NBA Draft 27
There may somehow only be winners in the Wembanyama move
At worst there’s one kind of loser but Victor Wembanyama opting to sign with Metropolitans 92 might be best for everyone interested in his future, not least himself Winners and losers columns are a tried and test format. This one, it’s a little different. It’s a winners and one, maybe, kinda, loser who probably is […]
Luka Doncic is ready for his close-up
In two weeks Luka Doncic steps into the lion’s den. 16,000 people in the Sinan Erdem Dome, almost all of them Fenerbahce fans, loud and visceral for the full 40 minutes. They want to break him. They want to break his team. Doncic and Real Madrid are what stand between the hosts and their shot […]
Europeans in 2013 NBA Draft: Consensus, Best-Case Scenarios, Official Fearless Predictions™ on our Top 10
NBA Draft Day 2013 is upon us and while US-based media mostly grouses about the lack of high-quality players this time ‘round, European basketball fans have much to look forward to one year after a first round passed with no Continental player selected. In the 2013 edition, a dozen or so European ballers are reasonably […]
On Hezonja, Todorovic plus a couple of Swedes: FC Barcelona’s future as bright as the present?
As though FC Barcelona’s red-hot play – they’re now at 14-4 overall after an 0-2 start in Spain – weren’t enough to keep European basketball devotees watching, here are two more reasons for you: Mario Hezonja and Marko Todorović. At just 17 years old and despite missing the entire 2011-12 regular season, Hezonja finally got […]
NBA Draft expansion: What does it do to/for Europe?
Sports media and the blogosphere blew up a couple days ago, as the possibility of adding a third round to the NBA draft was reported to have been discussed as part of the ongoing labor negotiations. By day’s end Wednesday, some had publicly opined that this idea could be the “Best Thing To Come From […]
Donatas Motiejunas declares for draft; BallinEurope revisits prospect
One of last year’s projected top five selections in the NBA Draft has declared instead for the 2011 edition of the world’s biggest hoops talent lottery: Big man Donatas Motiejunas deferred in 2010 because “really felt like he needed another year of international ball before he was ready for the NBA” … so how has […]
Brody, Pollin, Seiden “on the map,” into immortality with HOF inductions
America’s National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame has announced its inductees for 2011, well representing basketball with an NBA executive, a college notable and one of the most significant figures ever in Maccabi Tel Aviv history. In the spirit of “last shall be first,” BallinEurope first congratulates Talbot “Tal” Brody. After his senior, All-America year […]
From A.I. to Zalgiris: The top stories in 2009-10 European basketball
As BallinEurope closes the book on the 2009-10 basketball season, it’s time to take stock of the year that was with the clarity of history. Without further ado, let’s retrospect on the top 10 Eurocentric basketball stories of the season.
Pickett leaves Manhattan, drops out of draft, coming to Europe
An early “Welcome to Europe!” goes out this morning to All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference guard Rico Pickett, who yesterday announced that he’d be foregoing his senior year at Manhattan College to test his fortunes on The Continent for a season – this less than two months after announcing he’d be entering the NBA Draft. The […]
Tibor Pleiss: “One year of Euroleague, then the NBA Draft”
Another European player has announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft … the 2011 NBA Draft, that is. Team Germany/Brose Baskets Bamberg big man Tibor Pleiss, the 2009-10 Bundesliga Rookie of the Year, recently informed German press that he’d like to play one more year in Europe before seeking to fulfill his dream in […]
Official 2010 BallinEurope mock draft, version 2.0: Round two
BallinEurope today presents round two of our 2010 NBA Draft mockup; there’s a pleasing European accent to the list, with the big Belarusian Artsiom Parakhouski figuring to go in this round (see to whom in this projection and quiver) and the tantalizing possibility of Kevin Seraphin potentially becoming the 12th French player in the NBA. […]
Official 2010 BallinEurope mock draft, version 2.0
Now that the order for the 2010 NBA Draft has been officially settled, BallinEurope’s man in the U.K., Sam Chadwick, revisits his mock draft of last week with updated prognostications for the first 30 choices. Prospective European draftees in Donatas Motiejunas and Miroslav Raduljica haven’t budged on Sam’s chart and much of the lower half […]