SPORTS NOTEBOOK

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

DENVER BRONCOS // MLB

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BRONCOS --- AGAINST the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, October 2, 2011, the Denver Broncos showed what it takes to fail. From mid-first quarter on, the Broncos defense spun out flakily and stayed behind the power curve, aggressive and alert only too late as the Packers offense humiliated the Denver franchise, 49-23. Slow to identify and respond to plays connecting Packers QB Aaron Rodgers to his fast receivers, the Denver defense defeated itself. The Packers scored during each Q, and from every which way that a TD can happen---interception, long throw, short pass, handoff, Rodgers as dynamic rush-artist up the middle.

From comparison with the Broncos defense, the Broncos offense played just above the margin, scoring during each Q, completing 165 passing yards and 119 rushing yards. Denver's quarterback Kyle Orton threw for 273 yards and completed 22 of 32 passes, was responsible for three TD’s, one less than Rodgers. From their rushing, the top three Broncos receivers accrued 115 yards, while the Packers top three rushers gained 110, and the Broncos top three pass receivers accumulated 221 yards, close to the Packers top three gaining 232. Also, the Broncos average in yards gained per play was 6.9, just under the Packers 7.3. Another upside is that Orton was sacked only once, clearly an improvement in the pocket over previous weeks.

Still, three interceptions and a fumble have their price, and the Broncos offense paid, unable to offset the weaknesses of the Broncos defense with what makes the difference when the clock signs off---points accumulated from drives across that white line for a TD or field goal: note that the Broncos number of first downs gained was far inferior to that of the Packers, 18 under 26, TD's-in-waiting for the Packers.

Would Coach John Fox placing Tim Tebow back in the game during the last half have made a positive difference? An answer based on recent experiences of Tebow as QB afield would surely be “Probably not,” while an answer built from Tebow’s college football days would lean in the direction of “Damn right it would have.” But even a jump-up from Tebow wouldn't have overturned the fiasco, for the Broncos defense had unraveled way too far, unable to inflict serious spoilage upon savvy and swift Green Bay receivers of a football hurled speedily and accurately by Rodgers for ever higher numbers.

And so the Broncos are now 1-3, with 3-1 San Diego a pivotal challenge come Sunday, in that a fourth of the NFL season will be over for the Denver team. Unless the Broncos defense can suit up and react smarter and faster, no longer giving away points earned by the Orton-led offense, surely the weeks that follow will be about anchoring for that respectful season finish short of a championship. Should the Broncos defense fail laterally and deep, whether it’s Orton, Quinn or Tebow leading the Broncos offense, well, such won’t matter very much.

MLB --- The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants last week, finishing as leader of the NL-West. If they win the NL championship and go to the World Series, it will be a second go at the WS for the DB’s, their first in 2001 when they beat the New York Yankees, 4-3. And should the DB’s win in 2011, excluding the 2001 win they will be the second NL-W team to do so since the L.A. Dodgers won the WS in 1988. They will also be the sixth NL team to win the WS since 2001.

End/ml

DENVER BRONCOS // MLB

---Want more sports analysis, go to Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510, and to Colorado’s best sports blogging team: milehighsports.com---

From comparison with the Broncos defense, the Broncos offense played just above the margin, scoring during each Q, completing 165 passing yards and 119 rushing yards. Orton threw for 273 yards and completed 22 of 32 passes, was responsible for three TD’s, one less than Rodgers. From their rushing, the top three Broncos receivers accrued 115 yards, while the Packers top three gained 110, and the Broncos top three pass receivers accumulated 221 yards, close to the Packers top three gaining 232. Also, the Broncos average in yards gained per play was 6.9, just under the Packers 7.3. Another upside is that Orton was sacked only once, clearly an improvement in the pocket over previous weeks.

Still, three interceptions and a fumble have their price, and the Broncos offense paid, unable to offset the weaknesses of the Broncos defense with what makes the difference when the clock signs off---points accumulated from drives across that white line for a TD or field goal. Note that the Broncos number of first downs gained was far inferior to that of the Packers, 18 under 26, certainly TD susceptible for the Packers.

Would Coach John Fox placing Tim Tebow back in the game during the last half have made a positive difference? An answer based on recent experiences of Tebow as QB afield would surely be “Probably not,” while an answer built from Tebow’s college football days would lean in the direction of “Damn right it would have.” But no matter, the Broncos defense had unraveled, unable to inflict serious spoilage upon savvy and swift Green Bay receivers of a football hurled speedily and accurately by Rodgers.

