Llull seems like quite a player over in Europe, but the euro game is so different, and there are so many stories of guys coming from europe and performing at a lesser level (Darko,Andersen) I'd like to bring him over soon, but I wouldn't want him rotting on the bench behind lowry and brooks, so we'd have to get rid of one of them first
<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6hQubj6TAIU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6hQubj6TAIU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object> why do Euro mixes always play horribly girly music?
With his contract and buyout agreement it still might be a better situation to match Lowry's offer at the full MLE. This situation will be similar to the one with The Spurs and Scola where the cost to bring him over is not worth the risk. Scola turned out to be a good move but the David Andersen buyout situation might have left a bad taste their mouth on paying that much to bring someone over who has question marks and doesnt play very good defense. (I have watched him play a few times on NBAtv and over the web. He is terrible one on one but does tend to get steals alot.)
Ricks old gm in Sacramento is pretty good with international players too. Just for the record, not you bimathug, why do posters think morey values lowry more than brooks? There is no way adelman has that opinion. Brooks is his kind of shot making guard he prefers. Back on topic, this is where i would like to see the nbdl used. I would like to see lull in the d-league with the vipers, playing and getting used tob living and playing in america. For some, the culture chang alone is very,very imposing and hard to deal with.
My translation: MADRID -- España se ha convertido en los últimos años en uno de los países que más talento internacional aporta a la NBA. En 2001, aterrizó de forma deslumbrante Pau Gasol y desde entonces han pasado por la liga otros siete jugadores españoles. In the last few years, Spain has become one of the countries that brings the most international talent to the NBA. In 2001, Pau Gasol landed in dazzling fashion and since then seven other Spanish players have gone to the league. ** Y el grifo no se cierra. And the spigot is still open. ** Ricky Rubio, Víctor Claver y Fran Vázquez pueden dar el salto próximamente. Todos ellos han sido elecciones de primera ronda del draft recientemente y tienen un futuro prometedor --en el caso de Rubio, potencialmente estelar-- en Estados Unidos. Ricky Rubio, Víctor Claver and Fran Vázquez might make the jump soon. They all have been recently chosen in the first round of the draft and have promising futures - in the case of Rubio, potentially a star future - in the U.S. ** Sin embargo, puede que en la aventura americana se les adelante un jugador elegido en segunda ronda, sobre el que los focos de la NBA se han posado a una edad más tardía. Se trata del base Sergio Llull, la perla del Real Madrid de la Liga ACB, que ha tenido una irrupción espectacular en el panorama europeo las dos últimas temporadas después de unos irregulares primeros pasos en el baloncesto profesional. Nevertheless, it may be that in the American adventure they will be passed by a player picked in the second round, about he that the NBA foci have settled a slower age (NBA ppl thought he'd come later?) It has to do with Sergio Llull, the pearl of Real Madrid of the ACB League, that has had a spectacular rushing-in in the european panorama the last 2 seasons after some irregular first steps in pro basketball. ** Llull abandonó Menorca, la pequeña isla mediterránea donde nació, a los 15 años para formarse como jugador en el Manresa, un club de gran tradición en Cataluña. Allí no brilló a un altísimo nivel, pero el Real Madrid vio algo especial en él y lo contrató en 2007. Fue un fichaje más basado en el potencial que se le adivinaba que en el rendimiento mostrado hasta ese momento. Llull abandoned Menorca, the small Mediterranean island where he was born, at 15 years of age to grow up as a player on Manresa, a club of great tradition in Cataluna. There he didn't shine at an extremely high level, but Real Madrid saw something special in him and signed him in 2007. It was a shot more based on his potential than what they had seen him do up until then. ** El tiempo le ha dado la razón al Real, cuya sección de baloncesto lleva tiempo en una crisis similar a la del fútbol. Time has shown that Real was right, whose basketball section takes time in a crisis similar to that of soccer. ** El progreso de Llull, de 22 años, desde que llegó a Madrid ha sido sensacional. Pasó de disputar pocos minutos en 2008 a convertirse en 2009 en un importante jugador de banquillo tanto para el club como para la selección, con quien se proclamó campeón del Eurobasket el pasado mes de septiembre. En 2010, Llull ya es claramente la joya de la corona del Real. The progress of Llull, 22 years old, since arriving in Madrid has been sensational. He passed to dispute? few minutes in 2008 to become in 2009 an important bench player as much for the club as the pick (as for him?), who were proclaimed champs of Eurobasket last September. In 2010, Llull already is clearly the jewel of Real's crown. ** ¿Puede ser la NBA el siguiente paso? Can the NBA be the next step? ** Todo indica que dependerá más de Llull que de los Houston Rockets, el equipo que lo seleccionó en el draft de 2009. Los texanos pagaron $2.25 millones para hacerse con sus derechos, una cantidad récord por un jugador de segunda ronda. El fuerte interés de los Rockets por Llull es evidente. Falta por ver si es