2011 Free Agent: Alexis Ajinça

[Bruno]

http://www.nba.com/media/act_alexis_ajinca.jpg
Born: May 6, 1988
Height: 7-2 / 2.18
Weight: 248 lbs. / 112.5 kg.
From: Saint Etienne, France
Years Pro: 2

Info (http://www.nba.com/playerfile/alexis_ajinca/career_stats.html)

[yavozerb]

For all those who think Ryan Richards well tear up the nba in he next year or 2 I give you his skillset twin Ajinca..

[Bruno]

Ajinça has done nothing in NBA because of his attitude and not because of his skillset. If Richards is as talented as Ajinça, he will be a damn good player with some hard work and passion for the game.

[Bruno]

Ajinça came back in France to play a couple of games during the lockout and he was a dominant player.

I'm warming up at the idea of Spurs signing him. He would be a nice cheap gamble to make.

[DPG21920]

I'll have to trust you on that, because from what I have seen I was not impressed in any one area.

[yavozerb]

I do not see the spurs going after an unknown big if dyess does not return. Expect a veteran at the minimum...

[will_spurs]

What's the status on this guy? He last played for the Raptors but isn't on their roster any more. Did anybody sign him? He already has years of underperforming in the NBA, so I'm not sure he can be seen as a gamble at this point, probably more a "what you see is what you get" kind of player. He would still be one of the cheapest options around, though.

[Anonymous Cowherd]

I agree. Seeing as there seems to be a set of teams, including the Heat, after Fesenko, he seems the best available to our price range.

Plus, he and Tony Parker have played together before and he could be a nice influence on him.

[ChumpDumper]

I saw him block a shot once.

Sign him up.

[yavozerb]

Your a dumbass, in no way are they alike. Richards moves like a SF with a Centers body, and handles the ball like a SF.

Ajinca, is long, shot blocker who is still a project, but he can shoot, and can change shots.....Ill take him over Bonner, Hassell and Zeller any day...hell toss Blair in there as well

:lmao, says the guy who compares Richards to Odom and Bosh...Ya, I can tell Ajinca can shoot well and block shots since he is getting so much run in the NBA. Bonner well eat him up and still stop to get a subway sandwich afterwards :lmao

[underdawg]

:lmao, says the guy who compares Richards to Odom and Bosh...Ya, I can tell Ajinca can shoot well and block shots since he is getting so much run in the NBA. Bonner well eat him up and still stop to get a subway sandwich afterwards :lmao

the only thing Bonner is eating up is the opportunity for the Spurs to get another ring. There's absolutely no other team in the nba that would give Bonner 20 mpg.

The funny thing is that Ajinca's stats are near Bonner's in about half the amount of mpg.

[underdawg]

I saw him block a shot once.

Sign him up.

defense is overrated

[will_spurs]

the only thing Bonner is eating up is the opportunity for the Spurs to get another ring.

[Obstructed_View]

I liked Ian Mahinmi too, so I believe a tall athletic guy who is actually a center should be playing center instead of Matt Bonner, no matter how much he fouls.

[yavozerb]

:sleep, being 7ft with no skills does not make you an NBA player, but making over 40% of your 3pt shots in your career does...Bonner says hello, merry christmas :lol

[underdawg]

:sleep, being 7ft with no skills does not make you an NBA player, but making over 40% of your 3pt shots in your career does...Bonner says hello, merry christmas :lol

yep - most of those players don't play PF or C.

Bonner's career 6.8 pts p/g and 3.5 rebounds p/g would not entice any other coach in the NBA to allow Matty Bonner to log 20 mpg as a "big". To deny that is just being belligerent to common sense.

[underdawg]

:sleep, being 7ft with no skills does not make you an NBA player, but making over 40% of your 3pt shots in your career does...Bonner says hello, merry christmas :lol

one more thing to think about -

Shawne Williams is a player with a similar role to Bonner and similar stats, but there's a difference between the two though:

Bonner playoff 3pt % for 2011 (only 1 round) = 33%
Williams playoff 3pt % for 2011 (only 1 round) = 43%

Williams didn't have a lot of suitors (NY didn't want to pay him 2.5 mil let alone 5 mil) in free agency this year if that tells you anything. I seriously doubt he gets 20 mpg with the Nets.

