A few days ago, we looked at five NBA teams with the least amount of international diversity.

From a look at the comments, it definitely hit a nerve with many readers. The overall feeling was that international diversity didn’t really matter; that Interbasket was creating some form of controversy out of nothing.

(Discuss the NBA’s international diversity in our NBA forum)

We told you to check back with us, and we would go over the NBA teams with the most international diversity and we’d talk about how it correlated with wins/losses and team success.

How we did it
We analyzed all 30 NBA team rosters and determined how many players played for that particular team the last five NBA seasons, then added up how many of those spots were occupied by foreign-born players.

We know it’s a simple way of looking at team diversity, but we feel that the data we collected can give some insight into which teams are more open to having international players on their roster.

We found that NBA teams had an average of 17 players on their roster during the last five seasons, and of those 17 players, NBA teams average about 3 international players on those rosters, for an average of 16% of their total rosters.

In our list of the top-5 most internationally-diverse NBA teams, each of the teams in the list averaged 25% diversity or more, that’s an international player for every four roster spots.

1. Golden State Warriors

Int’l players in last five years: 27/88
International Diversity Index: 30.68%
Winning Percentage: .468
Of the 88 available roster spots throughout the last five complete NBA seasons, the Warriors had international players in 27 of those spots, or 30.7%.

Two seasons saw the Warriors boast seven international players on their roster; most recently in 2006-07 when their roster included Andris Biedrins (Latvia), Kelenna Azubuike (England), Marco Belinelli (Italy), Mickael Pietrus (France), Stephane Lasme, DJ Mbenga (Belgium), and Kosta Perovic.

Since the 2005 NBA draft, the Warriors have had eleven draft picks, using three of those on internationally-born prospects.

In the last five season, no other NBA team boasted seven international players on their roster in any one season. Golden State did it twice in the last five years; it’s a testament to their international diversity.

2. San Antonio Spurs

Int’l players in last five years: 26/89
International Diversity Index: 29.21%
Winning Percentage: .725
With the success of Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker, arguably the most successful international players in the last five years, it’s no big surprise that the Spurs are high up on the international diversity list.

Out of 89 roster spots, 26 were filled by international players over the last five seasons, making San Antonio second in best international diversity with 29.21%.

Manu and Parker form two parts of the big three (some would argue that Tim Duncan is also an international player) that has brought two championships in the last five seasons, and three in the last seven seasons.

With the consistency of Manu and Parker on their roster the last five years, the Spurs have added contributions from other foreign-born players in Beno Udrih, Fabricio Oberto, Francisco Elson, and Rasho Nesterović as well as using their draft picks on more international players over the last five years (6) than domestically-developed players (5).

3. Toronto Raptors

Int’l players in last five years: 23/86
International Diversity Index: 26.74%
Winning Percentage: .453
A team based in Canada should be open to international players and the Toronto Raptors comes in as the third-most popular destination for international NBA players.

With 86 roster spots in the last five years, 23 (26.74%) were filled by foreign-born players like Jose Calderon of Spain and Andrea Bargnani of Italy. Adding to their international flavor, the Raps have drafted 4 foreign-born players with their 9 draft picks over the last five drafts.

During this summer, the Raptors picked up coveted free-agent Hedo Türkoğlu of Turkey and traded for Marco Belinelli of Italy.

4. Utah Jazz

Int’l players in last five years: 20/77International Diversity Index: 25.97%
Winning Percentage: .550
The Jazz, along with the Wizards, have had the least amount of roster fluctuations in the last five years, averaging  just a little bit over 15 spots per season.

Still Jerry Sloan’s team has boasted Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) and Mehmet Okur (Turkey) the last five seasons, as well as Gordon Giricek (Croatia) for four seasons.

During that same span, the Jazz have drafted four international players with their 13 NBA draft picks. The Jazz’s international diversity stands as the fourth-best in the league at 25.97%

5. Phoenix Suns

Int’l players in last five years: 21/84
International Diversity Index: 25%
Winning Percentage: .695
It seems that any team touched by Mike D’Antoni, who was a star guard in Italy, will have do well in international diversity.

Even though the Suns haven’t suited up an international draft pick since 2005, they have used a third of their draft selections (4/12) on players like Marcin Gortat (Poland), Sergio Rodriguez (Spain), and Rudy Fernández (Spain).

With 2-time NBA MVP Steve Nash (Canada) running the team the last five years, Leandro Barbosa of Brazil backing him up during that time, and Boris Diaw (France) playing a large role in four seasons, the Suns have no problem finding and keeping international talent.

International Diversity and NBA Success
Ok, so why does international diversity matter? The last four years has seen two NBA teams win an NBA championship without one international player on their roster, so were interested to find out if there was any correlation between success and the amount of international players.

On the surface and by itself, it doesn’t matter, but I believe that it gives some insight into the a club’s overall dedication to team success.

It’s not foolproof, but International diversity correlated with a higher-success as far as wins/losses:

The top ten teams that had the most international players on their rosters over the last five years won an average of 47 games in a season (.571%) during that span, while the bottom ten teams won an average of just 36 games per season (.441%).

That’s a difference of 11 games, and 55 games over five seasons.

You can find the 10 most-internationally diverse and the 10-least diverse NBA teams below (with international diversity and winning percentage):

1. Golden State Warriors (30.68%, .468)
2. San Antonio Spurs (29.21%, .725)
3. Toronto Raptors (26.74%, .453)
4. Utah Jazz (25.97%, .550)
5. Phoenix Suns (25.00%, .695)
6. Milwaukee Bucks (24.69%, .395)
7. Denver Nuggets (23.86%, .605)
8. Dallas Mavericks (23.81%, .715)
9. Los Angeles Lakers (23.17%, .608)
10. Cleveland Cavs (21.84%, .633)

21. Los Angeles Clippers (11.70%, .415)
22. Sacramento Kings (11.24%, .455)
23. Charlotte Bobcats (10.87%, .360)
24. Minnesota TWolves (8.86%, .387)
25. Philadelphia 76ers (8.75%, .492)
26. Washington Wizards (7.79%, .475)
27. Miami Heat (6.67%, .532)
28. Indiana Pacers (4.71%, .480)
29. New York Knicks (4.40%, .360)
30. Boston Celtics (3.75%, .575)

Again, we are not saying that international diversity directly equals team success, but is only one factor that can be looked at as far as how NBA clubs function and maintain, providing resources, budget, scouting, as well as other operations.

We can all agree that not all NBA franchises are created equal as far as the daily operations and management.

The 2009-10 NBA Season: Same Patterns
Going into this season, it seems that the pattern is continuing.

