V-span played about as well as he could... but I said it before and I will say it again. He never would have worked out in the NBA. He plays like a star in Greece because he has the ball most of the time. He can't produce as a true point guard with a team like the Rockets. That whole "I was Tmac in Greece" thing. I can completely see it now. He is a ball stopper for the Greek team. I can understand where you are coming from DD, but your conclusion is flawed because Span is a product of the system he is playing in for the Greeks.
I can see your point. However, if you notice, he doesn't have the ball in his hands the majority of the time for Greece, they let Papoloukas run the point and V-Span plays more of an attacking SG. I think eventually Greece will hand the reigns to him and let him attack all game long, but you are right, he would not get that opportunity for the Rockets. Thanks for the quality discussion without personal attacks.... DD
Dan, you can't please anyone, which is why you're the BBS gimp. As far as I can tell the only person who sympathizes with you on this is a psychotic Greek guy with multiple personality disorder - otherwise, you have made the stock of our laughingness to be quite full. Wow he scored one basket early Dan - that's incredible. Sofoklis Fatfokitis scored one basket too - he is still a fat sack who couldn't play for a community college Obviously you didn't - you're just blindly citing the box score without any context. Stop lying, Dan. Dan - lots of people dislike your little mascot - with good reason. He was annoying twit who engendered a gang of nutjob followers like you, Dan, who continue to annoy us to this day. Oh Dan, stop crying like your hero. That's obviously what you want to happen, it's why you parade your silliness for us on the board. You should get down on your knees and thank me Dan for calling you an idiot. That's the point of your posting.
V-Span can play, I like him as a PG. I am sure anyone that understands the game of basketball that looks at his as a player without bias towards his quitting on the team can see that he has skills. As a Rockets fan, I am sure people are pissed that he quit, me, I look at it as him doing what was right for his career, and it got us Scola and JVG fired, so for me V-Span is +2. I am going to ignore Sam for now, I think it cheapens the board to be brought into another mud slinging fight with a guy who clearly has no interest in discussing the merits of basketball, but would rather call people names, make fat jokes and continue to be rude. DD
Dan, since you're going to read this post anyway, obviously neither do you when you come into this thread and proclaim that your idol had a great game - when obviously he didnt. Basically, when you say anything related to your goatherding boy-hero of the Attic plain - it's a comedy show. You have no interest in merit - you only have interest in votive offerings to the hairy Pan figure whose cult you have joined. Stop whining like a little baby Dan, this is what you want. REJOICE! Attention is being paid.
Sigh, I am going to make one last ditch attempt at reasoning...... I did not say he had a great game, only that he played "pretty well", and was the best player for Greece today. Stop leaping to conclusions, Sam. I like him as a player, so? 5th leading scorer in the entire tournament while shooting 64% from 2pt range and 51 % overall Why does that bother you so much? So much that it makes you call people amazingly rude names. Why not just roll your eyes, and disagree? Why do you have to come into a thread that is about V-Span...and start tossing up rude behaviour? What do you hope to accomplish by doing that? Do you think it makes you look good by calling someone a "Fat idiot"? Do you think it makes the BBS a better place to be? Demeaning people and their opinions to try to make yours look better just smacks of a lack of real substance in your argument. You should be better than that Sam. DD
I figured you would at least come in here and admit you were wrong. You kept say "wait until he plays the US" and he was terrible. 4-13 shooting and 0-5 from the 3 point line. He was not good at any aspect of the game. He was hideous out there. We are all wrong about things and predictions. Sometimes you have to man up and eat a little crow. I'm shocked you are still defending the guy. You can point to the US game and say "we'll see" and then back peddle when he plays horrible by saying "look what he's done so far." Come on bro
I said let's see how he does against the USA, but that doesn't mean I would judge him on one game against the best players in the world, but, since you asked... He missed some shots, had a few blocked, but he played ok....he was aggressive, attacked the basket and got the ball moving on offense. All those FTs show that he was aggressive. Yes he only shot 4-13, he did not shoot well, but the game is about more than shooting. IMO, he was still effictive he took 13 shots and scored 14 points, that is pretty good efficiency, especially when you consider how poorly he shot, today. I think that Greece made some tactical errors in not playing a zone enough and had two players that totalled 12 turnovers, probably should have put the ball in V-Span's hands more often. V-Span competed, played hard, made some, missed some, but still showed he could compete with the best in the world....I think that says a lot. Heck Rafer does way worse than this and people think he is crucial. DD
I watched the entire game and I'm not seeing what you saw. I'll give you the fact that he got to the line and made his free throws. However, he shot 4-13 and 0-5 from the 3 point line. That's brutal. He didn't rebound or defend well either. He also had as many assists as he did turnovers. I just don't see it any other way but he was horrible out there today. I admittedly don't like the guy but I would give him credit if he played a good game. I don't see how he showed he could compete with the best in the world. An effecient game is not going 4-13 from the field, 0-5 from 3 point range and having as many to's as assists. That's a very poor showing. Not to mention he didn't play even average defense. Rafer doesn't do worse then this. His game today made Rafer look like Chris paul or Deron Williams. Rafer gets killed on this board as well. That is obvious to anyone. I get you like VSpan. That's fine by me. However, trying to say he played even a decent game today is just outright wrong IMO. He was really bad. I'm not surprised he played poorly today. I was pretty positive he would. Like you said, he was playing the best in the world. He still showed me nothing that leads me to believe he can contribute on an NBA level. He's still the same player that he was when he came here. Same problems, same style, same everything. I have not seen any improvement. If he wants to stay in Europe that's fine. He has proven he can be a good international player. I think he's right were he belongs. In closing, I actually think less of him after reading that article you posted. The fact that Tony Parker begged him to stay and it was a great fit for him shows me he didn't have the desire or work ethic to change his game. If he performed well for the Spurs he would have been paid well. Even backup guards are making 2.5 million or more. He quit, plain and simple.
