NIkola Pekovic
Also, on a side note, Malcom Lee is healthy.. There isnt much time for him but if he can learn to play, he could be the answer at SG for them.. An athletic defender who, if he learns to shoot, can help them out until they find a legit SG..
Yeah, he can play a bit. He started for them a little bit last season and had some pretty solid games. I haven't seen him play this season, but I remember him being pretty slow but pretty efficient. I don't think it's a fluke, I think he'll be a servicable backup in the league for a long time.
23 points is a fluke. But I assume everyone knows and agrees with that. He looks like a big heavy but too slow guy. I assume he can't be a legit C in the league, but as said above, Love covers up any rebounding issues your Center might have and then Rubio gets everyone an extra bucket a game with an assist. So if you are +2 on points because of Rubio and it doesn't matter if you rebound because of Love, I guess even marginal guys can play center. And he doesn't look like a problem out there for the team. So that is something.
He might be good for now, but the Wolves will be looking to upgrade and probably keep hoping for Darko to get better.
He can play. He was a superstar pretty much in Europe and it is because he is very very strong and hard to move when he establishes position. Despite being pretty slow and relatively unathletic, he does have some solid post moves and a decent touch when he shoots. He boxes out fairly well and has a good basketball I.Q. Yeah, he's not a good defender or shot blocker due to his foot speed and athletic limitations, but when matched up against a traditional center, he should do fine.
I remember when the twolves first drafted him, the ESPN draft people (forget who said it) said if he didnt have contract obligations in Europe he would have been a lottery pick. He is foul prone, slow, unathletic, and a liability on defense, but he is very efficient on offense and attacks the offensive glass. He looks very akward and some of his post moves look like he is having a seziure of something, but it usually goes in. Probably not a starter, but if he keeps this up i wont complain.
He's been averaging 15pts and just under 10rbs during the last 6 games. He, like most of the team, has benefitted greatly with the addition of Rubio. I do not think this game was a fluke; however, I believe he has been on a hot streak as of late.
Is he a starting C in this league? Time will tell, but he sure is outplaying Darko with his finishing consistency around the rim and is a much more physical player than him. If he continues to play strong around the rim and in the paint, I would feel more confident about Love playing around the perimeter as often as he does.
Pek was a beast in Europe and played solid last year. He does have his athletic limitations but he's extremely strong and hit's the boards hard.
And I love that clip of Beasley it shows you how competitive he is. It's crazy how the announcers wanted him to get a technical when all he was doing was showing some leadership and letting his teammate know he messed it.
Great game for Pekovic, say what you want about the numbers that any slouch would put up playing next to Love but Darko couldn't do it and most people would say that he's more talented. The Wolves have been waiting for him because of his defensive play as a big man but a double-double average from him would be a big plus.
They are healthy now and hopefully Barea can start to shoot the ball.
I agree with the comparison of Pekovics' scoring style to being similar to him having a seizure, but so long as it works I have no problem with it. I used to be really down on this guy, even earlier this year. But he really is a bull down low on the offensive end, he fights off his defender and gets position and if his defender ever looks off of him he gets right under the rim. And with a great passer in Rubio (who never misses easy scoring opportunities for teammates) all Pek has to do is catch the ball and lay it in. On the defensive end, he does give up a little bit (a lot) of athleticism, but his effort is easily visible. His style of defense which frequently ends with him mauling the opposing big does get a lot of fouls called but IMO not many bigs in the NBA really can handle it very well and they get a bit timid... At any rate IMO he is a big step up from Darko... I can see him going about 13-15 ppg 7-10 rpg or better if he gets enough PT...
Obviously 23 and 11 isnt legit, but I think he will be good for about 8ppg and 6rpg if he continues to get 20 minutes or so. He may not be physically gifted in terms of athleticism, or wingspan, but he is a big body and he actually uses it. I find it refreshing to see a guy with size actually using it instead of roaming around the perimeter, or flopping all over the place.
His playing style is a type that people in the NBA right now just dont like to play against. He is constantly seeking out contact, pushing guys, screening people (most of the time illegally) and did I mention pushing guys. He is a big who understands his role.
He and Love may combine to be the NBA's least athletic front court duo, but they are certainly in the mix for the NBA's most "active" duo, which is invaluable for a big man. They both create a ton of extra possessions and their relentless physicality wears of teams.
Pek also might have the most Badass tatoo in the NBA, if people arent familiar, they should check it out.
Pekovic was not a "superstar" in Euroleague. That is an exaggeration.
He was the same exact player he is in the NBA. Unstoppable in low post, bad team defender, inconsistent rebounding, foul machine. The stats are even pretty much the same.
pekovic has some really nice touch around the rim and begin to score cause he understood not to be in foul trouble too early. That is the real issue with him : defense. So ok he's not athletic but he knows how to place himself to be an efficient rebounder against more athletic player.
Therefore he is still young and could developp into a vlade divac kind of player (with less passing abilities and more scoring mentality) : no athletic tools but good understanding of the game. Adelman should be able to take the best out of this man.
He is doing what Darko should be. Get to the front of the rim and help Love rebound Wes Johnson's bricks. Be active and physical, let Rubio find you for layups. I feel like there is 10 pts 7 rebounds every game just by him understanding how to play with Love and Rubio. He is a passable center in the league now. If the Wolves had a better sg, I would feel a lot better starting him.
Yes, you are right. YOUR BAD. Pekovic was no way in hell ever any superstar in Euroleague.
You should be banned for even suggesting it.
