty]

It's the darn Olympic for god sake. Opportunity you don't want to miss out.

[rm365]

Originally posted by daNasty It's the darn Olympic for god sake. Opportunity you don't want to miss out.

Yeah sure, I'm not arguing that, I'm just pointing out what happens production-wise the following season.

[DeAleck]

I am not sure if this threat should be in the GARM. Watch out, Jeff's on fire right now. He's playing better D than Okafor did in the NCAA championship game and just shut down 5 threads in half an hour...

[Sane]

The Olympics are more important to the NBA, unless you care about money more than you care about your country.

[Sane]

*THAN the NBA...

[dischead]

I think it can only make him better for the up coming season, training and playing against the best players in the world.

[Jeff]

Sometimes sports journalists piss me off. On one hand, they praise guys for doing the right thing, being stand up people, staying true to their word, etc. Then, they turn around and tell you that playing in the Olympics is bad for your career. Yeah, and we could all die tomorrow in a hail of meteors.

These guys are taking time off to represent their country and all we can't even support them for that? Sad.

[haven]

It's a huge issue in soccer, too. Except there, it applies to almost all players who are any good. Clubs are forced to allow their players to play for their national teams as a matter of regulation.

I think it's unfair, since the clubs pay the player's salary and assume all the risk without any compensation. But this isn't unique.

[lancet]

Originally posted by haven It's a huge issue in soccer, too. Except there, it applies to almost all players who are any good. Clubs are forced to allow their players to play for their national teams as a matter of regulation. I think it's unfair, since the clubs pay the player's salary and assume all the risk without any compensation. But this isn't unique.

Soccer is a quite different situation. World Cup/Euro are the biggest games for Soccer, while for basketball NBA is still the biggest stage.

[m_cable]

In Okafur's case, this article is a load of crap. Okafur would have been playing summer league games anyway. He isn't playing any additional games than he otherwise would have. A sprained ankle could have happened anywhere, in a pick-up game, in summer league, or hell in training camp like what happened to Pike.

Okafur isn't risking burnout anymore than Dwight Howard is risking burnout.

[rm365]

Originally posted by m_cable In Okafur's case, this article is a load of crap. Okafur would have been playing summer league games anyway. He isn't playing any additional games than he otherwise would have. A sprained ankle could have happened anywhere, in a pick-up game, in summer league, or hell in training camp like what happened to Pike. Okafur isn't risking burnout anymore than Dwight Howard is risking burnout.

I disagree. Summer league ain't as intense as the Olympics. Anyway, I think it may be a beneficial learning experience for Okafur to play with the elite players on that squad, which will pay off in the end (in addition to getting to represent his country).
Anyway, I posted this cuz I wanted to tie it in regarding Yao. Okafur and the Olympics just happened to be in the article. I just remember feeling wishy washy about Yao's summer activities every year. I knew it took something out of him during the season, but I didn't think it was that big a deal. This article gives proof that it has a pretty big effect.

[haven]

Originally posted by lancet Soccer is a quite different situation. World Cup/Euro are the biggest games for Soccer, while for basketball NBA is still the biggest stage.

You don't follow it that closely at all .

And many would disagree. The highest quality matches are in the European Champions League, not the World Cup. And it's probably not too far off in following.

Regardless, you don't understand the extent of the problem.

It's not just the "big 3" of the World Cup, Copa America, and European CHampionships.

Clubs are required to release players for relatively meaningless tournaments like the Olympics (under 23 in soccer, not prestigious at all), Gold Cup (Concacaf tournament), African championships (in the middle of the European season), and international friendlies which occasionally occur 2 mere days before major games.

It's a real problem over there. If releases were only mandatory for the 3 biggest tournaments (the 2 you mention and the Copa), it wouldn't be much of an issue at all.

[lancet]

Originally posted by haven You don't follow it that closely at all . And many would disagree. The highest quality matches are in the European Champions League, not the World Cup. And it's probably not too far off in following.

Are you always this rude? You can't make a sentence without insulting someone else to make you feel better? I may have not followed the Europeion pro games last two years, but I still know World Cup is the biggest game for Soccer, and NBA final is the biggest game for basketball. All the injuries and security excuses are just BS. You hear NBA's biggest stars are skipping the Olympics, but you never hear any soccer stars skipping World Cup.

Totally different situation.

[sm0d]

Whether it is or isn't the biggest stage, these players are going to the olympics to represent their countries and the fact that many people don't give them support is ridiculous.

[haven]

Originally posted by sm0d Whether it is or isn't the biggest stage, these players are going to the olympics to represent their countries and the fact that many people don't give them support is ridiculous.

Bleh bleh bleh

That's pure opinion. The fact of the matter is that the clubs bear the entire financial risk of the play, receive no benefit (not even in prestige), and lose their players for a while

That's not equitable.

Regardless what you feel about the necessity of releasing players, the risk needs to be more evenly distributing.

Since the NBA is just encountering this problem, I hope they can come to a more fair solution to both sides.

[sm0d]

did i forget to put that that was my opinion...

[Davidoff]

can someone dig up the players stats for the year b4 and after for the first dream team? so we can see the diff in the numbers..

[tksense]

Originally posted by lancet Are you always this rude? You can't make a sentence without insulting someone else to make you feel better? I may have not followed the Europeion pro games last two years, but I still know World Cup is the biggest game for Soccer, and NBA final is the biggest game for basketball. All the injuries and security excuses are just BS. You hear NBA's biggest stars are skipping the Olympics, but you never hear any soccer stars skipping World Cup. Totally different situation.

Yes, soccer players skip the Olympics too! In fact, most of them do.. World cup is like an extended competition of a sport that probably no other sports have. It is harder to win a world cup than MLB champion; world cup is a celebration to history and honor.. But the play quality is not as good as the club competitions.

I think the difference between soccer and bball is any soccer players will CHOOSE to represent their country, but not with bball. There are too many good soccer players around the world, it's like when 24 players are picked for a country, there are like 50 more on the waiting list wishing to get in!!

In America, i guess there's only one: Steve Francis