duncan228
12-16-2009, 01:00 AM
Apathy about Worlds unwise (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Apathy_about_Worlds_unwise.html)
Mike Monroe
The draw for the 2010 World Championships took place on Tuesday morning in Istanbul, Turkey, but most NBA fans neither noticed nor cared.
You might want to re-think your apathy. International competition has become a big factor for NBA teams because of the length of the season and playoffs, plus the timing and rigor of international tournaments.
The 2010 World Championships won't begin until Aug. 28 and will run through Sept. 12, roughly three weeks before NBA training camps open. It is a 24-team tournament with preliminary, round-robin play. By the time it ends, the teams that advance the farthest will have played nine games.
Of course, there will be a minicamp to prepare and a few “friendly” games in the run-up to the tournament.
Does this really take a toll on NBA players?
When Carmelo Anthony, the league's top scorer, came through San Antonio with the Nuggets on Dec. 5, he attributed his great start to the season to the rest he was able to get this summer. After spending the previous three summers with Team USA, he said the summer off made all the difference.
Nobody has to remind Spurs fans about the dangers associated with international play. Manu Ginobili injured his left ankle during the 2008 Western Conference finals, then played for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics and re-injured it.
After disappointing showings at the 2002 World Championships and the 2004 Olympics, USA Basketball turned the Men's Senior National Team over to Jerry Colangelo, who got long-term commitments from most of the NBA's best American players.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Anthony each played three consecutive summers for Team USA, and the payoff was Olympic gold in Beijing. Chris Bosh, Deron Williams, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul played two of the three summers.
In February, Colangelo got assurances from most of his cadre of players that they would play for Team USA in Turkey. Since then, there has been some back-pedaling, especially from players who are going to become free agents on July 1. That includes Bosh, James and Wade, who now politely refuses to discuss his commitment to Team USA.
It is hard to imagine all three will play in Turkey and not hard to imagine all three will pass. The U.S. still can send a championship-caliber team. Expect to see the next wave of American-born NBA stars — Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Brandon Roy, David Lee, Danny Granger, Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith and some of the 2009 rookie class' best, such as Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson — form the talent pool that will fill in the gaps.
It's not just Team USA that has to sweat participation by its NBA players, either. The Lakers' Pau Gasol, the star of Spain's 2006 World Championship team, says he may want the summer off, especially if the Lakers make another long playoff run.
Tony Parker, the Spurs' All-Star point guard, seems as committed as any NBA player to representing his country in Turkey. He helped France's national team qualify last summer, then got a light workload in training camp after he suffered an ankle sprain in the run-up to the European championships.
Mike Monroe
The draw for the 2010 World Championships took place on Tuesday morning in Istanbul, Turkey, but most NBA fans neither noticed nor cared.
You might want to re-think your apathy. International competition has become a big factor for NBA teams because of the length of the season and playoffs, plus the timing and rigor of international tournaments.
The 2010 World Championships won't begin until Aug. 28 and will run through Sept. 12, roughly three weeks before NBA training camps open. It is a 24-team tournament with preliminary, round-robin play. By the time it ends, the teams that advance the farthest will have played nine games.
Of course, there will be a minicamp to prepare and a few “friendly” games in the run-up to the tournament.
Does this really take a toll on NBA players?
When Carmelo Anthony, the league's top scorer, came through San Antonio with the Nuggets on Dec. 5, he attributed his great start to the season to the rest he was able to get this summer. After spending the previous three summers with Team USA, he said the summer off made all the difference.
Nobody has to remind Spurs fans about the dangers associated with international play. Manu Ginobili injured his left ankle during the 2008 Western Conference finals, then played for Argentina in the 2008 Olympics and re-injured it.
After disappointing showings at the 2002 World Championships and the 2004 Olympics, USA Basketball turned the Men's Senior National Team over to Jerry Colangelo, who got long-term commitments from most of the NBA's best American players.
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Anthony each played three consecutive summers for Team USA, and the payoff was Olympic gold in Beijing. Chris Bosh, Deron Williams, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul played two of the three summers.
In February, Colangelo got assurances from most of his cadre of players that they would play for Team USA in Turkey. Since then, there has been some back-pedaling, especially from players who are going to become free agents on July 1. That includes Bosh, James and Wade, who now politely refuses to discuss his commitment to Team USA.
It is hard to imagine all three will play in Turkey and not hard to imagine all three will pass. The U.S. still can send a championship-caliber team. Expect to see the next wave of American-born NBA stars — Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Brandon Roy, David Lee, Danny Granger, Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith and some of the 2009 rookie class' best, such as Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings and Ty Lawson — form the talent pool that will fill in the gaps.
It's not just Team USA that has to sweat participation by its NBA players, either. The Lakers' Pau Gasol, the star of Spain's 2006 World Championship team, says he may want the summer off, especially if the Lakers make another long playoff run.
Tony Parker, the Spurs' All-Star point guard, seems as committed as any NBA player to representing his country in Turkey. He helped France's national team qualify last summer, then got a light workload in training camp after he suffered an ankle sprain in the run-up to the European championships.