Merry Christmas! :toast

[yavozerb]

one more thing to think about -

Shawne Williams is a player with a similar role to Bonner and similar stats, but there's a difference between the two though:

Bonner playoff 3pt % for 2011 (only 1 round) = 33%
Williams playoff 3pt % for 2011 (only 1 round) = 43%

Williams didn't have a lot of suitors (NY didn't want to pay him 2.5 mil let alone 5 mil) in free agency this year if that tells you anything. I seriously doubt he gets 20 mpg with the Nets.

Merry Christmas! :toast

:lol, 4 games, seriously...Never watched Williams but Kudos to him for shooting over 40% in 4 playoff games. Guess he was the reason the Knicks did so well cause everyone knows it was Bonner who lost it for the spurs :rolleyes

[underdawg]

:lol, 4 games, seriously...Never watched Williams but Kudos to him for shooting over 40% in 4 playoff games. Guess he was the reason the Knicks did so well cause everyone knows it was Bonner who lost it for the spurs :rolleyes

Lol - yeah only 4 games (took Bonner 6 games to equal Williams' made 3pt shots.) Williams is on an offense minded team, so it could be suggested that he deserved 20 mpg given his role - Bonner plays on a "defensive" minded team and has no business getting $5 mil or 20 mpg.

You're right - Bonner didn't cause the Spurs to lose by himself, but he isn't helping them win in the playoffs either. That's the point - the firepower of the big 3 has dwindled to the point that the role players are more important than ever. 40% career 3pt % doesn't mean jack squat when you're still only putting up 6.8 pts and 3.5 rebounds (much worse if you use playoff stats) as a big on a team that needs much more out of a player getting 20 mpg.

[Mel_13]

L'Equipe reports that Alexis Ajinca who didn't make any team in the NBA might sign with SIG Strasbourg in the next days.

http://twitter.com/SportandoBasket

So it looks like 30 NBA teams all took a pass on Ajinca.

[underdawg]

L'Equipe reports that Alexis Ajinca who didn't make any team in the NBA might sign with SIG Strasbourg in the next days.

http://twitter.com/SportandoBasket

So it looks like 30 NBA teams all took a pass on Ajinca.

I don't care if it's Ajinca or some other scrub - point is that the Spurs frontline needs help.

Where would you rank the Spurs frontline? Top 20 or bottom 10?

One more thing - as far as taking a chance on a player that other teams have little or no interest in has been pretty successful for the Spurs - right?

[underdawg]

L'Equipe reports that Alexis Ajinca who didn't make any team in the NBA might sign with SIG Strasbourg in the next days.

http://twitter.com/SportandoBasket

So it looks like 30 NBA teams all took a pass on Ajinca.

forgot to mention - Spurs FO hasn't exactly produced results this year in FA's that have teams interested in them.

[ChumpDumper]

forgot to mention - Spurs FO hasn't exactly produced results this year in FA's that have teams interested in them.Yeah, no one has said anything about that this month.

[DPG21920]

Well I've never been high on him, but it's pretty damn telling that all 30 teams said no thanks. Especially in a market where Kwame got 7 million.

[DPG21920]

Any updates on this guy?

[sinok]

He signed with a french club (Strasbourg) a while ago...

[Bruno]

He has been fine with his new team (11pts, 5rbds, 2blocks in 24mpg) but it's nowhere near the level where some NBA teams could have regrets for not having signed him.

Ajinça has a huge upside (way higher than a player like Mahinmi), but what he needs the most right now is playing time because he is still young and raw. He is getting that playing time in France which is good and maybe he will be back in the NBA in a couple of years.

[ace3g]

just found this tweet:

Syra Sylla ‏@LADYHOOOP

Alexis Ajinca a fait un workout avec les Spurs et se trouve actuellement à Charlotte #NBA

-
Alexis Ajinca did a workout with the Spurs and is currently at # NBA Charlotte

Not sure how reliable, but thought this was a good spot for it.

[loveforthegame]

I thought he showed some promise when he was in Dallas and was hoping the Spurs would take a look at him. Better late than never I guess.

