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[2014-15] Kostas Papanikolaou as a Rocket

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by shastarocket, Sep 29, 2014.

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JuNx Contributing Member

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I like Papa but would not mind Papa+Canaan+Pelicans 1st for Goran. Then we get J. Smith and we are set.

#601 JuNx, Dec 23, 2014

omgTHEpotential Member

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JuNx said: ↑

I like Papa but would not mind Papa+Canaan+Pelicans 1st for Goran. Then we get J. Smith and we are set.
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#602 omgTHEpotential, Dec 23, 2014

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tmacfor35 Contributing Member

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omgTHEpotential said: ↑

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Stop pressing your agenda.

I saw Curry shoot a wide open air ball last night.

Annoying!

#603 tmacfor35, Dec 23, 2014
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omgTHEpotential said: ↑

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I saw Kostas brick a few last night too!

#604 JuNx, Dec 23, 2014
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I like Big Papa, and to be fair, we need to give him time to acclimate himself into the NBA. Even Lebron needs a year to really know how to play in this league.

I especially like his passing ability. I do think the Rockets needs to pass the ball more. However, I often feel that he is not too reliable with the mistakes he makes on the court. I can understand both sides of the argument of whether he should play or not play, and why he should be traded if other teams considers him to be an interesting asset.

#605 HighlightReel, Dec 23, 2014
jim158 Member

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The last 2 trades of the rockets make them much stronger. They targeted specific weaknesses of the team and gave solutions. However for kostas things get harder now
1) I see for him no more than 15 min per game
2) It s certain, if he will not improve fast, is difficult to finish the year as a rocket
Kosta, spent 24hours /day practising if you want to keep your NBA dream alive

#606 jim158, Dec 24, 2014
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HighlightReel said: ↑

I like Big Papa, and to be fair, we need to give him time to acclimate himself into the NBA. Even Lebron needs a year to really know how to play in this league.

I especially like his passing ability. I do think the Rockets needs to pass the ball more. However, I often feel that he is not too reliable with the mistakes he makes on the court. I can understand both sides of the argument of whether he should play or not play, and why he should be traded if other teams considers him to be an interesting asset.
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Papa needs to ride the pine because he isn't quite ready yet. His passing ability and handles are something to build on. He must learn to defend without fouling, finish better at the rim and hit open jumpers.

After starting the season OK, Papa has regressed to the point it kills the Rockets when he plays. Practice, spot time on floor and a year of seasoning will hopefully yield a solid rotation player next year.

I'm fully aware the knee sprain probably has something to do with his recent major struggles.

#607 A_3PO, Dec 24, 2014

omgTHEpotential Member

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I'll take Kostas over J-Brick-Smoove any day of the week.

#608 omgTHEpotential, Dec 24, 2014
tmacfor35 Contributing Member

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omgTHEpotential said: ↑

I'll take Kostas over J-Brick-Smoove any day of the week.
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Well thank god you aren't running the team.

These post are ridiculous. I think I shall revisit this come the end of the season.

#609 tmacfor35, Dec 24, 2014
omgTHEpotential Member

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tmacfor35 said: ↑

Well thank god you aren't running the team.

These post are ridiculous. I think I shall revisit this come the end of the season.
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Smith is an athletically gifted high-ego low-IQ player that likes to shoot bricks. Superb.

#610 omgTHEpotential, Dec 24, 2014
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Happy to include Paps in a trade for Dragic.

#611 abaker28, Dec 24, 2014
tmacfor35 Contributing Member

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omgTHEpotential said: ↑

Smith is an athletically gifted high-ego low-IQ player that likes to shoot bricks. Superb.
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That plays 10X better defense and shoots bricks at the same rate PAPA has this year.

Please!

#612 tmacfor35, Dec 24, 2014
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Rockets' Papanikolaou loving every bit of NBA journey

When Kostas Papanikolaou was a little boy in the small town of Trikala in the northwestern region of Greece, he had big aspirations.

One was to become a professional athlete.

The other was to meet Santa Claus.

When Papanikolaou and his brother, Nikos, were staying with family on Christmas Eve, he would try every year to catch a glimpse of the jolly fellow who brought him and the other children in his family gifts.

"You have to believe in Santa. That was my dream," Papanikolaou said. "I tried to stay up so late so many times to see him. I never got to see him."

At least one of his dreams came true.

Papanikolaou is a long way from home now and playing in the world's premier basketball league.

"Sometimes life can really be amazing," the Rockets forward said.

And to make it better, Papanikolaou will spend his first Christmas in the United States with his mother, father and brother, who have been with him in Houston since late October.

Papanikolaou didn't grow up as a basketball phenom. In fact, he never even played the game until he was 14 years old. The son of a police officer and a stay-at-home mom, Papanikolaou led a normal childhood.

His sport of choice growing up was volleyball, at which he excelled from a young age.

When he was a teenager, a basketball academy opened in his city, and all his friends joined.

