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Rasho has really turned it around. He was coasting through the season but sometime around the All-Star break, he decided to start playing.
Props to him.
Buck Harvey: A big thing? Rasho as himself
Web Posted: 03/28/2005 12:00 AM CST
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...17e904d07.html
San Antonio Express-News
There's a way to explain Rasho Nesterovic, and it goes like this.
Kevin Garnett has yelled at him, fans and the media have wanted more from him and the years have gone by. At this point in his career, it should be clear by now. Nesterovic is what he is.
Simple enough. But then he plays the biggest players on two of the NBA's hottest teams in 2005, and it becomes harder to explain Rasho Nesterovic.
Because then he becomes precisely what the Spurs want him to be.
Even the Spurs shake their heads at that. Some on the staff say they would like to take credit for seeing this when they signed Nesterovic, but they didn't see it. They are as amazed as anyone when Nesterovic trots out a half-dozen times a season to shadow either Shaquille O'Neal or Yao Ming.
Nesterovic doesn't shut down either player, because no one can. But he moves his feet, stays in position, sometimes fronts, sometimes bumps and generally plays post defense that ranks with any played against Shaq and Yao.
For all the fans who often wonder if Nesterovic earns his $42 million contract: He will if the Spurs play the Rockets in the first or second round and the Heat in the last.
Nesterovic smiled when asked why he's had success against the biggest. "I guess because I'm big," he said.
Then he made sure to compliment Yao. "He's not slow. He's smart. He has a feel for the game, which is why he's a great player."
Going by that standard, Nesterovic is a great player, too. He held Yao to 6-for-14 shooting Sunday afternoon, and Nesterovic had more blocks and more rebounds.
In the fourth quarter, with the game tight, Yao scored only one basket. And with about eight minutes left, with Nesterovic leaning on Yao and with Yao tired and frustrated, Manu Ginobili raced around both centers and swiped the ball from Yao.
The same Rasho who barely had a pulse on the road trip is the same Rasho that Gregg Popovich couldn't wait to gush about.
"Rasho never gets the credit he's due," Popovich said. "People will complain about him forever because they don't really know the game. He had 10 points and seven rebounds and three blocks. Those are pretty good numbers, but they're not David Robinson numbers."
As for David Robinson numbers: In Yao's first regular-season game against the Spurs, with Tim Duncan standing next to Robinson in December of 2002, Yao went for 27 points and 18 rebounds.
That was a blip for Robinson. He usually loved going against larger players, too, because they made him feel quicker. Among his victims was Dikembe Mutombo, now a Rocket, when Mutombo was in his prime as the defensive player of the year in Denver.
It's a common NBA theme; the game is often about match-ups. Robert Horry, for example, says Sean Elliott was always a problem for him early in his career. "Because Sean made me feel slow," Horry said.
Bruce Bowen doesn't see as many contrasts. He defends often the same player every night, albeit one in a different uniform. From Kobe Bryant to Tracy McGrady, what's the real difference?
After Sunday, not much. Bowen says McGrady is now shooting the way Bryant does. Which is often and from anywhere.
Nesterovic, instead, sees a wide range of challenges. From Amare Stoudemire to Shaq — they play the same position in name only.
But the details go deeper for Nesterovic. It isn't just about size or speed. It's about how the centers play. If he runs into role players who simply bang — which is what he found in both New York and Indiana on the road trip — then his own role is diminished.
But when he draws Yao or Shaq? Then he knows the ball is coming to them, and he has to play every angle and care about every move.
"They'll never know the kind of defense he plays," Popovich continued.
If Nesterovic is getting some credit today, it won't last. Seattle comes to San Antonio next, and the Sonics don't have a post scorer. So Nesterovic will wander, take a few jumpers and defend cutters when he can. And some will wonder about his contract and why he doesn't do more.
They should remember there's a way to explain Nesterovic. He is who he is, and Sunday is part of that.
Rasho has really turned it around. He was coasting through the season but sometime around the All-Star break, he decided to start playing.
Props to him.
Rasho has stepped up since the Rose for Nazr trade. I hope he keeps it up.
What, no one wants to disagree with Buck???
I wonder whos been saying this about him all year.
Those quotes by Pop are him answering my questions tonight, TPark. I asked him for you
Gracias Kori.
Today showed exactly what Ive said about Nesterovic from day 1.
When you put him in a position of importance, most of the time hes gonna step up.
HIs D on Yao Ming, and his offense was EXACTLY what the team needs.
Now Buck is right, hes not gonna have a statisticly GREAT game but hes gonna do what he does, pick off guys for manu and tony to have clear paths, block some shots, hard fouls, and this and that.
