【纽约时报11.17】对于NBA球员来说，中国是时候了

lilyma06

For N.B.A. Players, China Is Up (and the D-League Down ) By ROB MAHONEY
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/17/for-n-b-a-players-china-is-up-and-the-d-league-down/
When Deron Williams signed with Besiktas back in July, he was supposedly opening the floodgates. N.B.A. players were expected to follow him across the Atlantic in search of steady income and legitimate competition. The various European leagues were seen as a plentiful resource for players without any obligation to their N.B.A. employers, and a first-class fallback plan in case the collective bargaining negotiations stalled.
But the relationship between the European leagues and the available pool of N.B.A. players was never quite so simple. American players may have considered foreign leagues to be an easy alternative, but each European team had its own dynamics to consider. In the final calculus – after weighing team chemistry, fit, long-term value, and cost – shelling out relatively large salaries for N.B.A. players who aren’t even guaranteed to play for an entire season just didn’t make sense for every European club. Plenty of players have still been able to find work overseas, but the number of openings is inescapably finite.
It was never as easy as the lockout rhetoric made it seem; the notion of playing overseas as a means of filling the lockout void was almost romanticized, as if N.B.A. players would land on foreign soil and be immediately greeted with equivalent salaries and ample playing time. Needless to say that hasn’t been the case, as plenty of N.B.A. players have found the offers from foreign teams to be underwhelming, and many of those currently playing overseas have struggled with either the lifestyle or the playing style of their temporary homes.
Now, with the entire N.B.A. season in serious jeopardy, more players than ever are fighting for what precious few spots – and paychecks – are still to be had. The lockout drags on, and the complexity of the European alternative only grows.
Risk and Reward in China
Though there may not be many remaining roster spots for N.B.A. players in Europe, the Chinese Basketball Association (C.B.A.) provides decent competition and solid compensation–with a catch: Chinese teams are not allowed to sign any N.B.A. player currently under contract. That slashes the pool of possible candidates for the C.B.A., but we’ve already seen Wilson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Aaron Brooks, and Kenyon Martin – who are all free agents – find employment there, with Jamal Crawford and Rodney Stuckey perhaps not far behind.
China could be the most logical landing spot for restricted and unrestricted free agents, but there are two important considerations for any C.B.A. candidate to consider. The first is the well-publicized fact that the C.B.A. requires any player who signs there to remain for the entire season. If the N.B.A. were to resume, players like Chandler, Smith, Brooks, and Martin would not be able to return to the States until their team’s run had concluded. N.B.A. players clearly grasp that the 2011-2012 season may not happen, but are they willing to potentially miss months of a shortened campaign should the lockout be lifted?
Additionally, though the C.B.A. may offer better pay than most other foreign leagues, free agents would be putting plenty at risk by playing outside of the N.B.A. A major injury sustained during the lockout would hurt any player, but free agents would be putting their earning power – and immediate chance at a much bigger N.B.A. payday – at risk. Still, the odds of such an injury are quite slim, and with the likelihood of an N.B.A. season diminished following the players’ recent legal maneuver, China becomes an increasingly more palatable option.
Trickle-Down Economics
Even with the N.B.A. facing a work stoppage, the Development League – the N.B.A.’s minor league affiliate – is set to begin its season in short order. However, the disclaimer of interest filed by the National Basketball Players Association on Monday could have devastating effects on the D-League’s player pool this season.
The D-League’s primary allure is the potential for a call-up to the big leagues, and without that carrot dangling above the heads of fringe prospects, there isn’t much reason to take part. The D-League’s standard salaries are far below what some players can earn elsewhere, and many of the league’s base cities – Fort Wayne, Bakersfield, Boise – hold little outside appeal for professional athletes. The D-League has real value when the N.B.A. is in session, but for the moment it lacks the ability to create a true reward system for its players.
We may already be seeing the impact of that unfortunate truth. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, Alando Tucker, who was selected with the No. 2 pick in the D-League draft just two weeks ago, has agreed to a deal with C.B. Gran Canaria of the Spanish A.C.B. League. Tucker was among the more high-profile D-League players, but the potential for superior earning overseas is hardly unique to him. D-League players may be able to find the sweet spot in European clubs’ financial goals, as they can contribute on a professional level without pulling in the substantial salary that N.B.A. talent demands.
It may seem odd that a team would elect to sign a D-Leaguer rather than an N.B.A. veteran, but many smaller clubs are priced out of the running for N.B.A. regulars. Plus, the fact that a player like Tucker has had experience with two different international teams certainly doesn’t hurt, particularly when considering how many N.B.A. players have struggled to produce in their first European tours. Tucker may be the first D-League player to bolt as a result of the lockout’s legal proceedings, but considering the value of affordable talent in overseas leagues, he likely won’t be the last.

Lesley

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lilyma06

Lesley 发表于 2011-11-19 10:34
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