Mahinmi one more year in Europe?

Ian to pau orthez next year?

Ian really improved this year. But lehavre, his team is still nothing more than average. There are Two options for him to keep developing at this fast speed:

- join the spurs this summer
- stay one more year in europe in a club that play in euroleague

This will be the second one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This week the rumor started that Ian will play for Pau Orthez next year. Pau is historically one of the best french team of the last ten years. They are leading the championship and should play the euroleaugue next year

http://msn.eurosport.fr/basketball/tp_sto872913.shtml

Pau is known to be a young player farm: as far as french player that were groomed in Pau and then joined the nba you can count: Boris Diaw, Mike Pietrus, and the latest Johan Petro...

I think it is a good news for Ian, i will check on the coaching staff and their previous relation with POP later but i am at work now :oops

When Petro was playing with Pau he didn't get much playing time, did he?

Im beginning to wonder if we could possibly use his presnce next year, If the spurs are really interested in getting younger and with Nazr's contract up this summer it would make some sense to bring in some of the young guys we have on hold in Europe i.e. Sandizikid and Mahinimi. Maybe Scola, but frankly...i wonder if that guy is ever gonna play in the NBA.

Im really excited about this kid though, I wonder what type of player he could be for the Spurs down the road.... wouldn't it nice to find a little Amare Stoudamire in him?

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Originally Posted by picnroll

When Petro was playing with Pau he didn't get much playing time, did he?

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No he really didn't and was really inconsistent. The coaching staff did not trust him or trusted more experienced players...This is why him going so soon to the NBA was questioned. However seattle being so weak inside gave him enough opportunities and playing time to develop. the Question is if Ian was coming to the spurs would he have so much time?

Ian is having a better year than Petro before coming to the NBA. but Petro was tecnhically better (not started basket 5 years ago) and playing in a club that could not afford to loose whereas Ian is in an average team

Well I suppose if Ian was guarenteed playing time and a major role on the team, then this would be a good move for him. That beign said the Spurs have to step in on these contract negotiations.

You're a little late, Kori posted this news two days ago :
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=884937

Question is, if Ian goes to a team that's competing at a higher level with seasoned players at that position will he get much playing time. Pau will be committed to winning not developing him?

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Originally Posted by Bruno

You're a little late, Kori posted this news two days ago :
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=884937

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I made a search on mahinmi and could not find it so i created it. I was atr work and did this fast. my bad.

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Originally Posted by picnroll

Question is, if Ian goes to a team that's competing at a higher level with seasoned players at that position will he get much playing time. Pau will be committed to winning not developing him?

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Yeah they already have a good center i think--and even if Ian is the best 5 on the team, that doesnt mean he is going to get the touches to develop.

I dont know, there arent any other options besides bringing him over here to the D league, im not sure why that wouldnt work.

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Originally Posted by JUUOT

I think it is a good news for Ian, i will check on the coaching staff and their previous relation with POP later but i am at work now :oops

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Pau-Orthez's coach is Didier Gadou : I'm sure you know Gadou's brother but for american people Didier gadou is a young coach (he is born in 1965) who was one of the best player in France.

It's not sure that he will sign with Pau-Orthez too, he will sign with a french team who play the euroleague. Two french team will play the euroleague : the team with the best ranking over last 3 seasons who is qualified for the next 3 seasons (this is the last year of the 3 years period and the champion.

Pau-Orthez lead the euroleague ranking but nothing is done.

Edit : mistake an qualified teams or the euroleague.

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Originally Posted by picnroll

Question is, if Ian goes to a team that's competing at a higher level with seasoned players at that position will he get much playing time. Pau will be committed to winning not developing him?

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Not really, Ian is still a very good center in France and if he continue to progress he will be one of the best center in the french league. In europe, center are way more in foul troubles than in nba : even if he is the backup, he will play a lot.

The interest for him to play in a top french team is that he will still play the domestic championship (34 games + playoffs) but he will also play the euroleague against top players in europe (at least 14 games).

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Originally Posted by Bruno

Pau-Orthez's coach is Didier Gadou : I'm sure you know Gadou's brother but for american people Didier gadou is a young coach (he is born in 1965) who was one of the best player in France.

It's not sure that he will sign with Pau-Orthez too, he will sign with a french team who play the euroleague. Two french team will play the euroleague : the team with the best record at the end of the regular season and the champion who won the playoff. It's still the regular season in France and Pau-Orthez has a 2 games lead with still 5 games to play.

