Freaknick’s Euroleague Preview in SLAM

It’s not really that I’m playing it safe, but I just don’t see too many upsets this week. By now, every club knows exactly what it needs to do to keep their Top 16 dreams alive, and I think we’ll see the cream rise to the top this Wednesday and Thursday…with one or two exceptions. Check out the picks here, along with a few paragraphs about this week’s whippersnapper, Jan Vesely.

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Freaknick in SLAM: From NBA Pine to Euroleague Shine

By: Freaknick

Last week, I took a look at nine guys whose role-playing in the states might translate to stardom in Europe. I give the cases for ten more in this piece about benchwarmers who could run amok overseas. You might recognize some of the  names: Josh McRoberts, Ike Diogu, Steve Novak, Adam Morrison, and I even tell Sergio “Spanish Chocolate” Rodriguez to get his ass back home when free agency hits. You can read the full article here, plus I’ve added a little excerpt below:

To play in the NBA is to pray for circumstance, and the smart ones use the small windows of opportunity to land big contracts. Borne either of a glaring team need (looking at you, Matt Carroll) or reckless management (you too, Jerome James), this misappropriation of funds only befalls a lucky few. Fortunately, there is a place that offers the League’s journeymen sanctuary and playing time: Europe. Whereas last week’s batch might abandon decent NBA minutes for European stardom, the folks below would trade in their spots on the end of the bench for something more meaningful: a return to basketball relevance. Read the entire article.

Related articles: NBA Players that should be in Europe, Part I.

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Freaknick in SLAM: NBA Players that should be in Europe

By: Freaknick

Today marks the first of three lists that will point out 30 NBA players whose basketball relevance would get a bump from moving across the ocean. For the first part, I name a few guys who could be stars in Europe’s top leagues, including Ryan Anderson, Daniel Gibson, and Jason Maxiell along with seven others. Check out the excerpt below and then read the entire article on SLAMOnline.com.

Every American kid who’s ever gripped a Spalding has wondered for a moment what it might feel like to suit up for your favorite team and emulate your favorite players. We all did it. For me it was Grant Hill, and in my backyard, he played for the Hawks. One thing is for certain: I never pretended I was Predrag Danilovic or Dejan Bodiroga and I never played for Belgrade or Barcelona. Although it’s not usually in the initial gameplan, Europe has become a viable option for NBA free agents—Kleiza and Wafer the latest to defect—and over the next three weeks I’ll be putting together a three-part series with a total of 30 NBA players who may be better off overseas. In this first installment, I’ve tabbed 10 role players who could blossom into European superstars if they decided to see the world and play some tax-free basketball. See the list here.

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Freaknick’s SLAM Debut: Partizan, and the wisdom in fear

By: Freaknick

My debut article for SLAM Magazine focuses on Partizan Belgrade’s 32-point loss against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.  After the game, I talked to a handful of players and one thing was refreshingly consistent: the admission of their fear.  Although the result was not what they hoped for, their level of self-awareness is something that is rarely seen in today’s world of macho athletes. I take a look at fear in sports, from lame excuses to NBA tattoos. Below is an excerpt from the article, and here’s a link to the entire article.  Please leave comments here and/or on SLAM, as I would love your feedback.  Thanks so much everybody, and a special thanks to my Serbian who followed the live action on Twitter.  Your comments mean a lot.

The sporting world treats fear as though it were some awful, incurable affliction that eats away at one’s dignity. Seldom is it even mentioned and rarely—if ever—is it embraced. Instead of masking fear with a loud mouth or a cheap elbow, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to step back for a second, acknowledge the problem, and then fix it.

Read the rest of the article at SLAMonline.com. See you Tuesday night in Phoenix for Partizan’s bout with Steve Nash and the Suns.

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