Nikola Vucevic 20
How good is Nikola Vucevic? Very.
Not long ago, BallinEurope handed out mid-season grades for NBA players representing The Continent; rookie Nikola Vucevic was awarded a solid 3 out of 5 – a 3.5, really, if only this self-imposing grading system weren’t so harsh. BiE assessed that “subjectively speaking, Vucevic has been particularly impressive for the surprisingly impressive Philadelphia 76ers; if […]
First half report cards for European players in NBA
At the halfway point of the crazy fast 2011-12 NBA season, BallinEurope flexes the university professor muscles a little bit this morning with midterm assessments of individual performance by the big league’s Continental Players. We’ll be using the European grading system, with 5 being the top score possible and 1 the lowest; the Americans may […]
The Eurocentric 2011-12 NBA Eastern Conference preview (plus Official Fearless Predictions™)
While basketball lovers are getting something of a Christmas gift this season in the December 25 NBA opening day – BiE says “something of” there because this belated debut is kinda like your parents saying, “Well, we’ll just give you your birthday gift at Christmas.” When your birthday’s in October – BallinEurope would like to […]
From Kanter to Bogdanovic: Brief looks at seven Europeans drafted into NBA
The 2011 NBA Draft is still going on as of this writing, but with the amazing amount of Continental players going early and often – a direct contrast to last year’s greatly Europe-bereft selections – BallinEurope gets in a quick two Eurocents with a brief look at (and YouTube clips of) the first seven players […]
Youth competitions and beyond: The state of European national basketball programs
On the eve of Eurobasket 2009, Ball in Europe’s man in Italy, Francesco Cappelletti, looks back at this summer’s youth competitions to assess where Europe’s national programs stand and where they’re headed. From where will the future be launched? Read on! One day until Eurobasket 2009: It has been a full summer which started with […]
FIBA U20 men's standouts: Where are they going?
I love it when a plan comes together. David Hein, he of heinnews.com, FIBAEurope.com and probably 10,000 other outlets, has wrapped coverage of the just-completed FIBA U20 European Championship Men. Having returned home to Germany from the competition in Rhodes, poor David sought ideas (more of them, i mean) for another basketball column to which […]
Italy upends Lithuania at FIBA U20s; other news, too
Headline news at the FIBA U20 European Championship Men semifinals was, of course, the crazy Italian comeback-then-upset of slick-looking Team Lithuania. On-scene reporter David Hein of heinnews provides his thoughts on the stunner of Rhodes in addition to the other youth basketball action going on down there.
Three down, two to go in FIBA U20 European Championship
With game threes in the book, the qualifying round of the FIBA U20 European Championship Men heads into the home stretch. Yesterday’s games had hometown Greece overcoming Russia in a real nail-biter, 73-71; Spain held off a frenzied Italian comeback to win 62-60; Croatia overcame Montenegro, 76-70; and Turkey destroyed Ukraine by a frankly unbelievable […]