International Hoops thread

[FAH1223]

CCJ,

Kobe is playing like he did in 2008 on the offensive end. Jacking shots, trying to play like he is on the Lakers and not on a team with other 25 PPG scorers.

His defense is costing Team USA and thats where his aging body is failing him. Nocioni got by him on the first few positions and Kleiza in the last game killed him in the post and off the dribble drive.

Westbrook or Deron Williams need to be the SG to close the games.

[closg00]

CCJ,

Kobe is playing like he did in 2008 on the offensive end. Jacking shots, trying to play like he is on the Lakers and not on a team with other 25 PPG scorers.

His defense is costing Team USA and thats where his aging body is failing him. Nocioni got by him on the first few positions and Kleiza in the last game killed him in the post and off the dribble drive.

Westbrook or Deron Williams need to be the SG to close the games.

+1

[pancakes3]

I wonder how close the Czech team came to qualifying for the olympics, considering we've got 2 of their players.

[fishercob]

What a horrendous choke job by france. I didn't see the first three quarters. Looks like Kevin picked up early fouls and their coach never went back to him. Seeing as they couldnt score to save their lives in the 4Q, he should have gone back to him over Turiaf IMO.

[closg00]

It was wrong, but I liked Batum's quote on why he groin-pinched Juan Carlos.

[Ruzious]

This is from three years ago, about a player in the news today:

http://dimemag.com/2009/11/where-are-th ... ndudi-ebi/

In high school, every collegiate powerhouse from Duke to Texas recruited Ebi. After his senior season, in which he averaged close to 23 and 12, Ebi signed a LOI with Lute Olson at Arizona. At 6-9, Ebi was a top-5 high school talent amongst a class that included Chris Paul, Luol Deng and that LeBron James guy.

His potential coming out of high school was something similar to that of Chris Bosh. The problem for Ebi was that Minnesota never gave him an opportunity to develop.

As with most young project-big men, Ebi needed minutes and experience to further push his skills and develop into the banger Minnesota hoped he would become. During his rookie season, coach Flip Saunders only managed to toss Ebi into 17 games; where he averaged 0.8 ppg. Ebi then only played in 2 games during his second year while averaging 13.5 points and 8 boards in garbage time. The Wolves declined to keep Ebi for any longer and parted ways with their young forward after the 2004-2005 season.

After being cut by the Timberwolves, Ebi caught on with the Mavericks’ training camp roster and participated in five preseason games before being waived.

Ndudi Ebi got drafted by Flip Freaking Saunders and ended up a bust. Kevin Seraphin would become one, too, if Flip were still the coach. Remeber the entire year I posted that I thought Flip was a hater of a coach?

Ebi had 27 points and 16 rebounds on .524 shooting as a 20-yr old. He played just 54 minutes. That 13.5 points 8 rebounds is more than good for 27 minutes of play. Minny had Eddie Griffin (deceased now and very troubled then) playing big minutes. Mark Madsen and John Thomas played regular minutes for Minny, and so did Olowokandi. Flip got fired that year, BTW.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/MIN/2005.html

What is Ndudi Ebi doing today? He is playing basketball at a very high level!

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/22 ... s_Avellino

Ndudi Ebi has agreed to terms with Sidigas Avellino, a team in Southern Italy.

Ebi played for the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association last season. He averaged 29 points, 18.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game.

Ya think this kid might be better then Chris Singleton or Jan Vesely?

Too bad for Ndudi Ebi he was drafted by a Flip Saunders-coached team.

Ndudi Ebi just got caught in the numbers game and by bad luck. If he had been drafted by EJ and the Wizards, Ebi would be a successful NBA player IMO.

I'm sorry, but that's piss-poor evidence to come up with a conclusion like that. He was the 26th player picked in the draft, so obviously he wasn't ready for the NBA back then. I think that was just before the D-League was set up, and that's where he should have been. How was that Flip's fault? It's 10 years since he's been drafted. If he was so good, why has he been playing in obscurity in China?

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

He played in China for the same reason James Singleton, Cartier Martin, J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler, Aaron Brooks, and Josh Akognon played in China. During the lockout, Kobe was set to play there before the existing NBA contract players were forbade the opportunity to play in China. He played for pay. That league is hardly an obscure league, Ruz. There are some quality players in that league. Stephon Marbury was an NBA all star and he's younger than Nash, Kidd, and Grant Hill. He and many players in that league could be in the NBA.

Flip didn't play Ebi on a crap team, despite Ebi having 27 points and 16 rebounds in 54 minutes at age 20. Flip is the same coach who played Hilton Armstrong over Javale, preferring "substance" over "style". Saunder never guy Seraphin a chance, the same season another coach did.

Ruz, you can say Ebi wasn't ready and I'll counter with he wasn't ready per Flip Saunders.

[Nivek]

Flip didn't play him on a crap team, despite Ebi having 27 points and 16 rebounds in 54 minutes at age 20.

C'mon CCJ. You understand the concept of small sample sizes. This one is puny. And, there was a reasonably established player ahead of him on the depth chart in Minnesota.

Flip is the same coach who played Hilton Armstrong over Javale, preferring "substance" over "style".

No matter how many times you repeat this one, it won't be true. That season, Armstrong started 2 games and played 10.0 minutes per game. McGee started 75 games, averaging 27.8 minutes per game. McGee played the 2nd most total minutes that season for the Wiz; Armstrong would have ended up around 11th or 12th if he hadn't been traded.

Saunder never guy Seraphin a chance, the same season another coach did.

Ruz, you can say Ebi wasn't ready and I'll counter with he wasn't ready per Flip Saunders.

Maybe so. But the numbers don't support the argument.

