Dennis Lindsey says Vassilis Spanoulis will be ready next year

I want it on record that if Vassilis Spanoulis ever turns out to be worth a damn we can dub him the nickname, "V-Span".
Sort of a mix between T-Mac and C-SPAN.

 

I'm going to predict that he's going to make a little noise in the summer camp and get us excited. I'm confident he'll make the roster, but whether it works out long-term, I'm not sure.

 

Give me a break, Deuce, you know with his slick moves, he'll be known as Vaseline... uh... yeah... great nickname.

 

Bah! I am sticking with Vspan! Send me my royalties checks.

 

It's been said before... Benchius Warmerus

 

Athletic?? Did you ever see MJ take it to the hole and flush it like Ray Allen, Josh Howard or dozens of other PGs and SGs in this league. We need more athletes and need to get younger and faster this off season. We need a minimum of two athletes that can also shoot, hope this guy Spanoulis is one of the two and then we can concentrate on a PF.

 

on this board... with this group ... a rocket prospect getting 11 at a fonde pick up game gets posters excited !

 

LOL, That was very good , ' Noscrusirious'.

What ever happens, I hope Benchius gets a fare shot, as it sounds like he's ready.

As to the other speculation, I believe the team needs Sura and would like to see things work out where we have a good enough point option to let him slide over to the two and possibly replace Wessley. James is someone we must keep also as the super-sub he is.

 

One of the best posts in this thread imho.

Vassy (like "Man" chose to call him) will be a good addition. His 3-point shooting is the only suspect thing in his game now (streaky but overall good) but I expect him to improve on that. The other potential issue with Vassy is that he is really a very outspoken person (this is not nessarily a bad thind) - he has been quoted as saying that he would like a guaranteed minimum of 16 minutes per game in the NBA or else.....(at least something along that line)

Hey Vassy my man, do not expect too much when you get over here - just walk your way to the top and more minutes. You will have to earn your minutes - no prima dona entitlements. Heck Sura and James are on their last legs and the full time job could be yours sooner than you think. I hope Vassy takes the humility his first season will potentially present in stride. JVG is like Pop and Larry Brown - they will not take BS from any player talk less of a rookie.

In the playoffs so far (3-game first round series) against Makedonikos....from two games, he is averaging

• 16.50 PPG
• 2.00 RPG
• 5.00 APG
• 0.571 FG%
• 0.210 3FG%
• 0.833 FT%
• 2.00 TOPG
• 2.50 SPG
• 33.76 Mins PG

Series is tied at 1 apiece.

• 
  
  
  Malick Badiane is doing okay in his team's playoffs as well.

 

I don't know if any of you guys caught this in warm-ups, but James can get up. I saw him in a couple of the playoff games, it was like he was having a personal dunk contest. Pretty impressive stuff. I don't know why he doesn't do it in games.

 

And why does everyone want him to replace Mike James again?

 

Way to go Deuce! And, actually he wasn't even our 2nd round pick. We traded our 2nd round (?) for him. A little better chance we knew what we were getting.

Actually when people use term like trash, garbage, etc. referring to NBA players, I tend to lose interest in whatever they are saying anyway.

 

re: bye bye sura..rockets did not sign him lasat year to let him go this year..he performed at least to expectaions..plus the guy was iinjured and played very hurt in the playoffss..so give him a break..we NEED more bob sura not less.

 

I agree - considering that he and James make less than Moochie (thanks again Steve-o) and they have 2 more years left - I think we will see them again next year. But Vassy, may be the third PG on the squad

 

More news about Spanoulis today. This was forwarded to me via email from the Greek sportswriter Dimitris Ritsonis. Apparantly he spotted this on the Greek site www.sportime.gr , but I don't have a direct link. It's in Greek anyway. Here's his message:

Top news in a greek internet site today: Spanoulis forwarded an email of the Rockets, who note his improvement in the fields of shooting and penetration and still have some questions on his defense.Very interesting comments.
I will translate it to u.

"«óå óçìåßï ðïõ íéþèù üôé ôï êÜèå ëÜèïò ìïõ ðñïóãåéþíåôáé ôçí ßäéá óôéãìÞ óôçí Üëëç ðëåõñÜ ôïõ Áôëáíôéêïý», áóôåéåýåôáé ï Óðáíïýëçò, ïé áãþíåò ôïõ ïðïßïõ âéíôåïóêïðïýíôáé êáé ïé êáóÝôåò áðïóôÝëëïíôáé óôç äéåýèõíóç ôïõ óõëëüãïõ óôï ×éïýóôïí. Ôïí ôåëåõôáßï êáéñü, ìÜëéóôá, ïé õðåýèõíïé ôùí Ñüêåôò åöáñìüæïõí ìéá êáéíïýñãéá ôáêôéêÞ åðé÷åéñþíôáò íá äéïñèþóïõí ôéò áäõíáìßåò ôïõ Åëëçíá äéåèíïýò ðñïåôïéìÜæïíôÜò ôïí ìå ôïí ôá÷ýôåñï äõíáôü ôñüðï, þóôå íá ðåñÜóåé ôï êáôþöëé ôïõ ÍÂÁ êáé íá ãßíåé óõìðáßêôçò ôïõ ÃéÜï Ìéíãê!

