ESPN's European Grades

[PakistaniRambo]

link: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2166845
GROUP A

Dirk Nowitzki, Germany
Stats: 26 points, 13 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks
The skinny: He isn't getting much help from his German teammates -- except for center Patrick Fermerling who's averaging 10 points and six rebounds -- but he takes it in his stride and does all it takes to lead his team to victory. In the case, that means scoring, scoring and more scoring. Because he's shooting so much, it's no surprise that his percentages are taking a hit (39.3% from two-point range and 38.7% from downtown). Mark Cuban should consider giving him training camp off. This guy needs some rest.
Grade: A

Andrei Kirilenko, Russia
Stats: 16.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.0.apg, 3.6 spg, 2.0 bpg
The skinny:The stat line seems to say it all for the Utah Jazz forward. Needless to say, he leads his team in most statistical categories. The only glitch is an un-Kirilenko like 66.7% from the free-throw line. But he's led his team to the quarterfinal stages and that's all that matters.
Grade: A-

Viktor Khryapa, Russia
Stats: 13.3 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 3.0 spg, 1.0 apg
The skinny: A player on the rise both on the national team and in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers. He has a similar game to that of Kirilenko and has been steady so far in the tournament. Can do it all -- except maybe block shots like AK47.
Grade: B+

Stanislav Medvedenko, Ukraine
Stats: 12.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 1.0 apg
The skinny: Slava can shoot. But Ukraine is not in the same league as the other three teams in Group A -- Russia, Germany and Italy. Had they played in another group maybe Medvedenko would have shown something more. In my opinion, he wasn't the best player on his team -- he wasn't even their top scorer.
Grade: D

Sergei Monia, Russia
Stats: 4.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.7 apg
The skinny: Monia will join Khryapa in Portland this coming season. The rookie-to-be has had a tough time at the European Championships though. He's struggled to make his shots after a decent outing in the first game. Like Khryapa and Kirilenko, he has a well -rounded game.
Grade: D

GROUP B

Gordan Giricek, Croatia
Stats: 19.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.3 spg, 2.0 apg, 55.9% field-goal shooting
The skinny: The Utah Jazz guard has put up some serious numbers -- maybe he's trying to prove a point to coach Jerry Sloan that he should be a regular starter. Giricek has yet to have a bad night in this tournament and has shown he can do more than just score.
Grade: B+

Mario Kasun, Croatia
Stats: 9.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.7 blocks per game
The skinny:The Orlando Magic's second-year center is making a strong case for taking over the starting spot from Kelvin Cato next season. He opened the tournament coming off the bench, but after a solid performance of 9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks in 24 minutes against Bulgaria, he was inserted in the starting lineup and has maintained his scoring and rebounding numbers. He hasn't had anymore blocks though.
Grade: B

Zoran Planinic, Croatia
Stats: 14.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.7 spg
The skinny: New Jersey's backup point guard is a valuable sidekick to Giricek. Planinic had an off-night shooting against Lithuania and has too many turnovers -- 4.7 turnovers per game  but if he can cut those down, he will prove to other NBA teams he can be a starter. Playing on the same team as Jason Kidd is both good and bad for him: he can learn a lot but he can't put it to practice an awful lot.
Grade: B-

Mehmet Okur, Turkey
Stats: 8.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.7 spg, 0.7 bpg
The skinny: The Utah Jazz center has struggled in this tournament. He's scored in single digits in two of three games and even in his best outing, could have scored more than the 13 points he tallied had he made more free throws (7-14). He is not rebounding nearly enough for a man his size. Maybe there's something about that air up there in Utah that helps Okur play well in the NBA.
Grade: D-

Hedo Turkoglu, Turkey
Stats: 12.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.7 apg, 50% field goal shooting
The skinny: I'm a bit disappointed by the Orlando swingman. I've seen him play for the Kings and the Magic and while I don't question his scoring abilities, it's the way in which he doesn't use his size to hit the boards that really bothers me. And when you stand 6"7' or 6"8' you should be able to grab more than 3-4 boards a game. In addition, Mr do-it-all -- as he is referred to in his biography on www.eurobasket2005.com/en -- is not doing it all. He's not involving his teammates and he's not making his shots from downtown.
Grade: D-

GROUP C

Bostjan Nachbar, Slovenia
Stats: 13.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.3 apg
The skinny: The New Orleans Hornets swingman has shown he can provide what they have been missing since Jamal Mashburn, Baron Davis and David Wesley were traded -- some scoring punch. He is struggling from downtown, having converted only 2 of 13 attempts so far. But it shouldn't really be of any concern considering he shot 38% from the American 3-point distance last season.
Grade: C+

