[Rule_By_His_Own_Hand]

Originally Posted by JFizzleRaider

How do you feel about Europeans saying Rudy is better than Bargnani? And how do you explain Rudy winning FIBA's European Player of the Year award?

Better than Bargnani? Probably. But since this topic is all about in a lot of ways NBA prospects or "upside" Bargs has to have more. Yeah if Rudy comes to the NBA he will be coming possibly as a better player but Bargnani has more potential IMO. Although I don't think Bargnani was that good when he came to NBA. But again a point I'm trying to make is that big men WILL get many chances from NBA teams. Guards? They might get one look and if a team doesn't like them that's it. Seems the Euro guards some times don't even get that.

Jasekivicius got a big look in Indiana because of his name and his experience level. But then a guy with a lesser name like Macijuaskas or who comes over too early after a rookie year in Europe like Spanoulis they might not even get a look. Just 6-8 minutes once every 3 or 4 games.

So again it really doesn't matter how good the player is. It's will he get a chance to show what he can do. Belineli is not as good as Rudy based on how he has played but even he is more athletic possibly and with better handles than Rudy. He can't even get in a game for the Warriors. It's not that he can't play it's that he's getting labeled that way. I think a lot of people forget that Euros like Tony Parker or Dirk come VERY young to NBA where the teams knows they need developing or even like Manu they come once they are established in Europe as the best or top 3 best player. Americans just always believe if a guy came from Europe and didn't play he "sucks" not the case in some of these instances. It's just that the NBA does not develop a Euro player unless he's very young and they will not play a veteran Euro if he needs any developing. It really makes no sense at all but that's what has been happening.


As for Rudy being FIBA European player of the Year I may be wrong but I do not believe this ever happened. I think it was 2006 Theo Papaloukas and 2007 Kirilenko. I really do not believe he was ever European player of the year but if I am wrong I will apologize as I am not sure on that.

[Pioneer10]

^AK-47 did win the 2007 player of the year. Fernandez hasn't won that award

[Chef]

Originally Posted by Plastic Man

^^Throw in Splitter, McIntyre, Lavrinovic and a bunch of other names too. I mean, Fernandez has been putting up nice numbers in the Spanish league (which is one of the best European leagues), but he's never played in the toughest European competition. I'm sorry but putting up big numbers in the ULEB cup is not something to label a player the best by far. I doubt he cracks the top 10. He's an awesome talent though, no doubt about it.

peace

Lol.

http://www.euroleague.net/competitio...asoncode=E2006

Get your fact straight before posting.

McIntyre? Lavrinovic? Splitter? Are you kidding me?

[JFizzleRaider]

Originally Posted by Pioneer10

^AK-47 did win the 2007 player of the year. Fernandez hasn't won that award

sorry I meant the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year

The 22-year-old was named the FIBA Europe Young Player of the Year for his efforts with club and country in 2006, culminating in a World Championship for Spain.

FIBA Europe Secretary General Nar Zanolin and the President of the Spanish Basketball Federation Jose Luis Saez were on hand to present Fernandez with the award, which earned him a standing ovation from the sellout crowd.

"This award is a real honor," said Fernandez.

"It means that I am ahead of people like Andrea Bargnani and Ersan Ilyasova (second and third in the voting) and that's something that really motivates me to get better and to continue to do the same things I've been doing until now."

[sasaint]

Originally Posted by Plastic Man

^^Throw in Splitter, McIntyre, Lavrinovic and a bunch of other names too. I mean, Fernandez has been putting up nice numbers in the Spanish league (which is one of the best European leagues), but he's never played in the toughest European competition. I'm sorry but putting up big numbers in the ULEB cup is not something to label a player the best by far. I doubt he cracks the top 10. He's an awesome talent though, no doubt about it.

peace

How would you rank, say, the top 10 players in Europe, first thru tenth?

[seifer0406]

probably somewhere in the late lottery, I don't think he will crack top 10 though. If I remember correctly there hasn't been a foreign SG/SF taken in the top 10 like ever. Mikael Pietrus I think is the highest at #11 and there are a few after 11. It's an athletic position not to mention one of the most crowded one in terms of talent. He might be a pretty good player, but in terms of being drafted teams just might not take him that high.

