It's says the report is based on Houston Chronicle... funny, does anyone see the Chronicle saying anything?
They should keep both Rafer and Span and dump Luther Head. There is enough min out there for James/Rafer/Span because two f the three can be on the floor at the same time. Like my sig says Span>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Head
who cares if he leaves. the guy was a turnover and foul machine and had zero outside shot. his game is not made for the NBA. if he goes back to greece to we regain the money for his contract?
If it looks like this, someone is getting fired: Rockets G Spanoulis could be headed back to Greece May 25, 2007 By Jeff Taylor Special to PA SportsTicker Houston Rockets reserve point guard Vassilis Spanoulis is strongly considering a return to Euroleague champions Panathinaikos. Sources close to the 24-year-old who failed to receive meaningful playing time as a rookie with the Houston Rockets, have told PA SportsTicker that Spanoulis wants to be in Athens again for personal and family reasons. ADVERTISEMENT Spanoulis, who is now back in the Greek capital, had only good things to say about the Rockets in his blog that was published on the popular Greek website, www.sport24.gr. "This year was a great exp erience for me," he wrote. "I keep only the positive things. The team supported me the whole year and people in Houston loved me and that was very important for me." Those kind words aside, if Spanoulis' final decision is not to return to the NBA and the Rockets, the source said, his first choice in Europe is Panathinaikos where a three-year contract is likely. Three teams in Spain's ACB, one in Russia and a second club in Greece are also prepared to offer Spanoulis a deal. The 6-4 Greek guard was Panathinaikos' best player two seasons ago and a key man in the national side that upset the United States in the semifinals at the FIBA World Championship in Japan last summer. He played in just 31 regular-season games and appeared in one playoff game for the Rockets. He averaged just 2.7 points during the regular season. The arrivals of Spanoulis, and another Panathinaikos target in Nikos Zisis of Benetton Treviso, would create a logjam in the backcourt. Dimtris Diamantidis, Milos Vujanic and Sani Becirovic are important players in the team while Tony Delk returned to America after the Greens' Euroleague win over CSKA Moscow earlier this month. Two other Greeks are being monitored closely in NBA circles - CSKA Moscow's Euroleague MVP, Theo Papaloukas, and Pana's Final Four MVP, Diamantidis. Diamantidis, the best defensive player in Europe for the past two years, has no interest in playing in the NBA but Papaloukas is drawing interest from the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons, as well as the Atlanta Hawks. A NBA club that wants to sign Papaloukas must clear two hurdles. It must convince him they have a lot of ambition and have chance of going far in the playoffs, and it must pay him at least the same amount of money he earns at CSKA which is thought to make him the highest-paid player in Europe. Another Greek who has already been drafted, 6-99 iman mountain Sofoklis Schortsianitis of Olympiacos, has had a difficult year under new coach Pini Gershon and that could make the Los Angeles Clippers think twice before offering him a contract. The 34th pick overall in the 2003 draft excelled last year in Europe and was a standout performer in the Greek national side at the FIBA.
100% agree with this post. The way management has gone out of their way to praise V-Span and not said much about Rafer leads me to think that they are either: 1. Trying to talk up V-Span to trade him. or 2. They are going to move Rafer. I just don't see how you can have 4 or 5 PGs on the roster. DD
I have to agree with you about Rafer and V-Span, one of those guys is probably going to get moved in some sort of deal. I could be wrong but Rafer to me just doesn't seem like a good fit with the coaching style of Rick Adelman.
Rafer is gone IMO Morey in his last 3-4 interviews did not say one word about him or Head which means atleast one of them will be gone So we might see James, Span and ? or James and ? and ? So we will have to trade for a PG, if Span chooses to not come back, we will be forced to keep Rafer, and that could create another problem for Morey btw, I have no clue what we are supposed to do with the midget
ESPN insiders are always a day late and a dollar short when it comes to accurate reporting. I believe VSpan will give the Summer League a try and see where he stands in the new RA system and then decide on staying with Rockets or going back to Greece.
I think the Rockets want to keep Span... However Span is not willing to come back unless he gets a decent chance in the team and PT... Rox are still weighing their trade possibilities and roster-change options where although they wanna keep span, other stuff is def. more important so they're trying to figure the roster out and whether Span will fit in there The whole thing is kept quiet and in a waiting state till after the draft.
going into the season with MJ and vpsan isnt very comforting. I feel much better with rafer/MJ combo. I just thats thats a good change of pace and a solid pg rotation. i'd like for span to stay because i do think he can contribute...i mean without him in the NBA, who's going to start in the allstar game next year head is the mystery. i want him to stay but he may be the odd man out. given that i just wouldnt feel comfortable dealing him. tough pill to swallow. jl3? no idea. i dont see how he can stay.
Span is def. training with the Greek NT this summer... And no, thats NOT primadonna attitude or not paying his dues but it seems really hard for US people to understand how important the NT games and achievements are to european players so I'm disclaiming it here I think the Rox understand that too... I could see him coming for the few days the Rox supposedly asked him to...I think coach Giannakis will probably tell him to come and join the NT a bit later as well...
I'd agree as well. If RA is envisioning installing an offense in any way similar to what he did with the Kings, and it sounds like he is, then Rafer does not fit the bill at all.
vspan >>>> rafer PERIOD. you cannot judge him under the system that JVG enforced where you have 1 turn over or cant jack up 3s you arent getting any PT. trade rafer packaged with snyder or reed for a decent PF sign magloire and we are set.
crap forgot to add, VSPANs game is slashing/midrange jumpers not spot up shooting 3s like he said earlier in the season. dont judge him by what hes shownas a rocket only, hes been playing pretty well before coming to the nba that doesnt all up and disappear all of a sudden.
How many actual games have you seen him play? Where is this proof you have? What the ONE good game he played in the worlds championship. The highlight reel with like 5-7 plays on it. Where is this proof you have of him playing well?
under adelman, billy can be a solid backup PG NEXT season. it's too risky to move rafer just yet. the rockets need to see if he is willing to come back, and if so, how will he perform in the summer league under the new offense. unless all goes well on the vspan front, i expect alston to remain with the team.