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Thanks bruno. i think from what we know the spurs will be the one to really have the last word on which team ian will go. Since, as you mention we know the criteria: a french team playing euroleague it is an easy guess. This why i think the final criteria will be the coaching staff. that's why i was asking. In le havre spurs were able to set there own agenda for Ian and had extreml good relation with the staff

Pau-Orthez is a team with a great past and Gadou is a defensive minded coach, Pau-Orthez is the best defense in ProA : I'm sure that Spurs will be happy if Ian play with them.
After a quick search, I was wrong on who should play the euroleague and it's not sure that Pau-Orthez will be qualified.

Ian will not be here next season. I don't think he is even slated to play in the Summer League.

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Originally Posted by RobinsontoDuncan

Yeah they already have a good center i think--

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Their center this year is Hiram Fuller (he played a summer league with San Antonio and played with Noel Felix in college) but he will likely leave them at the end of the season. They have nobody to play center for the next season (for the moment).

That's the smart thing to do. Don't bring him too early and kill his chance at developing because he's to inexperienced to play decent minutes on a team like the Spurs.

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Originally Posted by RobinsontoDuncan

Yeah they already have a good center i think--and even if Ian is the best 5 on the team, that doesnt mean he is going to get the touches to develop.

I dont know, there arent any other options besides bringing him over here to the D league, im not sure why that wouldnt work.

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Let him go to Slovenia, he will be a Champion there and get more tough games to finish. He, nonetheless, will have to get a paycut to do that.

But it is promised, he will be the best center in Europe the next season.

The Slovenian leagues are generally better than the French leagues right? I see nothing wrong with that.

Olimpija plays the Adriatic league, Slovenian league and Euroleague. That's 2 games a week. Adriatic league and Euroleague are both WAY BETTER then the French one.

Asvel and Pau are having hard times qualifying for Top 16. And they are, i'm repeating myself, WAY BETTER than other French clubs. There is a reason why Diaw and others were playing in Pau and Asvel, and not elsewhere.

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Originally Posted by zeleni

Olimpija plays the Adriatic league, Slovenian league and Euroleague. That's 2 games a week. Adriatic league and Euroleague are both WAY BETTER then the French one.

Asvel and Pau are having hard times qualifying for Top 16. And they are, i'm repeating myself, WAY BETTER than other French clubs. There is a reason why Diaw and others were playing in Pau and Asvel, and not elsewhere.

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Adriatic league isn't way better than the french league, maybe slighty better but nothing more (just look at euroleague results).
Euroleague is way better than the french league, but he will play the euroleague if he sign with a top team in France.

It's FALSE that Pau and ASVEL are way better than the other french teams. It was the case five yers ago but there are now something like 5 very good teams in the french league (Pau, ASVEL, Strasbourg, Nancy et Le Mans). There are too very good players in the other team who can give a though matchup for Mahinmi.

It's stupid to go for one year in Slovenia. Ian is only 19 years old, it's not like he is a vet who has played 10 years. He will need some time to be at ease with the new culture and the adriactic players and one year isn't enough.

I can only see 2 good solution for Mahinmi :
- Either 1 year in a top french team to play the euroleague + the french league.
- Either 2 years in Italy or Spain. He will have the time to adapt to the country and he will play in a championship who is way better than the french league or the adriatic league.

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Originally Posted by Bruno

Adriatic league isn't way better than the french league, maybe slighty better but nothing more (just look at euroleague results).
Euroleague is way better than the french league, but he will play the euroleague if he sign with a top team in France.

It's FALSE that Pau and ASVEL are way better than the other french teams. It was the case five yers ago but there are now something like 5 very good teams in the french league (Pau, ASVEL, Strasbourg, Nancy et Le Mans). There are too very good players in the other team who can give a though matchup for Mahinmi.

It's stupid to go for one year in Slovenia. Ian is only 19 years old, it's not like he is a vet who has played 10 years. He will need some time to be at ease with the new culture and the adriactic players and one year isn't enough.

I can only see 2 good solution for Mahinmi :
- Either 1 year in a top french team to play the euroleague + the french league.
- Either 2 years in Italy or Spain. He will have the time to adapt to the country and he will play in a championship who is way better than the french league or the adriatic league.

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1.Results?
Top teams in Adriatic league from the past had deep financial problems. And still rich Serbian clubs had a strong opposition. Every club in the league has the finest center of his young generation. Ian is black and even more foreign, so he will be on target for most of his minutes.

