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Nikola Pekovic

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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#21 » by NewWolvesOrder » Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:36 am

Yeah, he looks to be tight with Andrei and even Alexei.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#22 » by Train » Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:14 am

God i love this guy.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#23 » by Klomp » Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:19 am

One thing I hope he considers. He's somewhat of a folk hero here. If he signed elsewhere, he'd be just another guy.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#24 » by C.lupus » Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:34 am

southern wolf wrote:
LedeniZZZ wrote:
Jukeness wrote:I think the really strange thing is that Pek actually likes it here in Minnesota.


He is from Northern Montenegro witch is part of region called Sandzak or Raska and it is one of the most cold places in Ex-Yugoslavia. Mineapolis is also (only my opinion) safe place, without many hype or media (I think he loves when people just leave him alone), laid back city. Also I think he loves nature and stuff like that. So I really understand what he likes there.


Exactly. He's also surrounded by other Europeans. I would actually be shocked if he signed anywhere else.

He also likes fishing and that is the state pastime.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#25 » by Murphs56 » Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:47 am

I think money won't be an issue with Pek. If someone signs him, we'll match. However, I do think there is a possibility that AK opts out and gets a bigger deal from someone. He's shown to be the exact type of glue guy a championship level squad would shell out cash for even at 31
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#26 » by Klomp » Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:55 am

Murphs56 wrote:I think money won't be an issue with Pek. If someone signs him, we'll match. However, I do think there is a possibility that AK opts out and gets a bigger deal from someone. He's shown to be the exact type of glue guy a championship level squad would shell out cash for even at 31

He is similar to Pek. He likes it here. His kids play hockey here. Won't get that in Miami, New York, or Los Angeles.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#27 » by C.lupus » Fri Jan 11, 2013 6:03 am

I'll invite Pek up to my cabin. We can do some fishing and drink some brews and he can throw boulders around. He'll never want to leave Sota.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#28 » by Viljanen » Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:03 am

I love this guy. The team has to match any offer for him. I have the feeling that he is important for the team chemistry as well.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#29 » by Klomp » Fri Jan 11, 2013 8:26 am

Great writeup from Zach Harper on Pek after the Thunder game

And that’s where I stand with the Nikola Pekovic contract year. Pek is going to get paid an ungodly amount of money this summer. Everyone expects the Portland Trail Blazers to make him an offer close to the max (or maybe even the max) because they 1) want to put pressure on the Wolves the same way the Wolves put pressure on them with Nicolas Batum (it’s not really even close to the same situation but if you’re crazy Paul Allen then it’s how you view the situation with all of the history these two teams have with each other) and 2) even if they get stuck with Pek at the max, they’re perfectly happy to add him to their roster. You know why?

Because Pek is really freaking good.

I know it’s a weird thing to get used to but I think I’ve finally accepted it. Pek is awesome. Is he one of the top centers in the NBA? I’m not sure about that. I know he’s definitely a top 10 center and he’s probably in the discussion for top 5 centers right now. But regardless, he’s a big man who has had a positive effect on both ends of the floor this season. Two years ago, I would have thought this is impossible but this is the work Pek has put in with the coaching staff to become.

There are three players in the NBA right now who average at least 16 points, eight rebounds, shoot 51% or better from the field and 70% or better from the free throw line. LeBron James and David Lee are two of those guys. Pek is the other. In the last five seasons, 11 players have done this 16 times. Pek is one of those 11 players and really the only one you wouldn’t give big money to is Luis Scola. Pek is not Luis Scola. Scola isn’t bad but he isn’t a plus on the defensive end like Pek is now.

If Pek gets a max contract offer from the Portland Trail Blazers, you’re looking at four years and roughly $65 million. That sounds like a lot of money because it is a lot of money. Probably best-case scenario for a low Pekovic salary is around four years and $50 million. He’s going to command 10 figures, no matter who scoffs at that idea right now. Big men get paid in this league and if you want a good big man, you have to open up the pocket book or search between the couch cushions for some extra change. That’s just the way of this NBA world.

To say Pek isn’t worth that money is not something I’m sure I agree with. Is that an ideal salary to pay him? Not really. Is it an outrageous salary to pay Pekovic? Not really. It ties up a lot of money between Pekovic, Love, and eventually Rubio. Realistically, you’re looking at roughly 80% of your year’s salary cap number wrapped up in those three players once Rubio gets his extension in a couple seasons. But until then, you’ll have a bit of flexibility to add one more player, either through trade or free agency (after Kirilenko is off the books in 2014). By giving Pekovic this money, you’re not killing flexibility. You’re just putting a shot clock on how you add to your team.

