Kill Bill is in China now, just played a warmup game vs. France. It appears he's a big fan of the duck with the mango salsa.
Just finished watching Germany vs Greece. Vspan looked good 12 points 5 rebs, nothing spectacular but very solid play. He doesn,t make many mistakes, plays strong defense the whole time, loves to drive and dishout to the open guy and keeps the ball moving. He is not a spectacular passer but he knows how to find the open man. He plays pressure defense almost constantly and is always hustling. There are not any plays called for him but he gets his points by taking advantage of what the defense gives him. He is the type of player that may not get Star fame but knows how to help his team win. Oh by the way Greece Destroyed Dirk lead Germany! For those who question why he is not starting on the National. I can only say he is the best guard on that team but perhaps because he is also the newest they do not wish to disrupt the senior members. Also he is the first player off the bench and played significant minutes. I think he is a great fit for the Rockets and unless Rafer shows improvement will be starting by season end.
That's great news! I'll find a download of this game to see it myself. You know, to me, any time Dirk/Mavs being destroyed is as good news as Yao/Rox win Yao and V-span both won today! Yes I know these were just meaningless warm-ups, but they were still wins.
I watched the game vs. Germany. V-Span is a solid player at the international level, but he doesn't stand out much. He's strong but not very quick. Two things I wonder about him is: 1. The Greek team plays a system that stresses on constant moving and quick screens. The plays are fast developing and efficient, something I don't find very akin to the Rockets. How V-Span fares in a more static system remains to be seen. V-Span is a slasher on the Greek team but on the Rockets he is to be more of a spot up shooter. 2. His release looks a little rushed and seems to use too much wrist. It's nowhere near ugly but not pretty either. I'm not sure about his three point shooting in the NBA. The international arc as we know is closer to the basket. I think he has a chance to develop into a bench player in this league, anything beyond that is a bonus. Hope I'm wrong. It doesn't mean V-Span won't be better than Alston, given Alston is not that much to begin with.
We saw the same game but I don't share your views. Or at least not entirely. First off, he is already a bench player the Rockets signed him to a 3 year guaranteed contract so unless JVG plans on leaving him on the IR he is already a bench player and doesn't have to develop into one. I agree with your assessment of the Greek offense but I would add that offense ran best when VSpan was at the helm. He is clearly a team player and always looked for the best opportunity on the court. Yes part of his game is slashing but he doesn't force the issue. In this game Germany was clogging the middle. I never saw him get a 1 on 1 opportuity thru the lane. And when he saw Germany was clogging the middle (all the time) he was quick to pass it out. I saw many times that those opened up opportunities for other players. I also saw some players pass up those opportunities. With the Rockets and Yao and Tmac demanding doubles he will get his fair share of 1 on 1 drives and I believe he will fair better than average on those. And if some team is stupid enough to double Vspan, they will have to leave someone open and expect the Rockets to fair much better. Think about it if Yao's man slides over to help I could see him easily finding him and if it's Battier or Tmac out on the arc he will find them as well. While he doesn't seem to look spectacular on the court he is very deceptive. He possesses a quick instinct on when to pass and when to shoot and he just seems to do everything he needs to to help his team win. I will give you that his 3 point shooting will need some improvement but I expect he will work hard to improve it and it 3 point shooting is one area that has been easiest to improve in this league plus I would say he is already better than Rafer right off the bat. Someone said he has been a champion on every level he has played and I believe that is no coincidence. He won't dazzle you with Magic type passes but he will get the ball to Yao perhaps better than anyone on the team. He won't blow by many covers but he will get an edge on them and then create space with his body strength and score. He will play solid d and he will hustle on every play. This kid plays hard and plays smart and given the opportunty he will make the Rockets better. Yao walked up to VSPAN at the end of the championship game and congratulated him. And I suspect it was as much for Vspan solid play for greece as much as it was for them winning the championship. Greece was the best team in the China tournament and VSpan was the MVP for Greece in the championship game and IMO had a better game than Dirk. THis was only one game, although I have seen him in 3 other games, but if he can contribute as much for the Rockets we will be a better team.
It's hard to tell off one game on a player's future, let's agree on that his shooting needs work and wait for the real NBA competition starts. As for now, I can't get excited/convinced about V-Span becoming a third option on the Rockets.
