Though still technically contracted to Olimpija, alleged lack of payment caused Bertans to look for a better offer in Europe. (BiE believes the Latvian couldn’t have been too happy about a relative lack of playing time early in 2011-12, either.) According to Partizan officials, Bertans could suit up in black and white as early as Saturday, when the Grobari host Zagreb CO in Adriatic League play.

Name: Davis Bertans
Country: Latvia
Club: Union Olimpija
Position: SF/PF
Height: 6’11” (2.10 meters)
Age: 18 (born November 1992)

In my draft review of Jonas Valanciunas, I feel I was a little harsh on Davis Bertans, considering he was only a second-round pick while Valanciunas was taken at no. 5 overall; the two also have completely different roles, as Jonas is going to a team (the Toronto Raptors) where he will need to be one of their best players whereas Bertans is someone the San Antonio Spurs will give plenty of time to develop because he’s not needed straight away.

Bertans, like many other Spurs big men, will be allowed to continue his development in Europe, where he will continue to face tough opposition in both league play and the Euroleague: He will follow in the path of Tiago Splitter and Ryan Richards; however, unlike these two, he is unlikely to play PF/C, for at 6’11”, Bertans is more of a small forward and a pretty big one at that.

If Bertans can continue his development as well as many scouts are predicting, he could be the next Kyle Korver but taller, a legit 6’11” forward who can drain threes while also able to provide some inside/post game and a little rebounding to go along with it.

At the FIBA Under-19 World Championships, Davis didn’t exactly kill it but played well, performing like a second-round draft pick who could potentially be a great role player and a work in progress. Let’s look at his stats compared to Team USA shooting guard Jeremy Lamb.

Davis Bertans: 15.2 points; 6.2 rebounds; 1.6 assists per game; 36.7% overall field-goal shooting; 46.7% two-point shooting; 26.7% three-point shooting; 75.0% free-throw shooting; 0.5 blocks per game.

Jeremy Lamb: 16.2 ppg; 4.3 rpg; 2.0 apg; 42.1%, 46.2%, 29.4%, 78.3% shooting; 0.3 bpg.

Breaking down those numbers, we see that Lamb averaged one point more than Davis and also shot 5.7% better from the field, but Davis actually had a better two-point field goal percentage at 46.7%, and it was only his three-point shooting that really let him down, connecting on just 26.7% for a 6’11” kid who scored on a total 16 of 60 attempts; compare this with Lamb, a 6’5” shooting guard who connected on just 29.4% of his threes.

At the free throw line, the comparisons are again similar, with Bertans hitting 75% and Lamb 78.3%; now, guards are supposed to be great free-throw shooters, whereas 6’11” big men are notoriously bad in this area.

Lastly come rebounds and, yes, shooting guards don’t get many and, yes, big men are supposed to dominate the boards, but Davis is just as much a wing player as Lamb, so the majority of his playing time is spent outside the key and outside the three-point line, so Bertans’ 6.2 rebounds per game is certainly a positive.

Bertans shows signs of being a little inconsistent: In some games, he shot well from beyond the arc, in some he shot well from nowhere; in others, he dominated the boards. In short, if Bertans can just continue to develop his game and work on consistency, he will be a great pickup for the Spurs.

One day, I’m sure Davis will develop into a great role player in the NBA.

Sam Chadwick is a university student, part-time sportswriter and a coach in the Solent Kestrels organization.

Baltic Course is reporting today that FIBA Europe general secretary Nar Zanolin is seriously considering a bid for the two nations to jointly organize the 2012 U18 European Championship.

Said Zanolin on Thursday: “’Latvia and Lithuania could be the countries that will be entrusted to organize the tournament, with the decisive matches played in Lithuania.”

Surely psyched after a positive meeting with Zanolin, FIBA Europe and Lithuanian representatives, Latvian Basketball Association general secretary Edgars Sneps told media that “such cooperation would be the first step in Latvia and Lithuania’s efforts to organize the 2018 men’s world basketball championship.”

So when do tickets go on sale, then…?

Seraphin back to Cholet?

• France-based (!) Basket USA has been tracking interest in its homeboy Kevin Seraphin as the Portland Trail Blazer works out with Team France in preparation for Eurobasket 2011. Though Seraphin has stated that he “has not signed anything with Cholet,” his former team and reportedly his top suitor for a European vocation in case of an extended NBA lockout, he emphatically added that he will be speaking with several clubs and plans on playing LNB ball.

• Speaking of France, all-time great Tony Parker repeated that he would play in La Republique during a lockout – specifically for Asvel Basket, the team he co-owns – but nowhere else.

