<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Well, no sooner do I get done writing about Fran Vazquez (see previous blog; heck, read them all if you're bored) and the big lug verifies my every impression of him. A wimp. Here's his recent interview with periodico.com (previously I said Hoops Hype, a basketball Website, but that site offered an English translation to part of the interview and linked to the entire Spanish-language interview): Do you regret not going to the NBA when you got drafted? Fran Vazquez: I took this decision [to stay in Spain] because of personal issues and because it would have been a great change in my life. I don't regret anything. I'm happy here. I have a four-year contract with FC Barcelona, and I want to play here four years." Translation: See ya, Magic. Forget about getting anything with that 2005 lottery pick you wasted on me. Sure, I sold you down the road after committing to come over and play, but that's your tough luck. More Vazquez: "Maybe if I had gone there [the NBA] I would have come back. Or maybe it would have been like it happened with Pau Gasol, who has been successful. Or like Jorge Garbajosa, doing it step by step. You never know. Big changes don't affect these players. I don't get along with that kind of changes very well." Translation: Wimp.</div> Source I agree with the dude. Fran Vazquez is a little punk and I hope we trade his rights.
<div class="quote_poster">Swish Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Source I agree with the dude. Fran Vazquez is a little punk and I hope we trade his rights.</div> How the hell is he a little punk? For not wanting to leave his home country? I know that you guys have to be bitter, but be bitter towards your management, not towards Vazquez. He had the option of coming to a strange land with a different language, spending several years as a role player off the bench, and losing all notoriety, but instead he took the option of staying home where he was comfortable, being the focal point of the offense, and making a big name for himself amongst the Spanish community. Is that so wrong? I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often.
The Management didnt force him into the draft. Vasquez decided to enter. Maybe he did want to come but he was scared of change and commitment. Its not fair for a franchise to just lose a top 10 pick on someone wont even enter the country. I can though put some fault on the Magic for not evalutating their position with Fran before he got drafted.
I was under the impression that the Magic just drafted him without even talking to the player. Which, if true, is entirely the Magic's fault, and Franz is just doing what's right by him.
<div class="quote_poster">Skillz Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">The Management didnt force him into the draft. Vasquez decided to enter. </div> From what I undestsand, he hit the age(like a senior in college) where you get automatically entered into the draft. <div class="quote_poster">rafy Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I was under the impression that the Magic just drafted him without even talking to the player. Which, if true, is entirely the Magic's fault, and Franz is just doing what's right by him.</div> Yeah, I believe we talked to him twice and had ZERO workouts with him. <div class="quote_poster">stalefish_27 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Is he getting paid though?</div> No.
He used us to leverage a contract in Spain, yeah it sucks, and yes he is a terrible player (Mario Kasun is great in the Spanish leagues, where Vasquez is the Eric Montross of those leagues), but it's our fault for not consulting him. Otis isn't going to make a mistake this big again, fret not