Leave The Kids In Europe

[Ataraxia]

http://draftcity.com/viewarticle.php?a=80

Leave the kids in Europe!
Luis Fernández - Deputy Director of Scouting
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December 24, 2004

It’s impossible not to notice the massive body of Pavel Podkolzin sitting just behind the Mavericks' bench. He’s the latest representative of the big wave of international guys who arrive to the NBA with a load bag of promises and very few chances to crack his team’s rotation.

And despite his situation, or despite what is happening with players like Andris Biedrins, Nikoloz Tskitishvili or Darko Milicic, it seems this year’s draft crop might feature another bunch of heavy candidates for prolonged benchwarming status, like Nemanja Aleksandrov, who has already declared, Martynas Andriuskevicius or Johan Petro.

I’m sure I’m not the only one here who believes this can’t be good for anyone, but for the players’ (and agents') short term bank account. The team is investing a high draft pick and paying a guy who doesn’t contribute at all, while the player himself can’t play and sees his development as a basketballer limited.

In Podkolzin’s case, it’s even worse. We have here a guy with some skills, like a decent shot and handles. The kind of skills you get practicing on your own. He’s also quite strong and has some decent athleticism, rather good if we consider his huge frame. To put it clearly, hitting the weight room isn’t a priority for him.

But he has little experience as a basketball player, and he’s still learning the game. Therefore, his priorities should be to learn the five-on-five game, to get some real playing time, and to make the best of the team practices. And that’s exactly what an NBA franchise can’t do for him.

The story for other Euro youngsters isn’t much different as much more polished as they might be. Those guys have barely played against grown men, or they are midway through the process of adapting to it. It’s true they are usually even rawer from a physical point of view, but the difference maker for them to be able to contribute to a NBA team is far beyond a number of extra pounds of muscle they could get with one of those intense weight training programs.

So why not leave them overseas? It seems that the NBA teams are afraid of leaving their investments in the hands of strangers. They fear that the kid won’t develop as he might by practicing with the pros. In the words of an NBA scout, “On an NBA team he’ll be taught by the best coaches in the world every day in practice to play in the right way.”

Now I wonder which is the way basketball is taught in other parts of the world. So let’s take a look at the international guys without NCAA experience that have fully succeded in the NBA lately:

Predrag Stojakovic was selected in the 1996 draft, but didn’t make the league until the 98-99 season. Meanwhile, in the previous season playing for PAOK, he averaged 23.9 points at the tough Greek League, leading his team to the finals with a buzzer beater trey in the fifth and last game of the semifinals against Olympiakos, just to lose in the finals against Panathinaikos, but forcing all five games to be played.

Dirk Nowitzki had helped his team get promoted to First German Division right before being selected in the 1998 draft. During the lock-out, he kept on playing with his old team at the new division. When he left he was the league’s top scorer with 21.4 ppg and third rebounder with 8.4 rpg.

Pau Gasol's dominance in the ACB League during the 2000-2001 season has very few precedents in Spain, none since Arvydas Sabonis departure to Portland in 1995. He earned MVP honours at the King’s Cup, repeating achievement at the ACB Finals, leading F.C. Barcelona to a perfect 9-0 record during the playoffs.

Andrei Kirilenko earned MVP honours during his last season in the Russian Superleague. He also averaged 19.2 points and 8.7 rebounds for Russia at the European Championships in the summer of 2001.

Yao Ming was having Chamberlain-esque stats in China the season before he was chosen by the Rockets with the first pick, averaging 32.4 points (with 72% on FG), 19 rebounds and 4.8 blocked shots, and leading the Shangai Sharks to their first CBA title.

Manu Ginobili won all kinds of tournaments (including Euroleague, Italian league and Italian Cup) and MVP trophies during the couple of seasons he spent in Bologna playing for Virtus, just before joining the Spurs in 2002. That very same summer, he led Argentina to a silver medal in Indiannapolis, getting probably just an injury short of the gold medal, but making history after beating USA badly.

The odd man here might be Tony Parker. During his last season in France with Paris Basket Racing (2000-2001), he only averaged 14.7 points and 5.6 assists. While those aren’t bad numbers, it wasn’t a MVP performance. The summer of 2001 in the European Championships, he scored just 8.7 points per game. He didn’t really have his coach’s confidence. I had the chance to see him that summer, in a preparation game for that tournament against Spain, and as soon as he got on the court, he drove Raul López absolutely crazy with his quickness. We have to consider that Tony Parker, like the majority of French prospects, was a very good athlete, more in the mold of an American player.

