Why Isn't Sasha Playing?
- Thread starter Kraft
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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.
Well, some time has passed now and as a massive Vezenkov supporter, I am really glad that he escaped that Sacramento team and that Mike Brown was eventually fired the way he was fired.
I started following the Kings because of Vezenkov and was baffled to see how he was treated and how a Euroleague MVP had to prove himself just like an average 20 year old rookie. In any other world Trey Lyles will be on the bench and Harrison Barns and Sasha would be competing for the majority of the playing time, but not here and not when Brown is coaching the team. That reflected on Sasha's motivation and ultimately led to his departure.
A couple of months later, Sacramento added another superstar, failed miserably, fired Mike Brown and has a 13-19 record.
In the meantime, Olympiacos are tied for 1st place in the Euroleague, Vezenkov has won 3 MVP's of the round and together with Evan Fournier are dominating in every game.
Kraft out ✌️
I started following the Kings because of Vezenkov and was baffled to see how he was treated and how a Euroleague MVP had to prove himself just like an average 20 year old rookie. In any other world Trey Lyles will be on the bench and Harrison Barns and Sasha would be competing for the majority of the playing time, but not here and not when Brown is coaching the team. That reflected on Sasha's motivation and ultimately led to his departure.
A couple of months later, Sacramento added another superstar, failed miserably, fired Mike Brown and has a 13-19 record.
In the meantime, Olympiacos are tied for 1st place in the Euroleague, Vezenkov has won 3 MVP's of the round and together with Evan Fournier are dominating in every game.
Kraft out ✌️
Sasha Vezenkov signed a contract to play in the NBA, couldn't handle not being THE MAN anymore, and quit. Whatever you think happened with him in Sacramento, he was given an opportunity to play big minutes for a Toronto team which is rebuilding and preferred to buy out his contract and retreat back to the Euroleague instead. I supported him that whole year but he did nothing to earn either respect or playing time. The Kings obviously have a lot of problems right now but not rolling out a red carpet for Vezenkov last season is the least of them. In my opinion, his me-first attitude was his own fault and it's emblematic of everything else that has poisoned a once promising team right up to and including the cowardly decision to fire Mike Brown.
On the other hand, the entire NBA is looking washed right now so I can't deny that wanting to play actual basketball in Europe instead of whatever this WWE version of the sport is that we're now watching in the States is a feeling I personally empathize with.
On the other hand, the entire NBA is looking washed right now so I can't deny that wanting to play actual basketball in Europe instead of whatever this WWE version of the sport is that we're now watching in the States is a feeling I personally empathize with.
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Oh really? I am pretty sure that it's not about being "THE MAN", but getting decent minutes consistently. I am sure he did not intend to replace Fox or Sabonis or even Monk as leaders of this team, but when players like "0 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast" Harrison Barnes or Trey Lyles get more minutes than you, it's pretty dissapointing. As I wrote last year, the Sac fanbase has an unhealthy crush on Mike Brown and the fact that he managed to get to the playoffs once does not mean that he utilizes the players the best way possible. The ignorance of the USA fans towards European players is also obvious, even though it's not the 90s anymore and the top players in the NBA are not Americans anymore, but whatever.
I just wanted to have my "I told you so" moment, cause many people thought that shipping Davion, Sasha and Barnes away and getting DDR will solve all the problems. If I may predict - now that stubborn Mike is gone, I am pretty sure the team will look better
I just wanted to have my "I told you so" moment, cause many people thought that shipping Davion, Sasha and Barnes away and getting DDR will solve all the problems. If I may predict - now that stubborn Mike is gone, I am pretty sure the team will look better
Oh really? I am pretty sure that it's not about being "THE MAN", but getting decent minutes consistently. I am sure he did not intend to replace Fox or Sabonis or even Monk as leaders of this team, but when players like "0 pts, 1 reb, 1 ast" Harrison Barnes or Trey Lyles get more minutes than you, it's pretty dissapointing. As I wrote last year, the Sac fanbase has an unhealthy crush on Mike Brown and the fact that he managed to get to the playoffs once does not mean that he utilizes the players the best way possible. The ignorance of the USA fans towards European players is also obvious, even though it's not the 90s anymore and the top players in the NBA are not Americans anymore, but whatever.
I just wanted to have my "I told you so" moment, cause many people thought that shipping Davion, Sasha and Barnes away and getting DDR will solve all the problems. If I may predict - now that stubborn Mike is gone, I am pretty sure the team will look better
I just wanted to have my "I told you so" moment, cause many people thought that shipping Davion, Sasha and Barnes away and getting DDR will solve all the problems. If I may predict - now that stubborn Mike is gone, I am pretty sure the team will look better
(Luka is the one exception)
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