Dimitris Diamantidis

by meru on Jul 5, 2009 7:53 AM PDT

Okay, so we lost out on Hedo, just as I'd talked myself into him. Here's what I hoped he'd bring:

* big game veteran experience

* guard basketball skills in a forward body

* clutch outside shooting

* a player who is great at running the pick and roll to get Oden easy points

We need all of those things, in part because our team has too few players who can break down a defense and create: both our PG and our SF are deficient for that position in those respects. But who else is available who brings those things? Certainly not Shawn Marion (PF skills in a SF body), Marvin Williams (Outlaw, only with better defense but less hops), David Lee (great rebounder, poor defense, basketball skills?), or any of those. Andre Miller can't shoot and, unlike Ramon Sessions (my fallback hope), hasn't years left to learn. Plus he's a ball-stopper, only works in a run-and-gun style, was disastrous with Elton Brand and is rumored not to be liked by his teammates. Lamar Odom would be great, but let's face it, he's not leaving the Lakers. So where does that leave us? I say: let's look overseas. It's not as if we don't anyway when we're drafting, but why not for vets, too? And perhaps the biggest overseas star who is under 30 and has never tried the NBA is Greek PG Dimitris Diamantidis. He has all of the bulleted points above, plus he was voted 2009 Euroleague Defender of the Year (and not for the first time). He's a winner to the core: he was part of the Greek team that knocked off the pre-Redeem Team US team. He's won the Euro championships with Greece and just won the Euroleague with Panathinaikos. He's big for a PG (6'6") with such long arms his nickname is "Octopus". He would be an instant upgrade on Steve Blake in practically all respects, but could also play in a 3 guard lineup. Yes, he gets paid big bucks in Europe, but not such big bucks that we couldn't top them, and he's GOT to be curious. He would be the first Greek player to succeed if he did. Now, it would be a risk. There have been Euro Stars who've come over recently and crashed and burned. Sarunas Jasikevicius and Juan Carlos Navarro, for example, and another star Greek guard, Vasileios Spanoulis, who you may have missed in his brief sojourn with the Van Gundy Rockets. But Spanoulis was more of a scoring PG, and Van Gundy wanted defense and no shooting by anyone not named McGrady, so it was a poor fit. Anyway, I could get more excited about Diamantidis than just about any remaining US free agent. And remember, in Basketball at least, Greece always beats Turkey...

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"The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated in the name of the noblest causes."--Thomas Paine

by tominhawaii on Jul 5, 2009 8:36 AM PDT reply actions

Post-Fourth letdown, huh?

by MiledAnimal on Jul 5, 2009 4:06 PM PDT up reply actions

More on his defense:

From DraftExpress:

A nightmare match-up, Diamantidis’ strong 6-5 body and his endless arms are usually all over his opponents. He’s not an athletic freak, but he’s still nice in this area and a player who makes the most of it. Extremely active, and extremely smart in his efforts, his positioning is close to perfect, being equally good in man-to-man defense or team defense. He’s awfully hard to beat given his length and lateral quickness, he stays physical on his opponent, but doesn’t get obsessed with his match-up and gladly helps his teammates, either on the perimeter or the paint, but at the same time he’s capable of recovering to his man very quickly. Not risking his positioning, he’s always alert enough to come up with a steal in the passing line, while he’s also not a bad shot-blocker (leading his team in the Euroleague this past season in this department).

Sound like Nate’s kind of player? Here’s more:

Like Papaloukas, Diamantidis uses his superior size and strength to drive towards the basket and unbalance the rival’s defense, also displaying very solid ball-handling skills and footwork. Indeed he was quite aggressive in the final, successfully trying to make things happen with his slashing moves. He’s a nice passer, seeing the floor over his rivals and finding his teammates even on the weak side. He can shoot off the dribble, with three-point range, and he’s increasing the quickness of his release. He shows an excellent basketball IQ, even if he’s not so dominant controlling the game (and its tempo) as his countryman. Indeed, Dimitrios is a low-profile type of player, never searching for the spotlight, but who ends up shining due to his incredible work ethic on court and developed ability to play the game.

