The link didn't work for me so here's the article:
Reunion In Phoenix May Result In A M.I.P. In 06-07
J.T. Magee - 1st February, 2006 5:08 PM
“With the fifth pick overall, the Denver Nuggets select… Nikoloz Tskishvilli.”
Who?
That’s what everyone asked, and people are still asking. When the media and fans associate a European bust, they come up with “Skita.” It may be fair, since he has basically done nothing in his career, but with a reunion with his former coach, he just may become the ’06-’07 Most improved Player.
It may be way too early to say something like that, but if there is one place where he can turn his career around, it is Phoenix. Head Coach Mike D’Antoni was a former player in Italy. In fact, Kobe Bryant wears the number 8 because that was D’Antoni’s number in Italy, when Bryant lived there with his dad. D’Antoni would become the eventual Head Coach of Benetton Treviso, the same team that signed a young Georgian to a long-term deal early on in his career. D’Antoni knew what he was capable of and convinced a friend of his, at the time, a former assistant for the Denver Nuggets , to draft him because he could become a Dirk Nowitzki with better ball handling. Not even looking at a single second of game tape, the Nuggets went ahead and drafted him.
That’s where the downfall began. Tskitishvilli was thrust into a very terrible Nuggets team and they expected him to become the player he was capable of being. He needed a lot more time that what they gave him. They gave him too many minutes. Too many for a kid still trying to learn a completely different style of basketball, let alone another language. Being put into a rough situation is hard for any young player, but for a kid whose game was never fully polished coming in, in was impossible to succeed.
The Nuggets righted the ship when they brought in Kiki Vandeweghe as their General Manager. He landed Carmelo Anthony. Not much to say there, except for he plays the same position as Skita. From there, Skita would ride the pine until his contract expired. He went to Minnesota and never received any playing time. Hence the deal that sent him to the only place in the NBA where he will have a chance to become the player he was supposed to be.
Tskitishvilli possesses a lot of skills that players his size lack. He can handle the rock. He’s one the few players that can create with the ball, whether it be for himself or others. Phoenix and the amount of space that will be available for him will only make the transition earlier for him. It also doesn’t hurt that your former Head Coach is now the Head Coach for the team you get traded to.
This may all read as if Skita is a decent player, but to be considered the Most Improved Player after he gets traded for a second rounder? A very low second rounder? Well, this kid has a lot of talent that no one has seen. The Timberwolves staff has seen it in practice everyday. He was in the wrong situation at the wrong time. The trade cleared up a roster spot so the Wolves could get Ricky Davis, but Skita landed on a team where he can average 10, 4 and 4. In about 10-15 minutes. The kid has that much talent; it just hasn’t been seen yet because of a lot of bad situations. There are a few other reasons that factor into why he’s going to be the M.I.P.
One, is it’s a great story for the media to eat up. Like Boris Diaw, who came out of nowhere to become a stud for the Suns, Skita can be the next guy that can do the same. The numbers or minutes won’t be there, but who wouldn’t eat up a former bust reviving his career for his former Italian coach after being traded for a second round pick who may not even make the Wolves roster? And the second reason?
Contract year. If he remains with the team through August, his contract becomes guaranteed. It’s a very low salary and if he shows enough in practice, as well as the Summer League, which he will, he’ll get a spot on a team that is too deep for its own good but in a good way. They have the offensive talent, now especially with Skita, to make the opposing team’s defensive scheme a nightmare. He will show people that he can still play in limited minutes. His career averages will most likely double because of the minutes he’s going to receive. But a player always plays for his future in a contract year. Next year is the year for Skita.
It all adds up to the Suns, once again, getting the better of their trading partners. Minnesota may look at it as trading Skita and the likes for Ricky Davis and co., but the Suns saw it as an opportunity to snatch up a young talent for very cheap. A former Lottery pick for the price of a second rounder? If everything goes accordingly, Skita will show why he was a Lottery pick. And then some.
