Follow the Euroleague!

[Rastapopoulos]

[video=youtube;QNCJiVpb7zk]

Batum, Viktor Khryapa and Omar Cook all feature. I say we should pick a team to follow. NOT Barcelona, because they're the Spanish Lakers (and may acquire one or both Gasols if the lockout drags on). Unicaja has Freeland and Nancy has Batum, but neither will get anywhere. Real Madrid would be good because of Rudy and Sergio, but they're a team in transition (and not the fastbreaking kind) and probably won't make it. The safest bet is probably CSKA Moscow. Besides the Khryapa connection, there's also this reason:

[video=youtube;UUDNEgEbspQ]

 

[Blazer4ever]

I'm guessing Sofo's block won first place because it was left-handed. Maccabi had two plays in the final 3 (?) in a game they've lost.
There's a team in Israel supposed to be 2nd-tier (won't play in the Euroleague or any of the international turnaments) that already signed both Travis Booker and JJ Hickson! There is a bright side for even a full-season lockout, especially if you live in Europe.

 

[Blazer4ever]

Or is it trevor booker? but it's a guy I saw put up like 15 for the Wizards. Yes, the Wizards but still.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Freeland has hit 27 points in his last two games for the European side and sits sixth in the rebounding tally with a 7.5 average and seventh in blocks with 1.5 per game. Malaga is the only unbeaten team in Spain after winning all three of their games so far this season, with Freeland making strong contributions in his appearances.

Freeland flying high in Spain

 

[Nikolokolus]

So it's either Euroleague or the Winterhawks eh?



Dammit all to hell.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Rudy looks like pre-McMillan-Rudy.

The shackles are off!

 

[jlprk]

Real Madrid would be good because of Rudy and Sergio, but they're a team in transition (and not the fastbreaking kind) and probably won't make it.

Those two didn't pick a fast break team?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Unicaja now 4-0. Freeland leads the ACB in their equivalent of "PER".

Video here.

(Notice that this is the Spanish domestic league. Unicaja is 0-1 in the Euroleague: they got crushed by Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos, and Freeland played poorly.)

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Rudy's latest circus shot.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Latest from Freeland - 14 pts 11 rebs 4 ast

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Freeland with 21/12 against Ty Lawon & Co.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

[video=youtube;R2zNqhH8cew]

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

[video=youtube;Krc8RQbfrOY]

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Freeland with 21/12 against Ty Lawon & Co.

Full highlights now visible on the Euroleague homepage. Not much from Freeland before the fourth. In general, he does seem to play better in the fourth quarter. He seems to be becoming more and more Aldridge-esque. Athletic, but a very good shooter. Not as dominant on the boards as you might hope but very fundamentally sound. His game has certainly progressed steadily, but he seems to have made a jump in quality similar to the one LaMarcus made last season. This pick could finally be paying off!

(Too bad about Claver, who seems to be regressing.)

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Nicolas Batum, the Portland Trail Blazers star, led the winning team with 26 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists including 11 for 12 shooting from free throw line.

"It was a tight and fierce game against a good European team and one of the best Spanish teams. We adapted our game technically and tactically. The odds were against us and we won it, supported by great fans. We can't just thank Nicolas Batum for having won the game by himself, especially in the last quarter, but we also have to give a warm thanks to the whole team."

LINK

[video=dailymotion;xlzb79]

 

[jlprk]

Because of playing there, Batum will get high offers from Europe and cost us more to re-sign him.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Another solid game for Freeland against Valencia Basket:

14 pts (5/9 fg) 10 rebs

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Another solid game for Freeland against Valencia Basket:

14 pts (5/9 fg) 10 rebs

He's #1 in the "Top 7" for this week's Spanish League: [video]http://acbtv.acb.com/video/4239-lac...kia:_contundencia_y_genialidad_a_partes_igual es[/video]

And here're the highlights for the whole game: [video]http://acbtv.acb.com/video/4231-lac...olo_rompe_la_imbatibilidad_de_unicaja[/video]

Note Claver doing essentially nothing. He stands around outside with his hands up and occasionally pumps his fist as De Colo hits another contested shot. He's ready for Nate!

Freeland is widening his lead at the top of the "Ranking" ranking.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Euroleague (which, remember, is like the Champions League, in that it's the best teams from a bunch of top European leagues - including Batum's Nancy, Freeland's Unicaja, Rudy's Real Madrid, Kirilenko's CSKA Moscow, the two powerhouse Greek teams, Maccabi (or whatever they're called now) Tel Aviv, et. al.) Top Ten for Week 2:

[video=youtube;UmhOm38DwqY]

 

[Mediocre Man]

Kirilenko's CSKA Moscow

Veeeeeeeeeektor's CSKA Moscow.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

I haven't been able to locate any stats but how is Jon Diebler doing?

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

[video=youtube;9y0mDLsXxfI]

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I haven't been able to locate any stats but how is Jon Diebler doing?

Well... the good news is he started and his team won...

I think that's the only game they've played, because the Greek league was "locked out" for a while, too.

 

[illmatic99]

Batum's team is playing Thabo's team tomorrow. Finally somewhat legit NBA competition.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Big day in the Euroleague tomorrow (Thursday):

Freeland's Unicaja play German team Brose Baskets who have, er, Casey Jacobson (notable for having a girlfriend much ogled when the Suns drafted him) and OKC Thunder draftee Tibor Pleiss (Unicaja should win), and
Batum's Nancy play Turkish team Fenerbahce Ulker, who have, as yuyuza1 noted above, Thabo Sefelosha, but also Turkish national PG Omer Onan (teehee) and Raptor draftee Roko Ukic, along with Nets draftee Bojan Bodganovic. Fenerbahce has underachieved, but should win. Also"
Sergio and Rudy's Real Madrid against a stacked Maccabi Electra (top Israeli team) with Big Sofo, Jordan Farmar and aging Euroleague legend Theo Papaloukas. Real should win, but it should be fun to see Big Sofo run over Serge Ibaka.

Here's a (subjective) ranking of the Euroleague teams, done before today's games, where CSKA dominated, and Caja Laboral won a squeaker over Olympiakos, among others.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Batum's team lost (they were getting blown out by 20+ in Turkey, but made something of a comeback) but he got 22/6/6 with 9 turnovers, 4 steals and 11 fouls drawn.
Freeland's team JUST won over a weak German team, albeit in Germany, and Freeland got 18/7
BUT: Jordan Farmar made a mockery of the Euroleague by getting a 35 ranking in Maccabi's big win over Real Madrid. So much for Ibaka transforming Madrid into an unstoppable powerhouse...

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Thanks for the updates!

Btw, Jason Filipi is attending Freeland's games. Though, he can't talk to him via the lockout.

[hoopshype]

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Check out the highlights on the Euroleague homepage. The best game was probably the Maccabi-Real game. If you combined those two teams, you'd have a pretty solid NBA team. And with David Blatt (the Maccabi coach) you'd have a very good NBA coach. That whole game will probably appear here pretty soon.

 

[illmatic99]

All Nic highlights:

Post moves against a legit NBA defender in Thabo!

[video=youtube;Wk4UVAkzsvY]

 

[illmatic99]

Nic's stats through 3 Euroleague games : 20.3pts (2nd in league), 7.3asts (2nd in league), 6.7rebs, 2stls in 39mins. However, he is averaging 6+ turnovers per game. His FG% is not so hot either.

Don't see Nate letting him make that many mistakes even if Nic is producing a net positive.