God, I'll never forget it. Hanging on by a thread! Then Pippen tried to stick it back in Jordan's mouth and MJ kicked him right in the nuts. The arena had been in stunned silence, so you could hear Pippen howl. Just howl, like a squealing pig. What was it... 75-80 stiches? And that was on the inside! He didn't even miss a game. A real basketball god, that guy. Kept stickin' that sucker out, too.
1.92m translates into ~6-3 not 6-4. He looks big though in the picture below (#11 - sitting, first from the right) He is considered a playmaker (not necessarily a PG). Edit - he is now listed as 1.93M on PAOBC official website contrary to what is listed on Euroleague website. http://www.paobc.gr/en/player.asp?type=p&year_id=56&player_id=95 http://www.euroleague.net/plantillas/jugador.jsp?id=JUO
actually it's about 6-3 7/12 if you want to get so technical about it, he's going to be 6-5 in shoes.
Anybody else notice Trajan Langdon there in the background? I wonder what his stats are for that league... EDIT: Found 'em... http://www.euroleague.net/plantillas/jugador.jsp?id=BEB
1.92 m is about 6-3 7/12 and 1.92 m is about 6-4 even. And again in Europe they go by height without shoes on. actually 1.905 m is 6-3
I think after the Rockets failed attempt at Mike James, that VSpan is a good option here. What Vspan can bring to the table is an "attacking mindset" that we just dont have with our guards. From the video it clearly shows how important attacking the basket is with Vspan's game. Very similar to Manu Ginobili in that aspect. Basically Vspan doesnt look like he is afraid of contact. Additionally, he "keeps his drible alive" when he attacks like Steve Nash. This is important. One of the things Mike James could have brought to the table for the Rockets is someone other than Tmac that could "create his own shot". To me Vspan can do that, as well as collapse the defense to create shots for others. This team needs more than a bunch of guys hovering around the 3pt line spacing the floor. We need guys that can CREATE and ATTACK the basket. We need guys that can take advantage of the NBA rules that allow for players to get to the basket much more easily, thus creating higher percentage shots. Drivers, not just shooters. This is especailly important when you dont have Tmac+Yao on the floor. When there is only one of those guys because of injury/foul trouble. Vspan makes sense. I would much rather have him pushing the fast break with Snyder and Tmac on the wings than Alston walking the ball up the floor. Transition points = easy points. And when the Rockets score above 90 they are pretty damn good. To get there, we need the easy baskets.
Whereas I would like to see V-Span here as quickly as possible, doesn't he has a very nasty buyout clause with his European team?
Do you have a clause in the contract that would allow you to leave the team if the Rockets came calling? VS: Yes, I have opt-out clauses. I have an opt-out clause after the first year of the contract. We decided we should put a buyout option in the contract and we reached an agreement on that. Do you know how much money would that be? VS: Hmmm... I think it's around $400,000 or something like that. HoopsHype.com Interviews, 2005.
I was with you until you said Alston walking the ball up the floor. IMO, he pushed the ball up the court for a PG more competantly than we've seen in probably a decade. Now, he's not a good finisher ...but he does push the ball. The other problem was, nobody else would run with him that could also finish so half the time, what's the point of pushing?
I remember in an interview a while ago Spanouliss said that the buyout clause on his contract wasn't too big, around $400,000... He specifically had it at an affordable level so when he was ready to go to the NBA that would not be an issue. NBA teams are allowed to contribute 300K towards the buyout so buyout is no prob. The biggest problem is while he really wants to play in the NBA his country is hosting the European championships next year and he said earlier this year he would like to help Greece win it at home. Still I think he can persuaded to come over. He isn't a typical Euro guy who is satisfied to make decent money in his own country. He is a competitior in the truest sense of the word and he yearns to compete at the highest level. His said as much in interviews but you can also see in his on court demeanor. Dennis Lindsey described him as a fullback on the court but I see him more as a warrior who doesn't back down from anything and wills his team to victory. I see him coming this year because of his competitive drive and lets face it on the world Market thier are not to many bigger names than Yao and Tmac. So this is once in a lifetime opportunity for him and I think he will take it. P.S. CD said he thought he would become a fan favorite very quickly and have to agree.
The way he attacks the basket with total abandon, all he will have to do is practice his free throws, cause he is going to be on the line alot in the NBA.
I thought the next EuroBasket Championship was gonna be held in Spain, and V-Span is Greek, right? Besides, the Greek team already won the last EuroBasket Championship. I don't think he has much more to prove in Europe. I definitely would like to see him come over. Maybe CD can talk to him in Japan and Yao could put some words to him as well.
Here's the link; Athens to host Euroleague Basketball Draw in September Alot of basketball stuff going on in greece this coming season. Let's hope he has a huge desire to play in the NBA.
His clause is only $400,00.00 according to V-Span: http://www.hoopshype.com/interviews/spanoulis_sierra.htm
