Euroleague: Ante Tomic Watch

[Luigi]

Euroleague is ready to resume. Coaches and players had almost one month to set tone for the upcoming Top 16 phase, where there are no easy games or weak teams. All clubs were divided into four groups and only the two teams with the best records in each group will advance.

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/src_featur ... z1BzUPiJAo

Tomic and Real Madrid will probably be fighting for 2nd in Group G:

Undoubtedly, group G has the most balance in the Top 16; it therefore might be the strongest group as well. All four teams have a chance to make the playoffs and you can be sure that all matches will be like a dogfight. Despite the injury of team leader Bo McCalebb, Montepaschi Siena should be named as a favorite to win group G. Montepaschi made a quick and logical move to sign another guard, former NBA player Marko Jaric, who will improve great Siena’s club roster even further.

Real, Efes Pilsen and Partizan are unpredictable teams with different strengths and they will likely be fighting for the second place. Real, the best rebounding team in the league, humiliated Spirou Basket in the last regular season game by winning 94-45 and is doing well in Spain championship. However, Efes Pilsen brought a serious power from the States and reached an agreement with Flip Murray, who could change things dramatically. Efes Pilsen is already the best 3-point and free throw shooting team, therefore with Murray on their roster, the Istanbul club could become a candidate to make the Final Four.

It was expected that Partizan would have an extremely difficult season. Without Dusko Vujosevic, Bo McCalebb and Aleks Maric, Partizan was buried alive. However, Partizan, who went to the Final Four last season, managed to grab five victories and qualify for the Top 16. Moreover, with MVP candidate James Gist, NBA prospect Jan Vesely, and their incredibly passionate fans, the Serbian club could make another playoffs appeareance.

Projected standings:

1. Montepaschi Siena
2. Real Madrid
3. Efes Pilsen
4. Partizan


Players to watch:

Bo McCalebb (Montepaschi) – MVP candidate, former New Orleans University star
Malik Hairston (Montepaschi) – former member of San Antonio Spurs , former Oregon star
Ante Tomic (Real Madrid) – 44th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft
Sergio Rodriguez (Real Madrid) – former member of Blazers, Kings and Knicks, 27th overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft.
Nikola Mirotic (Real Madrid) – projected second-round pick, 2011 NBA Draft
Flip Murray (Efes Pilsen) – former NBA player, averaged 9.9 points in NBA career
James Gist (Partizan) – former Maryland University star, MVP candidate
Jan Vesely (Partizan) - projected Top-10 pick, 2011 NBA Draft

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/src_featur ... z1BzV1IMB7


With no draft pick next year, I'm hoping to finally get Tomic over. I'll bet we'll be able to see if he's ready in this stage of Euroleague.

[Luigi]

Here's Real Madrid's Top 16 Schedule:

11. Partizan mt:s Belgrade - January 19
12. @ Montepaschi Siena - January 26
13. Efes Pilsen - February 03
14. @ Efes Pilsen - February 17
15. @ Partizan mt:s Belgrade - February 24
16. vs Montepaschi Siena - March TBD




The Top 16 is similar to the NBA playoffs in the first round, except that it is a round-robin system. Each team plays 6 games within its group. The best two teams from each group of four advance to the Quarterfinal Playoffs. So 16 teams, 8 advance.

Here's the full format of their tournament: http://www.euroleague.net/competition/format

My summary:
Top 16 = NBA First Round [16 teams, round robin]
Quarter Finals = NBA Second Round [8 teams, best of 5 series]
Final Four = NBA Conference Finals [4 teams, one-and-done]
Final (and third place game) = NBA Finals [2 teams, one-and-done]

[Luigi]

Real Madrid won their first game.
Here's the box score: http://www.euroleague.net/main/results/ ... mecode=125

Tomic played 19:23 minutes.
He had 7 points (3-6), 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
But he had 2 turnovers, and 4 fouls.

Did anyone see him play?

[StocktonShorts]

He had 7 points (3-6), 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
But he had 2 turnovers, and 4 fouls.

Sounds like he'd fit in well with the Jazz's current big men.

[Luigi]

Win over M. Siena.



Tomic had 23:50 mins.

4 points (2-6), 6 rebounds (3 offensive), 3 assists, 2 blocks. 1 foul, 2 turn-overs.

[The59Sound]

What a beast.

[gojazzmjsucks]

Once he gets into a system we will see what he can do. We would run plays to his strength.

[kebutah]

We don't run plays to a players strength. We run the system and make each player conform to his role within the system. If you go outside the system you sit on the pine.

[BarneyGumble]

We don't run plays to a players strength. We run the system and make each player conform to his role within the system. If you go outside the system you sit on the pine.

This man knows Utah Jazz basketball.

[king everything]

Once he gets into a system we will see what he can do. We would run plays to his strength.

What Jazz Twilight Zone alternate universe are you living in? Is it the one where Kirilenko has a goatee and says "Hella" a lot?

[Luigi]

The point remains: he may be better playing a role for the Jazz, than playing his current role for Real Madrid.

I was expecting better numbers from him than what we've seen so far, but I haven't seen any of the games. He could be making the right play every time, or he could be missing things left and right. I'm going to try to watch the next one to see what he looks like and scout his talent. Relying on box scores isn't working.

[Luigi]

Win over Efes Pilsen.

Tomic had 10:45 mins.
2 points (1-4) 2 rebounds (1 offensive). 3 fouls.

Very unremarkable. He doesn't look ready from these box scores. I have yet to see a game, but I'm not excited about bringing him over anytime soon.

[Narcist]

his development seems to have hit a snag. When he first joined RM his numbers where better i guess its the euroleague top 16 teams that are kicking his ass.

[Reckless]

how come his #'s are so pathetic with Real Madrid, 4.3 ppg on 37.5% in the Top 16 play. oof

granted the jazz finding a great European center seemed unlikely anyways. we aren't the spurs when it comes to finding talent.

[Soul Patch]

Do think he'll play in Summer league this year?

[babyjax13]

I watched him play against Fran Vasquez last year and Tomic was clearly the superior player. He is very fluid, has nice post moves and can hit that 18 foot jumper when needed, he's just skinny....

[Luigi]

Why do you think he is getting so few minutes in the T16 right now?

As for summer league, I hope he plays and I hope there is a summer league. I'd love to go see him in person.

[babyjax13]

I don't know if the system just doesn't suit him, if he is injured, or just not playing up to the same level he was before. It is disconcerting to say the least, but his stats are in line with other European prospects of past years. If he is as talented as I think he is, then he will be able to transfer his game to the next level and possibly be even more successful.

[Ern III]

It shouldn't be news to anyone that it's a completely different game in Europe and his stats will not translate, especially as a big man, regardless of minutes played.

I've not seen him since the Worlds but he showed enough to encourage me just by moving in to camera-shot. He looked skilled, long and reasonably nimble. Summer leagues will be the first hint of his NBA-usefulness, albeit minor.

[Luigi]

Yeah, the international game produces much different box scores. However, we can still learn from the numbers. The fact that he isn't getting minutes over other players is a bad sign, and his production stats show he isn't the best player on his team. Just because you can't compare them well to NBA numbers doesn't mean they are meaningless, right?