2.He is young?
Young players need a good coach and great foundamentals. Olimpija gives just that. Sagadin would make a fierce warrior of anyone with the skills.

3.Diaw was a beast, and never got to show his potential even in France, until he played for Team France and the Suns. French clubs are not that good at making their players strive being the best they can be. Ian could improve his game exponentialy in a foreign hostile environment of the ex-Yugoslavia. In France he is just a talented youth with an NBA future. Here he will need to work as hell just to get to the bench.

4.Spain and Italy is where you get a big contract. But it's not a place to improve your game. Footwork does not improve while playing a lot of games. It's all training with a good coach. Sagadin is the best there is in Europe for young players.

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Originally Posted by zeleni

1.Results?
Top teams in Adriatic league from the past had deep financial problems. And still rich Serbian clubs had a strong opposition. Every club in the league has the finest center of his young generation. Ian is black and even more foreign, so he will be on target for most of his minutes.

2.He is young?
Young players need a good coach and great foundamentals. Olimpija gives just that. Sagadin would make a fierce warrior of anyone with the skills.

3.Diaw was a beast, and never got to show his potential even in France, until he played for Team France and the Suns. French clubs are not that good at making their players strive being the best they can be. Ian could improve his game exponentialy in a foreign hostile environment of the ex-Yugoslavia. In France he is just a talented youth with an NBA future. Here he will need to work as hell just to get to the bench.

4.Spain and Italy is where you get a big contract. But it's not a place to improve your game. Footwork does not improve while playing a lot of games. It's all training with a good coach. Sagadin is the best there is in Europe for young players.

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1. I'm not sure Ian will improve more by playing against 20 years old seven footer than against a 6'8" 25 years old american player. French league lack size but there are a lot of warriors and some talented centers.

2. Pau-Orthez too. It's maybe the best BB school in France with a great coaching staff. As an example, Johan Petro has learned to play BB with Pau-Orthez.

3. False, french coach are quite good. Diaw left Pau-Orthez when he was 20 years old : he was too young to be a major contributor. Putting Ian in a hostile environement is the best way to destroy him. I don't see a foreign team investing a lot of time for a player who will leave them when he will be ready to contribute. In France, he isn't just a talented big with nba potential : his team wait some production from him.

4. I don't know Sagadin enough to judge if he is the best but don't underrate franch staff. You have good coach too in Italy and Spain. Though games are still the best way to improve your level, pratices aren't enough. Mahinmi won't sign a big contract he can just sign a 2 years deal, european teams know that he will soon play in nba.

Anyway, Mahinmi will likely sign with a top french team and it's the right choice : it will be a smooth transition for the nba.

stop screwing with the euro leagues, bring him over here
and let him practice and play with the big boys

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Originally Posted by T Park

stop screwing with the euro leagues, bring him over here
and let him practice and play with the big boys

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Like Darko ?
You had to realize too that anbe team doesn't pratice a lot with 100 games played a year.
Mahinmi need to play to develop his game, not to be on the bench.

Id love it if Mahinmi came over and produce like Darko did once he finally got a chance in Orlando.

He needs to develop his game yes, but do it with the best coaching staff in basketball in San Antonio, or play with the developmental team in Austin.

if he does sign in europe he needs to sign with a low buyout or a short deal ^_^

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Originally Posted by T Park

Id love it if Mahinmi came over and produce like Darko did once he finally got a chance in Orlando.

He needs to develop his game yes, but do it with the best coaching staff in basketball in San Antonio, or play with the developmental team in Austin.

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Spurs aren't a lottery team like Orlando. Mahinmi won't get any playtime and will turnlike Darko in Detroit. Basketball isn't an individual sport, you need to play against opponents to progress.
I rather see him in a real league in Europe than in DLeague. DLeague is a bad league to develop a player (despite the name).

dude is very young, it would be better to let him marinate in europe for at least another year.

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Originally Posted by leemajors

if he does sign in europe he needs to sign with a low buyout or a short deal ^_^

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That's a given and I think Ian understands that.

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Mahinmi won't get any playtime and will turnlike Darko in Detroit

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If Nazr leaves VIA free agency, hed see 18 minutes a night.

I'm beginning to think Darko's lack of minutes in Detroit was more of Larry Brown's unwillingness to play him extended minutes than Darko sucking, although he certainly didn't look very good when he was in. Basically, it seems LB didn't do much to develop him for the future.

his a 2nd round pick dont wanna bring him over n panned out then seek higher contract, unless we bring him over and let him sucked on the bench then lock him up with a cheap contract over 5years :D

He's a first round pick.