Kori this was my favorite quote
Ive said that since about March of last year.People will complain about him forever because they don't really know the game
If you truely did that Kori, I apreciate it.
Now after his next good game, I might have some questions for you to ask HIM.
Just kidding.
BTW, ETA for me in SA, is April 9th.
Hopefully a playoff preview RT???
Too bad Rasho has only been playing this well for about a month now.
Too bad its been his defense all year Ive been trumpeting.Too bad Rasho has only been playing this well for about a month now.
"Rasho never gets the credit he's due," Popovich said. (quote) "People will complain about him forever because they don't really know the game.
It's funny, when we signed Rasho I think everyone was expecting him to be an average to passable defender and a good offensive player, and the Spurs were going to make him more of an emotional player with a kinder gentler approach than Garnett took....that's what he was in Minnesota and he chafed at Garnett's firey approach...
It's been just the opposite...In San Antonio he's been a good defender and a bad offensive player...and the project to make him more emotional has been a failure(I claim credit for saying "he is what he is" 2 years ago right after we signed him)
Add the two togther and you get what I have been saying about him for a long time...the guy has all around talent that puts him in the top 3 centers in the West(Yao and Miller)....And he plays his best when he is emotional.
He has the talent to be a Star...and if he played with emotion game in and game out he would be...we all assume he wants to do that and can't figure out why he doesn't listen to anyone...but it's really simple when you think about it...
Rasho doesn't want to be a star...Rasho wants to just do his job in the background and go looking for chick in bars and that are open after 2am(I am beginning to think that is a Slovenian thing).
Rasho definitely seems to play his best against great centers...Remember the best game of his career came against David Robinson...who I am sure he respects and it wouldn't surprise me if his respect for the Admiral(and Duncan) was part of the reason he wanted to come to SA.
Buck is right on this one...Rasho is Rasho and he shows up with his A game when he chooses to show up and that's all there is to it...I don't think there is anyway to punch his buttons to get him to play with emotion on command...
It all means that Rasho is a lot better than people give him credit for being...but he deserves the rippings he gets when he doesn't show up....because he is a complete C when he shows up and one of the best in the conference.
I've never thought he was soft though, he puts the hammer on guys and you can tell by looking at their reactions sometimes...
Ask Yao what it feels like to get a big Slovenian Elbow in the face...
...and I bet if there is one C in the NBA Kobe thinks twice about challenging it's Rasho...
Rasho is and will continue to be an enigma that frustrates a lot of Spurfans...but we could be a lot worse off...
That's a pretty good take from Whott. Rasho doesn't get a lot of credit from a lot of fans for the way he affects the game, but he is still frustrating to watch, because you can see he could be an all-star if he just played with maximum intensity each time he was on the court. But he's just too timid and too passive most of the time to get his best out of himself and moving to a more friendly enviroment in all respects here in San Antonio hasn't done much to change that.
Now i have an idea that probably hasn't been tried yet. I hope Kori can help with this:
It seems Rasho plays his best when he is enraged about something... so why not try to orchestrate events that would piss him off somehow before every game, like someone keying his car, or delivering tacos to his house 10 times a day. I know Kori has connections in the Spurs organization where she could probably get information helpful to the cause and from what i have read, someone like Manny would be more than willing to do the dirty work.
I think Rasho does play with more emotion for the Spurs than he did for the Wolves but I don't think it's because of anything the coaching staff has done...I just think he wanted to get out of Minnesota...I think it's a little more than just a job to him here because he likes his teamates and feels comfortable here...whereas I don't think he did in Minnesota. Garnett has that effect on a lot of his teamates.
I've said it numerous times (Mannyisgod is my witness) that beside Ben Wallace nobody guards Shaq and Yao better than Rasho. Thank you Pop for agreeing with me
He said at the time that the Spurs were at the top of his wishlist and he was very honored when Pop flew out to Ljubljana to talk to him. There is no better way of showing respect for the organization than taking less money in order to be part of it - something Rasho and other Spurs have done.
I've never thought Rasho was soft. He played more consecutive games in Minnessota and in SA than any of his teammates - and being a center in the NBA I'm sure he was hurting in quite a few of them. He is timid though - and when he's emotional enough to forget about it he plays much better. I do think he has become more outspoken in SA, which shows that he is more comfortable in his shoes than he was in Minny - so I don't think we've seen his best game yet.
I do not think it's a deliberate decision. People who know Rasho personally always talk about how much he likes the game and how much he cares about the losses - so motivation doesn't seem to be the issue here. I also disagree that he has only been playing well since the AS break, I will agree that since then he is more consistant in the sense that he keeps his game up the whole 4 quarters.