End/ml

Friday, September 30, 2011

ROCKIES & 2012

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THE 2011 Rockies fell beneath the margin, they deep-sixed and Rockies manager Jim Tracy chose NOT to fire any of his coaches. There’ll be no pink slips, no burn notices for the Rockies coaching staff during the remainder of Tracy’s watch, which, to my thinking, deserves full respect, for it speaks to a leadership quality best expressed by the phrase that all wise bosses take to heart, “The buck stops here.” It says that Tracy and his coaches have acknowledged their role in the Rockies dismal May to September experience and that their job is to reverse course and knit together the team’s talents for a winning 2012.

IT’s not as if Tracy has to be that leader played by actor Lee Marvin in the classic war film, “The Dirty Dozen,” who turns bottom-of-the-pile misfits into expert warriors. The Rockies aren’t misfits; they are rostered talent that can rise to the occasion, having had it in them to win more than 90 of 162 games in 2011 instead of the less than 75 obtained. Yes, realistic expectations fell apart; however, the Rockies weak 2011 season occurred primarily from its potential for a winning record not being actualized, while that potential hadn’t disappeared completely. The big question is, Why the wide gap between team potential and what actually happened?

Reversing course means first noting the roadblocks, such as the Rockies pitching staff having an overall ERA bordering on the pathetic, plus the Rockies having delivered insufficient game-winning runs in spite of the team having a better than average on-base percentage, also insufficient depth of personnel for replacing players injured or in slumps or suddenly error prone, for example, unavailable all season were pitchers capable of providing the game winning consistency of injured starter Jorge De La Rosa and that of former Rockies starter, Ubaldo Jimenez, who slid surprisingly from ace status to mediocrity.

Too, injuries plus off-stride/off-swing hitting issues forced line-up changes that resulted in lack of teamwork experience, producing less than desired power at the plate and weak defense coordination, with little time available for Tracy and his coaches to observe new players and take them to optimum game readiness. Moreover, power hitters for the middle and back end of the line-up were nowhere to be found when needed urgently, which is a farm system preparedness issue that the Rockies front office needs to fix, and pronto!

But when looking at individual player performances, that of Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki, Todd Helton, Dexter Fowler, Seth Smith, Mark Ellis, occasionally Jhoulys Chacin, the Rockies appear to be a lot better than a team that finished far below .500, reflecting sufficient potential for a successful 2012, so it’s now the job of manager and coaches to bring that potential forward. Second big question---HOW?

Important for a Rockies turnaround is emphatic understanding that the coaches that Tracy has chosen to keep on board “underperformed” in 2011. They missed their marks. It’s up to Tracy to set the coaches in new directions before much else is done in preparation for 2012 . . . which brings up the matter of training and readiness, that which all hitting, pitching, fielding and bench coaches are supposed to live for, and it flourishes best under the umbrella of a theme, which from review of the Rockies poor 2011 record ought to be, “Consistency.” WANTED: Longer hitting streaks for Chris Iannetta and Ian Stewart that combine base hits with more power for the home run, also Jhoulys Chacin and Jason Hammel gaining only low ERA’s while winning more games instead of their high performances followed days later by embarrassing ruination, and Dexter Fowler on base more as leadoff man, plus more successful pickups at third base for the hurl to Todd Helton at first, and Jason Giambi in more games with a better ratio of home runs per at-bats.

Okay, how can the above-cited examples of consistency come about? How does a team’s potential stretch long, and sustain? Easy to say and difficult to execute is that coaches must insure that all player flaws are noted and examined to the nth degree, that the more trusted of identified solutions are applied correctly after testing, from something as simple as a batter wearing new contact lenses to changes in a batter's stance as he faces left handed pitchers, to the complexities of a pitcher’s choice between fastball, cutter, slider or curve. Then players have to train to the max under coach supervision surely a lot harder than in any year before.

In sum, and more than just intimated by Tracy this week, the Rockies won’t get to rock until coach-player teaming can rock---for teams excluded from this year's post-season, the 2012 calendar is in the express mail, and the clocks are ticking loud as can be.

