NBA 2011-12 Preview: Thoughts on Nicolas Batum and Others Playing Overseas

Nicolas Batum of the Portland Trail Blazers is the latest in a growing stream of NBA players who are making commitments to spend time playing overseas if the upcoming season is lost to the NBA lockout, according to espn.com's Marc Stein.

While his decision certainly won't make the same splash in the news as the signing of Deron Williams in Turkey or the rumors that Kobe Bryant might do the same, it hits home for Blazers fans in a way that those other announcements did not.  For most fans, the news that one of your players is making plans to be somewhere else next year because he really doesn't think a season is going to happen makes the reality of it all sink in just that much more.

Just a few thoughts on what all of this means going forward:

-If the lockout does culminate in the loss of the entire 2011-12 season, it is going to affect most teams on a more personal level than simply not playing games.  Unlike the previous lockout, most and potentially all teams will have at least one player who decides that playing for something in Europe or Asia is better than sitting at home watching daytime TV.

-More players overseas would also mean a greater risk of injury.  It seems that every NBA season, there are at least one or two big name players who miss a significant number of games or playing time due to injury.  If enough players decide to take a chance at playing in another country, something similar is bound to occur.  Can you imagine the repercussions if a superstar on the level of Williams tore his ACL and lost his contract while playing overseas next year?

-It's not really a surprise that foreign born players, such as Batum, are going to be more quick to head back to their native countries for a few months if the NBA isn't an option next season. As unlikely as it is, I would love to see at least one foreign player switch it up if they end up going overseas for an entire year.  Maybe Pau Gasol going to France or Tony Parker heading to England?

-Equally unlikely is the idea that the NBA wouldn't be able to come back from a lost season, even if it would take years to restore the league to the level of popularity it was at before this lockout started.  But having multiple players head overseas could potentially lay the framework for greater global competition for the services of NBA-worthy players, couldn't it?  If I were a mid level NBA player, with the chance to be a star playing in Spain or France and earn just as much as I would here in the states, wouldn't I give it some serious thought?

-Along with generating more options for current and future professional basketball players, the potential success of stars like Williams, or even players on the level of Batum playing overseas, could accelerate the process of getting a team or two in Europe within the next decade.  While the length of the season and the difficult travel schedule would be two very difficult obstacles to overcome, David Stern loves doing whatever he can to grow the global popularity of the league. 

-It seems reasonable to assume that if the season is lost and multiple NBA stars head overseas, we will start seeing a lot more highlights than usual from those foreign leagues.  It might even be possible that full games will start being televised, though with the time difference and the language barriers, it wouldn't quite translate as easily to the casual NBA fan.  Still, as a fan, I want basketball, and if the NBA isn't there, then I hope the media is able to find ways to provide as much coverage as possible of the other options that are available.

I'm very interested to see what actually happens with all this going forward, but it appears that things might be happening for the NBA, both for good and for bad, even without an official season to watch.