|||... Peja this summer...|||

[Alacron]

I don't think there was any way for Peja to win on this one... he doesn't play, he gets torn apart by his own countymen as practically a deserter; he does play, he gets criticized for wearing himself out when he's being paid millions of dollars to be in top form for the NBA.
~~

 

[Peja]

Peja should play for us,for his fans,for his nation...He is not playing for Obradovic,I really don't care who is coach if we are going to win this European championship.If Obradovic is Peja's reason for not playing then I am disapointed.He had 2 months of vacation and that isn't enough?!I was mad on Obradovic because of last year results but I can't move him from his place and I won't stop cheering our national team because of one man.
I am sorry because we had great chance to have the best team,now without Peja...it's not same...

 

[Padrino]

I don't think there was any way for Peja to win on this one... he doesn't play, he gets torn apart by his own countymen as practically a deserter; he does play, he gets criticized for wearing himself out when he's being paid millions of dollars to be in top form for the NBA.
~~

that's the catch-22 of the relationship between international basketball and the nba. hope he's doing it for the right reasons. if he is, then his contract year could be promising indeed. if he's working to improve his game, both the kings and the serbian national team benefit, assuming he decides to play international ball again in the near future.

 

[DocHolliday]

it looks like he chose money over the loyalty to the national team
he's gonna rest so he can be ready and play for an NBA team (and if hes 100% he'll get the MAX ? maybe ?) thats giving up on something but it's a plus for him, not us the fans tho.

he's always tired ... he's never gonna play for the national team ever again then.

playing for a national team and winning gold was a dream for many players, not as much now, some give up on things like that and do whatever they feel is better for them, leaving a country with some sense of anger towards those kind of people.

i migh be overreacting, and probably am

i don't wanna make a big deal out of this but im bit hurt hehe

Also another thing to consider. Last summer Peja becomes a daddy and now has a family. He sits out of the national team play. Plays a whole NBA season maybe is legitimately tired, but he probably wants to spend time with his kid and wife to. You can't let your work consume you and forget about the other part of your life.

 

[Savo]

Well if this turns out to be true, I will be very disappointed. I mean this is in Serbia after all. You cannot miss something like this. Yeah people will say who am I to tell Peja he shouldn't do this or that. But this is a very important tournament for Serbia and Montenegro, who must establish themselves again after the fiascos in Athens and Sweden. Now it doesn't look good. Vujanic is out, Peja is "out", I doubt Jaric will play and I wouldn't be surprised if we hear more of the same from other players. I've been reading reactions from SCG fans on B92 web site and it's not a pleasant read at all. This move by Peja will have consequences.

However, I think something smells here. Some believe there was a rift between Obradovic and Stojakovic at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. I wouldn't be surprised if that is true. Obradovic is a great coach, but his style is somewhat ancient. He still lives in the late 80s and early 90s I think. Basketball is changing and he should accept that. There are a lot of players in the NBA these days and they can't run the hills for 2 months, they don't need to. The days when national teams prepared for months are over. Players need to rest. You can't play almost a hundred games and then spend the entire summer preparing. Sure, if you're a young kid who needs to learn stuff, but not pros like Peja. And just an example of how things can work out well without rigorous preparations. Last year Ginobili arrived just a week before the games in Athens and we all know what happened later. That's just the way things are now.

So, what is the truth then? We might never find out, but one thing is for sure. A lot of people will be sad and bitter. Finally, there will be a major Championship in Serbia and Montenegro, but not quite.

Somehow I miss Svetislav Pesic a lot. Those were the days...

 

[Bricklayer]

Also another thing to consider. Last summer Peja becomes a daddy and now has a family. He sits out of the national team play. Plays a whole NBA season maybe is legitimately tired, but he probably wants to spend time with his kid and wife to. You can't let your work consume you and forget about the other part of your life.

Ok. BUT...quite frankly Peja being a good dad is useless to the Kings as a franchise. You certainly don't pay a guy $15mil per to be good daddy.

I've mentioned in the past that most of the great ones in whatever walk of life fundamentally lack perspective. They are often unnaturally and perhaps unhealthily focused on one thing. It is understandable if Peja wants to spend more time with his family. Laudable even in a different setting. But from the Kings view, not only is it a bad thing (assuming of course that he wants to spend time with the family rather than run his *** ragged practicing all summer), but it is once again one more reason that this franchise can NOT get caught paying maximum money to this guy so he can "feed his family".

