[lptitle title=”Begin the countdown”]
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By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The NBA is getting ready for the playoffs and some of the biggest stars of European basketball will fight for the title. Eurohoops looks at what the Europeans that compete in the best league in the world have done and presents in four parts what they have achieved this season and what we expect from them to do. We’ll start from those that compete in the Eastern conference teams that didn’t make it to the playoffs.
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[lptitle title=”New York Knicks“]
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Three Europeans finished their season in this year’s disappointing Knicks. The Italian Andrea Bargnani, the Spaniard Jose Calderon, who after an annoyance in his achilles from the end of February onward didn’t play any more basketball, and Alexei Shved who ended up there after Philadelphia and Houston.
We are speaking of three completely different cases of players. Calderon can become a substantial unit in the coming season and he proved that this year, while he has a contract until 2017. Alexei Shved is a restricted free agent and he has stated that he wants to stay in New York. He too has shown that he can help his team and he was one of the pleasant surprises of the season’s finale. Bargnani is now a free agent, not bogged down by the big contract he had signed in Toronto and which he never justified, but as to where he is going to end up is more than anything else a financial matter. The fact that the Knicks have stated that they want him if he accepts the minimum veteran fee makes matters even more complicated.
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[lptitle title=”Philadelphia Sixers“]
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The Turk Furkan Aldemir and the French Ronny Turiaf finished the season in Philadelphia. Both are making their living in the paint but they are very different cases. Turiaf, one of the most likeable characters of world basketball, is a free agent and in the last few years he is a shadow of his former self. Aldemir showed good signs and his team has the capability to put in effect an option for renewal of his contract (team option) for 2,6 million dollars a year. This amount for a player like Aldemir can even be considered even favorable and it’s more than affordable.
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[lptitle title=”Detroit Pistons“]
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After the decision to let go of Jerebko and Datome the Pistons are without any Europeans. We’ll see in the summer whether this will change.
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[lptitle title=”Indiana Pacers“]
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The Pacers missed the playoffs in the last moment but with Paul George healthy things are going to be different and there are two Europeans coming off the bench and offering some quality minutes. French center Ian Mahinmi and the Croatian forward with shooting as his specialty Damjan Rudez have shown that they have a role to play, they have a contract and next year they will be called to give even more.
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[lptitle title=”Charlotte Hornets“]
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The Swede Jeffery Taylor will be a free agent. Despite having shown that he can contribute, how things will turn out for his case remains a question, while the possibility of European teams to come knocking, because of his EU passport, is not ruled out. In any case, he has the talent to remain employed in the NBA.
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