If this guy is half as good as he sounds he could be the starting point guard next season. Barbosa has been very nice, but he is still young and quite erratic. He could still get good and meaningful minutes off the bench as a backup 2-3.
Joe Mama
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/0124sunsnb0124.html
Team's prospect lighting up opponents in Europe
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 24, 2004 12:00 AM
If Milos Vujanic ever comes through as a Suns player like he has as Suns property, Phoenix really may have something special to show for the Jan. 5 Stephon Marbury trade.
Vujanic's rights were dealt to the Suns in the trade, and since returning from an ankle injury, he's scored 65 points in two games for Skipper Bologna in Italy.
Vujanic, who was averaging 13 points, hit 14 of 23 three-pointers in two European League games. He led the league in scoring last year.
"Our scouts are excited about it," Suns General Manager Bryan Colangelo said. "Countless people in the industry have come across people in our organization and said, 'You've got no idea what you've got there.' "
One of the Suns' two European scouts, Ljubisav Lukovic, coached Vujanic earlier in his career. Vujanic is friends with Suns rookie Zarko Cabarkapa.
Colangelo said he plans to visit Vujanic, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, but has already had positive talks with the Knicks' 2002 draft pick. He has another year on his contract in Bologna but does have a buyout clause.
Casey gets defensive
It doesn't matter how customary starts became in Casey Jacobsen's Stanford career. Every time the lights go down and his name goes up at America West Arena for Jim Barnett's starting introductions, Jacobsen gets as excited as a kid at Christmas.
He got his third consecutive start Friday, as the Suns continue to go with a small lineup while Amare Stoudemire's left ankle and right toe heal. The long-range shot, seen in Jacobsen's three first-half three-pointers, may have helped him get to Phoenix, but it has been some hard-nosed play that has kept him in the mix of late.
"Over an 82-game season, it's defense that's really going to keep you getting consistent minutes," said Jacobsen, who had one career start until this week. "I recognized that the first couple weeks of my rookie season. If you can't play defense in this league, it doesn't matter if you can make some shots."
Now that's young
Suns coach Mike D'Antoni knew how to take care of all that pestering that rookie Maciej Lampe was giving him over when he would play.
"If he plays against (Tim) Duncan, he might not bug me so much," D'Antoni said before the game.
Lampe's debut made him the youngest Suns player ever to see action. Lampe turns 19 on Feb. 5; Stoudemire debuted at 19 years, 11 months last year.
Lampe started the second quarter and promptly put up an air ball and got a foul. He was out after 2 minutes, 20 seconds.
Kerr at the mic
Steve Kerr could stare at tape of him playing the game until his eyes turned red. But watching his work as a rookie analyst is no free throw.
"It's much harder," Kerr said.
"With game tape, there are nine other people out there. But with TV tape, you hear your voice and see yourself and it's like, 'Ewww.' "
Kerr works Spurs telecasts and a weekly TNT game.
Joe Mama
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/0124sunsnb0124.html
Team's prospect lighting up opponents in Europe
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 24, 2004 12:00 AM
If Milos Vujanic ever comes through as a Suns player like he has as Suns property, Phoenix really may have something special to show for the Jan. 5 Stephon Marbury trade.
Vujanic's rights were dealt to the Suns in the trade, and since returning from an ankle injury, he's scored 65 points in two games for Skipper Bologna in Italy.
Vujanic, who was averaging 13 points, hit 14 of 23 three-pointers in two European League games. He led the league in scoring last year.
"Our scouts are excited about it," Suns General Manager Bryan Colangelo said. "Countless people in the industry have come across people in our organization and said, 'You've got no idea what you've got there.' "
One of the Suns' two European scouts, Ljubisav Lukovic, coached Vujanic earlier in his career. Vujanic is friends with Suns rookie Zarko Cabarkapa.
Colangelo said he plans to visit Vujanic, a 6-foot-3 combo guard, but has already had positive talks with the Knicks' 2002 draft pick. He has another year on his contract in Bologna but does have a buyout clause.
Casey gets defensive
It doesn't matter how customary starts became in Casey Jacobsen's Stanford career. Every time the lights go down and his name goes up at America West Arena for Jim Barnett's starting introductions, Jacobsen gets as excited as a kid at Christmas.
He got his third consecutive start Friday, as the Suns continue to go with a small lineup while Amare Stoudemire's left ankle and right toe heal. The long-range shot, seen in Jacobsen's three first-half three-pointers, may have helped him get to Phoenix, but it has been some hard-nosed play that has kept him in the mix of late.
"Over an 82-game season, it's defense that's really going to keep you getting consistent minutes," said Jacobsen, who had one career start until this week. "I recognized that the first couple weeks of my rookie season. If you can't play defense in this league, it doesn't matter if you can make some shots."
Now that's young
Suns coach Mike D'Antoni knew how to take care of all that pestering that rookie Maciej Lampe was giving him over when he would play.
"If he plays against (Tim) Duncan, he might not bug me so much," D'Antoni said before the game.
Lampe's debut made him the youngest Suns player ever to see action. Lampe turns 19 on Feb. 5; Stoudemire debuted at 19 years, 11 months last year.
Lampe started the second quarter and promptly put up an air ball and got a foul. He was out after 2 minutes, 20 seconds.
Kerr at the mic
Steve Kerr could stare at tape of him playing the game until his eyes turned red. But watching his work as a rookie analyst is no free throw.
"It's much harder," Kerr said.
"With game tape, there are nine other people out there. But with TV tape, you hear your voice and see yourself and it's like, 'Ewww.' "
Kerr works Spurs telecasts and a weekly TNT game.