What NBA teams could use Milos Teodosic?

[ralph_i_el]

He'd get destroyed on D even more than Calderon IMO.

he can't guard better than someone with chronic knee injuries?

[Euroleague]

he can't guard better than someone with chronic knee injuries?

If he was used as a PG defensively (which he isn't) then yes. If he was used a SG on defense that handles the ball (which he is), then he would just be a bit below average on defense.

He would be adequate for the most part on defense, if he played at his normal position defensively.

[Fiba basketball]

The biggest problem I see for Teodosic is that he is a cigarette smoker, and I don't see NBA teams in this day tolerating that.

How do you know that he smokes ?

[AMISTILLILL]

[Euroleague]

How do you know that he smokes ?

Because he has said so in an interview. Spanoulis also said something in an interview about wanting him to stop smoking last year since they were roommates.

But Teodosic said he couldn't stop.

I can see this being a problem in the NBA. While it is discouraged of course in European clubs, the difference is that if players want to smoke and can still do their training then they are allowed to.

Lots of players in Europe smoke, and even in the locker rooms and showers they smoke. The NBA is strict on that.

For example, Vlade Divac smoked and that is about the last NBA player I remember where they just seemed to tolerate it.

On the other hand, a similar recent example is Navarro. Navarro smokes and it was apparently a big issue in Memphis. They kept telling him to stop and apparently he wouldn't.

From what I have heard his being a smoker was one of the reasons why he had a hard time getting the contract he wanted in the NBA. In Barca, they don't care that he smokes, same with Spain's national team.

As long as he can perform and train it's allowed. The difference even with Teodosic though is that when he was on Olympiacos there were supposedly complaints from the training staff of Giannakis that he couldn't do all the training drills satisfactorily because of his smoking.

Navarro has never seemed to be effected by it, since he runs so much and is such a highly trained athlete (although it will shorten his career).

So I can see where NBA teams would demand he stopped smoking. Olympiacos asked him to and he wouldn't.

As far as I know, Panathinaikos demanded finally that Pekovic stop smoking and he eventually did. It's probably not a coincidence that he gained about 40 pounds that last year in Greece.

That's another thing. Teodosic could gain a lot of weight if he stopped smoking, which probably would also not suit his game well.

[Fiba basketball]

Because he has said so in an interview. Spanoulis also said something in an interview about wanting him to stop smoking last year since they were roommates.

But Teodosic said he couldn't stop.

I can see this being a problem in the NBA. While it is discouraged of course in European clubs, the difference is that if players want to smoke and can still do their training then they are allowed to.

Lots of players in Europe smoke, and even in the locker rooms and showers they smoke. The NBA is strict on that.

For example, Vlade Divac smoked and that is about the last NBA player I remember where they just seemed to tolerate it.

On the other hand, a similar recent example is Navarro. Navarro smokes and it was apparently a big issue in Memphis. They kept telling him to stop and apparently he wouldn't.

From what I have heard his being a smoker was one of the reasons why he had a hard time getting the contract he wanted in the NBA. In Barca, they don't care that he smokes, same with Spain's national team.

As long as he can perform and train it's allowed. The difference even with Teodosic though is that when he was on Olympiacos there were supposedly complaints from the training staff of Giannakis that he couldn't do all the training drills satisfactorily because of his smoking.

Navarro has never seemed to be effected by it, since he runs so much and is such a highly trained athlete (although it will shorten his career).

So I can see where NBA teams would demand he stopped smoking. Olympaicos asked him to and he wouldn't.

As far as I know, Panathinaikos demanded finally that Pekovic stop smoking and he eventually did. It's probably not a coincidence that he gained about 40 pounds that last year in Greece.

That's another thing. Teodosic could gain a lot of weight if he stopped smoking, which probably would also not suit his game well.

Thats very stupid for a proffesional player . Everyone is calling him very talented player that yet needs to reach full potential and he doesnt want to stop smoking even though he can became even better.

[Euroleague]

Thats very stupid for a proffesional player . Everyone is calling him very talented player that yet needs to reach full potential and he doesnt want to stop smoking even though he can became even better.

I agree. It's really stupid, but it's quite common still with players in Europe. I remember Brad Newley gave an interview once where they asked him what was the main difference from playing in Australia versus Greece and he said besides the level being higher in Greece, it was the players smoking.

He said the players in Australia don't smoke and he couldn't believe all the guys that smoked in Greece. He was saying how like half his teammates smoked. And you hear about it all the time too. It seems like Pekovic was the only one smoking on PAO if I remember, but they finally got him to stop.

It's stupid, teams should make the players stop. But then again they should also not allow smoking in the arenas and they do. The arenas are filled with smoke the same way.

In some ways the clubs in Europe still act unprofessional on issues like that.

I don't know if the smoking is what is holding Teodosic back from his full training, and getting in complete athletic shape as he should be, but it seemed to be the claim from Giannakis' coaching staff. As you said, just stupid, because everyone just says about him that if he would just get in better shape he could use his talent fully.

But maybe he can't due to the smoking.