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Originally Posted by T Park

If Nazr leaves VIA free agency, hed see 18 minutes a night.

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Disagree, Oberto > Mahinmi.

If Oberto > Mahinmi on D, even at 20, Spurs are screwed. Nothing against Obrto but it seems his only post defensive play against a decent big is to foul him.

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Originally Posted by exstatic

That's a given and I think Ian understands that.

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More than that, Ian doesn't want to come in nba if he can't get any playtime.

javtokas>>>>>>>>leapyear>oberto>mahinmi

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Oberto > Mahinmi

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Mahinmi right now is already better defensively.


Oberto is prob the worst big man signing this team has made since Carl Herrera.



Id like to see both Scola and Javtokas come over this summer.

Add in Sanikidze if hes playing well, and the team gets quite a bit younger.

Even if they brough him over here, the Spurs would need to pick up another center in free agency if Nazr leaves. They cannot be left with Rasho and a 20 year old green horn as the centers on a championship caliber team. That would kill the team. The kid needs more time to develop into that incredible athletic ability and become a basketball player.

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Originally Posted by Bruno

1. I'm not sure Ian will improve more by playing against 20 years old seven footer than against a 6'8" 25 years old american player. French league lack size but there are a lot of warriors and some talented centers.

2. Pau-Orthez too. It's maybe the best BB school in France with a great coaching staff. As an example, Johan Petro has learned to play BB with Pau-Orthez.

3. False, french coach are quite good. Diaw left Pau-Orthez when he was 20 years old : he was too young to be a major contributor. Putting Ian in a hostile environement is the best way to destroy him. I don't see a foreign team investing a lot of time for a player who will leave them when he will be ready to contribute. In France, he isn't just a talented big with nba potential : his team wait some production from him.

4. I don't know Sagadin enough to judge if he is the best but don't underrate franch staff. You have good coach too in Italy and Spain. Though games are still the best way to improve your level, pratices aren't enough. Mahinmi won't sign a big contract he can just sign a 2 years deal, european teams know that he will soon play in nba.

Anyway, Mahinmi will likely sign with a top french team and it's the right choice : it will be a smooth transition for the nba.

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1.American players in France are just athletic and strong. Nothing more. Mostly not good centers, eventhough expensive ones.

2. I agree. Good knows Olimpija and Krka got their ass kicked by the French a couple of times. But... NBA in environment of tall players and Ian will play the center spot. Why would he play in France, where you have centers on average 203 cm tall?

3.He will not be in the hostile environment in Slovenia. He never had problems with foreign players making big shots and improving. He will be in a competitive environment of the Adriatic League. He will have hostile opponents. He will have hostile arenas in which to perform. He will be intensly coach to get a title for Sagadin. Something he could never do in France (Pau can hardly make great results in Euroleague).

4. Slovenian players in Spain and Italy do not get the same treatment. Spain and Italy make celebrities if their home players and make other players mercinaries. Ian will be highly paid but never realy coached in Italy or Spain.
I do not underestimate the French coaches. I am just saying Ian has to make up for a lot of fundamentals. Olimpija is the best place to learn them. In France he is a player who will not be treated like a warrior, he will be cuddled like he is a great player already. Thats not healthy for a young player who is still in the process of learning the game.

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Originally Posted by zeleni

Olimpija is the best place to learn them.

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you mean Olimpija hasn't bancrupted yet? They buy 20+ players every year,and then they cry how short they are on money, how the goverment should help them, because they don't know how to manage money. They are 2 years from paying off all debts for the past 5 years. They can't afford Ian, and if they can they won't pay him.

As for Zmago "i will bench Rasho, because he won't sign a cheap long term contract" Sagadin being the best coach for Ian? he damaged more players then he made.

Velik_m, now, really, you don't think that surely...

Olimpija should never have their success with the money they have. You give money to the players or the coaching staff... We gave money to the coaching staff and best slovenian players and got bankrupted couse people wanted some expensive players to be in Olimpija forever. Zmago could have Rasho on cheap contract and made a title with him. Now Italy had a title with Rasho. That is all about club politics and nothing about the progress of a player.

They buy players and make them studs. That was Olimpija for a long time.

Name me a player who was more damaged than made in Olimpija?

Bankrupcy?
Slovenia now has a healthy club. And today is the day to support them...or the terrorist win! ;) Velik, now, be cool...