Just yesterday, we posted about the NBA teams with the most international diversity on their opening day roster, and again, the team with the most international diversity was in our top-six (Milwaukee Bucks), and the bottom three teams included teams NBA clubs that were on the bottom of our international diversity list; the Celtics (#30), the Pacers (#28), as well as the Clippers (#21).

Does this pattern really matter?  Is it really just a coincidence or is there something about teams that consistently find themselves at the top and bottom of international diversity?

During the 2008-09 NBA season, a rejuvenated Shaquille O’Neal moved up five spots on the NBA’s all-time scorers’ list.

After scoring 1333 points, his highest total in four seasons, O’Neal is now #5 on the all-time list having surpassed Dominique Wilkins, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson, and international player Hakeem Olajuwon.

What of International Players’ Impact?
Shaq’s ascension past Hakeem got us thinking here at Interbasket, where do international players fit in on this list and who are the NBA’s current scoring leaders (total career points) amongst the foreign-born?

We decided to create that list.

Once you get to the list, you’ll notice that the international players are there because of their longevity in their league, and not because they were legendary NBA players and/or big-time scorers.

(Discuss the list in our forum)

That’s because international players are a relatively recent phenomenon.  Just twenty years ago, during the 1988-89 season, you could count the amount of international players on one hand.

Ten years later, in the 1998-99 season, you could add a hand and a few fingers, but international players were still an unknown commodity.

Today, for most teams, international players are an integral piece of the league’s makeup; there were 77 NBA players from different countries last season.

International players are not only playing large roles for their teams, but are the unquestioned leaders; Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash have both been named NBA MVP. Unschooled foreign-born players have been drafted with the #1 overall pick (Yao Ming in 2003 and Andrea Bargnani in 2007), something unheard of just ten year’s previous.

And with each passing NBA season, the globalization of basketball continues. And that is no more apparent than in the current composition of the NBA.

With international players now common on NBA rosters and not just relegated to role players – the true era of international players can be measured in the next 20 years.

Come 2030, the list below will have more big name scorers, recognizable all-stars, than the journeymen, role players, and semi-stars that currently fill up the top-30.

The list is a study of the impact of international NBA players, but more so, it reflects the recent struggle of international players, players from the early-1980s until roughly 2004-05, trying to find a way, a niche, an opportunity.

Here are the top-30 international scorers at the beginning of the 2009-10 NBA season.

1. Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigeria (26,946 points)
1238 games, career 21.8 ppg – Far and away, Hakeem Olajuwon is the leader in points scored amongst international players in NBA history. The 6-10 center from Nigeria is not only #1 on this list, but he’s #8 on the all-time list, and The Dream, whoretired in 2001-02, will remain number one for at least a few more seasons…

2. Dirk Nowitzki, Germany (19,084 points)
839 games, 22.7 ppg  – No surprise that the 7-0 German is #2 on the international list.  At age 30, Dirk has a few more peak years to pad his totals and is on the edge of perhaps overtaking  Olajuwon by the end of his career. Either way, from a of quick glance at the rest of the list, it doesn’t look as if Dirk will be relinquishing either spot anytime soon.

3. Detlef Schrempf, Germany (15,761 points)
1136 games, 13.9 ppg (00-01) – Two Germans in a row. Who knew? Detlef was under the radar, but the 6-9 forward who was an excellent sixth man, spent 16 seasons with four NBA teams, enough to put him third on the list with nearly 16,000 points before retiring in 2000-01.

4. Steve Nash, Canada (13,438 points)
934 games, 14.4ppg – It’s too bad that the now 35-year old Nash spent his first four seasons finding a right fit. Nash had the bad luck of starting out his career playing behind Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd. Still, the two-time MVP took the #4 spot last season; Nash may catch Detlef, but the 6-3 Canadian is 5,000 points, and five years behind a younger Nowitzki.

5. Vlade Divac, Former Yugoslavia (13,398 points)
1134 games, 11.8ppg – Divac was never a scorer, so his position at #5 on this list is a bit surprising.  It’s more the fact that he came over as a younger player when Europeans weren’t common as they are today. It speaks to Vlade’s longevity in the league. Divac never torched the nets, but did average 11.8 points per game in 16 NBA seasons before retiring after the 2004-05 season.

6. Rik Smits, The Netherlands (12,871 points)
749 games, 14.8 points (1999-00) – The Dunkin’ Dutchman played his entire 12-year NBA career with the Indiana Pacers. With midrange jumpshots, one-handed dunks, and nice stroke from the free-throw line (77.3 career FT%) the 7-4 center averaged nearly 15 points per game as the interior presence to Reggie Miller’s outside shooting. Smits would retire after the 1999-2000 season.

7. Peja Stojaković, Serbia (12,583 points)
709 games, 17.7ppg  Right behind Divac is his fellow countryman, Peja Stojakovic.  The 6-9 sharpshooter has made a career making threes and moving without the ball.  Peja is no longer hitting for 18 points a game, but the 32-year old has at least a couple more productive seasons left, and with a healthy 2009-10 campaign, he’ll surpass Smits and Divac.

8. Dikembe Mutombo, Congo (11729 points)
1196 games, 9.8ppg – At 42 years old, Mutombo crumbled into retirement last season. In his last season with the Houston Rockets, Mount Mutombo scored just 16 total points all season. However, when you couple his 9.8 points per game with 18 seasons in the NBA, the finger-wagging Mutombo cracks the top ten of this list with solid consistency.

9. Pau Gasol, Spain (11,002 points)
584 games, 18.8ppg – The 28-year old Gasol has been amazingly consistent throughout his career. In eight seasons, Gasol has never averaged less than 17.6 points per game, and no more than 20.8 points; a point span of just 3.2 points.  By the end of his career, Gasol should be pushing 20,000 career points and will likely end up behind only Olajuwon Nowitzki, and probably…

10. Tony Parker, France (10219 points),
612 games, 16.7ppg – With the decline of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, keep an eye on Tony Parker’s numbers. At only 26-years old, the 6-2 French PG has just hit his prime, averaging a career-high 22 points per game this past season. Two years younger than Gasol, Parker will certainly be top-five at the end of his career and will likely overtake Pau Gasol somewhere in the top four.

11. Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, Lithuania (10,142 points),
707 games, 14.3ppg – After a couple years dealing with injuries at the start of his career, the 7-3 center from Lithuania has been toiling in Cleveland through the ups (this year) and downs (pre-LeBron). Through that, Big Z has put 14.3 points a game in all 707 games he has played. Ilgauaskas will be 34 this season, backing up the newly acquired Shaquille O’Neal, so Z’s minutes will be going down, but even with his normal 29 minutes a game, the big guy won’t be catching up with Gasol or Parker anytime soon.