recíproco. All indications are that that depends more on Llull than the Rockets, the team that picked him in the 2009 draft. The Texans paid $2.25 million for his rights, a record amount for a player in the second round. The strong interest of the Rockets towards Llull is clear. It remains to be seen if he feels that way about them. ** Llull, como acostumbran a hacer la mayoría de los jugadores europeos, suele reaccionar a las preguntas sobre su futuro en la NBA con vagas respuestas sobre cómo se centra únicamente en el presente. Sólo hace unas semanas fue algo más concreto y declaró que no quería ir a Estados Unidos para sentarse en el banquillo. LLull, as is the custom of the majority of the European players, usually reacts to questions about his future in the NBA with vague answers about how he is focused only on the present. Only a few weeks ago it was something more concrete, as he declared that he would not go to the U.S. to sit on the bench. ** En ese sentido, no debería preocuparse demasiado. In that feeling, he shouldn't worry himself too much. ** "Eso creo", contestó Daryl Morey, general manager de los Rockets, al ser preguntado sobre si veía a Llull ya como un jugador de rotación en la NBA. "Pero nosotros no vamos a meterle prisa a Sergio. Cuando esté preparado para dar el paso, nosotros se lo facilitaremos". "I believe that," answered DM, GM of the Rockets, on being asked about whether he saw Llull already as an NBA rotation player. "but we aren't going to rush Sergio. When he is ready to make the move, we will help him do that." ** Si la apuesta de la directiva por Llull es clara, el cuerpo técnico también debería ser del gusto del menorquín. Rick Adelman, uno de los mejores entrenadores de la liga, es además uno de los de mentalidad más abierta a la hora de dar minutos a novatos y a jugadores de fuera de Estados Unidos. Stojakovic, Turkoglu, Scola... Los ejemplos son numerosos. If the bet about the directive (?) about Llull is clear, the technical body (?) also should be of the pleasure of the guy from Menorca. Rick Adelman, one of the best coaches in the league, is also one of the most open-minded about giving minutes to rookies and players from outside the U.S. Stojakovic, Turkoglu, Scola... The examples are numerous. ** Las virtudes físicas de Llull, un jugador rápido y atlético que luce sobre todo en el contraataque, también parecen facilitar su encaje en los sistemas de Adelman. The physical qualities of Llull, a quick, athletic player that shines above all in the counter-attack, also seem to facilitate his fitting into Adelman's system. ** "Creo que tendrá una transición a la NBA más fácil que otros jugadores europeos", dice Morey. "Tiene un juego que se adapta más fácilmente por su capacidad atlética y su actitud defensiva. Además tiene una estatura muy buena para su posición". "I think that he will have an easier transition to the NBA than other Euro players," says DM. He has a game that is easily adapted due to his athletic capacity and his defensive attitude. Also, he has good height for his position." ** Las malas experiencias (en la NBA) de sus compatriotas Sergio Rodríguez, que ya ha pasado por tres equipos en cuatro temporadas, y Rudy Fernández, con un rol en Portland que no está a la altura de su talento, pueden generar dudas en Llull a la hora de probar fortuna en Estados Unidos. El menorquín, además, tiene contrato en vigor con el Real Madrid hasta 2011. The bad experiences (in the NBA) of his compatriots, Sergio Rodriguez, who has already been with 3 teams in 4 seasons, and Rudy Fernandez, with a role in Portland that does not match his level of talent, can cause doubts in Llull of the time to test fate in the U.S. The guy from Menorca, besides, has a contract in place with Real Madrid until 2011. ** Su agente español, Ernest Berenguer, no quiso desvelar las cifras de la cláusula de rescisión para salir del Real Madrid este verano, aunque sí dijo que la cantidad superaba ampliamente los $500.000 dólares que los equipos NBA tienen como tope para pagar por un "buyout". Eso sí, no llega a los alrededor de $5 millones que costó el de Rubio con el Joventut Badalona. His Spanish agent, Ernest Berenguer, did not want to reveal the numbers of the recission clause to leave Real Madrid this summer, although he did say that the amount would be a good bit higher than the $500,000 that NBA teams have toward a buyout. That puts it in the neighborhood of the $5 million that it cost Rubio with Joventut Badalona. ** En cualquier caso, ya sea más tarde o más temprano, todos coinciden en que el futuro de Llull está en la NBA. In any case, it's already seen that Llull will be in the NBA sooner or later. ** "Yo creo que está perfectamente capacitado para irse ya", afirma Juanma López Iturriaga, subcampeón olímpico con España en Los Ángeles '84 y ahora analista de baloncesto para el diario El País. "Está capacitado para ir para allí y empezar su aprendizaje. Al final, el único sitio en el que te formas para jugar en la NBA es la NBA. Bajo ese punto de vista, ya está hecho". "I believe that he's perfectly ready to go now," affirms Juanma López Iturriaga, Olympic sub-champion (?) from Spain in LA '84 and now basketball analyst for the newspaper El Pais. "He is ready to go there and begin his apprenticeship. In the end, the only place to learn to play in the NBA is the NBA. Looking at it that way, it's done." ** El seleccionador español Sergio Scariolo, que reconoce que los Rockets le llaman a menudo preguntando por Llull, cree, sin embargo, que un tiempo más compitiendo al máximo nivel europeo