Fran Vazquez

Fran Vazquez - 11th pick, 2005
The time has passed.

Fran Vazquez is the best centre in Europe, and yet he played only 16 minutes per game. The 16 minutes per game has no bearing on the fact that he's the best centre in Europe; he is not robbed of that title just because he plays less than half the game, nor is he undeserving of it. Vazquez could certainly play more, a lot more. But he doesn't, because it's not the European way. The European way, for whatever reason, is to play as many guys as possible in a 40 minute game, changing your rotation and your starting lineup every damn night. Even Juan Carlos Navarro - the closest thing the ACB has to a superstar - only churns out 25mpg. It is very silly, yet it is the unwritten rule.

Fran Vazquez (11th pick, 2005)

- There exists a great opportunity for Fran Vazquez to finally - FINALLY - play in the NBA. Talent was never the issue. He has enough there. The only issue was mutual desire.

The mutual desire is there now. Orlando need a backup big man, have as much money to spend as ever, and feel Vazquez is the logical candidate. (He is.) Conversely, Vazquez feels it's finally time to come, and presumably his wife is on board with it this time as well. This all coincides quite nicely with a gap in his contractual situation that facilitates a jump to a new continent, should Vazquez and Mrs Vazquez so desire it. Which apparently they do.

The mutual desire is there now. Orlando need a backup big man, have as much money to spend as ever, and feel Vazquez is the logical candidate. (He is.) Conversely, Vazquez feels it's finally time to come, and presumably his wife is on board with it this time as well. This all coincides quite nicely with a gap in his contractual situation that facilitates a jump to a new continent, should Vazquez and Mrs Vazquez so desire it. Which apparently they do.

But now we're facing a new obstacle. The lockout. It's going to happen. What's the point of coming over just for that?

Chances of making the NBA expressed as an arbitrary percentage: 50%, annoyingly.

The frontcourt is no shallower. Fran Vazquez, Boniface N'Dong and Erazem Lorbek all returned this season, and added to the bunch was Kosta Perovic, who transferred in from Valencia. Between the four, Barcelona can offer every kind of look. Vazquez and N'Dong are the big and athletic interior defenders; Perovic is even bigger than them both, whose size alone can serve as a deterrent. On offense, N'Dong and Vazquez can run the court, as well as the pick and roll, and make their mid-range jumpshots. Perovic can create around the basket and has footwork and touch, if not much speed or strength. Lorbek can do both; he can create in the post, step out for the mid range jumpshot, and drive on slower opposing bigs, armed with the best mid-range game of the four. And if Barcelona need a small ball four, they can turn to Terence Morris.

- Fran Vazquez

Vazquez just won the Euroleague with Barcelona. He is often the subject of derision amongst circles of NBA fans after the slight miscalculation that was his selection so high in the 2005 draft, yet such ridicule misses the key point; Vazquez was drafted that high because he can play. Big, strong and athletic, Vazquez sprints the court, block shots and runs a hugely effective two man game with Ricky Rubio, and his production is what makes him the starting centre for the best non-NBA team in the world. Vazquez averaged 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in the Euroleague (PER of 25.2) and 7.4/4.1/1.3 in the ACB (PER of 23.0). He might not suit the current Magic setup, what with them already having Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat, but don't go thinking that he's not playing in the NBA because he can't. As he most certainly can.

Additionally, in a rule that I don't believe has ever yet come into play but which will do very soon with Tiago Splitter, Vazquez is no longer bound by the terms of his rookie scale contract. So if Orlando wants to use some or all of their MLE on him one day, then they can.

Ramon Van de Hare might be easier to sign, though.