END/ml

Monday, September 26, 2011

DENVER BRONCOS // WORLD SERIES, 2011

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BRONCOS ---- IT was a good football game each side of the field, and the Denver Broncos could have won had its defense stopped the Tennessee Titans from driving 95 yards in the final quarter for a TD that put the Titans ahead, 17-14; or if with minutes to go in the fourth Q and at fourth down and goal, Broncos running back Willis McGahee had gone further across the Titans one yard line for a TD, or if Broncos head coach John Fox had instead of ordering that fourth down rush had selected a field goal attempt. Anyway, the Titans won it clean and the Broncos are now one win and two losses while preparing for next Sunday’s turn against Green Bay.

With regard to John Fox’s no FG decision, such speaks to a baseball situation: bottom of the ninth, Rockies are behind the Diamondbacks by one run, Rockies are up. First to the plate, Carlos Gonzalez, who walks. Up next, heavy hitter Troy Tulowitzki. No outs. Rockies manager Jim Tracy can have Tulowitzki sacrifice with a bunt, or Tulowitzki could try sending the ball out of the park for a home run. If the latter becomes a sacrifice fly, Gonzalez could run the bases, maybe reach third. Or, Tulowitzki could play the count for a walk, still no outs and the task of RBIs going to the remainder of the line-up. Which should it be? Bunt, putting the ball in the bleachers, sacrifice fly, going for the walk? Check with a baseball manual, it’ll say, “Do the bunt.” But that’s no ordinary batter at the plate, it’s a most reliable slugger. So, Tracy opts for the long ball, green lights Tulowitzki to swing away. Then---Tulowitzki strikes out! The next two batters ground out and the DB’s win, Tracy’s proper choice collapsing like a punctured balloon.

Transfer the baseball situation to football and to John Fox setting aside the FG attempt, his having Orton and the right man for it McGahee doing what a football manual speaks against: Fox, Orton and McGahee opted for a TD and became the train that couldn’t, failure by inches. Was it the right choice? Considering the effective Orton and McGahee performances of earlier in the afternoon, the question deserves a Yes. Ask the question of many football coaches and they’ll agree, they’ll argue that sports wisdom advises a risk when the odds are better than good, though failure still looms in the near-distance. Anyone dissing Coach Fox for his decision has to get it that all sports are speculative moment-by-moment, therefore any “rational” choice is a good choice.

And from the vs. Titans game, there’s no reason for Orton-bashing or talk about switching ASAP for QB Brady Quinn or QB Tim Tebow, especially for Sunday vs. Green Bay. Certainly justifying Orton as starting quarterback is that the Broncos offense gained 333 yards against the Titans. Tennessee’s offense obtained 231 vs. the Broncos. Yes, the Titans rushed for more yards than had the Broncos, 59 over 38---once again the Broncos kept getting into the red zone but couldn’t exploit all scoring opportunities via the extended rush; surely this is the Orton/receiver weakness that needs early on fixing.

The Broncos defense? It’s become a heads-up defense, yet some of its plays were foiled by Titan fakes, to which the Broncos defense hadn’t recovered from fast enough, and there were Broncos defense plays where foot speed was off and so interferences that could have happened, didn’t. But if Elvis Dumervil and other injured players return on Sunday vs. Green Bay, we’ll be witnessing a different and probably better Broncos defense.

* * *

WORLD SERIES, 2011 --- THOSE ball clubs that have won 90 or more games will compete soon for league championships and a go at the World Series: as of yesterday the NL’s Philadelphia Phillies from 99 wins, the Milwaukee Brewers from 94, the Arizona Diamondbacks, 93, the AL NYY’s from 97, the Texas Rangers, 93, the Detroit Tigers, 92, with competition from NL wild card contender the St. Louis Cardinals (88 wins) and AL wild card possible but now floundering Boston Red Sox (89 wins).

Probably the only solace that the Colorado Rockies can obtain from the above post-season list is that during the Rockies 2011 league + inter-league series with most of the listed teams, the Rockies, though now of a dismal 72/87 record, were not swept by them and in many cases had split a series. The Rockies are indeed a lot closer to .500 in games versus several of the top MLB franchises than vs. the complete spectrum of NL and AL clubs.

Of course, the eight teams currently listed for post-season play deserve the positions that they’ve achieved. Cumulatively, they represent 748 games won of the 4,860 that will be played by the 30 MLB teams as September comes to a close, definitely a huge share. Of particular note is that neither team has won the majority of its games from only a small string of baseball phenoms. Each has had a rounded-off staff of starting pitchers + relievers and closers, and they’ve had enough long ball batters interwoven and spreading power within a line-up’s OBP hitters/runners/base stealers. Too, most have had the necessary depth for replacing injured players. Surely the about-to-happen pennant races and the 2011 WS will be studies in what enables a baseball team to prevail against competition comprising extremely similar assets.