Anyway, it’s easy to see a pattern here: we have a bunch of big accomplishers, developed guys contributing to their overseas teams, even making them win, while generally facing very good competition. They surely haven’t learned to play the game in the NBA, and it doesn’t seem like they had been playing or developing in the wrong way. I won’t even start mentioning national team competitions.

What’s the point of adding a ‘former Euro benchwarming star’ like Nikoloz Tskitishvili to your roster if you can leave him developing somewhere else? You’ve guessed it: none. What about Darko Milicic? Yes, he was far readier than the Georgian, but he still wasn't in the position to see barely any playing time in Detroit. Can anyone really think that he has improved more during the last season with the Pistons than he would have done staying in Europe?

Yeah, I know. He practices day-in and day-out with the best players of the world in Detroit. If that were true... The NBA teams barely have time to have real practices with so many games and long trips, while in Europe, teams only play once or twice a week and much more frequently near home.

When you sign such underdeveloped youngsters that likely won’t step on to an NBA court anytime soon, you risk cutting the player’s progression, undermining his spirit with an endless bench status and losing the player just to see him blossoming somewhere else, like Primoz Brezec is doing in Charlotte, for example.

I know; you can’t miss the next Dirk Nowitzki, you can’t ignore those kids’ inmense potential. But are they going to be capable of living up to it being thrown to the NBA with their inmaturity?

Let’s make the bold movement, let’s go ahead everyone. I wanna see some team draft a guy like Andriuskevicius or Aleksandrov, and have the guts to leave him in Europe. The NBA franchise should talk with the kid’s club and reach some kind of agreement. For example, the players would remain in Europe for a couple of seasons at least, while the NBA team would have something to say about the player’s developing, like the position he should usually play or the skills to work with.

The Euro team would retain the draftee for some extra seasons, and likely would enjoy one huge year of the player, while cashing in on the buyout when the kid is gone. The NBA team would have its investment gaining experience, improving the way they want him to, saving all kinds of headaches caused by benching the high pick, while not expending one single dollar on unproductive years.

Even for readier players, it would be the better move if they are in the right situation. Take Tiago Splitter for example. He’s playing for Tau Vitoria, the club where Andrés Nocioni came from, and where Luis Scola plays. It’s well known the great reputation this team has for coaching its players. The team itself is a powerhouse in Europe, and they face the best competition playing in the Spanish ACB League and in the Euroleague. Why not leave the Brazilian there for another year? Instead of a bench replacement, you could receive a solid starter, or even a young star.

I know it can’t always be done. Sometimes the player's eagerness to start his NBA career is too strong. Other times the competition he faces overseas is too weak. Or it's just agents wanting to get the clock started on their client's 4 year rookie contract so he will be younger when it (hopefully) comes time for that big payday. But as complicated and difficult as it may be to get it done, just ask yourself this question: do I really want to deal next season with a player like Andriuskevicius who is currently averaging 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in the Euroleague?

Let’s get real, let’s face the situation. This strategy of drafting and signing inmature European teenagers will come back to haunt many teams. I say, let them learn the game first. I suggest leaving the kids in Europe.

[MaD_hAND1e]

Conspiracy Theory

Teams are drafting European players who have good potential e.g. Darko etc. and leaving them on the bench so that they don't develop to their full potential, thus rendering the National teams from Europe weaker in the future, for less competition in the international tournaments.

[cklitsie]

They only need to leave the kids in Europe to which they say 'you can't teach length' or however I should've translated it.

[Jowe]

You mean " You can't teach size" ?

[Jason Kidd.]

They are idiots,young players must get playing time.You CAN'T improve when you are a benchwarmer

[Dan's Brain]

They are idiots,young players must get playing time.You CAN'T improve when you are a benchwarmer

That's exactly right. Larry Brown says this crap about Darko improving all the time. That might be true, but when the hell do we get to see it?

Likewise with Tskita.

[Matthew]

Or maybe some players are busts?

[Jason Kidd.]

Or maybe some players are busts?

Well how can you see it when a guy sits on a bench all the time?
If you get more playingtime your self confidence rises,but if you sit all the time that sucks man..

[Matt]

the thing with Darko is that he aint better than Dice or Rasheed or Ben.....ask any coach and they'll tell you that you have to prove yourself in practice before you get PT

[Jason Kidd.]

yEah you are right,but practice aint same thing.
True experiences come from the game not from team practice. When you get PT you will improve

[Matt]

that's how it is, however most good teams cant really afford to develop their young players. Detroit can win now, Indiana had a chance last season (and Brezec sat) and so on.

You don't see Bulls or Hawks rookies benched.

