Aleks Maric

jolbin · Post #1 » by **jolbin** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 12:13 pm

Aleks Maric is really tearing it up this year in Europe, with averages of 18.1 points and 10 rebounds, leading the MVP ranking in Euroleague..
Why wasnt he drafted.. Which teams in NBA would need him?

ISB · Post #2 » by **ISB** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:31 am

Thats funny to hear. He was a good player in the NCAA at Nebraska, but was always epically slow and unathletic, so I don't think people ever really considered him seriously as a high draft prospect. I think if he was a legit 7' he might have had a chance, but hes not and I think he would probably get abused on the pick and roll and be mediocre defending inside.

That being said, if he keeps putting up those kind of numbers in the Euroleague I bet we see him somewhere in the NBA soon.

jolbin · Post #3 » by **jolbin** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:35 pm

He dropped 34 points on 13for16 shooting:O:O and hit 8of 14 FTs, along with 16 rebounds against a very very good team..

Batu7 · Post #4 » by **Batu7** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:19 pm

jolbin wrote:He dropped 34 points on 13for16 shooting:O:O and hit 8of 14 FTs, along with 16 rebounds against a very very good team..

A good team lacking interior defense. But it was a great game for him.

jolbin · Post #5 » by **jolbin** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:34 pm

Well, i guess that their defence is not very good, as Nachbar and Rakočevič play for them:)

Toxicity · Post #6 » by **Toxicity** » Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:33 pm

How bad the big men level is right now in the Euroleague if it's enough a good big man with some old skills and toughness to destroy the opposition down low?!? :roll:

Macho · Post #7 » by **Macho** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:15 am

Hes a solid player and has applied to represent Serbia on international level, I'm interested to see how well he does against some better big men.

brassviews · Post #8 » by **brassviews** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:21 am

Macho wrote:Hes a solid player and has applied to represent Serbia on international level, I'm interested to see how well he does against some better big men.

With Serbia and Australia in the same group in 2010, I don't think so. Kind of a slap to the face to Australian team and coach.

Macho · Post #9 » by **Macho** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:05 am

Well hes publicly stated that he wants to play for Serbia, his parents are from Serbia and he speaks perfect Serbian so I don't really see a problem with it.

Australia has Bogut, Anderson, Jawai, I doubt it'd bother them too much.

Post #10 » by **blkout** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:29 pm

So he's born and raised in Australia, uses Australian government money to go through the Australian Institute of Sport with Bogut, played for the Australian junior national team multiple times and now wants to play for Serbia? F*ck him.

jolbin · Post #11 » by **jolbin** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 1:23 pm

Well..This is a tricky question.
But, if MArič is about winning, Serbia is definently a team for him..
He wont get so much PT in NT of Australia as well..

Macho · Post #12 » by **Macho** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:30 pm

I think he is just listening to his heart:) clearly he feels more Serbian than Australian.

Bird And Magic · Post #13 » by **Bird And Magic** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:48 pm

BLKOUT wrote:So he's born and raised in Australia, uses Australian government money to go through the Australian Institute of Sport with Bogut, played for the Australian junior national team multiple times and now wants to play for Serbia? F*ck him.

He has always been part of Australia's basketball program so he cannot play for Serbia unless Australia gives FIBA permission to clear him. He cannot simply say he wants to play for Serbia, it's not up top him, nor Serbia. It's the decision of Australia's basketball program.

Bird And Magic · Post #14 » by **Bird And Magic** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:52 pm

Macho wrote:Well hes publicly stated that he wants to play for Serbia, his parents are from Serbia and he speaks perfect Serbian so I don't really see a problem with it.

Australia has Bogut, Anderson, Jawai, I doubt it'd bother them too much.

And they also have another F/C in Matt Nielsen that could easily play in the Euroleague or the NBA if he wanted to. Australia is 4 deep at the 4/5, so it's true that they don't necessarily need Maric. However, I think it's safe to say that Maric is better than Nielsen, Jawai, and Andersen. Actually, he may me better than Bogut is also. So I am sure if Australia had their choice in the matter they would want him to play for them.

Bird And Magic · Post #15 » by **Bird And Magic** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 10:53 pm

Macho wrote:I think he is just listening to his heart:) clearly he feels more Serbian than Australian.

