Head to Head in Euroleague numbers... M. Gelabale V. Radmanovic MPG 29.3 15.8 PPG 8.3 9.0 RPG 3.5 2.5 APG 1.3 0.5 FG2P% 58.8 70.0 FG3P% 42.9 42.9 FT% 100.0 100.0 Rookie is taking twice as much PT to get the same numbers...but still he is putting up the numbers on a team with Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Antoine Rigaudeau. NBA TV is airing France's SemiFinal against Greece at 0930 PDT tomorrow, I believe. They beat Lithuania today.
I watched a glance here or there but never even crossed my mind Gele being on the team. I dont think Vlade is sweating because hes leaving this next summer anyways I think.
We're not in that bad a position. If Vlad breaks out, then more power to him I guess. He obviously has amazing confidence in his abilities, and I have no doubt if he deserves the PT next season, he'll get it. He's too important to our structure not to. However, from all accounts Gelabale is establishing himself as one of the best prospects in Europe, and from what I understand of his contract, we can buy him out as early as next year. We have Wilkins tied up for five seasons cheaply, so it won't be a huge issue if he doesn't continue to improve like we all hope/expect. Three million a season is peanuts. To be perfectly honest I would have been happy if Vlad signed the 40-odd mill, but I am joining Shiek on the Rick Sund bandwagon. Our roster is in very good shape, both now and in the next 3-5 years.
My original point was not whether Vlade was sweating about his 2006 season playing time with the Sonics. I wonder if he realizes how this all looks to the rest of the world? If he has another season with little improvement over the past two years, and Gelabale continues to improve overseas, it would seem to me that his FA stock continues its downward trend next season. The Sonics have been the team that was most likely to value him, and was the only team to make him an offer this off-season. They actually made him several trying to find something that fit the desires of both sides. It is hard to say if it is the money or the lack of a guaranteed starting spot that was the key issue. If it is the money, he didn't earn better than he was offered, some would say he didn't even earn the offers that he did get. If it is the starting spot...they told him that he would have to earn it. If he wasn't confident he COULD earn it, then he either knows his value, or he wasn't committed to putting in the effort to be better at the things they were looking for at that position. In the best case scenario, he DOES have the confidence and the commitment and believes that he WILL earn the spot, put up the improved numbers and earn the FA contract next season that he desires. He helps the Sonics tremendously this season, and is replaced by less expensive, growing talents next year. After his issues at the World Championships a few years ago, and his past behaviour off the bench for the Sonics, I was surprised at his positive attitude and contributions last season. While I don't know what really happened, the consistent fact is that he is getting in trouble with his National team every year. A pattern like that makes me worry that this year won't be so rosy for Vlade and the Sonics. I agree that Sund is looking better all the time. If Wilkens and Gelabale continue to improve, and we see growth from Nick and Luke this year as well....he starts to look like one of the best in the business. The Spurs lucked into TD and the Wolves lucked into Garnett. Look at the difference in the jobs the GM's of those two teams have done building around their stars. I am talking about both the talent and the financial management. You can't blame Rick for the lack of dominant big men available. He isn't going to get one in the draft unless they tank in the right year and get the right pick in the lottery. He isn't going to sign a FA no matter how much money he has give the small market nature and bad weather rap that Seattle has. He is never going to get one in a trade, because teams don't give up their prime bigs unless the big demands the trade, and then he is picking his destination. He has done quite well with what is available to him, and is NOT sticking us with a long term, big money deal for a mediocre 7'.
