Lawson is the best player on one of the best teams in the NBA

[DarkoMVP]

So much for the NBA being better - 8-4 and beating the Heat led by a Euroleague scrub. Second best player is Gallinari, who derailed a reasonably talented team to a 2-5 record (which promptly improved without him). Starting center is a Eurocup player. #3 in minutes played is Arron Afflalo, whatever the hell that is - sounds like someone from Israel Division B.

[Valentinas E]

While D.Summers is scoring 8.4 points per game

[cesnakas]

Dont you think some one adapt better then others? Dont you think that some teams are better for some then the others? Dont you think that some coaches are more suitable for for ones then the others?

[madmax]

NBA is a league for athletes
Euroleague is designed for coaches and their tactics

Defensive intensity and approach to the details is much more defined in Europe too, not to mention ability to handcheck guards and no retarded "3 seconds in the paint" rule defensively...in other words it's almost impossible to play defense in NBA right now

[CKR13]

Just another thread from a European who still suffers from the inferiority complex towards the NBA. It is lamentable. While the rest of us here on this section do not even touch such a trivial topic. Aren't we sick of this NBA-Euroleague GAP topic?

The Euroleague has closed the gap significantly by the turn of this century. Surely both leagues can co-exist without the senile ramblings of the paranoid ones.

[Terrorizer]

CKR13, I mostly agree with you though you're too harsh in your words. But, I guess, you can understand that we, Europeans, are very fed up with the 'all the worthwhile players on the Globe are in NBA', 'shittiest NBA player warming the bench for some Golden State would be a Euroleague superstar', 'decent NCAA team would win Euroleague', 'there are no players in Europe who can play significant role in NBA'-bullshit. That is pretty much a consensus of some very broad public strata here in Europe even if it is as laughable as the whole "NBA is only the flying circus for retarded public with no team-play and defense present whatsoever' sentiment. TBH, I love European bball much more though I understand that individual strength-wise NBA is still significantly better (though not by a mile). But we are all very tired of the brainless NBA-worshipping in Europe (among Europeans, btw) with arguments like 'look, Nico Batum is averaging 23 ranking per game, so he is is dominating Euroleague right now while being one of the many team offense options overseas,' never mind that he played in one of the shittiest Euroleague teams which didn't even make it to the Top 16 and was playing there literally 40 mpg while shooting something like 35-40% from the field. So I understand guys who love European bball and want to counterbalance this NBA lickspittle with some counterexamples of players who suck in Europe (and Lawson suck really badly) but seem to have much more impact in their NBA teams. Bricky Rubio is another perfect example. I don't think that it is very productive way of having discussion but it is completely understandable given huge amount of pro-NBA bias here in Europe.

[Raze Lupin]

Just another thread from a European who still suffers from the inferiority complex towards the NBA. It is lamentable. While the rest of us here on this section do not even touch such a trivial topic. Aren't we sick of this NBA-Euroleague GAP topic?

The Euroleague has closed the gap significantly by the turn of this century. Surely both leagues can co-exist without the senile ramblings of the paranoid ones.

Quoted for truth!!! The gap in individual talent has closed significantly. The difference is style of play.There are NBA players doing great in Euroleague. There are Euroleague players doing great in NBA. No need to debate because the style is so different.

[NorCal]

CKR13, I mostly agree with you though you're too harsh in your words. But, I guess, you can understand that we, Europeans, are very fed up with the 'all the worthwhile players on the Globe are in NBA', 'shittiest NBA player warming the bench for some Golden State would be a Euroleague superstar', 'decent NCAA team would win Euroleague', 'there are no players in Europe who can play significant role in NBA'-bullshit. That is pretty much a consensus of some very broad public strata here in Europe even if it is as laughable as the whole "NBA is only the flying circus for retarded public with no team-play and defense present whatsoever' sentiment. TBH, I love European bball much more though I understand that individual strength-wise NBA is still significantly better (though not by a mile). But we are all very tired of the brainless NBA-worshipping in Europe (among Europeans, btw) with arguments like 'look, Nico Batum is averaging 23 ranking per game, so he is is dominating Euroleague right now while being one of the many team offense options overseas,' never mind that he played in one of the shittiest Euroleague teams which didn't even make it to the Top 16 and was playing there literally 40 mpg while shooting something like 35-40% from the field. So I understand guys who love European bball and want to counterbalance this NBA lickspittle with some counterexamples of players who suck in Europe (and Lawson suck really badly) but seem to have much more impact in their NBA teams. Bricky Rubio is another perfect example. I don't think that it is very productive way of having discussion but it is completely understandable given huge amount of pro-NBA bias here in Europe.

