HOT TAKE: Aleksej Pokusevski will win the NBA MVP (Within the Next 10 Years)

[Mirotic12]

Lots of people are tall, you know how many 7 foot Serbians there are who never played in the NBA? **** ton. He had interesting skillset and was simply misjudged, that happens. Problem with draft, that no matter how good you do at calculating players current ability, you also have to put faith on their further development and project. What Poku was at age 17 18 was intriguing, he was quick long kid with handle, shooting and shotblocking ability. problem that nothing came from it, but thats just how it goes sometimes. But it is not like he is the only 7 footer in the world, surely it helped a lot, but you basically sounding that if you tall, you win NBA lottery by default, couldn't be further from the truth. Guy who drove groceries to my moms store was 6'11, he is just random driver... Lots of people in Poku's region are crazy tall. Poku still has more basketball skill than everyone in this thread combined.

Yeah, he had plenty of potential. It's just that he was a very long term project and also that his body type is one that might never develop properly.

He couldn't consistently stay on the practice squad of Olympiacos, not the main team, just the practice squad. And had to play in the Greek second league to get playing time.

And in the Greek second league, he was having to play two guard because he was too weak to defend small forwards. Anyone that saw him playing in Europe and that had basic basketball knowledge, should have known that he was at a minimum, a 5-6 year project, IF his body filled out.

He was a perfect first round pick for a team that was tanking on purpose.

Which just proves all those claims about how only the best players in the world can make an NBA rotation to be totally wrong.

[-Sammy-]

I still believe. His time is coming.

I agree the jury is still out.

It's like those posters who think the whole LeBron vs Darko for the number 1 pick is already settled when both guys still have plenty of miles left in them. Time will proof me right on that one.

I think that's going to come down to who's better in closeout games.

[RookieStar]

Did this guy even try to get fat yet?

[lambchop]

Well at least now he has a chance to win the Adriatic League MVP.

He can't even crack the rotation. Zero minutes tonight and 5 in the last game. Prior to the NBA he was playing in the Greek 2nd league. That's probably where he still belongs, in some semi pro setting. Anyway, dude still made 14 million in NBA money just off being tall.

Greece's 2nd league is fully pro though. A lot of players in that league make very good money.

You're stretching the definition of fully pro quite a bit.

[hauntedcomputer]

Did this guy even try to get fat yet?

Him and Zion in a buddy comedy.

[axeman23]

Which SADIST bumped this thread?

[axeman23]

Did this guy even try to get fat yet?

Him and Zion in a buddy comedy.

"Twins II"

[BigGargamel]

Did this guy even try to get fat yet?

Him and Zion in a buddy comedy.

Standing together looking like the number 10.

[MoneyTalks41890]

If we had an open spot I’d take him back

[Mirotic12]

You're stretching the definition of fully pro quite a bit.

Some 2nd divisions in Europe might be semi pro, but most definitely not any of the major ones like in Italy, Greece, France, Spain. Those are all most definitely without any doubt whatsoever considered fully professional leagues. It's a 100 percent certainty that they are fully pro.

[NO-KG-AI]

NBA MVPs and rven guys that are like perennial first team have all come with varying levels of skill, some were super skilled prodigies from the start, some were athletic talents, but really ask yourself, how many of those guys were just not very good at basketball as teenagers and into their early 20’s? They were basically all studs in some way or another, which is why I’m always wary about dudes who are all tools but just suck. You have guys that have great tools and great production that still fail (like the aforementioned Beasley), but dudes really don’t go from crappy basketball player that has skills(in theory) to MVP.

Giannis might be the only guy that was not a very good player early(relative to most of these types being high level recruits, or big time young guys overseas etc) that ascended like that, but even he wasn’t some all time bad rookie or anything to that nature, and was a contributor overseas as well.

[Godymas]

he’s only 23, and yet Charlotte didnt want him.

Utah, Washington could both get him

pretty safe to say he isn’t an NBA player

[ElectricMayhem]

Poku's still got 6 years left to make Goudelock a modern-day Nostradamus. Believe.

