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I thought he took his name out the draft or sumthing like that
Even though it's Hoopsworld ... we know the Spurs are high on Casspi and rumors suggest the Spurs are trying to get into the first round with eyes on drafting him.
If the Nets are so high on him why don't they just draft him with the 11th pick?? 4-7 picks later really going to make a difference?
I thought he took his name out the draft or sumthing like that
http://proxy.espn.go.com/sportsnatio...ider-Chad-Ford
Joel (DE)
What are your thoughts on Omri Casspi? Do you belive he can be a solid starter in the NBA?
Chad Ford
Maybe ...he's such a tough player. Reminds me a little of Matt Harping. He just needs to get a more consistent jump shot. I think he has a very good shot of being the first Israeli to go in the first round.
Last edited by Blackjack; 06-17-2009 at 01:01 PM.
bonner for cassipi pick
February 29, 2008
Get (More?) Familiar with Maccabi Tel Aviv
The low-down on one of the premier teams in the EuroLeague, thanks to a special guest appearance via Israel.
Thanks to my new gig with PeacePlayers International, I’ve recently connected with Aaron Kaplowitz, a Jersey native and Boston University grad currently in Israel, where he covers EuroLeague basketball for the Jerusalem Post. In case you didn’t know, Maccabi Tel Aviv is THE team in Israel, as well as one of the better pro overseas squads in the world and has become a recent pipeline–both ways–for players coming to and from the NBA. Not to step on my man Matt Caputo’s toes, but Aaron has exclusive coverage of a recent playoff game between Maccabi and Real Madrid, another EuroLeague power, in addition to his take on the overseas game and updates on former domestic college stars, NBA journeymen and up-and-coming foreign prospects. With no further adieu…
by Aaron Kaplowitz
During the idle hours of a pedestrian Thursday afternoon in America, more than 6,000 miles away, the best professional basketball club you’ve never heard of was playing a must-win game in front of a dynamic home crowd. Perennial European powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv, led by a handful of former NCAA stars and NBA vagabonds, rocked Real Madrid 94-75 at Tel Aviv’s Nokia Arena in a Top 16 EuroLeague showdown.
Will Bynum, the catalyst for Georgia Tech’s 2004 Final Four run, led Maccabi with a season-high 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting. He got help from big man and former University of Maryland standout Terence Morris, who scrapped together 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Are these names ringing a bell? Sure, both Bynum and Morris flirted with The League, logging 15 and 139 career games, respectively, but as stars in college, they had never expected to be playing in countries where soccer ranks slightly above God, and basketball ranks well below tight black jeans. For men.
“This is one of the best experiences I’ve had since college, ’cause I never really had a chance to play much in The League,” said Morris. “I’m not looking to get back [to the NBA]. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m just trying to be in the best situation that I can be happy in.”
As the second-best league in the world, the EuroLeague is a haven for late first-round and second-round draft picks. It’s a place where coddled egos wilt away and the embers of an NBA dream still glow, only more faintly with each passing year.
For players incapable of taking it to the next level, Maccabi is as good of a place as any to make a living. The team’s starting five features exactly one indigenous Israeli, 24-year-old Yotam Halperin, a 2006 second-round pick by the Supersonics. The rest of the starters are Morris; former Indiana Pacers first-round pick Vonteego mings; former USC star David Bluthenthal, who also has Israeli citizenship; and Esteban Batista, an afterthought for the Atlanta Hawks the past two seasons. Throw in Bynum’s raw athleticism off the bench, and it’s no wonder Maccabi is expected by many to reach the EuroLeague Final Four in Athens, especially following the 19-point drubbing of Real. Of course, the team wouldn’t be where it is today without former lottery pick Marcus Fizer, whose season likely ended two weeks ago when he tore his meniscus.
“We all get along very well,” said mings, who at 32, dispelled any notions of an NBA comeback. “I think the ultimate goal is just to win. If we win, everything else will take care of itself.”
From the opening tip, Real Madrid was in Real Trouble, as the soccer hooligan-like home crowd of 11,700 strong began jumping and chanting in unison, scattering confetti in the air. Both teams fed off the energy, playing at a frenetic pace, with Maccabi employing a full-court press, and Real releasing its point guard down the court on Maccabi shots, leading to repeated fast-break opportunities.