The only good result possible this summer from a Kings perspective is for Peja Stojakovic to actually work on his game, religiously, constantly, for the whole summer, and come back a significantly better player than he left as. Anything else, whether it be playing for the NT, taking another summer off for the family, or whatever, indicates a set of priorities that is unhelpful to us, or to Peja's career.

Piksi up above raised Peja's "I don't take basketball home with me" comment form this spring. If that applies to summers as well now, that's a bad sign. Because many of his competitors do. There is not, and has never been, a player so gifted that he can country club the effort, work on his game only when he feels like it or its convenient, and then come out and dominate the competition (even Shaq, who takes a lot of heat, has developed perhaps the most impressive array of low post moves in the game today -- that takes a lot of work). Other guys all over the league are working out, developing moves, getting better. Playing in summer leagues, playing for the NT. If Peja does nothing but sit on his behind all summer playing dad and enjoying his beautiful wife, he is losing ground to the rest of the league, not gaining it. Life's been very very good to Peja. Many things have come his way, whether earned or not. Not everybody can maintain their hunger and desire in such a setting, and probably especially people who may not have been the most driven to greatness in the first place.

 

[Stoked]

"Yes, I am absolutely playing for the national team this summer, We are the hosts, so it is time for all of us from the NBA and Europe to come together and bring back the gold where it belongs."
- Peja Stojakovic

so much for thatt

 

[BigSong]

well there went that whole practice on his post moves theory....

 

[burekijogurt]

[font=&quot]I am disappointed. I hope its because of some huge rift between him and the coach, rather than because of lack of desire to compete in the European Championships. I have to say I'm miffed at the rapidly expanding commercialization of sport in Europe. Even the soccer leagues are becoming like the professional sports leagues in the US and I cannot escape a feeling that this is somehow ruining 'the whole thing'.[/font]

 

[Bricklayer]

well there went that whole practice on his post moves theory....

Well you didn't really think he was serious did you?


Never ceases to amaze me after 7 years why hope seems to spring eternal for this particular dog to change his spots. He's going to be 50 and people are still going to be waiting for him to go through some magnificent metamorphosis.

 

[AleksandarN]

Well you didn't really think he was serious did you?


Never ceases to amaze me after 7 years why hope seems to spring eternal for this particular dog to change his spots. He's going to be 50 and people are still going to be waiting for him to go through some magnificent metamorphosis.

Actually who says he is not working on his game. The Championship is a small fraction of the offseason that I do not see how it will interferr with his practice for the NBA.

 

[bozzwell]

Well you didn't really think he was serious did you?


Never ceases to amaze me after 7 years why hope seems to spring eternal for this particular dog to change his spots. He's going to be 50 and people are still going to be waiting for him to go through some magnificent metamorphosis.

Any space left on trade-Pedja-or-resign-to-a-reasonable-contract-now! bandwagon? If he shows up all mushy again in November, I'd like to reserve a seat.

 

[Bricklayer]

Actually who says he is not working on his game. The Championship is a small fraction of the offseason that I do not see how it will interferr with his practice for the NBA.

Yes, that is what is said every year, but not the way it works in practice. Particularly not with this particular coach apparently (I do not know him, just going on rep). The NBA season ends, you take a few weeks to unwind, maybe a few more to be with the family. Then you're off to do a charity camp, then you're off to do the NT, then you get back and its September and you have all of 4 weeks until you are susposed to be in training camp. Busy, but ineffective as a training regime. If you're actually trying to add an entire new weapon to your arsenal you better have started work on it two days after the season is over and be doing hundreds of reps every single day for month after month until its second nature. And then MAYBE it will be good enough to work with some reliability against the best basketball players in the world.

 

[vj9999]

I wish Pedja the best of luck in whatever decision he makes. Like someone said it is a catch-22. 95% of comments I read over on b92 make even the harshest criticism of Peja on Kingsfans.com sound like nothing.

He is being called a traitor, people our saying that he should be banned for life and have him play for Greece instead. Everybody is using their jump to conclusions mat today.

Scrutiny that players is ridiculous.

 

[KP]

I'm not Serbian but considering what I've read about the hardships the people there have had to fight through I can understand a little patriotic ferver and a sense of abondonment for the 2nd year in a row now. Basketball is important in Serbia, it gives them a sense of national pride that they have some of the best basketball players in the world that play for their team. They want to win, and without Peja it will be that much harder. As far as what this means to the Kings, we won't know until the start of the season if he's worked on his game and in good shape. I had hope last year that he would and he didn't deliver, lets see if he learned anything.

