# Kiki gives up on Skita



## RP McMurphy

LINK



> It has always been about the future with Nikoloz Tskitishvili. On Thursday, though, he learned his future might not be with the Denver Nuggets.
> 
> General manager Kiki Vandeweghe announced before the Nuggets' 93-88 preseason win against Houston the team won't pick up the $3.69 million 2005-06 contract option on the raw 21-year-old forward.
> 
> He will become an unrestricted free agent after the season, and the Nuggets will lose his "Larry Bird" rights, meaning they won't be able to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him for a fourth season.


I was wondering a couple of month ago whether the Nuggets still thought Skita was worth developing for another couple of years, or whether they had given up on him. Here's our answer.

When your team gives up on you, that's not good news for your career. I think Skita is officially a *BUST*.


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## HKF

Then why not trade him. Kiki did him a disservice. I have a feeling, he will end up in a more advantageous situation next year and will at least become a serviceable forward in the League. 

To not deal him is bush league by Vandegwhe.


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## RP McMurphy

I agree that Kiki should have traded him, but how do you know he didn't try? Maybe no one wanted him. When a player doesn't play in any NBA games, then fact is, scouts and GM's have seen the guy play, and we haven't, so we should defer to their judgment.

Would you want to pay a player 4 million dollars, just because you think he has a chance to one day become a serviceable forward? I wouldn't.


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## HKF

On a team like New Orleans, where they could use a SF, why not take a flyer on him for a season and see if he is worth anything. Even Golden State. 

Atlanta as well. The Bobcats. If you weren't going to give him any minutes to even attempt to play, then you might as well give him a chance to showcase himself. This is poor judgment by the Nuggets and when K-Mart's ludicrious deal is waying them down in the future, they are going to realize, they should of had more patience with him. He is 20 years old. I mean I would have at least tried to get him 10 minutes a game on some team. He'll be a bargain next year and he will become a decent player. 

I still conclude Denver did him a disservice. What a failure this pick was. :no:


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## RoddneyThaRippa

Skita never got a chance, that's the bottom line. Last year, Bzdelik himself said that given the unexpected early sucess of the team, Skita just wouldn't be getting the minutes. He tore summer league up last year as well as this year and he really had improved. I'm not saying this kid should be on the court for 20 minutes a night but it's hard to criticize him if he hasn't been given court time. He has never been a starter in his whole basketball career, so the Nuggets knew what they were getting yet never really made a committment to him. I'm still confident that he'll turn out to be a fine player, given the chance.


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## scooter

Trade him for what? I guarantee you Kiki has asked around and continues to do so. Furthermore, this increases his trade value because he has an expiring contract. I'm guessing he's got little or no trade value because he's been so lousy when he's gotten on the court. He really didn't "tear up" the summer league, he just played decently, and that's against pretty weak competition, especially at the big man spots -- you're not exactly going up against Garnett, Yao or Duncan in the summer league. And if he wants a chance at playing time somewhere else, he can sign for little money with a rebuilding team next summer (if he's not traded before then) and compete against other young players for playing time. I hardly see how the Nuggets are mistreating him.

If I was coaching the team, I wouldn't play him except in garbage time. He hasn't shown anything in games. He can't guard anyone, doesn't rebound, and doesn't do anything on offense except be a decent spot up shooter and FT shooter. And his FG percentages have been awful (playing mostly against scrubs) -- which is a very bad sign in terms of him ever panning out.


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## NugzFan

> Originally posted by <b>RP McMurphy</b>!
> LINK
> 
> 
> 
> I was wondering a couple of month ago whether the Nuggets still thought Skita was worth developing for another couple of years, or whether they had given up on him. Here's our answer.
> 
> When your team gives up on you, that's not good news for your career. I think Skita is officially a *BUST*.


not picking up his option doesnt make him a bust. we have a chance for more cap space again and if we want to, we could resign him for less than he makes now - like we did with white. the kid has talent but mentally he is just nowhere close to being ready. id trade him if another team is interested. 

oh and hes been injured most of the preseason. that sure doesnt help much.


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## Kunlun

I wonder if the Sixers can get him for anything.


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## sMaK

> Originally posted by <b>KL Dawger</b>!
> I wonder if the Sixers can get him for anything.