12. Rony Seikaly, Lebanon (9,991 points)
678 games, 14.7ppg (98-99) – Rony Seikaly is one of those forgotten international players that played in the 1990s without much notice. The Lebanese center played 11 seasons with some really bad teams in the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets and Golden State Warriors, averaging 14.7 points, and retiring 1998-99.

13. Toni Kukoč, Croatia (9,810 points)
846 games, 11.6ppg – Kukoc came over with much fanfare, but played a tertiary role with the successful Chicago Bulls of the early 1990s. The Waiter not only served up nice passes but also 11.6 points a game with the Bulls, New Jersey Nets, and Milwaukee Bucks. The Croatian point forward retired recently in the 2005-06 season after 13 seasons in the NBA.

14. Yao Ming, China (9,196 points)
481 games, 19.1ppg – The 28-year old big man from China should be hitting his prime. With over  9000 points after this season, look for Yao to continue his 20 ppg pace for the another half-decade, after sitting out this next season, of course.  And barring injuries.

15. Rick Fox, Canada (8,966 points)
930 games, 9.6ppg (03-04) – Yep. Rick Fox. The 6-7 forward best known for his playoff tactics played 13 seasons, averaging 9.6 points per game with the Celtics and the Lakers. Born in Toronto, Ulrich Fox’s final season was in 2003-04 after winning three NBA championship rings with the Shaq-Kobe Los Angeles Lakers.

16. Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkey (8,355 points)
678 games, 12.3ppg – After several seasons as a reserve with the Sacremento Kings, Hedo Türkoğlu found himself in Orlando, averaging career highs and having a breakout season leading the Magic to the NBA Finals. The 30-year old Turk is entering his tenth NBA season with his third NBA team, the Toronto Raptors.

17. Mehmet Okur, Turkey (7,379 points)
531 games, 13.9ppg – The 30-year old Memo Okur started out in Detroit and won an NBA Championship. Over his seven-year NBA career, Okur has kept relatively injury-free, playing no less than 71 games a season while putting up 13.9  points per game over 531 games. The last four years of his career, Okur has hit roughly one three-pointer a game, and usually during crunchtime. Okur should crack the 10,000  point mark in the next 2-3 seasons.

18. Manu Ginóbili, Argentina (7,044 points)
478 games, 14.7ppg: Wow, this had to be one of the biggest shockers when I was coming up with this list. Seems as Manu Ginobili has been around for so many years, collecting championships and Olympic medals, hitting big shots that seeing him this far down the list is somewhat unbelievable, but there he is. Even more unreal is that the 32-year old Ginobili may not make it to 10,000 NBA career points, but I guess three NBA championships in seven seasons will make up for that.

19. Andrei Kirilenko, Russia (6,973 points)
559 games, 12.5ppg – The 28-year old Kirilenko isn’t known for his scoring, but the last three NBA seasons have been particularly offensively-unproductive for the 6-9 defensive player after several run-ins with Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. Still, Kirilenko was an NBA All-Star and is now in his prime. Ak-47′s progress on this list depends on whether he is getting along with Jerry Sloan.

20. Swen Nater, The Netherlands (5,943 points)
489 games, 12.2 ppg – The 6-11 big man from Den Helder, the Netherlands, lasted eight NBA seasons (and many more ABA seasons) shooting hook shots and averaged 12.2 points for his NBA career.

21. Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania (5,629 points)
470 games, 12 ppg – It’s been chronicled much that Sabonis came over as a shell of his former great self.  Back in 1995-96, at age 31, 10 years after he was drafted, Sabas was working with two surgically repaired knees. Still, Sabonis managed 7 seasons in the NBA and 5629 points before retiring after the 2002-03. Sadly, Sabonis will fall out of the top-25 by the end of the season.

#22-30:

22. Leandro Barbosa, Brazil (5,456), 422 gms, 12.9
23. Rasho Nesterović, Slovenia (5,356), 769 gms, 7.0
24. Luol Deng, Great Britain (5,123) 333 gms, 15.4
25. Vladimir Radmanovic, Serbia (4,996), 548 gms, 9.1
26. Jamaal Magloire, Canada (4,764), 592 gms, 8.0
27. Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Lithuania (4,631), 363 gms, 12.8
28. Dražen Petrović, Croatia (4,461) 290 gms, 15.4
29. Andrés Nocioni, Argentina (4,436), 374 gms, 11.9
30. Nenê, Brazil (4,266) 370 gms, 11.5

THE BEST OF THE REST: Boris Diaw, France (4,242 459 gms, 9.2ppg), Michael Olowokandi, Nigeria (4,135, 500 gms, 8.3ppg), Luc Longley, Australia (4,090, 567 gms, 7.2ppg), Vitaly Potapenko, Ukraine (3,995, 610 gms, 6.5ppg), Dino Radja, Croatia (3,733, 224 gms, 16.7ppg), Gordon Giricek, Croatia (3670, 384 gms, 9.6ppg) Bill Wennington, Canada (3,301, 720 gms, 4.6ppg), Marko Jaric, Serbia (3193, 447 gms, 7.1ppg), Andrew Bogut, Australia (3,118, 262 gms, 11.9 ppg), Carlos Arroyo, Puerto Rico (3021, 433 gms, 7.0ppg), Gheorghe Muresan, Romania (3020, 307 gms, 9.8ppg)

When comparing the NBA’s all-time list and the all-time list for international NBA players, you can see that international players really haven’t had their chance until recently.

On the NBA’s all-time scoring list, you have players that have been out of the game for nearly 30 years, and only four active players in the top-30.

With the international NBA list, more than half of the players are still active (17/30), while the others have retired no more than 12 years ago.

International players that were lucky enough to come up in the last 5 to 7  years, players like Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Yao Ming, and Pau Gasol, have been given a fairer shake than their predecessors, with large roles in their team’s success that has reflected in their individual statistics.

The next generation, players that have come into the league the last few years, Andrea Bargnani, Danilo Gallinari, Marcin Gortat, and Rudy Fernandez, will have even more chances of success and assimilation; without the xenophobia, politics, negative stereotypes, and ignorance that their forerunners dealt with.

As time moves forward and basketball becomes more globalized, international players can then be judged on their individual talents and have more opportunity for success.

* Edit: AddedVladimir Radmanovic and Swen Nater in first list. Those of you that consider Tim Duncan an international player can list him at #2 all-time with 19,246 points in his NBA career, placing him right above #3 Dirk Nowitzki (19084 points).

Just when Interbasket was getting all excited the Toronto Raptors and all the international players they had on their roster…

Now comes this rumour that the Canadian NBA franchise is trading away Argentinian Carlos Delfino and Croatian backup point guard Roko Ukić to the Milwukee Bucks for Amir Johnson.

If true, Toronto will no longer have as many international players.