“[Nokia Arena] reminds me of The Pit,” said Real Madrid’s Charles Smith, referring to the University of New Mexico’s infamous home court, where he made a name for himself. “This crowd is amazing.”
Through the first six minutes, the teams were locked at 15-15. With 3:44 to play in the quarter, Maccabi center Nikola Vujcic checked into the game to the delight of the crowd, which welcomed him with a song, for, after all, everything and everyone at a European sporting match gets a song. At 6-feet, 11-inches, Vujcic is the best passing big man in the world, but a torn calf muscle has limited his action this season and led fans to conclude that his best days are behind him.
On Vujcic’s first offensive touch, he appeared rusty and oblivious, like a lumbering big man on the playground blacktop who thinks his height en les him to talent.
It didn’t take long, however, for Vujcic to recover. On the following possession, he caught the ball on the left block, backed his man down and did what he does best: saw the court. While his defender was caught in a defensive trance, Vujcic whipped a perfectly delivered backdoor bullet to Bynum, who laid in two easy points to put Maccabi up by two.
With just over a minute to play in the quarter, Vujcic, wearing a blue brace on his right leg, backed into the lane, drop-stepped to the right, maintaining his pivot, drop-stepped to the left, maintaining his pivot, spun back to his right ahead of an impatient defender, hooking in an open two.
After the first quarter, Maccabi held a fragile lead, 25-24.
A minute into the second quarter, Bynum dove face-first for a loose ball in the Real backcourt, batting it in the air to kick off a fast break that epitomizes the difference between the NBA and Europe. Vujcic snagged the ball at half-court, led Maccabi on a three-on-one break, before pulling out a playground move by appearing to fling the ball AT the defender, but flicking it to himself instead.
Whistle.
Double dribble.
Let’s be honest. In the NBA, a player would not lay his body out for a ball that has no chance of going out of bounds, otherwise Steve Wojciechowski would be making millions, not assisting Coach K at Duke. A center would rarely lead a fastbreak, and would certainly not pull out any fancy pickup moves. And above all, no NBA ref in his right mind would have called the double dribble.
Vujcic, undeterred, was not done. With Maccabi clinging to a seven-point lead, he caught the ball above the foul line, and, like a painter whose canvas is the passing lanes, he snuck a perfect bounce pass by three defenders to a cutting Omri Casspi for a high-flying, two-handed baseline slam to give Tel Aviv a 35-26 lead. Maccabi used the momentum to finish off a 21-7 run that proved to be enough.
“I really enjoy passing the ball,” said Vujcic after the game. “[Toni] Kukoc said once, ‘A basket makes one guy happy, a pass makes two guys happy.’”
Like the dual benefits of a beautiful assist, when the Indian Pacers signed Sarunas Jasikevicius in 2005, the Maccabi Tel Aviv-NBA relationship became reciprocal. The following year, with Anthony Parker and Maceo Baston following suit, Maccabi established itself as a legit stepping stone to the NBA. This gives players like Morris (29 years old) and Bynum (25) the exposure to get back to The League, especially with preseason exhibitions against NBA squads becoming a standard ritual. But playing for a good team also detracts from filling the stat sheets.
“A lot of [the Americans in Europe] still have a chip on their shoulders, they still have a lot to prove,” said Derrick Sharp, who has seen his share of Americans come and go during his 13 years with Maccabi. “For some teams, they’re playing a lot of minutes, they’re looking to average 25 points. It’s probably just about them improving. If they’re on a great team like ours, or some of the elite teams in Europe, then they gotta be more of a piece to the puzzle.
“I think they have to be careful to make the decision of what team to go to, because if not, they could find themselves frustrated with not playing enough, not getting enough shots, not scoring enough points,”said Sharp, a legend in Israel who doesn’t mind that nobody’s heard of him in America. “A lot of players get caught up in that. They try to
still make it back to The League and try to use Maccabi to do it.”