Thanks for update.

[Bruno]

^^ That's reliable. You can consider that Ajinça has had a workout with Spurs.

He has ended the season strong in French league with some monster games. IMO, he still should stay one more year in France with a better team before trying to go back in NBA. He still needs some playing time to polish his game but he has for sure a huge upside.

[tesseractive]

Guy has a rep of not having any heart, not a hard worker.....Larry Brown may have told Pops stay away.

Still with his ability to shoot the 3 and block shots, eat up 12mpg I dont know why we dont give him a shot.

When in doubt, always take chances on the guys who don't give a crap? Is that your philosophy?

Bonner tries hard and sucks anyway. But a guy who doesn't even try hard... what are the chances he's going to be a good playoff performer once everyone else raises their game?

Unless he has a come-to-Jesus moment and really rededicates himself, I don't want any part of a guy like that.

[BackHome]

That is why Manu is my favorite player the guy plays hard and has a huge heart never gives up!!!!

FK BONNER GET RID OF HIS ARSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bang

[BackHome]

^^ That's reliable. You can consider that Ajinça has had a workout with Spurs.

He has ended the season strong in French league with some monster games. IMO, he still should stay one more year in France with a better team before trying to go back in NBA. He still needs some playing time to polish his game but he has for sure a huge upside.

I guess this is the time that if you want him you get him because if he starts playing to his potential then you start paying $$$$$

What NBA player would he be compared to? Is he better then Ian?

[tesseractive]

By the way, we have showed time again, most of our guys have no heart! That is what is missing.

Why is bringing in a guy who doesn't even like to play ball going to solve that problem? That's actually the exact opposite of heart.

That's what I meant by referencing Bonner -- if we think Bonner is bad in the playoffs, odds are, this guy is going to be even worse.

[Bruno]

What NBA player would he be compared to? Is he better then Ian?

Ajinça is likely currently not as good as Mahinmi but he has a lot more upside.

He is 7'2" with a 7'8" wingspan, very good mobility and some skills. That's a crazy combination. He has too some big flaws that explained why he has failed in NBA: he is raw, thin, soft and lazy.

It's a smart move by Spurs to have a workout with him. They can see how he has improved on his issues because if he can solve them, he could end up as a very good player.

[BackHome]

Well Ian sucks so I guess if we have written off Ryan Richards then this guy might be worth some D-Leauge money. I would think that Tony could give Pop the inside on this guy..?

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Well Ian sucks so I guess if we have written off Ryan Richards then this guy might be worth some D-Leauge money. I would think that Tony could give Pop the inside on this guy..?

??? He won't accept a d-league contract when he can make multiples of that in Europe. If Pop/RC don't think he can make the NBA roster and help, they're done with him.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

For a guy who's supposed to be a shot blocker, he blocks them at a very Bonner-ly rate of 0.4 per game over his NBA career.

[DPG21920]

Spurs need youth and athleticsm. They need help up front. They have to start taking some gambles. I have been pretty consistent with my thoughts on him, but I feel he is worth brining on at the moment. Get him in during a time where Tim is somewhat on his way out and where Tim will be playing less minutes. That opens up time for him more than it normally would and he can still benefit from learning.

I doubt he ever turns into anything because raw & lazy is typically a fatal combo, but Spurs need young, cheap and athletic bigs and they aren't everywhere.

[DPG21920]

Not to mention, we are seeing more and more of the gambles on "this type" (Brandon Wright, Jordan Hill, Ian....) that seem to be paying off if you can afford to give them minutes.

[TD 21]

For a guy who's supposed to be a shot blocker, he blocks them at a very Bonner-ly rate of 0.4 per game over his NBA career.

That's because he averages a paltry 7.8 mpg. His block percentage is 3.7. By comparison, Splitter's is 2.5.

As has been said though, his greatest strength, other than the fact that he's huge, is that he's got range out to about 20 feet. He can even make the occasional three.

Unfortunately, you don't have to be a psychologist to figure out that he doesn't give a damn. But, the Spurs could use a third center and if they're really serious about re-working their big rotation, they might even need a primary backup. He's not that, especially for a team with championship aspirations, but if they give up two or three bigs for one in a trade and can only afford Diaw, but not Lorbek, then they'll need inexpensive depth. That's where someone like him may come in.

