European Basketball

The final preliminary games have been played and the 2009 EuroBasket Tournament is set to begin next week, September 7th in Poland. We here at Bust a Bucket have been struggling with the lack of basketball and this tourney will be a nice opportunity for some of the NBA's and Europe's best (including a few with Blazer ties) to compete in a tourney that actually means something to the countries involved.

Click here for the EuroBasket 2009 tournament format

Group A

Team	Comment
F.Y.R. of Macedonia	The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia starts off group A of the prelims on September 7th. With recent victories over Latvia and Great Britain, the team from the former Yugoslavia has won with a balanced attack, youth and experience and complete team effort. The key player for Macedonia will be Vrbica Stefanov who is ending his legendary career playing for his home country.
Croatia	Croatia is another Euro team lacking a big name talent, but this could potentially be for the better. This team plays as a unit and relies on strong coaching and a good system to win basketball games. Strong play at the power forward and center position allow the Croatian team to match-up with all of their opponents in the group A bracket. Despite the lack of a true super star, Raptor Roko-Leni Ukic could be the key to victories for Croatia, his ability to score, rebound and distribute is vital to Croatian success.
Israel	Israel enters the EuroBasket tourney with confidence and a group of proven European players. Lior Eliyahu has been huge for Israel with his 16 points and 6+ rebounds per game. He and NBA draftee Omri Caspi have the athleticism and motivation to upset some of their group A opponents. Look for Eliyahu and Yotan Halperin to play big roles for Israel.
Greece	The Greek team, led by big man Yiannis Bouroussis, will have a tough task with expectations high and key player absences. Bouroussis will be asked to control the paint while NBA reserve Kostas Koufas and Florida guard Nick Calethes will be asked contribute, if possible, and bring Greece back to the podium (they won EuroBasket in 2005).

Group B

Team	Comment
Russia	Russia begins their defense of EuroBasket 2007 without two key guys in Andrei Kirilenko and JR Holden. The team will be led by former Blazer Victor Khryapa if he is able to play. The Russians will struggle offensively if they have to be without Khryapa and AK-47, meaning they may have to rely on another former Blazer Sergei Monya. The Russian team will have a tough defense of the title no matter what happens.
France	The French team is peaking at the right time and appears to be ready to take on the best in Europe. The balanced attack of Tony Parker and Ronny Turiaf will be devastating for all opponents. Turiaf has been on beast on the interior while Tony Parker has been his usual crafty self. No one in this tournament can guard Parker. Other NBA players like Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum will contribute in many other creative ways with Batum showing his complete arsenal at such a young age. I see France competing until the very end.
Germany	The German national team will try to compete in the EuroBasket 2009 without their superstar Dirk Nowitzki. Unfortunately for Germany, no Dirk will more than likely spell doom for their squad. Even despite their lack of star power, the German still took down Turkey in qualifiers in August which is cause for optimism for Germany and their fans.
Latvia	Latvia enters the EuroBasket tourney with one big shining star, Andris Biedrins. Biedrins has been a monster in the NBA and his ability to score, rebound, defend and adjust to the highest level will make him nearly impossible to guard in the tourney. Kristaps Janicenoks is a guy who Latvia will rely on to provide a scoring punch, Biedrins is good but he can't do it all. Perimeter shooting to complement an inside game will contribute to Latvia's success.

