From the entire CroatianSports.com family, we wish all of our readers and Prva Generacija members a Merry Christmas wherever you may be in the world. It has been an absolute pleasure watching this website grow with all of you aboard, whom it would be nothing without.
i thought ukic had a shot in the nba b/c he was quick enough given his good size for a pg to play the position. his downfall was that he didn’t get much opportunity to play, but mostly that he couldn’t shoot! still somewhat of a problem for him.
@ IvicA – I agree, I believe Saric is headed for a top 10 pick easily. He was clearly the best under 19 in the summer tournament and has stepped up his game this year. I am really crossing my fingers for Hezonja. His upside is monsterous.
I still think Saric makes it in the lottery (assuming he has a modest buyout in his current contract)
I’m not sure what his buyout situation is, but that could always cause him to drop in the draft.
I just hope he ends up on a team that is committed to developing their youth.
I liked Ukic too. He had excellent size and wingspan for a PG and was very quick with some awesome handles.
On the Raptors, he singlehandedly won them two games in his rookie year against the Spurs and Magic (when they were good).
Unfortunately for him, in his short NBA career he played for the two worst franchises in the league for developing young talent (Toronto and Miwaukee).
Swap his situation with Goran Dragic, and you’d see a reversal in their respective NBA careers.
@ IvicA – I always thought that Balkan 4/5 players either made for great finesse big men that can shoot from the perimeter, spread the court open and had well above average passing/play making ability for a 4 or a 5. The others are grinders like Vucevic or Pekovic that can bang down low, have a nice post game and can board with the best of them.
@ IvicA – Ukic never had a chance, he was burried behind Jennings and then Calderon. Young PGs need time on the court or some great veteran leadership to learn from. He had neither. I thought he had a rough game about him, but did have some play making ability.
Here is what ESPN has to say about the top Internationals.
Don’t forget about Exum. This summer, he was the apple of every NBA scout’s eye and was really the first guy to get buzz as a possible contender to Wiggins’ hold on the No. 1 pick. It started with a stellar performance off the bench for the World Team at the Nike Hoop Summit and then carried over to a riveting performance in the FIBA Under-19 Championships. What NBA scouts saw in Exum was a 6-foot-6 guard who could play the 1 and the 2 and seemingly had the perfect blend of athleticism and skill. He is very quick with the ball and gets to the rim pretty effortlessly. His jump shot is still a work in progress, but that might be the only real weakness in his game. Unfortunately for Exum, he can’t compete on the same stage with Wiggins, Randle and Parker.
Dec 17 Update: Saric played his best game of the year against Igokea last Sunday, scoring 22 points, grabbing 11 boards and dishing out 6 assists. He continues to look like the only international player besides Exum who is going to crack the lottery this season.
Nov. 27 Update: With scouts so excited about what’s happening in college basketball, it’s easy for international players to get lost this time of year. However, that’s not happening to Saric. Most NBA scouts mention him in the same breath as other players in the top 10. He had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists versus Zadar on Saturday, and he ranks sixth in the Croatia league in scoring. Not bad for a 19-year-old.
Dec 17 Update: Hezonja still isn’t doing much right now. He’s made a total of five baskets all year in the ACB League and just two baskets in Euroleague play. Nevertheless, scouts continue to insist that if Hezonja had the same opportunities that Dario Saric had in regards to playing time and shots, he would be much higher on our Board.
Nov. 6 Update: Micic is the closest “pure” point guard in this class. He’s a creative passer who sees the floor better than anyone on this list. And his size (6-foot-4, 185 pounds) also gives him a significant advantage. If he were a better athlete, he’d be much higher.
Who Vasilje Micic?
I haven’t seen much of him, but I hear that his weaknesses include quickness and athleticism, which could be a potential dealbreaker in him ever making it as anything significant in the NBA as a point guard.
Even without glaring weaknesses like that, I’m skeptical about any point guards from Europe, let alone ones from the former Yugo region. They almost never work out.
Hrvatska, Serbia, Slovenia, rarely produce quality PGs. Goran Dragic is the only one that comes to mind in recent history, and he was given a great opportunity to play behind Nash as a rookie and was given free reign in Phoenix after that. However, everyone else from the region busted out like Ukic, Udrih, Vujacic, Planinic, Jaric who were all expected to be much better than they showed. Teodosic is highly touted in Euroleague play, but I think he’d get exposed in the NBA if he ever came over and it’s probably the reason why he never will. Even many other notable Euros like Prignoni, Lopez, Jasikevicius, Spanoulis also didn’t really impress. Of all the Euro PGs in recent history, it’s really just Tony Parker that has impressed, but his dad was an African-American former pro basketball player so that is a major factor. Jose Calderon was okay as a starter on a bad team. I like Rubio, but the jury is still out on him.
