The number of times I have heard the stereotype that American players only care about flash and shoe deals has just been upped 1, yet again.
But, let me clarify what I was saying before. Let's say the Spurs re-sign Devin Brown, an American. Because the NBA is an American league, the chances of Devin Brown playing for the US are lower than the chances of Beno Udrih playing for Slovenia. Americans are getting drafted everywhere, whereas only the best of the best (most of the time, exclude exceptions like Dejan Bodiroga) international players make it here. So of course those players are probably going to represent their countries too. The NBA is a buisness, and NBA teams should get to protect their investments - that is, their players. The more a player plays, the more that play is likely to get injured. More Devin Browns and less Beno Udrihs result in fewer chances of injury to the players and team.
Correct
Sequ's just playin. He probably already received his kit (T-Shirt, Shorts, Socks and Spiral-bound Primer) for the Rasho FANtasy Summer Basketball Camp.
Sometimes, all you have clean to wear is "foreign players'" gear.
Ignore him.
he doesn't mean it, and hes full of hot air.
You euros let it get to you toooo easily.
The state US basketball is in, there's more promise in foreigners especially for the Spurs who rarely have a low draft pick. But I do agree that a paradigm shift needs to be made at how we look at US players
No more foreigners?
Honestly, I didn't ever consider taking this argument seriously, but some replies might warrant just that.
The Spurs don't draft native US players or foreign players, they draft bball players. The better talent, the draft pick. What's fairly obvious to see is that, over a long period of time -particularly before the last few years-, probably the very same mindset some posts in this thread reek of, and a lack of vision, resulted in deficient international scouting that enabled a franchise doing their homework to get their hands on otherwise unattainable superior talent.
A simple revision of recent history should suffice to convince anyone that, for the most part, the foreign players were far and away the best option available in single every draft.
- Who was better than Manu with the 57th pick in 1999?
- Who was better than Tony with the 29th pick in 2001? you could make a case for Arenas, but in any case Tony is a good enough player to make it at the very least an understandable decision, picking -at wost- the 2nd best player out of the 29 available.
- Who was better than Robertas Javtokas with the 56th pick in 2001?
- Who was better than Luis Scola with the 56th pick in 2002?
The jury is still out on both Sanikidze (43rd pick, 2004, could have had Ariza) and Mahinmi (29th pick, 2005, could have had Ryan Gomes), but in any case their promise is good enough to assure that, even if not the best option available -which they may very well be-, they're at worst the second best player of the dozens left on the draft, making it impossible for any rational thinker to spin it on the FO.
The only cases I might grant you could challenge are Beno Udrih (24th pick, 2004), and FA signing Fabricio Oberto. Ironically enough, in the first case the better option would have probably been yet another foreigner, Anderson Varejao... so, no grounds for a 'buy USA' claim there. Also, though there could have been better alternatives, neither came at a high expense, and both can very well prove worth their signings in time. And, in any case, in any direction you go you can't expect everything to be 100% perfect. If you ask me, those are very minor bumps on the road of a giant history of success.
So we're left with the much maligned Rasho Nesterovic. Now, certainly he hasn't lived up to expectations... but I have to ask, was his signing part of the foreign wave? Remember, he had already played in the US for a long time, so he was essencially an established NBA player. And, most importantly, what was the 'American' alternative? none other than the great Michael Olowokandi!!! -not US native, but developed in the American system, which is ultimately much more important- now, would that have been much better? Forgive me if I'm skeptical.
Having gone through that, a few questions arise:
- Which clearly superior US born player did they pass on just for the sake of drafting a foreigner?
- Is there a significant improvement they could have had by drafting native talent instead?
- The ultimate question would be, knowing what you know today, would you have done different?
Remember, we're talking about passing on better native US talent for the sake of drafting foreign... I mention this because someone might as inevitably as erroneously bring up the cases of Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels. However, that decision wasn't due to prioritizing foreign talent over that of America, but because of Tim and the Spurs' craving for Jason Kidd... another American!!! so no, you don't get to pout about this one either.
So, after those questions I leave to your analysis, I'll bring up another interesting matter, one that goes overlooked: What would be of Tim Duncan and subsequently the Spurs, had they not gotten their hands on Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker?
My guess is, watching the Magic own the NBA time and again for the last few years. Remember Tim's reluctance to sign a long term contract without a player option in between? Why do you think that was? So that if the Spurs weren't going the right direction, he'd re-sign for less to help them?
And so I ask again... no more foreigners?
if it wasnt for these foreigners you would have ZERO les buddy. this is the dumbest thing you have said in like 2 hours.
Next year Nash, Barbosa, Diaw? Dude, I know ball, especially championship ball, and you can take Leandrinho off that list. Next year I think San Antonio will win the championship, so you should make your comment a Dallas sandwich, i.e. Spurs - Dallas - Spurs.
Phoenix!? LOL!!! Brother, I'm not even sure Nash's back will hold up by next year's playoffs and I can't wait to see Amare magically learn how to play some defense and Leandrinho learn to hit shots consistently. I personally know Leandrinho and he's a very nice guy, so I feel uncool cracking on him, but its true.
But more to the point, good American players will get into the league if they deserve it. The influx of foreign players, I think, is terrific for the game and its global growth.
Hey, in 2005 you would have dismissed and laughed at someone saying that in 2006 Mavs and heat would play for the le.
If one thing I've learned from this season is that NBA's new way of officiating anything can happen. And Suns have as good a chance as Spurs or Mavs to reach the finals next year. you shall see...
Really
i Saw USA Team vs Raja Bell and The Virgin Islands National Team, and TD donīt play that Game because he donīt want to play vs His Birth Place Team
Puerto Rico is a US Territory too, and Arroyo is a US Citizen but heīs a Foreigner, and PR have a great National Team
Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing are Foreigners too, and Both played for the "Dream Team"
good point. By their logic, Saddam Hussein is a US citizen
Actually, I don't care if they're freakin Eskimos as long as they have game.
we traded for a future first round pick that turned into the 30th pick in the 2005 draft that new york used to draft david lee
Sequ, were you born on a military base and if so which one?
at least we arent still gettin guys like Zarko Paspalj & Uwe Blab anymore , now those were the days.
I remember being at blossom athletic center during a spurs mini-camp when they introduced zarko... foreigners have some a long way
__________________________________________________ ____________________
"Zarko arrived to the Spurs in 1989, and lived four months in my house," Popovich said. "I had to move the bed outside because he never stopped smoking. So I got to know him well. I was convinced that he was a great player, but the club had chosen Sean Elliott with the second pick in the draft, and they had to take advantage of him...Even Sean recognized that Paspalj was able to do the same things as him, but didn't get the opportunity...Those were different times. The NBA, with its status and power, thought that the basketball world began and ended with American basketball, and we needed to see guys like Divac and Marciulionis to convince us otherwise."
I too went to see Zarko during some of the practice sessions and I really liked his offensive skills, but he was a turnstile. Sean Elliott played much better defense.
haha... thats a good word for it... "turnstile"... he had some game, no doubt about it. but realistically he never had a chance with larry brown coachin..
Remember that the Spurs draft very late and everyone drafted in the first round gets a guaranteed contract. Foreigners are many times locked into a contract with someone else so the Spurs can wait and watch if these picks pan out in other professional leagues on someone else's dime. This frees up money to sign free agents.
I think this is a very good strategy. It is just too difficult and risky to find a Howard so late in the draft on a consistent basis.
Actually Nowitzki will win again next year, see, this is how you defend your le and repeat!
Premature.
I'm sure they will win, They are just going to get better...
Typical Sequ's word-bomb. But this time it exploaded.
Kirlilenko
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