Group C

Team	Comment
Great Britain	England's chances in the tourney hinge on whether or not Pops Mensah-Bonsu suits up in Poland.  Pops averaged 12.2 points, 10 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots last year for the Brits in the qualifying games.  Luol Deng, who got British citizenship in '06 and is planning on playing in the 2012 Olympics, is sitting out this summer while recovering from an injury.  Blazer fans will be interested in how big man Joel Freeland performs.
Serbia	Serbia is a nation that has a long list of talented NBA players, but unfortunately  are not participating in this tourney. Peja Stojakovic, Darko Milicic, Marko Jaric and Vladimir Radmanovic to name just a few.  Nenad Krstic is the only "big" name suiting up. Luckily Serbia has a pipeline of young talent to keep them competitive, but it looks like Serbia is saving their big guns next year's World Championships.
Spain	The Spanish National Team would be a playoff team in the NBA. They boast a roster of well know stars. We all see them play the Redeem Team tough in Beijing in the Gold Medal game. Spain is at full strength, except for an injured Jose Calderon.  Ricky to Rudy.  The Gasol Brothers. Tough role players with NBA experience. This is an exciting team to watch, and should be expected to make it to the final. Blazers fans hope to catch a glimpse of their recent draft pick Victor Claver.  Note: Pau's availability is up in the air after he had surgery on his finger.

To put out a thought that all basketball players were stars is an honest thought. Each individual once led or helped lead a team to some sort of glory while gaining attention from mass media sources also known as college and professional scouts.

As for stars outside of the mainstream basketball, there are only a select few that a certain All-Star Game can hold while others take the backseat while still being an innovated part of their team’s success. Nobody knows this better than Travis Best.

Travis grabbed many nicknames throughout high school as his speed, and overall ability to play basketball impressed many.

His time spent in his teen years at the birthplace of basketball and the location of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts tearing up competition.

In his senior year he dropped 81 points on a city rival that earned him the right to be called a high school McDonald's All-American which was being held in his home town that year. The ultimate honor.

The highly recruited high school star had many options to choose from when picking a college to go to but decided to go to Georgia Tech due to a close bond with fellow teammates and also a well respected coach.

After a slow but steady freshman year, Travis burst out onto the main college basketball scene earning All-ACC selection and leading Georgia Tech to their long awaited NCAA tournament. After another two years of All-ACC selections, Best’s name floated into the honorable mention All-American by the Associated Press after his senior season.

Travis had accomplished a triumphant college career ranking in the top five all-time in Georgia Tech history in points (2,057), assists (692), minutes, three-pointers (258), and steals while retaining a star status in the state of Georgia.

Then like a well oiled machine, the big, frightful world of media power came down on him like hail.

Critics bashed hard on the 5’11” (with shoes) star from Georgia Tech but Travis learned to block it all out. He did what he had to do and did stellar workouts for many teams including Toronto, Miami, and Dallas.

Travis knew what he had to offer and stated that many times in pre draft camps to coaches and general managers with the simple motto, "I'm here to play, whenever and wherever."

Draft night came and went with Best heading on down to Indiana to play alongside Reggie Miller and the talented Pacers squad. Travis Best saw this as a perfect time to adjust. Nor was he going to be a star as he was once in Massachusetts, or in Georgia, he was going to flat out be 'that' role player.

The minnie-man behind the highlights that didn’t quite make the articles, but was also good enough to be noticed by management. This was Travis Best’s time to adjust into himself.

That year as a rookie, Travis helped Indiana to a 52-30 record alongside greats like Marc Jackson who was acquired just one year before and Miller. Though he was limited in playing time, he learned fast from former NBA coach, Larry Brown and got on his good side unlike many players after him. After a short but experienced playoff series, Travis was ready for the next step.

Things looked even better for best as they traded away starting point guard Marc Jackson opening wide doors for Best to gain a starting role and that he did.

After 56 starts though, Best was sent straight back to the pine once Marc was traded back to the Pacers from Denver. The season was a disappointment, but Best had averaged 9.9 points per game which was fifth best on the team.

It wasn't until 2000 when Travis' hard work paid off as he was given the last shot against Milwaukee. He hit the game winning three-pointer in the decisive fifth game against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs and then later on went to the Finals but falling short.

The next season he was an honorable mention for 6th Man of the Year due to his 11.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.43 steals, and 31.9 minutes over 77 game periods where he helped them reach the playoffs yet again.

Then it hit. Forty-four games into the 2002 season, Best requested a trade due to lack of playing time of newcomer Jamaal Tinsley. He knew he wasn't a starter but he wanted something bigger and better rather than being a third wheel on the young and upcoming Pacers squad so they granted his request and trading him to the Chicago Bulls. 

