Krstic gives woeful Thunder hope
Mike Monroe
As soon as the bureaucrats get around to issuing a work visa to Nenad Krstic, the 6-foot-11 center from Serbia-Montenegro will try to help the Thunder amass the six additional victories that can keep them from matching the worst record in NBA history.
It can't happen soon enough for a team that saw yet another crushing defeat Friday.
The only thing missing from the finish of Denver's 122-120 victory in Oklahoma City was a national TV audience. Otherwise, it was a carbon copy of the Spurs' Christmas Day win in Phoenix.
(Note to young readers: Ask your grandparents about carbon paper.)
Carmelo Anthony's 3-pointer, released with one-tenth of a second left, was fired from the same spot as Roger Mason Jr.'s game-winner against the Suns. Like Mason's, Anthony's shot followed a potential game-winner by the home team that left just enough time for the visitors to turn the thrill of victory into the agony of defeat.
But how much more cruel was Anthony's shot against a team as desperate for some shred of hope as the Thunder?
Krstic may be hope Thunder fans can believe in.
Until he suffered a torn ligament in his left knee 26 games into the 2006-07 season, Krstic was becoming one of the best young centers in the league. He was averaging 16.4 points and 6.8 rebounds before the injury. When he came back for the final 45 games last season, he wasn't the same explosive player. Then, when the Nets extended a qualifying offer last summer of roughly $2 million, he turned it down and signed with Triumph Moscow of the Russian Superleague for a deal worth closer to $4.5 million.
It didn't take long this fall for Krstic to realize he missed the NBA, and even less time for Thunder general manager Sam Presti to see an opportunity, and then to seize it.
Presti, who cut his GM teeth under Spurs basketball operations chief R.C. Buford, convinced his owners $500,000 was not too much to pay to buy out Krstic from his Moscow deal. Then, he tendered a three-year, $15.6 million offer sheet he figured the Nets would not match, despite having right of first refusal.
Now, Krstic is back in the NBA, and you wonder how long it might be before Jannero Pargo, Carlos Delfino and Josh Childress might want to return from Europe.
But Presti isn't willing to call Krstic's return the beginning of a European exodus by former NBA players. Each situation, he said, is unique.
In Krstic's case, the stars aligned for the Thunder. Triumph was having a rough season; Krstic had made it clear he would try to return to the NBA this summer, when he had an out in his contract; and a deep recession in Russia made getting out from under Krstic's hefty contract a no-brainer for the Russian team.
Paying $500,000 to free Krstic was a gamble, but Nets rookie center Brook Lopez made it worth taking.
“We were fortunate to get Nenad,” Presti said, “and there were different factors in why they didn't match, including the fact the Nets like Brook Lopez a lot.”
Presti said Krstic's conditioning is good and he has picked up the Thunder's systems. He likely will get some playing time this week.
If he helps the Thunder win at least six more games, he will be worth every Euro.
kristic used to be a pretty good weapon before his knee broke. What he impressed me most were his sharp mid-range jumpers and swift moves, and he was still young when he started for the nets. But all these have become our memories, and always our memories that we can not call back. I don't think he can make a big difference for the thunders who are not able to get worse, but at leasthe can show those young guys how to shoot.
He gives them hope to still be in the lottery.
All depends on Westbrook, really. Durant's been incredible and Green not bad.
If they can get some decent guard play, they'll probably be just as good as the Mavericks, at least.
I still think they need to trade Green for a 2 guard.
i can see them being lottery next season also.....
Was Sam the member of the Spurs brainstrust that was interested in getting Nenad in the draft before Rod Thorn did what he does best and copied the Spurs idea?
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