Mickael Pietrus, France
Stats: 13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
The skinny:The Golden State Warriors swingman has only played in two of the three games, having to sit out the crucial encounter with Slovenia because of a knee injury. He played rather poorly against Greece -- then again the whole French team did -- before going for 22 points and seven rebounds against Bosnia Herzegovina. He's had some struggles from the free-throw line, too.
Grade: C

Boris Diaw, France
Stats: 15 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.7 bpg, 1.3 spg
The skinny:The Phoenix Suns guard has picked up the slack for France as Tony Parker has struggled because of injuries. The Suns should be glad to see that he can score -- just not from the free-throw line (0-for-11 against Slovenia) or from downtown (4-for-22 in three games).
Grade: C-

Primoz Brezec, Slovenia
Stats: 7.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg
The skinny: The Charlotte Bobcats' center played well in Slovenia's first game against Bosnia Herzegovina, largely because San Antonio Spurs center Rasho Nesterovic struggled. Brezec had 16 points and 9 rebounds in 25 minutes in that win, but since then has only played 19 combined minutes over the last two games, as Rasho has woken up. It's a shame they don't play the two seven-footers together.
Grade: C-

Rasho Nesterovic, Slovenia
Stats: 6.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg
The skinny: The Spurs center made up for a sub-par performance in the opening game by leading the way in the win over France on Sunday. Rasho had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds and found the shooting touch that eluded him so far in the tournament. Personal fouls and free-throw shooting are issues he needs to resolve before the quarterfinals.
Grade: D+

Tony Parker, France
Stats: 4.7 ppg, 1.3 apg, 25.9% field-goal shooting
The skinny:The San Antonio Spurs point guard has probably been the biggest disappointment of the tournament so far. It's a well-documented fact that he has some injuries slowing him down at the moment, but it's not known whether he's making any excuses himself. Back in San Antonio, Gregg Popovich may be worrying a bit.
Grade: F

GROUP D

Darko Milicic, Serbia Montenegro
Stats: 6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
The skinny: The Detroit Pistons' backup center is having more of an impact than was expected of him. He isn't too concerned with getting his share of shots. His performance against Israel -- 11 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in 15 minutes -- should be shown to Flip Saunders (and Larry Brown) so that he knows what he has on his bench.
Grade: B+

Jose Calderon, Spain
Stats: 12.7 points, 2.7 assists, 2 rebounds per game
The skinny: The Toronto Raptors rookie has been a joy to watch. His pass first and shoot last mentality is reminiscent of John Stockton.
Grade: B

Vladimir Radmanovic, Serbia Montenegro
Stats: 7.3 ppg, 3 rpg
The skinny: The Seattle SuperSonics forward's impact on his team is not reflected in his stats. It's the mismatches he causes that have helped Serbia Montenegro. He is tall, agile, athletic and strong enough to play inside and out. He is not the one-dimensional player I thought he was. There is more to him than just standing outside the 3-point arc -- at least when he plays for the national team.
Grade: B

Marko Jaric, Serbia Montenegro
Stats: 10.4 ppg, 4 apg, 2 rpg
The skinny: The Minnesota Timberwolves guard-to-be had an off-night against Spain in his team's opener, but recovered well to play a leading role in each of the following two games -- both wins.
Grade: B-

Zeljko Rebraca, Serbia Montenegro
Stats: 6.3 ppg, 3 rpg
The skinny: The L.A. Clippers backup center has done most of his damage early in games, but foul trouble keeps him from logging substantial minutes. Also, Serbia Montenegro head coach Zeljko Obradovic might be trying to keep him fresh for the latter stages of this competition.
Grade: C

Nenad Krstic, Serbia Montenegro
Stats: 6.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg
The skinny: The New Jersey Nets center has been inconsistent. His only good performance was in the second game when he had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds in Serbia Montenegro's 93-77 defeat of Israel. But it seems he is losing the battle for playing time with Milicic.
Grade: C-



PLAYERS WHOSE RIGHTS ARE OWNED BY NBA TEAMS

Roberto Javtokas, Lithuania
(Drafted #56 by the San Antonio Spurs in 2001; rights held by Spurs)
Stats: 10.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists
The skinny: He had a motorcycle accident in May 2002 and for 16 months didn't know if he would ever play, let alone walk again. ... Once won a slam dunk contest on a 12-foot basket. ... Left Arizona University because he got tired of sitting on the bench ... He is considered one of the best defensive centers in Europe and proved at last year's Olympics he could hold his own against NBA players. He has started all three games for Lithuania. A center averaging 2 assists per game in Europe is a rare thing, even more so in the European Championships.
Grade: B+

