i don't really hate the spurs (just manu b/c he whines and flops too much) but hey it's time we got a break. we've been having injuries as bad luck and having no role player stepping up. IT'S TIME a role player steps up. that will be scola. IT'S TIME.
I thought Scola might have trouble getting his shot off or that his foot speed wouldn't be up to par against the best the NBA has to offer. What I saw is that he could move and jump faster than expected. He could get an offensive rebound and put back before the defense could react to stop him. His post moves were refined enough to allow him to score against the US team. His ability shouldn't be doubted in my opinion. His toughness will go a long way for the Rockets. He could well be our floor leader.
Reading the spurs forum like spurstalk and spursreport is hilarious. A lot of them are bitter and are saying scola will be a scrub in the nba.
I think you are underestimating the leverage of having a fiery never-quit all-out-all-the-time guy on the team. Scola will make Tmac better, Yao better, and every other Rocket better because of his attitude. It doesn't take much in this league, if Tmac can be 5-10% better, Yao 5-10% better from Scola's contagious attitude, and 10-15% better for having better players, and another 5-10% better for better coaching, Rox should be over the hump for gaining championship. After all, the difference between Rox and the elite teams wasn't that big to begin with. Can't wait for the season to begin. Arrrgghhh!!
Scola is better than anything we have at the PF spot last year...except Hayes rebounding. But overall he is better, we win more games, we go to 2nd round. Offense: Scola >>> Juwon, Hayes Defense: Scola >>> Juwon, not as good rebounder as Hayes Passing: Scola >>>Juwon (never got the ball back from him), Hayes (decent passer but mainly finisher around hoop)
"won't translate in america?" didn't he just win the tourny MVP and go for 20 plus vs. USA's finest? wow. i don't expect him to score like that every night wif the rox, because he won't be the first or second option, but i don't see any reason for him not to produce when his number's called.
The writer didn't watch the game closely, I am sure. On a couple of occasions, Scola drove away from Dwight Howard for scores, and on more than a couple of occasions, Scola used his smaller body to push Amare around to get inside positions. How is that supposed to happen? Two words: Will power!! Scola never quits, never gives in, never says die. He is the type who will fight till the end, regardless of score. I saw that Yao was starting to get that way last year. Tmac, on the other hand, tends to give up early. With the addition of firy Frances, Scola, and Mike James, along with Yao and Battier, I think this team is going to get much fiercer this year. This alone should take this team over the hump.
Manu Ginobili is one of the Spurs I wish we had on our roster. This board complains about his flopping and whining, but IMO he learned how the NBA game is played from all the successful floppers and whiners around the league .....if it works for them, why not for him? Manu is a very intelligent as well as aggressive player. In a post game interview, I remember how he answered the flopping accusation. He just grinned and said he played the game like Americans play (rather than how Europeans play).
Scola will succeed....i guaranteed. When a player is competitive and willing to fight and play with so much desire, the least he can do to himself is be a good player. I predict he WILL BE an All-Star!!! Dude has everything...IQ, competitiveness, shooting, driving, post, rebound, pass, hustling, block, clutch, leadership. He might be EVEN more effective than one of our stars...YES!! I am not kidding!
Very True, why point your fingers at Manu for doing what works for him. Why is he supposed to be holier than thou? If it brings in the paycheck. And a lot of the other players are doing it! Manu is an amazing athlete, I've seen him balance himself on a ball and stay focused and fully balanced. That guys has very good body control.
He hasn't done a thing in the NBA yet. Plenty of players have thrived in international competition as well as against U.S.A. basketball only to never it make it to the NBA or flop when the get here (V-span). Personally, I think he will become a pretty good NBA player but 15/7, especially in his first season (if that is what you mean) is a bit too generous IMO. I would be happy if he can give us 22 minutes and 9/4 by season's end. More importantly, I hope his defense is enough where he can give us a different look on the nights when Yao is too slow and Chuck is too short to guard opposing post players.
the spurs are going to regret trading scola to the rockets. gm 101 - you never trade a proven prospect to your division rival. and their championship reign is over! bye, bye san argentina spurs!
i think he could average 15 pts a game if he gets enough touches. he takes high percentage shots. we just need our pg's to pass him the ball. im confident that tmac will pass it to him.
Just curious, but looking at the past all star game the pf were Garnett, Nowitzki, Duncan, Boozer, Amare...although I'm surprised Brand wasn't on the list. Just taking from this small sample of games of Scola, I think he would match up well with any of those people on this list. I was wondering what are some arguments you could make that would exclude him from being an all-star?
Adelman said several times that he wanted to make the game easier for McGrady. If Scola could score like that, and click with Yao and McGrady, we're going to have a heck of a scoring frontline. Use a combo of James, Francis, and Wells in the backcourt, and as long as they move the ball, the scoring options are going to be rediculous. Defense may be a different story, but I really think Scola is going to be able to score for the Rocks. The big question is if he can keep himself on the court. If he can play defense and not foul out.
Let's see...... Scola would not have helped the Spurs with Duncan.....but Bonner, Elson would????? They gave Bonner 9 million or more....what we gave Scola... and Bonner didn't play any significant minutes in the playoffs. Scola is better than Bonner, Elson, Oberto....and even Horry in the first 47 minutes of the game. Scola can hit mid-range shots up to 18 feet, hit odd angle bank shots, baby hooks, floaters, finger rolls, fadeaways, spinning shake and bakes, drive to the basket, face guys up, post them up, pass.... He would have fit in great with Duncan. The Spurs fans are kidding themselves. Scola's versatile game, bb IQ, toughness, and passing from the high post would have fit in nicely with Duncan in the low post...and he could have provided a second guy to relieve Duncan to play int he low post when Duncan sits down. Now, Scola can do that for us with Yao. Scola's bigger and burlier than skinny Amare....I saw him push Amare in the low blocks. He also scored easily on Amare, Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, Carmelo..... There was a point where he did a 3 spin move shake and bake that faked Tyson Chandler so well, that he got an easy 2 at the hoop....and one where he spun Dwight Howard out of his shoes for an easy dunk. What part of his post game doesn't translate to the NBA? He's not getting lucky with those shots. His moves are well-refined fundamental moves with some creative trickery to fake guys out....Scola also has a quick release and makes decisive moves. It's not like he's going to face all-star front lines with hall of fame point guards coming up to trap him every night in the NBA. He managed to score 23 and 20 on Team USA.... 23 and 27 against Brazil's physical front line...and he's done it in many international competitons before this year against NBA and Euroleague competition. I liked seeing Scola's comeptitive fire. Even when his team was getting blown out, he was playing hard, throwing his body around, and being all over the court with his energy. He was trapping Lebron into making a turnover....he sealed a USA pwoer forward into making a bad shot, slapped the ball out of Carmelo's hands, and kept taking charges. He takes charges (I guess flops) and is energetic just like Ginolbli.
In the two or three games I have watched Scola I have seen him make all those moves. The eye popper for me was how quickly he made his moves after receiving the ball, especially in the USA game. This took Yao a couple of years to grasp, and Scola seems to already be in the groove of knowing what he wants to do with the ball when he gets it. On the defensive flip side he also seems to be quick laterally to handle a lot of moves but I think we all know that it will take some months for him to get playoff comfortable on the defensive end of the ball. We are going to have to be patient and let him get his rythem going with the team. I don't have many doubts that he will eventually be successful at it.
