Euros "Softies" or "Mr.Fundamentals"...w

[PrecociousNeoph]

lol

so many "european" players that do flopping are manu ginobili (argentinian), sideshow bob (brazilian), andres nocioni (argentianian), devin harris (american)... all of them are from the north/south american continent. last time I checked it was far away from europe. oh yes maybe they played for a while a while in europe but if flopping is really an issue why didn't change david stern that?? he invented the handchecking rule because the D was so tight and was destroying other swingmen. heck if they stick to the rules and maybe exploit them it's okay to me. they know how to beat the opponent. simple as that. as long as you stick to the rules noone should complain about it...

p.s.: I actually hate flopping too but it's not forbidden so I'm not complaining

please uninstall your web browser.

[Quiet-Storm]

Did you forget about Garbajosa ?

Hes not soft. Hes a manly man

The dude refused to be put to sleep while they performed his ankle surgery/clean up.

He was awake the whole time watching them slice up his ankle and dig in there with sharp metal. (True story btw.)

[NO-KG-AI]

I think the problem people have with Euros or foreign players is the amount of hype they receive when they are there, of all the guys who were deemed to have limitless potential, and be absolute stars(Darko, Skita, Aleksandrov, Gasol, ETC) only Dirk has really made that leap.

[elbowthrower]

Prior to Garbajosa there were plenty of European players who are/were not "soft".

Sabonis, Petrovic, Smits, Schrempf, Divac (he was tough even if he flopped), Kristic, Kleiza, Marciulonis, Ginobili (he's from Argentina but spent most of his time in Europe), Oberto (same), Parker, Kirilenko, Potapenko, and I'm sure I'm missing a bunch of others...

And you're only going to see "tougher" European players in the future.

[DarkoMilicic]

Its been a while since European players have made an impact in the NBA. There is probably no doubt that they came a long way from being regarded just as shooters which were too much of a defensive liability to make any meaningful impact.

Milestone players in my opinion are:

89-90: Schrempf
Develops into a solid backup. But can he be regarded as a Euro?

91-92: Petrovic
Develops into a borderline star for a mediocre team. Fundamentals over athletic ability?

93-94: Kukoc
6th man for a championhip quality team. Fundamentals over defensive stance?

95-96: Sabonis
Starting center for an elite team. What could have been if he had made the jump in his prime?

00-01: Nowitzki
A Euro can be the "Franchise".... later a Euro can be the MVP. What else?

01-02: Gasol
Picked as high as 3rd in the draft. Also makes an impact on defense. Does he deserve to go that high?

03-04: Krilenko
AK47 starts to deliver in non-Euro categories by terrorising opposing players on defense. Euro "softness" still an issue?



What was your take on Euro players and did it change? Are their fundamentals overrated or or defensive liability wrongly emphasized?

I REALLY hope you are kidding...

[tsherkin]

-= original quote snipped =-



I REALLY hope you are kidding...

I don't think he is... Gasol isn't a really good defender but he does bring pretty solid weakside help defense.

[The Letter V]

Did you forget about Garbajosa ?

Hes not soft. Hes a manly man

The dude refused to be put to sleep while they performed his ankle surgery/clean up.

He was awake the whole time watching them slice up his ankle and dig in there with sharp metal. (True story btw.)

I totally forgot about that. That in itself should shatter the soft Euro stereotype for all of eternity. That is truly epic.

[the_mavsman]

Does Andrew Bogut count as an Euro?

I know he is from Australia but is he considered an Euro because he is white?

[Whateva]

Does Andrew Bogut count as an Euro?

I know he is from Australia but is he considered an Euro because he is white?

I think his parents are Croatian

[parso15]

this type of thread really annoys me, and im 100% sure that if someone made the same thread about the integration of black players in the league it would be locked two posts in.


and for the billionth time, flopping has been around since at least the 70's, and has representatives from every race and continent on the planet. the notion that europeans invented it, or made it mainstream, is completely false.


anyhow, continue the stereotyping, its not like players are individuals or that they can learn the game in different ways while being from the same country or region.

I didn't get your point here and I don't appreciate your accusation... I am not steriotyping anyone. This whole flopping thing is nonsense. Everyone is a homer when their guy rams into the opposing player... the same guy is a hater when the same thing happens on the defensive end.

My point is both international basketball & NBA basketball have changed/evolved after the globalization of basketball. The system and values of European clubs vs the Amrican system is quite different as well as the athletic abilities so why is anyone suprised when the players have different skill sets as well?

I remember staying whole night up just to watch MJ & Bulls in the finals and wonder why the comentators always did not appreciate what Kukoc brought to the table... nowadays having several international players is nearly given on elite teams. This whole thing also lifted the Fiba level as well... WC or Olympic competition is not a walkover anymore to say the least.