le haría bien. The head coach of the senior Spanish national basketball team, Sergio Scariolo, who admits that the Rockets call him frequently about Llull, thinks, nevertheless, that a while more competing at the highest Euro level will do him good. ** "Yo creo que terminar este ciclo que ha empezado en el Real Madrid no le vendrá mal. Creo que Sergio tiene la suerte que otros jugadores no han tenido de estar en un momento bueno, en un club muy bueno, con un entrenador muy bueno (Ettore Messina), con la posibilidad de competir en la mejor liga de Europa y en la Euroliga. Eso nunca le va a perjudicar. Yo que él me pondría la NBA como objetivo, pero tampoco con tanta prisa", dijo Scariolo. I think that to end this cycle that he's started in Real Madrid will not hurt him. I think that Sergio has the luck that other players haven't had to be at a good spot, with a very good club, with a very good coach (Ettore Messina), with the change of competing in the best league of Europe and in the Euroleague. That's never going to hurt him. Were I in his shoes, I would have the NBA as a goal, but I wouldn't be in a hurry," said Scariolo. ** Aunque su crecimiento como jugador es formidable, Llull tiene aún mucho margen de mejora --especialmente en su lectura de juego. Llull recuerda mucho a Bobby Jackson, un favorito de Adelman que también se movía entre las posiciones de base y escolta, por su agresividad y decisión... aunque también por tomar en ocasiones decisiones precipitadas. Although his growth as a player is formidable, Llull has still much room to improve - especially in reading the game. Llull is very reminiscent of Bobby Jackson, a favorite of Adelman that also was moved among positions between base and escort (PG/SG?), for his aggressiveness and decision-making... although also for sometimes taking risky decisions. ** Iturriaga cree que incluso en ese terreno ha habido avances. Iturriaga believes that included in that area, advances have been made. ** "Antes era una fuerza incontrolada y ahora sigue siéndolo, pero se ve que sus explosiones las dirige algo mejor", dice Iturriaga. "Al final, es un jugador que mueve los partidos. Hay jugadores que entran y salen y a lo mejor no se nota. En el caso de Sergio Llull, el 99 por ciento de veces que sale al campo se nota". "Before, he was an uncontrolled force and now continues being that way, but it's seen that his explosions lead him to something better.," says Iturriaga. "In the end, he is a player that changes the game. There are players that come and go and are probably not noticed. In the case of Sergio Llull, 99% of the times that he goes onto the court, he is noticed." ** La decisión está en manos de Llull. La NBA le espera y sólo necesita un plus de valentía, como la que muestra en pista, para convertirse en el último en llegar a una lista cada vez más extensa de españoles en la mejor liga del mundo. The decision is in the hands of Llull. The NBA awaits him and only needs an addition of courage, like that which shows on the track, to become the best on an ever-growing list of Spaniards in the best league in the world.
I value Brooks more, but do like Lowry and think they aren't as far apart in talent as some others on the board. I think Morey values Lowry more highly than what most other GMs value him. Morey has said he values FTAs and rebounds. On Brooks, I think Morey values about the same as other GMs. Brooks skills lie in play making for himself and just creating havoc for others. I think most GMs rate playmaking very highly
A couple of errors in my translation (I can't edit): His buyout is not as much as the $5 million buyout of Rubio Real Madrid has a soccer team as well as a basketball team, though I don't know what crises they're talking about.
If we don't resign Lowry then look for Morey to buy out Llull's Real Madrid contract and get him over here. Llull is the backup plan, Morey always has a backup play...that ingenious b*stard knows what he's doing. I'm so glad he is our GM.
I think that would be the case too, if Lowry doesn't resign then we'll bring him over. What I like is if we want to trade lowry, we don't have to make sure we're getting a point guard in return.
Sure enough. Take Aaron Brooks. Now subtract some of his speed and two years of experience. Add three inches and 15 pounds. That's Sergio Llull. He's a good ball handler, a skilled shooter, and an okay passer, who isn't particularly strong and struggles to finish through contact. He's good off screens and an fantastic shooter from range. He lacks strength on the defensive end but has good lateral quickness to make up for it. He's shown flashes of being able to hit stop-and-pop mid range jumpers, but that part of his game is still developing. Sound familiar? The main differences are again speed, size, and experience, but their approach and skillsets are similar.
Sergio Llull is a combo guard. He played the back up SG for the Spanish national team. In Real Madrid, Prigioni (Scola’s old buddy) and Marko Jaric are the main ball handlers. Llull is a good shooter , but his playmaking skill is limited just like AB. If you want a good shooter off the bench, Rockets already has Chase Budinger. But he is a very good prospect. Hopefully, he will do well in the next coming world championship, so his stock will continue to rise. I can definitely see Morey use his draft right in a trade package for Bosh or Amare just like Lakers using Marc Gasol’s right to land his older brother. Both Toronto and Phoenix are ideal destinations for European players, since they don’t play a lot of defense.