Bynum fits the bill. A player with incredible talent who’s electrifying at best and erratic at worst, the former Chicago playground legend is the type of player who excels in the open court and falters in a structured system. When asked before the game about his biggest struggles playing in Europe, Bynum thinks he’s not getting the opportunity to showcase his skills.
“I think I need more minutes to dominate Europe,” said Bynum. “I just need the ball. I need 30 or more minutes [a game].”
Bynum itches for his next opportunity to get back to the NBA. He’s hoping that a strong NBA summer league showing coupled with his off-season training with former NBA player and head coach John Lucas, will allow NBA teams to realize his potential.
But the NBA seems to be taking notice of Israel’s home-grown talent. After all, with Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker reshaping the league, an unpronounceable European no-name is a much sexier option that an NBA has-been. When Orlando drafted Lior Eliyahu with the 44th pick of the 2006 Draft, immediately trading his rights to Houston, he became the first Israeli drafted since the Clippers selected UConn’s Doron Sheffer in 1996. Seattle took Halperin nine picks later, and suddenly two Maccabi teammates were vying for the honor of becoming the first Israeli to play in the NBA.
“Listen, it’s obvious that everybody’s biggest dream is to get to the NBA,” said Halperin. “But for now things are good with Maccabi and I only think about Maccabi.
While Eliyahu hasn’t improved much over the past two seasons, Halperin has become a reliable European point guard who can slow the tempo and punish a sagging defender from the outside. Omri Casspi, however, may leapfrog both players by getting to the NBA first.
Casspi, has earned valuable minutes this season by bringing high energy on both ends of the floor. He has explosive hops, a quick first step and an aggressive knack for getting to the basket. His shooting form resembles Shawn Marion’s, leaving much to be desired with his outside game, but, like Marion, he has the confidence to knock down the three. At 19 years old, his upside is much brighter than his fellow countrymen. He’d make for a strong second-round pick in the 2008 Draft, which he plans on entering.
“It’s a dream, it’s something that I’ve worked all these years for, but for now I’m only concentrating on Maccabi,” said Casspi. “I need to improve my shooting, my defense, my rebounding. I’m still young, I’m only 19.”
For the meantime, it’s best that Casspi and his teammates focus on next week’s home game against Greek power Olympiacos, a team that features Americans Lynn Greer, Qyntel Woods, Marc Jackson and Roderick “Moo-Moo” Blackney.
And you thought it was NBA or bust…
http://www.slamonline.com/online/blo...cabi-tel-aviv/
From what I've gathered, he seems open to the possibility of staying overseas for a year but it's not his intention.
But as you mention, what he and his agent wants might have to take a backseat to whatever financial situation/plan the team he lands with has with this economy and '10 looming.
Yeah this would be the perfect Spurs pick.
Very very talented European player, but is stashed.
Let's not get carried away about his level. He is definitely not very, very talented.
Besides the Spurs need help at the SF position NOW - not 3 years from now.
This guy is not that good. Jesus, people. Let's focus here.
if we dont move up in the draft he is going in the late teens anyway
Draft Report: Omri Casspi Of Maccabi Tel Aviv
Omri Casspi will come to be known as the other foreign first rounder from the 2009 NBA Draft beside Ricky Rubio. As Rubio is a preternatural passer, Casspi is preternatural in the department of moving without the ball to create scoring chances for himself.
Listed officially at 6’9” and change, Casspi has excellent agility, athleticism and will be an inside/outside threat at the wing position.
His movement without the ball is as nuanced as any player I’ve seen out of the past three drafts. There is a lot of John Havlicek in this part of his game and it is at least 75% of why he is such a good scorer.
Casspi is athletic and agile enough to take full advantage of his nonstop motor, brilliant cuts and intelligent spacing.
Typically the passer makes the receiver look good, but Casspi so frequently sets himself up with easy buckets that he makes the passer look good.
When he does receive the ball near the bucket, he is a good finisher, frequently looking to dunk on people in traffic. There is a lot of strength and power in the way he converts dunk, not shying away from contact or skilled shotblockers.
Casspi has good touch when finishing off the glass or with a little teardrop runner.
He has a really good handle for his size and can bring the ball up on occasion. His balance is good and he does a nice job of remaining upright while keeping his vision up.