I think the best players to come out of Hrv/Srb/Slo will still be perimeter oriented players (shooting guards and point forwards) and finesse big men who are generally better suited to play the 4 but in some cases the 5. I’m hoping this stays true with guys like Saric, Hezonja, and Bogdanovic.
I am an ESPN Insider account member. The ESPN International writers as well as their talent evaluator/columnists have some pretty high praise for both Saris and Hezonja. Does anyone know what illness struck Hezonja down last year? He missed almost an entire season is I am not mistaken.
@ IvicA – The Serbs have a very talented 19 year old PG that will be entering the draft this year. ESPN is projecting him as a 1st rounder. Not as exciting as Dante Exum, but still, apparently quite polished.
Umro najstariji nogometaš Hajduka Hrvoje Čulić
http://tinyurl.com/lp36nfn
.
Hezonja’s still only 18 and Barcelona is a serious win-now team when it comes to Euroleague and ACB. It’s completely normal for him to play on their B team and Barcelona has pretty much resigned to losing him to the NBA draft anyway. Unlike Fran Vasquez, Hezonja has zero loyalty to the ACB and there is no way he stays there beyond the age of 19-20.
With Saric, Bogdanovic, and Hezonja, our prospects look much better than the Serbs’ and and the Slovenci’s and we may end up being the best in the former Yugo yet again. Crna Gora also has some very solid prospects as well. Unfortunately for them, one of their top prospects (Mirotic) only cares about playing for Spain.
Pat Miletich announced he’s going to Zagreb…I always liked him as a fighter!
@ ivica . i agree with you. i think saric is a difficult guy to peg b/c he doesn’t play the classic position. the things i do like about him is 1) the guy wins on every level. evne with the senior team 2) he rebounds really well, which is a good translating skill and give him nba value. with the nba going more and more small ball, the time is never better for him. if he can develop 3 point range, i like him as a prospect a lot.
cro hoops can definitely have a solid run down the road is bogdanovic pans out (currently playing excellent in europe) and hezonja reaches his potential. hezonja might still be the better prospect than saric as he has the nba size, athleticism and natural position. he’s still a big quesiton mark though as he’s not getting much run with barcelona.
@JM
Some team is going to enjoy themselves a potential blue chip prospect outside the lottery.
If Dario had played these past few years on a normal team and had a normal agent, he’d be a top-10 pick. Now, there are question marks. If I’m an NBA team with a mid-first round pick, I jump on this guy.
He might bust out, but he is definitely intriguing and needs a change of scenery more than any potential draftee this summer. Hopefully he ends up with a team that needs a future 4 and is willing to develop him.
sorry for the economic tangent. pretty bored
All that is yet another example of the failings of a socialist, corrupt state. You gotta feel bad about how bad the situation is in the country economically, but it is not unexpected at all given the policies. For success, regulation must be torn down and taxes lowered substantially to create business and jobs. Ireland and Estonia recovering faster than their European counterparts have given us yet another fantastic example of the benefits of free market capitalism over socialism when you control for populations. Throw it on top of the list of east/west germany, north korea/south korea, hong kong/pre-capatlism china etc etc
since there’s nothing going on. interesting thing i read on espn on Dario Saric
Why Dario Saric’s draft stock could fall
December, 26, 2013 Dec 2611:35AM ETBy Joe Kaiser | ESPN.com Recommend0 Tweet0 Comments0Email Print Croatian small forward Dario Saric is at No. 8 on Chad Ford’s latest Big Board, right behind Arizona freshman forward Aaron Gordon, and Ford believes Saric is the only international player other than Australia’s Dante Exum with a chance to crack to the 2014 draft lottery.
But not all is rosy for Saric right now, and we have to wonder how the situation he’s in could impact his draft stock.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com explained in a tweet earlier this week: “Depressing situation Dario Saric is in. Club is broke, not paying anyone. Big men quit. Everyone playing selfishly. Hard not to look bad…”
The 19-year-old is a skilled dribbler and passer who brings great size to the floor on the wing, standing 6-foot-10, 223 pounds. But he also isn’t an elite athlete and has to get stronger and improve his perimeter offense at the next level. It’d difficult to predict where things will go from here, but it’s worth paying attention to the situation he’s currently in, because if he fails to make strides this season it could set him back and cause his stock to fall heading into next summer’s draft.
moj jaje su rodjeno na tvoj glavu
a koliko je vas I vase djece rodjeno u hrvatskoj, ahahaaaa
Sretan Bozic Crippler, i also gave the sarma some ground and pound!
