Hopson signs with Cavs

Ok cotton. That's enough with the dramatic pause for effect act. Give us the punchline already.

 

Can't. Was told by somebody who should know that the deal was in the works yesterday. He broke a pretty lucrative contract in Turkey on the understanding that this would not be a 10 day deal, and the time batted around was 2 years. Independent source said he is physically in Cleveland right now. Looking for final verification, but I'm still comfortable with the report.

Evidently, following a POY season in Israel, Scotty played extremely well for the Heat in the Orlando summer league. It has been speculated several times that Miami, OKC, or Cleveland would pick him up.

 

Wow.

I sincerely hope for nothing but the best for him.

 

I agree with this.

 

to some degree. He can clearly get good enough with a handle to play. I don't think anyone has ever pushed him to get better and he was a solid shooter with simply too much arc. That can be managed with pointed work.

I doubt his willingness to pay the piper or take on the tough coaching approach it appears he needs, but I saw in him innate ability. He has enough rhythm to be a shooter and shot reasonably well with considerable improvement from just the work that Pearl's limited crew.

I genuinely hope he gets somewhere and it'll shove into the agent types who gave him awful advice that they screwed another kid.

 

I don't disagree that he can shoot the ball well enough to play. He's athletic enough to play, but I don't see him becoming a break-down player in the NBA simply because of his ball handling, and I think he'd have to develop that because he doesn't shoot it well enough to be a spot shooter. And, I agree that I hope he does well, and he definitely was screwed with the advice he got.

 

How many people in this thread are basing what they are saying off of what he did in his time at UT rather than what he has done in his time since? Has anyone actually seen him play lately to know if he has or hasn't improved?

 

What's the talent level in the foreign leagues in regard to the upper half of DI basketball? Better, worse, or about the same?

 

No offense to Hopson, but if they give a guy off the street a multi year guaranteed deal, Cleveland is officially the successor to the Clippers' former futility.

 

Depends on the league. Some are much better than D-I, some much worse.

 

Saw him briefly a couple of times last year during the Israeli League games MSG/SNY show. Saw nothing that made me rethink my opinion of him.

 

I once saw a funny YouTube video from a Turkish league game. I think that counts.

 

The one where the guy scores in his own basket?

No, wait. I was thinking Belgium.

[youtube]vSDw4tR4f28[/youtube]

(still better than the SEC)

 

What are, say, the five best foreign leagues in descending order? Just rattle off what you think. I won't hold you to it. This is actually a question I've been curious about for a while.

 

Don't pay as much attention to the foreign leagues as I used to, but unless things have changed substantially I'd go:
Italy
Spain
Turkey
Israel
Russia

Australia is rapidly gaining on the final three.

 

Speaking of Australian basketball, how good is Dante Exum? I've read that he is trying to force his way to the Lakers.

 

Very good. Still raw, but he'll be a good NBA player.

 

I have no update, and based on what I initially heard, I should have.

Changing the thread title to include a '?' and living in internet shame until and unless something happens.

 

I don't even know you anymore.

 

Not good enough. Give us all $20.