Sergei Lishouk, Ukraine
(Drafted #49 by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2004; rights held by Grizzlies)
Stats: 14.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg
The skinny: He's a talented player no doubt. A center which the Grizzlies could use right away considering their lack of size following the departure of Stromile Swift this past summer. Led Ukraine in scoring during the group games. Free-throw shooting and fouls are areas of concern though.
Grade: B-

Sani Becirovic, Slovenia
(Drafted #46 by the Denver Nuggets in 2003; rights held by the Nuggets)
Stats: 10.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.7 apg and 2.0 spg
The skinny: Had a lot of success as a junior player in Europe. Named MVP of the 1998 European Junior Championships before joining the senior team. He has been troubled by knee injuries in his career which he overcame recently to become a very good point guard with great shooting skills. Had a disappointing tournament. Scored in double figures only once, in game against France.
Grade: C-

Vassilis Spanoulis, Greece
(Drafted #50 by the Dallas Mavericks in 2004; rights owned by Houston Rockets
Stats: 3.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg
The skinny: Figured as one of the role players for Greece in the first two games but barely took to the court against Bosnia Herzegovina.
Grade: D-

 

[PakistaniRambo]

I like how Boris gets a C-for 15 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.7 bpg, and 1.3 spg while Darko Milicic gets a B+ for 6.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg. Sometimes i wonder about ESPN...

 

[Chaplin]

Yeah, I was just trying to figure out what those grades actually mean...

C- compared to what? What would get him an A, or even just a C?

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I dont see how he can even give a C- to someone who shoots 0-11 at the free throw line. COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!

 

[Chaplin]

I dont see how he can even give a C- to someone who shoots 0-11 at the free throw line. COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE!

Granted that is bad, but considering that was the only really bad thing about his performance (the 4-for-22 from 3 doesn't make him a failure), I don't think it merited a C-, especially when several other players with much, much worse statististics (and impacts to their teams) are rated higher.

 

[PakistaniRambo]

exactly. the paragraph on Diaw even states that he basically has been carrying his team. I don't see how crappy free throw and 3pt % justify a C-

 

[George O'Brien]

The grading is simply non-sense. All I can figure is that Diaw was downgraded because his team played badly. But other than his free throw shooting against Slovenia, everyone else was raving about him.

Boris Diaw, France
Stats: 15 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.7 bpg, 1.3 spg

Bostjan Nachbar, Slovenia (C+)
Stats: 13.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.3 apg

Zoran Planinic, Croatia (B-)
Stats: 14.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.7 spg

Darko Milicic, Serbia Montenegro (B+)
Stats: 6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg

Jose Calderon, Spain (B)
Stats: 12.7 points, 2.7 assists, 2 rebounds per game

Vladimir Radmanovic, Serbia Montenegro (B)
Stats: 7.3 ppg, 3 rpg

Marko Jaric, Serbia Montenegro (B-)
Stats: 10.4 ppg, 4 apg, 2 rpg

 

[Dr. Dumas]

The Darko grade has me in a haze. 6ppg and 5rpg-BFD.

 

[PakistaniRambo]

haha, i didnt even see vladamir radmonovic on there. he was on pace to be sixth man of the year last year, and they give him a B for 7.3 ppg, and 3 rpg. WOW

 

[sly fly]

Geezus, I made as many free throws as Diaw.

What's up with that? That's worrisome.

 

[simply_amare]

The Darko grade has me in a haze. 6ppg and 5rpg-BFD.

Agreed. He has to be more consistent than that to justify a B-.

 

[elindholm]

Regarding Diaw's free-throw shooting, did anyone actually see that game? Sometimes box scores get typos in them, especially in overseas leagues, exhibition play, and other stuff out of the glare of the NBA spotlight.

I'm trying to guess which is more likely: that any competent basketball player could go 0-11 from the line, or that somebody wrote something down wrong.

 

[CaptainInsano]

What a joke of an article, there is bad and then there is THAT. Just plain HORRIBLE. Who graded this stuff, a pet monkey?

 

[George O'Brien]

Regarding Diaw's free-throw shooting, did anyone actually see that game? Sometimes box scores get typos in them, especially in overseas leagues, exhibition play, and other stuff out of the glare of the NBA spotlight.

I'm trying to guess which is more likely: that any competent basketball player could go 0-11 from the line, or that somebody wrote something down wrong.

It was that bad. However, it was the fourth game in four days.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Granted that is bad, but considering that was the only really bad thing about his performance (the 4-for-22 from 3 doesn't make him a failure), I don't think it merited a C-, especially when several other players with much, much worse statististics (and impacts to their teams) are rated higher.

