Why Isn't Sasha Playing?
- Thread starter Kraft
- Start date
Just my two cents…. Was never really a fan. I had hoped that he would do well based on the hype that led to him coming here. His injuries certainly didn’t help, but I had always sensed from things that I had read that he never really wanted to come to the USA anyway. I seem to remember there was a lot of cajoling on the part of the Kings to get him to come in the first place. I felt his commitment to the team was not there, ergo his poor showing last season. I blame him for not reaching his potential in The NBA. To me, he just gave it all up without giving it his best shot. Perhaps I’d feel different if he had fulfilled the length of his contract and we got a better sampling of his ability and potential. But one year? Really? Dip your toe in the water and if it’s too cold stay out. Disappointing. Anyway, good luck to him. The NBA is not for everyone.
I enjoyed watching him move off ball on the offensive floor and hoped that would translate to some degree of success. He had some injury struggles right when it looked like he was fitting in and I was hoping to see what maybe a full year and good health could bring.
But, I understood moving on, and thought well hey maybe he can thrive in another locale and wished him well.
Sadly now he will forever be a quitter to me.
But, I understood moving on, and thought well hey maybe he can thrive in another locale and wished him well.
Sadly now he will forever be a quitter to me.
That was one thing that stuck out to me. He ran on his heels. Strange sight seeing him run down the court. But I do believe there was also a cruel twist of fate involved where things just didn't line up. I do think he could have made it in the NBA with the right circumstances. Often it's very small, seemingly random things that are the difference between a great career and washing out. In the right situation I believe he could have had a long NBA career.
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Honestly, it never sat well with me how much they bent over backwards to get him to come. He was Euroleague MVP yes, but he was never, even then, expected to be more than a role player. I wonder if we took the money we gave him, along with additional resources, could we have gotten more impactful and established NBA level talents.
I don't think so. We gave him the bi-annual exemption, it's hard enough to get impactful players with the full MLE. And we might be stuck with that player today and a few second rounders instead of DDR.
His pay was appropriate for a player at his level and I don't think we wasted that much time bringing him over. I don't think he was promised more than the role he was starting to mature into in January before injury. He was becoming a useful role player who did interesting things off ball and if he could get his shooting up a bit (should have happened) would be exactly what he was brought in to be. Bit of a defensive liability but did play solid team defense, we knew this going in. If he had honored his contract I am sure if we traded him it wouldn't have been as a negative asset but he is a quitter who screwed us over by making it clear he wanted back in Europe. Not that FIBA will do anything but his Euro club tampered in his contract situation and should be sanctioned. No I am not kidding. This situation is going to make bringing established Euro guys over a lot more of a dice role if their Euro clubs can play football transfer market games with them.
His pay was appropriate for a player at his level and I don't think we wasted that much time bringing him over. I don't think he was promised more than the role he was starting to mature into in January before injury. He was becoming a useful role player who did interesting things off ball and if he could get his shooting up a bit (should have happened) would be exactly what he was brought in to be. Bit of a defensive liability but did play solid team defense, we knew this going in. If he had honored his contract I am sure if we traded him it wouldn't have been as a negative asset but he is a quitter who screwed us over by making it clear he wanted back in Europe. Not that FIBA will do anything but his Euro club tampered in his contract situation and should be sanctioned. No I am not kidding. This situation is going to make bringing established Euro guys over a lot more of a dice role if their Euro clubs can play football transfer market games with them.
I feel like we’ve been down this path before. It’s hard to know whether such a massive job transition is going to work out. It’s important to pull the plug when it is not working. Good luck in Greece, Sasha.
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/i...els-wanted-again-sudden-sacramento-kings-exit
https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/i...els-wanted-again-sudden-sacramento-kings-exit
I thought his defense was better than Lyles. Sasha was pretty good at doing the things that someone like him shouldn't do all things considered. Good rebounder, good shooter, pretty good defender. There are many worse players sticking in the league. In the end, if you're Monte, good luck getting an overseas player to come over next time. lol.
Sasha was targeted repeatedly on defense when he was in the game, which I’m guessing is a big reason he hardly played. His off-ball defense was okay but on-ball he couldn’t stay in front of anyone and it made defense harder for everyone on the floor with him.
Good shooter, good bball IQ, he made good cuts, but he was a terrible defender in the NBA. If he was even an average defender he would have seen more minutes.
Good shooter, good bball IQ, he made good cuts, but he was a terrible defender in the NBA. If he was even an average defender he would have seen more minutes.