Though not a significant part of his game, Casspi has a little post game where he will be able to take advantage of his size against smaller wings. He has sound footwork down low, similar to the other parts of his offensive game.
As a shooter, Casspi could use some revisions to his form. He gets a lot of lift, but his left elbow sticks out too much and is awkward looking overall. He will make more perimeter shots than he will miss when left alone, but this part of his game is not nearly as good as his cuts. As a mid-range shooter, Casspi is much more reliable and be even considered above average here.
Defensively, Casspi uses that same motor, length and pure instincts as he does on offense. He is unquestionably slight of build and therefore is prone to getting muscled by stronger players, especially in the post. He won’t be a shutdown on-ball defender, but he won’t ever be considered a liability, which says a lot given the lackluster defensive histories of certain foreign born players.
Comparing Casspi overall to several similar wings in this draft such as Chase Budinger, Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington, I believe he is at the top of the list right behind James Harden.
http://www.realgm.com/src_feature_pi...cabi_tel_aviv/
There is a lot of John Havlicek in this part of his game and it is at least 75% of why he is such a good scorer.Casspi is athletic and agile enough to take full advantage of his nonstop motor, brilliant cuts and intelligent spacing.When he does receive the ball near the bucket, he is a good finisher, frequently looking to dunk on people in traffic. There is a lot of strength and power in the way he converts dunk, not shying away from contact or skilled shotblockers.These are the type of things I like to hear about a prospect.Defensively, Casspi uses that same motor, length and pure instincts as he does on offense.
Sure, it's nice to hear about good measureables and potential talent, but when you hear words like "nonstop motor", phrases like: "frequently looking to dunk on people in traffic.", "There is a lot of strength and power in the way he converts dunk, not shying away from contact or skilled shotblockers", or being compared to players like Hondo because of his intelligence and instincts, that's the kind of stuff that really catches my eye.
Casspi's apparent compe ve fire and unwillingness to back down, is why I've favored him over Claver, both short and long-term.
Maybe it's unfair on my part, especially since my knowledge on the two is limited, but I haven't heard comments like: Tends to disappear, Floats, or Doesn't play to potential associated with Casspi, either.
Good read. I just wonder how the Spurs rank him on their radar and how he compares to Claver, Young and Green - in their eyes.
Thanks for posting.
Casspi is the one guy worth buying a pick for, even the full $3 million.
Because whichever team gets him will make all that money back and more because he'll be the first Israeli.
The Spurs should pay the bill and get him, the San Antonio jewish community itself would be enough to even it out over his rookie contract, and it's a modest one in nba terms.
Sacramento is a legit target. The #23 pick for $3 million and filler, like one of the seconds or the rights to Javtokas. The Kings have had layoffs and severe money issues, I'm sure they'd be open to the cash.
Who the do you think you are, Ahmadinejad? I'd take cover if I was you...you're about to join Sadam...
I don't know who I like more between Jerebko and Casspi. If we do get into the first round, I'd be happy with either of them.
Looks like those bas s in Portland are up to their old tricks again. Today they've swapped first round picks with the Mavs, thereby moving up two spots to #22.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...e.296e169.html
The latest ESPN mock draft has the Blazers selecting Casspi.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...kDraft-090624a
Analysis: Why would the Blazers move up two spots in the draft? The word around the league was the Kings had zeroed in on Omri Casspi with the 23rd pick. Casspi could be a good pick for the Blazers to either keep overseas or bring over this year to provide more toughness in the frontcourt.
I certainly hope the Spurs will sneak into the round @ pick #21 or above and select him instead.
Surprise, surprise. And of course the going rate for a 1st round pick is $3 mil now.
It'd be great if we could get Minny's 18.
Bonner + 2nd rounder + cash, perhaps. I don't see the reason to part with Mason unless you are getting similar value in return.
To be fair, this is just to move ahead of the Kings, who had likewise zeroed in on Casspi. The Spurs are not the only team to have scouted the kid. Though it's tough to tell who will fall in this draft, so who knows what will happen.
Prediction: Spurs give up Splitter's rights & Bonner for the T-Wolves pick only if Casspi is still on the board.
I said it here!!!
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