D-Mo @ Eurobasket 2013 (First friendly game Aug 6)

D-Mo looks slimmer than a few weeks ago. That's critical if he will get PT at the 4.

 

I like DMo's game and potential; 7 footers with post moves don't come in yearly drafts. My biggest fear is that he is a late bloomer. If we are rebuilding, I am all for keeping him but unfortunately we are not. IMO, we have a 2-year window with the current roster. If we can acquire a legitimate PF on a cheap contract, it just might take us to the next level.

Amir is a work horse. He doesn't need a ball in his hand to thrive and will fit perfectly with many ball-dominate players on our team. He is a fans favorite and received the highest end-of-the-season grades(link) from Raptors fans.

 

Great assessment. I thought he looked bad, but if you plug this team style play into a more organized Rockets team, he's going to be a contributor. Viva la DMo!

 

A competitive team for sure but to be a play-off team I would think they would need to be in the east to have a any chance and even that would be a stretch IMO. There are some good players on there for sure but as a Rockets fan I've have seen the Rockets field lots of teams full of really good players that could not make the play-offs in the west.

Lowry
KMart
Battier
Scola
Courtney Lee
Chuck Hayes
Goran Dragic
Chase Budinger
Dalembert
Camby
Parsons

That was a team full of very good players with good chemistry and they could not make the play-offs. When I look at the Spanish team I see a lot of really good players but I don't see any player that pushes them into the play-offs.

Calderon
Rubio
Fernandez
Rodriguez
Gasol

Are all very good players and I think Llull will prove himself to be a very good NBA player if he ever comes over. But I don't look at any of their guard combos and think they are better than Dragic, Lee and Lowry. I don't see any as good in the post on offense as Scola was. I think they would be very competitive in the NBA but I think more than likely you would see them living in mediocrity, much like so many of the recent Rockets teams did post healthy Yao and pre Harden.

 

^^^ The roster Spain will send to the upcoming EuroBasket probably wouldn't make the playoffs in the West. Maybe in the East.

If we're talking about what could be the Spanish roster, they'd definitely make the playoffs in the East. Probably in the West, too.

M.Gasol Ibaka
Pau Mirotic
Fernandez Claver
Llull Navarro
Rubio Calderon

SF rotation would a bit lacking and the lack of size in the back-court might be a concern against some teams, but they probably would have the best big men rotation in the league and their guards -- a bit on the short side, or not -- can obviously play, too.

 

Really? Even Asik pulled that off in the NBA last year.

I generally agree though, Bourousis is barely there on D more often than not.

 

I really like the quality they put on the floor but I just don't see that one special player that pushes them over the hump in the West. Maybe I'm basing that on my frustrations as a Rockets fan when they had teams stacked with high quality players but lacked that one player to push them over the last hump. Maybe Pau if he shows to still has it.

I would agree that the east would be significantly easier to grab one of the last spots.

 

They definitely make the East playoffs, and could make the West playoffs. The center and power forward positions would make them a powerhouse that not many or maybe any team could handle. As noted earlier the SF position is weak.

 

http://sportas.delfi.lt/eurobasket/...virtfinali.d?id=62205379#dgslt-128775:4881932

 

That is certainly not my opinion but I also think that while Marc Gasol is a very good high quality center, he is also quite possibly the single most overrated player in the league. Like I said though, just my opinion. Also while Pau is a future HOF player, his defense is not what it was a few years ago and probably more importantly he has not been able to stay healthy the last two seasons.

When healthy, Pau and Marc would be a formidable duo but better than Pau and D12 last season? No and not really that close IMO and the Lakers just barely squeaked into the play-offs. The west is just a gauntlet and if your team has a week spot that week spot will be exposed.

You almost have to have a really special player just to sniff the play-offs in the west. I look at Portlands roster last season and I'm still shocked that they did not make the play-offs and Lillard, Batum and Aldridge would all start on that Spain team.

Once again, it's just my opinion.

 

One more friendly game before the Qualification Round.

Sept. 1, 2013
Lithuania vs. Georgia
Kaunas, LTU
19:00 (11:00 Houston)

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Georgia states players? Could be interesting game

 

Georgia has Zaza Pachulia, that's all tho.

 

Georgia has more Caucasian players than any other team in this tournament.

 

Is Josh Smith on the team too? Zaza signed elsewhere just like him?

 

funny, most US Americans barely noticed.

 

That is not something to be content with.

You gotta admit though, if nobie wasn't joking, that's hilarious.

 

Don't worry. I've been made fun of for way more obvious jokes, and look at me now: king of the forums