Scola - The Missing Third Piece??

I know this is a pretty bold claim to make so early into the season, but after watching last night's game, I think Scola has a realistic shot at being that missing third piece to our team. They say all great championship teams have a third option. In the late 90's, Jordan and Pippen had Kukoc. Recently, the Spurs had Ginobilli helping out the Duncan and Parker duo. So why can't Scola be that legitimate third option for us? He plays smart, efficiently, and is very unselfish.

In last night's game, he had a fair share of TOs and fouls but that's only an adjustment to NBA rules. Most European players, who play a much more physical game and can get away with it back at home, usually tune it down a notch in the NBA where the refs are quick with their whistles.

Now let's say he makes the quick transition and settles in to the new system. Here's what I foresee he can bring to the table. Benefiting from the European background, Scola is a tremendous playmaker who knows how to find ways to score. He won't take shots away from our stars (Yao and TMAC) but rather compliment them in their deficiencies. This is an important quality that "me first" scorers like James and Francis don't have. Now having those two isn't necessarily a bad thing, since we desperately need players who can create their own shots and that's why we got them in the first place. Especially against the quicker guards come playoff time. But we need to have a balance and evident from last night's game, Scola can bring that. Too much James and Francis will kill the chemistry on the floor.

Judging from last night's game and from his previous international competitions, it's easy to see that Scola is one who is constantly setting picks and moving into open pockets. On fast breaks, he's always trailing right behind the ball. Once Adelman and the team notice this (and they will), Scola will get a lot of open looks and he'll make 'em at a high percentage.

Another thing is, I don't forsee Scola as being a defensive liability since we got the Chuck-wagon to look after his back. That's why we have two PFs! And plus, Scola's defense isn't that bad. He's got quick hands, meaning some rebounds and steals. The only thing he needs to watch out for is the cheap fouls. But like I said, that's just a matter of adjusting to the NBA.

 

Before you laugh any harder, remember this, Kukoc was once proclaimed as the "Jordan of Europe". You can argue on Sabonis' behave, but Kukoc was the first legitimate European to earn crossover success in the NBA. During the Bull's second three-peat, Kukoc was the crucial third piece to the Bull's tandem. In those three championship seasons, he average around 13pts in the regular season. He may be labeled as a sixth man on the roster, but he was the THIRD highest scorer on the team.

And what's with this Vinny Del Negro. He wasn't even on the Spur's championship team! He was already shipped to Milwaukee before the Spurs started getting success as a ball club.

 

Like the others have said above, Bonzi is likely a 6th man. He's at his best when he's posting up in the lane, but with Scola and Yao in there, I doubt he'll get many opportunities. Most of his points will come from cuts and fast breaks.

Although he's definitely in much better shape than he was last season, I doubt he'll be the kind of force he was during that one playoff series with the Kings. I take that as an exception and not the norm with Bonzi.

No doubt, he'll probably end up with a solid season baring any freakish (ahem) injury to his groin or back In a best case scenario, he's a 10 ppg kinda guy on this loaded team.

 

Ummm....last I heard, Ginobili is a fulltime starter.....and you're right, he IS their third option.