OAKLAND, California (AFP) - Less than three weeks after acquiring Antoine Rigaudeau from the Dallas Mavericks , the Golden State Warriors waived the French guard. On August 18, the Warriors acquired Rigaudeau, fellow guards Nick Van Exel and Avery Johnson, forward Popeye Jones and centre Evan Eschmeyer from the Mavericks in a nine-player trade for forwards Antawn Jamison, Danny Fortson and Chris Mills and guard Jiri Welsch. The 31-year-old Rigaudeau, a nine-time All-Star in Europe, struggled in his rookie season with the Mavericks, averaging just 1.5 points per game in 11 contests. Before joining the Mavs as a free agent in January, Rigaudeau spent parts of 16 seasons playing professionally in Europe for Cholet and Pau-Orthez in France and Virtus Bologna in Italy. The 6ft 7in guard was a five-time MVP of the French Championship (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996). Could he be rigged to fit with the Rocks?
He never got a fair shot with the Mavs because they had Nash, NVE and Finley to take up the minutes. He may well be a bust, but he does have a nice European pedigree.
thumbs - He never got a fair shot because he was a 31 year old NBA rookie. I saw him a few times last season and he looked totally lost. If the Rox are going to add a 3rd PG, it will IMO be a vet or someone with lock down D... Rigaudeau is neither.
Fifteen solid minutes from Mooch (sans dribble, dribble, dribble), Boki playing the way he does in Europe and a pumped up Griffin will make me happy -- and the Rocks a winner!
Rigaudeau is not coming to te Rockets for a simple reason:he already signed a contract to play with a Team in Europe(Can't remeber who,Valencia?Some Italian team?...) Anyways,I don't think he would be a good fit in Houston...and I might be the most unbiased here saying that because I'm French myself! ALA
Rigaudeau has been a great player in Europe. I repeat: has been. He HAS BEEN decisive, maybe a clutch player in every team he has been. Being a very tall point guard, very clever and decisive always. Always getting the control of the game, the tempo. He have a good shot and can be horrible to see him if you are with the rival team. Having the ball in the clutch moments, asumming the responsability, and often winning. Maybe then, he could have gone to the NBA. He was like Marco Jaric with leader conditions, being a decisive player. But he's one of these players that is a "crack" in europe, controling always the situation... but he couldn't play in NBA. He's no speedy at all and here in NBA you must be a speedy player to play at PG. Here, he wouldn't be the player of Europe. He needs a team playing for him, he must be the leader of the team. This season he will play in Valencia, here in Spain. But everybody think that he's not now the Antoine Rigaudeau of the past. Of course he can't be the backup guard of the Rockets, but maybe better than Moochie.
I rather take my chances with moochie... Moochie at least has had some good games in the NBA's.... unless I was dreaming or having a nightmare..
Rigaudeau is a wonderfull player. He only needs time to do his best ( a pre-saison for example ) and the Mavs don't ( can't ? ) get him.