by meru on Jul 5, 2009 9:14 AM PDT reply actions

And we could give a cool nickname like

Diamond Dave

"He wanted to come to a winner, Mrs. Turk wanted to go shopping….."
- Upper Left Corner

by 92wastheyear on Jul 5, 2009 9:25 AM PDT up reply actions

Is that cooler than

“Octopus Man” or “The Octopus”?

by meru on Jul 5, 2009 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions

Good looking prospect

but being relatively unknown here (US) I think fans would revolt (until they saw what he could do). Great set of highlights to watch. Looks like a great fit for the Blazers.
What would have to be done to get him? Straight money out of Pauls wallet? (asking because I don’t know how the cap money, etc. works for a foreign player)

To summarize: Wade too quick, Kobe too skilled, LeBron too physical - Batum

by Ltlgto on Jul 5, 2009 9:28 AM PDT reply actions

Love him

my favorite European player outside of Freeland. However, the Blazers might need to guaranty him PT, which might get tricky.

Joel Freeland=Stud

by hightide on Jul 5, 2009 11:45 AM PDT reply actions

Blazers needs? The Blazers still need a back up power forward and IMO Antonio McDyess is that player that they need at that spot. And McDyess is a very good Vet.
Mark ‘Dyess’ down for a double-double each night. After re-joining Detroit mid-season, the polite veteran posted a workmanlike 10 points and 10 rebounds per game. McDyess could replace Yao in Houston, where he, coincidentally, has his off-season home. But if KP can Make him an offer and let him know Portland is where he needs to be if he wants a RING. The Blazers need McDyess as their back up power forward/Center. And he won’t cost as much as Lee and IMO you get the same thing from both players. And I like D.Harris better then A.Miller and that just MO

by billyjoejack on Jul 5, 2009 12:03 PM PDT reply actions

how many times did you paste this same take?

I think I’ve counted 6 seperate threads. Save some bandwidth, we get the point you like McDyess

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 5, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions

and that he's already signed with San Antonio

by BrewDude on Jul 20, 2009 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions

Wow. That guy looks great. One thing though, almost all of those big defensive plays he had would be called a foul in the NBA.

Man I love Euro ball. I wish we could get more over here. It’s a really fluid and exciting game.

by dario argento on Jul 5, 2009 12:57 PM PDT reply actions

For whatever it's worth, I've brought up Dimitris Diamantidis before at Blazer's Edge.

“Dimitris Diamantidis has been oftentimes compared to Panathinaikos teammate and backcourt partner Vassilis Spanoulis, who had enormous trouble adjusting to the NBA. Another guy who the ‘Octopus Man’ has been compared to, Marko Jaric, has a skill set that definitely doesn’t mesh too well with American basketball.

[…]

Diamantidis is definitely a tall, rangy point guard. Although he’s known for his … marvelous defense overseas — which seems to consist heavily on gambling for steals, à la Rudy Fernandez — I definitely can see how that won’t translate too well to the NBA. Yet, in the Euroleague, Panathinaikos has a downright amazing four-guard rotation; it includes both Diamantidis and Vassilis Spanoulis, as well as University of Maryland alumni Drew Nicholas and Sarunas Jasikevicius."

http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/12/11/690333/post-game-reaction-thread#10658353

The real problem, however, is Diamantidis is under contract with Panathinaikos through next season, with a salary of €2,100,000.

http://www.in-the-game.org/?page_id=802

Anyway, it’s not a bad idea in theory. Yet, pratically speaking, it’s not a realistic proposal. That sucks in a way, too.

by AK1984 on Jul 5, 2009 1:25 PM PDT reply actions

See comment below

Spanoulis was under contract for TWO more years with the same club when he came to the Rockets.

Panathinaikos is kind of overloaded with guards at the moment (they’ve also got Spanoulis and Jaskikevicius) so maybe they’d be amenable. With the money they saved, they could also make a play for Rubio…

by meru on Jul 5, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions

I forgot they also just signed Calathes

…so they are REALLY stacked. Oh, except Jasikevicius is a FA…

by meru on Jul 5, 2009 4:11 PM PDT up reply actions

Because Sarunas Jasikevicius is a free agent and unlikely to re-sign with Panathinaikos, there ...

isn’t a minutes crunch there on the perimeter with a four-guard rotation of Vassilis Spanoulis, Dimitris Diamantidis, Drew Nicholas, and Nick Calathes. Also, Norsktroll is correct that thus far Greek players haven’t transitioned well to the NBA — which include two of Diamantidis teammates, Spanoulis and Antonis Fotsis — thus, that’s a factor.

