Sasha Watch 2022-2023
- Thread starter Tetsujin
- Start date
He's more suited to guards 4s than 3s. Put him on an island against your traditional SFs, and he's going to struggle.
However, if he's playing against the backup 3s in those cases next to Lyles, I think he'd be ok in limited stretches. I've seen some Bjelica comps come up, but I think Vezenkov is slightly more athletic and moves better laterally. Vezenkov isn't a good individual defender, but he appears to be a good team defender for whatever it's worth.
However, if he's playing against the backup 3s in those cases next to Lyles, I think he'd be ok in limited stretches. I've seen some Bjelica comps come up, but I think Vezenkov is slightly more athletic and moves better laterally. Vezenkov isn't a good individual defender, but he appears to be a good team defender for whatever it's worth.
You have identified a major problem: hardly anyone on the Kings, apart from Sabonis, Holmes, and Monk, sets good screens. When multiple outside shooters have a bad game, that is one important reason. Metu tries, but his technique needs work. Sabonis veers into moving screens, which can run up his foul total when called. Monk uses his hands to clog up the defense, like a football lineman, but sometimes disengages a fraction of a second too soon.
This is definitely an aspect of teamwork that can improve over the last segment of the season.
This is definitely an aspect of teamwork that can improve over the last segment of the season.
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He just signed a two-year extension to his European contract a month and a half ago. He doesn't have a "sweeter deal" to leverage for two more years. He's got 3M Euros on the next two years of that deal, our full MLE could be worth $30M over three years. If it's about money, and we want him here, he'll be here.
He can literally come over for a 3 year contract and make his money, an extra $15 million (post taxes), set up his family for life and return to Europe and still be in his prime, if things don't work out in the NBA.
There is like ZERO risk for him to come over. I think Monte really wants him and I think he comes over this summer.
There is like ZERO risk for him to come over. I think Monte really wants him and I think he comes over this summer.
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Well, this does happen, but the opposite does as well. Bogdan came over several years after being drafted on an MLE-sized contract and immediately got 28 MPG (as a King, no less). Bojan also came over several years after being drafted on a $3M/year deal and immediately got 24 MPG.
I suspect that if we pay enough to get Sasha to come, we're doing it because we think he's going to be solidly in the rotation. Perhaps not starting, but if he came over next year and played <20 MPG, I'd be surprised.
I suspect that if we pay enough to get Sasha to come, we're doing it because we think he's going to be solidly in the rotation. Perhaps not starting, but if he came over next year and played <20 MPG, I'd be surprised.
Depends on the player if you look at what type of star players(meaning they come over in their late to mid 20's) fail it's always the ones that lack physicality or are PG's who can't keep up speed wise that's why guys like Ginboli/Noccioni/Bogdanovicx 2/Joe Ingles (technically Aussie but played for ages in Europe) in recent times all of whom came over and succeed because their strength and being big guards/wings for their position made up for the lack of foot speed (Manu excluded).
Guys like Navarro/ Saraus/Teodosic/Spanollis/Campazzo/Guduric all were crap (empty stats as well), all small/lacked physicality/speed and played the hardest position to be good in as well. None of that applies to Sasha currently he's closer in the category that succeeded although you can question his physicality similar to Bjelly/Melli I guess.
I have never understood why talented Euro's (In Serbia in particular) barring the naturally enormous C's don't focus on strength since they will never have the explosiveness in foot speed of Afro-Americans/West Africans, it's a massive help if they're trying to get to the NBA and a huge reason imo a lot of them are kept out.
Guys like Navarro/ Saraus/Teodosic/Spanollis/Campazzo/Guduric all were crap (empty stats as well), all small/lacked physicality/speed and played the hardest position to be good in as well. None of that applies to Sasha currently he's closer in the category that succeeded although you can question his physicality similar to Bjelly/Melli I guess.
I have never understood why talented Euro's (In Serbia in particular) barring the naturally enormous C's don't focus on strength since they will never have the explosiveness in foot speed of Afro-Americans/West Africans, it's a massive help if they're trying to get to the NBA and a huge reason imo a lot of them are kept out.
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Last week Sasha had probably one of his worst performances of the year where he went head to head against Nikola Mirotic who plays for Barcelona. Barcelona is one of the top teams in Europe headlined with former NBA players: Nikola Mirotic, Tomas Satoransky, Alex Abrines, and Jan Vesely.
Sasha ended up with: 13pts 7rebs 1stl on 5-16 FG and 2-6 from 3pt.
Mirotic absolutely killed him in their matchup. He scored 3 straight on Sasha in the 1st quarter just off his positioning and post-ups. His coach ended up having to put someone else on Mirotic for the 2nd half of the game.. Sasha was clearly bothered by Barcelona's strength and length on both ends of the floor. On offense, he wasn't getting any looks from 3pt. They did a good job denying him the ball from handoffs. Whenever he caught the ball in a position to shoot, defenders were right in his grill. He also struggled to finish at the rim against their 7fters.
He's been playing amazing basketball, but I think his opponent is probably the closest thing to facing an NBA team. Here's the full match, but I don't think it's worth the watch. He was really painful to watch and the quality of the video isn't great:
Sasha ended up with: 13pts 7rebs 1stl on 5-16 FG and 2-6 from 3pt.
Mirotic absolutely killed him in their matchup. He scored 3 straight on Sasha in the 1st quarter just off his positioning and post-ups. His coach ended up having to put someone else on Mirotic for the 2nd half of the game.. Sasha was clearly bothered by Barcelona's strength and length on both ends of the floor. On offense, he wasn't getting any looks from 3pt. They did a good job denying him the ball from handoffs. Whenever he caught the ball in a position to shoot, defenders were right in his grill. He also struggled to finish at the rim against their 7fters.
He's been playing amazing basketball, but I think his opponent is probably the closest thing to facing an NBA team. Here's the full match, but I don't think it's worth the watch. He was really painful to watch and the quality of the video isn't great:
His team is actually the best in the Euroleague. They ended up winning this game against Barcelona despite Sasha's poor performance. His team also has a bunch of former NBA players who you might recognize, but of course, none were as good as Mirotic: Isaiah Canaan, Tarik Black, Kostas Papanikolaou, and Alec Peters.