Or the Heat


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## jericho

I say trade him for Darko...


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## AZwildcats4

> Originally posted by <b>jericho</b>!
> I say trade him for Darko...


i wish


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## nbanoitall

> Originally posted by <b>KL Dawger</b>!
> I wonder if the Sixers can get him for anything.


salaries dont match of course, but id ship his *** out for Kyle Korver


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## MELO is the man

keep him he will get way better


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## AZwildcats4

> Originally posted by <b>MELO is the man</b>!
> keep him he will get way better


not on this team he won't


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## keepitfree

I don't understand why the don't showcase him more often. Every year he rips up the SL and looks like a fantastic player then, he gets no burn. I would have to think that starting him or giving him 20+ at the begining of the season ( unless I am grossly wrong about him and he sucks!) would raise his value.


I think this situation is being handled very oddly.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

> Originally posted by <b>keepitfree</b>!
> I don't understand why the don't showcase him more often. Every year he rips up the SL and looks like a fantastic player then, he gets no burn. I would have to think that starting him or giving him 20+ at the begining of the season ( unless I am grossly wrong about him and he sucks!) would raise his value.
> 
> 
> I think this situation is being handled very oddly.


A lot of the problem is Bzdelik. He just doesn't trust Skita.

Skita is awfully green, but until he gets playing time he won't learn. Bzdelik just feels like he can't risk putting the team in a bad position to give Skita experience. That said, he left Voshon in the game for long stretches when he almost took us out of games. I guess there is a double standard there. 

Bottom line is this: Skita will get traded soon, or rot on the bench. The management has never made a true committment to him and although he prolly could've played better than he has, he's never been given a true chance here.


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## Zuca

Why not try to trade him with cash to Suns for Jacobsen and Cabarkapa?


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## Brady00

> Originally posted by <b>Zuca</b>!
> Why not try to trade him with cash to Suns for Jacobsen and Cabarkapa?


Because the Suns would never do that.


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## Zuca

Well... with a second-round pick, it may works... Cabarkapa is barely used in Phoenix, D'Antoni likes Skita and don't need Jacobsen too much... So they can sign some cheap SG to play garbage minutes...


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## scooter

> Originally posted by <b>Zuca</b>!
> D'Antoni likes Skita


He liked him 3 three years ago when Skita was an 18 year old with potential. Now he sees he's an NBA bust like everyone else does.


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## Brady00

> Originally posted by <b>Zuca</b>!
> Well... with a second-round pick, it may works... Cabarkapa is barely used in Phoenix, D'Antoni likes Skita and don't need Jacobsen too much... So they can sign some cheap SG to play garbage minutes...


A second round pick would do nothing, both of those guys were first round picks, so they would probably want a first round pick which they would never get. Why wouild Phoenix want to give up two guys who aren't really contirbuting but could, for a guy who can't contirbute at all.


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## KG4MVP2

Why dont they give skita more playing time to truely see if he can play or not?


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## Brady00

> Originally posted by <b>KG4MVP2</b>!
> Why dont they give skita more playing time to truely see if he can play or not?


Because we are trying to win games and he doesn't help in that at all.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

> Originally posted by <b>Brady00</b>!
> 
> 
> Because we are trying to win games and he doesn't help in that at all.


And Elson does? Please. 

With the way Francisco is playing we might as well give Skita some time.


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## Brady00

> Originally posted by <b>RoddneyThaRippa</b>!
> 
> 
> And Elson does? Please.
> 
> With the way Francisco is playing we might as well give Skita some time.


Elson has proved that he is capable of playing defense, while Skita is one of the worst defenders in the league.
Elson can make the open mid range jumper, while the only time Skita has done anything is in the summer leauge.
Elson isn't even getting much playing time anymore now that Nene is back, he is averaging like 7 minutes a game and the only reason he played against the Rockets is becasue the chose him to shoot free throws when Melo got hurt. Plus Skita wouldn't even be on the active roster if it weren't for Vo's injury.
Rather than give Skita playing time I think we should put him on the IR and see what Johnson can do.