However the Raps still have the potential for the first ever (?), all-international NBA lineup with José Calderón running the point, Marco Belinelli at shooting guard, Hedo Türkoğlu at small forward, Andrea Bargnani at the four, and veteran backup center Rasho Nesterović.

Belinelli and Nesterović would be backups, but as long as all five remain healthy, the situation is highly-likely this next season.

Delfino left the NBA at the beginning of the 2008-09 season to sign with Russian club Khimki. Delfino has since left Russia because the club could no longer afford to pay the 6-6 shooting guard.  The Raptors owned Delfino’s NBA rights.

The 6-5 point guard Ukic played 12 minutes a game for the Raptors and averaged 4.2 points and 2.1 assists in his first NBA season.  Ukic is 24 years old.

Amir Johnson is a 22-year old, 6-9 forward that was drafted by the Detroit Pistons #56 overall in 2005.  Johnson played his entire career with the Pistons before being traded to the Bucks this offseason as a part of a three-team trade that sent Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs.

The Toronto Raptors, already the third most-international roster in the NBA last season, just added to their global diversity.

The Raptors picked up 6-5 Italian Marco Belinelli to a roster that already included six international players.

Toronto traded 31-year old journeyman Devean George and “cash considerations” to the Golden State Warriors for Belinelli.

The 23-year old Belinelli joins newly-acquired Hedo Türkoğlu of Turkey, fellow countryman Andrea Bargnani, as well as José Calderón (Spain), Roko Ukić (Croatia), Rasho Nesterović (Slovenia), and Pops Mensah-Bonsu (England).

The addition of Belinelli gives Toronto seven legitmate international players that can realistically play anywhere from 7-42 minutes a game next season.

Belinelli never found touch in Bay Area
After being drafted 18th overall by Golden State in the 2007 NBA Draft, Belinelli first made splashes stateside with his spectacular shooting performances in the NBA summer league.

But he quickly found himself on the bench during the regular season with a glut of shooting guards ahead of him – namely Monta Ellis, Kelenna Azubuike, Mickaël Piétrus, and sometimes Stephen Jackson.

He played much more in his second season, but the Warriors still lost 53 games.  Going into his third season, the prospects of more playing time was not looking good especially with the development of Anthony Morrow and the Warrior’s selecting NCAA standout guard Stephen Curry in the 2009 draft.

With the Raptors, Belinelli will compete against rookie shooting guard DeMar DeRozan for playing time this upcoming season.  Belinelli averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 assists, and nearly one steal per game in 21 minutes last season.  He also shot 44.2% from the field and 39.7% from three.

With Hedo Türkoğlu ready to sign on the dotted line with the Toronto Raptors tomorrow, there aren’t too many international NBA free agents left to be had.

Interbasket scanned the list of remaining foreign-born free agents and came up with our top ten international free agents, both restricted and unrestricted, still swimming about in free agent waters.

1. Linas Kleiza, Lithuania (r) – With Denver trying to re-sign the Birdman, Chris Andersen, the Nuggets may not have enough money in the tank to keep the restricted Kleiza from walking away without going into the luxury tax.  Kleiza’s ability to run the floor, attack the basket, and finish with momentum and strength reminds you of a Baltic Karl Malone.  On top of that, Kleiza is a reliable three-point shooter and can take other power forwards off the dribble in the half-court.  In the right situation (see: more minutes), Kleiza can have (another) breakout year.

2. Anderson Varejão, Brazil (un) – Varejao opted out of his contract last week and is testing free agent waters.  Varejao is obviously looking for more than the $6 million that the Cavs were going to pay him this coming season. Cleveland signed the 35-year old Shaquille O’Neal and still has Zydrunas Ilguaskas in tow, so will they go after Varejao?  Do the Cavs want to deal with another Varejao holdout as they did in 2007 when the Brazilian backup missed an entire month of games.

3. Marcin Gortat, Poland (r) – Gortat is a restricted free agent, despite being courted by the Houston Rockets, and reportedly offered a huge offer sheet by the Dallas Mavericks, the Magic can have the option to match the offer and keep the 7-0, 240lb Polish center.   With Turkoğlu likely out of the picture and if the Magic aren’t aiming for another free agent this year (or the next), Orlando has the money to match and keep Gortat.  Whether Gortat is worth the reportedly $5.6 million/year that Dallas is willing to give him is the real question.

4. Wálter Herrmann, Argentina (un) – Anyone need a three-point specialist with a long, silky, blond ponytail only seen on covers of romance novels?   The Detroit Pistons are reportedly letting the Argentine shooter walk without an offer. If Herrmann doesn’t get a NBA contract, he’ll be welcomed back, with open arms, in Europe where the 6-9 forward started his career.

5. Zaza Pachulia, Georgia (un) – The Hawks are close to signing David Andersen, a big man from down under and Euroleague star, as insurance in case Pachulia goes elsewhere. It will be a huge shock if the Hawks look anything like the team of this past season. With Mike Bibby, Flip Murray, Marvin Williams also free agents this summer and with Andersen possibly coming onboard, Zaza may not get the attention from the Atlanta Hawks he expects.

6. Pops Mensah-Bonsu, England (un) – The Toronto Raptors were happy with their late-season pickup, and extended Mensah-Bonsu a qualifying offer in late June. The high-energy journeyman averaged 5.1 points and 5.4 rebounds and 13.8 minutes in 19 games with the Raps.   As a restricted free agent, Pops can sign an offer sheet with another team, but Toronto now owns the right to match the offer.

7. Rasho Nesterović, Slovenia (un) – The once baby-faced center has moved into the category of “great veteran and locker room guy.” At 33 years old, Rasho’s basketball peak are several years behind him, but the 7-0 center has at least a couple years left in him as a solid backup for a team looking for a veteran with playoff experience, and uh…  a locker room guy.  Nesterović’s career averages are around 7 points on 50% FG shooting, 5 rebounds and one blocked shot a game.

8. Jamaal Magloire, Canada (un) – The long-armed Magloire played spot minutes as backup center for the Miami Heat last season and did a serviceable job. The 7-0 former all-star center from Canada has said that he would like to return to the Miami Heat, so much so that he would re-sign at a discounted price.  Whether or not that will happen for the 31-year old Magloire will play out over the summer. The Heat selected 6-9 Robert Dozier, who is may play a little center, but is definitely under-sized.

9. Sean Marks, New Zealand (un) – With Tyson Chandler injured, the 6-10 Kiwi played in more games in 2008-09 than in any other season of his 9-year career. Marks’ one-year contract with the Hornets, worth 1.1 million last season has expired and no word on whether the Hornets are looking to bring back the 33-year old (34 when the season starts). The 2009 NBA Draft yielded backcourt players, Darren Collison and Marcus Thorton, so unless the Hornets make a move to obtain another big man, Marks may be in New Orleans at least another year.

