# Slavko Vranes Cut



## Rodzilla (Mar 11, 2003)

I dont know if this is new news, but hoopshype.com is reporting that Isiah Thomas cut Slavko Vranes immeadiately upon taking the Knicks Gm job. What a waste of a draft pick. I would at least keep him for a few yrs at the league minimum. Here's the link www.hoopshype.com/rumors


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## Big John (Sep 11, 2002)

Maybe he was clearing a roster spot for Bruno Sundov.


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## shazha (Nov 20, 2002)

Hahahaha oh boy its all starting to come true. Everyting i mentioned in my draft day review. When will you new york fans realise that Mike Sweetney was the worst person to pick this year for ny. 

Ny needs energy, they need athletisism, they need a leader. Can someone step up? Heres hoping McDyess can.


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## Rodzilla (Mar 11, 2003)

I'm proud to say as a Cleveland native, that will still have Bruno. He may be soft as cookie dough, but he can shoot the lights out for a guy that's 7'2. As long as we keep him for the league minimum, I wouldn't mind having him around for a few years to see how he pans out. He's only 23 and this is his 5th year in the league


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## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

7'6 guy in round 2 was worth the gamble.


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> 7'6 guy in round 2 was worth the gamble.


... when I read all the things before the draft people wrote here about Vranes I was laughing my a.. out.
Let's gamble: maybee he'll grow another feet, gain 100 pounds, start hitting treys- what are the odds of that?


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## Zalgirinis (Feb 18, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>RebelSun</b>!
> 7'6 guy in round 2 was worth the gamble.


LOL. 

Just one question... Have you seen him play before talking so? 

I did, so I can say LOL  :yes:


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## knickstorm (Jun 22, 2003)

thomas activates sweeteny but not lampe, wtf is going on. lampe put was first team in that summer league, then all of a sudden they put him on the IR.


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## theBirdman (Jun 20, 2003)

I have seen him play. He is tall and...well that is it!He is tall!:laugh:


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## Big John (Sep 11, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>RebelSun</b>!
> 7'6 guy in round 2 was worth the gamble.


It wasn't a gamble, it was self-sacrifice. 

As for the Knicks first round pick, Sweetney, he is a chubby 6-6 1/2 mid range jump shooter who can't get his shot off against a good defender (he has the vertical leap of a turnip) and has no lateral mobility whatsoever. His best offensive move is his flop. It is not as good as Reggie Miller's, but it's not bad for a rookie. NBA officials are generally incompetent, so it may fool some of them. He also grunts when does it, to add to the realism.

I saw him play twice at the Shaw's Summer league and left shaking my head at how any team could waste a #9 pick on him. But Layden was doing the picking, so I guess that explains it.


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## shazha (Nov 20, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Big John</b>!
> 
> 
> It wasn't a gamble, it was self-sacrifice.
> ...


AMEN!!!! Totally agreed. He has no lift what so ever. Hes a bit of a beast inside, but the other aspects of his game will restrict him to make it anywhere in the league.

Still cant believe they chose him at 9. Theres not a forward on that knicks roster that sweetney can beat out. Now thats bad.


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

Does anybody knows where he'll go?
He'll go back to Serbia? or there's any big team (I mean european teams) interested in him?


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## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

Do you guys realize how tall that is? It was worth the risk. You have to take risks. He did not pan out. How many shots to the Knicks block? Vranes may not do much, but I'm sure he can block shots.


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## Big John (Sep 11, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>RebelSun</b>!
> Do you guys realize how tall that is? It was worth the risk. You have to take risks. He did not pan out. How many shots to the Knicks block? Vranes may not do much, but I'm sure he can block shots.


Have you seen him play? He can't do anything. If you took a 7-4 guy off the street who had naver played basketball in his life, and told him to go stand under the basket with his hands up, you'd have the equivalent of Vranes. He has no footwork, no hops, no handles, no shot, no lateral mobility, no bulk. Nada.


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## rebelsun (Nov 25, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Big John</b>!
> 
> 
> Have you seen him play? He can't do anything. If you took a 7-4 guy off the street who had naver played basketball in his life, and told him to go stand under the basket with his hands up, you'd have the equivalent of Vranes. He has no footwork, no hops, no handles, no shot, no lateral mobility, no bulk. Nada.