Yes, but I have seen 4 games and many highlights. He is solid and he is Clutch and he plays his best when needed most. Still it is not against NBA competition and he will have to go through the learning process like any other rookie but givien playing time I think he will make the transition very well. He is a smart player. Even though he was the newest player on the national team he also appeared to run the offense better than any of the other 2 point guards with more experience. He doesn't worry about getting his points and he never seems to do anything out of the game plan. But he also seems clutch and will make the hard baskets when his team needs them most. Why do you think he got the Name Kill Bill. When the game is close that is when he sticks the dagger in the opposing team. I saw on 2 occasions the coach give Vspan a pat on the back and a high five as if he was very pleased with his play. And I would add it is very hard to not be pleased with a player who does exactly what you ask of him and plays hard every play. Don't you remember JVG screaming on the sidelines get back on defense, get the ball to Yao. It will be nice to have a player on the court who knows his role and that is to play hard nosed defense, push the ball up court and get the ball to Yao and Tmac. Also to take advantage of easy opportunities when the opposing team underestimates him. That's when KillBill will Kill.
Fastest torrent download I've ever had. Averaged 455Kb/sec over 26 minutes and bursted up to 600Kb/sec sometimes. Good quality video. Thanks for the link.
Some comments were made that "this is only one game". True, but it is not some meaningless preseason game (not that this tourney is a big deal), it was the championship game and I like a player that plays better on a bigger stage.
I just watched the 1st half against Germany. Very sloppy game. It was so ugly all I could bear was the 1st half. I'm still skeptical on V-Span. He passes the ball well and shows good court awareness of his teammates. He instinctively heads towards the basket, which is good. He passes well off penetration. His handles aren't that great and his shooting in the NBA is a big question mark. On defense he exerts a lot of effort and tries hard. He's a blue collar type of player. Bottom: IMO, I doubt he scores very much. Anyone who thinks the guy will be instant offense off the bench is crazy. I guarantee you that won't happen. He could be a high energy type that gets other players going and helps rev the engine. As I said in another thread, if V-Span cannot hit from outside when he's open, he's not going to help much. If teams figure out he's ineffective when denied penetration, stick a fork in him. He's isn't quick enough that he can get into the lane at will. If he hits from outside, the guy could be a very key player for us. Those of you who feel he will have a major impact on next season may be very disappointed. I base my comments on seeing various highlights of him along with viewing the 1st half of this game. When I'm bored with watching paint dry on the wall, I'll check out the 2nd half. Germany's performance was so bad they should be ashamed of themselves.
I think you are wrong. He may not be the fastest or the quickest but he is relentless in going to the hole. I think he'll get his. It may take him half a season to get used to the NBA game but he has the drive and determination to do it and besides that he is heady. IMHO, he will be the starting PG in a year.
Agreed he is savvy and determined. One other comment is someone said he will have trouble in the NBA because he is used to the Greek team's "motion" offense which isn't prevelent in the NBA. Maybe they moved a little more than most NBA teams but I didn't see much difference. Won't be a factor.
LOL guys expecting 20/7/6 from a rookie from a foreign country its funny how many people come to conclusions he is still a young guy, he has a big future, he has potential give him a break and get the positive attitude back its like JVG sucked in your guys souls!
LOL, JVG sucked their souls out ... that explains it. I don't understand the pessimism from so called Rockets fans. I have watched this kid play more than most on this board and I see no reason to be anything but positive about him. I guess people see what they want to see. It is clear this kid has alot of potential but more than that he is a winner. He has heart and leaves it in the court. Sure he is not flashy like Kobe but to say he doesn't have NBA skills is just stupid. The kid is performing in the world arena at a high level. Yeah his shot isn't the prettiest but he has always shot at a high percentage everywhere he has been and there is no reason to believe that will change.
Van Gundier, I can't believe no one else said your kill bill caveman thing was funny. I laughed out loud. Now I won't be able to watch him without thinking of that Duck with Mango Salsa line.... Old Man, thanks for the well thought out comments on Vspan's game. I haven't seen him play, but based on your comments, I am much more encouraged that he can make a solid contribution next year. We will need it.