[Mirotic12]

NBA MVPs and rven guys that are like perennial first team have all come with varying levels of skill, some were super skilled prodigies from the start, some were athletic talents, but really ask yourself, how many of those guys were just not very good at basketball as teenagers and into their early 20’s? They were basically all studs in some way or another, which is why I’m always wary about dudes who are all tools but just suck. You have guys that have great tools and great production that still fail (like the aforementioned Beasley), but dudes really don’t go from crappy basketball player that has skills(in theory) to MVP.

Giannis might be the only guy that was not a very good player early(relative to most of these types being high level recruits, or big time young guys overseas etc) that ascended like tha, but even he wasn’t some all time bad rookie or anything to that nature, and was a contributor overseas as well.

Giannis had at least somewhat OK production (10 and 5) in the Greek 2nd league as a teenager. Despite all of the ridiculously absurd claims about the level of that league in US sports media and from NBA talent evaluators, that's a full pro league with grown men.

Greek 2nd league typically has players in it that have played in Greek 1st league, EuroLeague, secondary European-wide leagues like EuroCup, other national
domestic first divisions like Spain and Italy, players that were considered among the best in NCAA DI, as less than 1% of those guys make it to pro level, guys that were among the best players in G League, and even often times there are American players that previously played in the NBA in Greek 2nd league.

Back around that era that Giannis was in Greek 2nd league, an all star selection from the G League played against 3 teams from Greek 2nd league. The G League team lost all 3 games.

Also around the same time, an NCAA DI team played 3 games against teams from Greece's 3rd league, so the one below Greek 2nd league where Giannis played. I can't remember what school it was, but it was at least considered a mid major. The NCAA team lost all three games to the Greek 3rd league teams.

So pre-draft, Giannis was at a lot higher level as a teen than the colossal morons in US sports media and some NBA scouts said he was.

All those claims in the US about Giannis playing against "American high school level competition", or even "American junior high school level competition" before he was drafted, were ludicrous level idiocy. It was just as absurd as when a lot of the same people doubted Luka before the draft, because "he didn't play in the NCAA against superior level athletes and players."

[Raps in 4]

You're stretching the definition of fully pro quite a bit.

Some 2nd divisions in Europe might be semi pro, but most definitely not any of the major ones like in Italy, Greece, France, Spain. Those are all most definitely without any doubt whatsoever considered fully professional leagues. It's a 100 percent certainty that they are fully pro.

Second divisions are not pro leagues. These teams would get smoked by any college team. Hell, they'd probably struggle against good high school teams.

[Mirotic12]

Second divisions are not pro leagues. These teams would get smoked by any college team. Hell. They'd probably struggle against good high school teams.

All the good second divisions in Europe are full pro leagues. And no, average college teams couldn't beat any decent team from a good 2nd division. And struggling against good high school teams....

The notion that the strongest 2nd divisions in Europe, those of Spain, Italy, France, and Greece are not professional leagues is absolutely laughable and completely ridiculous. And to even suggest that any high school team could compete with such teams is just downright absurd.

So in conclusion, please remember to make use of the green font. Otherwise, someone might think that you are actually being serious.

[Raps in 4]

Second divisions are not pro leagues. These teams would get smoked by any college team. Hell. They'd probably struggle against good high school teams.

All the good second divisions in Europe are full pro leagues. And no, average college teams couldn't beat any decent team from a good 2nd division. And struggling against good high school teams....

The notion that the strongest 2nd divisions in Europe, those of Spain, Italy, France, and Greece are not professional leagues is absolutely laughable and completely ridiculous. And to even suggest that any high school team could compete with such teams is just downright absurd.

So in conclusion, please remember to make use of the green font. Otherwise, someone might think that you are actually being serious.

The worst NBA teams are better than the best Euroleague teams. Second division teams are literally the Wizards/Hornets equivalents of Euroleague. Those teams wouldn't even win 1 game if they played in the NBA. They might technically be a "professional" league because they pay their players, but in terms of talent level, they are so far behind actual professional leagues it's comical to even suggest that they are pros.

[dk1115]

Listen up everyone, I'm going to HOT TAKE that Bronny James will win MVP in the next 10 years.