Regarding Jasikevicius, a return to Maccabi Tel Aviv might be in order for him. A this moment, Maccabi could use a backup combo guard like Jasikevicius to spell its starting backcourt of Marcus Brown and Carlos Arroyo for roughly 20 minutes per game.

Lastly, I don’t envision Ricky Rubio playing for any ballclub other than DKV Joventut next season. With the whole quandry regarding Rubio’s contract buyout, it’d seemingly be in his best interest to drop any pending litigation and play out the remaining two seasons on his deal.

by AK1984 on Jul 5, 2009 5:04 PM PDT up reply actions

SOMEBODY'S got to be the first Greek to succeed

Wouldn’t that be extra incentive?
However, I agree it’s a long shot. But why not? He seems like a better option than all but Odom or possibly Sessions, and both of those are longshots too. I think we could afford him – we can outbid 2.1M even after taxes, even Euros. And he’s won everything in Greece – why not give the NBA a shot? Spanoulis proves that if it doesn’t work, you can come straight back!

by meru on Jul 5, 2009 6:06 PM PDT up reply actions

If Dimitris Diamantidis ever gives the NBA a shot, he'll probably come over and do it next ...

off-season. Since Diamantidis won’t be under contract and several teams will possess salary cap space in the summer of 2010, that seems like the best time for him to weigh his options.

Regarding Greek superstars, last off-season I felt the Phoenix Suns should’ve made an effort to sign Theodoros Papaloukas the previous summer.

“During this past off-season, Steve Kerr should’ve obtained a useful backup point guard. While it’s highly doubtful that Robert Sarver would’ve loosened the purse strings and signed off on this idea, I’d’ve tried my damnedest to offer Greek combo guard Theodoros Papaloukas a two-year, $11,616,800 contract (2008-2009: $5,585,000 & 2009-2010: $6,031,800) worth the mid-level exception — which’d’ve been done in lieu of trading for the draft rights of Goran Dragic, buying out his contract with TAU Ceramica for $500,000, and signing him to a four-year deal — however, the likelihood of Papalouskas coming to America instead of returning to his home country by signing with Olympiacos was next to nil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqzAcRHq4BA

Anyhow, I stand by my belief that Steve Nash won’t be dealt elsewhere this season."

http://www.blazersedge.com/2008/12/10/689125/the-new-phx-trade-may-open#10627938

I typed that above comment on 12/11/2008, so it’s fun to look back on it now and see that I was right about how Steve Nash wouldn’t be traded from Phoenix at any time during the 2008-2009 season.

by AK1984 on Jul 5, 2009 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Now there's a real dark horse candidate

Why hasn’t come to the NBA already? I smell a sticky issue with his buyout, though I sure don’t know the details of his contract with the Greek team

Anyone?

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 5, 2009 1:30 PM PDT reply actions

He is a major star in Greece, and doesn't need to become a minor one in the NBA

Like several of his countrymen who had short stints in the NBA only to quickly return home.

Diamantidis’ current contract runs through the following season.

If you want to trade our spare parts for Devin Harris, I have three quarters I would like to trade for your dollar

by Norsktroll on Jul 5, 2009 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions

gotcha, thanks

in other words, thanks for playing, drive hime safely

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Jul 5, 2009 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions

That's not fatal

According to Wikipedia, Spanoulis was under contract when he came to the Rockets:

On July 19, 2006,2 Spanoulis opted out of the final two years of his contract with Panathinaikos Athens and signed a three-year deal (2 years guaranteed) with the Houston Rockets who paid for his contract buyout from Panathinaikos. The contract was worth $5,832,000 USD19, his buyout from his European club was $400,000 USD.

So we’d have to know if his contract is opt-out-able.

by meru on Jul 5, 2009 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions