Rumor: Raptors scouting Vassilis Spanoulis

[Tofubeque]

So he was turned into Scola, got messed over by JVG, interesting.

Sounds like he deserved it. "I was McGrady back home"? You'd hate to have a player joining your team with that attitude.

[Mefisto]

Most overated player in Europe. Hope Raps don't make such a mistake.

[dafan590]

Rumor: Raptors scouting <insert an Euro name>

[No-lillard]

I don't know much about this guy,

Just a boxscore
Look at the opponents
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/06_wcm ... xScor.html

[DreamTeam09]

my only question is why go vet instead of youth, especially wit JL3 being 3rd string pg. Make a play for corey joseph, or draft a pg.

[Hassassin]

I can see the logic in this. Trade Calderon and you'll still want a solid backup PG who can run the pick & roll. Getting him for $5M for a season (with a team option on a 2nd year) would be ideal. It's basically getting another Calderon at half the price.

If the Raptors are going to be shelling out $5M per season for a player playing overseas, then you might as well give it to Bo McCalebb.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0toy0kh20E[/youtube]

[xprt]

Dont know about it. He wasnt any good with Rockets though did play little probably would want a 4mln/year is 30 years old and would he really be happy to be backup in NBA being one of the best PG's in Europe...
I would like to get Bo McCalebb but he got looked in by Euro team dude was beast last season in Euroleague and Fiba champs.

[Raps Militia]

I can see the logic in this. Trade Calderon and you'll still want a solid backup PG who can run the pick & roll. Getting him for $5M for a season (with a team option on a 2nd year) would be ideal. It's basically getting another Calderon at half the price.

If the Raptors are going to be shelling out $5M per season for a player playing overseas, then you might as well give it to Bo McCalebb.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0toy0kh20E[/youtube]

Absolutely!!!

[UcanUwill]

Now thats a shocking news. How can you even scout him? He is one of the most well known Euro players of the last 10 years, how much scouting can you get. Although I never knew he was called Greek Steve Nash... He is nothing like Steve Nash, are you kidding me...
He was overrated, probably still is. But have you seen him recently, he reached his peak and he is better than ever. Actually plays like half decent PG, still a combo tho.

The main problem with Spanoulis in my opinion, is a fit. He only knows how to be THE man, and all those ""i was McGrady'' talks speaks for itself. He is great go to guy in Europe, but he cant be that guy in the NBA and it beats all purpose of having him in the first place.

If the Raptors are going to be shelling out $5M per season for a player playing overseas, then you might as well give it to Bo McCalebb.

Really, who is this guy, never heard of him.
Everyone wants McCalebb, but hes locked for good. You are not a chooser here.

[fabste]

Cazzata!!!!

Translation: Bull****

[YogiStewart]

So he was turned into Scola, got messed over by JVG, interesting.

Sounds like he deserved it. "I was McGrady back home"? You'd hate to have a player joining your team with that attitude.

he meant Lionel McGrady, not Tracy McGrady.

[Mad Prophet]

I can see the logic in this. Trade Calderon and you'll still want a solid backup PG who can run the pick & roll. Getting him for $5M for a season (with a team option on a 2nd year) would be ideal. It's basically getting another Calderon at half the price.

And you have to plan ahead in case Lowry walks a year later.

[Raps in 4]

^His nickname is the Greek Steve Nash but how many Greek NBA players are there? After all, Hedo was the MJ of Turkey.

We even had that one Greek dude that was called "Baby Shaq".

[Reignman]

sounds like a tasty dish

Sounds like a vaginal infection tbh.

[No-lillard]

I can see the logic in this. Trade Calderon and you'll still want a solid backup PG who can run the pick & roll. Getting him for $5M for a season (with a team option on a 2nd year) would be ideal. It's basically getting another Calderon at half the price.

If the Raptors are going to be shelling out $5M per season for a player playing overseas, then you might as well give it to Bo McCalebb.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0toy0kh20E[/youtube]

He's fantastic in europe
But he's a SG and 6 feets
Just a little undersized

[sisibilio]

Greek Steve Nash is actually pretty accurate. It doesn't imply he has Nash's level, just that he has the same kind of game.

Hedo and MJ I don't get it. Bird I guess would make more sense.

Cmon, he's improved a bit as a distributor last couple years but he's never been a true PG.

I see someone mentioned Mccalebb. That would be a great pick up.

[sisibilio]

He's fantastic in europe
But he's a SG and 6 feets
Just a little undersized

He''s not a SG but a scoring PG that actually can run an offense, basically what everyone here hoped Bayless could become.

[Lakonomy]

I'm no pro scout, but there's a fair number of moves he does in some of the videos I've seen that would get stuffed in the NBA. Pump fakes and 1/2 step back jumpers in the paint 3 feet from the basket? You can't do that with longer NBA bigs covering you. I see why his fg% was low with Houston.

He does look good at passing in the paint, especially to cutting big men. He keeps his dribble alive fairly well, which makes him able to read the D. But that shot has a low release point - again, lots of danger of that getting blocked on a regular basis. .

Perhaps others who have seen him play more can give some input, but he looks like backup material to me. We've got JLIII as a backup, I don't see how he'd be worth the $3-$4 M per year it will take to pry him away from Europe.

[JN]

His stats in Hoston remind me of those of Vincenzo Esposito's with the inaugral Raptros.

[Y0DA]

From wiki

Spanoulis was traded by the Rockets, to the San Antonio Spurs, on July 12, 2007, along with a 2009 second-round draft pick, in exchange for center Jackie Butler, and the rights to Argentinian power forward Luis Scola.[30][31] On August 19, 2007, the Spurs released Spanoulis, giving him the chance to return back to Greece to play for Panathinaikos Athens, as he had requested. This was officially announced on August 23, 2007.

Spanoulis agreed to play for Houston, at a price of $1,944,000 USD gross income per season, for 3 years, passing up on his former team Panathinaikos Athens' much larger offer of €1.6 million euros net income per season, over 3 years, just for a chance of playing in the NBA. Spanoulis made the Rockets' rotation,[28] but eventually, there was a falling out between him and Rockets coach Van Gundy, after Van Gundy benched Spanoulis, after the coach claimed that he had played poorly, citing that rookie players are dangerous for coaches that are in contract years, and that Spanoulis was too turnover prone and lacking in outside shooting touch to be a good fit in Van Gundy's offensive system design. Said Van Gundy about the situation: "(Spanoulis) says, 'I was [Tracy] McGrady back home.' Great. McGrady is McGrady here," .. "I feel badly for him. He feels he was misled. Frankly, he's been his own worst enemy in many ways. Some of it is excuses. His turnovers have been high; his fouls have been high; his shooting percentage has been low. I would rather anybody start out with self-evaluation — what can I do better? — versus lash out and blame. Because I'm not playing him now doesn't mean he won't play in the future or we don't feel he could be a good player. I think he's allowed his disappointment to go to discouragement, which has, at times, stunted his improvement. We'll see. We'll see.

So he was turned into Scola, got messed over by JVG, interesting.

Just what the Raptors need. And what the Raptors always get. A player who couldn't cut it in two great programs.