Sretan Bozic i sve najbolje to everyone on the site. Hope everyone had a good home cooked Croatian meal and drank a lot with family. If your like me you got Sarma guza farts now after all the sarma lol
@jm
Nikice is like a blind man at a titty bar right now but i would love for all our strikers to be in form come june.
jelavic made espn top 10 plays today!
correction. the defender who cleared jelavics header on the goal line with his own head made top 10 plays
I saw Jelavic almost score the winner for Everton, is he still in contention for Brasil?
Sorry about the duplicate Anonymous comment.Antimon,I hope this doesnt disturb the voices in your head.Sorry.
I have not been around much,but Merry Christmas to all my Diaspora friends and well done to the CSR boys for another year of great reporting.I humbly tip my hat to you!
@Antimon-Well done,in my house we prefer to do a whole pig,we dont waste our time doing halves! We like to feed our friends and family well.
Come on,tell me the truth,I am genuinely concerned about your mental health.I cant help but picture some poor guy eating Pasteta all alone on Christmas day.That is sad.I hope that you have been able to get good mental health treatment in Hrvatska.In Australia,they teach us to reach out and say”R U ok?”This is what I say to you.Maybe you could come to Australia.We have a good healthcare system where I believe a few years ago they even included mental health treatment on the Medicare bulk bill system,it may be great for someone like yourself.
If anyone on the site gives you a hard time,let me know my friend.Again”R U ok??”Maybe try to learn something from Soulchamp,he knows where its at,you seem very angry and bitter,like you have lost a great deal.
My concern is genuine,you are more complex and concerning than the equally entertaining Karadzic who does not appear mentally ill,but rather just a simple “seljak”who means well for his folk.
Anyhow,best wishes to all and have a great 2014 !.
I have not been around much,but Merry Christmas to all my Diaspora friends and well done to the CSR boys for another year of great reporting.I humbly tip my hat to you!
@Antimon-Well done,in my house we prefer to do a whole pig,we dont waste our time doing halves! We like to feed our friends and family well.
Come on,tell me the truth,I am genuinely concerned about your mental health.I cant help but picture some poor guy eating Pasteta all alone on Christmas day.That is sad.I hope that you have been able to get good mental health treatment in Hrvatska.In Australia,they teach us to reach out and say”R U ok?”This is what I say to you.Maybe you could come to Australia.We have a good healthcare system where I believe a few years ago they even included mental health treatment on the Medicare bulk bill system,it may be great for someone like yourself.
If anyone on the site gives you a hard time,let me know my friend.Again”R U ok??”Maybe try to learn something from Soulchamp,he knows where its at,you seem very angry and bitter,like you have lost a great deal.
My concern is genuine,you are more complex and concerning than the equally entertaining Karadzic who does not appear mentally ill,but rather just a simple “seljak”who means well for his folk.
Anyhow,best wishes to all and have a great 2014 !
Badnu vecer bakalar lobsters pasta slane srdele salate desert frite pita od jabuke krempite i rumene i cokoladne kuglice. Karlovack zuja pivo domace vino veliki makiato witj desert. Bozic uff tuku pecenu kumpira povrce dvljac srndac pola praseta i kancica vino pive rakije svega cekam 2014 ko prase Da.
Cico remember to pray for the beet team and most loved. Dinamo
Sretan Vam Belated Bozic !! Little Bit Busy Cooking & Partiying till the Wee Hours of the Morning with Family , & My Hajduk Brothers Last Night ! Hope U All had a Great Day Yesterday , & Let Us Pray for Peace on Earth , Good Health to All & to the Most Loved Team in Croatia & Throughout the World – Our Bili – Hajduk !! Happy New Year 2014 ! Bog , Hrvati , USA , Hajduk , i HNS !!!
So it was Krampus that put the lump of coal in my stockings when I was a kid. 🙂
Anyway, I had an awesome Croatian Feast with my family for Christmas. Afterwards we had freshly baked Kolači such as Fritule, Orahnjača, Pita od Jabuka, and Pita od Sira. Anyone else have some nice Croatian food and Kolači?
@Ante B.
HAHAHAHA!
Awesome!!!
Never forget when we stormed the stage at Hrvatska skola and beat his ass!
Absolutely dude. Ain’t this the truth?
