Dotted Line Up: Efes Does the Stanko Leg and Adds Some Machinery

By: Nick Gibson / @euro_adventures

Stanko Barac, Anadolu Efes via Caja Laboral

Stanko Barac looked like an All-Euroleaguer in group play with Caja Laboral, putting up 14.1 points and 6.7 boards in 26 Vitorian minutes per. Then the Uruguayan rebounding machine, Esteban Batista, rolled into town and chopped those 26 minutes down to 18 in the Top 16, and the averages plummeted as well, down to 7 and 4 in those next six games.

Now Barac, still 24, heads to Istanbul to solidify his reputation as one of Europe’s best bigs. Finally he’ll be free from Esteban Batista’s shadow, ready to spread his wings and—oh, damn. Nevermind.

Esteban Batista, Anadolu Efes via Caja Laboral

Looks like Stevey Bats just needs some Stanko in his life. That, or Efes is trying to create Caja East. Next thing you know they’ll employ planes and cranes to airlift the Fernando Buesa Arena. Oh. My sources are telling me that Operation Airlift is already underway.

Sasha Vujacic, Anadolu Efes via New Jersey Nets

There’s not much I can tell you about Sasha that he hasn’t already blurted out himself. The Machine can drop 25 to 30 points whenever he damn well pleases and dates a Russian tennis player whose hair is only slightly longer than his used to be. We’ll see if one of the world’s most hated bench scorers can find a few fans in the old continent, where even the Slovenian press has told me there’s no love for Sasha.

With Igor Rakocevic on his way out the door, however, that ball’s not going to toss itself through the rim. With Dogus Balbay and Sinan Guler locked into place, Efes boasts an incredibly stout defensive backcourt, but lack the punch out front to complement Batista, Barac and Dusko Savanovic inside If Sasha can put up half the points he’s promised hypothetically, Efes might be raising their glasses to toast The Machine.

Leon Radosevic, Olimpia Milano via Cibona Zagreb

If Leon thinks he had fun last year shocking the basketball world with his endless surge of consistent production, just wait until he sees what it’s like to score, rebound and get paid.

I paid homage to him in a SLAM Magazine post earlier this year, and look forward to seeing how he cranks it up next to Fotsis, Bourousis, and a paycheck or three.

Drew Nicholas, Olimpia Milano via Panathinaikos

Milano’s assault on abandoned Greek talent continues after plucking Ioannis Bourousis from Olympiacos and Antonis Fotsis from Drew’s Greens. With Omar Cook swagging out the point guard duties, Drew Nicholas settling into his new role as Drew Nicholas and Radosevic chipping in on the interior, Milano might not have to worry about a second straight year of relegation. And should I say it? I don’t want to say it. OK, I’ll say it: Siena might want to watch out in the Italian League.

Not saying, I’m just saying.

Marcus Slaughter, Brose Baskets via Valladolid

The way stats are weighted in Europe, averaging 9.9 points and 6 boards in the ACB read more like a double-double, so Brose Baskets should be thrilled to add a little more muscle to go with Tibor Pleiss’ overall flemsiness.

Milovan Rakovic, Zalgiris via Montepaschi Siena

If you measured prowess in tribal arm bands and shiny heads, Milovan Rakovic could look down upon any starting center on any team in any league on any planet. As it stands, however, he’s a very large man with a perfectly intimidating combo of ink and facial hair, and it turns out, he can hoop a little, too. Last season for Siena he gave Ksistof Lavrinovic the go-ahead to drift out to the elbow and beyond as he banged inside, turning missed shots into opportunities and men into boys with biceps that just wouldn’t quit. Kaunas didn’t sign a man; they signed a grizzly bear.

Ben Woodside, Union Olimpija via BCM Gravelines

Shawty can shoot. Period. Time for the rank and file.