• Orlando beat writer Josh Robbins has reported Magic draft pick Justin Harper to have signed with Strasbourg with an opt-out clause when the lockout ends, though there’s still a question of “finalizing language.” A later tweet claimed that the prospective deal is “worth $14K per month, plus bonuses.”

• Apparently, Strasbourg couldn’t make Antawn Jamison happy, however.

• Wilson Chandler’s agent Chris Luchey told HoopsHype that his client “has a $1.7 million offer on the table from a Chinese club,” and that the former Denver Nugget “is also considering a deal in Italy” with an unnamed team.

• Team Latvia/Golden State Warriors big man Andris Biedrins to VEF Riga? Well, maybe…

• Carlos Boozer wants to play ball even if the NBA doesn’t in 2011-12, reportedly because he plans “on using those months to experience something similar to what I did in the summer of 2008.” Though those who remember Team USA in the Beijing Games that year – and Boozer’s status on the squad as “The Human Victory Cigar” may be a bit puzzled by the reference. Got any room on the bench, CSKA Moscow…?

The space is to be filled by the next-best team according to the Euroleague ranking system, in this case Banvit Basketbol Kulubu. Banvit finished third in the Turkish Basketball League.

The Euroleague Qualifying Rounds Draw that will be held on July 8 in Barcelona, Spain.

Kemzura: New face of Lithuanian basketball?

Is the search for Team Lithuania head coach nearly over?

Lithuanian news service LITA is today reporting that the candidates for the position vacated by Ramunas Butautas after his team’s extremely disappointing performance in Eurobasket 2009 currently number three: Lithuanian citizen and former Team Latvia coach Kestutis Kemzura, current Team Greece coach Jonas Kazlauskas, and Lietuvos Rytas head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis.

Kemzura is thought to be the leading candidate for the job. Before taking the Latvia job in 2008, the coach of teams such as Lietuvos Rytas, Benetton Treviso and Dynamo St. Petersburg, had been wooed by Polish basketball and other national programs.

Kemzura was last heard from in the news blasting several of his players from his Latvian national team, claiming several of them were too fond of drinking over practicing; Kemzura singled out team co-captain Kristaps Valters as “irresponsible” and “afraid to admit he made a mistake.”

Despite this, Kemzura claims he’s still considering a contract-extension offer from Latvia. Said offer expires on Thursday.

Kambala, ready for tipoff

No details on the incident were provided, but wire reports have it that Kambala “reportedly elbowed [Steffen] Hamann in the face, knocking out a tooth” after the game.

Kambala is no stranger to disciplinary action, having received a whopping two-year suspension from the international body in 2006 for failing a drug test.

No report has come Germany on Hamann’s state but if the man’s still standing, he should probably consider himself lucky: The beastly 125-kilogram Kambala spent his two years off from basketball in the boxing ring, where he earned the nickname “More than Rocky Balboa.”

Greece
Group: A

In brief: It doesn’t matter what international basketball competition you’re playing in these days, you don’t want to see Team Greece on your list of opponents. And this Eurobasket edition of the team, essentially a “best-of” compilation of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos squads, is as daunting as any in the tournament. No wonder they’re the second-favorites behind Spain.

Missing pieces: None, really. Yesterday’s final two cuts from the squad were Kostas Papanikolaou and Dimitris Tsaldaris.

The roster: Ioannis Bourousis (Olympiacos), Nick Calathes (Panathinaikos), Antonis Fotsis (Panathinaikos), Andreas Glyniadakis (Olympiacos), Konstantinos Kaimakoglou (last season with Maroussi), Ioannis Kalampokis (Pallacanestro Treviso), Kostas Koufos (Utah Jazz), Efstratios Perperoglou (Panathinaikos), Georgios Printezis (Unicaja), Sofoklis Schortsanitis (Olympiacos), Vasileios Spanoulis (Panathinaikos), and Nikos Zisis (Montepaschi Siena).

BiE take: Two things are for certain. Greece looks like a final four team, and any Greece-Croatia match will be a doozy. How well Team Greece can answer Croatia’s multi-dimensional attack is key for the blue-and-white – these guys just might turn out to be upset fodder.

Israel
Group: A

In brief: In official international play, Israel enters Eurobasket on a two-game winning streak; unfortunately those wins came against Bosnia & Herzegovia and the Czech Republic. In September. 2008.

Since this August, however, Team Israel has not shown a propensity for playing with the big boys, getting rolled in friendly matches by the Germany, Netherlands, Turkey and Spain – and all but the Germany game were double-digit laughers. Pity these guys against the likes of Croatia and Greece in Eurobasket.