 

[AleksandarN]

Yes, that is what is said every year, but not the way it works in practice. Particularly not with this particular coach apparently (I do not know him, just going on rep). The NBA season ends, you take a few weeks to unwind, maybe a few more to be with the family. Then you're off to do a charity camp, then you're off to do the NT, then you get back and its September and you have all of 4 weeks until you are susposed to be in training camp. Busy, but ineffective as a training regime. If you're actually trying to add an entire new weapon to your arsenal you better have started work on it two days after the season is over and be doing hundreds of reps every single day for month after month until its second nature. And then MAYBE it will be good enough to work with some reliability against the best basketball players in the world.

Still all of that takes what 2 months at the most. That still leaves at least half of offseason to work on his game. THe problem with Pedja what will he work on? Before last year when he took time off it was his defense what is going to work on now is the key question

 

[Londonking]

Yes, that is what is said every year, but not the way it works in practice. Particularly not with this particular coach apparently (I do not know him, just going on rep). The NBA season ends, you take a few weeks to unwind, maybe a few more to be with the family. Then you're off to do a charity camp, then you're off to do the NT, then you get back and its September and you have all of 4 weeks until you are susposed to be in training camp. Busy, but ineffective as a training regime. If you're actually trying to add an entire new weapon to your arsenal you better have started work on it two days after the season is over and be doing hundreds of reps every single day for month after month until its second nature. And then MAYBE it will be good enough to work with some reliability against the best basketball players in the world.

Surely we arent looking / hoping for new weapons from Peja. He is our role player sharp shooter who cant create his own shot. but can find the basket on a consistant basis with a hand in his face. I dont think its realistic to expect that to change when the new season starts.

What i think we can hope for is a greater degree of intensity. Some evidence that he is more willing to use his physique challenging on the defensive boards and to show up in Q4 (even if its stll Bibby who takes on the buzzer-beaters)

IMHO a healthy, motivated Peja can bring that improved game to the court and be one of the most important players on our roster.

We'll see....

 

[kennadog]

Sorry, I don't know why spending time with the family in the off-season automatically means an athelete is not working hard. One does not exclude the other. That does not preclude being excellent at your profession. Kids only grow up once. Its too late to try and compensate after you're retired and they've grown up.

Unfortunately, the demands of their profession requires most atheletes to spend a lot of time away from their families. Missing birthdays, Christmas, sports games, school activites, anniversaries, whatever. That's a pretty large sacrifice for them and their families, especially the children. But we're going to hold it against them for having the simple desire to spend some time with their familes while they can? I'd have zero respect for any athelete or person who felt otherwise.

 

[Bricklayer]

Peja is always going to be one of the most important players on the court for whatever team he plays for.

But in case it was somehow missed, due to recent events around the league, Peja now finds himself due for nifty little $15million per year contract extension. His ONLY hope to ever be worth that is to be working his *** of to be better than he has ever been. And yes, a heart transplant would obviously help immensely as well. But he needs more game regardless. If you're paying a guy $15 million dollars you damn well better be able to throw him the ball in a pressure/clutch situation and say "make something happen". You can't pay a guy that kind of money and then watch Trenton Hassel smother him. Hence the desperate need for a post game.

Peja can remain free to be what he has been -- a dilentante with a single sideshow trick. He would always have a use until the knees give out. But unfortunately he is no longer going to get pid like that kind of player. Barring another 20pt 4reb type season -- which would be disastrous to both he and us but seems unlikely, he's going to get paid a few million less than KG at the end of next season. Country club Peja just isn't going to cut it.

But we're going to hold it against them for having the simple desire to spend some time with their familes while they can? I'd have zero respect for any athelete or person who felt otherwise.

Yes, we are going to hold it against them as professional athletes assuming that it becomes an either/or for the simple reason that as a pro sports franchise we can find people who DON'T and should not be paying for Peja's family time. Those millions a year aren't just for playing basketball games (which should be fun), they're for doing the work needed to prepare to play basketball games.

 

[G_M]

Surely we arent looking / hoping for new weapons from Peja.

I would like to see him rebound! It's just not in his makeup to be a "tough" guy. That's asking too much. But, we can't afford to have a 6'10 SF getting 3 or 4 rebounds a game, not with how our squad is made up.

 

[kennadog]

I won't disagree that he might get a salary that's more than he's worth next year. Altho, supposedly what someone is worth is whatever someone will pay him. Personally, I think there are a lot of overpaid players in the league. Some are are REALLY overpaid and you can't help but think !

 

[Padrino]

Peja is always going to be one of the most important players on the court for whatever team he plays for.