Best was a veteran on a young and out of control team. His conduction helped cruise the post-Jordan Bulls to 21 win seasons, six more than the previous year. His fall began as he took short stints with many other teams until he found himself in Europe.

Though he never gained the status of superstar or let alone star, Best enjoyed his time in the league passing the knowledge to newcomers and veterans alike. Reggie's right hand man will never have the highlights or the fame like many others, but what he brought to the NBA was a perfect player for other players to model after which you see from team to team.

 

We have officially entered uncharted waters. Never before in my years of reporting has a sports team been forced to abandon the field of play due to political protest from fans. Never before have fans become the central actors in turning a sporting event into a political melee.

But Tuesday evening in Ankara, Turkey, the Israeli basketball team, Bnei Hasharon, had to flee the wrath of what the Associated Press described as "hundreds of fist-pumping, chanting Turkish fans." What exploded was yet another protest against Israel's bombardment of Gaza. The shock here is the setting, a sports arena, and the target, a basketball team.

It may be surprising that this came to pass in such a supposedly apolitical environs--a Eurocup game against a team called Turk Telekom--but local officials knew this could happen and took every precaution. Thousands of police officers surrounded the court, and street demonstrations of 4,000 people were already taking place outside the arena.

Protesters shouted, "Israeli murderers, get out of Palestine!" and "Allah-u Akhbar!" as the Hasharon team bus entered the arena. Only 500 fans were even let into the arena and were also subject to intense searches, but it wasn't enough. Police made the mistake of not confiscating the shoes.

Before the game could begin, angry chants of "Israeli killers!" came down from the crowd as smuggled Palestinian flags were unfurled. Then, in a scene that would look familiar to a certain sitting president, off came the shoes as footwear rained down from the stands (the shoes didn't hit any players).

As both teams looked at the crowd, frozen in place, battles began between police officers and Turkish fans, as the fans surged forward to take the court. Both Hasharon and Turk Telecom were rushed off and spent two hours in the locker rooms while the battle for control of the arena raged on.

Hashoran captain Meir Tapiro spoke about the fear and chaos he felt around him to the Jerusalem Post: "The fans raced on to the court and ran towards us like madmen, but the police stopped them. It was really scary."

After ninety minutes all the fans were expelled, arrested or dragged from the arena. The referees attempted to get the teams back onto the court to play before an empty arena, but Bnei Hasharon, after two hours of being prisoners in their locker room, had no desire to play. Referees called it a forfeit, and the Turks were declared winners of the game by the official forfeit score of 20-0. Hasharon team chairman Eldad Akunis was understandably incensed.

"After such a trying ordeal, there was simply no point in playing. The players were just concerned for their safety. We were also given instructions by the Israeli embassy staff, who were monitoring the situation, not to play," said Akunis.

There is no doubt that it was "a trying ordeal," a frightening experience that not even Red Sox fans would wish on the Yankees. But to put it mildly, it pales in comparison to the situation in Gaza itself. With more than 500 deaths, 3,000 injuries and 100 tons of bombs dropped on one of the impoverished regions of the world, the trials of a basketball team seem trivial.

It's certainly true that none of the players—two of whom are African, five of whom are American-born—bear a hint of responsibility for any of this carnage. But it's difficult not to remember the famous telegram sent by playwright Arthur Miller to President Lyndon Johnson. Miller was invited for a gala of some kind and refused, saying, "When the guns boom, the arts die." Perhaps when the guns boom, sports should die as well.

We may recall January 2008, when soccer star Mohamed Aboutreika lifted his shirt to reveal the slogan "Sympathize with Gaza." He wanted people to stand up and notice that an economic blockade had triggered, for the Palestinians in Gaza, a humanitarian crisis. The new year begins with another instance where the reality of Gaza has unexpectedly interrupted the field of play. Only this time—fitting the new moment—it was altogether more livid, more dangerous and more desperate. No sympathy has meant no peace.

