Kostas Papanikolaou!!!

[Rastapopoulos]

Thank you Raymond Felton, if this is indeed true.
[video=youtube;uDcKlLW5E_Y]

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Rasta, give S2 your detailed scouting report on Kostas.

 

[ebott]

I have a hard time getting excited about a guy that was the 48th pick in this years draft. If he wasn't that valuable two weeks ago, he's still not that valuable.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Here it is:

"He's the Greek Jae Crowder."

Facts: he was the MVP of the Euro-under 20 tournament a couple of years ago (so he's still young). He was also the MVP of the final four of Euroleague where Olympiakos staged a stunning win, when they were by far the lowest-ranked of the four competing teams, and down big to CSKA Moskow in the final. So he comes up biggest when most needed. He's also used to fitting in with a team of stars, because young players are supposed to take a back seat in Europe (especially with an old-school coach, and his coach is the most notoriously old-school in Europe) and he was on a team with Greek Iverson, Vassilis Spanoulis.

He can do a little bit of everything, including playing hard-nosed defense on actual NBA players (he was assigned to Kirilenko in the Euroleague final) and hit threes.

Downside: Greek players very rarely come over here (which is why we never got to see possibly the best non-NBA player of the past decade, Dimitris Diamantidis) and Olympiakos has deep pockets.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I have a hard time getting excited about a guy that was the 48th pick in this years draft. If he wasn't that valuable two weeks ago, he's still not that valuable.

This is remarkably short-sighted. You're assuming that he fell to 48th because he isn't good. But there are all sorts of reasons players fall, and the most relevant here is that the teams in the first round want a player they can be assured of seeing immediately, while he will probably stay in Europe for a while, and perhaps always, because he can earn a very good living there.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I have a hard time getting excited about a guy that was the 48th pick in this years draft. If he wasn't that valuable two weeks ago, he's still not that valuable.

I think I heard that he has a big buyout, so that's why he dropped. If we're patient, it could be very good. We are patient, we have too many young players right now as it is.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Kostas or Claver?

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

I have a hard time getting excited about a guy that was the 48th pick in this years draft. If he wasn't that valuable two weeks ago, he's still not that valuable.

Meanwhile, people are excited about Barton, who was supposed to be a first-rounder, but slid to #40.

Some say Kostas was first-round talent, but he slid due to his buyout. And one of the final mocks had us taking him at 40/41, IIRC.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Kostas or Claver?

Different players. Claver's got Batum-style smooth, Kostas has grit. Claver is greyhound, Papanikolaou is bulldog.

 

[Duckhook]

After watching a couple highlights on youtube, he kinda reminds me of a left-handed Rudy Fernandez, +25 pounds.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

That "amazing" dunk was rather average by NBA standards.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

That "amazing" dunk was rather average by NBA standards.

Yes. If that was all he could do, he wouldn't be worth getting excited about. It's like Andre Miller's amazing dunk - it's amazing because you didn't think he could do that, but he was good anyway.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Rasta does get excited about Euros some times, so many take him with a grain of salt. However, he's not the only one who is excited:

http://www.ridiculousupside.com/201...anikolaou-blazers-win-big-in-ray-felton-trade

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Too nonathletic. Wouldn't be able to score in the NBA except on fast breaks, wouldn't be good at defense in the NBA. I hope we eventually use him to get other assets, otherwise he's worthless.

 

[Ed O]

I have a hard time getting excited about a guy that was the 48th pick in this years draft. If he wasn't that valuable two weeks ago, he's still not that valuable.

I think that's fair, but people (maybe not you... definitely not me) got excited about the 40th pick in this year's draft in spite of there being no signability issues to depress his draft position.

Ed O.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

That "amazing" dunk was rather average by NBA standards.

Maybe it was the fact he can jump high enough to dunk.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Maybe it was the fact he can jump high enough to dunk.

His max vertical is the same as mine according to draftexpress... If only I was 6'8"

 

[Blazer4ever]

I believe Monia and Khryapa is a decent comparison.

 

[Blazer4ever]

*If we're also considering the reports that Printezis is part of the deal.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

I've read about six different scouting reports and he sounds more Matt Harpring than he does Khryapa.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Khryapa would be pretty damn good. People hate to be reminded of those years, but that's not Viktor's fault, and he's become pretty much a star in Russia (and for Russia).

But yes, I think Harpring is a pretty good comp.

 

[<-=*PdX*=->]

meh

 

[OLDSchool_BlazerFAN]

Typical guys on this forum. One youtube video of a guy dunking... and you noobs are sold.

 

[drexlersdad]

gesundheit

 

[MickZagger]

Typical guys on this forum. One youtube video of a guy dunking... and you noobs are sold.

Noobs? You got 26 posts.

But, you're right. People are creaming themselves over a guy that will never play in the league.

 

[Fez Hammersticks]

Noobs? You got 26 posts.

But, you're right. People are creaming themselves over a guy that will never play in the league.

Notice his join date? Kinda funny that he joined during that little "board invasion".

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Notice his join date? Kinda funny that he joined during that little "board invasion".

He joined at the very beginning of July, and posted these on July 4th.

Oh I am no newbie. Just low post count. Been a member for years with you guys. Basketball forums, RealGM forums, ESPN forums.

What ever happened to that one PSYCHO kid ... mad about everything. I cannot remember his name for the life of me though.

I believe him.

 

[drexlersdad]

Notice his join date? Kinda funny that he joined during that little "board invasion".

its ben davis

 

[ebott]

This is remarkably short-sighted. You're assuming that he fell to 48th because he isn't good. But there are all sorts of reasons players fall, and the most relevant here is that the teams in the first round want a player they can be assured of seeing immediately, while he will probably stay in Europe for a while, and perhaps always, because he can earn a very good living there.

That's all entirely possible. And I'm not trying to dis Papanikolaou as I've never seen him play and know nothing about him. If he eventually comes over and is a useful player I'll be pretty excited.

My main problem is that the draft was less than a month ago and the Blazers could have drafted Papanikolaou with the 41st pick. But they didn't. They sold that pick. I read The Article and it made me think that the Knicks got him forever ago and they just haven't been able to convince a guy with such a sweet gig in Greece to come over to the NBA. But that's not the case. They drafted this guy last month. The air went out of my excitement balloon real fast when I read that.

 

[<-=*PdX*=->]

agreed OSBF