I agree that his game is weak, but for that pick in the draft, a 7'6 guy isn't that bad. They don't come along very often.


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## bballer27 (Aug 21, 2003)

well i guess he'll go back to europe and play in one of their teams


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## MagnusPinus (Aug 27, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>bballer27</b>!
> well i guess he'll go back to europe and play in one of their teams


I don't think he is ready to PLAy in a good European team. and neither in a bad one.... He will be a benchwarmer


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## Big John (Sep 11, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>RebelSun</b>!
> 
> 
> I agree that his game is weak, but for that pick in the draft, a 7'6 guy isn't that bad. They don't come along very often.


Well now that he's been released, he's a FA and your favorite team is welcome to pick him up.


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

If Dueñas were serbian and changed his name to Dueñic  he'd be in any NBA roster, even injured... seriously I think that those guys like Chad Ford hype too much the yugoslavian players, there are better players from other parts of Europe, and more important, better American players. I think that Vranes won't ever be better than Priest Lauderdale


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## whiterhino (Jun 15, 2003)

Everyone knew that Vranes probably would not pan out. I called Mike Sweetney a bust before the draft and after and I still think he will be. As for Lampe I think that kid could be AWESOME but the Knicks will never let him play, just like Darko in Detroit, STUPID!


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## Red_Bandit (Apr 20, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>A.Reynolds-Dean</b>!
> If Dueñas were serbian and changed his name to Dueñic  he'd be in any NBA roster, even injured... seriously I think that those guys like Chad Ford hype too much the yugoslavian players, there are better players from other parts of Europe, and more important, better American players. I think that Vranes won't ever be better than Priest Lauderdale


 find me a non serbian player thats better than Cabarkapa, Pavlovic and Milicic at their age that arent getting hyped? Vranes was only drafted because of his size, the knicks took a chance on him and he proabably would have been drafted if Knicks didnt select him, but the team that did, would have been smart and leave him in Europe to develop. Will he be a superstar? no, no one ever expected that of him, but everyone is trashing the guy like he was a flop drafted first overall which is not right.


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## Pacers Fan (Aug 25, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Rodzilla</b>!
> I'm proud to say as a Cleveland native, that will still have Bruno. He may be soft as cookie dough, but he can shoot the lights out for a guy that's 7'2. As long as we keep him for the league minimum, I wouldn't mind having him around for a few years to see how he pans out. He's only 23 and this is his 5th year in the league


I knew it was a mistake for Indiana to let Bruno go. He's a good player just a tad soft.


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## JazzMan (Feb 26, 2003)

I can't believe I've only just found this out. NBA.com is ALWAYS missing transactions on its website.
:upset:


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> find me a non serbian player thats better than Cabarkapa, Pavlovic and Milicic at their age that arent getting hyped? Vranes was only drafted because of his size, the knicks took a chance on him and he proabably would have been drafted if Knicks didnt select him, but the team that did, would have been smart and leave him in Europe to develop. Will he be a superstar? no, no one ever expected that of him, but everyone is trashing the guy like he was a flop drafted first overall which is not right.


Exactly... Guys like Jason Kapono can cry as loud as they want, but serbians have the best basketball schools in the world period.


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Matiz</b>!
> 
> Exactly... Guys like Jason Kapono can cry as loud as they want, but serbians have the best basketball schools in the world period.


I don't deny it,of course that the former Yugoslavia is the basketball power in Europe, but... are Vranes, Koturovic and Rakocevic better than Dueñas, Garbajosa and Navarro??? I doubt it..but he spaniards won't be in a NBA roster...it'd be a crime if Marko Popovic goes drafted and enters a roster and Tyus Edney is still here in Europe...and there are more examples..


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## Matiz (Jun 5, 2003)

> I don't deny it,of course that the former Yugoslavia is the basketball power in Europe, but... are Vranes, Koturovic and Rakocevic better than Dueñas, Garbajosa and Navarro??? I doubt it..but he spaniards won't be in a NBA roster...it'd be a crime if Marko Popovic goes drafted and enters a roster and Tyus Edney is still here in Europe...and there are more examples..