There is a daily contact with the Houston Rockets via email, that "I feel that every turnover I commit is landed at the same moment in the other side of the Ocean", Spanoulis is joking, whose games are videotaped and the tapes are sent in Houston Rockets' offices. Moreover, during the last weeks, the Rockets try to imply a new method, in order to improve the Greek International player's weaknesses, in order for him to play in the NBA alongside Yao Ming as soon as possible!

ÌÝóù ôïõ çëåêôñïíéêïý ôá÷õäñïìåßïõ, ôïõ óôÝëíïõí óçìåéþóåéò êáé ðáñáôçñÞóåéò êáé áðëþò ôï «Sportime.gr»… õðÝêëåøå ïñéóìÝíåò åî áõôþí:

They send him notes and information via email, information that www.sportime.gr has ...stolen.

1. Ç äéåéóäõôéêüôçôÜ ôïõ (penetration) âñßóêåôáé óå ôüóï õøçëü åðßðåäï, þóôå íá ôïõ åîáóöáëßæåé ðáñïõóßá óôï ÍÂÁ.
2. Ôï óïõô ôïõ ðáñïõóéÜæåôáé áñêåôÜ âåëôéùìÝíï êáé ç Üãíïéá êéíäýíïõ –ç ïðïßá ïöåßëåôáé êáé óôçí áíôéìåôþðéóç ðïõ Ý÷åé ï áñ÷çãüò ôïõ Áìáñïõóßïõ áðü ôïí ê. Ðáíáãéþôç ÃéáííÜêç- ôáéñéÜæåé… ãÜíôé óôç öéëïóïößá êáé ôçí áãùíéóôéêÞ áðåëåõèÝñùóç ôïõ ÍÂÁ.
3. Óôçí áìõíôéêÞ áíôéìåôþðéóç ôïõ «pick and roll», èá ðñÝðåé íá ãßíåé ðéï óêëçñüò, ùóôüóï ç «áðáßôçóç» ôùí Ñüêåôò äåí óõìâáäßæåé ìå ôçí áìõíôéêÞ öéëïóïößá ôïõ Áìáñïõóßïõ, óõíåðþò åäþ õðÜñ÷åé óýã÷õóç: óôï ÍÂÁ, ï áìõíôéêüò ïöåßëåé íá êõíçãÞóåé ôïí ðáßêôç ôçò åõèýíçò ôïõ êáé ìåôÜ ôá óêñéí, åíþ óôçí Åõñþðç ðáñáôçñïýíôáé óõ÷íÝò áëëáãÝò óôá ìáñêáñßóìáôá. «ÕðÜñ÷åé êáé Ýíá ôÝôáñôï óôïé÷åßï, ðïõ äåí èá óáò ðù!», ðáôÜåé… öñÝíï ï 23÷ñïíïò ãêáñíô, ï ïðïßïò ðñüêåéôáé íá áíá÷ùñÞóåé ãéá ôéò ÇÐÁ óôéò 10 Éïõëßïõ ãéá íá óõììåôÜó÷åé ìå ôïõò Ñüêåôò óôï êáëïêáéñéíü êáìð ôçò ÌéíåÜðïëéò.

1. The player's penetration has reached such a high level, that gives him a seat in the NBA.
2. His shooting skills appear to be much improved and his "ignorance of fear" (the fact that he isnt afraid at all) is a result of the freedom that his coach Panayiotis Yiannakis has allowed him to have (Spanoulis is his team's captain BTW) and is similar to the offensive freedom noted in the NBA.
3.In defense, there are some questions concerning facing opposing pick and rolls. He might need to become tougher on that, however the system of Rockets differ much from the tough defensive system of Maroussi In the NBA, the defensive player is obliged to chase the opposing player, even after the screen, while in Europe it is quite normal to see another player switching in similar cases.
"There is a 4th note on their email, but I won't reveal it," says Spanoulis who will leave for Houston on the 10th of July, in order to participate on the Summer camp of Mineapolis with the Rockets.

