TuBasket.com: Erazem decides to play in NBA

[Penya]

I wouldn't open this thread if TuBasket.com was just a website with random rumors. They have insiders and, when they report something, it always comes true. If mods consider that the thread belongs to Think Tank, move it there .

Here's my translation of the report:

Last draft was a turning point in Lorbek's career (C, 28 years, 6'10'').

It wasn't a turning point because he was selected (he was selected 46th overall in 2005 draft), but because his rights were traded from Indiana Pacers to San Antonio Spurs, the team where European players translate their game better to NBA.

In his prime, and after winning every title in Europe, the last challenge of this center from the Balkans is playing NBA ball.

A couple of weeks ago, George Hill went back to Texas, in order to play against his last team for the first time.

Because of that fact, Gregg Popovich, Spurs' coach said "I think that Kawhi and our big man in Europe will help us". This words didn't get much attention in USA, but they agree with everything that TUBASKET.com has found out: Lorbek is expected to play in San Antonio next year.

Last season, Lorbek extended his contract for just one more year. Barça wanted him to stay longer, but at this point, both club and player know Erazam's decision.

[...]

There's other fact that might help Lorbek's adaptation: He played one season of NCAA ball in 2002/2003, therefore his English is perfect.

Link [in spanish]: http://www.tubasket.com/noticia/fc-b...o/1595471/6305 .

[admiralsnackbar]

Would be great if true.

[Kobayagi]

Don't build up the hype, too many spurs fans will be disappointed when he signs long term in Barcelona or some other European club. He hasn't decided shit so far, this article is all speculation.

[wildbill2u]

Don't build up the hype, too many spurs fans will be disappointed when he signs long term in Barcelona or some other European club. He hasn't decided shit so far, this article is all speculation.

Yeah, it is speculation. Not like all the threads on Spurstalk about trading Bonner and Anderson for Dwight Howard.

[Kobayagi]

When you have words like "Erazem decided" in the title of the thread it's a tiny bit different, don't you think?

[timvp]

I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to explore signing with the Spurs but it'll come down to money. If the Spurs decide to spend their money elsewhere (such as on Diaw), Lorkbek is unlikely to settle for scraps and would stay in Europe.

FWIW, I know the Spurs are pretty damn high on him. But still, they have a limited supply of money this offseason and there's no way to know how they are going to spend it right now.

[Kamnik]

Lorbek won't help the Spurs short term to win championships and won't help them long term to rebuild.

He will need 1-2 years just to adapt to the NBA and by then he will be 30.

And this is coming from a Slovenian Lorbek fan.

[Venti Quattro]

Just stay with Barcelona and beat the shit out of RMAO Baloncesto imo tbh.

[Kobayagi]

He will want a big paycheck and the Spurs won't (and should not) give him that. If Barca doesn't either, there's plenty of European teams that will.

Diaw is almost the same age and he's been in the NBA forever, Spurs should spend their money on him. And I'm a Lorbek fan too and would be thrilled if proven wrong and he does indeed decide to earn less and play in the NBA.

[elemento]

How much money could we offer him considering that TD will eat all the cap space ?

2y/2.5m right (new exception for teams with cap space) ?

Does he get more than that in Europe?

[Slomo]

The only way this ends well is if Erazem takes it as a personal challenge and decides to try and prove himself in the NBA too. In that case respect from Pop will be as important as money and the limited funds the Spurs have might do the trick. Without a very high level of motivation he will not be able to do much anyway (and I too like him a lot).

Now I have not seen any indication from Lorbek about being especially keen on the NBA, or anything that would point to my first paragraph. Also I have a distinct feeling that his father is not an NBA fan and his opinion carries a lot of weight in the Lorbek family. I'm sure other Slovenian posters that follow the Slovenian medias closer than me can offer more details.

So I'm not holding my breath just yet.

[Kobayagi]

Also I have a distinct feeling that his father is not an NBA fan and his opinion carries a lot of weight in the Lorbek family.

This.

His father has a lot of power in european basketball. In NBA, he'd have zero.