I agree he could have shot better, I think he had 2 or 3 rejected, so that is going to hurt your shooting percentage a bit. The reason I think he played pretty well was that I was watching what he did off the ball as well as when he had it..... He set some nice screens, drew a charge from Chris Paul on defense, also forced Deron Williams into a turnover (wouldn't it be nice to have a PG that challenges Paul and Williams?) had a nifty lob pass to their center which he didn't finish and generally protected the ball very well when he had it. In fact he set up a lot of his teamates for shots, they just missed em.... I counted one turnover where he was trapped, the other one was a bad pass by his teamate that Chris Paul knocked off of V-Span... What I was looking for was whether or not he had the skills necessary to compete in the NBA, nothing more. I think he certainly showed that he could play in the the league. Fair enough. IMO, his skills translate nicely to the NBA, if he chose to play in the league again. I hear ya, but for me, I see a player who took less money to come play in the USA, got caught in a feud between coach and GM which left a bitter taste in his mouth, so he decided to do what is best for his career and left the Rockets. Honestly, I understand people's bitterness about that, but I completely side with the player if they feel they got screwed, they can only play for so long, they should do whatever is in their best ineterests regardless of what fans think, it is their life, and their career. I think V-Span did what he thought was best, and who knows what the future holds for him.....I will just enjoy watching him in international play ....for now, and that play at the beginning where he shook Kobe for a nice reverse layup.....very nice. DD
This says it all, you are going to look for the negatives, and because I like him, I am going to look for the positives. I doubt we would see the game the same way...... I do appreciate people coming into the thread and having a sane discussion among basketball fans. That is what makes this BBS great, varying opinions causing discourse. And for those of you who hate the guy, and remember the VSpamming of the GARM (completely understandable).........just ignore the thread all together. DD
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2008/08/spanoulis_isnt_eager_to_make_n.html Discussion of Spanoulis's NBA return is largely a moot point, he is not eager to return.
I posted that earlier in this thread, the one thing I found interesting in that article was him talking about getting caught up between the GM and JVG. "It was a misunderstanding between me and my previous team (the Rockets), with the GM and the coach." That had to be frustarting as hades, and it is one of the reasons I don't mind him leaving to go back to Greece. Due to whatever reasons he felt he got disrespected, and decided to go home...... Can't blame a guy for taking a stand that is good for his own career. As for whether he comes back to the NBA.....I hope he gives it another go... DD
We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one and that's cool. It's just an internet debate. When guys quit it justy leaves a bad taste in my mouth. If he had stuck it out with the Spurs then it would have been no big deal to me. I actually think Rafer is a much better defender then VSpan by the way. I do agree his best option was to return to International ball as I don't think he has the committment nor dedication to play NBA ball.
Fair enough. Regards to quitting. Do you feel the same way about JVG quitting on the Knicks? Because the way I look at it, is that each person should do whatever is in their best interests, regardless. Since organizations do not show loyalty, players and coaches shouldn't either..... IMO, everyone is a gun for hire. DD
Even though i don't like him I wasn't looking for flaws honestly. I certainly don't root for the guy but I can just watch guys play (even when I dislike them) an be a neutral observer for the most part. I don't have the burning dislike for him like Pacman Jones, Chris Henry,ect..... I simply just don't think he's an NBA player. He is definitelya a good International player but nothing more IMO.
I don't respect quitting period. No matter who you are. Unless it's medical, family related or something to that effect. It shows a lacka of character IMO. I do realize there is a fine line between quitting and leaving for a better opportunity.
Again, fair enough. The funny thing is that if the Scola deal never happened V-Span would have been playing in Houston last year, no way the Rockets would have let an asset just walk for nothing. Also, he would be playing in Houston this upcomming year too....as the team had a team option on year 3..... Fortunately it worked out good for everyone. DD