Some of the league's best players today have hailed from out of this world, or at least out of the US.

International players have a certain integrity—they play for the team, not for themselves. We over me. They have a competitive streak that is fueled by their passion and love for the game.

Let's show the rosters, shall we?

TONY PARKER, point guard

Born in France.

Tony Parker should be called le blur; he's that fast. You can try and guard him, but watch your ankles. He's fearless; he'll take on anyone in the lane. Us at home are left to imagine what its like—floating effortlessly towards the rim as if held in place by some imaginary hand, and finishing with a signature teardrop.

TP is overlooked by the other PG's today, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Baron Davis, Gilbert Arenas, but go ahead, doubt him. It takes less pressure off him, and he'll only play better.

MANU GINOBILI, shooting guard

Born in Argentina.

Swish. Swish. Swish.

No, that's not Indiana Jones knifing through tall grass, that's Emanuel Ginobili knifing to the basket and finishing.

A trusty left-handed shooter, Ginobili is uncontrollable on a floor. Make him drive with his right, no problem! You'll overestimate him. He'll simply go behind the back, take one long stride with his right leg and finish with his left.

Okay, so he doesn't drive. He decides to stay off the paint and try his luck from the field. Manu will fake, you will jump, he'll draw contact and swish-make the shot. 

Coming off the bench doesn't hurt his ego—he lets you decide what kind of player he is when you watch him. Or maybe he'll let three NBA Championships, two Olympic Medals (gold and bronze) and a Euroleague Title talk for him.

HEDO TURKOGLU, small forward

Born in Turkey.

For you that aren't familiar, get familiar. You'll be amazed at how much one can flourish when given the opportunity to do so. He even won the NBA's Most Improved Player award last season.

His efforts made him a solid player for Orlando—19.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg, and 46 percent from the field, 83 percent from the line, and an above average 40 percent from three-point land. Turkoglu has developed as a solid defender and remains one of the more clutch players today.

TIM DUNCAN, power forward

Born in the Virgin Islands.

What's more insane than Timmy's consistency for more than a decade? The fact that he never picked up a basketball until he was 14 years old. Or maybe that he shows no emotion whatsoever in a game, except maybe when a questionable foul is called. It psyches out his opponents (his degree in psychology might help). He shows no anticipation, no excitement, no devastation, no pressure. 

His 15-foot bank shot is a guarantee, and his dribble-pivot-swish is deadly. If "boring" is another word for "crazy good", then Duncan will gladly accept the label bestowed upon him. Besides, you can't spell BORING without RING(S), and Timmy's earned a handful of them: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007.

YAO MING, center

Born in China.

It's hard not to recognize this man. Maybe it's the height, or maybe it's just skill.

His field goal percentage is incredible; a staggering .507. Always good for 20. He was selected first in the 2002 draft (duh), and had an average of 13.5 points per game. Right now, Yao has about 11 rebounds per game and no one can help it.

He stands a foot above the rest. To make an easy shot, he simply does a little jump and bam—his head crashes into the ceiling and it caves in. Okay, that's a bit exaggerated. But this man deserves all the hype.

Key Bench Players:

STEVE NASH, point guard

Born in South Africa.

After a short stint with Dallas, Phoenix is glad to get its 15th pick (1996) back. And I'm not sure if any other player has been more welcome back.

Steve is 35 years old and plays like he's 25. He's driving to the lane, you follow, he's mid-air, and you jump up to contest his shot and...there's no ball. In half a second Nash accomplished passing the ball behind his back to an open teammate left unguarded. That's how the man gets 10-plus assists every night.

Oh, if only there was a "Best Teammate" award in the NBA. Guess Nash will have to settle with two back-to-back MVPs.

BEN GORDON, shooting guard

Born in England.

Impressive (adj.): Being a shooting guard at only 6'2''.

That's only one word used to describe Ben Gordon. You could say incredible, for that would describe his leaping ability. Awesome is his free throw, dangerous is Gordon's shot.

