I posted that as I remembered some were unhappy about the Rockets passing him up in the draft last year.
Then you would have been mistaken - plenty of veteran allstars and bench players have gone in the past, plenty will go in the future. 1000 seat arenas only have so much pull
European teams don't have the cash, the glamor or the NBA legacy/"career stats" factor to draw in the superstars, all-stars, and above-average role players. At the moment it's nothing more than a trend with very limited potential. In a month's time we've seen big offers to Josh Childress and Ricky Davis, and smaller ones to Delfino, West, Nachbar, etc... how much longer can Europe keep up the pace? They only have limited funds and resources, so naturally teams had to strike during one summer when trend was up. And right now, trend is peaking!
That sounds awfully familiar. Where have I heard a similar quote before? Oh, yeah, it's in Bartlett's Famous Last Words Quotations:
He is no big name,but I still feel he was a better pick than Newley. Having him leaving the NBA to Europe won't make a difference to either the Rockets or to any other team. My opinion was he was more likely to be a 10-12 man than Newley.He wasn't injured when he was picked and traded by the Jazz. I know you have a different point of view which doesn't bother me at all.
20 years ago it was guys who couldn't play in the NBA who went to Europe. 10 years ago, there were some end of their career and end of bench players going to Europe. Today, we have NBA players which are around 4-9 on their clubs going to Europe. Yep, no trend there..... DD
DaDakota - I would accuse you of drinking - but generally a drunken DD would probably be remarkably consistent instead of your normal routine. You've said about 15 times that it's not a trend, now you say it is a trend. Have you ever stopped to consider that the flow of talent in the opposite direction over the last 20 years has limited NBA spots and salaries for middle class players ? You're saying the NBA is getting the raw deal when it's trading Josh Childress and Ricky Davis for Dirk Nowitzki, Manu Ginobili, and Yao Ming? Anyway please tell me which "No. 4" player went to Europe this past year. The answer is not Josh Childress, who was not a starter, nor the best player on his team named "Josh"
Sam, You are picking nits....whether Childress was a 4 or 5, or 6...the point is still the same, quality rotational players are leaving, which you said would never happen. I said it was an anomoly when only Jennings left, but could become a trend.....clearly a lot of quality NBA players have now left, and now a couple of American's too. I would say we have officially entered trend-om... DD
No - you're embellishing purposefully - that's obvious, no need to say more on that. Oh, I get it, it's an anomaly AND it's a trend - just like your bold prediction earlier this week that "SOMEBODY is going to go to Europe!" or like your rant last summer that you "liked good offense AND good defense" It's really hard to be wrong when you choose "Any or all or none of the above" as an option - I bet I could get a 1600 on my SAT that way. Anyway thanks for answering my other question about the reverse flow of players - which you answered with your usual sound logical foundation, displayed below:
I agree with your point about superstar players and the reverse flow, but that doesn't solve the entire issue. You know that the Euro is stronger than the dollar by a long shot, Euro ball is getting more credibility, which is why Stern wants to expand over there, and they are an eventual threat. Even Mark Cuban talks about it.... It may not be today, but clearly is it trending that way. I also agree with your excellent point about marketing/advertising money for these players and the potential loss here in the states by playing overseas. However, that can be offset as the Euro league gets better and basketball becomes more mainstream over there... DD
Article is in spanish but apparently Marc Gasol's former team Girona went under. http://www.acb.com/redaccion.php?id=50522 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CB_Girona
As many have pointed out, the economics of the Euro basketball money is just not sustainable or rational. The recent signings are done by rich owners (the equivalent of James Dolan or Paul Allen back in the late 90s), who don't care about whether their teams make money or lose money. It's just a pet project. It's built on a lot less solid foundation than teams (like most NBA teams) that actually make a profit. As soon as the owners got bored with the pet project or start losing some of their fortune in other ventures, guess what they stop subsidising? Say what you will about the NBA joke franchises-- at the very least they don't disappear into thin air like Girona.
Here's one happy spender, where the situation resolved itself. Other euroleague teams could end up bankrupt by overpaying for players, when the clubs are losing money for each game. Most clubs don't play enough games, doesn't make as much from merchandising, and not enough marketing money like "naming rights" and commercial endorsements. The few teams owned by Russian oil tycoons can offer large contracts and stay a flow. Oil looks like it will never sink below $100/barrel again. http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Thoughts-on-the-Euro-Fever-2971/ Update: After several months of economic struggles, it became known these days that Akasvayu Girona won’t be able to play in the ACB league this upcoming season because of excessive debts. It’s a pretty symbolic fact, since Girona used to be a small ACB club that in the summer of 2005 was blessed with a boatload of money from a real estate company, Akasvayu, that officiated as the sponsor of the team. It was Akasvayu prying away Fran Vazquez from the NBA right after he was selected in the lottery by the Orlando Magic, signing him to a massive contract. They also threw enough money to convince Raul Lopez to come back to Europe after his NBA stint. Fast forward three years, the real estate business is in a great crisis these days in Spain, the money is not flowing anymore, and Girona is out of the ACB. Similar things could happen to other happy spenders whenever their rich owners stop pumping in money, as they can’t live by themselves on those high standards.
I can definitely see the Russian oil barons giving out $100 million contracts eventually. They have enough money and revenue to spend like Paul Allen, Mark Cuban, and Cablevision. The other owners can spend themselves into bankruptcy or they will offer less money in order to keep afloat. They'll have to wait on getting 30 large sports stadiums, like the NBA.
It will weed out the clubs that can't compete and maybe force them to create a tiered system like they do in soccer. DD
