Manu'sMagicalLeftHand
04-22-2006, 12:10 PM
NEW YORK (FIBA World Championship) - Anyone wanting to get a sneak preview of the talent on offer at the FIBA World Championship in Japan later this year should watch the NBA Play-offs.
Many of the stars on show will be heading to the Far East with their national teams.
The play-offs get underway on April 22 and team rosters will feature a record 44 international players from 25 countries and territories. Almost every team competing in the post-season will feature at least one international player.
This year’s number of international players nearly doubles last year’s, when 24 players from 18 countries and territories participated in the play-offs.
The San Antonio Spurs have the most international players on a play-off roster with a record seven.
Among those, Slovenia's Beno Udrih and Rasho Nesterovic, Argentina's Manu Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto and France's Tony Parker are almost certain to play for their countries.
New Zealand are hoping their Spur, center Sean Marks, makes himself available to play for the Tall Blacks.
Australia have two centers in the play-offs. Andrew Bogut will play for the Milwaukee Bucks and Luke Schenscher, a contender for a place in the Boomers' squad, is with the Bulls.
At the end of the 2005-06 regular season, the NBA featured 82 international players from 38 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive).
Here is a look at the international players in the NBA play-offs.
EASTERN CONFERENCE (17)
Chicago Bulls (3): Luol Deng (Sudan), Andres Nocioni (Argentina) and Luke Schenscher (Australia)
Cleveland Cavaliers (3): Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Lithuania), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Serbia & Montenegro) and Anderson Varejao (Brazil)
Detroit Pistons (1): Carlos Delfino (Argentina)
Indiana Pacers (2): Sarunas Jasikevicius (Lithuania) and Peja Stojakovic (Serbia & Montenegro)
Milwaukee Bucks (5): Andrew Bogut (Australia), Dan Gadzuric (Netherlands), Toni Kukoc (Croatia), Jamaal Magloire (Canada) and Jiri Welsch (Czech Republic)
New Jersey Nets (3): Nenad Krstic (Serbia & Montenegro), Bostjan Nachbar (Slovenia) and Zoran Planinic (Croatia)
WESTERN CONFERENCE (27)
Dallas Mavericks (3): DeSagana Diop (Senegal), Didier Ilunga-Mbenga (Congo) and Dirk Nowitzki (Germany)
Denver Nuggets (3): Francisco Elson (Netherlands), Linas Kleiza (Lithuania) and Eduardo Najera (Mexico)
Los Angeles Clippers (2): Vladimir Radmanovic (Serbia & Montenegro) and Zeljko Rebraca (Serbia & Montenegro)
Los Angeles Lakers (2): Ronny Turiaf (Martinique) and Sasha Vujacic (Slovenia)
Memphis Grizzlies (2): Pau Gasol (Spain) and Jake Tsakalidis (Greece)
Phoenix Suns (6): Leandro Barbosa (Brazil), Raja Bell (US Virgin Islands), Pat Burke (Ireland), Boris Diaw (France), Steve Nash (Canada) and Nikoloz Tskitishvili (Georgia)
Sacramento Kings (2): Francisco Garcia (Dominican Republic), and Vitaly Potapenko (Ukraine)
San Antonio Spurs (7): Tim Duncan (US Virgin Islands [Duncan is a USA international]), Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Sean Marks (New Zealand), Rasho Nesterovic (Slovenia), Fabricio Oberto (Argentina), Tony Parker (France) and Beno Udrih (Slovenia)
PA Sport
Many of the stars on show will be heading to the Far East with their national teams.
The play-offs get underway on April 22 and team rosters will feature a record 44 international players from 25 countries and territories. Almost every team competing in the post-season will feature at least one international player.
This year’s number of international players nearly doubles last year’s, when 24 players from 18 countries and territories participated in the play-offs.
The San Antonio Spurs have the most international players on a play-off roster with a record seven.
Among those, Slovenia's Beno Udrih and Rasho Nesterovic, Argentina's Manu Ginobili and Fabricio Oberto and France's Tony Parker are almost certain to play for their countries.
New Zealand are hoping their Spur, center Sean Marks, makes himself available to play for the Tall Blacks.
Australia have two centers in the play-offs. Andrew Bogut will play for the Milwaukee Bucks and Luke Schenscher, a contender for a place in the Boomers' squad, is with the Bulls.
At the end of the 2005-06 regular season, the NBA featured 82 international players from 38 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive).
Here is a look at the international players in the NBA play-offs.
EASTERN CONFERENCE (17)
Chicago Bulls (3): Luol Deng (Sudan), Andres Nocioni (Argentina) and Luke Schenscher (Australia)
Cleveland Cavaliers (3): Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Lithuania), Aleksandar Pavlovic (Serbia & Montenegro) and Anderson Varejao (Brazil)
Detroit Pistons (1): Carlos Delfino (Argentina)
Indiana Pacers (2): Sarunas Jasikevicius (Lithuania) and Peja Stojakovic (Serbia & Montenegro)
Milwaukee Bucks (5): Andrew Bogut (Australia), Dan Gadzuric (Netherlands), Toni Kukoc (Croatia), Jamaal Magloire (Canada) and Jiri Welsch (Czech Republic)
New Jersey Nets (3): Nenad Krstic (Serbia & Montenegro), Bostjan Nachbar (Slovenia) and Zoran Planinic (Croatia)
WESTERN CONFERENCE (27)
Dallas Mavericks (3): DeSagana Diop (Senegal), Didier Ilunga-Mbenga (Congo) and Dirk Nowitzki (Germany)
Denver Nuggets (3): Francisco Elson (Netherlands), Linas Kleiza (Lithuania) and Eduardo Najera (Mexico)
Los Angeles Clippers (2): Vladimir Radmanovic (Serbia & Montenegro) and Zeljko Rebraca (Serbia & Montenegro)
Los Angeles Lakers (2): Ronny Turiaf (Martinique) and Sasha Vujacic (Slovenia)
Memphis Grizzlies (2): Pau Gasol (Spain) and Jake Tsakalidis (Greece)
Phoenix Suns (6): Leandro Barbosa (Brazil), Raja Bell (US Virgin Islands), Pat Burke (Ireland), Boris Diaw (France), Steve Nash (Canada) and Nikoloz Tskitishvili (Georgia)
Sacramento Kings (2): Francisco Garcia (Dominican Republic), and Vitaly Potapenko (Ukraine)
San Antonio Spurs (7): Tim Duncan (US Virgin Islands [Duncan is a USA international]), Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Sean Marks (New Zealand), Rasho Nesterovic (Slovenia), Fabricio Oberto (Argentina), Tony Parker (France) and Beno Udrih (Slovenia)
PA Sport