Agent Zero weighs in on the Europe defectors situation:
I know a lot of people don't care for Arenas, but he's hitting the nail on the head.
I know a lot of people don't care for Arenas, but he's hitting the nail on the head.
Rising power of Europe: Josh Childress weighs Olympiakos offer
- Thread starter Arby's Roast Beef
- Start date
BritishColumbia
Bench
The problem is that a lot of owners in Europe are richer.
fansinceday1
Starter
Don't forget about the horrible state of the US dollar compared to the Euro.
beb0p
Starter
The point is, if and when that time arrives, you don't want Beno as the starting PG. Maybe you're ok with Beno coming off the bench, but that defeats the point to re-sign him.
beb0p
Starter
What?? You're comparing Beno to Martin?? Com'on now.
beb0p
Starter
I have to disagree, playing blindly against other team without a good point guard (the quarterback of the NBA) would only teach our young player chaos.
Its true fish can't ride bike but if we get Lance Armstrong that bicycle could proof to be very useful.
That's the problem, we don't have a good point guard. We don't have a guy who can run the team properly, what we do have are shoot-first guards that happen to bring the ball up the court. They're not point guards, they're combo guards.
There are better ways to find a good point guard than sign a shoot-first guy to a five year contract. That's all I'm saying. If you absolutely have to have a point guard, there are pass-first vet out there that can be had for less than what we pay Beno.
beb0p
Starter
Its true fish can't ride bike but if we get Lance Armstrong that bicycle could proof to be very useful.
LOL. Ricky Rubio, he can be our Lance Armstrong.
So you don't want to see the point then, huh? Because the point wasn't that Beno and Kevin are comparable, but that they are in comparable situations: mid-20s, on a rebuilding team, with a bright future in the NBA. Maybe Beno's isn't quite as bright as Kevin's, but do we know that yet? He's only played half a season as the primary point guard.
Beno isn't a shoot first guard. He's a better facilitator than anyone we've had at the position since Jason Williams. And he's a tradeable asset if push comes to shove, because his contract isn't all that bad for a starting point guard. If you don't like his game, that's one thing, but to pretend that the team is better off without his is another thing entirely.
beb0p
Starter
I see your point, but even though they're in comparable situations, doesn't mean we have to treat them the same. And yes we do know how good Beno will be: an average PG, a taller Chucky Atkins type. If he hit his ceiling it's probably a solid 15 pts and 5 assists. Not bad and not great.
No way dude, Bibby is a better facilitator than Beno. Beno will never averages more than 8 assists per game when Bibby did it twice. Bibby routinely better the 2 to 1 assists/TO ration when Beno is usually just below. And the way they play, Bibby is a much better decision maker than Beno.
I don't like Beno's game but I never said the team is better off without him. The point is, we're not trying to win games, if we are, we shouldn't trade Artest.
Beno is the type of players who put up good stats on a bad team. After watching him, I understand why Pop didn't trust Beno. The guy is a TO waiting to happen. Got to realize that being over 6-3 and having a high dribble usually lead to bad results. I always thought the only reason Beno doesn't have more TO is because he cut down on errant passes by shooting so much. But he's a good shooter, got to give him that.
Link?
I'll concede that. What I meant is that no one has been handed that role as a facilitator and done as well with it for the Kings since Jason Williams. While Bibby was here, we mostly ran inside out through Vlade, Chris and Brad.
We traded Artest for many reasons. And I don't think Beno wins us a ton of games, but he steadies the offense more than Sean Singletary, Bobby Brown or even Bobby Jackson would. That's key to a young team with an off the ball scorer like Kevin Martin.
A 1.9 A:TO ratio isn't that bad. It's not anything to write home about as a point guard, but I wouldn't call him a turnover waiting to happen.
Let's just see what he does this season as the full-time starter. I'm looking forward to it.
est.1999
Starter
You say we shouldn't be trying to win games but what if we do get rid of our vets and have mainly youngsters, shouldn't we be trying to win games or are we still trying to lose because of "draft positioning" next year?