«Ôï üôé èá ðÜù óå êáìð ôïõ ÍÂÁ äåí óçìáßíåé üôé èá õðïãñÜøù êáé óõìâüëáéï ìå ôïõò Ñüêåôò. Áí öõóéêÜ ìïõ ðñïóöÝñïõí åããõçìÝíï ôñéåôÝò óõìâüëáéï, äåí èá áñíçèþ, ùóôüóï åîßóïõ ðéèáíü åßíáé êáé ôï óåíÜñéï íá ÷ñåéáóèåß íá áãùíéóèþ óôçí Åõñþðç ãéá ôá åðüìåíá Ýíá Þ äýï ÷ñüíéá, þóôå üôáí êÜíù ôï áðïöáóéóôéêü âÞìá íá ðáñïõóéáóôþ 100% Ýôïéìïò» , åîïìïëïãÞèçêå ï Óðáíïýëçò, ôï óõìâüëáéï ôïõ ïðïßïõ ìå ôï Ìáñïýóé åêðíÝåé ôï åñ÷üìåíï êáëïêáßñé êáé ôï ìüíï ðïõ Ý÷åé óêåöôåß åßíáé üôé åðéèõìåß íá ðáßîåé óôçí Åõñùëßãêá!

"Going to an NBA doesn't mean that I'll sign a contract with the Rockets. If, of course, they offer me a 3-year guaranteed contract, I won't say no, but it's equally likely that I'll play for 2 more years in Europe, in order to be 100% ready wo go there," said Spanoulis, whose contract with Maroussi is expiring this summer and the only thing he knows is he wants to play in Euroleague!

«Ôï üôé èÝëù íá áãùíéóèþ áðÝíáíôé óôïõò êáëýôåñïõò ôçò Åõñþðçò äåí óçìáßíåé áðáñáéôÞôùò üôé èÝëù êáé íá öýãù áðü ôï Ìáñïýóé. Èá ìðïñïýóá íá ìåßíù Üëëï Ýíá ÷ñüíï óôçí ïìÜäá, áëëÜ ìå ôçí ðñïûðüèåóç íá åíéó÷õèåß êáé íá äéåêäéêÞóåé ôï Ýíá áðü ôá ôñßá åéóéôÞñéá ãéá ôçí Åõñùëßãêá ôçò ðåñéüäïõ 2006-07» , áðïêÜëõøå ï äéåèíÞò ãêáñíô, ï ïðïßïò ðñïåôïéìÜæåôáé ãéá ôçí ôñßôç áíáìÝôñçóç (19/5) ôçò óåéñÜò ìå áíôßðáëï ôïí Ìáêåäïíéêü êÜíïíôáò üíåéñá ôåëéêïý!

"The fact that I wanna play against Europe's best doesn't necessarily mean that I wanna leave Maroussi. I could stay for one more year with the team, but only if we get more players in order to compete for one of the three Euroleague tickets next year (2006-07)," said the International guard, who is now preparing for the 3rd and last game vs Makedonikos, dreaming (again) of A1 Finals!

 

Great post white lightning. Yet another example of how Clutchbbs is the best.

 

thanks, white lightning. News on the team has always been the best part of CF.net.

 

This is a guy who couldn't play in the NBA 2 years ago and can't play here now - even in the development league. Add to that the fact that he's put up mediocre stats in the EuroLeague (when he wasn't injured) so I'm curious as to why so many here believe that he can come in and do anything more than sit at the end of the bench. We have more than enough guys being paid well to do that right now.

The Rockets need someone at PF who can match up with the Dirks, Tim Duncans, KGs and Amares in the West NOW not 2-3 YEARS from now.

 

Thanks for the info, white lightning. The guy sounds like he's ready for a shot, but doesn't sound too enthused about playing for the Rockets or even the NBA, really.

 

I'm not so sure you can make that assumption yet. The guy is only 22, and shows steady signs of improvement. I spent about a month in Greece last summer and talked to a few people who had seen him play. The consensus was that he had loads of promise, but had been given very little playing time to develop. He was sort of "waiting his turn" in the rotation for a while. My father-in-law has seen him play a couple of times and thought last year that he looked pretty solid, but did not yet stand out as being spectacular in any particular way. In any case, it would be interesting to see what kind of progress he has made and get a feeling for where his ceiling is. He might be a great fit here, or he might be another Boki. I don't think anyone can say just yet.

I doubt anyone here would disagree with you on this. Good luck finding that player, however. You got anyone in mind that we might be able to afford who can match up with Dirk, KG, TD or Amare?
Furthermore, this has nothing to do with Spanoulis. We're not having to choose between him and a power forward. He's already ours. If he can contribute, great. If not, we look at other options. As badly as I think we do need a banger at the 4, I think a true point guard would create a lot more opportunities for our offense. We'll probably not be able to match up with the 4s you just mentioned no matter what we do, but we can give the other teams some matchup problems that they can't deal with instead.