Viktor Sanikidze information.......

[emeans]

Viktor Sanikidze

SMALL FORWARD | (6-8, 196) | GEORGIA

Round: 1 | 2

Prospects by: Players | Teams | Schools | Positions

SELECTED BY ATLANTA, ROUND 2, PICK 13, OVERALL PICK 42

Notes: Actually spent a year in junior college in America when he was 15 before returning to his native home in the republic of Georgia. Plays for Dijon in France. Averaged 3.3 ppg in the FIBA Europe Cup. Had a standout performance for the Georgian National Team where he averaged 18.6 ppg and 11 rpg.

Positives: Scouts claim that he's got a great perimeter game, and will hit the boards on occasion. Not a bad athlete. Long arms.

Negatives: Experience. Obviously from the numbers this 18-year-old will take a few years to develop.

Insider prediction: He's one of the few young Euros still in the draft without a guarantee. There's a decent chance a team late in the second will opt to draft him and keep him overseas for a few years.

[UncleOJ]

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There's a decent chance a team late in the second will opt to draft him and keep him overseas for a few years.

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I'm trying to think of a player who was "kept overseas for a few years" who ever made an impact in the NBA. Seems like you never hear from those guys again.

[DominiqueWilkins]

Go read the article I posted about David Anderson who Atlanta has left overseas. He may join the team next season.

[UncleOJ]

I hope that works out for us. Seems like a decent player. But I still can't think of anybody who has stayed over there after being drafted and then came over and made an impact in the league. Am I forgetting anybody?

[DJ_Money]

Ginobili, Jaric, Arroyo (I can't remember if he was or not...)

[UncleOJ]

None of those guys stayed in Europe after being acquired by their NBA teams.

The point is, even if there has been a guy here and there who has made an NBA roster after being drafted and "developing" in Europe, it seems like, as a general rule, Euros like Sanikidze (if he actually does stay over there) don't pan out. Not saying he isn't worth a shot, and Billy Knight certainly has better info than I do, but it's hard to get excited about guys like that. Apparently, if they're good enough to make the league, they join the team right away.

[JB20]

This year Carlos Delfino is coming over to Detroit and he'll make an impact.

[UncleOJ]

Hopefully Andersen will join him and they can start to put an end to this disturbing trend.

[HawkTodd]

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I'm trying to think of a player who was "kept overseas for a few years" who ever made an impact in the NBA. Seems like you never hear from those guys again.

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Peja Stojakovic: Selected by the Sacramento Kings in the first round (14th pick overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft....Played in Greece from 1995-96 to 1997-98.

Gordan Giricek: Selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (40th pick overall) in the 1999 NBA Draft... Draft rights and a future second-round pick traded by the Mavericks to the San Antonio Spurs for Leon Smith on 6/30/99 ... Rights traded by the Spurs to the Memphis Grizzlies for a second-round pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and cash considerations on 6/26/02

Emanuel Ginobili: Selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round (57th pick overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft....Signed with the Spurs on 7/18/02 … made his pro debut in Argentina with Andino in 1995-96 … played for Argentina's Estudiantes Bahia Blanca in 1996-97 and 1997-98 … then moved to Italy … spent two seasons - 1998-99 and 1999-00 - with Basket Viola Reggio Calabria before joining Virtus Bologna for the 2000-01 season.

[JB20]

I know he doesn't count, but Arvydas Sabonis. He would have made an impact for Atlanta had he come over when they initially drafted him.

If you've seen footage of Sabonis from the 80's, he was a ridiculously good player. He was way more athletic than you saw when he finally got over here. He was about as athletic as Larry Bird (which is WAY more athletic than he was with the Blazers) and got up and down the court really well. He was a great transition player and a great open court passer...especially on the break.

[HawkTodd]

Yea, I've heard people say that Sabonis was absolutely incredible when he played over in Europe. They said the NBA never got to see his true talent because he was getting on up there in age when he decided to come to the league. Even in his older age he still had amazing touch on the ball and a good shot, you can see how good he was when he still had his athleticism in his younger days.

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Spurs Select Udrih In First Round (6-25-04).

http://woai.com/spurs/story.aspx?content_i...A4-0616C9ECF7CE

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The Spurs also acquired 6-foot-8 forward Viktor Sanikidze from the Georgia Republic, taken by Atlanta with the 42nd pick. The Hawks receive San Antonio's second-round selection in 2005 and cash considerations.

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