He was just the same EXACT level player in Euroleague that he is in the NBA. So if you are going to call him a superstar in Euroleague then you better damn well call him an NBA superstar also. Otherwise you are just full of it.
The guy was unstoppable in low post, but he was below average or bad at every other part of the game. Superstars don't sit on the bench during the key moments and key games while your team is in the Euroleague playoffs and Final Four. Superstars are not the second best player at their position on their own team.
Apparently, you have no clue as to what "superstar" is or even means.
Also genius, all-Euroleague is NOT the same thing as all NBA.
He's a second year player who hustles and has size. I greatly appreciate that he runs straight to the rim and establishes great positioning. Given the quality teacher that Adelman is, I'd expect him to learn some better defensive positioning. There's little reason he can't be a Kendrick Perkins style defensive 5, with a far more efficient offensive game to boot. I like starting and developing him next to Love (at around 25 minutes a night) with Darko taking a backseat to about 12 minutes a night. He can play less against teams without a true 5, but, then, that might be where his pure offensive strength is most useful.
@European Baller Yeah obviously being first team all-Euroleague isn't the same as being First team All-NBA, because there is not a a SINGLE player to make the all Euroleague team that would even come close to making the first all-nba team. It's cause the competition is inferior to that of the NBA because the talent is inferior as well. Yes, I just said it. Pekovic is the same player as he was over there, but because he was playing against lesser competition he was able to essentially reach the "star" level he would never reach in the NBA.
There are countless guys who were superstars in Europe who are merely role players in the NBA. Like Linas Kleiza, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Marko Jaric, Jorge Garbajosa and Anthony Parker.
If you are first team all-league for any league or sport, then you are considered a superstar of that league. Only an idiot would suggest otherwise.
All-Euroleague is NOT the same thing as All-NBA.
All-Euroleague criteria and voting rules are vastly DIFFERENT than that of All-NBA. If it was the same rules used in the Euroleague in the voting, as the NBA uses for All-NBA, then Pekovic would NEVER have made the All-Euroleague, just like someone like Tracy McGrady would NEVER have made an All-NBA Team if the NBA had the same voting rules and criteria as All-Euroleague does.
The general basketball knowledge in this forum is shockingly low.
Ah, the boy who cried xenophobia.
Dude, you're thinking of All-Star games. All-NBA teams are not fan voted. We have shockingly low basketball knowledge? At least we don't cry everytime a Euroleague player has a good game and isn't rewarded by being put on an NBA mock draft.
Ok, care to explain if the voting criteria in Europe is really as "different" as you suggest? From what I understand, the media gets 75% of the vote and the fans get 25% of the vote in terms of selecting the all-Euro team. The all-nba teams are selected purely based on a panel of sportcasters/writers/etc. Its not that much of a difference IMO, and is there any reason to believe that the best players are not selected regardless?
I also understand that the Euroleague voting has a lot to do with overall team success, opposed to the players who might have the best overall stats instead. It is the exact same in the NBA for crying out loud. Why didn't Kevin Love, Monta Ellis and Blake Griffin make any all-nba teams last season?? It's because their teams sucked.
Euro Baller, if not knowing how All-Euro teams work means I don't know anything about basketball, than 95% of us are clueless bandwagon phony fans and you're the only knowlegable fan.
Andd as for Pekovic, I'll be making my way on to the bandwagon, this guy is a beast.
Miller is still working himself back into shape and only played 6 minutes tonight. I think you have to keep Darko because believe it or not, but he is actually a pretty solid defender. He hasnt blocked too many shots this year, but he is pretty good at contesting them and making it much harder for the opposing player.
Da1pot is trolling.
All-Euroleague team is WAY DIFFERENT than All-NBA team.
I don't understand why so many American NBA fans have to be such huge jerks when it comes to anything and everything related to European basketball.
Hell, almost every single NBA player that played in Euroleague has way better stats in the NBA than they ever did in Euroleague. People liek you are such a huge joke. You bash Pekovic, making up a lie that he was a "superstar in Europe - untrue, he was a role player on Panathinaikos.
Then you turn around and say he won't ever be anything in the NBA, even though he starts to tear the NBA apart (way more than he ever did Euroleague), the very instant hsi dumb coaches play him.
Idiots like you that bash players and say they suck just because they played in Euroleague, and then when they start tearing up the NBA (and playing better than they did in Euroelague) and then start making up lies about them to explain it, like "he was a superstar in Euroelague" are so damn pathetic and sad.
GET IT THROUGH YOUR DAM HEAD - the NBA is not as good as you think it is and the Euroelague is about 100 times better than you think it is.
Pekovic was not even the best center on his own team in Euroleague for Christ sake.
Euroballer, I respect your extreme love for European Basketball, but the Truth is that I don't care about European Basketball, I watch the NBA, and I love watching the NBA, but I have no interest at all in Euro Ball, and I believe that that is the same with most of the users on this forum.
I will say this, if the NBA is the Major Leagues, than College Ball is Double A, and certain Leagues in Europe are Triple A. It is very competitive there, but please don't try convincing me that the guys there are better than Kobe and Lebron.
He has been having some nice games lately.. Right now, he is having a monster game off the bench.
He has 23 points and 11 rebounds with like 8 min left in the game..
Is this a fluke thing or is he proving to be a legit C in the league??
I mean playing with Kevin Love does make everyone's job easier and Rubio has a knack for getting people open and finding them when they are.
Finnaly learning to play or is this just a fluke period for him?