Spanoulis and Javtokas in FIBA World Championships

[Obstructed_View]

Fans of a team that just decided to hand out 50 millions to perennial losers Jefferson and Bonner looking down on Spanoulis.

Interesting.

That should tell you how turrible he is.

[temujin]

This from the person who said that Jefferson would be earning $100K, and wouldn't get any minutes, if he were playing on a Euro team?

The same person who said that Cosic was the best passing big man in Euro history? (Ever heard of Arvydis Sabonis?)

The same person who said that Tony Parker has lost most of his speed and is washed up?

Are you one of the incarnations of KBP?

Interesting.

1) I was optimistic about Jefferson being worth 100K. Ask hairston. And he certainly wouldn't play significant minutes with must-win Euro coaches (Messina, Ivanovic, Gershon, Scariolo, Obradovic).
2) I have SEEN Cosic and Sabonis. I reinstate Cosic was the best passing big man. And certainly more intelligent. I bet you have seen neither.
3) After 12 (TWELVE) ankle injuries, even you would have slowed down. I never wrote PArker is "washed up".

KBP was a character, but he wasn't wrong all the time.

[Zocalo]

Spanoulis is absolute trash. He went home because he missed his mommy and pouted like a little .

Flat out... he is a bucket of suckitude.

[Hooks]

Spanoulis is absolute trash. He went home because he missed his mommy and pouted like a little .

Flat out... he is a bucket of suckitude.

But he is Greek Kobe! lol, I bet KBP wants to post on here so badly.

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KBP stated that VSpan is really good at losing in thread on the NBA forum. I think he's starting to see the light.

[objective]

Javtokas has improved since he rolled his ankle in the first game, he's playing more now.

It's Javtokas VS Ian today at 1:00.

[Mark in Austin]

V-Span will never return to the NBA, what a shame... JVG is an IDIOT he pretty much ruined it for him.

Saying the whole Spanoulis thing was Van Gundy's fault is such bull . So he though JVG treated him bad. Get over it. He was traded to a team that has a great reputation for international players. Spanoulis didn't want to play for the Spurs because a coach on another team was mean to him? Get the out of here.

Oh wait. He did.

Bottom line: Spanoulis either:

1. Was too butthurt from how "mean" JVG was to him that he decided that all NBA coaches / teams would treat him the same. (Assuming he was treated poorly by JVG.) If this was the case, the Spurs were better off without such an emotionally fragile player.

2. Wasn't willing to put in the work to earn significant minutes with the Spurs. If this was the case the Spurs were better off without such a lazy, unmotivated player.

3. Realized that even if he worked hard, he wasn't going to be good enough to play compe ively in the NBA for more than garbage minutes. If this was the case the Spurs were better off without a player whose skills aren't right for the NBA.

4. Was actually just homesick and even though he could have suceeded in the NBA decided he wanted to go home. If this was the case see item #1.

[DaDakota]

Spanoulis has NBA talent, but his mind was never right, he did get screwed by JVG, heck I was so glad the Rockets fired him, he was so controlling and never ever played young guys we kept running out Rafer Alston, or some other Knicks reject instead of developing our talent.

Regarding VSpan though, he is a great athlete for Greece and average one for the NBA...he has a history of jumping in the air with nowhere to go, he would have had to adapt his game because of the speed of the NBA.

Instead, he wanted to be a big fish in a small pond, can't really blame him, but he can get away with his normal moves over there and not develop.

I liked him as a rookie but now watching the worlds, he has not developed at all.....no way would I take him at this point, he is too set in his ways and not good enough for the NBA.

DD

[jason1301]

Spanoulis has NBA talent, but his mind was never right, he did get screwed by JVG, heck I was so glad the Rockets fired him, he was so controlling and never ever played young guys we kept running out Rafer Alston, or some other Knicks reject instead of developing our talent.

Regarding VSpan though, he is a great athlete for Greece and average one for the NBA...he has a history of jumping in the air with nowhere to go, he would have had to adapt his game because of the speed of the NBA.

Instead, he wanted to be a big fish in a small pond, can't really blame him, but he can get away with his normal moves over there and not develop.

I liked him as a rookie but now watching the worlds, he has not developed at all.....no way would I take him at this point, he is too set in his ways and not good enough for the NBA.

DD

quoted for truth!

