Luis Scola Named MVP for FIBA Americas Championship

so i havent read through all the posts but how did this become about soccer?

anyways surprised at the scola pick as it seemed like there were other players who put up better stats than he did, but he does deserve it of course. nice to see that he was recognized.

now come home big fella and pass that energy to the rest of the rockets!

 

Tougher? Different skills and a different kind of toughness for each game. Too say soccer is tougher than football is a bias towards the toughness soccer deals out and the lack of protective equipment the average soccer player has on. You are talking about scars from players wearing little protective equipment when QBs still get concussions wearing as much protective equipment as they do.

I will grant that soccer is a tougher sport from an endurance standpoint, but the collisions in soccer do not have nearly as much energy as those in football.

 

Well done!! Congratulation Scola! We can't wait what you can bring to Htown!

 

Ther are two clowns there Whott and chump dumper who are trying to diss scola to make themselves feel better. it sounds like it's there pathetic meaningless lives mission to degrade luis. there sad individuals. i pitty them.

 

Soccer is only tough from an endurance stand point. I'm not a super serious soccer fan, but I watch quite a bit of the epl cause of fantasy leagues and guys go down so easy in soccer. It's very annoying how so many tackles or slight bumps, the guys go down so easy and stay there until the trainer comes and then after a bit they get up. It slows the game down and is highly annoying to watch when I know they're not hurt and are just faking. Soccer players can't take any sort of contact without going down. There are some legit one where it was a bad tackle, but the majority of them go down like girls, it's embarrassing.

 

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http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/2006/07/player_celebrat.html

 

I feel like my IQ just dropped 75 points after reading that message board...The admins should ban the ability to post links to it...glad I'm not a Spurs fan and that I have clutchfans.net!!

 

Now that's not true. I think soccer players in the NBA absorb contact rather well.




cue in someone posting a pic of Bell clotheslining Kobe.

 

Rocket make a good profit. T-mac, Yao, Battier, Scola, Brooks(/SF3)
we got a champion team.

 

http://www.star-telegram.com/287/story/222267.html

USA BASKETBALL NOTES
U.S. rolls, but Argentina forward earns MVP award
By JAN HUBBARD
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

LAS VEGAS -- The trip to China for the 2008 Olympics was secured on Saturday, but Team USA finished the job Sunday, winning the gold medal in the FIBA Americas tournament with a 118-81 victory over Argentina.

There was one upset, however. Argentine forward Luis Scola -- who will play for the Houston Rockets this season -- was named Most Valuable Player, which was shocking considering the announcement came a few minutes after his team lost by 37 points.

"That's unusual," U.S. guard Chauncey Billups said. "Usually it goes to a player on the winning team."

But votes were split among three U.S. players, and that allowed Scola to win. He had eight votes and was followed by Carmelo Anthony with six, Kobe Bryant with three and LeBron James with two. Brazil's Leandro Barbosa had one.

The U.S. was never threatened in the tournament. Its two closest games were a 15-point win over Argentina and a 27-point victory over Mexico. The U.S. has a 36-0 record when represented by NBA players in the FIBA Americas tournament.

The U.S. and Argentina qualified for the Olympics.

 

Maybe that picture is a foreshadowing of things to come this year.

 

Rule of thumb: When a guy on the opposing team flops (like Ginolbli) we HATE him....but when its Scola for our team, we LOOOOOOVE him.

We're going to have one of the most skilled front courts. Yao, a 7'6" skyscraper making post moves and passes one wouldn't expect from a guy that size and now our 6'10" Argentinian dynamo with relentless drives and post moves....not to mention Tmac who'll play some small forward. I just can't get that image of Scola putting Tyson Chandler in the popcorn machine. I had to rewind and slow it down to check it out....it was a spin, spin and then duck under move that had Tyson so confused that he was contorted and totally faked out of his shoes....I've already seen Scola do different popcorn machines depending on his defender's reaction. I don't think it's as important exactly how many points Scola scores next year becasue we will have a ton of weapons....but, it's important that we now have that option at power forward. It's like adding a right hook to a boxer's repertoire.... if teams are going to double Yao or Tmac, they will get punished with Scola...if they keep a guy on Scola, then that will free up Francis, Brooks, Bonzi, or James. These guys will all take turns getting hot and it's going to be a lot harder to game plan than just trapping Tmac as he tries to run the offense and then swarming Yao and trying to force turnovers. You single cover Yao, Tmac, Scola, Francis, Bonzi, and Brooks....you will get burned.

By the way, Scola looks more like he plays rugby the way he slams his body around.

 

Oh, how I love it when I rule.

 

All I have to say about soccer is that it sucks.

Given the choice every wedging receiving nerd in gym class will pick soccer over any other gym class activity.

 

All fans consider MVP be out from winners.If FIBA hold in Houston,many people may be so crazying.

 

I bet you winning that award is hella special for Scola...i would say right up there with winning European MVP. The fact that you play against NBA superstars and still gain an MVP award is pretty special.

 

Congratz 2 Scola!

I'm just glad he's on our team

 

Hopefully it makes him confident for this coming year. The more I see him play, the more I can't wait to see him on the Rockets. His mid-range shooting will be great. Last year the Rockets needed secondary scoring next to Yao and T-Mac, this years team has more than enough!

Just hope they can still play defense.

 

I'm hoping that he stays away from excessive flopping because it's annoying on any team. Hopefully, he'll get slapped on the wrist a little in the pre-season with some blocking calls and then focus on moving his feet and getting in front of people.
That being said, I can't say I won't be excited if he's able to draw a big charge on an opposing team. Lord knows we've had it happen to us enough times.