Come on, theese guys are to young to declare busts. OK maybe Tskitishvili is a bust. Lampe will maybe not be the great player that many thought he'd be, but remember that he is as young as Noah and Aldridge. I have a soft spot for Lampe since he used to play for Alvik here in Stockholm. I'm so glad he's a rocket :*). Don't you think Darko is showing promise in Orlando btw? Definite promise. Detroit wasn't ideal for him, with Rasheed and McDyess there. Andriuskevicius I know nothing about, but he was picked #44 so It's not extremely surprising he hasn't made the all-star team. It'd be more fitting to call Martell Webster and Andrew Bynum busts, since they were picked much higher and have not made much of an impact (yet). I wouldn't call them busts though since they still have the potential they were drafted for. About the International talent drying up, I have to say I think that is bullcrap. Sure there was an international boom, but basketball as a game has also grown internationally over the last 15 years or so. Maybe it's the dream team effect or something , but the international talent level is definitely on the rise (just look at who's winning the international tournaments). Blabla.. I agree that Bargnani wouldn't be a great fit for Houston, but if he's still on the board at #10 or so I would take him over anyone who might still be available at that point (not Roy if he's available though).
If Bargnani proves be as good as Radmanovich in a couple of years I would consider him to be a success.His supposed strength is his outside shooting but he isn't thought to be a rebounder at all. I was surprised that he can block shots fairly well because most Euro players are not very good at it. It seems he might look good in a Rockets uniform if he falls to us.
The videos were very impressive. This guy already has a much better skillset than Darko. It's not even close. Agreed he is a top fiver, but if we somehow get him no way we should trade him. He's decently athletic, moves pretty well, has a sweet jumpshot with a quick release, handles a little bit, can take it to the hole and finish OK and can stop and pop like we wish Luther could. He is exactly the type of player you draft as a "project". He won't likely be a major impact player as a rookie but he's just too good to pass up. I want us to "win now" as much as anyone but this guy could be a very special player.
He seems like he has a similar body type to AK47 but with better ball handling and shooting skills. Obviously he is not as good on defense as AK but he seems like he could be an even more skilled version of Radmanovich. I hate to make all these comparisons but they really all kind of blend together. This clip shows some really great highlights with no crappy music. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8507760607728565556&q=bargnani&pl=true
Also, can anyone explain to me why these international players don't play more. It seems really ridiculous that some of these really talented players don't even start. Is it a seniority thing over seas or what? Or are their coaches similar to Van Gundy in that they don't trust younger players? He has got to be the best player on that team. I wish their was a much bigger sample size with international players.
part of it is that those international coaches dont want to expose them too much for fear that the NBA scouts catch them and convince them to go to the league
btw a highlight video from one or two games isnt gonna convince me that we draft this guy with a freaking lottery pick...if one game is enough, then by that logic we should draft that dude from grambling who dropped 53 on southern...brion rush i think
You can easily check his euroleague stats at http://www.euroleague.net/plantillas/jugador.jsp?id=BWZ. I believe most of the highlights are from the game against Strassbourg on january 9. As you can see it was arguably his best game stat-wise, but he has played significant minutes in many euroleague games, which is btw the best competition there is in Europe. You can also check Spanoulis numbers if you want to . Since he has played quite a lot of minutes a can't believe that the scouts can be so mistaken about him as that he will be a complete bust. Stranger things have happened though.
im not saying hes gonna be a bust, he just doesnt seem like he warrants a lottery pick...as weak as this draft is gonna be, seems like theres gonna be better players available
I was thinking the same thing. This guy even moves smoother than Nowitzki and handles the ball better and looks to even shoot as well. I definitely would would pick him if he was still there just for his shooting, length, versatility and potential. He looks like he has alot of upside.
the arguement that we need a banger next to Yao is dated. This arguement was made prior to his return from foot surgery and the new yao we have seen. The primary reason was because yao's rebounding and blocked shots were not up to par. Yao's play, averaging 10+boards a game has proven that we dont need a banger, at least not full time next to Yao. A shooter that can drift away from Yao on offensive sets will free him up man to man alot more, or leave Baragini wide open for jumpers all the time. On the defensive side Yao has gotten good enough to handle the post.
Let's put a new date on the argument then. With the rule changes allowing for more perimeter penetration, we need two defensive stalwarts on the floor. This will allow us to go after more offensively minded wingmen that can shoot the bball and spread the court while maintaining the outside balance to get back in transition. The better our paint defense is, the more offensive minded our perimeter players can be.
Here is another spin: We draft a perimeter oriented PF who can spread the floor (and stay out of Yao's way) like this guy and get a "defensive stopper" at SG. I think we must get a player who can at least slow down the other team's best perimeter player (Kobe, JRich, Wade, etc). Because Rafer and Luther are such a weak defenders, our new starting SG needs to be above average defending the ball. I'm sick and tired of other teams raining 3s down on us or posting up our guards and I'm willing to sacrifice a little on the interior defense for it. After all, we have Yao on the inside and he's finally figured out how to avoid most dumb fouls. I'm one of the few who agrees with JVG's defensive scheming of stopping the inside game first and foremost. We must get athletic perimeter players who are up to the task. That said, JVG should have adjusted the schemes this year to compensate for Rafer and Luther (or Wesley) playing at the same time. One obvious problem is Bargnani probably won't hit the ground running his rookie year. I'd sure like to learn more about him. Those videos looked pretty good to me and he could be a special player.