When he was traded to the Spurs, I personally sent him an email explaining him how the Spur's system fits him better --I happen to know a few players form he Greek national team, and from what I heard; He wasn't really happy with the way JVG treated him, or living in Houston --Athens is a special city, you either love it or hate it. But what sealed the deal for him (to return to Greece and Panathinaikos) was his team wonning the triple crown that year w/o him. Up to today only a few teams were able to do that --winning all the three les in one year.

Instead of bashing this guy, try to put yourself in his shoes for a second and it makes sense why he left the NBA.

[Mark in Austin]

quoted for truth!

He wasn't really happy with the way JVG treated him, or living in Houston --

Instead of bashing this guy, try to put yourself in his shoes for a second and it makes sense why he left the NBA.

What does that have to do with the Spurs? How he was treated by JVG has nothing to do with how he would be treated by Pop - unless deep down he knows that JVG wasn't playing him because he hadn't EARNED the minutes and he knew Pop would be the same - everybody is held accountable in San Antonio.

This guy wanted NBA playing time but wasn't willing to put in the work to EARN it. As a Spurs fan, I'll bash that every time somebody tries to argue that it is somehow acceptable.

Honestly, Spanoulis fans want it both ways. On the one hand they say he's good enough to play in the NBA, but on the other they never stop making excuses for why he's not IN the NBA. And the biggest excuse? That a coach was too mean to him? Are you ing kidding me?

The other excuse - that he missed Greece. If he was homesick, fine. But going home means he didn't make it in the NBA. He gave up. For him playing at home was a higher priority than playing at the highest level. There's nothing wrong with that if that's what he wanted. BUT that means he didn't make it in the NBA. Why does is that so hard for some fans to accept? It seems like Spanoulis has accepted it.

[GSH]

I liked him as a rookie but now watching the worlds, he has not developed at all.....no way would I take him at this point, he is too set in his ways and not good enough for the NBA.

Since you're a Rockets fan, I'm going to tread lightly. Many of the Spurs fans here (myself included) have been guilty of liking a new player too much.

I think you nailed it. Spanoulis had some skills and looked like he had potential. But what you're seeing from him in the worlds is exactly what Van Gundy saw in Houston - a player that isn't NBA caliber.

If you remember, Spanoulis started pouting all the way back in pre-season, when he didn't get the minutes he thought he deserved. And from what I understood, he kept trying to show Van Gundy up. I'm the first one to say that JVG is a tool, but I don't blame him for sitting Spanoulis. V-Span didn't do anything to make himself better, or to be part of the team. And running back to Greece didn't make him a better player, either.

But even if I'm selling Spanoulis short, there's no way he ever had star quality in the NBA. Maybe he could have played here, but he wasn't going to be a top-tier guard like some of the Greek fans claim.

[jason1301]

What does that have to do with the Spurs? How he was treated by JVG has nothing to do with how he would be treated by Pop - unless deep down he knows that JVG wasn't playing him because he hadn't EARNED the minutes and he knew Pop would be the same - everybody is held accountable in San Antonio.

This guy wanted NBA playing time but wasn't willing to put in the work to EARN it. As a Spurs fan, I'll bash that every time somebody tries to argue that it is somehow acceptable.

Honestly, Spanoulis fans want it both ways. On the one hand they say he's good enough to play in the NBA, but on the other they never stop making excuses for why he's not IN the NBA. And the biggest excuse? That a coach was too mean to him? Are you ing kidding me?

The other excuse - that he missed Greece. If he was homesick, fine. But going home means he didn't make it in the NBA. He gave up. For him playing at home was a higher priority than playing at the highest level. There's nothing wrong with that if that's what he wanted. BUT that means he didn't make it in the NBA. Why does is that so hard for some fans to accept? It seems like Spanoulis has accepted it.

you are an idiot,

[DaDakota]

KBP just sent me a very nasty PM, lots of cursing and stuff about his boy VSpan.

I would post it but the language is so blue it would turn Spurstalk a shade of purple.

Anyway, VSpan is good for the Greek leagues, not good enough anymore for the NBA...too mistake prone.

If he really wanted it, he should have stayed in the NBA, he didn't....so he gets what he deserves, star player in a 2nd or 3rd rate league.

DD

[Mark in Austin]

you are an idiot,

you're right. let me amend my idiotic statement:

- everybody is held accountable in San Antonio except Finley and Bonner.

sorry for the mistake.

[temujin]

Trashing Spanoulis by fans of a team that selected De Colo.
Or Dragic, pretty average player by WC standards, but phenomenal in NBA PO series.....

More and more interesting.

