Sarunas Jasikevicius wasn't even what Maryland wanted in a starting PG - he was a wing player - we don't know how he would react to being forced to be the Point, or to NBA defenses - or to a 23 foot arc.
Disagree. I saw, or more likely, read on this board, that Van Gundy once specifically complimented Hinrich as an excellent defensive player, or something to that effect, once or twice. I doubt a slow-footed (yes, it's a stereotype, but it rings true for most Euros that I've seen, see Jaric, Marko, Welsch JIri, etc) Euro would be able to match that. The guy was a backup at Maryland. Whhile he has improved, I doubt he has become anything more than average on the D. end.
Ohh come on, how many times have you seen him play? He played in Maryland 10 years ago... why he did play much i don't know, but if I just think that one coach migth prefer playing Iverson/Marbury type of PG then there is one reason. And I know him and I also know that even back then he was an excelent player. He played for my club (Olimpija - Slovenia) for two years and you could see that he is something special (and Olimpija was one of top 8 clubs in Euroleague). I'm sure that he would do great in the NBA if given the opurtunity. But I doubt that he'll go overseas cause I don't belive that any club would pay out his contract of his current club.
He didn't play point because he didn't have the quickness to guard other points, and he was strictly a gunner on offense. Gary Williams wanted a pure point guard, which is why he played strictly off the ball his time there.
I remember reading somewhere that this guy just signed a long term contract with his Isreali team. It looks like that he has no intension of playing in the NBA. Besides, I'm not sure that his game will flourish under the NBA style of play.