But in case it was somehow missed, due to recent events around the league, Peja now finds himself due for nifty little $15million per year contract extension. His ONLY hope to ever be worth that is to be working his *** of to be better than he has ever been. And yes, a heart transplant would obviously help immensely as well. But he needs more game regardless. If you're paying a guy $15 million dollars you damn well better be able to throw him the ball in a pressure/clutch situation and say "make something happen". You can't pay a guy that kind of money and then watch Trenton Hassel smother him. Hence the desperate need for a post game.

Peja can remain free to be what he has been -- a dilentante with a single sideshow trick. He would always have a use until the knees give out. But unfortunately he is no longer going to get pid like that kind of player. Barring another 20pt 4reb type season -- which would be disastrous to both he and us but seems unlikely, he's going to get paid a few million less than KG at the end of next season. Country club Peja just isn't going to cut it.

i agree, and i dont know why people seem to keep dodging the money factor when it comes to peja. do we pay him the max (or clsoe to it), or dont we? its simple, considering the trend in the nba right now. the guy's got skills. the guy's got weaknesses. we've been over this more times than anybody here can count. the root of the issue is how much value the kings assign to those strengths and weaknesses. is he worth the max? or do we trade him before he walks? not complex. i think a poll should be started concerning these two questions, cuz they are the extremes that the kings front office is (or should be) worrying about. the poll is not how much we think peja's worth, cuz that dont mean a thing. the poll goes like this (as simple as possible): Option 1) give peja the max or Option 2) trade peja. that, realistically, is what the kings front office is considering. if you weigh the extremes, its easier to see where your loyalties lie, and you are less likely to screw it up by straddling the fence. sing peja to the max (or relativley close to it, considering market trends), or trade him. there's no room for "oh...we'll offer him less and hope he takes it." somebody will offer him more. if the kings want peja, they're gonna have to dish out some serious money to keep him, so why should we, the fans, concern ourselves with how much we think he's actually worth, when that makes little difference in the reality of his situation?

 

[Bricklayer]

I thought of posting such a poll last week Padrino after Alexander posted his "how much do you think Peja should be paid" thread. But figured in most cases I knew the answers, be the same 'ole camps, and so refrained.

 

[Londonking]

I accept it isnt equitable that Peja, who is never going to be the leader of our team, is going to earn nearly as much as a genuine superstar like KG.

Is Peja value for money ?..probably not (in last season's guise). However when Chris was injured the season before we did see an effective Peja. (Yes i know he had other (better) team players on the court with him then, than he might enjoy next season) but the potential contribution from him would certainly encourage me to pay the money and watch anxiously if i were the Mloofs.

I think the 'family man' worries are misplaced. Yes, he will want to spend some time with them, but he is also a professional. I think he takes his professionalism seriously.

There is no consensus view over who would be replace him who we could realistically expect to sign. If Petrie decides to keep the 'core' intact (and i think he will), then we have little choice but to hope for the best at least we understand Peja's limitations and may get first hand evidence that he has recognised those as well.

 

[Smart_guy3]

I hope the Kings Just realize they need to get rid of Peja hes to soft we need toughness.

 

[Savo]

95% of comments I read over on b92 make even the harshest criticism of Peja on Kingsfans.com sound like nothing.

Yeah, you got that right. Some of them are quite scary. It makes the criticism on this board sound like sweet talk. A lot of angry fans out there after this...

 

[Montenegros-Finest]

This guy have to go to Croatia were her come from. It is better for him to never go to belgrade anymore. This competition is in our own country and waht is this guy doing?? He said i am tierd an couldn´t play. I can´t believe this.

 

[AleksandarN]

This guy have to go to Croatia were her come from. It is better for him to never go to belgrade anymore. This competition is in our own country and waht is this guy doing?? He said i am tierd an couldn´t play. I can´t believe this.

Relax guys this is unbeleivible how people can turn on someone just on one uncomfirmed report. If I was Pedja and heard this crap from my so called fans I would not even play for the Serbain team again. THis is pathetic. YOu guys should not complain next time people are giving PEdja a hard after time especailly hearing some remarks you people made on this matter

 

[civija]

This guy have to go to Croatia were her come from. It is better for him to never go to belgrade anymore. This competition is in our own country and waht is this guy doing?? He said i am tierd an couldn´t play. I can´t believe this.

You should be thanking him for services rendered and not bashing him for wanting to take a break. He has no obligation to play for any country.

 

[BigSong]

I hope the Kings Just realize they need to get rid of Peja hes to soft we need toughness.

i don't think thats necessarily what needs to be done. however if we do sign peja, i can totally see Petrie moving bibby and/or Miller for other players, and for some reason I'm completely fine with that.