http://www.virtus.it/Filmati/ginobili.wmv What do you think of these highlights? This guy seems like he could help the Spurs next season.
Looks like he is going to be an exciting player for the Spurs. Everything I've heard about him seems to be true. Likes to dunk and is very athletic. Should be fun to watch him dunk on a few cocky Americans. Spurs had a queit but effective offseason in aquiring Manu and Speedy Claxton, and resigning Rose and Bowen (done deals). Also, he is my pick for ROY next season.
anyone else think this guy can contribute over Steve Smith next season for the Spurs. Keeping Smitty as a starter almost seems like a step backwards for the Spurs.
WOW!!! This guy looks awesome. Where has he been hiding. Anyone know how old this guy is? He will contend for the ROY.
what the hell is up with European basketball? Those guys don't play defense AT ALL. This is like the 4th guy this year (Nachbar, Nachbar's bald oppenent, another guy, and this guy) that I've seen go unchallenged straight down the lane for slam after slam. Why does European ball get labelled so "fundamentally sound" when the defense is so atrocious? Watch those clips again. He is exposing the ball on nearly everything he does. That won't work in the NBA....he'll get stripped like Shandon Anderson, and never get close to the rim.
You sure HP? Turkoglu is half the driver Manu is, and Turk torched the Lakers in the 01 playoffs on DRIVES. You saying Manu won't be a good penetrator in the NBA? Personally I think he will contribute for the Spurs and still be able to finish well at the NBA level, because he is not really a "shooter". He is one of those rare Europeans that actually has a fluid and athletic feel to his moves. He is also labeled as the best Euro player. Personally I am impressed with the highlights, I think he can contribute for the Spurs, especially since Duncan and Parker will probably make driving a little easier for him. I guess we will see if he can drive against NBA comp during the FIBA games in August/Late September when Argentina matches up with USA (if they do). BTW- Gsal, Manu is 25 years old.
On another note, I never got to see Nachbar's highlights. Would you rate this guys' as better, worse, or about the same. They are pretty impressive. He's still gonna suck ass though.
Nikos, Like I say, did you see the Nachbar vids of his finals games. His drives in those vids are more impressive than this, and the opposing team had a bald guy going right through the lane over and over. At some point you start looking at the defense, and wondering how that many drives is being allowed. Watch the vids by looking at the defense. btw: Jackson and Bibby are the ones who really "torched" the Lakers on drives. Saying this guy can leap higher than Turk, so he must be a better driver is not necessarily true. look at Mobley. He is hands down a better driver than all but a handful of players in the league, many who jump higher. Watch Mobley drive. He protects the ball like a running back...cradled with two hands. He protectst the ball as well as any player can. It is harder than it sounds to protect a ball from strips, because it is not natural to jump while cradling a ball to your body. Try jumping without your arms. Guys who jump while leading with their arms (waving the ball side to side like he is Turbo running towards the trampoline) can get higher elevation, but they get stripped. Shandon never could figure this out, but in Europe he damn sure would be an excellent driver. I don't mean to predict this guy based on the vids, but you guys are calling him amazing based on them, and I just want to point out a possible fatal flaw. Watch the vid, this guy goes down the lane exposing his dribble and prepares for jumps like Turbo. Watch the defenders. None of them are going for swipes, just waving him to the rim. NBA defenders will be swiping at those balls for sure.
HP, the reason I beleive he can contribute is because he is considered the best European player right now and has been for the past few years. Many said he was the best two years ago, even when Gasol was still there. I dont think it is Manu's fault the European defense stinks. Just because he plays well against their defense does not mean he will goto the NBA and get stripped everytime. From these highlights we can see his athleticism is very good, even buy NBA standards. I dont think there is ANYONE else in Europe who is as athletic is Manu. This is why I think he will adapt to the NBA game. How many Europeans do you know that can even do what he does in that video, especially the sequence where he starts high on the key and in one second blazes through to the hoop and dunks it almost before the defense could react. Im not saying he can dunk all day in the NBA, but the athleticism and skill is there to become a special Euro to NBA player. Yeah sure he might not do what he did in the highlights, but several good NBA players probably couldn't do what he does in those highlights. I seen one game of Manu's, not just the highlights, and I liked the way he got to the basket whenever he wanted, he also seemed like he had a nice touch, and ability to take over a game when needed. Basically based on the game I watched online, the highlights, the scouting reports, and his label as the best Euro player, I think he will develop into a fine NBA player.
Ginobli was drafted 2nd round 2 or 3 years ago, he's 25 years old, I believe, and he's one of the reasons 2nd round picks can be so valuable...well, except that most Europeans are being grabbed 1st round now, but anyway...
Working pretty hard to convince yourself that you have a 2nd round gem, 'eh. You haven't seen the 21yr old Nachbar clips; have you. What about Tsika? Jiri Welchs. Your man Parker? The best don't stay in Europe until 25yrs old. Why didn't the Spurs try to sign him before if he's so good? Was it really impossible to buy out his contract? Was he being faithfull all this time to his team? Did he want more practice in Europe before making the leap. Who are the past Euroleague MVPs? The veterans in Europe often get the MVPs, and many never play in the NBA. That's like saying the College Player of the Year is the best American draftee. Nope, it will be Lebron James next year. The best make the jump sooner, no? The above average become stars in Europe. Just like most of our college "stars."