[Kobayagi]

when he decided not to play for Slovenia in the Olympics because he had "Other Plans" for the Summer.

Slovenia not qualifying for the Olympics might have had something to do with this too.

[Bruno]

Thanks for the translation.

I don't see something else in this article than the quote Pop said two weeks ago when pacers were in San Antonio.

[Kobayagi]

Actually it was before Olympic qualifying matches as well. He said he didn't want to risk any unnecessary injuries and his coach from the reports that came was pretty livid about his decision.

Are you just making shit up now? What Olympic qualifying matches? Teams qualified through European championships last year. The last qualifying tournament hasn't even been played yet and Slovenia didn't qualify for that one either. If he said any of this, trust us, Slovenians would know, we are a nation of 2 million people, we have ONE major media outlet and a couple of websites, we can read all the interviews he gives in a year in less than an hour.

[Kobayagi]

Oh man... does anyone else want to take this over? I'm kind of tired of explaining old shit.


Bottom line: Erazem DID play at Eurobasket 2011, how did you manage to miss that?

[will_spurs]

Not sure about this news in particular, but other similar news have been discussed in the relevant Think Tank thread. It appears it's impossible to say, right now, whether he's really motivated by joining the Spurs, or if the Spurs are just being used once again as a way to raise value and sign a better contract with the team the player wanted to play for all along.

[SenorSpur]

This news would also explain why the Spurs were so willing to throw in their number one pick in the 2012 NBA draft, as part of the RJ-SJax trade.

[admiralsnackbar]

This news would also explain why the Spurs were so willing to throw in their number one pick in the 2012 NBA draft, as part of the RJ-SJax trade.

I suppose, but that move could just as easily be seen as a recognition that this is the last year we can expect to contend.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

This news would also explain why the Spurs were so willing to throw in their number one pick in the 2012 NBA draft, as part of the RJ-SJax trade.

Saving some $12 million along the way would make any team throw their late 1st rounder.

[Mal]

How much money could we offer him considering that TD will eat all the cap space ?

2y/2.5m right (new exception for teams with cap space) ?

Does he get more than that in Europe?

Yes, in euro, without taxes

[dbestpro]

Lorbek in and Bonner out. Could see a move that sends Bonner back to a team like Toronto as they will have lots of cap space for maybe a protected 2nd round pick.

[TDMVPDPOY]

whether its speculation or not, barca i see what u try to do here, get him sign long ass contract so you can get a buyout...fck u

[SenorSpur]

Lorbek in and Bonner out. Could see a move that sends Bonner back to a team like Toronto as they will have lots of cap space for maybe a protected 2nd round pick.

No way Pop ships out his red-headed butt-boy.

[sisibilio]

Lorbek is a better version of Bonner, I would actually put him close to the same level as a heathly Okur. He would really help the Spurs out. If the Spurs sign him, I think that Blair would be the one to go. The guy can shoot from anywhere on the court despite what people say, he is a physical player.

A frontcourt rotation of Duncan, Splitter, Bonner and Lorbek would be solid for the next 2-3 years.

He's nothing like Bonner, sure he can shoot threes but that (and a similar concentration of melanin in the skin) is the only thing they have in common.

[sisibilio]

whether its speculation or not, barca i see what u try to do here, get him sign long ass contract so you can get a buyout...fck u

Barça just wants to keep the player obviously since he'd be extrmely hard to replace. The club makes a gazillion of cash a year, they don't need the pennies SA would pay.

[will_spurs]

Lorbek in and Bonner out. Could see a move that sends Bonner back to a team like Toronto as they will have lots of cap space for maybe a protected 2nd round pick.

Bonner is more likely to retire a Spur than Duncan, Parker and Manu.

[smaka]

I'd really like to see Erazem in NBA, but tbh I don't know how well he would fit in the NBA. But we don't know until we see him, so yes, he should try!

[MR.SILVER&BLack]

Question to the posters who really know his game and play style. Is his game similar to Mehmet Okur or am i way off track here?

[Paranoid Pop]

Makes too much sense, we need a PF badly and we don't have the money to go after FAs like Ilyasova and we don't have any first rounder.