I dont know guys ESPN INSIDER reports the Suns and Rockets are hot and heavy after Marcus Banks. Personally i prefer Banks slightly over V-Span.
Either V-Span or Banks will get the bulk of the MLE (both want $4M or thereabouts). Since Banks is an unrestricted FA, we could only use our $4.2 TE in a sign and trade with Minnesota, and this does not look likely since the S&T would have to include another player or draft choice. Hence, we don't have enough money for both. I could be wrong (hope, hope), especially given the fact I am not a capologist like GATER or Aelliot.
Do we need V-span right now?! we have soo many guards. Lucas, Sura, Alston, Head, Snyder and no decent PF. i say we save money and get a PF..
I am not against V-Span. However, anybody really can convince me that he's an approved NBA player. Will he be a bust?
As far as I know, Lucas hasn't signed with the Rocks, yet. (I'm sure he will), Sura is still an unknown. He's coming back from serious surgery, as well as other injuries. Snyder is a 6'6" SG, thank god. Head very well may be dealt, although I'd hate to lose him. (unless we get someone who fills a need) Too many guards? I don't think so.
We can get Vspan and L wright in all likely hood. Im not a capoligist either but i know a fair bit about it and so far Banks has asked for 3 mil per and Vspan is a 2per so there is room for both but i just dont know if thats what we need.
This would be great news as our back court needs a lot of help. Not totally sold on V-Span being exactly what we need but his ability to push the basketball and get in the lane would really help. I guess we will wait and see.
i'm never serious , but i counted at least 3 textbook violations (his stutter step early in the video, his layup after the steal, his drive before that ridiculous scuffle). he seems to have a short stride and needs a lot of steps to get the basketball across the court and to the basket. don't forget that he's going to be a rookie and a Euro one at that. refs may let veterans get away with most of the above violations, but they aren't going to let him get away with anything. overall, i'm not too high at all about V-Span. the Manu comparisons are overkill. if he can just contribute as much as Head on both ends of the floor, that would be an achievement.
What does he have left to accomplish for the 1000th time - His Team Won it All - He was voted 2nd team All euroleague. scored 28 against Moscow - on 10-11 FG - critical block during playoffs 05-06 - Good Article about team. http://www.euroleague.net/noticia.jsp?temporada=E05&jornada=28&id=265 Panathinaikos 2005-06 Diamantidis & Alvertis Another year, another Greek League title for Panathinaikos, which just got its eighth domesics crown in the last nine years. Panathinaikos put a sweet end to an otherwise strange Euroleague season, where it went from being the team to beat in the opening two months to being almost out of the competition midway through the Top 16. The Greens rallied and got three consecutive wins to win its Top 16 Group, but Tau Ceramica stood on their way to the Final Four and eliminated Panathinaikos in dramatic fashion, putting a bitter end to its Euroleague season in front of a sellout crowd of 18,000 in the OAKA Olympic Stadium. Panathinaikos saw some of its players conquering individual awards, as Dimitris Diamantidis won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive season, while Vassilis Spanoulis was selected to the All-Euroleague second team. Jaka Lakovic was the fifth top scorer at the end of the regular season while Mike Batiste led all rebounder in the Top 16. The Greens won both the Greek Cup and the Greek League titles to round a perfect domestic season. Panathinaikos will keep a deep, solid roster to try to return to the Final Four, which takes place in its own city, Athens, in Spring 2007. Jaka Lakovic Panathinaikos was considered as one of the top candidates to win it all since the early games of the season, as it kept all its main stars which led the team to the Final Four in 2004-05 while adding Dejan Tomasevic and Spanoulis to the mix. The Greens confirmed the expectations in the regular season, tying with Unicaja for the best record in any group, 12-2, at the end of this stage. Panathinaikos downed Ulker 66-82 in the Euroleague opening game on October 31 behind 19 points from Lakovic, in which was the start of a four-game winning streak. The Greens downed CSKA Moscow 92-82 in Athens which Spanoulis leading the way with 28 points on 10-for-11 shooting, then a critical block and free throws by Diamantidis allowed Panathinaikos to get a 78-82 road win against Montepaschi while Fragiskos Alvertis led his team with 13 points in a 81-62 home win against Partizan. Unicaja handed Panathinaikos its first loss of the season, 82-79 in Malaga, but the Greens bounced back by winning the next six Euroleague games. Four of these wins came by a double-digit margin. Panathinaikos edged CSKA 84-89 in Moscow behind 21 points from Lakovic and 20 off the bench from Spanoulis. The Greens survived a tough battle by topping Partizan 93-94 in Belgrade with 23 points on 16 of 19 free throws by Lakovic. Once again Unicaja beat Panathinaikos 93-95 in Athens, but the team recovered with back-to-back wins against Pau-Orthez and Real Madrid to finish tied for the first place in Group C at 12-2 and become a top-seeded team in the Top 16 Draw. Vassilis Spanoulis Cibona, Benetton