Which Euroleaguers are headed for the NBA?

[mavs128]

Any ideas? Other than Rudy Fernandez, and possibly Marco Bellinili (along with some other minor prospects), what vets could be coming to the nba? Last season saw Anthony Parker, Garbajosa, and Hermann make the jump. What about some of these names?

Navarro (rights owned by Washington)
Scola (rights owned by San Antonio)
Schortsanitis (rights owned by LA Clippers)
Siskauskus
Acker
Vujcic
Diamantidis
Papaloukas

Personally I think Navarro, Scola, and possibly Vujcic come stateside. Toronto will be in need of a G/F, and I'm wondering if they look to Europe for the answer. I doubt Diamantidis or Papaloukas give up their rockstar status for only slightly more money in the NBA and far lesser roles. And it isn't hard to imagine Acker returning to the NBA after such a sucessfull season. I'm not sure how Siskauskus's game would translate to the NBA.

Any thoughts on these or others?

[pablonis]

I hope none... with any luck, some maybe will even return
________
Find Dispensary

[Nemesis 11 (aka Sabas 11)]

Any ideas? Other than Rudy Fernandez, and possibly Marco Bellinili (along with some other minor prospects), what vets could be coming to the nba? Last season saw Anthony Parker, Garbajosa, and Hermann make the jump. What about some of these names?

Navarro (rights owned by Washington)
Scola (rights owned by San Antonio)
Schortsanitis (rights owned by LA Clippers)
Siskauskus
Acker
Vujcic
Diamantidis
Papaloukas

Personally I think Navarro, Scola, and possibly Vujcic come stateside. Toronto will be in need of a G/F, and I'm wondering if they look to Europe for the answer. I doubt Diamantidis or Papaloukas give up their rockstar status for only slightly more money in the NBA and far lesser roles. And it isn't hard to imagine Acker returning to the NBA after such a sucessfull season. I'm not sure how Siskauskus's game would translate to the NBA.

Any thoughts on these or others?

Navarro might have trouble on the defensive end in the NBA, but he could play off the bench and shoot threes like Steve Kerr did. Scola HAS to go in my opinion...if he waits it might be too late. He is not the biggest most athletic guy but he could play a role off the bench for any team. Sofo has to get in shape...so I think he won't be able to go yet. Siskauskas' game doesn't translate well into the NBA. He's basically a shooter and lacks the quickness and ball handling skills. Acker is good, but there are many like him already there. Diamantidis already said in an interview years ago he doesn't want to go and Papaloukas might not be too interested either. No Greek player in recent times has done well in the NBA. Fotsis languished on the bench and went back to Europe. Rentzias warmed the bench and Tsakalidis does the same as well as Spanoulis now. Finally Vujcic, who might be a very good player in Europe but probably too old to make a career in the NBA. He has an interesting skill set though and a team open to international players like Toronto or San Antonio might be interested in him. The Spurs especially could make some use of him playing alongside Tim Duncan. The problem is could he guard the low post in the NBA?

[rikhardur]

If Europeans or players playing in Europe are to be bench warmers in the NBA, they better stay in Europe, where they show their value and skills. We have cases, like Jasikevičius, Spanoulis and others, who are just wasting their time and talent in the NBA. It's not worth it at all. And besides, getting out of shape due to being in the bench and not playing and sometimes refusing to play for the NTs or not being in shape to play for them properly are also reasons why they should stay in Europe, unless it's otherwise of course. In any case, I don't think the players mentioned would have more than the role of bench players (also bearing in mind the mentality of NBA teams and their knowledge of foreign basketball), since some are not ready yet to play there and some wouldn't fit the system. Rudy is perhaps the only one I'd say could make something there at this moment.

[LuDux]

Siskauskas' game doesn't translate well into the NBA. He's basically a shooter and lacks the quickness and ball handling skills.