What he lacks in defense, he makes up for in his offensive abilities. 18.8 points per game is nothing to laugh at.

ANDREI KIRILENKO, small forward

Born in Russia.

Yes, I'm throwing the big man in at SF.

Very fluid for his size, and his large wingspan allows him to play at either forward spot. He's like an assassin. His weapon of choice: the element of surprise. Whether its defense or offense, Andrei Kirilenko is bound to stun and shut you down.

He's even improved his three-point shot, so don't be bewildered if he knocks one down on you. A piece of advice, Jazz rivals: don't bother taking a shot, Kirilenko will block it anyways.

AK47—This man rocks it. He represents the piece of artillery well.

DIRK NOWITZKI, power forward

Born in Germany.

The Blonde Bomber, The Big German, The Dunking Deutchman, Dirkules, German Wunderkind, The Dirkinator.

Trust me, he didn't get that resume of nick names the first year he joined Dallas. It took some confidence and practice to get those. Captain of the Mavs suited soon after.

Being one of the only big men to ever have a knack for threes, it's kinda' scary. You expect him to charge into the lane and dunk (well sometimes that's the case) but he usually steps behind the arc and makes them all day.  I'm not talking an occasional three, I'm talking 2-5 a night. He's the only player in NBA history to register 150 three-point field goals and 100 blocks in a season (2000-2001).

So please tell us.

"Dirk, wie ist die Luft dort oben?" (Dirk, how is the air up there?) -song by Sportfreunde Stiller.

I bet its pretty damn good.

PAU GASOL, center

Born in Spain.

His skill matches his looks: a beast. A basketball conquistador.

Invading the NBA in 2001, he made you want to be a Grizzlies fan. He instantly became their best player. 

His big, demeaning appearance was enough for most players to back off and clear way for "Power Gasol". Getting to the rim was no sweat for him, child's play. Back to basket, head on, 3 on 1, all easy. His rookie year was ample, with nearly 18 points per game.

This savvy Spanish star is a force to be reckoned with.

SPQR is an initialism from a Latin phrase, Senātus Populusque Rōmānus ("The Senate and the People of Rome" or "The Senate and Roman People"). This is a phrase Oak Hill Academy star guard Brandon Jennings might become all too familiar with, since you can find it on almost every parchment and manhole in Rome. It's even on the city's coat of arms.

According to Italian source basketcentral.it, Jennings has received an offer from Lottomatica Roma (Virtus Rome). Reports are the contract being offered is somewhat in the range of a one-and-one year deal worth around $300,000. Jennings prefers a one-year deal.

Looking from the outside in, this might be a perfect fit for someone who is trying to blaze a new trail for high-school standouts. Lottomatica finished second overall in Serie A league play with a 23-11 record, and made it to the Italian Serie A finals before losing four games to one.

If Jennings signs with Roma, he would team up with former Villanova guard Allan Ray. That backcourt could get Lottomatica over the top.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, as this is only one offer by one team. At this point, Jennings has stated that he will not be making a choice of team until August 1st. This definitely keeps the door open for other offers to be presented and considered.

There's also the matter of which shoe contract he will sign with. Nike, Reebok, and Adidas are all fighting to land the all world point guard, and the team and location in which he chooses could be a major indicator of who he signs with.

• Sonny Vaccaro, who is acting as an advisor to Jennings and his mother, Alice Knox, said Friday that he will meet with Jennings Sunday in Las Vegas, where he will attend the NBA summer league.
• According to Vaccaro, Brandon will have a European agent who only deals with European contracts, and he will pick a marketing firm that is not connected to his American based agent.
• Jeff Valle (Jennings Attorney) said Jennings could be open to a multi-year contract overseas, although his primary goal is to play in the NBA, beginning in 2009-10. The NBA confirmed once Jennings signs a pro contract overseas and is 19, he will become eligible for the 2009 draft. But Vaccaro said a longer-term deal with a buyout is a possibility for Jennings since it would give the overseas club leverage with an NBA franchise and give Jennings some security.

