Fantastic post, Mike. Really top notch. Almost as insightful as Lupica ; )

No need to insult me! :-D

True about Gallinari being drafted high, but he was a very solid player last year. Now even assuming that Jennings is more talented (which I haven’t a clue is true or not), will he even get the chance to make a similar contribution to his team? I’m guessing Gallinari has been around his club for several years, at least playing for junior teams. He developed a relationship with his coaches that stretches beyond 1 season. He knows the system and knows the way the game is played. He’s had opportunities to earn a spot in the rotation. Can Jennings accomplish all this in a single season? While rookies can become big time contributers their first season in the NBA, I’m not sure that’s as likely to happen on European clubs, especially since the coaches know that the player is going to leave after 1 or 2 seasons.

“Are you crazy?” Boeheim replied when asked by the paper if he would follow Olson’s mantra.
“We don’t know who’s going to go,” Boeheim said. “You try to get the best 11 players you can. Guys will leave . . . it’s a fact of life . . . But you still have 10 guys. When we recruit, we try to get the best one we can and hope he’s good enough to win you a national championship, like Carmelo Anthony. But you have to be prepared for guys leaving, like Carmelo did.”

I find the reaction from coaches quite humorous. Calipari using fear (Euro coaches don’t even speak English). Olsen using fear as well (if you’re thinking one and done don’t even think of Arizona). If they had some real power, they wouldn’t be trying to scare young men from doing what’s best for themselves. If Euro coaches not speaking English (another thing to chuckle about – I would guarantee that more European coaches speak a second language than American ones) is a real problem for the development of basketball players then it will reveal itself and players will stop going there.

But to give idle threats make these coaches seem like snake oil salesmen.

My heart is having palpitations…

I’m going into anaphylactic shock…

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/nba/07/11/randolph.clippers/index.html