This description fits Macas very well but Siskauskas? He's quick (good first step), good defender (long arms), athletic (can A.Parker dunk from FT line), can create his own shot and good enough ball handler to be jasikevicius' back up at PGAnd he can be effective without being no1 scoring option. And of cause everything depends on NBA team. For example he could replace Barry as Spurs' starting SG

Javtokas had good money so he may be more willing to play for Spurs for less money

Players who may return to Europe: Andriuskevicius Rebraca Udrih

[Joško Poljak Fan]

Players who may return to Europe: Andriuskevicius Rebraca Udrih

ufff...
Rebraca's health troubles might mean he'll end his career as far as I've read...
Udrih- he'll probably try it out in some other NBA team, but imo he should definately return. some things he is good at, aren't really appreciated in NBA, so no need for him to sit on bench, while he could be a terrific PG in europe.
Slokar- hopefully he'll finaly sign with a club up to his abilties to get some playing time once in a career
Ilić- should get a reality check, just as Slokar
Korolev, Hryapa...

well I guess we could make a huge list of players returning from NBA, while I guess by now you all know my feelings about players leaving for NBA

[rikhardur]

I guess by now you all know my feelings about players leaving for NBA

And I'm starting to be with you there, especially for the reasons I mentioned.

[GR8BBALL]

Any ideas? Other than Rudy Fernandez, and possibly Marco Bellinili (along with some other minor prospects), what vets could be coming to the nba? Last season saw Anthony Parker, Garbajosa, and Hermann make the jump. What about some of these names?

Navarro (rights owned by Washington)
Scola (rights owned by San Antonio)
Schortsanitis (rights owned by LA Clippers)
Siskauskus
Acker
Vujcic
Diamantidis
Papaloukas

Personally I think Navarro, Scola, and possibly Vujcic come stateside. Toronto will be in need of a G/F, and I'm wondering if they look to Europe for the answer. I doubt Diamantidis or Papaloukas give up their rockstar status for only slightly more money in the NBA and far lesser roles. And it isn't hard to imagine Acker returning to the NBA after such a sucessfull season. I'm not sure how Siskauskus's game would translate to the NBA.

Any thoughts on these or others?

IMO Scola can be a legitimate pf in the nba for the right team.
Navarro would have to face quicker and stronger players in his position so I am not sure how his mid-range and penetration would translate in the nba., while he's kind of small for an sg.
Schortsanitis seems uninterested and lazy and in his mind he's probably the best pf in the world so I don't see any progress for him.
Acker is very inconsistent and needs to bulk up a bit to play good D, Siskauskas looks pretty slow and plays like he has back problems, shows very limited agility. That's a no go for a sf in the league.
Diamantidis could play well but his personality is too modest plus he wouldn't leave Greece to pursue a career in the US. Papaloukas is very smart, he knows he's not gonna get treatment and contract like in Moscow so he'll stay there.
Vujcic would probably be efficient in the nba he does have a good skillset and should give it a try.

[ZFreak]

IMO Sofo has to go. He's style fits the style played in the NBA. He would have harder time battling NBA centers, but if he want's to be one of the best centers in the world he should go.

Diamantidis, Papalukas, Navarro, Siskauskus, Acker... should definitely stay, they are at their best at the european style of basketball.

Scola reached his full potential in Europe and made his mark so he should go to the NBA for a new fresh challenge.

About Vujcic, I'm not sure about him. He looks to frail to me for a NBA center/forward, but his skills and touch are excellent. Maybe he should give it a try, but he has to be selective of which team he would join.

[mavs128]

honestly for the free agents out there, they're best off going to BAD teams and getting playing time. If they go to a top team, they're not going to get much playing time and they're not going to even have a chance of developing an NBA game. They should do what Hermann did. His case is the model as well...he gets a little bit of playing time early, plays poorly, gets benched, and then due to injury he's forced into a major role and performs admirably. The first part of that model has happened with most Euroleaguers trying to make it in the US.

With Navarro, Washington's starting shooting gaurd is a free agent this summer (DeShawn Stevenson), so they could be looking to add depth to that position.

San Antonio decided against bringing Scola over the past 2 years, and they don't really have any free agents at the PF or C spot this summer, so if he comes over it will most likely be through a trade.

[robbe]

It's not a question of being "good enough". it's rather a question of having what NBA teams need.
Scola has kicked Team USAs ass for years, but his style imo doesn't fit into the NBA so that he won't be a great player over there despite having looked good against NBA star players.
He blossoms in pick and roll play with playmakers like Prigioni and Sanchez, which he won't have on NBA teams. He might be a good player with his back to the basket, but that's not his real strength imo. So his talent would be wasted.
Navarro is an undersized two for NBA standard. He won't have a good team defence to rely on over there and, if isolated, his one on one weaknesses might become obivous. Plus, I'm not sure if the Wizards are ready to run im through screens so he can get open for the three or curl in for dropping his floater.
If Vujcic decides to go, he should wait and see where Rick Adelman signs next season (I read that he might come back) so he can play the offense that Vlade Divac played very well in. Vujcic is an average player if he isn't allowed to do what he does best.