[Plastic Man]

Originally Posted by GOD

Well, I could be wrong about him being the best player in Europe as I don't follow European ball much, maybe catch a couple games on the net a year and read a some articles. So, my question is, why is there so much hype about Rudy if there are all these other players that you think are better? Is it just that he is flashy?

Honestly, there's not that much hype in Europe... I hardly hear his name mentioned. The story changed when I started visiting Trailblazers boards and read clips from Oregonian papers when Oden went down and later. People seem to really by high on Fernandez and I was frankly taken aback, since he's not mentioned in the discussion of being one of the best European players (maybe people in Spain will tell you otherwise, I don't know). I guess his talent alone is enough for the hype in the States and to be fair he did put up nice stats in the Spanish league, Cup and ULEB cup (and since I was corrected by Chef, in the Euroleague last year).

Originally Posted by JFizzleRaider

How do you feel about Europeans saying Rudy is better than Bargnani? And how do you explain Rudy winning FIBA's European Player of the Year award?

EDIT: you probably meant "young Player of The Year"? EDIT2: yup, you've already corrected yourself .

Fernandez has won the Spanish Cup MVP a couple of years ago and the ULEB cup MVP; he was never the player of the year nor the MVP of the Euroleague or in the 2 All-European teams. I've not even heard much about him until, like I said, I visited some Blazers forums and sites. And I live in freaking Europe, and my hometeam has played in the toughest European competition for over a decade... I could just be an ignorant *****, though .

Originally Posted by luther

A lot of those guys are people who are better than him now, but that doesn't make them better NBA prospects than him. Obviously, several of them have already failed in the NBA. That they have failed in the NBA--or chosen not to come to the NBA--and done well in Europe doesn't really say anything at all about Fernandez's prospects.

I agree. We were only arguing GOD's proclamation of him being the best European player (by far). The scouts in the NBA surely know more about him and basketball than me and I have no doubt that he's an excellent prospect. I just wanted to shed some light on how he's percieved in Europe and to put some realism into the discussion. The rest was also answered by Rule_By_His_Own_Hand.

peace

[Plastic Man]

Originally Posted by Chef

Lol.

http://www.euroleague.net/competitio...asoncode=E2006

Get your fact straight before posting.

McIntyre? Lavrinovic? Splitter? Are you kidding me?

Uf, I missed one year, sorry. They even played against my home team (Union Olimpija), lol. I think that speaks wonders on how hyped up he is here and what people think of him, if I don't even remember him playing against us, lol. I wonder why Fernandez didn't crack the top10 players list that year...

I'm not kidding... they are all more renowned players, who actually play at the big stage and have gone far and all of the above have made this year's All-European teams. I don't really care much for the hype for him in the US, since I live in Europe. For all I care he can be the next coming of Drazen Petrovic. I just wanted to correct GOD's statements. It would be too bad if all the Blazers fans ended up disappointed because he turned into another short NBA stint that goes back to Europe after 4 years of benchwarming. That's what happens when your expectations are too high.

sasaint: I wouldn't, I don't buy much into these top10 ranks. For all I care Fernandez might crack that, but I can't say because the last time I've seen him play was quite some time ago). I personally value experience over these young players, because that's usually what gets the job done here. I guess the whole mentality is just different overseas; the scouts see an exceptional young talent, the fans go crazy, want to bring him over, yadayada. And then he ends up sitting on the bench, not being played (khm, Milicic, khm).

peace

[Plastic Man]

I can't seem to edit my previous posts, only 2 more things I have to say and I'm out:
1."EDIT: you probably meant "young Player of The Year"? Erazem Lorbek has won that award 3 or 4 years ago. I'm guessing you don't know who that is" I meant Europe's Rising Star. JFizzleRaider, you're correct on the young player award.
2. Rule_By_His_Own_Hand pretty much explained what I was trying to say in my previous posts. We could both be wrong and Fernandez turns out to be the best Euro to ever come to the States, of course. But I've seen too many of these young prospects being touted as the next Ginobili's or Kukoc's and they soon came packing back to Europe. And I'm not the only European who doesn't like that. I had much respect for players like Dejan Bodiroga who reached God-like status here and never ventured overseas, because the same old story would probably happen to him... but, I guess times are changing. And rightfully so, since more and more of these players are proving that they can (and should) play in the NBA.