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5_BKgReOqM/UqHO1kSd5yI/AAAAAAAAOxk/DQ-zTm1GZP4/s1600/krampus_by_machine83_marry_desktop_1280x1024_hd-wallpaper-844940.jpg
@ante b
Hahahaha ain’t that the truth
Krampus is like fight club. You don’t talk about Krampus. Krampus is the main reason I sleep with a nightlight on during December around Sv. Nikola. The same holds true with his female counterpart, Baba Roga.
Olić zabio najljepši pogodak u prvom dijelu sezone, još dvojica Hrvata u TOP 10
http://sportske.jutarnji.hr/ivica-olic-zabio-najljepsi-pogodak-u-prvom-dijelu-sezone–jos-dvojica-hrvata-u-top-10/1149745/
Mario Mandžukić i Sandra Perković najbolji sportaši u 2013. po izboru SN-a!
http://sportske.jutarnji.hr/mario-mandzukic-i-sandra-perkovic-najbolji–sportasi-u-2013–po-izboru-sportskih-novosti-/1149771/
The Jugos on this site can tell you all you want to know about djed Mraz.
@ Ante B
Your family is from ZG, no?
Did your parents ever talk to you about Krampus growing up?
How come no mention of Djed Mraz on here?
😉
mandzu croatian athlete of the year
@Istina Boli, pa ube se.
Sretan Bozic!!!
Sretan i Božić svakome!!
Sritan Bozic svima i sve naj.
I can see ustashe poput neki managed to make Bozic a velik hrvat crap jadni ste, Ustase prodali se udbi 1945!
Sretan Bozic svima i neka vas Bog cuva!
Sretan vam bozic, sve najbolje!!!
ZDS
Anonymous says:
Ante B. says:
SRETAN BOZIC SVIM ISTINSKIM HRVATIMA DILJEM SVIJETA!!!!
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ahahaaa, moroncino a koji su to onda NEistinski rvati
Drugim rijecima….zivotinje poput tebe.
@ Mishko
Thank you for sharing that video. And it was in 1519 that Pope Leo X proclaimed Croatia as “Antemurale Christianitatis”: The ramparts of Christendom. They were the first line of defense from eastern invading hordes.
Kings, Popes, and Emperors hailed the Croatians as the protectors of Christendom and gatekeepers of European civilization.
With that being said, I wish all of you a Sretan Bozic.
Sretan Bozic to all. We were all handed a gift with the Stimac removal and a draw to play Iceland. Found this interesting article…..
http://croatiantimes.com/news/Sports/2013-12-20/34914/Croatian_captain_got_his_own_wine_to_toast_for_World_Cup
All I want for Christmas is a 1-1 draw against Brazil in the WC opener
@anonymous
Hopefully for Xmas this time you received a real sking jacket and not that vinyl crap one from the seventies that you posted. LOL
Ahhhhhahhhahhh
Ante B. says:
SRETAN BOZIC SVIM ISTINSKIM HRVATIMA DILJEM SVIJETA!!!!
————————–
ahahaaa, moroncino a koji su to onda NEistinski rvati
Zelim svima sretan Bozic!!!!!
Happy Christmas every one
A very happy holiday, to all, and a peaceful and enjoyable time over the next few days.
SRETAN BOZIC SVIM ISTINSKIM HRVATIMA DILJEM SVIJETA!!!!
BOG I HRVATI
ZA DOM SPREMNI
Whoops!
Vrbe…
My favourite tree ornament?
Srbe na verbe!
And Sretan Bozic is nova godina
@Anonymous
Dunno why but I was doing research on the Halogroup I genetics and as it turns out, it’s pretty fair to say that Croatian genetics make up the vast majority of white races in Europe, which in turn makes up all the white races on the planet.
Pretty interesting stuff when you look at it scientifically and historically over 10’s of thousands of years. We’re probably the purest race on the planet.
This video is short, but it gives you an idea of what I’m talking about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DqqrQMKuHA
Soul Champ says:
My son Marko turns 6 tomorrow and I am glad that he knows where he really comes from !
——————————————
a sto ga ne upises u skolu u hrvatsku, ahahaaaa
Sretan Bozic svima I sve najbolje za 2014 Godina.
Christmas isn’t until 2 weeks guys, settle down I know we all want to celebrate but– oh wait, I forgot you heretics celebrate on the 25th. sramota
Orthodox Christmas best Christmas
bog i santa kloz i hrvati
2014 is the year of the Hrvat !
Sretan Bozic is nova godina.
Sve najbolje .
Hope to see you all in Dalmacija this summer.
My son Marko turns 6 tomorrow and I am glad that he knows where he really comes from !
Za duh.