END/ml

Friday, September 23, 2011

ROCKIES // BRONCOS

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THE Rockies 70/86 record posted today has the team at 11th place in the National League, faring better within the NL-West, 32/42, a 10 point instead of the 16 point NL/inter-league differential. Even so, the Rockies have failed to achieve a significant winning record versus any of the NL-W teams, as of Tuesday 5/13 against Arizona, 4/11 against San Francisco, 9/7 vs. the Dodgers and today 9/10 vs. San Diego. The NL-W fourth place Rockies are currently 20 games behind first place Arizona. If the Rockies were a NL-Central team, they’d still be in fourth place, if an NL-East team, last place.

It’s been a tough year for the Rockies since early May, but actor Tom Hanks told America in a flick, “There’s no crying in baseball.” It’s time to rub the tears away, time to let go of the blame game, time to move on and find the flaws, do the fixes.

Important is seeing the good as well as the bad and ugly, for example, the top two teams in the NL today are the Phillies and the Brewers. In the 2011 series of games between the Rockies and the Brewers, the Rockies accrued 44 runs and the Phillies and Brewers combined for 31. Were total number of runs a measure of which team is best among the three, we could argue that the Rockies can prevail over the NL’s top two franchises. Add total number of runs for the year as a measure and the Rockies become one of the NL’s top five teams. Obvious from this is that on base percentage and circling the bases are NOT among the team’s major issues, while OBP and base running failing to convert to "game-winning" runs is a major issue.

Why, then, have the Rockies failed to produce enough runs to win games and rise above .500? As I see it, among super spoilers are (a) Marginal pitching, (b) Inability of the infield and outfield to always make up for pitching that has allowed doubles, triples and home-runs, (c) Failure to match expectations with insurance, in effect, no Rockies pitcher offsetting the early loss of Jorge De La Rosa or of Ubaldo Jimenez going flat, while the only batter making up for Gonzalez and Tulowitzki being off to a slow start was Todd Helton, (d) Not enough power bats in the middle and back end of the line-up, (e) Unexpected injuries forcing the Rockies to stay a work in progress, never a fully coordinated team, too often a new lead-off man, most series starting without the same batting order. . . Other reasons for the Rockies losing record probably go deep, are identifiable and can be eliminated. One thing is certain: the Rockies bad season has not been the fault of any one individual, not GM Dan O’Dowd, not manager Jim Tracy, not a particular coach or trainer, not an individual position player---all have shared in the crash and burn season.

So, will the Rockies manager and front office attempt to solve problems via effective leadership principles, along with solutions for the long term that have been thought through carefully, with all possible consequences analyzed? Or, will the team’s leadership take shortcuts too soon and at shallow points across the pile-up of issues?

BRONCOS & THE TITANS --- The 190 rushing yards gained by the Oakland Raiders against the Denver Broncos included 150 executed by only one Raider, a running back. Also, the Broncos lost to the Raiders by only three points. These differentials have failed to demonstrate that the Broncos are already an out of the race team. Contrary to media comments about the Broncos performance in game one of the season, the Broncos haven’t shown signs of wimping far back instead of forward. Last week, the Broncos matched the Tennessee Titans 1-1 season record by whipping the Cincinnati Bengals, though the Titans takedown of the Baltimore Ravens in the same week was from a 13 point lead, more commendable than the Denver 24-22 win.

Not good for the Broncos is that the Titans knockdown had a lot to do with the Titans offense exploiting Baltimore’s defense weaknesses close to and in Baltimore's red zone, which is where a segment of the Broncos defense can be vulnerable. And, if statistics play out as prologue, Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has an advantage over Broncos starting QB Kyle Orton in greater number of yards accrued to date, and from just two sacks compared with Orton being sacked seven times, which signals the importance of pass protection for Orton and underscores the upgraded sack execution that the Broncos need to complete against Hasselbeck.