It's also true that he has played without TD more during that stretch. He's always very careful to get out of TD's way on the court - is that because of him or is it something that he is instructed to do? Rasho is a hard worker and a very disciplined person - My opinion is that his main problem when TD is on the floor is that he is too rigid in the execution of his duties.
You haven't tried the pear brandy yet have you? We're manly men over here (as proven by Brezec's picture in another thread) so hanging in bars is the favourite hobby over here (at least until our wives don't order us home).
Rasho and his intensity...
Back in Slovenia Rasho was on fire with his coach Zmago Sagadin, central and east european ins ution of coaching, for he did not like to have passion enforced from outside. So they seperated after Olimpija had one of most succesful years behind. Slovenian adventures always make strongest impact on the Slovenian players.
SLOVENIA and SPORTS:
We have aproximately enough money to finance one team. Maybe a half of a NBA franchise. But still we do finance partially almost every existing sport on which we have athletes, that are eager to compete in. So financial reasons makes us to export problematic or succesful players that we cannot any longer afford. Success is so in homeland a reason to go away, and go away fast. On average players stays in Slovenia even half developed for maximum 3 seasons (that is true for every team sport, individual sport are financed differently). So to be exported for emotional reasons is a great burden for a player. Rasho has largely developed where he didn't play.
Nesterović moved to Italy, where he was left to do his job as he knew best. And he done it. In Minesotta he was forced to be a soft hand on a very passionate head of Kevin Garnett. He there could only do what he was let to do. There his peace of mind become the most important thing. On the job conflicts rarely produce quality, unless passion makes conflicts holy. Garnett does not make conflicts holy (his conflicts with Wally is still the unsaid reason for things to fail). Duncan doesn't like conflicts. So Rasho just needs to do his job properly. Passion for his game cannot be doubted. He just needs to develop the hammer to kill the bugs in his head. Udrih, i hope, made that possible. They played great in Sweden together. I think Rasho's best basketball on that tournament.
Thanks for the info, Zeleni. And welcome to the forum. The Slovenian community is growing and growing here.
"They played great in Sweden together"
"They" is Rasho and the bugs in his head?
Welcome to the forum. Always great to see the Slovenian idioms transliterated into English!
Do you think Rasho would loosen up and play with less reticence if he soaked those bugs in a 250 ml of pear brandy before the game and at the half?
yeah or send him a hot picture of his woman with the guy he is playing against that day
I like most here have been frustrated with Rasho, b/c our expections for him & that position are so high, since the GREAT DROB left us a Champion.
Spurs fans & most NBA people know that another quality Center next to TiMVP would rekindle the Twin Towers. But Rasho is what he is & I think his personality has a lot to do with his game on the court.
Take yourselves for examples, when you go play a game of hoops, if you're timid & worry about missing a shot or screwing up, b/c your teammates will verbably dog you, it affects your game. I think with Rasho that clearly was the case in Minn playing with KG. Not that Kg is a bad person or teammate, but that's his personality & he meant well, but it doesn't work on everybody, especially someone like Rasho who takes that as a negative, instead of a encouragement & positive thing.
Rasho is a solid def, but unfortunately in the NBA if you not an All-Star or fan favorite the Ref's will not give you many calls & call BS fouls on you. Watching the Hou game, Rasho had 2 BS foul calls made on him gaurding Yao. When Yao mad ehis spin to the rim he drove right into Rashos chest, Rasho had his feet planted & arms straight up in the air, Yao initated the contact, but of course the ref's baile dhim out & called the foul on Rasho. That's frustrating b/c it gets Rasho into quick fouls early in games forcing him to the bench & forcing us to go smaller.
Rasho's offense needs polish, he has moves, but he seems to rush his shots @ times missing badly or making a bad T.O.
The fact he doesn't attack the rim much & still way too often settles for layups close to the rim instead of dunks is frustrating as well as his lack of getting to the line & putting opponents into foul trouble.
When you drown worries, they come back floatin'"They played great in Sweden together"
"They" is Rasho and the bugs in his head?
Welcome to the forum. Always great to see the Slovenian idioms transliterated into English!
Do you think Rasho would loosen up and play with less reticence if he soaked those bugs in a 250 ml of pear brandy before the game and at the half?
Slovenes have a talent to transliterate languages. Spanglish-wise.
Loosen up? Then you have a sock to guard a stone... Thight-ass guys know best top guard, dear comrade in fanship.
Question with Rasho is only Tim Duncan. Do they get along? Was that partially thereason for Malik's goodbye?
WTF? Sagadin is solid coach, but he left financial hole, after he left Olimpija. He is no "ins ution", come on (remember CZ?).