[Wild Cobra Kai]

If he "doesn't give a damn", the Spurs won't touch him with a ten foot pole. He'd just be one of the guys who collapses in the playoffs NEXT year when the going gets tough. Who needs a black Bonner?

[BackHome]

Hey Bruno what about that Greek player everyone hates talking about..Bronto??

[Bruno]

I find a little light to write off a player because hes has had a bad attitude. People can change and figures it out what it takes to reach their potential. Spurs surely think that way since they have invited him to a workout. I'm sure a big part of this workout was an interview to talk with him and see he has mentally grow.


Hey Bruno what about that Greek player everyone hates talking about..Bronto??

It's Bourousis. He has had a very average year in Italy and I guess Spurs don't want to have something to do with him after he was linked to some PED affairs.

[Drom John]

The Spurs gave a dam.
Ajinca is on the Spurs Summer League roster.
Richards and Zeller are the other centers.

About time to compare.

[Drom John]

I just saw Ajinca's similarity score, and at the bottom was the most disappointing U of Florida player on the Spurs.... trolling .... trolling ... trolling ....


Dwayne Schintzius.

Now if Ajinca can get us another Antoine Carr ....

[BackHome]

I just saw Ajinca's similarity score, and at the bottom was the most disappointing U of Florida player on the Spurs.... trolling .... trolling ... trolling ....


Dwayne Schintzius.

Now if Ajinca can get us another Antoine Carr ....

Haha....Your right after watching him in summer league he does remind me of Dwayne Schintzius..!!!

[Wild Cobra Kai]

Ajinca is a scrub. The French NT is short of big men with the loss of Noah, yet they left his worthless ass home from the Olympics.

[BackHome]

To make it in this league you either have heart, talent, and work ethic and I don't think he has all three. Other then being tall he just comes across as soft and someone who is playing not for the love the game but just because people are telling him "Hey your tall you should play basketball". I didn't see any passion in him during the summer league which was a real downer as we really need another big man.

[ace3g]

SIG Strasbourg announced that they have signed Alexis Ajinca to a new one-year contract. The French big man averaged 14ppg, 5.6rpg and 2bpg in Pro A in 2011-12.

http://www.sportando.net/eng/europe/france/42381/sig-strasbourg-keeps-alexis-ajinca.html

[RodNIc91]

Hey ace3g, bruno, how far do you think Ajinca is from making a jump to the nba. I mean, like growing up and making his game consistent

[Bruno]

Hey ace3g, bruno, how far do you think Ajinca is from making a jump to the nba. I mean, like growing up and making his game consistent

At this stage, Ajinça main issue is his mental approach to the game. It's hard to tell when/if he will solve that. It can as well happen tomorrow as never.

[Frenchie]

Ajinça has been very good this year in France, just falling short from a MVP trophy.

Watching him tonight, he was clearly a difference maker against ASVEL (Parker's team) in the first game of playoffs semi-finals. He made some impressive plays : one leg fadeaway, powerful dunk, mid range jumper, blocks...
The only two weaknesses he still has are his questionnable stamina and his foul-prone game.

Last year he was very disapointing in the Summer League but I think he has really improved since. He's playing closer to the basket instead waiting for a long range shot, making him a versatile threat on O.

I don't think he's gonna stand in the French League. He could try to get a spot in a NBA team and become a decent player right there. Maybe the Spurs could include him in their Summer League roster if he's not called to play for the French National Team (which is very probable, at least for the training camp) or in the preseason roster.

[benefactor]

Wasn't he awful in the SL last year iirc?

[Bruno]

Yeah, he is having a very good season in France. Suns, Bucks and Cavs are rumored to be interested in him:
http://www.catch-and-shoot.com/livenews/phoenix-milwaukee-et-les-clippers-interesses-par-alexis-ajinca/2013/

[exstatic]

He's not only been a disappointment in our SL, pretty much his whole NBA career has been a disappointment. He has the physical gifts, but seems to lack any drive or motivation.