MilesTeg wrote:Well, wouldn't a deeper team do worse in an elimination game? The starters will play more, and they won't be able to feast on bad bench players.
This is true. But the pros for a deep team are: 1) after so many games and having their minutes managed LTU's players may be less fatigued, 2) if a key player(s) fails to get going you have a bench full of Euroleaguers to fill the void, 3) tougher for Italy to plan a defensive gameplan/matchups against so many weapons.
No love for Ajinca?
As a Ajinca hater I'm on the opposite spectrum. He has improved significantly since his time in Toronto but he still doesn't impress me. Yea he can score but no one will be feeding him the ball in the NBA. And he's not a particularly good rebounder or defender. Then add the fact that he hasn't helped France beat any good team yet.
Compared to Valanciunas, Ajinca scores 3 more points per game, otherwise their stats are similar. But he has taken twice as many FGs as JV. In this tournament they're about the same albeit Ajinca is 4 years older. Still have Tomic as my #3. He's a good rebounder and most polished C around the basket. And Bourousis didn't even always play crunch time minutes for Greece (and averaging 5 rbs per game isn't good enough).
With all that said, there's an article that the Thunder & Jazz are interested in him:
This leaves only 16 days to NBA franchises to sign but the possibility exists and is increasing as the player string of good performances (10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds in 19 minutes) at the European Championships. According to L’Equipe, recruiters sent by Oklahoma City and Utah also take a very attentive to the performance of the pivot eye.
http://thunderousintentions.com/2013/09 ... is-ajinca/
, going 1/4 on FGs. Amazing how they shut him down in the 1st half. And then the Serbian coach basically rested his starters in the 2nd half.
