<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">ESPN - Sarunas Jasikevicius, widely considered the top point guard in Europe, signed a three-year, 12 million deal with the Pacers, his agent Doug Neustadt told ESPN.com. Jasikevicius also had offers from the Jazz and Cavs, but decided to take less money and fewer minutes to have a shot at an NBA title. "It really came down to who he could win a championship with next year," Neustadt told ESPN.com. "He saw a chance to contribute and win and couldn't pass it up." The point guard, who played collegiately at Maryland from 1994-'98, most recently played for Maccabi Tel Aviv from 2003-2005 and F.C. Barcelona from 2000-2003.</div> Source Jasikevicius is a great player! Welcome Sarunas! GO PACERS GO!!
Wow, now this comes as a shock... Jasekivicius truly is a leader and will make any team he plays on a better one, but this is something else. He's going to make this team a force to be reckoned with. Yikes! And by mid-season he may not have to worry about that whole minutes thing. Should he prove to be even somewhat NBA-worthy, that makes put him in the running for more serious minutes. Tinsley may be talented, but let's face it, he doesn't have what it takes to lead a team to a title. I like the guy plenty, and I just don't see him hoisting a trophy as a key cog in the offense (with nothing to speak of his consistently relenting defense), but with a proven winner at the one, anything can happen. The thing about Jasekivicius is that he'll do whatever takes to win. Ride pine? Sure. Score in bunches? No problem. Make smart plays in crunch time? You bet. That's no knock on Tinsley, just a fact of his game. And I'm talking about winning a title, not just a playoff series or two, and certainly not 55 to 60 games in the regular season. Those things don't amount to much if you can't get over the hump, and Tinsley can't. Now here's to hoping they can put it all together and make a good set of pieces into a great team.
Great signing! Can you give me a more motivated team than the Pacers this year? Let's just hope that they'll be able to use all their different motivations together and not let it divide them with separate motives.. How can they not skyrocket back up the standings with the additions of 3 KEY players in Artest, Saras & Granger?! Should be fun to watch.. Peace..
Wow the Pacers are gonna be amazing next year: pg-Sarunas, Tinsley sg-Jackson, Jones sf-Artest, Granger pf-JO, Croshere c-Foster, Harrison They will definately have one of the best starting lineup-to-bench combinations in the league. However, now that Reggie is gone they lack leadership and experience, and despite their great line-up and coach, I'd be surprised if they even made it to the finals next year.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting virve119:</div><div class="quote_post">Wow the Pacers are gonna be amazing next year: pg-Sarunas, Tinsley sg-Jackson, Jones sf-Artest, Granger pf-JO, Croshere c-Foster, Harrison They will definately have one of the best starting lineup-to-bench combinations in the league. However, now that Reggie is gone they lack leadership and experience, and despite their great line-up and coach, I'd be surprised if they even made it to the finals next year.</div> I'm not sure if I'm sold on that ideal. Remember that Jermaine and Artest have been there for a while now, and if Artest can remain a paragon of virtue, we can see him making a BIG difference in this lineup. Improving on a team that wasn't far from beating the Eastern Conference Champs isn't a stretch, and I could definitely see them doing some serious damage. Let's not also forget, Reggie's cool was really the thing that led the team the most. The only thing they needed out of him was a couple points a night and to help calm down the attitudes of some of the other starters. Jermaine can do that if need be, the guy's a cool customer. Otherwise, I'm not sold on Reggie's leadership influence either. One way or the other I'm sure the fans will miss him, and I'm sure the locker room will too, but not in that particular fashion. Look for them to improve greatly. Let's not also forget that Sarunas can handle the leadership load better than anyone this team has seen in some time.
This guy is gonna tear up the whole league and average double digits. Rick Carlislie's gonna be smiling at every game. I can see a Sportscenter thing on Sarunas already.. I think this guy could be ROY, if he is a rookie.
