“The Adriatic League is business, having served as the farm system for many Slavic players of NBA note. The club league is well-stocked. Never mind the Euroleague, where Jennings barely got a taste last season, and where Tyler will open his pro career in October against teams like CSKA Moscow and Maccabi Tel Aviv.
This isn’t to say Tyler isn’t ready: perhaps he will do fine in Slovenia. Height is an asset you can’t ignore. But the difference between Olimpija and, say, Louisville or the Clippers, is that there is no incentive for Olimpija to develop Tyler (unless you think he’ll be bringing a club title home to Ljubljana at age 18) whereas Rick Pitino and Mike Dunleavy depend on developing their young players for future success. This is where the European flight experiment breaks down.”
2 years ago • Notes