[2014 Summer] Papanikolaou and the Greek National Team

Giannas is taking all of his playing time..

 

lol

Lol. Yeah he is looking good against Greece. Greece has had to triple team him at times.

I have seen Pap a few times play but sparingly and I see a role player who may be NBA good enough. I don't see him as a starter for awhile though. He is going to need time.

 

switching streets a little bit, anyone else watching Llul for Spain and wondering if he will ever be a real asset for us in the nba?

 

lol

I saw him today some and he looks like he is a nice pick up by Morey.

 

Nah at this point I'm tired of thinking about it. Hope he comes over but I'm not gonna waste any more time watching his games or thinking about how he'd fit on the Rockets.

 

Well, on the contrary... I'm glad you're not chandler parsons!

 

Probably should be reserved for a Llull thread, but Lets see-

-Runs the floor & can finish on the break
-Gritty perimeter defender
-Can shoot the 3(even though you don't want a steady diet)
-fiery competitor
-Can play & guard multiple positions
-Good at moving the ball, makes the right pass, plays within himself w/ team Spain (larger role & more freedom w/ Real Madrid)
-Can create a little bit in the P&R
-Probably ideal PG type next to Harden (play off the ball, can handle a bit, can create if needed, good defender w/ good size)
-improved at facilitating offense (pretty much doubled his APG since coming to Real Madrid)

Cons-

-limited offensive ceiling in NBA (not going to be scoring superstar type stats)
-limited athleticism
-not a great 3 point shooter
-Contract issues


If you can get this guy on the right contract, in a good role, and you don't expect him to be the new face of your franchise than there really isn't anything NOT to like with Llull. Other than that I think he's a solid fit in Houston either as a PG next to Harden, or coming off the bench as a combo guard.

Add to that the personality and the fiery competitive nature that Llull brings to games would instantly make this guy a fan favorite. Its pretty hard to not get pumped up when that guy hits a 3 and goes bat S#$% crazy coming back down the floor.

I'd love to have him, but the problem is you have some depth already with Nick Johnson who pretty much is on par with what Llull will probably bring in that role, and better shooters with Daniels, and Terry. There really isn't a guaranteed role for him right now, and the last thing you'd want to do is give this guy a full MLE type of deal, and he ends up being low on the depth chart.

Next year I think will probably be the year to try and bring him over. I think his contract is a little more palatable to absorb next Summer anyways, and we might get a little more clarity on need in the back court after we see what Johnson, Canaan, Daniels, etc. can bring this year.

 

We purchased the rights to Llull from Denver when he was a 2nd round pick. At the time, we paid the most $$ ever for the rights to a 2nd round pick. He can ball, basketball that is.

 

All of Spain's perimeter players are not looking real great right now simply because Spain's front court of the Gasol brothers is destroying their opponents and they are making a concerted effort to get the ball to them in the paint. But Llull along with the other guys are much better players than they've shown so far. They simply haven't been needed very much.

 

he is laBaba James-kolaof

 

ingles would have been a much cheaper option

 

I thougt Ingles was a first round pick. How is he cheaper option than Papanikolaou, a 2nd rounder?

 

ingles went undrafted. in the nba he'd be a pass first playmaker with no defense and can't score. see his summer league game. basically royce white with far lesser passing.

he's nowhere near the player paps is. an established starter on top teams in the euroleague. ingles is a bench player and was in the doghouse at barcelona and maccabi.

his best career option would be to keep making the tax free money with the help of his british passport.

 

I've been a big fan of his since we got him, but I've about given up on ever seeing Llull playing in a Rockets uniform. I've lost count on the number of "maybe next year" comments I've either read, or made myself. Kind of a bummer to think about, to tell you the truth.

 

C'mon man - he has averaged 6ppg over 4 seasons with big Euroleague clubs....

Oh wait, that's not good.

 

Yeah I mean he's a crazy good fit, but you know you look at it from Morey's angle and its hard not to see his perspective. You can get someone like Nick Johnson at 700K per year, opt for a sharp shooter like Daniels at the min, find a solid vet at the back end of his career at the min, or you can pay the full mid level for Llull. As much as he and I would love to have him, its just about the math.

When bringing over a Euro its best to probably pull them over when they are either at the stage of someone like Capela or D-Mo when he was first drafted, or later in that players career when they've conquered Europe and gotten paid enough to justify the move financially like Scola.

All that being said, its really pretty crazy that the Rockets were able to figure out a way to get Papanikolaou this year given his stature over in Europe and given where he's at in his career. Good cap maneuvering by Morey to get him but they wont be able to do that every year.

 

On a separate note Croatia Vs. Greece today at 12:50 central. I'd recommend checking that game out. Should be a good one.

 

Papa has 6 points at the half. 3/3 in the paint, 0/1 from downtown, couple of steals, and a block

 

Nice reverse for Papa. Having a great game.