# Should GMs avoid Croatian players?



## Team Mao (Dec 17, 2005)

After what reportedlty happened last summer to young Croats Roko Ukic and Marko Thomas, should GMs avoid drafting young Croatian players.
Reportedly, they were both put in a position by the Croatian basketball authorities where they were told to sign with a particular agency, XL, and play in Spain, or they would be unwelcome to play for the national team in the future.

Link 

translation:


> "David Baumann, team manager for the American team, SFX is blaming Croatian adversaries
> Manager Wars: XL brought Marko and Roko over by pressuring them into the deal.
> Written by: Drazen Brajdic (Translated by: Rose-Bugs-Me)
> 
> ...


If you were a GM would this scare you away from picking Croatian players in the draft?


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

man... don't trust a manager, he just wanted to make some easy money, he got screwed up by competition- 2 players forced to signed with other agency- I'd say they were advised to. Why? look at all the numbers of europeans that have come to NBA too early- with their unrealistic promises to players in europe, managers have wasted their reputation, so don't be surprised if euro coaches dislike them... they've earned that...

I guess Bauman wanted those two to warm a bench somewhere in NBA, while from all the interviews I've read from Ukič and Tomas (I can speak croatian, so I've read practically all I've found) they said NBA is not their main interest, they think they could use a season or two in europe to develope on the next stage and than they'll see what they can do in NBA if there is an oppurtunity...



> A fellow Croatian player, Drago Pašalić, was under the same stress. But he didn't go away from his country. Marko and his father complained to me, that the agency told them: "If you want to play internationally, you have to sign with the agency XL". It humors me that after this Roko sent me a text message in which he said: "I heard what Marko had to do. That is absurd".


BS man, that same idiot Bauman robbed Pasalič's club of a buyout, he left his club in the middle of the season, Pasalic traveled to some work-outs instead of playing for his club where the all-knowledgeable Bauman realised that Pašalič won't be drafted (no sh*t Sherlock) now when he realised that, I wonder how much interest does Bauman has for Pašalič... Being a well known agent messing young players head is f.... easy, that's why coaches or club directors sometimes step in to set the player back in reality and by Bauman's opinion that would be translated to: "forcing them to"

And now he is crying to american media, since there he can cry whatever he wants to, realising he won't get a single croatian prospect under his agency for quite some time since he screwed up relations with some croatian clubs (in particular Split, 3peat euroleague champion 88-91, traditional talent hotbed, and damn well connected throughout europe)...

that's the other part of the story, awesome huh?


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## starvydas (Jul 16, 2002)

Team Mao said:


> After what reportedlty happened last summer to young Croats Roko Ukic and Marko Thomas, should GMs avoid drafting young Croatian players.
> Reportedly, they were both put in a position by the Croatian basketball authorities where they were told to sign with a particular agency, XL, and play in Spain, or they would be unwelcome to play for the national team in the future.


I've never heard of that, but wouldn't force your local players to play abroad be like committing suicide (from the Croatian league's point of view)?


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## zeleni (Jun 29, 2006)

starvydas said:


> I've never heard of that, but wouldn't force your local players to play abroad be like committing suicide (from the Croatian league's point of view)?


No. Good perspective young players are better abroad. No one could afford them in Croatia for more than 2-3 seasons. Croatia has Sesar, who was a big deal half a decade ago. He is mediocre since he couldn't sell himself. And now he is a bench player in Cibona. Youth has to escape little clubs as soon as possible.


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