But if the Broncos starting and reserve receivers can do what they’ve done in place of already injured players while receiving protection on the run, the Titans defense could experience meltdown before the third quarter. And, if the Broncos secondary can play to the hilt and interfere effectively, the Broncos defense won’t be giving back points gained by Orton and his receivers. My take is this: if the Broncos lose, it won’t be by much, worst case seven points. Then again, it’s an NFL season---a wider point spread could occur if an injury pattern that the Broncos began experiencing last week turns out to be viral.

END/ml

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

BRONCOS // ROCKIES

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BRONCOS --- AFTER the Broncos loss to the Raiders, the team’s head coach John Fox reminded fans and media that the defeat was only by three points, 20-23, surely an attempt to build some confidence in the losing Broncos starting quarterback, Kyle Orton, in Orton’s receivers and the Broncos defense. Sunday’s Broncos takedown of the Cincinnati Bengals can be interpreted as the reverse of that message, that a two point first win of the season mustn’t build and sustain over-the-top confidence and unrealistic expectations about the Broncos remaining a winning NFL franchise.

Yes, good things happened and could happen again. For example, QB Orton focused on running the ball as if the strategy had always been his game-winning preference, still completing 15 of 25 passes, five straight in the first quarter. The Broncos were certainly respectable for yards gained, rushing for more than 135 and passing for 187. Too, Willis McGahee completed 101 yards from 28 carries. And seeing no escape from having to initiate a next-guy-onto-the-field strategy, John Fox chose who that would be expertly, though Tim Tebow as WR wasn’t a main target selection by Orton. Moreover, the Broncos held the lead each quarter, by seven in the first, 10-3 at the half, 17-5 end of the third. Also, the Broncos defense became not just tough but a seamless wall preventing a fourth quarter Bengals drive from becoming the TD or field goal that would have made it a Bengals victory.

On the downside, well, injuries narrowed the aperture for a better than two point win over the Bengals---Dumervil down, Lloyd down, Royal down, Thomas down. If the disrepair continues, that last man from the bench necessity could dry up vs. the Tennessee Titans come Sunday. Too, as Denver sportswriter and President of Mile High Sports, James Merilatt, has pointed out, injury causation can be more than coincidence, it can actually be a training and preparation flaw of the sort difficult to fix in a week’s time, hopefully not viral . . . but right now the Broncos being 1-1 with 14 games to go in the season isn't the worst situation.

ROCKIES --- Swept this week by the San Francisco Giants, the Rockies can only choose to fight for respectability as a team that keeps trying to win in spite of a 70/82 record to date. Of some help, however, can be seven of the next and last 10 games of the MLB season, three versus NL-W last place San Diego (65/88) and four against NL-C last place Houston (52/100), prior to playing the Giants again for a three-game series to be held at San Francisco.

Though winning even all of the 10 games left for 2012 would define the Rockies as a losing ballclub (80/82), the team will have demonstrated a positive learning curve, improved skill-sets, tenacity and pride, which is what manager Jim Tracy is hoping for, but against tough odds from top Rockies players Todd Helton, Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki being on the DL, while the Rockies pitching staff has been marginal and seems drained of near-term potential.

Probably best for the Rockies are three actions: First, press on, be the best that the team can be up against baseball’s numerous and varied situational factors as the season comes to a close. Second, begin thinking about new and improved rostering and preparation for next April. Third, outline procedures for determining all that caused the Rockies to go from being a team of great promise in April 2011 to fourth place and 15 games behind in the NL-W, an amazing irony in that individual Rockies players have done quite well, e.g., Helton, Gonzalez, Tulowitzki, Seth Smith and Dexter Fowler accruing high batting averages and significant OBP’s. Important, of course, is that no-one on the team should reach understandings about losses too quickly. Fallbacks like that experienced by the Rockies this year have surely been the result of multiple causes, no-one at this point in time being certain about the degree of harm inflicted by any one of the many causes.

END/ml --- Comments welcome . . .

Friday, September 16, 2011

(For more sports analysis, follow Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510, and Denver's best sports blog team, milehighsports.com --- ml)

ROCKIES // BRONCOS // NBA

ROCKIES --- NOT many aspects of a baseball game are more dispiriting than the early minutes of a first inning having your team behind 2-0 from an opponent’s home run and an RBI. Then comes the top of the second and your fielders blunder to the point of laughter, so now it’s Thursday, September 15 and the San Francisco Giants are walloping the Rockies 5-0 during the first of a four game series being played at Coors Field, the whipping a hurtful experience for the Rockies because the day before they beat the Milwaukee Brewers on the road, 6-2, a team that as of Wednesday held the same 87-63 record as the NL-West’s leading club, the Arizona Diamondbacks, ahead of NL-W fourth place Rockies by 16 games.