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## SeaNet

*I'll never understand why*

Teams draft guys that everyone knows are going to take at least 3 years before they are ready to contribute in the NBA (and EVERYONE including the Nuggs said that about Skita) and then say the guy is a bust after 2 seasons, when they made no attempt to get him playing time. Skita is still an incomplete, not a bust. Last year, they didn't play him because they were winning, and this year they can't play him because they signed Kmart. He's never gotten a legit chance AND everyone said it was gonna take 3 years anyway.


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## RSP83

> Originally posted by <b>Brady00</b>!
> 
> 
> Because we are trying to win games and he doesn't help in that at all.


There is a truth to this statement.

Nuggets seem to change their direction after they made the playoff last year. I didn't think Kiki expected the team to make the playoff last year even with Carmelo Anthony on the team. After the success last year, it looks like he's starting to have this feeling that this team is already on the right track. The Nuggets felt they need to change direction from trying to slowly bring along developing players such as Nene, Skita, under Carmelo and the other veterans to forget developing players and focus more on becoming a contender. That's why they decide to bring in Kenyon Martin when they have an up and rising PF in Nene. It's a logical move though, when they are trying to get more wins. But, with this change of direction, Nene and Skita are beginning to fade. Nene's production have dropped drastically compare to last year. Nene made good contributuion last year, this year he looks like a non-factor. Let alone Skita.

So there are two possibilities why Kiki decide not to pick up Skita's contract. One, Skita is a sure bust. Second, The Nuggets change of direction from a rising team to a contender (trying to be one), left Kiki with the decision to quit on developing Skita, and use the cap space to sign an established player to help the team.

I think what actually happens is the second. I think Skita is not that bad. He did perform nicely on the SL. Eventhough great performance on SL is not the best way to judge a player's ability, still his performance in SL clearly shows that he's at least can be a servicable player. If Kiki doesn't trade him, probably because Skita's value is so low right now Kiki couldn't find a trade that's good for the team. Or Kiki is just waiting for his contract to expire and use it to sign servicable free agent. I even begin to think that Kiki will not resign Nene.


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## HKF

I think Skita will end up signing for cheap with Dallas next year, watch. It will be bad for the league if he realizes his potential under Don Nelson. 

A Skita-Dirk forward combo will be scary offensively. Let's not talk about defense.


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## SuperMascotRocky

The only thing scary about it would be Skita. Summer League he can shoot but every time he plays for real he miss 2 or 3 mid range jumbers with in 2 minutes and then everyone realizes he sucks and Buzz takes him out. It's not the coaches fault he's not playing. He's a below average offensive player and defensively he's terrible.


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## scooter

*Re: I'll never understand why*



> Originally posted by <b>SeaNet</b>!
> Teams draft guys that everyone knows are going to take at least 3 years before they are ready to contribute in the NBA (and EVERYONE including the Nuggs said that about Skita) and then say the guy is a bust after 2 seasons, when they made no attempt to get him playing time. Skita is still an incomplete, not a bust. Last year, they didn't play him because they were winning, and this year they can't play him because they signed Kmart. He's never gotten a legit chance AND everyone said it was gonna take 3 years anyway.


Players that cannot contribute at all in their third season, not even for a few minutes with a carefully selected matchup, stink.  Its as simple as that. Nobody drafts a high lottery pick thinking that in their third year they won't even be able to contribute for a few minutes playing against the other team's bench players. Nobody. Skita's deficiencies are just as glaring now as they were 2 years ago.


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## RoddneyThaRippa

*Re: Re: I'll never understand why*



> Originally posted by <b>scooter</b>!
> 
> 
> Players that cannot contribute at all in their third season, not even for a few minutes with a carefully selected matchup, stink. Its as simple as that. Nobody drafts a high lottery pick thinking that in their third year they won't even be able to contribute for a few minutes playing against the other team's bench players. Nobody. Skita's deficiencies are just as glaring now as they were 2 years ago.


Bzdelik barely even plays him. There's really nothing we can conclude about his playing level at this point.


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## Zuca

Can't you trade this guy to Atlanta? Maybe for Boris Diaw? At least he can play SF, SG and PG, and can defend, helping your team...

Atlanta has a glut of SF, so they can use more Skita... at least in there he can average better minutes


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