References:

http://basketcentral.it/news/usa/brandon_jennings_europa.html

http://www.eurobasket.com/ita/ita.asp

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3483940

    

The hottest news on the Prep, College, and Professional scene this weekend was, and still is, the possibility of All World Point Guard Brandon Jennings de-committing from his national letter of intent with the University of Arizona Wildcats, and taking his talents across the pond to Europe.

“For a person that plays ball, our dream is to get to the NBA,” Jennings said. “College is like, Okay. We’ll do this one year, but our real mind-set is that we’re trying to get to the league, take care of our families. They’re making us do college so we feel like, Let’s do one year, go to class half the time.”

Dozens of critics will, and have said this would not be in the best interest of Jennings, and have stated that European ball is production driven— with less concern with player development.

Now this topic comes to life due to the SAT scores that have Jennings weighing his options. The first time he took the test he did not meet the requirements, so he obviously had to take it over again.

When the scores came back from the second test he had meet the requirements, but since the scores differed so much he was red flagged and told to take the test a third time.

So, while Mr. Jennings and the rest of the world wait for his S.A.T scores, Jennings will be considering what’s best for him and his family.

Now, my impression of this young man, is that he knows what he's doing, and has the type of support that most high profile athletes lack. I've watched Brandon play since his sophomore year, and have had the chance to sit down with him at the McDonald's All American game, and the Jordan Brand Classic for several interviews.

The kid has what it takes mentally, and there's no doubt that he's driven to be great!

The physical aspect, and the focus on his personal development are areas of concern, but if he is as dedicated to being great like I suspect he is, European leagues better watch out!

This whole process might really affect the college ranks, but could in turn be a major benefit for those high profile athletes coming out of high school who need to make a living for their families.

“I think people just develop better over there,” Jennings said. “You’re playing professional ball for a year, you’re playing against guys who are older than you. I’ll constantly be playing basketball 24-7. I don’t have to worry about school and things like that.”

Reference: Quotes from WILLIAM C. RHODEN New York Times Article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/23/sports/basketball/23rhoden.html?ex=1371960000&en=3b7d43fedb350539&ei=5124&partner=facebook&exprod=facebook

     

As many of you may already know, David Stern has avidly discussed a plan in which he would hope to create five NBA franchises overseas within the next decade. This would undoubtedly be a bold move, as no major league organization has yet to attempt expansion to Europe.

While the idea seems impracticable upon first glance, there also appears to be a large upside to such a move. Therefore, I will analyze the pros and cons of this proposition, in hopes of better understanding the impact it may have on the NBA and its fans:

 

Pros

• Having European teams participate in the NBA would greatly increase interest level among both American fans as well as European fans.
• Financially, the NBA could prosper greatly. Jersey sales would skyrocket both in the USA as well as in Europe, especially within the first few years of the expansion.
• In recent years and in a variety of sports, foreign countries have frequently criticized the U.S for stealing away international talent into the American professional leagues. With European expansion, that would no longer be an issue.
• If successful, the NBA would become the first professional league to expand its reach across the globe in the form of actual participating teams. This would allow David Stern to leave behind a legacy unlike any other, and it would be a credit that the NBA would have above all other American professional sports leagues.

 

Cons

• Potential travel issues may arise. In a playoff series, not many players would enjoy flying back and forth between L.A and Rome.
• Many American players would likely not want to play for a European team, as that would likely force the player to move to that city as well as his family.
• Establishing an entirely new fan base and building new stadiums on foreign soil can be harder than it seems.
• In the eyes of some NBA fans, assimilating European cities into the NBA would damage the nationalist pride of the league. After all, it IS the National Basketball Association.

While both the pros and cons for the argument are credible, I personally believe that expanding the NBA into Europe would be a great idea. If everything goes as planned, five European teams will be playing in the NBA within the next 10 years.

A separate division will be created for these teams, and scheduling would likely be extra sensitive to the difficult travel that these teams would face. All in all, I believe this move, if executed successfully, will benefit the NBA more than we can imagine.