And, it's worth pointing out that several players through the years developed just fine, or had their careers resurrected, with Flip as their coach.

[FAH1223]

Nene and Seraphin were both eliminated today. No medals for them.

[closg00]

Perhaps it's because he cannot establish a rhythm, but Kobe has been ass in every game.

[Dr Positivity]

I have a strong feeling Kobe could just fall off a cliff this season. I thought it might come last year and he proved me wrong, but 51 thousand minutes is an insane amount, he's going to be top 5 all time by the end of this year if he stays healthy. He's like half a season at starting minutes behind Jason Kidd, who is 'OLD AS F*CK', and already ahead of Shaq's total. Ahead of MJ including Wizards years, Hakeem, Oscar. Winter is coming for Kobe and Laker fans. When you have the legs of a 38 year old 25-28ppg just becomes impossible at a certain point

[Ruzious]

Perhaps it's because he cannot establish a rhythm, but Kobe has been ass in every game.

Doug Collins can say 100 times a game that rhythm is Kobe's only problem, but at some point he's got to understand that he's not making shots because he's simply playing very poorly, and he's not the player he used to be.

If I had nickle for every time Collins apologized for Kobe, I'd be a wealthy son of a biscuit. I could go to China to watch obscure players.

[Ruzious]

I have a strong feeling Kobe could just fall off a cliff this season. I thought it might come last year and he proved me wrong, but 51 thousand minutes is an insane amount, he's going to be top 5 all time by the end of this year if he stays healthy. He's like half a season at starting minutes behind Jason Kidd, who is 'OLD AS F*CK', and already ahead of Shaq's total. Ahead of MJ including Wizards years, Hakeem, Oscar. Winter is coming for Kobe and Laker fans. When you have the legs of a 38 year old 25-28ppg just becomes impossible at a certain point

Funny you should mention Oscar, because supposedly when Kobe was growing up in Europe Oscar Schmidt was his idol.

[Ruzious]

He played in China for the same reason James Singleton, Cartier Martin, J.R. Smith, Wilson Chandler, Aaron Brooks, and Josh Akognon played in China. During the lockout, Kobe was set to play there before the existing NBA contract players were forbade the opportunity to play in China. He played for pay. That league is hardly an obscure league, Ruz. There are some quality players in that league. Stephon Marbury was an NBA all star and he's younger than Nash, Kidd, and Grant Hill. He and many players in that league could be in the NBA.

Flip didn't play Ebi on a crap team, despite Ebi having 27 points and 16 rebounds in 54 minutes at age 20. Flip is the same coach who played Hilton Armstrong over Javale, preferring "substance" over "style". Saunder never guy Seraphin a chance, the same season another coach did.

Ruz, you can say Ebi wasn't ready and I'll counter with he wasn't ready per Flip Saunders.

I feel like you're a contestant on The Gong Show, and all the judges are simultaneously gonging you. You need a heluvalot more evidence that makes some sense to make your case that Flip had anything to do with him not making it in the NBA.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Flip didn't play him on a crap team, despite Ebi having 27 points and 16 rebounds in 54 minutes at age 20.

C'mon CCJ. You understand the concept of small sample sizes. This one is puny. And, there was a reasonably established player ahead of him on the depth chart in Minnesota.

Flip is the same coach who played Hilton Armstrong over Javale, preferring "substance" over "style".

No matter how many times you repeat this one, it won't be true. That season, Armstrong started 2 games and played 10.0 minutes per game. McGee started 75 games, averaging 27.8 minutes per game. McGee played the 2nd most total minutes that season for the Wiz; Armstrong would have ended up around 11th or 12th if he hadn't been traded.

Saunder never guy Seraphin a chance, the same season another coach did.

Ruz, you can say Ebi wasn't ready and I'll counter with he wasn't ready per Flip Saunders.

Maybe so. But the numbers don't support the argument.

And, it's worth pointing out that several players through the years developed just fine, or had their careers resurrected, with Flip as their coach.

The funny thing about that season: http://www.82games.com/1011/10WAS22.HTM

The Wizards were +6.8 points per 100 possessions better with Javale in the game.

McGee blocked shots, didn't turn it over, and rebounded well compared to his opponents. Washington's offense was leaps and bounds (no pun intended) better with Javale on the court. Yet, Javale is considered a knucklehead to this day and that season he was the target of much of Flip's wrath.

[Kanyewest]

Looks like Kobe found his rhythm with 6 threes in the 2nd half.

[FAH1223]

Looks like Kobe found his rhythm with 6 threes in the 2nd half.

Every time I want to bury him alive, he does something like that.

[closg00]

Gold Medal match at 10 am and I have to go to Adventure Park

[nate33]

I have a strong feeling Kobe could just fall off a cliff this season. I thought it might come last year and he proved me wrong, but 51 thousand minutes is an insane amount, he's going to be top 5 all time by the end of this year if he stays healthy. He's like half a season at starting minutes behind Jason Kidd, who is 'OLD AS F*CK', and already ahead of Shaq's total. Ahead of MJ including Wizards years, Hakeem, Oscar. Winter is coming for Kobe and Laker fans. When you have the legs of a 38 year old 25-28ppg just becomes impossible at a certain point

Kobe doesn't have many years left to be sure, but I don't expect a precipitous decline this year. If nothing else, Nash and Howard can carry much more of the lose so that Kobe can play fewer minutes. If Mr. Potatohead is smart, he draws from the Jerry Sloan/Greg Popovich playbook and plays his aging star 32 minutes a game or less. A 34-year-old Kobe playing 32 minutes a game should be as good or better than a 33-year-old Kobe playing 38.5 minutes per game.

[closg00]

It's a good thing EJ won't be managing the minutes