Duenas, Garbajosa and Navarro are older, at the time they were 22 there weren't such an euro hype at drafting. 
Tyus Edney played quite good in nba- and he is a tested player. Some nba franchise will probably draft Popovic to see If he can adopt to nba game- if he won't- goodbye.
Tyus imo prefers playing in Europe than sitting in nba.


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## JuniorNoboa (Jan 27, 2003)

Unreal I tell you - the Knicks wasted a second round pick. Their GM should be shot, as well as the other 30 GM's who have wasted second round picks over the past three yeats.


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

the worst pick of last draft was Remon Van Der Hare, smaller than Vranes, skinnier, and he sucks even most, he plays in Spain, but not in ACB (1st div.), nor in LEB (2 D.) or LEB 2(3 D.), he plays in EBA league with FC Barcelona's youth team and he averages 7 pts 7 rbs (his stats haven't improved in 3 years and he's 21!)in a ****ty league.. that's to waste a pick..


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## therealdeal (Dec 24, 2003)

Marko Popovic is Croatian , not Serbian.

He plays in Spain right now and I don't know how well he is doing. I do know from very reliable sources that last season he was great. His team won 2 of the competitions it played in.

He was the sole reason for their success and in the final four of good year league, they beat Maccabi and a serbian team Red Star. He killed them and Maccabi was a pretty good team, I think they did quite well in the Euroliga.

Basically when you talk about Marko Popovic, you are taking about Tony Parker type player with a better outside shot and incredible range. Think of 6 foot Peja when it comes to shooting.
Parker may be a bit quicker, but Popovic can take people off the dribble with ease and penetrate too because you can't give him any room to shoot. And when you are close to an opponent it's easier for him to get by.

Tyus Edney is nowhere near Popovic's skill. Popovic is definitely coming to the NBA soon and whether he succeds will depend solely on where he ends up and how much playing time he gets. Remember that everybody though Petrovic was a bust in Portland, but whey N. Jersey gave him playing time he deserved he became a 23 ppg , 51 % shooter and second best 3 point shooter in the history of the league ( 45% ).

Give Popovic a green light , 35-40 minutes per game and you'll have a 20 ppg and 10 assist per game guard.

Give him 10-15 minutes per game, he'll be a bust ( most people will be, he's just not a type of player who can play limited minutes, gets pissed off quickly ).

Most people in Croatia were left scratching their heads when they heard Planinic was drafted by N. Jersey. Popovic is considered much better. All Planinic has left is memories from his glory days on a national junior team.


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

Actually Popovic is a big bust for Pamesa Valencia.. I'm not blind and I see he'll improve but.. he's averaging 6 ppg and 1 apg in 15 minutes, I doubt he would ever be a NBA starter.. I've seen him play (I'm Spanish) and he's shooting poorly though in the last games he's improved a little bit... but you can't compare him to Petrovic! Petrovic had 100 pt games, and Popovic has... 0/100 games with Pamesa , no, really, what I meant is that there are great American point guards in Europe, and some of the Europeans are getting too hyped


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## therealdeal (Dec 24, 2003)

As I said, I haven't seen him play in Spain, but I also said you couldn't give this guy only 15 minutes ( as you say they give him ) and expect much.

Didn't he light up Pamesa last season while playing for Zadar?
And now the same team is playing him only 15 minutes. 

They lost by 20 in Spain, then they were winning by 25 at home and eventually barely lost ( for those who don't know the system, I mean they won the game, but by less than 20 required to go on ). And some of these american point guards play on teams like Maccabi and red star belgrade. Popovic beat them all in the final four. He had a lot of huge games last season. He's proven he can play. 

I'm not saying he'll be as good as Petrovic, but a better shooting Tony Parker is definitely within his reach from what I hear. But, you gotta have faith in him and start playing him as a starter.
playing him off the bench for 15 minutes is a waste of his time and team's time.


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## Chef (Nov 24, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>therealdeal</b>!
> 
> 
> Give him 10-15 minutes per game, he'll be a bust ( most people will be, he's just not a type of player who can play limited minutes, gets pissed off quickly ).


