Is MANU gonna get any rest this summer?

[SouthernFried]

Does he have any more tournaments lined up with his Argentinian team...or anywhere else?

Be nice to see him just take off for a coupla months. I don't think he's really rested himself since 1995.

[Horry For 3!]

I'm not sure but I don't think many NBA players take rest from playing basketball. Most of them play year round.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

All the Spurs will have a chance to rest this summer.

Next year, the Spurs will win 70 :hat

[3rdCoast]

All the Spurs will have a chance to rest this summer.

Next year, the Spurs will win 70 :hat

Back from drinkin'?

I think the Spurs will be more than ready to defend their title come this fall.

[gospursgojas]

I saw an interview with Manu where he said in one of his "pooped" tones with a sigh before....."I'm taking a break"

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Back from drinkin'?

Si. Dallas clubbin' is fuckin' crazy.

I just look at this roster, and the team's top 10 guys will all be back next year. How can you not like their chances of rolling next year?

[3rdCoast]

Si. Dallas clubbin' is fuckin' crazy.

I just look at this roster, and the team's top 10 guys will all be back next year. How can you not like their chances of rolling next year?

Correct on both statements.

[spurschick]

He his hosting Basketball Without Borders in Argentina, but he is taking a break from his national team, who will be competing this summer.

[Ozzy]

All the Spurs will have a chance to rest this summer.

Next year, the Spurs will win 70 :hat


Thas just incorrect information. There is actually European Championship in Belgrade going on in September (16-25).

Rasho said he is going to play for Slovenia for sure.
Tony Parker is also supposed to be playing for france.
And lately there has been rumors going on in Sloveina that all 5 of our NBA players are going to play for the national team ( So it looks like Udrih might play too, despite his statements, given earlier this year, that he is going to take a rest this summer - but this are just rumors for the moment.)

As for Manu: From what I know Argentina is playing the World Championship qualifying tournament, but I think Manu said he will take a break this year. I guess he believes they are strong enough to qualify without him... -
Actually I am wrong. I just found this:


The 2005 Tournament of the Americas, the FIBA Americas qualifying tournament for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, will be held Aug. 24 - Sept. 4 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In addition to Argentina, which received an automatic bid to the 2006 Worlds by virtue of winning the 2004 Olympic gold medal, the top four placing teams at this summer's 10-nation tournament will earn a berth to the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

So I guess Manu can really skip any games that his national team plays...

[ObiwanGinobili]

I think Slomo or Slovienian8 had posted a translated newspaper article a few weeks back that listed all the players for the national team and both Rasho and Beno were on it.

[Ozzy]

I think Slomo or Slovienian8 had posted a translated newspaper article a few weeks back that listed all the players for the national team and both Rasho and Beno were on it.


Yes but that was just the list of the players that the coach has called to join the team. At first it was around 30 players, then is was cut to 24... But this is just a list of who is invited to the training camp. The players can still decline the invitiation if they want to. Generally the list is shortened to around 18- 20 people before the training camp... (decilinations, injuries, the 'bad' ones are just cut off by the head coach when he knows who is coming...). So the list is longer just because you can't know who is going to confirm to play or not.
And then 14 or 15 are selected to go play in the EC...


(Probably the numbers are not 100% correct, but you get the idea).

[boutons]

My Dear Slovenes,

Do you think, on your national team, Beno would start as PG, and Radoslav as C?

Or are there other players who are more integratd into, experienced on the National Team?

Tony sure sucked on the French team, which didn't qualify for Athens. Tony is a superbly effective PG in Pop's system, but outside of that system, I don't think his individual talents, his fundamentals, would carry him so far on his own.

[TDMVPDPOY]

HE needs a haircut, barry mite duped him into a $100 dollar haircut like how he duped beno into havin one.

[Ozzy]

Rasho: I think he most probably is going to be a starter. He is a captain and he did start in the qualifyin games that he played. I think this is also a reason why Brezec has considerations about the natioanl team (actually he sad that he isn't going to play for sure, but as I said, lately there have been different rumors). If Brezec plays they are probably going to split minutes at center in half, but I think Rasho is going to start.

Beno: This is a bit harder. Jaka Lakovic had a great year. He won the title in Greece with Panathinaikos and he also led his team to the Euroleague final 4 tournament where they lost against Maccabi in semi-final. He had a bad game that night, but before the game he was actually under consideration to be selected in the Euroleague top 5. It was said that there was a tie between Jasikevicius and Lakovic fot the PG spot...
So it was perfect as they met in the semi-final game... but ... Sarunas had a great game, while Jaka was in foul trouble and had a bad game generally... so he lost the battle.

So, while Beno had a great season for the Spurs, Jaka had a carreer year in Greece. I think the head coach is going to have a difficult task of deciding who to start at PG.
(The decision might be based on how other roster spots are filled. Udrih is generally more of a pass-first guard, while Lakovic is more oriented to scoring...)

If Vujacic joins the team he might also get some consideration at PG spot, but I am pretty sure he is not going to be a starter.