[Username123]

QUESTION: Why did the Detriot Pistons select Darko instead of Carmelo?? Larry Brown wanted Carmelo but the Pistons head or w/e wanted Darko. Waste of a pick to select Darko they should have just got Melo.
ANOTHER QUESTION: What happend to T.J. Ford? I know he got injured but no one talks about him and he was the 5th pick (i think, not sure)

[iG®]

Why did the Detriot Pistons select Darko instead of Carmelo??

We will never know....

[cyanide]

Or maybe some players are busts?

Well how can you see it when a guy sits on a bench all the time?
If you get more playingtime your self confidence rises,but if you sit all the time that sucks man..

Kwame Brown. He's a bust who does get playing time.

[Username123]

Kwame Brown. He's a bust who does get playing time.

Yea he was the number 1 pick ..... useless player also Tyson Chandler.

[Drex]

Well, the Pistons liked Darko. You should think that one of the main reasons of Detroit championship last season was Tayshaun(sp?) Prince. If the Pistons drafted Carmelo, he would've take the starting SF spot, and possibly (we will never know that) Detroit never would be champions.

And T.J. Ford injured his neck or something, and it was pretty bad. I read some articles about possible career-ending injury, but I think he's trying to make a comeback, just like Jay Williams.

[Username123]

And T.J. Ford injured his neck or something, and it was pretty bad. I read some articles about possible career-ending injury, but I think he's trying to make a comeback, just like Jay Williams.

ohhh...yea what happened to Jay Williams, i heard he shot his dog with a shotgun or something like that

Well, the Pistons liked Darko. You should think that one of the main reasons of Detroit championship last season was Tayshaun(sp?) Prince. If the Pistons drafted Carmelo, he would've take the starting SF spot, and possibly (we will never know that) Detroit never would be champions.

I think if they drafted Melo they would have won the championsip with or without Prince.

[cyanide]

Well, the Pistons liked Darko. You should think that one of the main reasons of Detroit championship last season was Tayshaun(sp?) Prince. If the Pistons drafted Carmelo, he would've take the starting SF spot, and possibly (we will never know that) Detroit never would be champions.

I think if they drafted Melo they would have won the championsip with or without Prince.

Possibly, but Melo wouldn't have been as developed as if he was with Denver. Tayshaun is a much better defender than Melo, and defense is the foundation of Detroit's success. We'll never know whether Tayshaun or Melo would have been "better" for Detroit, but it doesn't matter because they are the world champs anyway

[iKe7in]

Guys like Darko or Podkolzine are just not as developed as they are advertised. The talent level that they play against is not the same as the college game, or even the high school game.
The game is played differently in the NBA and the young guys need a year or two to adapt to playing the new style. Leaving them in Europe won't help that much, and it will only further "Europeanize" their game even more (better shooting/no defense/less toughness). It is much better that they are exposed to the NBA culture and get accustomed to the league they're goinh to spend many more years in.

[Drex]

No, that was Jayson Williams, a former player of the Nets.
Well, I don't think the Pistons would've be the champions. Melo is not the type of player who can put pressure on other players, and he, IMO, is a scorer, and Detroit already has Billups and Hamilton to do that role.

[J@3]

Leaving them in Europe won't help that much, and it will only further "Europeanize" their game even more (better shooting/no defense/less toughness). It is much better that they are exposed to the NBA culture and get accustomed to the league they're goinh to spend many more years in.

Dirk, Peja and Ginobili or Curry, Chandler and Kwame?

[baller status]

Its good for teams to send NBA players to develope overseas. Ginobili was sent over to Europe to develope when the Spurs drafted him and brought him over after a few years... now look how his game has improved. The Spurs also drafted Parker and Udrih... who although they didnt get sent over to develope; they had already been developed because they had played in Europe already before they were drafted. Spurs get good Euro players and know how to develope their games. Right now they have a guy that was traded to em from Atlanta over in Europe.

[iKe7in]

Leaving them in Europe won't help that much, and it will only further "Europeanize" their game even more (better shooting/no defense/less toughness). It is much better that they are exposed to the NBA culture and get accustomed to the league they're goinh to spend many more years in.

Dirk, Peja and Ginobili or Curry, Chandler and Kwame?

1) Argentina is not Europe.
2) Highschoolers are always overrated, discounting LeBron.
3) the 3 guys you mentioned play the exact game I described, great shooting/no defense/less toughness.
4) Dirk - 26, Peja - 27, Ginobli - 27 .......... Curry - 22, Chandler - 22, Kwame - 22
Check back in 4 years and I would choose the last 3.

[baller status]

the last time i checked... ginobili was 6th in steals per game. he also creates a lot of offensive fouls for the defending team... i think he has good D.

[iKe7in]

And he's also not European.