Missing pieces: Five-time Eurobasket competitor and former Team Israel captain Meir Tapiro, who retired from international play in June.

Extended roster: Tal Burstein (Maccabi Tel Aviv); Lior Eliyahu (Baskonia); Yaniv Green (Maccabi Tel Aviv); Yotam Halperin (Olympiacos); Ido Kozikaro (Maccabi Haifa); Raviv Limonad (Maccabi Tel Aviv); Gal Mekel (Maccabi Tel Aviv); Moshe Mizrahi (Maccabi Haifa); Yuval Naimi (Hapoel Jerusalem); Guy Pnini (Maccabi Tel Aviv); Moran Rot (Ironi Ashkelon); Amit Tamir (Ironi Ashkelon).

BiE take: Three and done.

Latvia
Group: B

In brief: Team Latvia’s most important addition for 2009? Coach Kestutis Kemzura of Lithuania, for guile will be needed with this team’s resources now stretched to the limit. On the plus side, Latvia brings perhaps its most fearsome inside game of all-time with Andris Biedrins, Kaspars Kambala and Kaspars Berzins. Unfortunately, stud point guard Sandis Valters is out for the tourney; this further weakens a defense already suspect in the backcourt – witness recent friendly losses to Macedonia and Lithuania plus a razor-thin win over Great Britain, all games in which jumpshooters tormented the Latvians.

Missing pieces: Valters, victim of a separated shoulder in the Lithuania game.

The roster: Kaspars Berzins (Barons/LMT Riga), Andris Biedrins (Golden State Warriors), Janis Blums (Bilbao), Rolands Freimanis, Uvis Helmanis (ASK Riga), Gatis Jahovics (BK VEF Riga), Kristaps Janicenoks (Reyer Venezia Mestre), Ernests Kalve (last season with ASK Riga), Kaspars Kambala (Jenisej), Armands Skele (Barons LMT), Arturs Stalbergs, Aigars Vitols (ASK Riga).

BiE take: A win against Germany (and therefore likely advancement to the second round) would make this tournament a success for Latvia. Odds of actually achieving this? Ah, say, 50/50.

Lithuania
Group: D

In brief: One nice advantage in Team Lithuania’s favor heading into the knockout stages will be its relative under-the-radar position as all eyes are on Greece and Spain’s progress. In fact, though it may seem wacky to suggest, a loss in pool play might do Lithuania some good in this respect mentally, but in general you gotta reckon the old cliché about “the only team that can beat them is themselves” fits here.

Missing pieces: Gone from the Lithuanian squad of the Beijing Olympics are Sarunas Jasikevicius, Ramunas Siskauskas, Rimantas Kaukenas and Darius Songaila – so how the hell can this country still stack a roster this well?

The roster: Tomas Delininkaitis (CB Murcia); Simas Jasaitis (Galatsaray Café Crown); Robertas Javtokas (Khimki Moscow region); Arturas Jomantas (Lietuvos Rytas); Mantas Kalnietis (Zalgiris Kaunas); Linas Kleiza (Olympiacos); Darjus Lavrinovic (Real Madrid); Ksystof Lavrinovic (Montepaschi Siena); Mindaugas Lukauskis (ASVEL Basket); Jonas Maciulis (AJ Milano); Andrius Mazutis (BC Donetsk); Marijonas Petravicius (AJ Milano).

BiE take: Lithuania plays in the finals, Kleiza is named tournament MVP and that implosive sound you’ll be hearing from the greater Denver, Colorado, area is tens of thousands of Nuggets fans simultaneously exclaiming, “D’oh!”

Macedonia
Group: A

In brief: This is the team that may bring the classic American jockspeak phrase “Nobody believed in us” to Europe, as these guys are officially on the “Mission Of Their Lives.” In 2008 qualifiers, Macedonia niftily handled Latvia, Portugal and Estonia; the team also performed admirably well in the recent six-team Efes Pilsen World Cup tournament, losing only to Croatia in the final game.

Missing pieces: Vlado Ilievski

The extended roster: Pero Antik (Lokomotiv Rostov); Pero Blazevski (KK Helios Domzale); Mirakovski Dimitar (PBC Sofia); Todor Gecevski (KK Zadar); Zlatko Gocevski (KK Feni Industries); Toni Grncarov (KK Strumica); Jeremiah Massey (last season with Real Madrid); Predrag Samadziski (KK FMP); Riste Stefanov (AEK Athens); Vrbica Stefanov (Menorca); Vojdan Stojanovski (KK Amak); Dime Tasovski (Strumica); Darius Washington (Galatsaray Café Crown).