When the Wolves decided to give Love a third year opt-out option instead of five years, they already put a shot clock on adding to this team so that doesn’t really change anything.

The question is does Pekovic staying on the team for a big price tag work in today’s NBA?

The NBA has become a fast game of spreading the floor, dominating the perimeter, and playing good defense while rebounding well. Does this sound like the Timberwolves? I actually think it might sound like them a little bit. The Wolves are trying to spread the floor and you’d imagine if you have a healthy Love, a healthy Chase, and Shved spotting up on the floor more often than shooting off the dribble, that’s a pretty decent set of perimeter options for Rubio to dish to.

Then having the presence of Pek or Love at any given time inside allows you to play inside out, outside in and everywhere in between. This team is a very good defensive team right now that struggles to score baskets. As they get healthier, it’s safe to assume the offense will come easier and actually the defense will be able to stay close to where it currently is. I believe the Miami Heat have shown us that dominating the perimeter on defense allows you to control the paint. And that’s important.

It doesn’t mean that the Wolves are the Miami Heat or even necessarily following that model. But having Andrei Kirilenko and a healthy Ricky Rubio gives you a great defensive presence on the perimeter. Add another wing player who can do similar things and you could really have a fearsome perimeter wall. Then you’re just asking Pekovic and Love to be in position eight times out of ten and rebound the ball. I think they can do that. Whether it leaves them with enough talent to challenge the elite in the NBA, that’s a completely different story that looks less likely. However, the model and direction seems to be more in line with today’s NBA than you might initially think.

It’s why I think Pek does sort of fit into today’s NBA. He’s not Tyson Chandler by any means, but he knows how to get in position, hold that position, and rebound the basketball. If he’s giving you 16 points or more on the offensive end while not being a liability at the line then you’ve got a really good big man. He might even end up being a consistent top 5 center in this league. How long can he keep that up? I don’t know.

But it makes me think that paying Pekovic a large amount of money to stay on this roster is not a bad thing. We’ve acquired the special pen and it’s really cool to have. We might not know what to do with it yet, but trust me that it’s a mature and grown-up tool to have at our disposal. Health and chemistry down the road will ultimately be the tell-all indicator of whether or not this is a good pen to have.

I have no idea if this is a championship path the Wolves are on. Most likely, it’s not but Pekovic is a very good player now and he’s fun to have. Being able to joke with other fans about his prowess and listen to his influence on the team is a lot of fun. Knowing that Kendrick Perkins is going to try to get tough and then realize he doesn’t have the minerals when Pek doesn’t back down is a cool card to have up your shooting sleeve. And up his shooting sleeve, he has a tattoo of a giant bear because “everybody’s scared of bears.”

Pek brings toughness and work ethic to the team. Seeing him out there reminds you of how far he’s come as a player and how hard guys need to work in this league to stay there. The Wolves will not be pushed around with him on the court. He is the push. He is an asset. He is an attitude. He is the meat-grinder in the post.

I can’t tell you for sure that he’ll live up to a big contract like he’ll receive this summer. However, if he gets it and we match it, I know I’ll be happy he’s still on the team. In fact, I’m going to write that down with my pen right now.


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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#30 » by Basti » Fri Jan 11, 2013 2:02 pm

The only issue that I have with potentially giving him the max, or anything close to that, is the fact that Pek has a tendency to be out with nagging smaller injuries. In most of the cases they happened because of accidents and collisions with other players but it still leaves some sort of question marks.

If he can play ~75 games a season at the level he's been playing thus far he's worth throwing the max at. Or more likely he's worth matching the max offer some other team will throw at him.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#31 » by sisibilio » Fri Jan 11, 2013 3:51 pm

Assuming Wolves FO is not sold enough to give him the max what would you think about
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ax3neje
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#32 » by C.lupus » Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:13 pm

Basti wrote:The only issue that I have with potentially giving him the max, or anything close to that, is the fact that Pek has a tendency to be out with nagging smaller injuries. In most of the cases they happened because of accidents and collisions with other players but it still leaves some sort of question marks.

If he can play ~75 games a season at the level he's been playing thus far he's worth throwing the max at. Or more likely he's worth matching the max offer some other team will throw at him.