Is Shelden Williams "unathletic"? No, I want my big guys inside, giving us boards and I want my perimeter guys outside spreading the floor. Classic basketball, not mixed up parts like most teams are running out there now. I don't want to trade a 6'9" to 6'11" PF rebounding the ball for a defensive stalwart at 6'5" trying to rebound the ball. We need our SF, SG, and PG to be the outside bombers and we need to have our PF roam around under the bucket cleaning up garbage and setting screens for Yao. It also gives us better floor balance on the defensive transition. I'd much rather have my PG, SF, and SG running the floor in defensive transition then to trade my SG for my PF running the floor. I don't care how athletic Nowitzki and some of the PFs are, they are no match for a PG on the break. There is a reason why they call the positions SHOOTING GUARD and POWER FORWARD. A power forward should be able to defend and most of all he should be dominant on the boards. Patrolling the defensive paint, intimidation, and rebounding are his primary responsibilities. Scoring, and shooting the 3 point shot are secondary, very secondary. That is to say, if you have a shooting guard that can actually shoot the basketball. And we've got that. Wesley and Head when healthy and rested, can flat out shoot the ball. They are just not at the level to be able to create their own shot when TMac is out of the game. And both of them are too small in combination with Bogans to be able to stop the opposing swingmen defensively. What we need on this team is Mario Elie and Otis Thorpe. There would be no better fits to go with the other 3 then them two. An Elie type player (6'5" with great shooting range that can stick the J and the size to defend SGs or SFs on the perimeter) and a Thorpe type player (Stro with muscles and a brain) to defend the paint and pick up all the junk and leftovers. With Yao and TMac on the floor together there are plenty of opportunities for our PF to get off shots. I would rather our PF be at the lip pounding it down on the defense than hanging around at the top of the key for a clothesline jumper that blows hot and cold. If he is taking the shot at the lip, he's actually got an opportunity to rebound his own miss (which is a much higher percentage shot) and put it back. It gives us two bigs around the bucket to offensive rebound higher percentage shots. And it also traps the other team's bigs and help defenders down low by the bucket so it is harder for them to get the run outs the other way. They either give up the offensive boards or they have to collapse down low and if they are going to break, they've got to run it the full 94 feet. That is how you beat teams like Phoenix. You cram it down their throat and then some. That type of game takes the life out of a team that wants to free wheel up and down the court. A power forward shooting 18 footers just plays right into their hands. It keeps him off the glass and it allows them to attack because they can run out somebody and still get the board and then they are running downhill against a slow, flatfooted big man who cannot possibly stop either the dribble penetration or the 3 point bomb. You beat the Phoenix teams by playing classic basketball and dominating the paint and the boards. Yao cannot do it alone. He needs a defensive dominator and rebounder beside him. We do not need a Euro who has been told he's the second coming of Nowitzki coming in here and throwing up 3 pointers or driving from the arc to the basket with the ball while TMac and Yao are standing around watching. That's what people don't understand about the Mike James-Rafer Alston trade. Sura was injured. We did not have a guy who could get the ball to TMac and Yao consistently. We had a guy that could score very well but our best percentage offense is when Yao and TMac get their mits on the ball. It just wasn't going to happen with Mike. That's why he didn't fit. And that's why Bargnani doesn't fit. We need that 3rd scorer starter at the SG position and then we need a big banger, garbage type man that can defend and block shots at the 4. If he can shoot jumpers, that's just a bonus.
I've said many times earlier that the Horace Grant of the Bulls would fit perfect here. Great rebounder; decent Bball IQ; tenacious defender with a little bit of an attitude (maybe too much); can hit the mid-range J when left wide open. The perfect role player on a team with two fully functioning superstars. Most here will disagree, but Grant was better than Otis Thorpe. Whatever kind of SG we get must be able to run hard on the break and get back on transition defense. He should be able TO FINISH a fast break, slash to the basket in 1/2 court and hopefully beat his man off the dribble sometimes. If we go with the "classic" lineup our SG should have a reliable outside shot while the PF is a banger type who stays down low. However, if Bargnani is a unique talent, we must take him. If we do, that could change the profile of the SG we need. I don't really care what positions our outside shooting comes from. I don't care who our 2nd "defensive stalwart" is (though my preference is for it to be a perimeter defender). It's great to have another inside player who can defend well, but we need balance on that end of the floor. With Yao's intimidation inside along with his newfound defensive savvy, we can compromise a bit at PF (but not to the point of keeping both Stro and JH). Agreed on the MJ/Rafer trade. One big difference is MJ's on-ball pressure took a load off of everyone else last year while Rafer just cannot defend well. Rafer's running mate has to make up for some of his deficiencies IMO. Again agreed that the 3rd scorer should come from the SG position. Posted on the subject many many times. BUT, IF Bargnani is special then throw out the mold. If Bargnani isn't special then don't draft him. He will likely be gone before we pick, making the whole point moot.