[NO-KG-AI]

NBA MVPs and rven guys that are like perennial first team have all come with varying levels of skill, some were super skilled prodigies from the start, some were athletic talents, but really ask yourself, how many of those guys were just not very good at basketball as teenagers and into their early 20’s? They were basically all studs in some way or another, which is why I’m always wary about dudes who are all tools but just suck. You have guys that have great tools and great production that still fail (like the aforementioned Beasley), but dudes really don’t go from crappy basketball player that has skills(in theory) to MVP.

Giannis might be the only guy that was not a very good player early(relative to most of these types being high level recruits, or big time young guys overseas etc) that ascended like tha, but even he wasn’t some all time bad rookie or anything to that nature, and was a contributor overseas as well.

Giannis had at least somewhat OK production (10 and 5) in the Greek 2nd league as a teenager. Despite all of the ridiculously absurd claims about the level of that league in US sports media and from NBA talent evaluators, that's a full pro league with grown men.

Greek 2nd league typically has players in it that have played in Greek 1st league, EuroLeague, secondary European-wide leagues like EuroCup, other national
domestic first divisions like Spain and Italy, players that were considered among the best in NCAA DI, as less than 1% of those guys make it to pro level, guys that were among the best players in G League, and even often times there are American players that previously played in the NBA in Greek 2nd league.

Back around that era that Giannis was in Greek 2nd league, an all star selection from the G League played against 3 teams from Greek 2nd league. The G League team lost all 3 games.

Also around the same time, an NCAA DI team played 3 games against teams from Greece's 3rd league, so the one below Greek 2nd league where Giannis played. I can't remember what school it was, but it was at least considered a mid major. The NCAA team lost all three games to the Greek 3rd league teams.

So pre-draft, Giannis was at a lot higher level as a teen than the colossal morons in US sports media and some NBA scouts said he was.

All those claims in the US about Giannis playing against "American high school level competition", or even "American junior high school level competition" before he was drafted, were ludicrous level idiocy. It was just as absurd as when a lot of the same people doubted Luka before the draft, because "he didn't play in the NCAA against superior level athletes and players."

Noted, I was trying to not make it sound like some scrub, but most of the kind of guys we’re talking about that end up with one, or like multiple MVPs like Giannis are so obviously dominant very early on, and even prior to the NBA. Guys that produce like Poku pre-NBA and early into their career almost never turn out very good, and they damn sure don’t blossom into MVPs.

[bkkrh]

You're stretching the definition of fully pro quite a bit.

Some 2nd divisions in Europe might be semi pro, but most definitely not any of the major ones like in Italy, Greece, France, Spain. Those are all most definitely without any doubt whatsoever considered fully professional leagues. It's a 100 percent certainty that they are fully pro.

Second divisions are not pro leagues. These teams would get smoked by any college team. Hell, they'd probably struggle against good high school teams.

Yep, that's why a lot of college players wind up in 2nd European divisions . Just as an example let's go with the ART Giants Düsseldorf, a team that placed 15th of 18 in the German 2nd Division, with Germany being a mid tier league in general. They had 4 US players on their roster:

Isaiah Hart, who played 4 years of Division 1 Basketball as a starter for Loyola
Ajare Sanni who played 3 years of Division 1 Basketball as a starter for Santa Barbara
Brandon Spearman, who played during high school with Jabari Parker, then for Dayton and Hawaii in College, then for the Pacers in the Summerleague after he left College and then he went straight to the 2nd German division for the first time
Justin Tucker who also played Division 1 Basketball for Wofford

Also on the roster:

Grant Teichmann - German who played Division 2
Jaydon Kayne Henry-McCalla - UK player that played Division 1 at Jacksonville State University
Jarelle Alexander Reischel - German who played Division 1 at Rice, Rhode Island and Eastern Kentucky and played G League for the Westchester Knicks
Finn Fleute - German who played Division 1 at Montana State and Division 2 at UT Tyler

7 of their 12 players played Division 1 ball, another one Division 2. The other 4 are 3 Germans and 1 Swede, 3 of them are rotation players, the other one is 19. So pretty save to say that those 3 also have at least Division 1 level, since they get more playing time than some of the Division 1 players.

And again, this was one of the worst Division 2 teams last season. So I have my doubts that any college team would smoke them, when one of the worst teams in a mid tier league consists pretty much of former Division 1 players that now also have a few years of professional Basketball under their belt.