I prefer Popping Nickels only because it sounds silly. Much like Boston Snackbar was my nickname of choice for Boki Nachbar.
That's very solid FGA/FG% for only 30 games. If his 3 stroke can translate to the NBA this could be another under rated signing.
FWIW (to those complaining about him getting the full remaining MLE, leaving the Rockets without MLE room for a "bigger name" vet), anything over about $3.3 million in the first year would have only left enough of the MLE remaining to offer an amount equivalent to the veteran's minimum salary. The Rockets have other avenues to offer that much (or more, via the BAE) and still give Kostas his deal.
Really like this signing. Much better move than signing washed up players without a 3 ball. Looking forward to seeing what he can do in the NBA.
No disrespect BimaThug, but, man, many of us are getting sick and tired of these moves being described as providing "great flexibility next summer". And I'm even one who is glad we didn't get Bosh or Love, and can somewhat understand the Parsons refusal to match, and even I'm beginning to want to throw up at these future flexibility excuses.
Future flexibility! Just wait 'til you hear next year about next year so they can go after Durant the next year!!!
Yes, and then Mark Cuban swoops in and offers him a big contract, the NBA's best recruiter recruits him and he's gone.
No offense taken, heyp. I get the frustration. But I wasn't trying to trot out the "flexibility" angle in DEFENSE of the contract. I was merely stating a fact. Truth be told, the Rockets added a good basketball player today. Was the amount of his first year salary more than most expected? Yes. Does that hurt the Rockets' title hopes? No. Had this contract been offered when a clearly better NBA player was ready and willing to take a similar (one-year) deal, I'm pretty sure the Rockets would have turned to the other player instead. But I'm guessing there were no such players available who fit that description. Hell, maybe they offered some guys a second year and couldn't find any takers. Papanikolaou may actually be that quality backup SF that Rockets fans were clamoring for the past few weeks. Maybe the Rockets just like him more than an aging Shawn Marion, a bigger name whose game might not stack up against the younger Papanikolaou's. While the number startled me a bit, I'm excited about the player himself.