"So all of my friends went there to this basketball academy, and I wanted to be with my friends, so I started playing basketball," he said.

"There was a period of a couple of years where I was playing basketball and volleyball. And then my coaches and my family told me I couldn't keep doing both. And I had to do also my homework, and I didn't have time for my homework. So I chose basketball because I started to like it more, and I saw it fits more what I like and how I move and what I do. And thank God for me, I choose basketball at the end of the day."

Papanikolaou took an immediate liking to the sport. He liked the movement, the fluidity, the way he could interact with his teammates. He had height and length and picked up the sport quickly.

'A '90s boy'

It wasn't long before he was on the local playground, shooting alone and emulating other players. He had a couple of Greek professional players he idolized, but none more than an American superstar.

"I am a '90s boy," he said. "So I loved Michael Jordan."

Like other kids all over the world, Papanikolaou would pretend he was Jordan and practice hitting buzzer-beaters.

"I was on the playground and I was taking the ball and I was like 'five, four, three …'. I was counting down by myself and shooting and missing," he said. "And then I would say, 'Doesn't count, doesn't count.' And I would do it again."

Papanikolaou is all smiles when he thinks about his time on the playground.

Sometimes he still can't believe where he is now.

"I can't even realize how the years went by," he said. "From this small city, now I am at Houston. If you were telling me this a couple of years ago, I would laugh at you. Really."

Papanikolaou has made an impact with the Rockets this season. He is averaging 6.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and has impressed his teammates.

"He just knows how to play," guard James Harden said. "He has a good knowledge of the game. He is athletic. He can defend. He has made us better."

When Papanikolaou was about 16, he realized that basketball could be more than a hobby for him. Within a couple of years, he made his professional debut in Greece with Aris. That season, in 2009, he was named the Greek League's best young player.

Taking a chance

He never set giant goals for himself. Instead, he set small ones each day.

"I wake up every day and say, 'I gotta go to the gym, to the arena and even just get a slice better,' " Papanikolaou said. "One part is enough. I try to work every day to become the best that I can."

So when the chance came to play in the NBA, he took it. He wasn't sure what the experience would be like, but he wanted to take it and use it as a chance to get better.

"I want to see my limits," he said. "You know, many guys from Europe don't want even to try in the NBA because they don't think they fit or they think they aren't athletic enough.

"I was never like that. I was like, 'I want to go. I want to see what my limits are.' The worse-case scenario, I am going back to Europe and I will have a story to share that I tried it. I went and I did it. I didn't want to look back at my career and think, 'Why didn't you try?' "

So far, Papanikolaou has loved every second of the NBA experience.

"It's amazing," he said. "And I am a teammate with all these guys. With Dwight (Howard), with James (Harden), with Jet (Jason Terry), with Trevor (Ariza), guys that you only hear about and see them on TV in Europe.

"And it's amazing, because when you get to know these guys, you can really understand how pure they are. They are real. How hard they work, how they love this thing they are doing."

Papanikolaou said he had learned from his teammates to hang on to what got him here and to keep at it.

Family set to leave

As the season continues and Papanikolaou gets more comfortable in his new home with his new team, he also will have to say goodbye to his family. They will head back to Greece on Saturday after spending almost three months in Texas.

Papanikolaou knows it will be hard to see them go, but he also knows he has found a home in Houston.

"It's really beautiful that we can be together for Christmas this year," Papanikolaou said. "And maybe this time, I can meet Santa. You never know."
Click to expand...

#613 J.R., Dec 24, 2014

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J.R. said: ↑

Rockets' Papanikolaou loving every bit of NBA journey
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Heart-warming story ...

really hope Papa gets his ooomph back so he can finish the season with us and not be part of any trade

#614 RoxBeliever, Dec 25, 2014
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game over kosta

#615 jim158, Dec 27, 2014
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Time for the big boys

Coaches are looking for consistent production now from everyone they put in. Kostas' injury really cost him his form and momentum. I think he'll get another shot later in the season when we need to rest someone or someone gets banged up. But right now, he needs to impress in practice.

#616 RoxBeliever, Dec 27, 2014
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Paps value is not found on the stat sheet, but it is reflective of his poor shooting. I hope he can make the adjustment to the nba game.

#617 CrashTheBoards, Dec 27, 2014
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J.R. said: ↑

Rockets' Papanikolaou loving every bit of NBA journey
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Awww Kostas...

I really hope that D-Mo and Kostas won't get traded. I feel like they really made Houston their second home and that they really are trying to help the team. It will be heartbreaking to see them in another uniform

And Kostas, I hope you get to meet Santa

#618 rockets belle, Dec 27, 2014

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rockets belle said: ↑

And Kostas, I hope you get to meet Santa
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Isn't SVG the Rockets' Santa this year?

#619 RoxBeliever, Dec 27, 2014
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No minutes? Wassssup with that?

#620 mikeyg603, Dec 28, 2014

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