BiE take: It’s unfortunate this ragtag bunch drew both Croatia and Greece in pool play but could surprise before all is said and done; I certainly wouldn’t want to be in the position of Group A top seed facing these guys, potentially the best third-best team in tournament, in game four.

Poland
Group: D

In brief: Competitors but not dominators. Solid but not brilliant. Good but not great. Also, the host nation.

Missing pieces: None of note; Marcin Gortat’s injury in the Great Britain friendly in August was much ado about nothing.

The roster: Michal Chylinski (Clinicas Rincon Axarquia), Marcin Gortat (Orlando Magic), Michal Ignerski (Cajasol Sevilla), Iwo Kitzinger (Trefl Sopot), Lukasz Koszarek (Juve Caserta), Maciej Lampe (Maccabi Tel Aviv), David Logan (Asseco Pokom Gdynia), Krzysztof Roszyk (PGE Turow Zgorzelec), Szymon Szewczyk (Lokomotiv Rostov), Krzysztof Szubarga (Anwil Wloclawek), Robert Witka (PGE Turow Zgorzelec), Adam Wójcik (PGE Turow Zgorzelec).

BiE take: Home-court advantage should boost the team against Bulgaria in pool play; the real challenge will be an upset over Turkey, but reckon a close one goes to the Turks there.

Tomorrow: Briefs on Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey.

–written by Os Davis

Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu is currently displaying all his negotiation and lobbying charms in order to get the teams and leagues at one table in order to finalize the qualification system for the Euroleague. It looks like the system with A/B/C licenses as has been proposed will end up as part of a compromise solution before month’s end. It’s time to clarify the situation, as most European domestic leagues have come to an end, with GMs and executives wanting to know in which competition they will play next season.

According to the proposed model, besides the already predefined A License teams, the fate of the B-Licenses is still undetermined. And this is not only the case because of continuing playoffs in Germany, Belgium and France.

One of the main points is that, with the integration of an eight-team qualification round, Euroleague candidates next season will increase from 24 to 30. And not only the number of teams increases, the number of participating countries grows, too. With this new “dynamic system,” as it is called by the Euroleague, up to 18 national champions can play the competition. But what happens if these national champions (or other B License candidates) cannot fulfill Euroleague infrastructure rules, particularly the 5000-seat arena? We checked with the Euroleague Media Office, who gave us a pretty clear answer on this issue.

Teams from the Qualification Round need to fulfill the same criteria in terms of arena capacity as Euroleague Regular Season teams. If a team does not find an Arena suitable for its participation in the Qualification Round, the License will go to the next team in the Ranking.

When we talk about Rankings, it always means Ranking referring to country and not domestic Ranking. So the License will go to the next Country and not the next team in the domestic Ranking.

This is quite important, as it means that if a team qualified in a given country cannot fulfill the rules the Euroleague has set, the License will be lost by the country and goes to next country in the Euroleague internal league ranking, which has been released officially today. Right now, there are already several potential Euroleague candidates that don’t have the necessary arena size.

The third-place finisher in the Greek championship, Maroussi, is a B-License candidate but cannot fulfill the criteria to earn the license, as reports Talkbasket. A GM leaving the club, a 1200-seat arena and too few fans are not really speaking in favor of the team from Athens. If Maroussi does not get these issues straightened out, the license originally owned by Greece will move downwards to the next league in the ranking.

Belgium is one country earning a Euroleague Qualification Round spot through this new system; the Belgian finals are currently going on in Belgium between Spirou Charleroi and Dexia Mons-Hainaut. While Charleroi has all the necessary tools to play in the Euroleague, the story is different in Mons, as explained GM Thierry Wilquin to BallinEurope yesterday.

The most important thing is to know how this new system works. This has not been revealed officially so far. I think that the size of the arena should not matter, having a small but packed arena (Dexia Mons-Hainaut has a 3700-seat arena) is of course more attractive than a half-empty 5000-seat gym. We have not analyzed the criteria so far as we are currently not in the situation to play the Euroleague. But if we win the title, we will of course do everything to accept the honor to play in the best competition.

Wilquin seems to be ready to do anyything if Mons wins the championship. However, the arena problem is major for the Belgian team, as there are no alternatives available in the surrounding area.