10. Johan Petro, France (un) – The 7-0 French center has played for two teams in three NBA season since being drafted by the Seattle Sonics in the first round of 2005.  It looks like the 23-year old will be looking to move onto his third team as the Nuggets aren’t expected to make a qualifying offer.  Without an offer, Petro becomes an unrestricted free agent.  My guess? Petro will be headed to Europe.

There are also international free agents that have left the NBA, but are free-agents in the eyes of the NBA nonetheless.  That list includes Carlos Delfino, Juan Carlos Navarro, and Ersan Ilyasova.

Many teams have already agreed in principle with some free agents (Turkoglu with Toronto, Gortat with Dallas), but cannot be announced or become official until tomorrow, Wednesday, July 8th, 2009.

* (r) = restricted (un) = unrestricted

FIBA’s Olympic World Qualifying Tournament is coming to a close tomorrow and there are only four national teams remaining; Croatia, Germany, Greece and Puerto Rico, and only three of those four teams will make the Olympics.

The four teams will play in semi-final action today, and the final game between the today’s losers semifinals will be held tomorrow July 20th to determine the final spot.

After that game, the final three teams will be randomly drawn into their Olympic Groups.

Group A: Argentina, Australia, Iran, Lithuania, Russia + (A)
Group B: Angola, China, Spain, USA + (B and C)

In the first semi-final game, a very strong Croatian team, the strongest in over a decade, will take on tournament leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki, recent naturalized addition Chris Kaman, and Germany. Croatia has yet to defeat Germany in the Nowitzki era; they’ve lost five consecutive games to the Germans. With Nowitzki and the German guards bombing away from three with scary accuracy and the Croatians unique and dangerous combination of national team veterans with energetic newcombers, this matchup promises to be an intense one.

Following the Croatia-Germany game will be the other semi-final match between Greece and Puerto Rico.  In the last five matches between PR and Hellas, Greece has four consecutive wins in a row and are looking to continue that streak against the United State’s territory.  With the Greek’s homecourt advantage playing in Athens, their spotless record, and average margin of victory of 34 points, it’s going to be a really tough game for Puerto Rico. “Respect to the Greek team is a given fact, but we will do everything in our power to win.” said Puerto Rico’s coach Manuel Cintrón. “We love playing with our back against the wall.” This one will be an intense game for sure.

The winners in both semi-final games will advance to the finals, but more importantly both semi-final winners will have earned a spot in the 2008 Olympic Games.

Rasho says Goodbye to Slovenian National Team
In their loss to Puerto Rico, Slovenia was eliminated from the World Qualifying Tournament and lost the chance at an Olympic berth.  It also ended Rasho Nesterovic’s international playing career: “Every athlete dreams of going to the Olympics. It would have been a great honour for me to have seen Slovenia among the 12 teams playing in Beijing but it didn’t come true,” Nesterovic said. “To represent Slovenia has meant a lot to me. It has been a pleasure to be with the group of guys in my team. I have enjoyed every single moment.“  Read Rasho’s entire interview…

Tiago Splitter not impressed with Brazilian NBA Players
After Germany eliminated Brazil in their quarterfinal match, Brazilian supertstar Tiago Splitter was asked about NBA players Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman and their significant contributions to Germany, and whether missing Leandro Barbosa, Nene, and Anderson Varejao hurt Brazil’s chances, “I want to clarify something. I don’t believe that all players, who compete at the NBA level, are as good as Nowitzki and Kaman or that their contribution is equally valuable.” said Splitter. “What I would like to say though, is what all the players have agreed since our preparation gathering. We dont want to talk about those who are not with us”. Hm, it seems obvious that Tiago doesn’t think highly of one of more of Brazil’s NBA players, I wonder which player(s) Splitter was referring to?

Links and Resources:  Olympic Qualifying Tournament Forum (Interbasket Forum), Rasho says good-bye to international competition (FIBA), Tiago Splitter: Me, myself and…Dirk (FIBA),  Germany Olympic Team, Puerto Rico Olympic Team

Today, the FIBA World Qualifying Tournament begins with 12 national teams from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania trying to grab one of the three remaining spots for the 2008 Beijing Olympics next month.

Follow the intense action of every game, the heated battles, and all the upsets in our 2008 Olympic Qualifier Forum.

So, with three teams coming out of Athens, will these three wildcards have an advantage because they’ll already be battle-tested for Beijing next month?

Will Greece, the tournament favorites led by star-guards Theo Papaloukas and Dmitrios Diamantidis, meet everyone’s expectations as one of those three teams going to the Olympics?

Daniel Santiago rejoins the national team, along with mainstays Carlos Arroyo and Larry Ayuso, to make an always-dangerous and proud Puerto Rican National team.

Brazil will have Tiago Splitter, Marcelinho Machado, and Alex Garcia, but will be without their leading scorer Leandro Barbosa, as well as without NBA big men Nene and Anderson Varejao.  It’s going to be a tough run for the Brazilians.

Speaking of big men, Germany has added NBA star-center Chris Kaman to their already strong front line that includes all-world player Dirk Nowitzki, as well as the solid Ademola Okulaja and Patrick Femerling.

Without key player Matej Smodis, Slovenia is still a strong, well-rounded team that features captain Rasho Nesterovic, Jaka Lakovic, Uros Slokar, and Erazem Lorbek.  The Slovenians will want to send Nesterovic out on a high note, as Nesterovic will retire from international competition in 2008.

One can never expect an easy game against the Tall Blacks from New Zealand, whom are led by national team veterans Kirk Penney and Pero Cameron.

And can Lebanon do it again despite losing center Joe Vogel and on the heels of Fadi El-Khatib‘s proclamation that they have no chance of defeating Greece?

The rest of the Qualifying Tournament field includes the national teams from Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Croatia, and Korea.  Check out the rosters, follow the matches, and discuss everything in our forum dedicated the 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Sources and Links: FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament (Interbasket), Olympic Qualifying Tournament Message Board (Interbasket Forum), FIBA Official Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament Site (FIBA), Can Lebanon beat the odds? (Interbasket), Fadi El-Khatib: Lebanon has no chance against Greece (Forum), Croatian NT for Olympic qualies 2008, Slovenian NT, 2008 Greek NT, Lebanon NT 2008, 2008 Cameroon NT, Canada National Team, Germany NT, Puerto Rico National Team ’08, 2008 New Zealand Tall Blacks, 2008 Korea NT for Olympics Qualifier, Cape Verde National Team, Brazil NT 2008

With only four NBA teams remaining and the conference finals coming to a close, many of the NBA players from around the world are prepping for the Beijing Olympics this summer.