Rockies RHP Jhoulys Chacin was in bad form last night, allowing hits and runs and unable to tame Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who against Chacin managed a home run and an amazing triple, a double and a single. Yet the Rockies experienced glimmers of hope even without Todd Helton and Troy Tulowitzki, and though a guy named Gonzalez played in right field and came to bat and wore number five it just couldn’t have been the Carlos Gonzalez, for this fellow was dull at the plate and missed a catch that the real Gonzalez usually bags easily. Well, Carlos Gonzalez is entitled to an off night, he’s been having a good year, batting .297 as of Tuesday, with Helton and Tulowitzki ahead of him .302 and .304 respectively.

That brief tackle on hope for the Rockies began with a home run belted by Helton’s sub, Jordan Pacheco, and there were solid hits from Dexter Fowler, Mark Ellis and Chris Iannetta, and base-running raised the final score to 8-5, a relief in that those early innings signaled a shutout. And, the Rockies infield upgraded mid-game with several double plays, though a squeeze play between second and third base in the sixth inning fell apart needlessly, and Chacin’s wild pitches delivered extra bases for the Giants runners.

Friday's game two vs. the Giants became another Rockies loss, and with no Rockies highlights to speak of although team defense appeared in better shape than the night before. Now the Rockies would have to take two games to tie the four game series vs. the Giants . . . Of the now 12 games left to the season, five are against the Giants, followed by three vs. San Diego, then three vs. the weakest team in either MLB league, the Houston Astros. For the Rockies to finish the current season without heads hanging too low, the team must win the lion’s share of its remaining games by a better than weak margin.

BRONCOS --- BRONCOS Head Coach John Fox wants fans to remember that last week’s loss to the Raiders was only by three points, a score differential that does lift the Broncos from suspicion of owning week-by-week embarrassments ahead of the season’s remaining games. Truth be told, the four pre-season games proved that the Broncos potential for winning more games than it will lose this year is alive and well and can result in many Sunday victories as long as the team executes what it knows to do effectively, and that means avoidance of the flaws that existed last week. So, if Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton starts and shows that his evasion, timing, throws and handoffs are still slow and no more accurate than last Sunday, then the Broncos head coach replacing him early on with Quinn or Tebow will make sense. But until that happens, Orton deserves better pass protection and his receivers need improved blocking. Too, the running game has to be the Broncos offense priority unless insurance exists from early on touchdowns and field goals and there’s an open WR for an easy throw. As for the Broncos defense, it has to be relentlessly seamless, no slack allowed, the pass rush a priority, Dumervil-style (maybe without Dumervil), as each cornerback runs and guards as if Usain Bolt surpassing a PB (possibly without Bailey).

NBA --- IT’s practical wisdom on all fronts, it’s about preserving and sharpening skills, building strength and court endurance, and making money. It’s not betrayal, all these NBA athletes being ex-pats and playing for teams in Turkey, China, Israel,

France

and elsewhere outside the U.S. of A.

We shouldn’t be angry about it, it’s not as if these basketball greats will be playing for the Taliban Tombsuckers, the Qadaffi Screwballs or the al-Qaeda Nutcases. Actually, some of these athletes will pick up useful concepts about their game, in the manner that N.Y. Knicks star Carmelo Anthony gained greatly when countering foreign players during his tenure with the U.S. Olympic team. Besides, it’s like contributing to a grand balancing act in that more than half of America’s professional basketball teams have one or more players from a country outside the U.S.

So, who has been approached to be America’s basketball ambassadors in upcoming international games, and who may or may not have signed as of today? Here’s a quite partial list:

Deron Williams – Turkey
Dwight Howard – Spain
Kobe Bryant – Europe
Amare Stoudemire – Turkey
Kevin Durant – China, or Europe
Will Bynum – Europe
Tony Parker – France
Sonny Weems – Lithuania
Dwayne Wade – Europe
Reggie Williams – Spain
Ty Lawson – Lithuania
Kenyon Martin - China
Wilson Chandler - China
J.R. Smith - China
Allen Iverson - Turkey

NBA execs once big on the idea of extended profits from further internationalization of pro- basketball could now be mulling over that old adage, “Careful what you wish for.”

End/ml