Similar is the case of the Latvian champion BK Ventspils. The Latvians know already that they will be in the qualification round of the Euroleague, but their own arena has only 3000 seats. Will they move to Riga? Will they decline the license? Still to be determined. For Ukrainian champions Azovmash Mariupol, the arena may also become an issue in earning the Euroleague license.

Today, another Euroleague team announced a major change in their structure as Prokom Sopot moves to Gdynia. The transfer will be only 10 kilometers, but it’s an important move for the Polish team, as Gdynia has always been the home of Polish women’s basketball team Lotos Gdynia. The main asset of Gdynia is, of course, the 5000-seat arena, a major improvement for a team that once played in the old Hala Olivia.

As you can see, it is far from set which teams will compete next season in the Euroleague. We will keep you updated as various country representatives speak out officially on this subject.

The champions of the respective countries may be found in bold when the final is already decided. And the MVP cited is the Finals MVP, if such an award has been given.

Albania: ?

Austria: Fürstenfeld Panthers 3-2 Oberwart Gunners

Belarus: Vitalyur Minsk 3-0 OZAA Osipovichi

Belgium: Spirou Charleroi 3-0 Euphony Bree

Bosnia-Herzegovina: Bosna Sarajevo 2-1 Igokea Partizan Aleksandrovac

Bulgaria: Lukoil Academic 3-0 Balkan Botevgrad

Croatia: Zadar 3-2 KK Split

Cyprus: Keravnos 3-2 Apoel Nicosia

Czech Republic: Nymburk 4-1 Geofin

Denmark: Bakken Bears 4-0 Svendborg Rabbits

Estonia: Tartu Rock 4-0 BC Kalev (MVP: Brian Cusworth)

Finland: Honka Playboys 3-1 Kouvot Kouvola (MVP: Akeem Scott)

France: SLUC Nancy 1-0 Chorale de Roanne (MVP: Jeff Greer)

FYR Macedonia: Feni Industrija 4-3 Strumica

Georgia: Energy Rustavi 3-1 Avia Tblisi

Germany: ALBA Berlin 3-1 Telekom Baskets Bonn (MVP: Julius Jenkins)

Greece: Panathinaikos 3-2 Olympiakos

Hollang: Myguide Amsterdam 4-3 Eiffel Towers (MVP: Peter van Paassen)

Hungary: Falco Szombathely 3-1 Kormend

Iceland: Kevflavik 3-0 Snaefell (MVP: Gunnar Einarson)

Ireland: Abrakebabra Tralee Tigers 1-0 DART Killester (MVP: Michael Quirke)

Israel: Hapoel Holon 1-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv

Italy: Montepaschi Siena 4-1 Lottomatica Roma (MVP: Terrell McIntyre)

Kosovo: Sigal Prishtina 3-2 BC Peja

Latvia: Barons/LMT Riga 4-1 ASK Riga (MVP: Armands Skele)

Lithuania: Zalgiris Kaunas 4-1 Lietuvos Rytas (MVP: Marcus Brown)

Luxembourg: Sparta Bertrange 2-0 Musel Pikes (MVP: Larrie Smith)

Malta: BUPA Luxol 2-1 Compleet IS

Moldova: ?

Montenegro: Buducnost Podgorica 3-0 Mogren Budva

Norway: Asker Aliens 3-0 Harstad Vikings

Poland: Prokom Trefl Sopot 4-3 Turow Zgorzelec

Portugal: Ovarense Aerosoles 4-3 FC Porto Ferpinta (MVP: Graham Brown)

Romania: CSU Asesoft Ploesti 4-3 UMobitelco Cluj

Russia: CSKA Moscow 3-0 Khimky Moscow (MVP: JR Holden)

Scotland: Edinburgh Kings

Serbia: Partizan Belgrade 3-1 Hemofarm Vrsac

Slovakia: Pezinok 3-1 Inter Bratislava

Slovenia: Olimpija Ljubljana 3-1 Helios Domzale

Spain: TAU Cerimca Vitoria 3-0 AXA FC Barcelona (MVP: Pete Mickeal)

Sweden: Solna Vikings 3-0 Sundsvall Dragons

Switzerland: Benetton Fribourg 3-0 Lugano Tigers

Turkey: Fenerbahce Ülker Istanbul 4-1 Türk Telekom Ankara

Ukraine: Azovmash Mariupol 3-1 BC Kyiv (MVP: Robert Archibald)

United Kingdom: Guildford Heat 1-0 Milton Keynes Lions

Aside from all champions and runners-up, it’s always nice to hear the names of teams I am not that familiar with and of course, I have my favorites: the Svendborg Rabbits and the Abrakebabra Tigers Tralee.