Players such as Yao Ming, Andrei Kirilenko, Jose Calderon, Linas Kleiza, Luis Scola and Andrew Bogut will be suiting up for their respective countries in hopes of an Olympic gold medal in Beijing.

However, there are still three slots to be determined for Beijing and these three wildcard spots will be determined by FIBA’s Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament to be held in Athens, Greece this summer.

So the road to the Olympics has yet to be determined for many teams. The favorites Greece, powerful Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Puerto Rico, and more… and some of the teams’ hopes of making it to the 2008 Olympics hinge on the participation of their NBA representatives.

Dirk Nowitzki, Germany
No one team relies on their NBA representative as much as Germany. Last season’s NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki found himself on vacation early this year after being eliminated in the first round two-years in a row. That’s bad news for the teams that are matched up against the 7-0 German as n doubt, he will do his best to qualify Deutschland in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men being held in July. “It didn’t happen for Sydney and Athens. I unconditionally want to fulfill my dream and reach Beijing.” said Nowitzki.

Steve Nash, Canada
In early December of last year, Steve Nash said he wouldn’t be representing Canada this summer, some still hold out hope that the former NBA MVP and Phoenix Sun’s leader will reconsider. The Canadian National Team recently left an open invitation and roster spot for the 6-3 point guard to ponder and reconsider.

As much as the National Team would like Nash to return, they are handling the situation with understanding of Steve’s dedication to his country in the past “We really have to be careful in addressing Steve Nash for a lot of reasons – he’s put in a lot of great years playing for Canada,” said Leo Rautins, the Canadian National Team’s head coach. “He’s coming off a gruelling NBA season and he’s a guy that’s battled a lot of different physical issues in his career. I think we have to acknowledge what he’s done as opposed to keep pushing him to do something else.”

Carlos Arroyo & J.J. Barea, Puerto Rico
“NBA contract” are the key words for Puerto Rico. With both Carlos Arroyo and Jose Juan Barea as free-agents this summer, their respective agents are certainly recommending them to stay away from Athens, Greece – where the pre-Olympic Tournament is being held.

Carlos Arroyo has been the face of the Puerto Rican National Team the last six years and that won’t change this time around if he is wearing his national team’s jersey.

Without Arroyo, JJ Barea will become a much more important piece to Puerto Rico’s hope, but his participation is also in doubt: “(My agent) advised me that I shouldn’t do anything (with Puerto Rico) unless I have a signed contract,” Barea said. “He wants me to have security in my future,”

It’s a difficult decision to make between personal financial security and national pride, but both the safe money is that both Arroyo and Barea will be in Athens. “I want to play in the pre-Olympic tournament for Puerto Rico and I will do my best to be in Greece, but all I can say right now is that we’ll take it day by day.” Barea told the Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

Nene & Leandro Barbosa, Brazil
After a very difficult season in which the 6-11 Nene was diagnosed with testicular cancer, Nene has shown interest but has yet to confirm whether he will be playing on a Brazilian team hoping to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

Not only is the promising center’s health a concern, Nene has also been at odds since 2006 with the CBB, the Brazil Basketball Confederation, over payment and insurance. Whether that is fully behind him or not is uncertain.

Despite these issues, the 25-year old was included in Brazil’s preliminary 15-man roster for the tournament, but head coach Moncho Monsalve will approach the Denver Nugget’s forward-center with caution, realizing the sensitive time in which Nene is going through: “I will call Nene but it’s his decision. If he comes in good physical form, he is very important to the national team. He told me by email that he is really motivated to play for the national team.”

With Leandro Barbosa, there is no question about representing his country “I think we just got to go and play basketball, qualify for big tournaments and think about our friends there right now in Brazil who need a job to play basketball. We got to help those guys. And the only way to help is to play for the national team and bring Brazil up.”

Rasho Nesterovic & Bostjan Nachbar, Slovenia
Slovenia’s captain Rasho Nesterovic will be playing for Team Slovenia in the qualifying tournament and is wondering whether adding more firepower may ruin the team’s chemistry. Some of the players that did not participate in Eurobasket have renewed interest in representing the small Eastern European country.

“The players that played at the EuroBasket in Spain did a very good thing and I think they should get the chance to finish their job,” said Nesterovic,“The core of the national team must stay the same, if you ask me. Maybe we need two, maybe three reinforcements, but not more.”

One of the players who took last summer off, was Bostjan Nachbar. “Last summer I worked extremely hard the whole summer,” said Nachbar. “I took off from National Team just to get ready for the NBA season.” Now this summer, despite being a free-agent and the risk of injury, the 27-year old Slovenian is leaning towards representing his country in their quest for an Olympic berth. Boki hasn’t made a decision as of yet, leaving the door open for speculation, “It’s definitely going to be an interesting summer.”

Are you going to be in Greece and interested in ticket sales for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men? Click here for the official online sales outlet.

Even though many of the NBA’s brightest foreign players will have a tough road ahead of them in even qualifying for the Beijing Olympics, there are some that didn’t even get that far.

Sources: FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament Discussion (Ibn Forum) 2008 Olympic Basketball Discussion Forum (Ibn Forum), Discuss the German National Team (Ibn Forum), Brazil National Team Discussion (Ibn Forum), Basketball Canada Extends Open Invitation to Nash (National Post), Nene Undecided (Fiba.com), Nene Included in Preliminary Brazil Squad (Fiba.com), Nowitzki Shifts Focus to Germany (Fiba.com), Nesterovic Considers Playing for Slovenia (Fiba.com), Tough Season for Nachbar (NBA.com), Player availability issues may undermine Puerto Rico in Athens (Fiba.com), Greek National Team for Pre-Olympics (Ibn Forum), Korean National Basketball Team (Ibn Forum), Canadian National Team (Ibn Forum)

Continuing yesterday’s post, Interbasket presents the five least valuable international NBA players for the 2008 NBA Playoffs through the first two games:

1. Andrea Bargnani - Everyone was talking about the benching of Rasho Nesterovic in favor or Jamario Moon, but watching Toronto play, I don’t think Rasho’s the reason why the Raptors haven’t been successul. Instead I think it’s another international seven-footer that’s starting for the Raps that is negatively affecting Toronto.

Andrea Bargnani is that culprit, the former #1 overall draft pick may be more mobile and has a bigger body than Nesterovic, but he also has a plus/minus of -34 in his first two games and looks like a D-league stiff that was brought up the ranks. Bargnani la-dee-dahs without the ball, is slow as molasses, his shot-selection blows, rarely boxes out (important against Dwight Howard) and ruins any sort of offensive flow for the Toronto Raptors.