Diamantidis and Papaloukas will stay - thank god.

The thing here is trust. NBA franchises will trust Europeans like Parker and Nowitzki. Players they formed. But they won't have trust in Euroleague veterans like Jasikevicius, Vujcic, Papaloukas. Players who they can't force into changing their games.

[CG]

i have a feeling that this year we will have the returning of many players from the NBA.On contrary less of them will leave Europe.Maybe players like Perovic or Rudy have the NBA dream but i think that top europeans wont leave their paradise to go in an uncertain future.Especially greeks after what Spanoulis have suffered this year.

[qiangdade]

Any ideas? Other than Rudy Fernandez, and possibly Marco Bellinili (along with some other minor prospects), what vets could be coming to the nba? Last season saw Anthony Parker, Garbajosa, and Hermann make the jump. What about some of these names?

Navarro (rights owned by Washington)
Scola (rights owned by San Antonio)
Schortsanitis (rights owned by LA Clippers)
Siskauskus
Acker
Vujcic
Diamantidis
Papaloukas

Personally I think Navarro, Scola, and possibly Vujcic come stateside. Toronto will be in need of a G/F, and I'm wondering if they look to Europe for the answer. I doubt Diamantidis or Papaloukas give up their rockstar status for only slightly more money in the NBA and far lesser roles. And it isn't hard to imagine Acker returning to the NBA after such a sucessfull season. I'm not sure how Siskauskus's game would translate to the NBA.

Any thoughts on these or others?

Diamantidis: He has repeatedly said he doesn't wanna go to the nba. He recently renewed his contact with Pao
Papaloukas: How on earth is he gonna earn more money in the nba?? He gets 2,5 mil euro net!! That's over 3 mil dollars. He would have to get a conract of 6-7 mil to be earning more. Also i think he would be demoralized to go cause of the spanoulis experience
Schortsanitis: A lot depends on wether Gherson stays with Olympiakos. I think he should go, at least to lose a couple of kgs. He will also probably lose his place in the NT this summer to Bourousis.
Scola: If Tau wins the euroleague they might let him go. He is still under contract and has a 10 mil buyout clause. In any case he is not really needed in San Antonio
Vujcic, Siskauskas, Navarro: Imo they are too soft for the nba.

Probably some Frenchies will go to the nba again...

[Markoishvili]

If Mehmet Okur, a player that cannot get his feet off the ground to save his life, that barely plays a lick of defense, that is slow and has troubles scoring in the post, is an All-Star Center in the NBA than there is no question that Smodis, Andersen, Vujcic and others could atleast be dependable contributors.

Except for Saras and Macijauskas who are both matador defenders and poor athlete`s most of the other Euroleague stars have find thier roles with more or less succes. So im pretty sure that all of the guys youre mentioning would do just fine at the NBA level, considering that have atleast adept size and athletic ability.

[turkishpower]

If Mehmet Okur, a player that cannot get his feet off the ground to save his life, that barely plays a lick of defense, that is slow and has troubles scoring in the post, is an All-Star Center in the NBA than there is no question that Smodis, Andersen, Vujcic and others could atleast be dependable contributors.

Except for Saras and Macijauskas who are both matador defenders and poor athlete`s most of the other Euroleague stars have find thier roles with more or less succes. So im pretty sure that all of the guys youre mentioning would do just fine at the NBA level, considering that have atleast adept size and athletic ability.

lol about everything you said about Memo, don't worry the players you protect Smodis-Andersen-Vujcic, they are all worse. Vujcic is a good player but not NBA type. But I don't understand all this Smodis-Andersen hype and overrate. I mean, they are PF's and not better than Turkcan in 1999-2004. If Turkcan couldn't make it in NBA, Smodis has no chance either. Andersen is even worse.

If Memo is that bad, think about it. They wouldn't make a terrible player in NBA an all-star, there should be a reason.

Edit: And also it is funny you say Memo has troubles in scoring in the post. The guy can hit any jumper easily in the post and also triples. And thus he does have a post-game. Watch some games and then try to post on basketball forums.