I agree freethrows are a totally overatted aspect of basketball, unlike how you handle the ball, now that's critical A++++++++ Ralphie.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Regarding Diaw's free-throw shooting, did anyone actually see that game? Sometimes box scores get typos in them, especially in overseas leagues, exhibition play, and other stuff out of the glare of the NBA spotlight.

I'm trying to guess which is more likely: that any competent basketball player could go 0-11 from the line, or that somebody wrote something down wrong.

or maybe he was dramatizing the French army's battle reccord in WWII.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I like how Boris gets a C-for 15 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.7 bpg, and 1.3 spg while Darko Milicic gets a B+ for 6.0 ppg and 5.0 rpg. Sometimes i wonder about ESPN...

or better yet, a C- compared to Pietrus' C+ for less points and less rebounds.

 

[PetryJr]

Diaw is NOT 4-22 from beyond the arc in the tournament. In fact, he didn't even come close to shoot that many three's. He's 4-22 from the free-throw line - which is even worse. I don't undestand how this mistake would go unnoticed, since Diaw doesn't really shoot a lot of threes. 22 attempts would mean more than 7 per game. Diaw actually took 6 threes and made one of them in the first three games.

By the way, France beat Serbia today and qualified to the quarterfinals. Diaw scored 10 points (5-8 FG, 0-1 3pt, 0-2 FT), grabbed 3 rebounds and had 3 assists.

 

[elindholm]

The media are pissed at Larry Brown for having fooled them (perhaps inadvertently) about the Cleveland job and then deliberately misleading them about the Knicks job. Since one of the ways for Brown to be embarrassed this season will be if Milicic breaks out as a genuine prospect, they're all hoping for it to happen, and they'll do their best to convince themselves that it's likely.

Expect the "Brown was too stubborn to see Milicic's talent" stories to continue up until, or probably past, the point by which they just become too silly to be taken seriously.

 

[elindholm]

He's 4-22 from the free-throw line

Good grief, this can't actually be possible, can it? It's bad enough that he was 0-11 in one game, but if he was only a combined 4-11 in his two "good" games, that's a major problem.

 

[PetryJr]

Regarding Diaw's free-throw shooting, did anyone actually see that game? Sometimes box scores get typos in them, especially in overseas leagues, exhibition play, and other stuff out of the glare of the NBA spotlight.

I didn't watch the game, but it did really happen. They don't make that type of mistake in such an important tournament, one that's being televised to many countries around the world. Also, from the recap from the game against Serbia:

Boris Diaw continued his struggles at the line by missing two of his own which could have given his side a four-point lead at 75-71.

http://www.eurobasket2005.com/en/ci...9le2.season_2005.roundID_3769.teamID_282.html

The recap from the game against Slovenia:

Boris Diaw once again led the French side with 16 points and seven rebounds (although he was a woeful 0 of 11 from the free throw line), while Antoine Rigaudeau had 12 points.

http://www.eurobasket2005.com/en/ci...9le2.season_2005.roundID_3769.teamID_282.html

I guess that's not enough to prove anything, but I really doubt it's a typo.

 

[PetryJr]

He's 4-22 from the free-throw line

Good grief, this can't actually be possible, can it? It's bad enough that he was 0-11 in one game, but if he was only a combined 4-11 in his two "good" games, that's a major problem.

Well, after today's game, he's 4-24.

He's not a bad free-throw shooter, and he was shooting a good percentage before the tournament started. I guess it's a mental thing. Maybe Tony Parker is teaching him a thing or two.

 

[elindholm]

Okay, you have me convinced that it really happened. Ugh.

But if he's "not a bad free-throw shooter," who is? He's at 67% in his NBA career so far, and while that's obviously better than 4-24, it sure doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

 

[George O'Brien]

This looks suspiciously like the ratings was based entirely on preconceptions. Diaw is not very good so he doesn't get a good rating no matter what his actual performance.

I went back and looked at some of the other box scores. He did shoot 7 of 10 against Russia. What is remarkable is how many games he would have only one or two foul shots even though he was attacking the basket. It was only in the last couple of games that it looks like he was being deliberately fouled.

On the other hand, Diaw replaced Parker in playing the point:Eurobasket

With Parker struggling against the Slovenian defense, Boris Diaw (203-F/G-82) played the point in the third quarter, remembering Magic Johnson, even if he was unable to make his free-throws.

 

[PetryJr]

Okay, you have me convinced that it really happened. Ugh.

But if he's "not a bad free-throw shooter," who is? He's at 67% in his NBA career so far, and while that's obviously better than 4-24, it sure doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

Sorry, I should've said that he's not THAT bad. He's obviously not a good shooter, and that is also true when it comes to the free throw line.