Of course he's Serbian (obviously he's a European player), but yet it's still a bit odd that both he and his family still choose to live in Australia, rather than Serbia. Apparently they don't feel that Serbian to still live there.

It's the same way how so many fans refuse to admit that for example Manu is European even though his parents are Italians. Argentina's national team is full of European players and no one seems to want to ever accept that. But the difference is that they played for Argentina. Quinteros, Porta, Sconochini, Delfino, Nicola, Montecchia, Nocioni, Manu, Prigioni, Oberto are Italians, yet they played for Argentina because they grew up there.

Scola, Sanchez are Spanish, Herrmann, Kammerichs are German, Wolkowski is Polish, etc., etc. just go down their national team players and like 90% of their roster every summer is European and yet they all played for where they grew up, even though you have first and second generation guys from Europe. Maric playing for Serbia is not even like Galis playing for Greece. Galis only ever played for Greece and never had intention of playing for anyone but Greece. I have no problem with Maric playing for Serbia at all myself, but it certainly is understandable if Australians would be mad about it.

Post #16 » by **blkout** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 11:12 pm

He can't have felt too Serbian when he was actually playing for Australia a few years ago. He's not listening to his heart he's listening to his wallet, a Serbian international is far more attractive to European teams than an Australian one. The guy's a traitor and yet another loser who was born and raised in a country yet feels no allegiance to it purely because of where he's parents are from. I'd bet my life that playing in Serbia is the longest amount of time he's ever spent in that country.

That being said, I disagree about him being better than Jawai and Andersen. He's probably on-par but like someone else mentioned he's too fat and slow, the European game must suit him perfectly. There is absolutely no way on Earth he's as good as Bogut though.

I'm sure he'd get picked but he would be a bench player, the frustration comes from the fact that he basically used this country to further his basketball career then when he finally became a pro he decides he's Serbian all of a sudden. If you love Serbia so much why play for Australia in the first place? Most people would decline.

Bird And Magic · Post #17 » by **Bird And Magic** » Fri Dec 18, 2009 11:20 pm

BLKOUT wrote:He can't have felt too Serbian when he was actually playing for Australia a few years ago. He's not listening to his heart he's listening to his wallet, a Serbian international is far more attractive to European teams than an Australian one. The guy's a traitor and yet another loser who was born and raised in a country yet feels no allegiance to it purely because of where he's parents are from. I'd bet my life that playing in Serbia is the longest amount of time he's ever spent in that country.

That being said, I disagree about him being better than Jawai and Andersen. He's probably on-par but like someone else mentioned he's too fat and slow, the European game must suit him perfectly. There is absolutely no way on Earth he's as good as Bogut though.

I'm sure he'd get picked but he would be a bench player, the frustration comes from the fact that he basically used this country to further his basketball career then when he finally became a pro he decides he's Serbian all of a sudden. If you love Serbia so much why play for Australia in the first place? Most people would decline.

I did not say he was better than Bogut, I said he might be. However, he is far better than Jawai and Andersen. I watched Andersen for years in Euroleague and already after just 8 games Maric is far better than Andersen was after years.

As for a Serbian being more attractive to European clubs that is not an issue to this. The fact is that he's Serbian so he can play for Australia or USA or any team in the world and still be counted as a European player. Simply because he is a Serbian national. He already counts as European. And actually his being an Australian national is more valuable to him as well. Because teams can count him as either a Bosman or non-Bosman player, whatever they choose, which gives European teams even more flexibility. And he won't ever lose his Australian or Serbian rights because he is both by birth. So I really don't think that has anything to do with it.

As for his connections with Serbia it is very doubtful that he will spend more than one more year there after this season. It's actually most likely that he won't play there after this season. He will probably end up in Greece as early as next year.

Rasho Brezec · Post #18 » by **Rasho Brezec** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 3:37 am

Ah, I was wondering when KWSN would be back.

penzias · Post #19 » by **penzias** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:35 am

Bird And Magic wrote:I did not say he was better than Bogut, I said he might be. However, he is far better than Jawai and Andersen. I watched Andersen for years in Euroleague and already after just 8 games Maric is far better than Andersen was after years.

You'll never stop amazing me.

Cro_Ruption · Post #20 » by **Cro_Ruption** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:05 am

Bogut is croatian...