In roughly 46 minutes of play, the 7-0 Italian has a total of 4 rebounds. That’s four total rebounds in two games for an average of 2.0 rebounds a game for your starting power forward. And that’s far below his average for the regular season — a whopping 3.7 rebounds/game.

The Raptors were down 0-2 to Orlando. At his size and if his shot isn’t falling (which it isn’t) Bargnani needs to fall out-of-love with his outside shot and find another way to help the Raps win. He needs to utilize his thick body to rough up Dwight Howard and use his bulk to make a difference in the paint on the offensive end, defensive end, and on the boards.

2. Boris Diaw – Looking at his stats you don’t see anything that would indicate him being so high on the invaluable list. However, it’s obvious to anyone watching the Suns in the playoffs that the French forward looks lost on offense. Basketball is a game of flow, and that is especially true with the Suns. Too many times I saw the Phoenix Suns swing the ball through 3-4 players so smoothly only for it to end up in Diaw’s hands, wide open, and his hesitation to shoot a 15 footer or to methodically dribble towards the basket only to throw an unconfident pass or miss the shot, has been numerous. Not only are his tactics uneffective, but his overdribbling and uncertainty has taken the Suns out of a much-needed rhythm. The Suns are down 0-2 to the Spurs.

3. Dirk Nowitzki – whoa whoa whoa Stuart, what are you talking about? The same Dirk Nowitzki that is averaging 29 and 7.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists? That can’t fall on Dirk. Yeah, but this is the same Nowitzki that also has a plus/minus of -37 through the first two games, that’s one more than the margin of loss through the two games and by far the worst on the team (Jason Terry -is next at 29, Jason Kidd -28). And Dallas is down 0-2 to Chris Paul and the Hornets.

The 7-0 German needs to really crank it up as Chris Paul has, not only stats-wise (especially rebounds), but with leadership and raising the energy level. This isn’t the regular season and he has enough experience and skill to do better for his team. No way should the leader of a team like Dallas allow something like this to happen. Chris Paul is showing the skills that Dirk has always been questioned for – leadership. Yes, Paul is a point guard but there are many ways Nowitzki can leave more of an imprint on a game. And this is where Dirk has always been questioned in the past – his leadership skills.

4. Luis Scola - I like Luis Scola, and his stats look good through two games, nearly averaging a double-double, but he makes our list because of his bone-headed play towards the end of game two vs. the Utah Jazz. After having a call go against him on the defensive end, Scola was visably frustrated. With Houston down three with the ball, McGrady recovered a loose ball passed it to a wide-open Bobby Jackson who nailed a three. Unfortunately it didn’t count. Scola was called for an offensive foul for pushing Andrei Kirilenko off. Sure, it was a flop by Kirilenko and much more physical play usually goes uncalled, especially at that time of the game, but it did get called and Houston ultimately lost that game and went down 0-2 on their homecourt. That’s why Scola makes this list.

5 – Rasho Nesterovic – As mentioned above, I don’t think the 7-0 Slovenian center should shoulder the blame for Toronto’s woes, but Rasho does need to take some as this is a game of matchups.

It should be noted that I don’t fault Rasho’s work ethic and it should also be noted that no center in the league can match up with Dwight Howard’s freak-athleticism, but when you put both Dwight and Rasho on the same court, Rasho’s mobility and agility becomes painfully apparent and is a huge detriment for Toronto. Combine that with Bargnani’s overall poor play and Andrea’s inability to defend the center position despite his size, and coach Sam Mitchell had to change something. Rasho was more a sacrificial lamb because they knew he wouldn’t complain, and Toronto probably doesn’t want to shake the confidence of a young Bargnani again by benching him (they did so mid-season).

With the NBA playoffs about to begin this weekend, Ibn would be remiss not to talk about the unprecedented competitive Western Conference this year and the roles that international players are having on every playoff-bound team. It’s just crazy to think that Dallas is the seventh seed, San Antonio or Phoenix will be sitting out the second round, and no team has less than 50 wins and no more than 57 wins.

And there is no less than 20 foreign-born players playing important roles on those eight teams. Interbasket will break down each team’s international player and how important they are to their team’s success.

1. Los Angeles Lakers
Key Rotation Players: Pau Gasol, Ronny Turiaf, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic
International Importance: 8.5/10
Notes: The Lakers have the most players in their likely playoff rotation with four and the newest one, Pau Gasol, has arguably been the most important player for the Lakers since being stolen from Memphis. The Lakers went from being serious pretenders to contenders with the late-season addition of the Spanish Superstar and World Champion.

Vladmir Radmanovic starts for the Lakers because he has the potential to become a game-changer with his outside shot, the problem is the 6-10 Radman isn’t very consistent with his play. If Radmanovic isn’t breaking his leg in skiing accidents and lying about it, he can be a game-changer for Los Angeles.

I’m convinced that Ronny Turiaf is posed to make a splash in this year’s playoffs. With his energy, all-out hustle, defense (he led the team in blocks with 1.4 a game), and with opposing teams focusing on other players — Turiaf is going to that X-factor player that everyone talks about this time of year.

What a difference a year makes. The former-baby-faced Slovenian has longer hair, facial hair, and grown up this year for the Lakers – bringing consistency and competitiveness off the bench. Sasha Vujacic is the sniper that the Lakers need, is showing feistiness on defense while leading the Lakers in three-point shooting percentage (43.7).

2. New Orleans Hornets
Key Rotation Players: Peja Stojakovic
International Importance: 5/10
Notes: Peja not only brings his well-known three-point shooting, but also brings the most playoff experience to the inexperienced Hornets. Peja’s range keeps the middle open for Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler to manuever inside.

I’m hoping Peja can help the Hornets advance and have a better playoff showing that his last couple years in Sacramento. Peja’s always been a better second or third option player, and with Chris Paul dancing around the paint and the threat of David West, Peja is free to roam the arc for open shots.

3. San Antonio Spurs
Key Rotation Players: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto, Ime Udoka
International Importance: 10/10
Notes: International players have always played a big role with the championship Spurs teams, and with every year that Tim Duncan gets older, the more the Spurs seem to rely on French point guard Tony Parker, who doesn’t cease to amaze with his ability to finish in every circumstance, and Argentine superstar Manu Ginobili, whom has arguably been San Antonio’s best player this year.

The multi-faceted and extremely dangerous Ginobili is a wildcard on a offensively-predictable team and that’s what makes Manu so important for the Spurs. He led the Spurs in scoring this season, with career highs in points, rebounds, and assists, while partly starting and partly coming off the bench throughout the season.

Manu had a stretch, when Duncan was out with an injury, where he turned up his game in keeping the Spurs afloat during the Big Fundamental’s absence. If the Spurs win it this season, it would be surprising if Manu wasn’t named the Finals MVP (he was ROBBED last year), that’s how much the paradigm has shifted.