A
AriesMar27
Guest
i wonder if we could trade him to a team for draft rights for a draft pick playing overseas and have their club send the cash to match kennys contract.... that would be interesting.... thomas would be a decent big in europe if kristic is getting paid big bucks.....
if you could, teams with high payrolls would be drafting nothing but euros knowing that they'll never play in the nba.... could you imagine if the knicks or mavs traded all of their bad contracts for 2nd round draft picks?
ParniValjak
All-Star
Giricek becomes another NBA player to opt for Europe
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3543277
Croatian guard Gordan Giricek, who has averaged nearly 10 points per game since joining the NBA in 2002, has become the latest player to leave the league for a bigger payday.
Giricek
Giricek finished last season as a member of the Phoenix Suns. On Tuesday, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard signed a two-year contract -- with an option to return to the NBA next summer -- with Turkey's premier club, Fenerbahce.
"We looked around the NBA," his agent Marc Fleisher said. "Everybody was moving very slowly. And there were great opportunities for him to play overseas for a lot of money. Fenerbahce are Turkish champions and a EuroLeague team. It was a tough decision, and it came down to Fenerbache and Triumph, in Russia."
"Gordan had an offer from the San Antonio Spurs," Fleisher added, "but it was for much less."
more....
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3543277
Croatian guard Gordan Giricek, who has averaged nearly 10 points per game since joining the NBA in 2002, has become the latest player to leave the league for a bigger payday.
Giricek finished last season as a member of the Phoenix Suns. On Tuesday, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard signed a two-year contract -- with an option to return to the NBA next summer -- with Turkey's premier club, Fenerbahce.
"We looked around the NBA," his agent Marc Fleisher said. "Everybody was moving very slowly. And there were great opportunities for him to play overseas for a lot of money. Fenerbahce are Turkish champions and a EuroLeague team. It was a tough decision, and it came down to Fenerbache and Triumph, in Russia."
"Gordan had an offer from the San Antonio Spurs," Fleisher added, "but it was for much less."
more....
Former NBA star Kemp agrees to play basketball in Italy
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3539904
If more current players flee the NBA for Europe, they will see a familiar face.
The Italian team Premiata Montegranaro announced on Sunday that 38-year-old Shawn Kemp has agreed to play for the team starting in November.
"I am happy that a player that has made basketball history would come to Montegranaro," coach Alessandro Finelli said.
Finelli believed that the six-time NBA All-Star, who last played in the NBA in 2002-03, could still contribute.
"He is very motivated," Finelli said. "And he has been staying in shape to show up at our camp in good shape."
Kemp averaged 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds over 14 NBA seasons. He played eight years with Seattle, three with Cleveland, two with Portland and finished with one season in Orlando.
Finelli did not know, however, if Kemp would be the key to the season for the Premiata, which plays in the top division of Italian basketball.
"We will discover with work in the gym if he will be a key player for our team," Finelli said. "Now, it's too soon to say that."
Kemp has flirted with attempting a comeback in the NBA many times since his last season in the league, working out for a number of teams but not sticking with any of them.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3539904
If more current players flee the NBA for Europe, they will see a familiar face.
The Italian team Premiata Montegranaro announced on Sunday that 38-year-old Shawn Kemp has agreed to play for the team starting in November.
"I am happy that a player that has made basketball history would come to Montegranaro," coach Alessandro Finelli said.
Finelli believed that the six-time NBA All-Star, who last played in the NBA in 2002-03, could still contribute.
"He is very motivated," Finelli said. "And he has been staying in shape to show up at our camp in good shape."
Kemp averaged 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds over 14 NBA seasons. He played eight years with Seattle, three with Cleveland, two with Portland and finished with one season in Orlando.
Finelli did not know, however, if Kemp would be the key to the season for the Premiata, which plays in the top division of Italian basketball.
"We will discover with work in the gym if he will be a key player for our team," Finelli said. "Now, it's too soon to say that."
Kemp has flirted with attempting a comeback in the NBA many times since his last season in the league, working out for a number of teams but not sticking with any of them.
Wow. It appears that the rising power of Europe is officially stealing all of our talent.
BritishColumbia
Bench
Olympiacos owner willing to pursue more NBA free agents
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3644739
ATHENS, Greece -- The owners of Euroleague team Olympiacos, which shook up the NBA by signing Atlanta Hawks sixth man Josh Childress, say they're just getting started signing NBA players.