Very true...

He is not doing very well in Spain because he hasn't the confidence of his coach... so he doesn't play much (aroun 17 mpg I think)...

I have watched him a couple of times in TV, and both times he has been erratic with his shot, too nervous and a bit selfish... As you said it looks like he needs minutes to o feel comfortable...

He needs to change that, because if he arrives to the NBA I doubt he will get 30+ minutes as a rookie or sophomore...

Still, I like him, he has got character, and I like that... It looks to me that he is the type of player that can take over a game if he wants to...


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## knickstorm (Jun 22, 2003)

has portland given him any garbage PT or anything yet?


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## AMR (Oct 5, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>Chef</b>!
> He is not doing very well in Spain because he hasn't the confidence of his coach... so he doesn't play much (aroun 17 mpg I think)...
> 
> I have watched him a couple of times in TV, and both times he has been erratic with his shot, too nervous and a bit selfish... As you said it looks like he needs minutes to o feel comfortable...


Not really... in fact, he has the confidence of his coach, he wanted to sign him and fill the spot for non EU players which mostly is occupied with an American veteran... nobody in Valencia believes in him except the coach, who needs the give him PT even when Marko doesn't deserve it. Coach Olmos is trying to justify his signing.


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## Red_Bandit (Apr 20, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>AMR</b>!
> 
> I don't deny it,of course that the former Yugoslavia is the basketball power in Europe, but... are Vranes, Koturovic and Rakocevic better than Dueñas, Garbajosa and Navarro??? I doubt it..but he spaniards won't be in a NBA roster...it'd be a crime if Marko Popovic goes drafted and enters a roster and Tyus Edney is still here in Europe...and there are more examples..



Just to clear things up, Koturovic got a chance to play with the suns because he was a free agent after his team Virtus Bologna folded, since he was without a team and has always played well with the serbian national team, he was given the chance. Vranes again was only drafted because of his height and the possibility that he might learn and develop in the NBA. Rakocevic was just unlucky to be playing for teams that had good PG's. He had his tryout with Denver, but they either already had Andre Miller and Earl Boykins or knew they would be signing the 2 players so Igor became expendable. If Igor went to the Raptors or Miami or any other team in need of a backup PG, he would have made the team and still be in the NBA.

Just to add, if Vranes was 6'9-7'2 and has the skills that he has now, he would not have been drafted. but since he is 7'6, and then knicks already got a "steal" in the 2nd round with Lampe, they took the chance on him thinking they drafted well.


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## The Mad Viking (Jun 12, 2003)

I hate to say "I told you so" but...

Actually, I don't hate to say it at all.

Slavko was NOT A GAMBLE.

A lottery ticket is a gamble. A lottery ticket has a FAINT MINISCULE CHANCE of success.

Pavel Podkolzine is a gamble. He is 10x the athlete that Slavko is, and is still very much a gamble. He could become a Muresan, but likely not a Ming.

Slavko the statue never had a chance...


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## Red_Bandit (Apr 20, 2003)

> Originally posted by <b>The Mad Viking</b>!
> I hate to say "I told you so" but...
> 
> Actually, I don't hate to say it at all.
> ...



   Newyork drafted Slavko based on needs. Who else would Newyork have taken? Zaza is an undersized centre that they didnt need more of, keith bogans is another shooter that they do not need, and mo williams would not have been the PG they needed, Kyle Korver another jump shooter. those are the only guys drafted after Slavko that have played in the league. so why is Slavko not a gamble when 95% of second round picks never amount to anything,


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## JNice (Jul 13, 2002)

> Originally posted by <b>Red_Bandit</b>!
> 
> 
> 
> Newyork drafted Slavko based on needs. Who else would Newyork have taken? Zaza is an undersized centre that they didnt need more of, keith bogans is another shooter that they do not need, and mo williams would not have been the PG they needed, Kyle Korver another jump shooter. those are the only guys drafted after Slavko that have played in the league. so why is Slavko not a gamble when 95% of second round picks never amount to anything,


I'm not saying it was a risk, but Bogans, Zaza, and Korver are all playing decent and contributing to their teams. Any of the 3 could have helped the Knicks at least a little.


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