Maybe, just maybe, Spanoulis thought that playing at HOME, for an excellent TEAM and a great coach, while getting very good money and being located half an hour from gorgeous sceneries,
IS
slightly better than being a benchwarmer -not- playing for a mediocre coach, on a bad team, while getting less money and rottening in the middle of nowhere.

What an ill-advised decision from him!

[ChumpDumper]

The Spurs were a bad team?

[temujin]

The Spurs were a bad team?

Rockets were.
By the time he was done with those guys, he made the decision to go back.

[ChumpDumper]

Rockets were.
By the time he was done with those guys, he made the decision to go back.

Poor little guy.

[temujin]

Poor little guy.

During the Gallic campaing, Cesar once received, with all the honors, a local "king" willing to collaborate with Romans.
After the long ceremony, his generals were making fun of poor little guy.

Cesar stopped the cheerful atmosphere.

"I'd rather be king in the tiniest of the gallic villages, than second in Rome."

I tend to agree.

[Bruno]

Spanoulis is a guard with a below average combination of size and speed for the NBA. When you are in that case, you need to be a special player to succeed in the NBA and Spanoulis is nowhere near special.

Even a player like Jasikevicius, who is way more talented than Spanoulis, failed in the NBA because of a lack of physical tools.

Javtokas could be a nice end of the bench player but nothing more.

[Mel_13]

Maybe, just maybe, Spanoulis thought that playing at HOME, for an excellent TEAM and a great coach, while getting very good money and being located half an hour from gorgeous sceneries,
IS
slightly better than being a benchwarmer -not- playing for a mediocre coach, on a bad team, while getting less money and rottening in the middle of nowhere.

What an ill-advised decision from him!

That's just fine. His decision to choose to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond is a perfectly reasonable individual decision. He obviously prefers the creature comforts and adulation that comes with playing at home.

I take no issue with his decision on where to pursue his professional career. I do, however, take issue with his small band of supporters who continue to insist that Spanoulis could be a premier player in the NBA if he chose to be. That's just ridiculous. He failed in his one attempt in the NBA (even if there were extenuating cir stances) and he has chosen not to return. No matter how great his success in inferior club leagues, the fact is that all those achievements have been recorded against lesser compe ion.

So if VSpan never wants to leave Athens, fine. Just stop with the claims that he would have great success in the NBA. The player has had numerous opportunities to leave the comforts of home and has refused. He is what he is, a great player in the Euroleague and the Greek League. He failed in the NBA and refused to return and has even turned down opportunities to play in the best domestic league in Europe.

Just a big fish in a small pond.

[Mark in Austin]

Javtokas could be a nice end of the bench player but nothing more.

I'd like to see that once his current contract is up. Javtokas for a year as the last big would be a nice bookend to being drafted so many years ago. If noting else, he won't be any worse than Mengke Bateer was in that role.

Weird Javtokas fact I didn't know until recently - he went to the same high school as LeBron James did according to his Wikipedia page.

[DaDakota]

Maybe, just maybe, Spanoulis thought that playing at HOME, for an excellent TEAM and a great coach, while getting very good money and being located half an hour from gorgeous sceneries,
IS
slightly better than being a benchwarmer -not- playing for a mediocre coach, on a bad team, while getting less money and rottening in the middle of nowhere.

What an ill-advised decision from him!

I agree with this, he made the right decision. I have always been a fan of his, and think if he stayed he would have developed into a solid NBA player.

He chose to be a big fish in a small pond, good move, but it was the easy way out.

Because if he stayed in the NBA he would have had to develop his game, get a better jumpshot, stop jumping in the air to pass, lots of things he gets away with in a lessor league like the Greek leagues, he would not get away with in the NBA.

He made his choice, it is his life, but now, it is too late for him in the NBA...he is only a Euro player now.

Nothing wrong with that.

DD

[temujin]

I never wrote Spanoulis can be a star in the NBA, anyway.

So, there is a consensus that he is big fish, in a small pond, but still a big fish.

Spurs fans should be more concerned about a SMALL fish -Bonner- that has ALREADY proven to be a small fish in a small national league in Europe.
I recall a negligible fish in fact.
A plancton, one might say.

This plancton guy, that has zero potential to be big in any league, has been given a ridiculous contract.

[Obstructed_View]

During the Gallic campaing, Cesar once received, with all the honors, a local "king" willing to collaborate with Romans.
After the long ceremony, his generals were making fun of poor little guy.

Cesar stopped the cheerful atmosphere.

"I'd rather be king in the tiniest of the gallic villages, than second in Rome."

I tend to agree.

Spanoulis was second from the end of the bench.