I agree with your statements and I could understand where the desire comes from for your Europeans who think that their basketball is not getting the respect it deserves. However, my main problem with DarkoMVP's opening this thread is that this forum is not the place for such topics. The majority of the users here are basketball saavy and understand the European game well enough to have what I believe is a realistic viewpoint of the collective strengths/weaknesses of Euroleague vs. NBA. The people that tend to screw things up are guys like DarkoMVP who just want to start a flame war. Pay no attention to him or to anyone who makes any of the biased comments ("shittiest NBA player is superstar in Europe, etc.") you wrote in your post.

[CKR13]

CKR13, I mostly agree with you though you're too harsh in your words. But, I guess, you can understand that we, Europeans, are very fed up with the 'all the worthwhile players on the Globe are in NBA', 'shittiest NBA player warming the bench for some Golden State would be a Euroleague superstar', 'decent NCAA team would win Euroleague', 'there are no players in Europe who can play significant role in NBA'-bullshit. That is pretty much a consensus of some very broad public strata here in Europe even if it is as laughable as the whole "NBA is only the flying circus for retarded public with no team-play and defense present whatsoever' sentiment. TBH, I love European bball much more though I understand that individual strength-wise NBA is still significantly better (though not by a mile). But we are all very tired of the brainless NBA-worshipping in Europe (among Europeans, btw) with arguments like 'look, Nico Batum is averaging 23 ranking per game, so he is is dominating Euroleague right now while being one of the many team offense options overseas,' never mind that he played in one of the shittiest Euroleague teams which didn't even make it to the Top 16 and was playing there literally 40 mpg while shooting something like 35-40% from the field. So I understand guys who love European bball and want to counterbalance this NBA lickspittle with some counterexamples of players who suck in Europe (and Lawson suck really badly) but seem to have much more impact in their NBA teams. Bricky Rubio is another perfect example. I don't think that it is very productive way of having discussion but it is completely understandable given huge amount of pro-NBA bias here in Europe.

Then keep it to yourselves. What was DarkoMVP's intent anyways in opening the thread besides rambling? I don't open threads to bash Europe. Neither does any poster here in the NBA section. Do we really need NBA vs. Euroleague threads?

Answer is no we don't. Be classy Euroleague fans and concentrate in your league. Don't bring the mindless consensus of other boards here. Is that clear?

[Just to make things clear, the thread was originally posted in the Euroleague section, I moved it here. rikhardur]

[JGX]

Doesn't say much for the Zalgiris coaches that they weren't able to get anything out of him.

[DarkoMVP]

Well, I posted on Euroleague forum, supposed to be interesting, inspirational fact - Denver is like a Euroleague team (also Rudy), and doing well in NBA. Maybe seems more like bashing once it got moved to this forum.

[Mindozas]

Doesn't say much for the Zalgiris coaches that they weren't able to get anything out of him.

Oh come on... Zalgiris surely wasn't and isn't coached by geniuses, but Lawson case was discussed many times here and it surely isn't only coaches to blame that he looked terrible or better say - uninterested...

[Chopin]

It is very interesting to follow Denver this year. Imho, they are the closest to Euroleague team in NBA, with that rooster, they would surely be a top16 Euroleague team. To go to the final 4 of Euroleague they would probably need a better pg (that would suit European game more).

I think that pg position is the hardest one in Euroleague and there ara lot of great players at that position, that is probably why Lawson and Rubio had a lot of problems, but can play very good in NBA. Also fast paced game suits those two players more.

Other players that played in Europe during the lockout dont have better statistics like Lawson or Rubio, but very similar avarages like their Euroleague numbers.

[Raze Lupin]

It is very interesting to follow Denver this year. Imho, they are the closest to Euroleague team in NBA, with that rooster, they would surely be a top16 Euroleague team. To go to the final 4 of Euroleague they would probably need a better pg (that would suit European game more).

I think that pg position is the hardest one in Euroleague and there ara lot of great players at that position, that is probably why Lawson and Rubio had a lot of problems, but can play very good in NBA. Also fast paced game suits those two players more.

Other players that played in Europe during the lockout dont have better statistics like Lawson or Rubio, but very similar avarages like their Euroleague numbers.

Toronto could be a Euroleague team too.

[Levenspiel]

Actually - if he/she is serious - DarkoMVP's own logic just supports the opposite argument.
If we are fair in example selections, I'd say the number of mediocre players in NBA being superstars in EL (or EL superstars being nobody in NBA) are significantly greater.

But I don't think that this logic works either way. In EL, we almost all have favorite teams, not just like being a fan, but we're emotionally connected (through nationality, history, hostility, etc); and when we watch a game, we really really care about every single play, every non-play, every whistle, even it's a terrible game with a 51-47 score. Even when it's a genuine wrestling match - by Jon Koncak's words-, we convince ourselves that it's indeed intense Euro basketball. We have to come up with a reason to like it. This is not gonna happen in NBA, or in any other league even if they play the ultimate basketball. We'll just start whining when the refs overlook a travelling case, or a big star selfishly messes up a play. because we are not really connected in the same way, we cannot be.