NBA:SPAIN AND ROOKIES (This article is available in English and Español)

In this article, we want to make a revision about the start of the NBA´s season of the Spanish players and of the more important Rockies of the league. Moreover, we will incorporate our prevision-the Saqueneutral´s prevision- about these players´s level during this season. We'll start speaking about:

1-Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers´s center): Thanks to the Andrew Bynum´s return, Pau will play this season in his natural position of the game, as a number 4, and of course the consequences are evident: he has started the season with a very good level-the numbers are 16 points (0,50 FGP),11 rebounds per game-and of course he wants to remove his label of "Soft" imposed by the American press. In order to improve his level, he should readjust his 3-4 metres shot and his movements in the High Post. We do not want to do here a Gasol´s extreme defence, but we believe that he is a player who can and should contribute greatly to the Lakers-in fact he made a great game last Tuesday against Dallas Mavericks because he was not only excellent with points and rebounds, but also he did an excellent Dirk Nowitzki´s defence (the German star scored only 14 points-his average is 24 points per game!-)-, and he will be a key player for Lakers can win the title of West Conference and we will see if the NBA´s Title.

Saqueneutral´s Prevision: Gasol will be decisive man for reach the conference´s victory, but Lakers must be careful with the Gasol´s injuries and / or fatigue, since he can have some difficulties around February-so it will be great if Phil Jackson can reduce the Gasol´s minutes-. We see the Lakers as the Conference´s champions.

2-José Manuel Calderón (Toronto Raptors´s guard): If years ago it was unthinkable to think that a Spanish guard could become an All Star player in the NBA, this year can be the first time, since José Calderón has many chances to play this famous game-although Gilbert Arenas thinks that he is not ready to be in this game, jeje-, because since TJ Ford´s departure to Indiana Pacers, he is the playmaker of the Toronto Raptors, having the Sam Mitchell´s confidence, which has its reflex in the Calderón´s minutes per game-he is playing nearly 38 minutes per game-, although in order to be honest this important sum of minutes is because both the Calderón´quality and the maladjustment of Roko Ukic and Willie Salomon. The Raptors has a good team with a great front court with the couple Bosch-O'Neal, but we think that the team should be complemented with another shooter.

Saqueneutral´s prevision: Calderón should focus on the play of the rest of the team, so to be a real playmaker: first the team, second his own stats and of course shooting only in concrete moments (his current numbers are very accurate but he should improve his FG%-he had better FG% last season-). We see a good year for Calderon, if he has not any fatigue-he will play a lot of minutes, since the substitutes are not very good- and injury´s problem. We venture that Calderon will be an All Star player this season.

3-Sergio Rodriguez (Portland Trail Blazers´s guard): After a brilliant pre-season, when he played many minutes-"helped" by the injury of Steve Blake- and showing great performances, the season arrived and Nate McMillan returned to the habitual situation with Sergio Rodriguez, which is Sergio Rodriguez on the bench, without few chances to play-he plays only 10 minutes per game, scoring 2 points per game-, although it seems that little by little he is having more chances during the last games, since the Rodriguez´s agent asked for a transfer and for example Sergio was an important player for Portland during the games against Orlando Magic and against Miami Heat(he played 18 minutes, with 5 points and 5 assists ). This player needs minutes to gain confidence and grow as player.

Saqueneutral´s prevision: it is difficult his prevision, since anything is possible with Sergio, even a transfer... Although if he remains at Portland, he will have a great opportunity this season, since his friend Rudy Fernández is in the same team and he must take benefit on this situation, because he knows very well the Rudy´s quick and explosive play and they have a great movement´s coordination-we could see some alley-oops between them-. So it is an unknown, but we think his season will be synonym of Progression.

4-Rudy Fernández (Portland Trail Blazers´s guard): He is starting the season with an incredible level, showing that he is not a normal Rookie, since his numbers are spectacular: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal per game. Portland already vibrates with Rudy and is seeing that it can have the determinant couples of the future, the marvellous Brandon Roy and Rudy Fernández- an example was the game last night against the Miami Heat, because the Roy´s numbers were 22 points and 5 rebounds, and the Rudy´s numbers were 25 points in 29 minutes played (7-11 FG% and 8-8 FT%).The only problem for this season is that Portland Trail Blazers has young players and maybe it will be a very important team in 2 years, but no this season.

Saqueneutral´s prevision: Very promising! If Rudy continues along this line may become one of the revelations of the year. Rookie of the Year? Best Sixth Man? We'll see, but one thing is clear, he will be in the Rookie All Stars Game and of course he will be a player with an immediate impact in NBA. Real Money.

5-Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies´s center): We love the Marc Gasol´s play, since he is a great worker and intelligent player-he is always thinking about the best thing for the team-. Marc has arrived to the NBA in the precise moment after a successful European career and besides he has arrived to a city, where he lived some years with his brother Pau Gasol and therefore his is acclimation is easy; Marc comes to Memphis to be the most important center of the team and to become one of the dominant center of the NBA. Of course, he will have good and bad moments during this season, but it is clear that when somebody speak about Marc Gasol, he will say something like constant, brave, quality and intelligent.

Saqueneutral´s prevision: Marc will be, without a doubt, in the best rookie team of the year. His progress will be spectacular. Hard Work Class.

About the most important Rookies until this moment, we want to remark:

1-O.J. Mayo (Memphis Grizzlies): Spectacular, he is the best rookie this year for us (although CNNSI and ESPN do not think the same thing). His averages are brutal and his ability to play basketball is amazing-22 points and almost 40 minutes per game-, being one of the key players, along Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol, of the Memphis Grizzlies.

2-Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls): To replace Kirk Hinrich is not a simple task, and less for a rookie, but Rose is playing at a high level and the Bulls are appreciating the effort. His 39 minutes and 18 points per game are numbers to be the best rookie of the season-some analysts believe that he will be- ... we'll see what happens at the end of the season.

3-Michael Beasley (Miami Heat): Spectacular player! ... he is a machine, he is always scoring; he is an excellent acquisition for this Miami Heat and of course he is and will be an excellent Wade´s helper. We'll look to see if he can continue with his excellent level, a level of second overall of the 2008 NBA Draft.

4-Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves): There are three candidates to be the rookie center of the year Greg Oden- if the injuries left him play once!-Marc Gasol and Kevin Love, who is a strong, versatile and quality player.

Anyway, there are great players and of course we will follow their season in Saqueneutral as of course we will do with other players, whether from the FIBA´s basketball-Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni, Leandrinho Barbosa, Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum, Mickeal Pietrus, Dirk Nowitzki, Andrea Bargnani, Andris Biedrins, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Andrei Kirilenko, Peja Stojakovic, Sasha Vujacic, Mehmet Okur and Hedo Turkoglu- or American superstars like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Paul Pierce and Dwyane Wade.

Other recent articles about basketball in this blog:

NBA: NEW SEASON STARTS! (This article is available in English and Español)

THE EUROLEAGUE IS HERE (This article is available in English and Español)

Cheers,

J&F