Great signing, hopefully he can translate to the US game well. The only downside I can think of is that he's already 29.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I know he killed the US team. But who does he play like?</div> He plays like a player who is a great shooter, can make plays for a team... be a vocal leader and leader by example. A true floor general. Make good decisions. The only knock on him is that he has attrocious defense and he isn't getting any younger.
Saras is the worse guy for Rick Carlisle's system so this will be interesting how It works out. Rick likes guys who walk the ball up the floor, who play defense and can move around the court quickly. Saras helps their terrible shooting woes but in Rick's system I don't know If this signing will pan out as well as many expect. Bare in mind Saras was a great european player and killed the US in the olympics but so did Carlos Arroyo.
True, Carlos Arroyo is an example. Playing aganist the US team and playing in the NBA is a big difference. I don't think any international team could handle the NBA.
Saras is like Jason Kidd... Will be one of the greatest passers in the NBA for sure. Great cluch player, The outside shooting for him it's like a lay-up. He don't know the word defense, and he's ON THE BALL defense is more terrble. he have some games that you can't stop him all game long and he have some games that he have just an off-game that he miss all the shots, but he have the thing that in an off-game he can shoot the cluch shot in the end like he did vs. Siena, he had 08 from the three, and in 92-93 to Siena, 20sec to the end of the game he knock down the three from NBA range, and block 3pt shot in the last Siena Position and win the game for Maccabi... When Saras scores the points for the team, the team lose... but when he passes alot of asissts the team win... but in overall he's a great player... He's a great alley-oop passer, last year to F Maceo Baston, and Gaurd Anthony Parker, next season i hope to J.Oneil and maybe Fred Jones...
these are a few example of what we will be seeing in the future http://www.tzahevet.co.il/saras-zalgiris.avi http://www.tzahevet.co.il/saras-3pt.avi http://www.tzahevet.co.il/saras-3pt-final.avi http://www.tzahevet.co.il/saras-wow.avi http://www.tzahevet.co.il/mv03.avi http://www.tzahevet.co.il/saras-h.avi http://www.tzahevet.co.il/cmdb/video/the_clip/saras-dunk.avi and here is an example of what a money type player he is. http://www.tzahevet.co.il/saras-siena.avi
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">Bare in mind Saras was a great european player and killed the US in the olympics but so did Carlos Arroyo.</div> Yeah, but Arroyo really hasn't received the opportunity to play big minutes after the '04 Olympics. In Utah, he was in Jerry Sloan's doghouse and in Detroit, he is playing after Finals '04 MVP Chauncey Billups...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Mr.Wade:</div><div class="quote_post">He plays like a player who is a great shooter, can make plays for a team... be a vocal leader and leader by example. A true floor general. Make good decisions. The only knock on him is that he has attrocious defense and he isn't getting any younger.</div> So hes got Steve Nash's skills. I've heard hes as slow as Derek Fisher (maybe slower) but I'm gonna watch those videos that were posted before i make my final jugdement.
He seems pretty good but I dont expect him to start over Tinsley immediately. He may have a very difficult time switching to the NBA's individual-focused style of play as well as getting used to different rules, new teammates, American culture, etc. He's faster than Derek Fisher but he doesn't seem to like to run very much and he is no where near as fast or athletic as a Steve Nash. I can see him getting lit up and shut down by big athletic PGs like Marbury, Kidd, B. Davis, and Gilbert Arenas. He has a good shot but it probably wont be as automatic at the NBA three point line. I'd give him a season of coming off of the bench because it will likely be a difficult transition. The guy seems a little too cocky as well, judging by that one clip where he scored and then walked to the other end of the court while the opposing PG blew by him. I dont even know what would happen if he tried that in the NBA, Carlisle definitely wouldn't tolerate that.
he wasnt being Cocky its just that hes not a dunker and that was one of the first times hes dunked. plus it was the final period i think and they were up by 20 points,64-44. imagine if steve nash dunked would he just run back on defenece as if nothing happened? i dont think so!