and Efes Pilsen were waiting for the Greens in the next round, when Panathinaikos had its most difficult moments of the season that far. Panathinaikos lost its opening three Top 16 games, on the road against Cibona and Benetton, as well as at home against Efes Pilsen. Having lost more Euroleague games - three - in 15 days than in the previous three months, the Greens were in a do-or-die situation, as it had to win all three games while waiting for other results. Panathinaikos started its Group G comeback with a 88-69 home win against Cibona. Spanoulis led the way with 22 points while Alvertis and Batiste each had 18 for the Greens. Panathinaikos survived another make-or-break game by topping Efes 56-66 in Istanbul. Lakovic and Kostas Tsartsaris each had 14 points for the winners, who needed to beat Benetton in Athens in order to advance. Not only Panathinaikos won 81-70 behind 18 points from Batiste and 17 from Spanoulis, but Efes managed to beat Cibona in Zagreb, which allowed the Greens to win Group G in a four-way tie. As such, Panathinaikos had regained the momentum and was ready to fight against Tau Ceramica in the best-of-three Quarterfinal Playoffs. Mike Batiste Both teams provided one of the best playoff series in Euroleague history. Panathinaikos opened the series with a convincing 84-72 home win against Tau in Game 1 in Athens. Batiste led the Greens with 15 points while Spanoulis and Tomasevic each added 13 for Panathinaikos, who capped the game with a 12-2 run to win the game. It happened to be the Greens' last Euroleague win of the season, however. Tau tied the series with a 85-79 home win in Vitoria in Game 2. Travis Hansen led the winners with 21 points and Luis Scola added 20 for Tau. Spanoulis had 20 points for Panathinaikos while Lakovic added 14. The Greens trailed 74-72 with 3 minutes to go, but Casey Jacobsen and Hansen allowed Tau to stay alive in the series, setting a big showdown in the final and decisive Game 3 in Athens. It all came down to the final 40 seconds of the game, as Lakovic buried a three-pointer for a 69-70 Panathinaikos deficit. Pablo Prigioni hit a floating jumper as the shot clock expired and Panathinaikos never recovered, as Alvertis' three-point attempt at the buzzer was off-target and Tau won 71-74 to advance to the Final Four. Back in its domestic competitions, Panathinaikos won the Greek Cup and doubled with a Greek League title full of authority. Nothing will change in the 2006-07 season, as Panathinaikos will be a major contender in each and every competition it plays. Knowing the team and its coach, Zeljko Obradovic, it could not be any other way.
Yeah, I don't understand the hype around him. He's not spectacular as a player and there is NO guarantee he'll succeed here. We shouldn't get our hopes so high so early.
I don't think I like the idea spending over 2 mil a year for 2-3 years on a gamble like this, if that much. This is the kind of money the top half of lotto rooks make (only top 6 picks or better make more), and I'd say VSpan's chances are less than your average lower half lotto pick. Remember Jasikevicius was a mature PG who had torn up Euroleagues and international leagues, and he goes to Indy in a very favorable situation and performs much less than his contract. I think the likelihood VSpan can come to the NBA as a much less tested and accomplished European player and does much the 1st couple years is pretty slim. I'd much rather roll the dice with Banks, whi despite his drawbacks, has played decent NBA ball over stretches. In fact I'd even rather take Jasikevicius with the TE off Indiana's hands (OK 3 shooter at least), which I would gather they would consider to lower their books, than pay anywhere near that money for VSpan.
There is no guarentee that Battier or Snyder will succeed here either, but at this point, the rockets have to take some chances. Thats the only way they are going to be able to improve this team
But these guys, as well as Marcus Banks (and Mike James), have already shown that they belong in the NBA, even if they have warts. Guys like VSpan and JL3 are fine late in your rotation and as developmental prospects, but if you are counting on them being good NBA players next year, even as heavy minuter back-ups, that is a bad risk for a team trying to reach the top. Remember we basically traded Rudy Gay away because we were unsure of his readiness and trying to align the team around Tmac/Yao's peak years, Gay's likelihood of being a contributer in the NBA next year is a lot higher than VSpan or JL3. That said I wouldn't object to JL3 at all in a 2 year deal guarantteed (minimum). Relatively low risk with modest upside. But VSpan for 2 mil or more per year in a multi year deal, that is a bad risk where the likelihod the player meets or exceeds the contracts value is VERY LOW. VSpan shouldn't get that kind of deal (just hold on to his rights) unless he was clear cut the professional best guard not in the NBA right now, and even that is not guaranttee for a starting quality NBA player (see Jasikevicius).
For a back-up PG, Jasikevicius would be great on the Rockets. No one should be expecting Spanoulis to be a superstar.
i'd rather have Vspan to have more height and more potential, as the backup PG. Banks doesnt shoot the 3 particularly well...doesnt have high a/to ratio, and is 6'2. I think he is overpriced and you might as well go with VSpan, cheaper and more potential.