I watched the Benneton vs Kinder Bologna Semifinals, I seen both Nachbar and Ginobili play. Nachbar looked good himself, but Manu was the best player on the floor in that game. But Nachbar was pretty impressive. See the game for yourself, it has Jaric (the upcoming PG for the Clippers), Manu Ginobili, Nachbar, even some old NBA players like Tyus Edney. Here is a link to the FULL GAME below http://benettonbasket.telebasket.libero.it/video_gallery.asp?PageNum=5&keyword=&player=0&team=0 It is against Benneton in the final four....Semifinal. Check it out if youd like, it has all four quarters, four different links.
He just turned 25. The Spurs drafted him when he was 22 in 1999 and they wanted him to stay overseas for a while as they didn't have the room for him and they wanted him to have the minutes to develop. The Spurs didn't bring Ginobili over earlier due to him not being able to get out of his contract last summer. From what I recall he really showed significant improvement by 2001 when he was MVP of the Euroleague finals. This summer he was able to get out of his contract. If he had been available in 2001, they would have brought him over then. He is regarded to be the best player in Europe last season. I recall an interview with Gasol and he listed Ginobili as being the one player in Europe who was ready to make an impact in the NBA. Some national writers have already predicted him to win ROY and/or make the all-rookie team.
Nikos, I watched those games. I still say Nachbar is the better talent. btw: isn't Dejan Bodiroga widely considered the best player in Europe? But he is 29yrs old. Go figure. MrSpur, <a href="http://www.euroleague.net/noticia.jsp?temporada=E01&jornada=23&id=125">Look at the 2001-2002 Euroleague MVP</a>. He is only 26yrs old. His name is Mirsad Turkscan. And to think the Rockets wanted him to stay in Europe, then gave up his rights. damn. We should sign him. He barely beat out an American player. And this was last year's Euroleague MVP http://nbadraft.net/profiles/dejantomasevic.htm 29yrs old, Dejan Tomasevic Euroleague MVP is not MVP of Europe. Besides, I believe it is purely a statistical computation, like a Fanstasy League calculation. btw: any national writer who predicts someone other than Jay Williams or Ming for ROY is just trying to be controversial. Find a scout who would say that. <b>San Antonio could have got him out of his contract</b> And why do you say that he couldn't get out of his contract? Can you provide a link? Why would that not be news? Do you realize that the Spurs could have paid him $9m if they wanted. There is no Rookie Scale issues with 2nd rounders, CBA players, etc. They can sign any contract they want. I do not understand how they couldn't have got him out of his contract if they really wanted him, if he was ROY material
They could not have gotten him out of his contract last summer. Sorry, I know. I actually bothered to pay attention to that...last summer. Ginobili was the Euroleague Finals MVP. Sorry for leaving that out. Nachbar played in that same league so I guess he sucks too. Just like Gasol. A number of NBA scouts think that Ginobili is the real deal. There was an article in The Sporting News a couple of months back that discussed Ginobili. Said he would be a lotto pick had he been in the draft this year and that was the consensus of a number of NBA personnel types. Yes, there is no rookie scale for second round picks...provided you have the cap space to sign a player to a large deal. SA didn't this summer. SA front office feels the same about Ginobili as they did about Parker, that he can come in, start, and have an impact. His athleticism and skills are for real.
That's an award for best player on one team. Does that make him best European?? You guys said "best European." Dejan Bodiroga is widely regarded as the best player in Europe, and he will never play in the US. I didn't say your boy sucks, nor the league. I said MVP awards in Europe and College do not make an NBA player. Many of the best ones leave before they can win those awards, thus watering down the award. Do you not grasp that concept?? I thought you said ROY. Make up your mind MrSpur. So, are you trying to tell me they signed him to the league minimum of ~$350,000 just now?? At age 25, so were Shandon Anderson's. He was a big free agent catch. I only see a bunch of dunks in the vid for you boy. Dunks where he is exposing the ball much like Shandon does. Shandon dunked a lot with Stockton and Malone, too. Does he play defense like Shandon? I don't see the outside shooting like most Euro shooting guards? Does he shoot like Shandon?
btw: I just watched that video again for like the 5th time. That is some HORRIBLE defense, just like in the Nachbar videos. Europe cannot play defense. I'm convinced? the boy is going to get schooled by Bowen if he keeps showing the ball like that.
I guess you dont think Manu will be good AT ALL in the NBA? Actually your basically implying the best he can be is a crappy roleplayer. So how should he dribble ball? 5 inches lower and not go so quickly to the basket since the Euro D sucks so much and the NBA players would strip him if he went so quickly to the bucket? Maybe if he got his knees up to the rim area you would respect him? My point is what could he do in these highlights to impress you? Probably nothing.