Sagadin benched Rasho, as Rasho didn't want to sign 6 (six) year contract to Olimpija, he wanted to discipine him and to lower his possibilites to sign with good european team. Rasho proved him wrong, he signed with Kinder Bologna and developed him self to the NBA level, Sagadin has really no significant role in Rasho's developement.
Yep, UO still hasn't managed to recuperate from Zmago's spending. As a coach he was good in preparing the players but in games he often just failed.
development of players...
Rasho became a great international player elsewhere. But there was not the core of his development. He became great in Slovenia, but did not want to be pressured to be a great player locked in a club. That should be respected about him. Realising his potential and running away before being absolutely drained. Now we have a Georgian, that gave his profesional youth to Olimpija, and he does not complain...So settle down.
Sagadin is ins utional?
Being in a club for such a long time, he was important to any great Slovenian basketball player. He created and coached almost a half of quality coaches we use in European basket and are Slovenes.
He coached a team that will (still hoping that they lose by Olimpija) win Adriatic league final 8 and coached the coach, that is coaching SZ now. Being a little funny, he did a lot of coaching.
As for a larger scale... Name a bigger club in his time on this vast territory.
A hole in Olimpija?
Give me a break. Is this a topic for Spurs or not?
Go to a Slovenian basketball forum to get whoopin'
Please don't take your argument elsewhere, it's entertaining and some of us want to see how Slovenians argue. It's like a cultural exchange, you guys get to see us argue all the time so let us see how you guys argue(if possible in English because I don't speak Slovenian
Rasho has really improved. If he can keep playing like this, he will forfill all the reasoning the Spurs had when they signed him. Good job Rasho.
okej then
first a presentation of Olimpija ( Euroleague):
When a country of 2 million people generates as many great players as Slovenia, there has to be some magic at work. In the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, the magicians wear the green of Union Olimpija, a club that has become known as something of a talent farm. The basketball club today is called Union Olimpija, was founded in 1946 as a section of the Svoboda Physical Culture Society. The first basketball game was played the same year against Udarnik and Olimpija came out on top with the score of 37-14. Late in 1946, the club was renamed Enotnost and was known by that name until 1954 when it assumed the name ASK Olimpia. Since 1997, the club has been called by it current name, Union Olimpija. Olimpija conquered its first national le of then Yugoslavia in 1957. In one of the world's best emerging leagues, Olimpija went on to dominate the next 15 years, winning the Yugoslav le five more times, in 1959, 1961, 1962, 1966 and 1970. A new era for the club began with Slovenia's independence, when dominance took on another meaning, namely 10 consecutive years of winning both the league and cup trophies in Slovenia. In the international arena, 1993-94 was the club's best season as they took home the European Cup against Spain's Tau Ceramica under the direction of coach Zmago Sagadin, who reached an Euroleague Final Four in 1997, losing to soon-to-be champs Olympiacos. Over the past few seasons, Olimpija has stood out as one of the most ambitious clubs in Europe, competing in three or four separate compe ions. In 2001-02, the Slovenian team won the triple crown, taking the Slovenian League championship, Slovenian National Cup and the Adriatic League. The following season, Olimpija fielded a team composed mainly of home grown talent and young players. The results in the Euroleague were amazing and inspirational to smaller clubs in Europe: Olimpija made it to the Top 16, and they won three of the first four games, enough to hold hopes of making the Final Four up until the final day, when they were stopped in Barcelona by the champs-to-be. The team managed to win the Slovenian Cup, but its amazing Euroleague run may have drained the team of its energy, as it failed to repeat as champions in the Slovenian League and Adriatic League. In 2003-04, Olimpija made it back to the Adriatic League Final Four and the Euroleague Top 16 despite losing some key players the previous Summer, like Vlado Ilievski and Goran Jurak. Besides, Olimpija regained the Slovenian League le by sweeping all its playoff rounds, leaving no doubts about which is the dominant team in Slovenia. Lesson: don't ever count out this homegrown superpower.
Now something completely different:
Zmago Sagadin's hole in a budget. How the hole could not be made. We do not have the money for one Euroleague, and still we had 3 years ago 2 club in Top 16. And before that that happened twice (Krka Telekom, Brewery Laško). We at that time also had Euro 2000 and WC, where Football Association collected for their fairytale results a great deal of financial support. Most of skiing and ski jumping revenues are calling constantly for financial aid b/c their timely equipment.
Handball has survived in Slovenia only for its cheapness. Basketball only couse be can export players to basketballwise needful states, that for creating quality pool players imports Americans and ex-yugo countries to encourage home players to reach for the stars beating them.
We are condemned to be average in time to come for soon we would need to import players ourselves.
Last edited by zeleni; 03-28-2005 at 10:26 AM.
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