And Ginobili has a good repoire with San Antonio’s forgotten fifth starter Fabricio Oberto, the Spur’s center and glue guy. The Argentine center clogs up the middle, cleans up the messes and rolls to the hoop for easy baskets. As mentioned above, Oberto is sometimes the forgotten Spur, but that doesn’t mean Fab’s picks, tap outs, and layups aren’t important to their overall success.

Ime Udoka, whose father was Nigerian-born, played for the Nigerian National Team in the 2006 World Championships. Udoka has played a stabilizing role for the Spurs this season with his odd looking jumper and tough defense, many of rightfully compared his style of play and intensity to Mario Elie.

4. Utah Jazz
Key Rotation Players: Andrei Kirilenko, Memo Okur
International Importance: 8/10
Notes: AK and Memo Okur are the #3 and #4 players for the Jazz and their play is hugely important for the Utah Jazz to advance on their progress from last year. As some of you may recall, Kirilenko wasn’t in the best place last season and Memo Okur couldn’t find his outside stroke in the playoffs despite earning a reputation for being a big-time shooter. Kirilenko is playing this season as if last season didn’t happen, with renewed confidence. It’s likely he got a shot of adrenaline from leading Russia to the gold medal in the European Championships (and the automatic bid to this years Olympics).

Okur was well on his way to becoming the best Turkish player in the world before he lost his outside shot last season and before Hedo Turkoglu found his career in Orlando. Okur has suggested that his down year hasn’t affected him, that he’ll take the shots as they come. With Carlos Boozer demanding double teams and Deron Williams passing the ball, the Jazz are certainly hoping that Okur is on his game this playoff season.

5. Houston Rockets
Key Rotation Players: Luis Scola, Dikembe Mutombo
International Importance: 7/10
Notes: When Yao Ming went down, every one thought that the Rockets would go down with the 7-6 Chinese center, but that hasn’t been the case. Not by a long shot. Houston definitely is more of a threat with him in the lineup for the playoffs, but the team-based play and the impending threat that Tracy McGrady could go for 50 on any given night is what makes this current version of the Rockets go. With that said, Mutombo, at age 57, is still intimidating and blocking shots, while Scola’s adapting to the NBA game will help fuel the Rockets forward.

6. Phoenix Suns
Key Rotation Players: Steve Nash, Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa, Gordan Giricek
International Importance: 10/10
Notes: Steve Nash by himself is a 10/10. The reigning MVP is enough to say that international players really play important roles for the Phoenix Suns, but we need to recognize the roles that multi-talented small forward Boris Diaw, and power bench players Leandro Barbosa and troubled Gordon Giricek play for the revamped, re-Shaqed Phoenix Suns. Adding Giricek’s shot-making ability has made the Suns that much more dangerous, and his shooting will become more important as Shaquille ONeal gets more comfortable in their re-tooled offense.

I think most are still awaiting Boris Diaw to turn up his game after the trade of Shawn Marion to the Miami Hear; the high-IQ Diaw still seems as if he’s lost on offense, has been hesitant to shoot his mid-range shots and needs to shore up his intensity. If he can get it together, especially with his great passing ability, he can make an already dangerous Nash-Amare Stoudemire-Shaquille O’Neal tandem even more powerful.

7. Dallas Mavericks
Key Rotation Players: Dirk Nowitzki
International Importance: 10/10
Notes: As the 7-0 German with the gimpy ankle goes, so goes the playoff chances for the Dallas Mavericks. Enough Said. 10 out of 10. It’s going to be a ugly off-season filled with second-guessing if the Mavs don’t make it to at least game seven of the Western Conference Finals.

8. Denver Nuggets
Key Rotation Players: Linas Kleiza, Eduardo Najera, Nene
International Importance:
Notes: These three big guys cannot be more different from each other and that’s why they’ll play important roles. Linas Kleiza has become a surprisingly consistent offensive option coming off the bench with his ability to not only shoot the three but put the ball down on the floor and attack the basket with his 6-8, 255-pound frame.

Eduardo Najera really has created a great niche for himself. He’s a poor-man’s jack of all trades and I don’t mean that in a detrimental manner. He plays defense, he rebounds, he gets on the floor, dribbles, drives, and is efficient with his time. Najera has also added a consistent three-point shot, the 6-7 Mexican forward has shot and made more threes this season than in all of his seasons combined. his newfound touch which will stretch the defense for Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony to work their offensive moves with more space to spare.

Nene is working his way back into the rotation after having a tumor removed, but if the Brazilian power player can get into game shape, the Nuggets will be in good shape on the inside. Even if Nene can give 10-15 minutes of smart play, strong defense and throwing his weight around, the Denver interior will be fortified and that much more ready for a rugged playoff run. The Nuggets will need his strength to counter Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom in the first round.

What about the East? This isn’t the case in the East where the amount of international players in key roles can be counted on one hand and three fingers – Hedo Turkoglu, Jose Manuel Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Rasho Nesterovic, Anderson Varejao Sasha Pavlovic, Carlos Arroyo, and Andrea Bargnani.

None of those players are the true, unquestioned leaders that the West has in Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki. Hedo Turkoglu plays a key role in Orlando, and Calderon runs the Toronto team, but the rest of those guys are solely role players.

And those eight can be found on only four teams – Orlando, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. The other four remaining Eastern teams; Atlanta (Zaza Pachulia), Boston, Detroit (Walter Herrmann), and Washington (Darius Songaila) have international players, but none of them play a significant enough role of mention.

Theodoros Papaloukas Leads Greece in Amazing Comeback against previously unbeaten Slovenia.

Greece 63: Slovenia 62
In the final game of the Eurobasket Quarterfinals, the Greek National Team came up big when it mattered most – the last few minutes of the game.

Greece looked as if they were finished, the majority of the game Hellas played without much energy nor motivation, as they had during most of Eurobasket. Hellas had played a miserable second-half up until six minutes left in the fourth quarter with the Slovenians leading by 16 points, 58-42.

The Greeks never gave up. They went on a decisive 21-4 run, including a 10-0 run that spanned the last 1:32. It came as no surprise that the comeback was led by Theo Papaloukas, who scored 11 of his 17 points in that six-minute span, in defeating the shocked Slovenians. Jaka Lakovic, who earlier in the tournament hit a game-winning three, had a chance to win the game, but his shot at the buzzer failed to even hit the rim. “Slovenia was better for 39 minutes, but in basketball that’s not always enough.” said Papaloukas.

Rasho Nesterovic led the Slovenians with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Greece will face Spain tomorrow in a rematch of the 2006 World Championships title game. (game thread)

[related thread: Greece vs Slovenia: Quarter-finals, day 2]