I think we'll see a day when a superstar player comes to Europe, but to Olympiacos, not to another team. That is my answer. Maybe it will be very soon. Maybe then you realize what I'm telling you is serious.
-- Panayiotis Angelopoulos
Panayiotis Angelopoulos, a billionaire who owns Olympiacos with his brother George, said he wants to make his team the best in the world outside the NBA, according to The New York Times.
"Next season I will open up a small office for free agents in New York, and I will take petitions," Angelopoulos said.
Childress stunned many NBA observers when he signed a guaranteed three-year deal worth $20 million after taxes with Olympiacos, rather than re-sign with the Hawks. Olympiacos is paying Childress' Greek taxes, the 10 percent agent's fee and his housing and expenses, increasing the team's cost to $30 million, according to the report.
According to The Times, Angelopoulos said he had in the past three years negotiated with NBA players including Chris Webber, Michael Finley, James Posey, Anthony Parker, Charlie Bell, Ricky Davis, Jannero Pargo and Maurice Evans.
Olympiacos, with a $70 million operating budget and the backing of the Angelopoulos brothers' billions, could be a serious player in the free-agent market. The family owns shipping and steel companies and Angelopoulos said he has done multimillion-dollar business deals, according to the report.
In the past, U.S. agents have been leery of dealing with European teams, noting a history of contracts not being honored and the lack of a players' union.
"There is a large percentage of contracts in Europe that don't get honored," said Mark Bartelstein, who has about 50 clients playing in Europe, according to The Times. "Teams will give you reasons, claim injuries or tell you the player didn't brush his teeth properly."
The Childress signing got NBA observers talking about Europe -- and wondering whether a major star would ever sign in Europe. While only a few European teams have the money to even consider pursuing a megastar like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, Angelopoulos expects the day will come when U.S. star players go overseas, according to The Times.
"I think we'll see a day when a superstar player comes to Europe, but to Olympiacos, not to another team," he said, according to The Times. "That is my answer. Maybe it will be very soon. Maybe then you realize what I'm telling you is serious."
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3644739
ATHENS, Greece -- The owners of Euroleague team Olympiacos, which shook up the NBA by signing Atlanta Hawks sixth man Josh Childress, say they're just getting started signing NBA players.
-- Panayiotis Angelopoulos
Panayiotis Angelopoulos, a billionaire who owns Olympiacos with his brother George, said he wants to make his team the best in the world outside the NBA, according to The New York Times.
"Next season I will open up a small office for free agents in New York, and I will take petitions," Angelopoulos said.
Childress stunned many NBA observers when he signed a guaranteed three-year deal worth $20 million after taxes with Olympiacos, rather than re-sign with the Hawks. Olympiacos is paying Childress' Greek taxes, the 10 percent agent's fee and his housing and expenses, increasing the team's cost to $30 million, according to the report.
According to The Times, Angelopoulos said he had in the past three years negotiated with NBA players including Chris Webber, Michael Finley, James Posey, Anthony Parker, Charlie Bell, Ricky Davis, Jannero Pargo and Maurice Evans.
Olympiacos, with a $70 million operating budget and the backing of the Angelopoulos brothers' billions, could be a serious player in the free-agent market. The family owns shipping and steel companies and Angelopoulos said he has done multimillion-dollar business deals, according to the report.
In the past, U.S. agents have been leery of dealing with European teams, noting a history of contracts not being honored and the lack of a players' union.
"There is a large percentage of contracts in Europe that don't get honored," said Mark Bartelstein, who has about 50 clients playing in Europe, according to The Times. "Teams will give you reasons, claim injuries or tell you the player didn't brush his teeth properly."
The Childress signing got NBA observers talking about Europe -- and wondering whether a major star would ever sign in Europe. While only a few European teams have the money to even consider pursuing a megastar like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, Angelopoulos expects the day will come when U.S. star players go overseas, according to The Times.
"I think we'll see a day when a superstar player comes to Europe, but to Olympiacos, not to another team," he said, according to The Times. "That is my answer. Maybe it will be very soon. Maybe then you realize what I'm telling you is serious."