Yeah, that seems to be the only thing that slows him down and he does seem to be a little susceptible to those nagging injuries. I'm guessing that will always be his story. He just has a lot of mass and does a lot of wrestling in the post. So far everything has been of the minor nagging variety, though, so I don't think it will limit his value much.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#33 » by Basti » Sat Jan 12, 2013 12:02 am

sisibilio wrote:Assuming Wolves FO is not sold enough to give him the max what would you think about
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=ax3neje


I actually like this trade idea. I'd hate losing Pek because he's among my favorite Wolves ever but in that scenario I'd think this is a nice offer.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#34 » by Dual » Sat Jan 12, 2013 12:57 am

yep, nice trade.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#35 » by Montenegrin » Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:08 am

I hope that Pekovic will recommend another underrated Montenegrin tall Bojan Dubljevic to your scouts.I think that he would be great back-up PF-C for your team.He currently plays in Spain for Valencia and he is very good versatile player and he can play very well under the basket and outside(he is PF-C,but I think that he is above 50% in shooting 3-point shots).I think that he is not even drafted and that you could get him for small amount of money.I have no doubt that he would be much better back-up then Stiesma is right now.He has very high basketball IQ,something like Vucevic who was also underestimated when he was younger.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#36 » by sisibilio » Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:29 am

Dubljevic is still eligible in this year's draft, and if he keeps playing like he has lately i'm sure some team will select him.
He'd be a bi steal if he sliped up to the Wolves 2nd round pick.

BTW i don't know what they're feeding these guys but having in a short span Pekovic, Vucevic, Dubljevic, Mirotic and some other interesting bg man prospects like Marko Todorovic all coming from a country with 1/5 the population of the Twin cities metro is incredible.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#37 » by Montenegrin » Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:39 am

sisibilio wrote:Dubljevic is still eligible in this year's draft, and if he keeps playing like he has lately i'm sure some team will select him.
He'd be a bi steal if he sliped up to the Wolves 2nd round pick.

BTW i don't know what they're feeding these guys but having in a short span Pekovic, Vucevic, Dubljevic, Mirotic and some other interesting bg man prospects like Marko Todorovic all coming from a country with 1/5 the population of the Twin cities metro is incredible.

Well,its not just basketball.We are punching waaaaaay above our waist in every major European sport we play,like football(you call it soccer) and handball,men and women :D .I am just sad that American football is not popular over here,because I am certain there should be talent or two in my country for that sport too :wink: .
Concerning Dubljevic,cant he just skip the draft and come and play for whoever he chooses for?Sorry,but I am not really acquainted with draft rules.
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#38 » by sisibilio » Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:50 am

Montenegrin wrote:Concerning Dubljevic,cant he just skip the draft and come and play for whoever he chooses for?Sorry,but I am not really acquainted with draft rules.

Nope. A player is automatically eliigible the year he turns 22.
And i'm from Spain, so i call it football too. :lol:
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#39 » by Montenegrin » Sat Jan 12, 2013 1:59 am

sisibilio wrote:
Montenegrin wrote:Concerning Dubljevic,cant he just skip the draft and come and play for whoever he chooses for?Sorry,but I am not really acquainted with draft rules.

Nope. A player is automatically eliigible the year he turns 22.
And i'm from Spain, so i call it football too. :lol:

:lol:
Oh well,it is the only real football after all,you play it with your feet,not hands like this American rugby-like game :D .
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Re: Nikola Pekovic 

Post#40 » by VUK1 » Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:56 am

A few quick questions on Pek im hoping someone can answer!

1. If another team offers say 11M a season, but the Wolves only offer 10M - is he forced to leave even if his personal preference is to stay? can they strike a deal now for next season? How exactly does the RFA process work? What if the Wolves offered a 4yr 40M deal but another team offered a 1 year 16M for example?

2. Why is there such major concern that Pekovic will be offered the Max or close to it? the reason for this question is that from what I can tell the main threats (teams with Cap room and no Centre position) are Dallas, Atlanta, Charlotte and Portland.

Fans of both Portland and Charlotte seem to be majorly concerned about maintaining cap flexibility to be able to keep their recent rookies/prospects and neither seem to want Pek locked into a long-term deal. Their interest is more in length and shot blocking which is not Pek

Dallas and Atlanta both might be waiting to see what happens with Dwight Howard. Dallas especially seems to keep offering 1 yr deals to be in the game for the major free-agents.

Atlanta i dont know what their plan is - im guessing this team is the greatest threat regarding offering a Max deal.

I guess what im saying is that is it really a sure thing that Pek's contract is going to kill the Wolves Cap and be max level ? Am i missing out on another team that could offer the Max?

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